1:7a

which is not even a gospel: This clause indicates that the “different gospel” is not the gospel at all. It is not good news. A different gospel does not really exist.

Some other ways to translate this clause are:

Actually, there is no “other gospel,” (Good News Translation)
-or-
not that there really is another gospel (NET Bible)
-or-
but is not the Good News at all (New Living Translation (2004))

1:7b

Evidently: The Greek phrase that Berean Standard Bible here translates as Evidently is more literally “if not” or “except.” In most of the other places in the New Testament where this phrase occurs, it is translated as “except.” In those places, this phrase introduces an exception to the previous clause. Here this phrase also introduces an exception.

Some ways to connect 1:7a and 1:7b are:

• Use the word except. This option probably follows the Greek most closely. It introduces 1:7b as an exception to 1:7a. For example:

7a There is no other gospel 7b except ?in the minds/thinking of? some who trouble you 7c and want to distort the gospel of Christ.

• Use a conjunction such as but or however. For example:

7a not that there really is another gospel, 7b but there are some who are disturbing you 7c and wanting to distort the gospel of Christ (NET Bible)

If you follow this option, you may want to change the order of some of the clauses in 7b and 7c. For example:

7a not that there really is another gospel. 7b But there are some who 7c want to distort the gospel of Christ ?into another gospel? . 7b They are disturbing you.

• Use no conjunction or other word to introduce 1:7b. For example:

7a But what some people are calling good news is not really good news at all. 7b They are confusing you. 7c They want to distort the Good News about Christ. (God’s Word)

some people are troubling you: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as troubling also means “confuse.” This verb is in the present tense. When Paul wrote this letter, some men (who were false teachers) were in the process of trying to confuse the Galatians.

Some other ways to translate this clause are:

some people are confusing you (New Century Version)
-or-
You are being fooled by those… (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
some people are causing you trouble (Contemporary English Version)

1:7c

and trying to distort the gospel of Christ: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as distort means to change a good thing into a bad thing.

Some other ways to translate this clause are:

and trying to change the gospel of Christ (Good News Translation)
-or-
and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ (New International Version)
-or-
by those who deliberately twist the truth concerning Christ (New Living Translation (2004))

the gospel of Christ: This phrase means the Good News about Christ.

Some other ways to translate this phrase are:

the message about Christ
-or-
the Good News about Christ (God’s Word)

See gospel in the Glossary for more information.

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