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Galatians
Dr. Grant C. Richison
Galatians
Table of Contents
Foreword
Introduction to Galatians 5
Galatians 1 7
Galatians 2 24
Galatians 3 48
Galatians 4 71
Galatians 5 88
Galatians 6 132
Foreword
These lessons in Galatians are compiled from the writings of Dr. Grant C. Richison, which were published on the Internet beginning in 1997 in the Campus Crusades (Canada) daily online devotional Today’s Word.
Dr. Richison is a highly experienced pastor, lecturer, and Christian servant who is dedicated to a lifetime of studying and teaching God's Word. Almost immediately after his salvation he began to desire to teach the Word, and he set about a lifelong program of preparation and ministry.
Dr. Richison has a diploma from Detroit Bible Institute, a bachelor's degree in religious education from William Tyndale College (Detroit), a Masters in Theology from Dallas Theological Seminary, and a doctorate in ministries from Luther Rice Seminary in Jacksonville, Florida.
Dr. Richison has been pastor and senior pastor of Baptist churches from 1965 to 1992. His most recent pastorate was at Grant Memorial Baptist Church, Winnipeg, Manitoba, where, over a 20 year period, he had oversight of a ministry that expanded from about 350 to more than 2500 communicants. During the period of his pastorates, Dr. Richison was also a lecturer at Detroit Bible College and Winnipeg Theological Seminary.
From 1993 to 1995, Dr. Richison was Director of Leadership Ministries for Campus Crusade for Christ (Canada). He currently has a world-wide lecture ministry with Campus Crusade.
Dr. Richison is an experienced writer, and he provides materials for three areas on the Internet: Sermon on the Net; Today's Word, and Pastors' Power Points. He has considerable ability to communicate God's Word verse by verse in a relevant, clear, applicable and insightful manner and to communicate vision and establish a philosophy of ministry in the local assembly. .
Dr. Richison has served on the following boards and conferences:
Lower Michigan Baptist General Conference (district of Baptist General Conference, board member)
Great Lakes Baptist Conference (district of Baptist General Conference, chairman)
Central Canada Baptist Conference (district of Baptist General Conference, chairman)
Child Evangelism Fellowship (Manitoba)
Evangelical Fellowship of Canada
International Ministries to Israel (Canada)
Chairman of Greater Manitoba Sunday School Convention
Chairman of Marney Patterson Evangelistic Crusade (city-wide in Winnipeg)
Chairman of Terry Winter Evangelistic Crusade (city-wide in Winnipeg)
Chairman of the "Why Campaign" (city-wide evangelistic trust in Winnipeg)
Chairman of the Board of Regents of Canadian Baptist Seminary (part of consortium of seminaries on Trinity Western University)
Baptist General Conference of Canada (board member)
Briarcrest Bible College and Seminary, Moose Jaw, Sask.
Electronic Bible Society, Dallas Texas
President's Cabinet, Campus Crusade for Christ, Canada
Grace Notes
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Introduction
I. IMPORTANCE OF THE EPISTLE TO THE GALATIANS
A. One of the greatest and most important letters of Paul.
Contains the core of Paul's teaching (1:12)
B. Galatians is a short Romans
1. Both are similar in theme and content.
2. Both teach justification that results in ethical imperatives.
3. The relationship of Galatians to Romans:
- Galatians is not a rough outline of Romans
- There is a different argument in the two books:
i. Romans is a treatise on Christianity
ii. Galatians is a polemic against legalism
C. Great men of history have esteemed the epistle of Galatians highly.
1. The battle cry of the Reformation - the manifesto of freedom in Christ.
2. The book of Galatians is called the "cornerstone" of the Reformation.
3. A favorite of Luther - "The pebble from the brook with which the Reformers smote the papal giant of the Middle Ages."
Luther referred to Galatians has his "wife" -- "The epistle to the Galatians is my epistle. To it I am as it were in wedlock. It is my Catherine."
D. Galatians embodies the crucial credo on Christian freedom.
E. It is the Magna Carta of Christian liberty.
F. It is an unassailable citadel against an attack on the gospel.
G. It guards against salvation by works, spirituality by works and assaults on Christian liberty.
H. Galatians is one of the most influential of Paul epistle.
I. Galatians proclaims the power of the gospel over the penalty and power of sin.
II. AUTHOR
A. The church generally accepted the book of Galatians from Paul's hand.
B. Church fathers accepted Galatians as from Paul
Polycarp, 116; Clement of Rome, 96; Ignatius, 115; The writer of the epistle to Diognetus, 117, shows his dependence on it.
Marcion, 130, included it in his catalogue, omitting, however, two passages in it that contradicted his peculiar teachings [Marcion excluded great sections of NT writings from his early canon].
Justin Martyr, 145, quotes it, and so does Tatian the Syrian, 150-170. It is found in the Muratorion Canon, 170, as well as in the Syriac, 160, and Old Latin, 170 Versions.
Certainly early heretics, including the Ophites and others, used it.
Irenaeus, 175, Tertullian, 190, and Clement of Alexander, 195, repeatedly quote it by name and ascribe it to Paul.
C. Internal evidence is strong for Paul's authorship
calls himself Paul, 1:1; 5:2
all of the historical references in the first two chapters fit flawlessly into the missionary expeditions of Paul recorded in Acts.
the letter exhibits the intelligence, passion, logic and style of Paul in every detail.
the doctrine of freedom in Christ is characteristic of Paul's teaching, 5:1
III. BACKGROUND
A. The term "Galatia" began with the immigration of a large body of Gauls from Europe into Asia Minor (Turkey today), 278-27 BC.
B. Their boundaries were set after 232 BC. and their kingdom became known as Galatia. In 121 BC., Galatia fell subject to the Roman empire and became a province of Rome in 25 BC.
IV. JUDAIZERS
A. Galatians written to counteract Judaistic legalism.
B. Who were the Judaizers?
1.The term "Judaizer" is a religious designation, not a description of a national people.
2.Judaizers believed that Christians should live under legalistic principles.
3.They viewed Paul's view of grace as "cheap grace."
4.They were circumcised and expected others to be as well.
