Galatians

The gospel’s universal nature was repeatedly confirmed by the broader church and the Jerusalem apostles: The first (1:18-24) was in a fifteen-day visit to Jerusalem followed by the Judean churches confirming Paul’s preaching of the faith. The second was fourteen years later when the non-Judaistic gospel was confirmed by the Jerusalem apostles (2:1-10 = famine relief visit of Ac 11:27-30). Peter’s reception of Paul’s rebuke for his Judaistic separation from Gentiles in Antioch confirmed a third time the “truth of the gospel” (2:5,14) that Paul preached in 2:11-21.

Indirect Appeal: Paul’s Career with the Gospel. Paul received the gospel directly from Jesus Christ on the Damascus road. His gospel was not derived from Peter or any other human authorities. His gospel was validated by the “pillar” apostles (2:9) in Jerusalem. The authority of Paul’s gospel is evident in his rebuke of Peter when he failed to live in accord with the gospel (2:11–21).

While opponents appealed to rabbinical authority chains (“Rabbi So-and-so said . . .”), Paul contrasted his apostleship’s source (from God, not men) and means (through Messiah Jesus, not man).

Opening. Paul’s brief opening includes a greeting (vv. 1–5), after which he addresses the crisis in the Galatian church (vv. 6–9).

Greeting. Many of the familiar elements of Paul’s greetings are present here (e.g., “grace and peace”), but this is probably the most muted of all of Paul’s greetings to churches: there is no thanksgiving or reference to the Galatians’ faith, hope, or love.

apostle. This indicates Paul’s authority as one commissioned by God (“apostle,” lit., “one who is sent”) and entrusted with the sacred deposit of the gospel. On apostleship, see notes on Matt. 10:2; Acts 1:20; Rom. 1:1. Paul’s apostleship is especially important in Galatians because the false teachers have evidently raised questions about whether he should really be called an apostle (Gal. 2:7–9). not from men nor through man. Paul stresses both here and in 1:11–12, 16–17, 19 that he received the gospel directly from the Lord, not secondhand.

all the brothers … with me. Those with Paul agree with the gospel he proclaims, and hence the Galatians are mistaken if they accept the false gospel that demands circumcision for salvation. the churches of Galatia. This probably refers to the churches of Pisidian Antioch, Iconium, Lystra, and Derbe. (See Introduction: Purpose, Occasion, and Background, and the map.)

Paul, as he often does in his letters, wishes his audience grace (God’s unmerited favor) and peace (God’s positive blessing of well-being). See notes on John 14:27 and Rom. 1:7.

The true gospel results in a lifestyle delivered from the powers of this present evil age (i.e., freed from Satan’s and sin’s control; see chaps. 5–6).

gave himself for our sins. The saving work of Christ on the cross is in the forefront of Paul’s mind and therefore shows up here at the very beginning of the letter. Jesus not only saves Christians from their sins but also sets them free from being slaves of this world. Paul will later explain that in wanting to be under the law, the Galatians are effectively wanting to stay anchored in this present evil age (3:22–26; 4:1–11), which is the state of the world apart from Christ until his return.

to whom be the glory. This is not just a formulaic expression but reveals Paul’s concern to defend and preserve this central truth of Scripture: that God chose Israel and the church for his own name’s sake, redeemed his people in Christ for his praise and glory, and calls believers to declare his majesty in the world. Those who have led the Galatians astray are doing so to “make a good showing in the flesh” (6:12), whereas Paul will conclude the letter by stating that his sole desire is to give all the glory to Christ (6:14).

God’s good news—the gospel—makes him our Father (v. 3) and delivers us from sin’s tyranny (v. 4). Unfortunately, disturbers and distorters of this good news (v. 7) persuade others to desert God, who gives such grace through Christ (v. 6). They preach a different (heteros) gospel (v. 6) since there is no other (allos) gospel of the same kind (v. 7). Distorting the real gospel with a false gospel is worthy of damnation (anathema) in vv. 8-9 because of its everlastingly destructive consequences. In Galatians this distortion restricted entrance to salvation by Judaizing—adding traditional Jewish requirements, such as circumcision, food laws, and Sabbath keeping, to Christ’s all-sufficient provision.

