Galatians 1:1-12 Biblical Commentary:
THE CONTEXT: Galatia was a region in central Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey). Paul established churches in Galatia, composed primarily of Gentiles who received the Gospel eagerly (4:14-15). He believed that they were "running well" (5:7). But after he left Galatia, he learned that Judaizers (Greek: Ioudizo-those who live by Jewish practices, 2:14) had persuaded these Galatians to adopt Jewish practices-circumcision in particular. These Judaizers were Christians who believed that it was essential for Christians to adopt particular Jewish practices. They were not trying to persuade Christians to abandon the Christian faith in favor of Judaism. In some circles, the term Judaizer has fallen into disrepute, because those people believe that the word suggests that the Ioudizo tried to persuade people to adopt the Jewish faith. However, the book of Galatians makes it clear that the Ioudizo were Christians who were trying to blend Christian and Jewish practices. While it is appropriate to call them Judaizers, another appropriate name would be Syncretizers-those who try to blend beliefs from more than one religion. However, I prefer Judaizers for three reasons:
• First, it is the traditional translation of Ioudizo in 2:14.
• Second, the word Judaizer has always had two meanings. While it has sometimes referred to Jews trying to impose Judaism on Gentiles, it more often referred to Christians adopting Jewish practices, as was the case in Galatia.
• Third, Syncretizers could represent any religion trying to impose its values or practices on Christians-but the problem in Galatia was specific-Jewish Christians trying to impose Jewish practices on Christians.
The issue is more important than it might sound. The Gospel is the Good News that we are saved by grace-the grace bestowed by Jesus Christ. We are free from the constraints of the Jewish law, which was impossible to follow without exception. Under the law, people were always more or less guilty, but Jesus' blood wipes away sin totally.
The point was/is that, we are saved EITHER by adherence to the law OR by the grace of God made possible by Christ's perfect sacrifice on the cross. The New Testament makes it clear that the grace of God is the answer to the problem of sin. Adopting Jewish practices would take the focus off grace and muddy the waters.
GALATIANS 1:1-5: GRACE TO YOU AND PEACE
1 Paul, an apostle-not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead- 2 and all the brothers who are with me, To the churches of Galatia: 3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, 4 who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, 5 to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.
"Paul, an apostle (not from men, neither through man, but through Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead)" (v. 1). It was customary for people of that time and place to begin their letters by introducing themselves (quite different from our letters today, name of the author at the end), and Paul follows that convention by introducing himself at the beginning.
The word apostle means "one who is sent." Jesus chose apostles to be sent out to continue his work.
Paul immediately mentions that he is an apostle. It is important that Paul establish this upfront. If Christ has called him to be an apostle-has endowed him with apostolic authority-then these Galatian Christians must listen to him.
When Paul describes his call as "not from men...but through Jesus Christ," he is alluding to the story of his call in Acts 9:1-18. His name at that time was Saul, and he was a persecutor of the church. Jesus confronted him in a vision, and Saul the persecutor became Paul the apostle.
"and all the brothers who are with me, to the assemblies (Greek: ekklesia-churches) of Galatia"(v. 2). We don't know who these brothers were-or what they did in relationship to the churches of Galatia.
The Greek word ekklesia (assembly or church) is comprised of two words, ek (out) and kalein (to call)-so it means "to call out." When Paul speaks of "the ekklesia (church) of Galatia," he means the Christian community in Galatia, which probably involved several congregations. Keep in mind that Galatia was a region, not a town.
"Grace (Greek: charis) to you and peace (eirene) from God the Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ" (v. 3). Paul characteristically links grace and peace as a special form of blessing in the opening of his letters. Grace (charis) involves the giving and receiving of something that has the potential to bless both giver and receiver. The classic definition of grace is "the free gift of salvation through Jesus Christ." Peace (eirene) has its roots in the Hebrew word shalom-which speaks of an inner kind of peace-the kind of well-being that is derived from a deep relationship with God.