C. They attacked Paul in three areas:
1.His authority
2.His gospel of grace - must be saved by faith plus works
3.They claimed his view of sanctification leads to license - they believed in spirituality by faith plus works
D. This was the old pharisaism that Jesus challenged in His day.
V. SEQUENCE OF EVENTS BEHIND GALATIANS
A. Gentile Church formed in Antioch, Acts 11:19-15:35. Acts 13:2 --first missionaries sent out (AD. 46).
B. Legalists from Jerusalem subvert the first missionary expedition, 13:1-14:28.
C. Paul and Barnabas visit Jerusalem for the "famine" visit.
D. Writing of Galatians: AD 49.
E. First Church Council corrects legalism and substantiates grace, Acts 15.
VI. DATE AND DESTINATION OF WRITING
Destination: southern Galatia
Date: AD. 49, just before the Jerusalem council.
VII. PURPOSE: To prove that the law could not save a sinner nor sanctify a saint.
A. To defend the true gospel
B. To expose and condemn this false teaching
C. To show the true purpose of the law
D. To show how the believer is to be completed in the Christian life by walking in the Spirit, 5:16
VIII. CHARACTERISTICS:
A. Exceptionally high doctrinal content.
B. Apologetic in nature.
C. No praise in introduction.
D. Not a word of commendation in the entire epistle.
E. No salutation to individuals.
F. Only epistle written completely by Paul's own hand.
G. Galatians and 2 Corinthians most autobiographical of all New Testament epistles.
H. Most caustic of all the epistles, 1:6,8; 2:6,11; 3:1; 4:11; 5:4,10,12.
I. Contrast between law and grace.
(The most important thing that law does is to drive man to the grace of God because of his inability to keep the law.)
J. Similar to Romans:
K. Hebrews, Romans and Galatians are all based on Habakkuk 2:4.
L. Few books in history have had greater effect on man than this tract.
M. 3,098 words in the KJV, 149 verses, 6 chapters.
N. Only New Testament book written to a group of churches, 1:2.
O. Tone:
1.Warlike
2.Crackles with indignation, 1:8
3.Abrupt and stern style
4.A sharp defense of the faith
P. Highly doctrinal and extremely personal.
Q. Almost a third of the book is biography (most autobiographical of Paul's epistles).
R. Highly emotional with pathos and abrupt.
S. Unique ending in Gal 6:11.
IX. OCCASION
A. Legalists (saved and sanctified by works) dogged Paul's missionary expedition to Galatia.
B. Twofold attack on Paul:
1.Discredits Paul's person
2.Discredits Paul's message
C. The Galatians were gullible toward legalism.
X. KEY VERSE - 5:1
XI. KEY WORDS:
Law = 32 times
Faith = 21 times
XII. THEME: The glory of grace over law especially in sanctification
Man cannot obey God's law by his own power. Only grace through faith can give him liberty to live the Christian life.
XIII. OUTLINE
Introduction, 1:1-10
A. Salutation, 1:1-5
B. Proposition of Galatians, 1:6-10
I. Proof of Paul's apostleship in history, 1:11-2:21
A. Paul's gospel not from men but by revelation, 1:11-12
B. Paul defends the nature of his gospel by two arguments:
1.Paul received his message by direct revelation and apart from any human source, 1:13-17
2.Paul's confirmed his message in three ways, 1:18-2:21.
1st confirmation, 1:18-24
2nd confirmation, 2:1-10
3rd confirmation, 2:11-21
II. Paul's doctrinal vindication of justification by faith alone, 3:1-4:31
A. Proof from the Galatians’ personal experience with the gospel of grace, 3:1-5
B. Proof from Abraham's life, 3:6-14
C. Proof from the permanence of the promise, 3:15-16
D. Proof from the purpose of the Mosaic law, 3:17-29
E. Proof from the confirmation of their position in Christ, 4:1-11
F. Proof from their prior embracing of Paul's doctrine, 4:12-20
G. Proof from their true relationship to Abraham, 4:21-31
III. Paul's practical appeal, 5:1-6:10
A. Life under the legalism, 5:1-12
1.Legalism enslaves the believer, 5:1-2
2.Legalism puts believers in debt, 5:3
3.Legalism alienates the believer from Christ, 5:4-6
4.Legalism hinders orientation to grace, 5:7-10
5.Legalism removes the necessity of the stigma of the cross because man does the doing rather than
Christ doing the doing, 5:11-12
B. License is no justification for falling into legalism, 5:13-15
C. Life by the Spirit is a life lived under God's provisions (grace), it is the liberty to live for the Lord, not the liberty to sin, 5:16-21
D. The Holy Spirit, as over against the law, empowers the believer to live for God, 5:22-26
E. Grace serves people, 6:1-10.
1.Grace serves the sinner, 6:1
2.Grace servers those the burdened person, 6:2-5
3.Grace serves the leader, 6:6-9
4.Grace serves all, 6:10
Conclusion 6:11-18
A. Authenticity of the epistle, 6:11
B. True motives of legalists, 6:12-13
C. Paul's motives, 6:14-17
D. Benediction, 6:18
Galatians 1:1
"Paul, an apostle (not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised Him from the dead)…"
The introduction to Galatians covers the first 10 verses. The first five verses make up the salutation.
Paul, an apostle
Christian legalists called into question Paul's apostleship and, therefore, his authority. They claimed that his apostleship was a fake since
Christ did not commission him while He was on earth. These legalists in Galatians believed that the law -- rather than the power of the Holy Spirit through faith -- sanctifies the saint.
The office of an "apostle" carried the highest authority in Christianity. The word comes from two Greek words: to send and from. The idea is someone with authority sending someone else. An apostle has the right to found the church and write Scripture. There are no apostles in the official sense today.
The New Testament employs the word "apostle" in an official and non-official way. The term carries the idea of sending as a missionary or one sent with the full authority of an official apostle. The latter meaning is the sense of our verse.
Paul only used the term "apostle" when necessary to affirm his credentials. He preferred the term "servant."
not from men
Paul's first point in the epistle challenges his legalistic protagonists decisively -- "not…nor." His apostleship did not come from men but from God Himself.
"Men" is in the plural and refers to a group of men. Paul did not receive the commission of his apostleship from a group of men in some church. No official church body gave him the credentials of an apostle.
nor through man,
"Man" is in the singular and refers to an individual man. Neither Barnabas nor Ananias (Acts 9:17) or other single individual conferred the gift of apostleship on Paul. When Ananias' laid his hands on Paul, this recognized a fact already true. Paul's apostleship was absolutely independent of man.
but through Jesus Christ and God the Father
Paul's apostleship came through the authority of "Jesus Christ and God the Father." Paul's apostleship did not come from men but from God.
