For I certify to you, brothers, that the gospel I preached was not devised by man.
Parallel translations
- WEB But I make known to you, brothers, concerning the Good News which was preached by me, that it is not according to man.
- KJV But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man.
- NKJV But I make known to you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man.
- NASB For I would have you know, brothers and sisters, that the gospel which was preached by me is not of human invention.
- NLT Dear brothers and sisters, I want you to understand that the gospel message I preach is not based on mere human reasoning.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Paul declares that the gospel he preached is not of human origin. Its source authenticates its authority.
Overview
Beginning his personal defense, Paul affirms the gospel is 'not according to man,' neither invented nor handed down by mere tradition. This sets up his account of how he received it directly from Christ. The divine origin of the message means it cannot be revised by human teachers.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 6
- Gal 1:1Paul, an apostle—sent not from men nor by man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised Him from the dead—
- Eph 3:3–8that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly.
- 1 Cor 2:9–10Rather, as it is written: “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no heart has imagined, what God has prepared for those who love Him.”
- 1 Cor 11:23For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night He was betrayed, took bread,
- 1 Cor 15:1–3Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, and in which you stand firm.
- Rom 2:16on the day when God will judge men’s secrets through Christ Jesus, as proclaimed by my gospel.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Christ became a curse for us to redeem us from the law's curse, that we might receive the Spirit and be sons — justified by faith in him, not by works.
How Galatians 1:11 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.