"who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us out of this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father" (v. 4). This is known as substitutionary atonement, which has to do with making amends for sins or repairing the spiritual damage caused by sins. It also has to do with restoring relationships that were broken by sin - in particular the relationship that we enjoyed with God prior to the introduction of sin into the world. Our sin (our failure to do God's will - our willful disobedience) broke that relationship, because God is holy (morally and spiritually perfect) and expects us to be holy as well (Leviticus 19:2; 1 Peter 1:15).
Our sin, therefore, creates a conflict for God. On the one hand, God is repulsed by our sin, but on the other hand, he loves us. On the one hand, he cannot bring himself to invite us into full fellowship while we are tainted with sin, but on the other hand, he cannot bring himself to dismiss us totally.
So, in keeping with his holiness (which demands that we be punished) and his love (which demands that we be reconciled), God devised a process by which he can make us holy once again so that he might receive us into full fellowship. This process is known as substitutionary atonement - "substitutionary" meaning that God will accept a substitute to absorb the punishment for our sins and "atonement" meaning that we can be restored to full fellowship with God.
In the Old Testament, atonement took the form of animal sacrifices. God required Israelites to sacrifice animals in a sacred ritual to atone (make amends) for their sins (Exodus 30:10; Leviticus 1:4; 4:20-21, etc.). The idea was that people deserved to die for their sins, but God permitted them to sacrifice animals in their place. The death of the animals satisfied God's need for justice, which in turn made it possible for him to forgive the people's sins.
This idea of substitutionary atonement is also prevalent in the New Testament, and is the rationale behind
the death of Jesus:
• "The Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many" (Matthew 20:28).
• Jesus is "the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world" (John 1:29, 36).
• "Being now justified by his blood, we will be saved from God's wrath through him" (Romans 5:9).
• Christ is our "paschal lamb" - our Passover lamb (1 Corinthians 5:7).
• "Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures" - a matter regarded by the Apostle Paul as supremely important (1 Corinthians 15:3).
• Christ "died for all" (2 Corinthians 5:14).
• "Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us" (Galatians 3:13).
• Christ loved us "and gave himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God" (Ephesians 5:2).
Substitutionary atonement not only satisfies God's needs for both justice and mercy, but it also dramatizes the dreadful nature of our sin and its consequences. It helps us to understand that our sins are not just minor mistakes for which a passing apology is all that is needed. It helps us to understand that "the wages of sin is death" and that we are in desperate need of "the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 6:23).
I understand that some Christians don't accept the idea of substitutionary atonement. I can't imagine how they can justify that position, because (as noted in the verses quoted above) the idea of substitutionary atonement permeates both Old and New Testaments.
"to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen" (v. 5). In his letter to the Philippians, Paul spoke of Jesus "becoming obedient to death, yes, the death of the cross.... Therefore God also highly exalted him, and gave to him the name which is above every name; that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, those on earth, and those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father" (Philippians 2:8-11).
GALATIANS 1:6-9: DESERTING AND PERVERTING
6 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel- 7 not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. 9 As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed.
"I marvel (Greek: thaumazo) that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace(charis) of Christ to a different 'good news'" (euangelion) (v. 6). Now Paul gets to the point of this letter. He marvels (thaumazo-is amazed or astonished) at their quick turn away from that to which they have been called. Paul is clearly distressed by the fickle behavior of these Galatian Christians.
However, the fact that they are relatively new Christians means that they are less seasoned than Christians who have frequently defeated temptation. They are less prone to understanding doctrinal nuances, and are more prone to succumbing to questionable propositions.
Called by whom? Called, not by Paul, but by God. Paul was simply the messenger who brought them the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Called to what? Called "in the grace (charis) of Christ. The classic definition of grace (charis) is "the free gift of salvation through Jesus Christ." That free gift of salvation is the gospel (good news) to which Christians subscribe.
But these Galatian Christians have deserted their call to God's free gift of salvation. They have been seduced by a "different 'good news.'" Paul doesn't tell us here the nature of that different gospel, but as we read through the book we will learn that it emphasizes the keeping of Jewish law (salvation by works) rather than the free gift of salvation through Jesus Christ (salvation by grace).