Paul did not receive his apostleship by some common occasion. He received it supernaturally. The Father and the Son both bestowed on Paul their certificate for his apostleship.
"Father" is a term of relationship. "God the Father" is a unique expression in the New Testament (1 Peter 1:2; 2 Peter 1:17; Jude 1). We never read "God the Son" in the New Testament. The New Testament does use the term "Son" for the deity of Jesus Christ (Matthew 28:19,20).
Paul's relationship to the Father was one of grace. Paul was a foremost exponent of legalism before he came to Christ. He murdered Christians in the name of legalism.
"For I am the least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me" (1 Corinthians 15:9-10).
"Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, by the commandment of God our Savior and the Lord Jesus Christ, our hope…" (1 Timothy 1:1).
who raised Him from the dead
The other apostles received their apostleship when Jesus was on earth. Paul received his apostleship after Jesus rose from the dead. He defends his apostleship against the legalists throughout the first two chapters.
In order to be an apostle, one must see Jesus face to face. Paul saw him on the Damascus road. He personally saw the resurrected Christ.
Principle
Any claim that Christ plus something saves or sanctifies is foreign to the teaching of the New Testament.
Application
Salvation is Christ plus nothing. Sanctification is Christ plus nothing. Anything else is a mongrel gospel or mongrel sanctification. God's truth is always unadulterated grace. We owe our salvation to Christ and we owe our sanctification to Him as well.
Good works do not save us nor sanctify us. They do not make us more secure in our salvation nor in our walk with the Lord. Many people feel that if they have a good batting average with the Ten Commandments then God will accept them into Heaven. Others believe that if they are good people in their Christian walk then that impresses God. Both of these groups fall short of realizing that they are poor, lost, helpless, hopeless sinners apart from the work of Christ. Only the finished work of the sovereign Son of God can save us or sanctify us.
Sin stands between God and us. Our only plea is the cross of Christ. Anything else is inadequate, insufficient and incomplete. Jesus died to remove the penalty triggered by sin. The law deepens and defines our need for the Savior but it cannot save. Human effort cannot save; only the Savior can save when we put our trust in His finished work on the cross.
Galatians 1:2
"…and all the brethren who are with me, To the churches of Galatia…"
and all the brethren who are with me,
Paul's traveling companions joined with Paul in sending the book of Galatians (Acts 13:1). It was not only Paul who held to the message of grace.
To the churches
The word "church" means called out ones. The church consists of those called out from the world. The church is not a building or a denomination but an assembly of believers who meet together to worship.
of Galatia
Paul designates this epistle to the church in the southern region of the province of Galatia. He wanted this letter to circulate among all the churches in that area which included such cities as Derbe, Lystra, Iconium and Antioch of Pisidia. This is the only letter sent to a group of cities in the New Testament. The insidious corruption of legalism spread extensively into many cities.
Paul gives no word of commendation of praise or thanks to the churches in Galatia as he normally does. This is because they were gullible in swallowing false doctrine. Paul even gave praise to the carnal Christians at Corinth but not to the Galatians.
Principle
Grace is the foundation for the gospel and the Christian life.
Application
Some people think that doctrine of grace is not important. If we abandon the grace principle, it destroys salvation by grace through faith and sanctification by grace through faith.
Galatians 1:3
"Grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ…"
Paul launches his normal greeting of "grace and peace." This salutation bestows blessing upon the Galatians.
Grace to you
Grace is God's good will and work toward us. Grace always precedes peace in these greetings. We do not work for grace because grace is what God does. It is all that He is free to do for us because of the cross of Christ (1:4).
and peace
There is an inner rest to our souls knowing that we have God's good will and work in our lives. We possess no peace without grace first blessing our souls. Because of the death of Christ for our sins, there is no alienation between us and God. More than that, we have an ongoing sense of God's sovereign work in our souls.
from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ
Both grace and peace have their source in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul joins the Father and Son as one source for grace and peace. We do not strive for peace with God because God settled the sin issue by the death of Christ. We do not need to seek God's approval because we have it.
Principle
True peace comes from the grace of the Father and Son.
Application
We do not get God's peace by our own effort. It comes exclusively from God. We never get God's peace without first receiving God's grace. We obtain a full measure of peace with a full understanding and appropriation of God's grace. We cannot manufacture this peace because it comes solely from God. He dispenses it freely from His character. If we try to operate without God's grace, life will grate on our souls.
Galatians 1:4
"…who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father…"
who gave Himself
Jesus "gave" Himself for our sins in the sense of grant, bestow, impart. His death on the cross was an act of grace. It is also the basis of our salvation. Jesus donated His earthly life so that we might have eternal life. No one extracted His life from Him; He donated it for us willingly. His death on the cross was no accident but within His purpose of salvation. "For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many" (Mark 10:45). "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep" (John 10:11). "…who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works" (Titus 2:14).
for our sins,
Jesus' death for our sins was substitutionary (Galatians 2:20; 3:13; 1 Timothy 2:6; Titus 2:14; 1 Peter 2:24; 3:18). He was our substitute. The righteousness and justice of God required payment for sin; otherwise, God would compromise His character. Jesus paid it all; all to Him I owe. "But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all" (Isaiah 53:5-6).
We have nothing with which to pay for our sins. We are totally bankrupt toward God. God's character is the standard for heaven so we can never measure up to that standard (Romans 3:10-23). We have nothing with which we can barter with God. There is nothing that we can give God that is acceptable to Him. There is no exchange on earth we can offer to the bank in heaven. All that we can do is rest in the finished work of Christ on the cross (Ephesians 2:8,9; Romans 4:5; Titus 3:5).
that He might deliver us
The word "deliver" means literally to take out. Here it means to take out for oneself. Jesus had a special interest in saving us from our sins. He took pleasure in setting us free from this present evil world. There is no deliverance apart from the work of Christ.
from this present evil age,
Sin enslaves us to this present evil age. Literally, the word "present" means to stand in, or set in. The idea is to be present or to be imminent. We need deliverance from time as well as eternity. Jesus delivered us not only from eternal suffering in hell, but also from evils of the present age. Galatians addresses Christians about their legalism. His point is not about the need for salvation for non-Christians (although He does clear up distortions about the principles of Christian living by clearing up distortions about the doctrine of salvation).
