Galatians 1:20 kjv
Now the things which I write unto you, behold, before God, I lie not.
Galatians 1:20 nkjv
(Now concerning the things which I write to you, indeed, before God, I do not lie.)
Galatians 1:20 niv
I assure you before God that what I am writing you is no lie.
Galatians 1:20 esv
(In what I am writing to you, before God, I do not lie!)
Galatians 1:20 nlt
I declare before God that what I am writing to you is not a lie.
Galatians 1 20 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| 2 Cor 11:31 | The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, He who is blessed forever, knows that I am not lying. | Paul's integrity confirmed by divine witness. |
| Rom 9:1 | I am telling the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience bearing me witness in the Holy Spirit. | Paul's deep earnestness and truthfulness. |
| 1 Thess 2:5 | For we never came with flattering speech, as you know, nor with a pretext for greed... God is our witness. | Paul asserts truthfulness and integrity of motives before God. |
| Phil 1:8 | For God is my witness, how I long for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus. | Paul uses God as witness for his affections and sincerity. |
| Rom 1:9 | For God, whom I serve in my spirit in the gospel of His Son, is my witness as to how unceasingly I make mention of you... | Paul invokes God as witness for his constant prayer and ministry. |
| 2 Cor 1:23 | But I call God as witness to my soul, that to spare you I did not come again to Corinth. | Paul appeals to God as witness for his true intentions. |
| 1 Tim 2:7 | For this I was appointed a preacher and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying)... | Paul asserts his apostolic commission and truthfulness directly. |
| Heb 6:13-14 | For when God made a promise to Abraham, since He could swear by no one greater, He swore by Himself, saying, "I will surely bless you and I will surely multiply you." | God swears by Himself, indicating ultimate truth and certainty. |
| Heb 6:17-18 | In the same way God, desiring even more to show to the heirs of the promise the unchangeableness of His purpose, interposed with an oath... so that we might have strong encouragement... | God's unchangeable purpose assured by His oath. |
| Jer 42:5 | Then they said to Jeremiah, "May the Lord be a true and faithful witness against us if we do not act according to all the word which the Lord your God will send us..." | Appeal to God as a faithful witness regarding future action. |
| Deut 6:13 | You shall fear the Lord your God; and Him you shall serve, and by His name you shall swear. | Instructs on swearing by God's name, signifying respect for truth. |
| Isa 65:16 | Because he who is blessed in the earth will be blessed by the God of truth; and he who swears in the earth will swear by the God of truth... | Emphasizes God as the standard of truth in oaths. |
| Mt 5:33-37 | Again, you have heard that the ancients were told, 'You shall not swear falsely, but you shall pay your vows to the Lord.' But I say to you, make no oath at all... Let your statement be 'Yes, yes' or 'No, no'. | Jesus' teaching on oaths, promoting absolute truthfulness and rendering explicit oaths unnecessary among believers. |
| Jas 5:12 | But above all, my brothers and sisters, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath; but your yes is to be yes, and your no is to be no, so that you do not fall under judgment. | Echoes Jesus' teaching against swearing, advocating simple truth. |
| 1 Jn 1:10 | If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us. | Consequences of lying about one's state before God. |
| Num 30:2 | If a man makes a vow to the Lord, or swears an oath to bind himself by a pledge, he shall not break his word... | Emphasizes the sanctity of oaths and vows made to God. |
| Psa 33:13 | The Lord looks from heaven; He sees all the sons of mankind. | God's all-seeing nature, relevant when appealing to His witness. |
| Heb 4:13 | And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and exposed to the eyes of Him to whom we must give an account. | Reinforces God's omniscience, nothing is hidden from Him. |
| Psa 44:20-21 | If we had forgotten the name of our God... would God not find this out? For He knows the secrets of the heart. | God knows innermost thoughts, a basis for an appeal to Him. |
| Gal 1:11-12 | For I would have you know, brothers, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man. For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ. | Paul's preceding declaration, validated by the oath in verse 20. |
| Acts 26:12-18 | Paul recounts his conversion experience to Agrippa, a key part of what he asserts as true. | The substance of the truth Paul is swearing about. |
Galatians 1 verses
Galatians 1 20 Meaning
Galatians 1:20 is a powerful oath sworn by the Apostle Paul, emphatically asserting the absolute truthfulness of the preceding statements regarding his past life as a persecutor, his miraculous conversion, and his divinely appointed apostleship and direct revelation of the gospel, independently of human authority or teaching. By invoking God as his witness, Paul places his integrity and the authenticity of his message under the highest possible divine attestation, signifying the utmost seriousness and reliability of his claims to the Galatians.