As noted above, the New Testament makes it clear that the grace of God is the answer to the problem of sin. Adopting Jewish practices takes the focus off grace and muddies the waters.
"and there isn't another 'good news'" (v. 7a). Here Paul gets more specific. There is no alternative good news. There is only the good news of salvation through Christ on the one hand-and the bad news of salvation by works on the other hand. No in-between!
"Only there are some who trouble you, and want to pervert (Greek: metastrepho) the Good News of Christ" (v. 7b). These perverters are the Judaizers mentioned in "The Context" above. While they are Christians of a sort who are trying to persuade Christians to adopt certain practices of Jewish law, their efforts "pervert (Greek: metastrepho) the Good News of Christ"-distorting it to the extent that it becomes unrecognizable.
Metastrepho means to turn from one direction to another-to change-or to pervert. In this context, pervert is a good translation.
"But even though we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you any "good news" other than that which we preached to you, let him be cursed" (Greek: anathema-to receive divine condemnation) (v. 8). Paul includes himself and his colleagues among those who are to be cursed (to receive divine condemnation) if they pervert the good news that Paul has preached in Galatia.
Paul includes angels among those who are subject to being cursed if they pervert the Gospel message. While angels are God's messengers, an angel who distorts the Godly message that he has been sent to deliver will be subject to God's judgment (2 Peter 2:4; Jude 1:6). The reason is simple. A distortion of the Godly message is likely to lead people in the wrong direction, and might lead to their condemnation. In such a case, God will hold his messenger accountable.
"As we have said before, so I now say again: if any man preaches to you any "good news" other than that which you received, let him be cursed" (v. 9). See the comments on verse 8. Paul restates the principle for emphasis.
GALATIANS 1:10: PLEASING MEN OR SERVING CHRIST
10 For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.
"For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men?" (v. 10a). Paul asks a rhetorical question: "In writing this letter, am I trying to win the favor of men or of God?" He couches the question in such a way that he expects the answer, "Of God!"
Then he asks another rhetorical question: "Or am I striving to please men?" The expected answer is "No! Of course not!"
"For if I were still pleasing men, I wouldn't be a servant of Christ" (v. 10b). Paul hammers home his point. If he were trying to please people, he would be their servant rather than Christ's. That, however, is not the case. He has devoted his life to Christ, and seeks to please no one other than Christ. This letter to the Galatian Christians confirms that. He expresses himself in a forthright manner to chide them for their error and to persuade them to amend their ways. That kind of approach is the opposite of the servile behavior that tries to accommodate the truth to the hearer.
SHIFT IN CONTEXT: Now he defends both his apostleship and the Gospel he preaches in the hope that what he writes will persuade the Galatians to forego the practice of observing Jewish law.
GALATIANS 1:11-12: THE GOOD NEWS CAME THROUGH CHRIST
11 For I would have you know, brothers, that the gospel that was preached by me is not man's gospel. 12 For I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ.
"But I make known to you, brothers, concerning the Good News which was preached by me, that it is not according to man" (v. 11). Paul wants to make it clear that the Gospel preached by him was not "according to man"-wasn't the product of human thought.
"For neither did I receive it from man, nor was I taught it" (v. 12a). There were, of course, people involved in Paul's conversion and maturing in the faith. After Jesus appeared to Saul (Paul's pre-Christian name) on the road to Damascus, Jesus called Ananias to lay hands on Saul so that Saul could regain his sight and might receive the Holy Spirit (Acts 9:12-19). When Jews tried to kill Saul, Christians lowered him in a basket through a hole in the wall so that he might escape (Acts 9:23-25). In Jerusalem, where the disciples knew Saul's reputation and were afraid of him, Barnabas served as Saul's advocate so that Saul could proclaim the Gospel there (Acts 9:26-30).
"but it came to me through revelation of Jesus Christ" (v. 12b). However, the content of Saul's preaching came "through revelation of Jesus Christ." This revelation began on the road to Damascus in Acts 9, but surely continued thereafter.
GALATIANS 1:13-14: EXCEEDINGLY ZEALOUS
13 For you have heard of my former life in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God violently and tried to destroy it. 14 And I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my people, so extremely zealous was I for the traditions of my fathers.