Jesus' death emancipates us "from" [out of] this present evil "age," from this current world system. Jesus went beyond saving us from eternal judgment; He saved us from the evil of our age. The culture in North America is full of customs and practices that powerfully influence our daily lives. The attraction of this age still snares Christians. Jesus' work on the cross spoils us for attraction to the world. Only the supernatural work of Christ can save us from the supernatural work of Satan.
according to the will of our God and Father
The "will" of God the Father here is His sovereign decree in sending Jesus Christ to die for our sins. Jesus did the will of God the Father from eternity by His death on the cross.
In this pithy verse, Paul draws the shape of the clash that will surface throughout this epistle. If we revert to legalism, we deny the work Christ did for us when we try to work for salvation. The good news of the gospel is that Jesus suffered all that needs to be suffered for our sins. The bad news of religion is that we need to suffer for our sins.
Principle
Jesus not only delivers us from the penalty of sin but from the power of sin.
Application
Jesus died for more than our sins; He died to help us cope with our age, the system that influences our daily lives. He does not save us to remove us from our world but to help us cope with our world. He does not keep us from the world but shows us how to live in it. "I wrote to you in my epistle not to keep company with sexually immoral people. Yet I certainly did not mean with the sexually immoral people of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world" (1 Corinthians 5:9-10).
There is a natural tendency for every Christian to revert into legalism, a do-it-yourself system of works, because we feel that somehow we gain God's approval by this. However, this false doctrine minimizes the work of Christ on the cross. We imply somehow that His work was insufficient and we have to help Him with our salvation. The Bible makes it abundantly clear that we cannot earn or deserve our salvation. We simply lean on the finished work of Christ.
Galatians 1:5
"…to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen"
to whom be glory
The word "glory" primarily denotes an opinion, estimation or repute. The New Testament always uses this term in the good sense of commanding respect, excellence and magnificence. We honor God because we have a good estimation of His work in Christ (1:4; John 1:14; 2:11; 11:4,40; 17:5, 24; Romans 6:4; Ephesians 1:6,12,14; Hebrews 1:3).
The Greek has the definite article "the" before the word "glory." The glory for salvation by grace through faith is exclusively God's, not ours. This glory is peculiarly His. "Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen" (Ephesians 3:20-21).
Principle
Jesus Christ is the true celebrity of the universe because His work exclusively demands our respect from all others.
Application
The glory of Christ should catch our eye because of its splendor. He is truly a famous person. He deserves the credit for our salvation. All honor goes to Him. There is great glory and splendor in His person and work. To the Christian mind, Jesus exists in a state of wonderful greatness.
forever and ever.
The phrase "forever and ever" is an idiom for the eternal state, a state without end. The eternal age opposes the present evil age. God's glory deserves eternal praise.
Amen
"Amen" confirms God's exclusive magnificence in saving us. Paul says in effect, "I believe it!" Because Jesus did the will of God (1:4), by saving us from our sins when we could not save ourselves, He deserves eternal recognition.
Principle
God exclusively deserves the glory because He did the doing.
Application
The purpose of salvation is primarily to glorify God, not to profit man. We dare not rob God of His proper glory. When we give God the glory for our salvation, we exclude the glory of man. We cannot take credit for that which is God's exclusive responsibility. "…of whom are the fathers and from whom, according to the flesh, Christ came, who is over all, the eternally blessed God. Amen" (Romans 9:5). "For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen" (Romans 11:36). "Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen" (1 Timothy 1:17).
Galatians 1:6
"I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel…"
The introduction to the book of Galatians covers the first 10 verses. The occasion [reason for the letter] of the epistle runs from verse 6 through verse 10. This section carries a denunciation of the Galatians for leaving the true gospel for a false gospel and is conspicuous by the lack of any expression of gratitude toward the readers. Doctrinal deviation deserves no thanks.
I marvel
Paul moves abruptly into the problem at the church in Galatia. What a transition from praising the glory of God in the previous verse to this statement of shock about the Galatians' defection from the gospel of grace!
"Marvel" means to wonder. Paul is astonished and surprised that the Galatians would abandon the gospel of grace. Paul says in effect, "I am shocked that you are so unstable that you would move away from the gospel of grace so quickly." This beginning of the body of the epistle makes it very clear that the Galatians deserve severe rebuke. Very few people today express shock about anything--even defection from the gospel. "And He marveled because of their unbelief. Then He went about the villages in a circuit, teaching" (Mark 6:6).
that you are turning away
"Turning away" carries the idea of to change places, put in another place, to remove a person or thing from one place to another, to transpose. This is a military term used for deserting from the army. The Galatians changed from the gospel of grace to the gospel of works. They became renegades from the true gospel and capitulated to another gospel.
The present tense indicates that the defection of the Galatians from the gospel of grace is not yet complete. They are still in the process of shifting to another gospel. They are transposing the gospel from grace to legalism. They are altering the gospel itself and thus were deserting or turning apostate from the true gospel. This changes the nature of the gospel into a works gospel. Jude addresses the opposite of legalism; some people turned the grace of God into license. "For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ" (Jude 4).
People today change the gospel into something significantly different from its original design by God.
so soon
"Soon" means quickly. The Galatians moved away from the true gospel in a very brief interval between the time that Paul gave them the gospel and the time when the legalizers came to Galatia. It took only a brief time for them to abandon their earlier convictions. They were rash in embracing false doctrine and moving into legalism. They failed to give due study to the issue. False teachers can easily seduce ignorant Christians because of their instability.
Principle
Instability in the truth of the gospel makes one vulnerable to false doctrine.
Application
There is such a thing as a true gospel and a false gospel. In our day of the absolute doctrine of tolerance, we know little truth. If someone claims that he has the true gospel, he sounds like a bigot, or at the very least, a very narrow-minded person.
The gospel is as narrow as the multiplication table. Two times two equals four, and there are no exceptions. We cannot have two gospels. It is incomprehensible that evangelicals today would hold to the distortion of works in the gospel. This cancer threatens the essence of Christianity. Issues of heaven and hell are at stake.
from Him
The Galatians deserted God Himself. When we defect from the gospel of grace, we defect from more than a doctrine, we desert God.
who called you
God called the Galatians in the sphere of the grace of Christ but they deserted their call (Romans 8:28-30; 1 Corinthians 1:9,23,24; 1 Thessalonians 2:12; 4:7; Colossians 3:15; Philippians 3:13,14; Hebrews 3:1; 2 Timothy 1:9; 1 Peter 5:10). Paul says that they are not true to their calling. Their apostasy was from God and His grace, not simply from Paul.
in the grace of Christ,
God called them to a gospel that rested upon the finished work of Christ on the cross (1:4). Christ suffered all that needs to be suffered on the cross. We do not need to suffer for sins because He did the suffering. This is grace. It is a gospel of salvation by what Jesus did, not by what we do. There are no stings attached to this salvation for it is free because Jesus did all the work. He bore all of our sins in His own body on the cross.