Initial Rebuke. Paul addresses the problem of the Galatians abandoning the true gospel and coming under the sway of the false teachers.

so quickly. It was a remarkably short time between Paul’s first proclamation to the Galatians and their present disarray (see Introduction: Date). The phrases deserting him and different gospel show that these are not issues over which Christians might legitimately disagree. The Galatians are questioning the very gospel itself, and Paul is a model of forthright frankness when central gospel issues are at stake.

there are some who trouble you. Visiting preachers who have tried to persuade the Galatians that they should require circumcision and obedience to the whole law as a means of justification before God (see also 4:17; 6:12–13).

a gospel contrary. The gospel is unchanging. Thus Paul pronounces a curse of final judgment on those who proclaim or receive a different gospel. Even if he himself, or an angel from heaven, were to preach such a gospel, the Galatians should reject it. Mormonism is an example of a religion that is based on revelation supposedly given by an angel and that teaches a gospel different from justification by faith alone in the substitutionary death of Christ.

Paul’s preaching the true gospel did not curry people’s favor or please them but brought him great suffering. His opponents’ false gospel helped them avoid suffering (5:11; 6:12-17).

Paul’s Defense of Himself and the Gospel. Paul apparently is responding to criticism that he is peddling a gospel received from man, not from God, and that he is doing so simply to please man rather than God. Paul does not simply defend himself out of resentment or wounded pride but shows a pastoral concern: to reassure the Galatians that the gospel they received was the authentic one, not a false message delivered by an untrustworthy messenger (e.g., 2:5).

Paul poses two absolutely incompatible goals: pleasing man, or pleasing God. There is no possibility of combining the two.

This thesis statement focused the persuasive point of the 1:11–2:21 narrative on the universal nature of the gospel Paul preached (i.e., without Judaistic restrictions). His gospel was not a human message, nor of human origin, nor transmitted by human (particularly Jewish) means. Rather, he received his gospel by revelation from the resurrected Messiah. Paul contrasted his gospel with the nature and transmission of his opponents’ false gospel.

Paul received the gospel through a revelation of Jesus Christ on the Damascus road (see Acts 9:1–19a; 22:3–21; 26:12–23).

Paul’s radically changed life served as powerful evidence of the truthfulness and reality of the gospel he received, altering his insulated identity and behavioral pattern as a zealous, rapidly advancing Jewish rabbi (vv. 13-14). It was not other apostles (vv. 15-17), but rather the universal nature of the gospel, that caused these changes in Paul’s life.

Paul distances himself from his former life in Judaism, although he does not in any sense renounce his status as an Israelite (cf. Rom. 11:1). Rather, he has broken with the life of seeking righteousness through the Law of Moses. He underlines the shame of this former life by noting his persecution of the church (cf. 1 Cor. 15:9; 1 Tim. 1:13). the traditions of my fathers. This rabbinic teaching was the foundation of Jewish life in the first century A.D., particularly for the Pharisees (cf. Mark 7:3–5).

set me apart before I was born. The emphasis is again on God’s initiative: Paul was not called because of anything he himself accomplished.

to reveal his Son to me, in order that I might preach him among the Gentiles. Paul was converted in order to preach primarily to non-Jews (cf. Acts 9:15). This was revolutionary because God’s dealings in the OT had been focused on Israel as his chosen nation. Now, with the coming of Christ, there was no distinction (Gal. 3:28): all must come to faith in Christ.

The journey to Arabia and back to Damascus takes place in the gap between Acts 9:25 and 9:26. On the city of Damascus, see note on Acts 9:3. Roman Arabia included much of what is modern Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and southern Syria. Therefore, while Paul may not have traveled far from Damascus here, he can also speak of distant Mount Sinai as being in Arabia (Gal. 4:25).

after three years. If Paul’s conversion was in A.D. 33 (an approximate date), then this places the first Jerusalem visit c. A.D. 36. It probably corresponds to the stay in Jerusalem in Acts 9:26–29. Cephas here is Peter.

None of the other apostles except James almost certainly implies that James is counted among “the apostles,” even though he was not one of the original 12 (see note on 1 Cor. 9:4–5). Acts 9:27 refers to Barnabas introducing Paul to “the apostles” in Jerusalem. Paul’s statement here means that “the apostles” in Acts 9:27 refers to Peter and James.

Syria is to the north of Judea and Galilee, and Cilicia is to the north and west (cf. Acts 9:30).

Paul is presumably unknown to them because of the short and narrowly focused stay referred to in vv. 18–19. Furthermore, he refers to the province of Judea as a whole, not just Jerusalem.

The faith is the Christian faith, the message of the gospel.