"For you have heard of my way of living in time past in the Jews' religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the assembly (Greek: ekklesia-church) of God, and ravaged it" (v. 13). Saul (Paul's pre-Christian name) had been a persecutor of the church prior to seeing a vision of Jesus on the Damascus road. He had been present at the stoning of Stephen (Acts 7:58). He might or might not have been one of those throwing stones to kill Stephen, but he clearly approved of that action (Acts 8:1).
Saul soon became an active persecutor. He "ravaged the assembly (church), entering into every house, and dragged both men and women off to prison" (Acts 8:3) and, "still breathing threats and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest, and asked for letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem" (Acts 9:1-2).
Saul's reputation as a persecutor traveled quickly, and Jesus' disciples feared him:
• When Jesus called Ananias to go to Saul, Ananias replied, "Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he did to your saints at Jerusalem. Here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on your name." But being reassured by Jesus, Ananias went to Saul and laid hands on him so that he would receive the Holy Spirit (Acts 9:13-17).
• "When Saul had come to Jerusalem, he tried to join himself to the disciples; but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he was a disciple" (Acts 9:26). It was only by virtue of Barnabas' sponsorship that the Jerusalem disciples were able to accept Saul (Acts 9:27-31).
AN INTERESTING FACT: Peter was the leading apostle in the Gospels and through Acts 12, but we hear nothing further from Peter. Paul became the leading apostle in the rest of the book of Acts. Peter had insisted on observing Jewish dietary laws (and perhaps other Jewish laws as well) until he saw a vision that commanded him to do otherwise. He soon found himself baptizing Gentiles-Roman soldiers (Acts 10). But Paul had been an apostle to the Gentiles almost from the beginning of his Christian walk.
"I advanced in the Jews' religion beyond many of my own age among my countrymen" (v. 14a). Saul had been a young man when he participated, either actively or approvingly, in the stoning of Stephen (Acts 7:58). He quickly became a major persecutor of the church.
"being more exceedingly zealous for the traditions of my fathers" (v. 14b). Jewish tradition was codified in the Mishnah, the Gemara, and the Talmud (which combined the Mishnah and Gemara).
The traditions grew out of a desire to provide detailed guidance for the keeping of the law. For instance, when the Torah banned work on the Sabbath, Jewish scholars tried to determine in great detail what constituted work. Could a woman cook for her family on the Sabbath? Could a man feed livestock? How far could a person walk on the Sabbath? Answers to questions like these were codified in the Mishnah, Gemara, and Talmud-commentaries on the law. This was a commendable effort to be faithful to the requirements of the law.
But the problems growing out of this effort were threefold. First, the traditions grew to enormous proportions-many thousands of pages-too much for the average person to understand. Second, the traditions often degenerated into legalism-an emphasis on the fine points of the law rather than the spirit behind it. Third, the scribes and Pharisees began to treat these traditions as if they were as binding as Torah law. Therefore, Jesus was highly critical of the way that Jews treated these traditions (Matthew 15:7-9; Mark 7:1-13).
GALATIANS 1:15-17: CALLED BY GRACE
15 But when he who had set me apart before I was born, and who called me by his grace, 16 was pleased to reveal his Son to me, in order that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with anyone; 17 nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me, but I went away into Arabia, and returned again to Damascus.
"But when it was the good pleasure of God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me through his grace to reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the Gentiles"(vv. 15-16a). Paul makes several important points here:
• It was God's good pleasure to call Saul. It wasn't Saul's idea-not at all.
• It was by God's grace that he revealed his Son to Saul. No one who knew Saul's history could believe anything else to be true.
• God called Paul to preach Christ among the Gentiles
"I didn't immediately confer with flesh and blood" (v. 16b). Paul is interested here in establishing that the Gospel that he preached was the product of direct revelation rather than by sitting at the feet of more established Christian leaders.
"nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me" (v. 17a). Jerusalem was, for a time, the chief city for Christian disciples. It was where the church was established at Pentecost (Acts 2)-was where the Jerusalem Council met (Acts 15:1-35)-and was a gathering place for the church's leadership.