This is the sphere of grace into which God called us. The Galatians did not clearly understand the truth of salvation by grace through faith. Grace is the means of our call. That is, God effectually summons us to salvation only as procured by Christ on the cross. God freely bestows this gift. It comes from the unadulterated generosity of God with no strings attached. Christians are the objects of God's eternal favor. To revert to law is to completely miss this truth. God saves and sustains us by the finished work of Christ on the cross.
Some Galatians believed that they came to Christ by grace but works sustained their salvation. This makes salvation dependent upon our works.
to a different gospel
There are two Greek words for "another." One means another of the same kind and the other means another of a different kind. The latter idea is our word "different" here. We get the English term "heretic" or "heterodoxy" from this Greek word. The gospel they were buying into was different in its very nature from the gospel of grace. Their new gospel was different by essence. The hazard is high here because the very nature of the gospel is at stake. "For if he who comes preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted-you may well put up with it! [a facetious remark]" (2 Corinthians 11:4).
Counterfeiters try to make the fake look as much like the real thing as possible. A gospel with a touch of works seems reasonable to some folk. God views a touch of works as a "heretical" gospel. This is not an orthodox idea but a heterodox idea. It is the polar opposite to orthodoxy. A gospel of justification or sanctification by works is heterodoxy.
Principle
The test of the true gospel is the test of grace.
Application
We are under obligation to protect the purity of the gospel of grace. When we defect from the gospel of grace, we defect from God Himself. If we lose sight of the Word of God, we can become turncoats to the true gospel very quickly. This is a deadly issue because we cannot live the Christian life properly without a true understanding of the gospel. Doctrine affects how we live as Christians. We need to restore our capacity for shock at distortions of the gospel.
Have you embraced the gospel of grace and then somewhere along the line defected from it? Everything we have from God comes from pure, unadulterated grace.
Galatians 1:7
"…which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ"
which is not another;
The word "another" refers to another of the same kind. If people change the essence of the gospel, it becomes no gospel at all. It is not another gospel of the same kind as Paul preached but a perversion of the true gospel. When they modify the gospel, it is not the gospel at all.
but there are some who trouble you
Legalists came to "trouble" the Galatians with their false doctrine (Acts 15:24; Galatians 1:7; 5:10). Legalism always unsettles the soul and throws the church into confusion (5:10-12). "Trouble" carries the idea of to shake back and forth. Legalists are troublemakers.
and want to pervert the gospel of Christ
The idea of "pervert" is to transform something into an opposite character. The Judaizers transformed the gospel into something diametrically opposite to its true character. Thus, they perverted the gospel. They turned it around into the very opposite of its original design. They altered its message from a doctrine of grace to a doctrine of works. A distorted gospel is more dangerous than no gospel at all.
The gospel is Christ's gospel, not Paul's gospel. When people distort the gospel, they violate Christ.
Principle
There is no alternative to the gospel of Christ.
Application
A different gospel is no gospel at all for there is no alternative to the gospel of Christ. The gospel of Christ is mutually exclusive to any other gospel. Any gospel that finds the completed work of Christ on the cross as insufficient to pay the penalty for sin is a false gospel. Salvation is always by grace through faith apart from works.
We live in a day of such theological latitude that we can distort the gospel into something other than the New Testament gospel and no one blinks an eye. Some say, "We must be tolerant of people who don't believe the same as us." Fakers stand in fine affiliation with true believers as long as they are "sincere." Christianity is not 50% faith and 50% works. No, the true gospel excludes work as a way of salvation or sanctification. "Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace?" (Hebrews 10:29).
Christians today need to deal with those who distort the true gospel. Tolerance means that we judge no one. Truth demands that we judge those who pervert the gospel. Salvation by works is not good news. It is bad news because salvation would depend on us, not Christ.
Galatians 1:8
"But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed"
But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you
Just in case some might think that Paul's team is an exception, he includes his gospel team in this hypothesis. Paul draws the unlikely hypothesis that if even his gospel team or an angel from Heaven were to preach a different gospel than the gospel of grace, they should be cursed along with anyone else who distorts the gospel. It makes no difference who preaches the gospel; the gospel must be the gospel of grace. This is not a question of who preaches but what is preached.
than what we have preached to you,
If anyone preaches not only a markedly different gospel, but also any gospel other than what Paul preaches, then they should go under a curse. The Galatians probably assumed that the gospel of the legalizers were not very different from the gospel of grace.
let him be accursed
The translators take the Greek word anathema and carry it over as it sounds into the English. The metaphorical idea of "accursed" means something devoted to destruction, a curse. People who preach a different gospel than the gospel of grace stand under God's judgment. We deal in very serious matters when we distort the gospel.
Paul moves from shock to accusing the Galatians of deserting the One who called them and finally pronounces a curse on them. Clearly, he feels that the Galatians violated a core principle in Christianity. He does not mince his words when it comes to people who defect from the gospel of grace.
Principle
We have true unity when we are faithful to the truth of the gospel.
Application
How do Christians hold appropriate tension between the desire for unity in the body and the purity of truth? Core doctrine takes precedence over unity. Unity takes precedence over peripheral doctrine. A mistaken sense of unity leads many people today into false doctrine because they place warm feelings over truth.
On the one hand, we cannot desert the heart of Christian doctrine. Yet, on the other hand, if we agree on vital doctrine, we do everything in our power to walk together in unity.
The nature of the gospel of grace is core doctrine according to our passage. Many today do not like a mutually exclusive gospel for we live in a day of tolerance to any new idea that may come down the pike. Few call a spade a spade when it comes to false doctrine.
Many hate a gospel that claims that people are poor lost sinners, that they are helpless and hopeless without Jesus' death for them on the cross.