Galatians 1 20 Context
Galatians 1:20 is strategically placed by the Apostle Paul in the opening of his letter to the Galatian churches. He has been challenging external Judaizers who infiltrated these churches, attempting to undermine his apostolic authority and demanding that Gentile converts observe Jewish ceremonial law for salvation. In Galatians 1:1-12, Paul vehemently asserts the singular nature of the gospel and pronounces an anathema on those who preach a different one. From verses 13-19, he then provides a concise "autobiographical" account of his conversion and initial years as an apostle. This narrative is crucial to his argument, demonstrating that his gospel and authority were not derived from men (i.e., the apostles in Jerusalem) but directly from a divine revelation by Jesus Christ Himself.
Verse 20 functions as an emphatic, solemn oath, sealing the truthfulness of his preceding historical account. This profound assertion serves as a polemic against the doubts and accusations being spread about his origin and the legitimacy of his gospel by the false teachers. It shows Paul's absolute conviction and determination to affirm the divine origin of his message in the face of strong opposition, defending the integrity of the gospel by defending his own God-given apostleship.
Galatians 1 20 Word analysis
- Now concerning what I am writing to you: Paul draws specific attention to the veracity of his preceding personal testimony (Gal 1:13-19). He emphasizes that every detail of his narrative, from his fervent persecution of the Church to his Damascus road conversion and subsequent independent ministry, is precisely true.
- behold (Greek: ἰδοὺ, idou): This interjection serves as an emphatic command to pay attention, literally meaning "look!" or "see!" It is used here to underscore the extreme solemnity and profound significance of the declaration that follows, demanding the readers' focused acknowledgment of the truth being stated.
- before God (Greek: ἐνώπιον τοῦ θεοῦ, enōpion tou theou): This phrase indicates the taking of a solemn oath in the immediate presence and as an appeal to God Himself. It implies that God is the witness to the veracity of Paul's words and will hold him accountable if he speaks falsely. This elevates the statement to the highest level of truth, as God is omniscient and righteous, and His judgment is to be feared.
- I do not lie (Greek: οὐ ψεύδομαι, ou pseudomai): This is a direct, categorical denial of falsehood. The negative particle "οὐ" (ou) signifies an objective denial. The verb "ψεύδομαι" (pseudomai) means "to speak falsely" or "to tell a lie." Paul emphatically declares that his account is completely true and without any fabrication or deception. The present tense of the verb stresses the continuing truthfulness of his statements.
Words-group analysis
- "behold, before God, I do not lie": This entire phrase constitutes a formal and binding oath, a practice deeply rooted in ancient customs and especially in the Jewish tradition of appealing to the divine as a witness. For Paul, a former Pharisee well-versed in the Law, this was not a casual remark but a solemn invocation of divine attestation to guarantee the absolute truthfulness of his claims. It highlights the critical nature of the issue at hand—the very source and authenticity of the gospel he preaches—and the serious challenge to his authority that necessitated such a weighty affirmation.
Galatians 1 20 Bonus section
The intensity of Paul's oath in Galatians 1:20 signals the extreme gravity of the situation in the Galatian churches. While Paul often calls God to witness in his letters (e.g., Rom 1:9, 2 Cor 1:23, 11:31; Phil 1:8, 1 Thess 2:5), the direct denial of falsehood, "I do not lie," specifically to his autobiographical account, emphasizes the direct challenge to his credibility as an apostle of Christ. This solemn oath is more than a simple assertion; it's an apologia, a legal-style defense of his apostolic ministry and the non-negotiable, divine truth of the gospel entrusted to him. This passionate defense reveals the immense personal and theological stakes Paul recognized in combating the false gospel that threatened the salvation of the Galatians.
Galatians 1 20 Commentary
Galatians 1:20 stands as a formidable testament to Paul's integrity and the divine origin of the gospel he preached. Facing accusations that his message was derived from human sources or adapted for personal gain, Paul employs a rare and potent oath, placing himself directly accountable before God. This is not a rhetorical flourish but a deeply serious act. In Jewish tradition, swearing by God invoked the possibility of divine judgment for perjury, emphasizing the grave nature of such a declaration.
By declaring "I do not lie" before God, Paul underscores that his account of his independent apostleship and revelation of Christ (Gal 1:1, 1:11-12) is not a human construction or a convenient narrative, but divine truth. This radical stance was crucial because the very gospel's authenticity depended on its divine origin, not on human commendation or tradition. If Paul's call was human-derived, then the gospel he preached could be questioned and perhaps altered; if it was divine, it stood unimpeachable. Thus, this verse serves as the personal guarantee of apostolic reliability, securing the foundation of the true gospel for the Galatians and for all time.