Note that Paul speaks of "those who were apostles before me"-not "the senior apostles." He doesn't speak of them disrespectfully, but neither does he speak of them deferentially. They have their place in the church, and Paul has his. He felt no need to seek out their guidance and counsel, because he had learned what he needed to know through divine revelation.
"but I went away into Arabia. Then I returned to Damascus" (v. 17b). In the past, when I read this verse, I thought of Arabia as the entire Arabian Peninsula-a huge expanse of desert east and south of Israel-between the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf. I couldn't imagine why Paul would have gone there, because it is inhospitable and has few connections with the Biblical narrative.
However, in my study for the commentary on this passage, I learned that the Arabia of Paul's day was much smaller than the Arabian Peninsula-and was located to the east and south of Damascus. That makes sense. Paul was seeking solitude to pray and to consider how he might proclaim the Gospel. Arabia would have provided that solitude, but was near Damascus. Keep in mind that Saul saw his vision of Jesus on the road to Damascus-and was baptized there (Acts 9:18). After his stint in Arabia, he returned to Damascus.
GALATIANS 1:18-24: AFTER THREE YEARS
18 Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to visit Cephas and remained with him fifteen days. 19 But I saw none of the other apostles except James the Lord's brother. 20 (In what I am writing to you, before God, I do not lie!) 21 Then I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia. 22 And I was still unknown in person to the churches of Judea that are in Christ. 23 They only were hearing it said, "He who used to persecute us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy." 24 And they glorified God because of me.
"Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to visit Peter, and stayed with him fifteen days" (v. 18). We don't know what the three years measures. It could begin with his conversion and baptism in Damascus. He could have spent three years in Damascus. We don't know-but that is a minor point in this story.
Paul went to Jerusalem to visit Peter, who was the leading disciple/apostle from the beginning of Jesus' ministry through Acts 12. Paul's point in telling of his visit to Arabia and the three year time period was to tell his readers that he had been active in considering the revelation that God had given him-and what he would do with it. In other words, he didn't visit Peter until his faith and understanding had matured.
But Paul could nevertheless profit from the time he spent with Peter. Peter had been one of Jesus' first disciples (Matthew 4:18)-and remained with Jesus until Jesus' ascension. Paul had not seen Jesus until after Jesus' ascension, so Peter could relate details from his day-to-day walk with Jesus throughout Jesus' ministry on earth.
"But of the other apostles I saw no one, except James, the Lord's brother" (v. 19). There were several men named James in the Gospels. James the son of Zebedee was most prominent, being one of the first of Jesus' disciples-and one of the three members of Jesus' inner circle (Peter, James, and John).
But this is James, the Lord's brother. Protestants believe that James was the son of Joseph and Mary, and given Mary's virginal conception was Jesus' half-brother. Most Catholics, because of their emphasis on Mary's perpetual virginity, believe that James and the other brothers that are mentioned (Matthew 12:46-47; 13:53; 1 Corinthians 9:5) are Jesus' cousins or kinsmen rather than his brothers.
James was not a disciple of Jesus prior to the crucifixion and resurrection, but became a disciple and a leader of the Jerusalem church after Jesus' ascension. As a measure of his importance, he was a decision-maker at the Jerusalem Council, and gave the final report of the Council's findings (Acts 15:12-21). Paul refers to him as an apostle (Galatians 1:19).
Again, Paul can learn new things about Jesus from James, but comes to him with his theology fully formed.
The central point of verses 18-19 is that Paul finally visited these two apostles, but not to learn the basics of the Christian faith.
"Now about the things which I write to you, behold, before God, (Greek: enopian ho theos-God is my witness) I'm not lying" (v. 20). Paul knows that his opponents will challenge his account, so he adds this note about his truthfulness.
Paul's statement skirts on the edge of violating of Jesus' injunction against oaths and vows (Matthew 5:33-37)-but it also shows Paul's seriousness in defending himself. He and his readers understand that it would be a gross sin to make this kind of statement if it were not true.