Galatians 1:9
"As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed"
As we have said before,
The phrase "said before" refers to Paul's previous warning about gospel counterfeits hurting his team's visit to Galatia. This attack on false teachers was no temper tantrum. He calmly and deliberately reiterates his point.
so now I say again,
Paul says in effect, "I told you before and now I am telling you again." He did not and will not change his mind on this crucial doctrine.
if anyone preaches any other gospel to you
Paul addresses the actual state of affairs in the churches in Galatia.
than what you have received,
The idea of "received" is welcome. The Galatians embraced the gospel warmly when Paul's team was in Galatia.
let him be accursed
It is not enough to reject the teaching of false teachers but we should hold them in abhorrence.
Principle
Christians should hold in abhorrence those who impugn the cross.
Application
Those who add works to salvation impugn the cross. The very nature of the gospel is at stake when people introduce works into salvation or sanctification. Because of this, we hold those who change the gospel in abhorrence. "If anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into your house nor greet him; for he who greets him shares in his evil deeds" (2 John 10-11).
In grace, the curse falls on Christ (Galatians 3:13). Under legalism, the curse falls on man.
Galatians 1:10
"For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ"
Verse 10 transitions from the introduction into the body of the epistle.
For
With the word "for" Paul justifies the tough words he used in verses eight and nine. By pronouncing a curse on those who do not remain true to the gospel of grace (vv. 8-9), he does not please people.
do I now persuade men, or God?
Paul now answers allegations that he trimmed his message to gain a following. The legalists were out to discredit the message behind his apostleship. If they could undermine his apostleship, they would undermine his message of grace. Paul defends the legitimacy of his apostleship throughout the first two chapters.
The word "persuade" means to bring about a change of mind by the influence of reason. The idea here is to gain someone's approval. Is Paul trying to win men's approval or God's approval? Paul is not a man of blind ambition. He would never emasculate the gospel to attract a following. He is not trying to win people to himself but to his message. Expediency is never proper when it comes to truth.
The word "now" indicates that there was a time when Paul lived to please people. That was his primary motive when he was a Pharisee. Now that he is a Christian, he no longer pleases men by adapting his message.
The legalists implied that Paul toned down the legal requirements of the gospel to make the gospel more palatable to the Galatians. They implied that he altered the message in order to win them, "He is on a power trip and is in the business of kingdom building." They attacked his person hoping to undermine his message. "He is just someone who compromises his message in order to gain a following."
Accommodation sacrifices truth for the sake of conciliating people and winning their favor. Paul was not in the business of accommodating men [although he did use expediency (1 Corinthians 9:22)]. He was in the business of gaining the approval of God by his message of grace. Clearly, he is out to gain God's approval, not men's approval. He does not use gimmicks in reaching people for Christ. He does not flatter them by making them feel they can contribute to their salvation or sanctification.
Or do I seek to please men?
Paul's enemies accused him of using the corrupt method of adjusting his message to fit the circumstance. The legalists charged him with teaching grace in order to curry favor with the Galatians. Grace does not require working for one's salvation (Ephesians 2:8,9).
Principle
We gain God's approval when we are true to our message.
Application
There is always a tension in evangelism between using methods of accommodation and compromising the message. It is one thing to adapt your method to reach those without Christ but it another thing to adapt your message to win them.
Paul made cultural and stylistic changes in his methods for reaching people (1 Corinthians 9:19-23) for he did not want culture to confuse the message. However, he never bent his message to fit the people he wanted to reach.
In the seeker service approach today, there is a danger in diluting the message so that the unchurched cannot decipher the true gospel. The seeker service methodology is biblical to the extent it is an accommodation to the culture of people in the 21st century. The methodology of the seeker service is not biblical if it modifies the message. If we adapt the message to reach people, then we are in the business of currying favor with men. There is no biblical justification for flattering men to gain a following.
If we trim the edges off the gospel, we become religious shadow boxers. We are not in the business of winning a popularity contest when it comes to presenting the truth of the gospel. Truth is as rigid as the multiplication table and cannot be bent and adapted even to an unchurched culture.
When we perform a religious toe dance with a gospel of latitude, we dance the gospel right out of God's ballroom. The unadulterated gospel of grace is not popular for it is not easy to tell people that they are lost and need a Savior. People want to hear that they can do something about their salvation.
For if I still
Before Paul came to Christ, he was in the business of pleasing men. He now no longer seeks to be popular among men. He no longer courts popularity with people.
The "if" clause expects a negative answer: "I don't seek to pander to men. On the contrary, I curry God's favor in my message." Paul does not compromise his message to please men.
pleased men,
The legalists that dogged Paul's tracks to Galatia claimed that Paul twisted his message to please the Galatians. The implication is that a grace-oriented message pleases men because the onus is off people to perform and on Christ solely. They said, "Paul accommodates his message to the opinions, desires and interests of others." Paul never appeased men by modifying his message.
Principle
Those who court popularity at the expense of truth will forfeit the message of Christ, the message of grace.
Application
The leader who accommodates his message to please his followers treads a very dangerous territory. Eventually he and his followers will lose the heart and soul of Christianity. The communicator of God's message carries the full integrity of the gospel of grace. "But as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, even so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God who tests our hearts" (1 Thessalonians 2:4). "But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith…" (Philippians 3:7-9).
To go around with a chip on our shoulder is not the point here either. We cannot preach the gospel by flagrantly "displeasing" men! We do not please people by adjusting our message but by adjusting our methods.
I would not be a bondservant of Christ
Paul's argument against pleasing people is that he is "a bondservant of Christ." Grace did not diminish his dedication to Christ. He operated with a slave mentality toward Jesus. He was willing to put himself on the line for Christ. He never trimmed the sails of the gospel of grace. It cost him to be true to the gospel of grace message. "Then Jews from Antioch and Iconium came there; and having persuaded the multitudes, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing him to be dead" (Acts 14:19 ). "From now on let no one trouble me, for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus" (Galatians 6:17).
It is axiomatic that a slave can have only one master. A slave has no will of his own. He obeys the one will of God alone. Paul cannot be a slave to both human opinions and God's estimation. He did not trim his message or twaddle some balderdash to men.
Principle
It is axiomatic that if Jesus is his Lord, then a Christian does not seek popularity from men but from the Lord.
Application
If we are true to the message of God, we lose popularity with people. We will gain the favor of those who hold to the true gospel but lose the favor of those who reject the gospel of grace. We never say, "I could avoid harassment if I hedged my message. If I appealed to their latent desire to gain salvation or sanctification by works, then I would be popular with people."