"Then I came to the regions of Syria and Cilicia" (v. 21). Syria was the nation directly north of Palestine. Damascus was its most prominent city. Cilicia was a region in southeast Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey). It provided the most direct trade route from Syria to central Asia Minor. Its capital city was Tarsus, Paul's hometown.
Paul would have preached the Gospel on these visits, still depending on the revelation given him by God rather than other apostolic influence.
"I was still unknown by face to the assemblies (churches) of Judea which were in Christ" (v. 22). Paul had met with Peter and James, but was unknown to the disciples of Judean churches.
"but they only heard: 'He who once persecuted us now preaches the faith that he once tried to destroy.' And they glorified God in me" (vv. 23-24). The disciples didn't know Paul by sight (v. 22), but were aware of his reputation as a persecutor of the church. They glorified God for transforming the former persecutor into a disciple and an apostle.
Gal. 1:1-9 - Bible.org
It is possible that this epistle to the Galatians is the first letter of the Apostle Paul. Nevertheless, it is worthwhile to compare the way Paul begins this letter with his customary introduction. The way you and I begin and end our personal letters is quite similar in form, if not in content. As customary in the letters of that day, Paul's letters had a predictable form.25 There was an initial greeting, a prayer or petition for grace and peace, thanksgiving to God, the body of the letter, personal greetings, and a farewell.
In this letter the thanksgiving section, present in Paul's other epistles (Rom. 1:8; 1 Cor. 1:4; 2 Cor. 1:3; Eph. 1:3; Phil. 1:3; 1 Thess. 1:3; 2 Thess. 1:2), is missing. Instead, Paul bluntly expresses his dismay: "I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel" (Gal. 1:6). Something was seriously wrong in the churches of Galatia to prompt such a sobering introduction. A careful reading of the entire epistle confirms this observation. The gospel which Paul had preached and which these Christians had accepted was somehow quickly set aside for other teaching.
The study of the Book of Galatians is of critical importance to Christians today. Not only do we learn of a departure from the gospel in ancient days, but we shall see that there is similar error being proclaimed today. Many Christians have accepted this divergence from the gospel, not knowing the seriousness of their error. It is important for us to understand what the Galatian error was so that we can recognize similar false teaching today. God-willing, we will reject false teaching for what it is-a departure from the gospel by which we have been saved.
Paul the Apostle
(1:1)
"Paul, an apostle (not sent from men, nor through the agency of man, but through Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised Him from the dead),"
The word "apostle" in verse 1 hardly takes us by surprise. After all, Paul was an apostle. No orthodox Christian today questions that. Furthermore, Paul almost always opened his epistles with a reference to his apostleship. Paul's claim to apostleship in verse 1 had far more meaning to the Galatian recipients. If his apostleship was taken seriously, the letter would carry a greater impact. To write a letter as an apostle is tantamount to saying that the author of the letter is God Himself. If you and I read letters which come from the IRS or the government, surely we should pay careful attention to a letter which originated from God.
If this is Paul's first epistle, his claim of apostleship in verse 1 was unexpectedly authoritative, since such an introduction was not yet customary.28 There were, however, different kinds of apostles, for the Greek word conveys the idea of one who is sent. An apostle is one who is sent out with authority. This raises the question, "By whom was Paul sent as an apostle, and with what authority?"
We have already seen from Acts 15 that the Judaizers implied, if they did not say it directly, that they had come with the authority of the apostles who resided in Jerusalem. The Jerusalem Council very flatly denied this in their letter to the Gentile churches (Acts 15:24). At best, the Judaizers could have claimed to be apostles of the church at Jerusalem. In a similar way, Barnabas and Paul were "apostles" of the Antioch church to the church in Jerusalem, for they were sent by the church with the collection to be taken to the elders in Jerusalem (Acts 11:30).
Paul's apostleship was of a different and very limited order. He was an apostle of Jesus Christ, commissioned and sent out by Him. This is Paul's thrust in verse 1: "Paul, an apostle (not sent from men, nor through the agency of man, but through Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised Him from the dead)."