When we become Christians, we acknowledge Jesus as Lord. We yield our rights to the Lord Jesus. We accept without mental reservation that Jesus, the Lord of Glory, has absolute authority over us. We cannot go it on our own. As Christians, we do not play quarterback by running our own lives.
Galatians 1:11
"But I make known to you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man"
Paul begins the defense of his apostolic authority with this verse (1:11-2:21). In verses 11 to 24 he shows that he derives his authority not just from the twelve apostles but from God, who gave the gospel to him by direct revelation. Verses 11 and 12 show us that the gospel is not from human origin.
But I make known to you,
"Make known" carries the idea of "I assure you." This is an issue of grave consequence. Paul will now prove his gospel was completely from God.
brethren,
Although we do not seek to please men (v.10), we want to clarify our understanding with fellow believers. The legalists wanted to discredit Paul because if they could discredit the man, they could discredit his message.
that the gospel which was preached by me
There is a play on words in this phrase - "that the gospel which was preached [gospeled] by me…"
is not according to man
Paul did not derive his gospel from some human organization. The Greek says "according to the criteria of man." The Lord Jesus revealed the gospel of grace to him directly so he did not receive it by normal human criteria; he received the gospel by supernatural criteria. He shows this by his salvation experience (1:13-17), his connection to the apostles in Jerusalem (1:18-2:10) and in his altercation with Peter (2:11-21).
Paul's gospel was clearly of divine origin. No human means of any kind revealed the gospel to him.
Principle
We can count on the gospel as trustworthy because it came by revelation through the Lord Jesus Christ and not from men.
Application
Christians do not put their trust in a message manufactured by people but in a message revealed by God. False teachers spin their message out of their own human cocoons. They invent their message in their own thinking.
Galatians 1:12
"For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came through the revelation of Jesus Christ"
For I neither received it from man,
The source of Paul's gospel of grace is not from his associations with people. Paul did not receive the gospel from anyone other than the Lord Himself. His gospel was not a man-manufactured message. Paul did not invent the gospel nor did he spin it out of his own spiritual cocoon.
nor was I taught it,
The word "taught" means to teach didactically by a course of instruction (Matthew 4:23; 9:35; Romans 12:7; Romans 15:4; 1 Corinthians 4:17; 1 Timothy 2:12; 4:11). No one imparted the gospel of grace to Paul by instruction. Peter, John or James did not teach him at the Jerusalem Theological Seminary.
Ananias taught Paul some basics shortly after he became a Christian. Paul's point in this passage is not that no one ever at any time taught him about things in general. His point is that he received the gospel of grace exclusively from the Lord Jesus Christ.
but it came through the revelation of Jesus Christ
Paul went to seminary at the feet of Jesus Christ. He could have no better seminary professor.
The word "revelation" means an uncovering, unveiling. Jesus took the scales off Paul's eyes about the gospel (Acts 26:4-19). The gospel came to Paul like a dramatic unveiling of a new statue in the football hall of fame. Jesus removed the veil of darkness over his eyes and made the gospel fully known to him independently by immediate revelation (1:17,18). When Paul connected to the apostles, his message was the same as their gospel.
Jesus Christ is both the revealed and the revelator (1:16; Acts 9:3-8). Paul, the erstwhile Saul of Tarsus, received the gospel of grace from the Lord Jesus personally. Human beings had nothing to do with it. There was no personal evangelism involved in his salvation. Paul was the head of a goon squad on his way to Damascus to slaughter Christians when the Lord revealed Himself to him. He did not anticipate this direct revelation from the Lord. It was not in his plan to become a Christian but the Lord turned him right about face (Acts 9:5,6).
Principle
The Bible is not man's message but God's.
Application
We are accustomed to thinking of the Holy Spirit as the revealer of truth but Jesus revealed truth to the apostles. Whether it is the Holy Spirit or the Lord Jesus, the gospel message is a supernatural message. Human rhetoric does not win people to Christ; the miracle of the gospel of Christ transforms lives. Oratory is of little consequence in the final analysis. No human being can win anyone to Christ without the convicting work of the Holy Spirit.
The source of the Christian gospel is direct revelation. The Christian can be certain about truth because he deductively receives truth from God by the Bible. No one can find final truth by inductive methods-- such as science uses--because man is finite and cannot find infinite truth by his pint-sized brain. The Bible is the Supreme Court beyond which there is no appeal.
Galatians 1:13
"For you have heard of my former conduct in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God beyond measure and tried to destroy it"
For you have heard of my former conduct in Judaism,
Paul speaks of his "conduct" before he became a Christian while he was still a leader in Jewish religion in verses 13 and 14. Paul was a religious leader of first rank (Philippians 3:5-6). His conduct shows that he did not receive the gospel from Christian men. He was a legalist to the core before he became a Christian; he did not think of grace at all.
how I persecuted the church of God beyond measure
Paul explained his furious persecution of Christians to Herod Agrippa in Acts 26:9-11. The Greek indicates that Paul persecuted the church on an unrelenting basis. He was the supreme Jewish militant of his time. He pursued the church on every occasion he could (Acts 9:4).
As a Pharisee, Paul was a stickler for rules as a way to live for God. He saw no exceptions to legalism. He was not open to a view of salvation by grace. Now, as a Christian, Paul has found grace and it is the single prevailing passion of his life.
and tried to destroy it
It was not enough for Paul to persecute the church, he wanted to "destroy" [waste] it. Secular Greek used this term for ravaging a city or sacking a city. As an arch-persecutor, Paul wanted to apply a scorched earth policy to the church. He made a career out of persistently destroying God's church (Acts 9:21; 22:4; 26:10,11; 1 Timothy 1:12-15). "As for Saul, he made havoc of the church, entering every house, and dragging off men and women, committing them to prison" (Acts 8:3). "Then Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, so 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).
Principle
Legalism is rooted in our ability to perform; grace rests in the performance of Christ.
Application
Legalism attempts to gain God's approval by works. Grace rests in the work of God. If God does the doing then God gets the glory. If we do the doing then we get the glory.
People who try to gain God's approval by works cannot perform enough. They never know whether they measure up enough to gain God's favor. Those who humbly accept God's provision for salvation or sanctification can rest in what He did for us, remembering that Jesus died for our sins and provided all that is needed for the Christian life.
The glory of Christianity is found by resting in what Christ did for us. Have you come to rest in what God did for you in Christ?