The structure of the Book of Galatians is the outflow of the claim of apostleship which Paul has made in this first verse. Chapters 1 and 2 contain Paul's defense of his apostleship, a fact denied by the Judaizers and now doubted by some of the Galatian saints. Having defended his authority in the first two chapters, Paul reiterates the message of the gospel in chapters 3 and 4. Paul's gospel exposes the error into which some have fallen, by placing themselves under the Law after having been saved by grace. Chapters 5 and 6 spell out the practical outworkings of the gospel of God's grace, which enable the saint to live a godly life in a fallen world.
Another Gospel
(1:6-9)
6 I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel; 7 which is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you, and want to distort the gospel of Christ. 8 But even though we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to that which we have preached to you, let him be accursed. 9 As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to that which you received, let him be accursed.
Imagine yourself as a member of one of the Galatian churches which had just received this letter from Paul. The first four verses would not have been hard to accept. If this letter followed the style of any of Paul's other epistles, we would expect a word of thanksgiving, commendation or encouragement. No such word is found here. Instead, Paul comes out of the chute, as it were, with his guns blazing. The severity of the error is signaled by the urgency of Paul's tone and by the stinging words he chose to diagnose the disease of the Galatian churches. Paul indicts the false teachers for preaching another gospel and pronounces sentence upon them by damning them. Paul accuses those who have fallen for such teaching of deserting the God who called them in Christ Jesus. Paul could not have stated the problem in more shocking terms. He meant to jar these saints. This was no time for diplomacy or subtlety.
Paul is not trying to be theatrical. He is doing the only thing that can be done in such circumstances. It would hardly seem appropriate for me to yank one of my girls about by her hair. Yet suppose that one of my daughters was about to step into the street in front of a speeding car. This would be no time for a casual talk about cars and streets. Neither would there be any alternative other than to grab her as quickly as I could and yank with all my might, in the hope of preventing injury or death. In a time of crisis, severe action is not only appropriate, it is mandatory. The severity of Paul's words alerts us to the seriousness of the situation in the Galatian churches. Let us consider the danger more carefully.
Several years ago I had an emergency appendectomy and while recovering, a friend came to visit. He was obviously uneasy and he nervously fidgeted with my I.V. bottle hanging from a rack next to him. The precious fluid flowed from the tubing into my arm. Suddenly with no warning the bottle plunged downward, loosened by his tampering. At that moment, that little bottle was very important to me. That bottle was my life. It was vital to my well-being. Tampering with it could have cost me my life.
If tampering with that glass bottle of fluid was so distressing to me, you can understand why Paul is so concerned about those who were altering the gospel. To change the gospel is to jeopardize the basis of the eternal well-being of every Christian. The problem which Paul raises could not have been more critical. His words are well chosen to convey this fact.
Verse 6 conveys Paul's shock and horror at what has occurred. When the Galatians turned to a different gospel, they deserted the Father, who called them through the Son. In verse 7 Paul clarifies his reference to a "different gospel" in the previous verse. In reality there is only one gospel, and no other. What may at first have seemed like a minor adjustment in doctrine to the Galatians was an alternative to the gospel. Worse yet, it was an abandonment of the gospel, for there is only one gospel. This abandonment was instigated by false teachers who disturbed some in the church by distorting the gospel.
Verses 8 and 9 are Paul's words regarding these false teachers, or any others who would distort the gospel of God's grace. The gospel is that which Paul had previously proclaimed to the Galatians. No matter who it might be, no matter how spectacular they might be, any deviation from the gospel previously proclaimed would be worthy of God's most severe judgment. To reemphasize, Paul repeats in verse 9 what he has said in verse 8. However, verse 9 is more than a mere repetition of the previous verse. I believe that Paul reiterates not only what he has just said (in verse 8), but also what he had previously said29 while still with the Galatians. Thus the apostle was amazed at how quickly the Christians had turned aside from the gospel. They had not only quickly turned aside, but they turned aside after having been warned.30
There is, I believe, a considerably greater condemnation pronounced upon those who further a false gospel than that which will befall those who only follow such teaching. This is not to say that believing such error is to be taken lightly, for Paul spoke of it as forsaking God (v. 6). The false teacher, however, is even more severely cautioned; he is doubly cursed. The text may imply that while there are those who could fall into such error unwittingly-that is, not knowing its full implications-those who teach another gospel do so consciously. These false teachers "want to distort the gospel of Christ" (v. 7). Because the false teacher leads others astray, and because he does so willfully, he is worthy of a much more severe penalty (cf. James 3:1).
The Gospel and Its Counterfeit
Our study of the Book of Galatians will reiterate the true gospel and will reveal that which is false. Let us briefly preview what we shall discover as we continue in this great book by considering the definition of the gospel found in verses 3-5.
The true gospel is outlined in verses 3-5 of chapter 1. Just as Paul's apostleship is summarized in verse 1 and defended in chapters 1 and 2, so the gospel is given a preliminary definition in 1:3-5, only to be expanded upon throughout the rest of the book. The results of the gospel, "grace" and "peace," are mentioned in verse 3. The gospel is grace. The gospel bestows grace and peace to those who receive it by faith. When men turn from the gospel, they turn from grace (cf. 5:4) and from peace (cf. 5:20,26).
The gospel is the result of the finished work of Christ on the cross of Calvary (1:4). His death was for the forgiveness of our sins and our "deliverance from this present evil age," according to the will of God and for His glory (1:4b, 5). We may be inclined to think of our deliverance from "this present evil age" as our eschatological (future) hope, but this is not the principle thought here, at least in my opinion. The work of Christ on the cross is sufficient to forgive us of our sins, and to finally and fully sanctify us in His presence, but for the time being it is also adequate to free us from our slavery to sin here and now. Thus, it is to our present (as well as our future) sanctification that Paul refers. This is especially significant in the context of the whole book, for the Judaizers taught differently. They believed that putting men back under the Law would sanctify them, and that faith alone was not sufficient.
The "other gospel," or the "un-gospel" to which Paul referred in verses 6-9, finds the finished work of Christ inadequate to sanctify men in a sinful world. As a result, they seek to add Law-keeping to faith, and thus nullify grace altogether. The false gospel which is countered in this epistle is man-made and man-pleasing (1:10-11). It seeks to put men under bondage by compelling them to be circumcised and to keep the Old Testament Law (2:3-5; 4:1-31; 5:1-12). It implies that those who fail to live under the Law are second class citizens, thus denying the gospel (2:11-21). The false gospel forgets that divine power is manifested through God's Spirit, given through faith. The false gospel makes men return to a reliance on the flesh (3:1-5; 5:16-26; 6:8). The false gospel fails to remember that the Old Testament Law condemned men, and that salvation was always a matter of God's promise, not men's performance (3:6-29; 6:12-16).
Conclusion
Paul's introduction to the letter to the Galatians underscores one truth which is not only central in the epistle but is crucial to every Christian: the preservation of the purity of the gospel. In following the teaching of the Judaizers, the Galatians had turned from the truth of the gospel, and thus from God Himself. To have circumcised Titus, or for any Gentile to have been circumcised, would have been to turn away from the gospel of God's grace (2:3-5; 5:1-4). When Peter severed himself from the Gentile Christians to eat with the Jewish believers, he ceased to live consistently with the gospel (2:11-21).
For Paul, the gospel was not just a message which, if believed, led to salvation; it was a guiding principle which governed men's lives. Actions which seemed inconsequential to others (such as making concessions to the legalism of the Judaizers) were abhorrent to Paul because they were a violation of the gospel. To Paul, the gospel was the one truth which must never be altered, not only in credal confession, but in practice.
I would hope that every one of us would agree that our church needs to be a church soundly committed to the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. What does this mean in very practical terms? In a number of churches it means that every sermon is evangelistic, with an invitation given. I have attended some churches where I was unknown to the congregation. There I found that every eye seemed to be looking in my direction during the evangelistic message, and especially as the invitation was given. I knew what these people were thinking. They assumed I was probably an unbeliever, and thus the target of the sermon, but they were not implicated since they were already saved. What possible application could a "gospel message" have for them, since they had already believed?