Galatians 1:14
"And I advanced in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries in my own nation, being more exceedingly zealous for the traditions of my fathers"
And I advanced in Judaism
Before Paul became a Christian, he had a sterling religious career for he "advanced beyond many." The word "advance" means to strike forward, cut forward a way. Secular Greek used this word to refer to pioneer woodcutters who went ahead of the army blazing a new trail through the forest so the army could move forward quickly.
The idea here then, is that Paul was an innovator of systems for furthering his religion. Paul, the Pharisee, obtained breakthroughs in dealing with this new religion called Christianity. "They knew me from the first, if they were willing to testify, that according to the strictest sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee" (Acts 26: 5).
beyond many of my contemporaries in my own nation,
Paul surpassed other leaders in Israel. He had a brilliant career in Judaism. He outstripped his contemporaries in pioneering new areas for Judaism. He was a very successful Pharisee. Paul was notorious in his persecution of the church. He was brutal and bloodthirsty with his religion- infamous for his opposition to Christianity. Religion has a tradition of brutality.
"I persecuted this Way to the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women, as also the high priest bears me witness, and all the council of the elders, from whom I also received letters to the brethren, and went to Damascus to bring in chains even those who were there to Jerusalem to be punished" (Acts 22:4-5).
"Indeed, I myself thought I must do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. This I also did in Jerusalem, and many of the saints I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them. And I punished them often in every synagogue and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly enraged against them, I persecuted them even to foreign cities" (Acts 26:9-11).
being more exceedingly zealous
Paul clearly excelled above his peers in his commitment to the annihilation of Christianity. He was an uncompromising adherent to legalism. He went to any extreme with passionate intensity for his cause. Paul says in effect, "I was a passionate professional persecutor of the church. In doing so, I was outstanding in my religion." Even in the face of all this, the supernatural power of the gospel of grace brought him to the Savior.
for the traditions of my fathers.
Paul lived for legalism. His tradition was one of religious rules that went beyond the Law of Moses. These rules defied compliance. There was not the slightest orientation to grace in his background. It was a performance and works mindset based on ancestral tradition. All his previous education and prejudices were the polar opposites to grace.
Principle
Some people use religion as a platform for self-advancement.
Application
Many people use religion to gain a standing among their peers. Their main goal is to impress people. They desire to be noticed. Self-promotion creates a sense of rivalry.
Religion has a history of brutality. Religious history is full of intolerance and prejudice. We should turn in our religion if it makes us bigoted toward others.
Galatians 1:15
"But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb and called me through His grace…"
But when it pleased God,
The word "but" is an about-face word. In stark contrast to his earlier position as a foe of grace, Paul now embraced it with all his being. Up to this point in his life, it was all of Paul and none of grace. The foremost opponent of Christianity became its outstanding proponent.
God did three things for Paul: 1) separated him from birth for a special purpose, 2) called him by grace and 3) revealed the Lord Jesus through him. God did all of this so that Paul would preach Christ among the Gentiles.
Paul ascribed his call to God's pleasure. This is God's motive for saving him. Paul's conversion put a smile on the face of God.
who separated me
The word "separated" denotes to mark off by boundaries or limits. It comes from two words: to separate and from. God set Paul apart for a special purpose. He knew Paul's call from eternity and set prescribed limits around his destiny.
The last option in Paul's mind was to become a Christian, but God set him apart for that work. He was no longer what he was; he experienced a radical transformation. This is all because God put a limitation on him.
from my mother's womb
"From my mother's womb" does not refer to physical obstetrics but to spiritual obstetrics. "God knew from before I was born that I was going to be the apostle to the Gentiles." This is sheer grace (Jeremiah 1:5).
and called me through His grace
Paul's call came strictly through grace. God did not call him because he was better than other people were because grace opposites merit. Rather God chose Paul before he had a chance to show any merit.
Paul did not instigate his salvation; God took the initiative. God chose him out of unadulterated grace. No work by Paul added anything to his call. God's grace turned him around. God never faces a dilemma for He knows what He wants to do from eternity. Our call is never capricious; it is always premeditated. It is part of God's eternal plan.
Principle
God is in the business of turning antagonists into catalysts for the cause of Christ.
Application
When God touches our lives, He turns our lives around 180 degrees. If God can change a murderer like Paul, He can change us. God will do this in His own sovereign way. He saves us by sovereign grace.
None of us earns or deserves salvation. If we got what we deserve, then God would consign us to the Lake of Fire. Everything this side of Hell is undiluted grace. God can take His most bitter enemies and turn them into His greatest champions. Note Paul's description of his salvation. "And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has enabled me, because He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry, although I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man; but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. And the grace of our Lord was exceedingly abundant, with faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief. However, for this reason I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show all longsuffering, as a pattern to those who are going to believe on Him for everlasting life. Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen" (1 Timothy 1:12-17).
Galatians 1:16
"…to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately confer with flesh and blood…"
Now Paul turns to events after his salvation to show his doctrine of grace is independent from other people's influence. Although he met with Christians after his salvation, he did not consult them about the doctrine of salvation.
to reveal His Son in me,
God revealed Christ not only to Paul but also in Paul. God wanted to get the gospel into Paul's innermost being. It seems that Paul would be the last person on earth that God would chose to reveal His Son. Of all people, he would be the last for he was guilty of executing Christians. Nevertheless, God unveiled His very own Son to Paul in grace.
that I might preach Him among the Gentiles,
The gospel must get into our innermost being before we can preach the gospel with conviction. The purpose of Paul's message was to commission him to take the gospel of grace to the Gentiles. "Gentiles" is a term for the nations foreign to the state of Israel. A Gentile is someone other than a Jew. Peter was the apostle to the Jews and Paul was the apostle to the Gentiles.
Notice how God couples salvation with service. God calls every person He saves to serve "Him," the Lord Jesus Christ. It is not enough to preach about Him; we must preach Him. And we cannot preach Him until we know Him.
I did not immediately confer with flesh and blood
The word "confer" means to take into counsel. Literally, "confer" comes from two words: to put and before. Paul did not take the counsel of any human being. He did not put his doctrine of grace before the leaders in Jerusalem to get their advice or opinions. Paul deliberately refrained from getting the counsel of human beings. He did not use a consulting firm to get an understanding of the gospel of grace.
With the word "immediately," Paul begins to expose a sequence of events that proves that he could not have received the gospel of grace from human beings. He went to Arabia so that God could clarify the gospel of grace to him (Galatians 1:17).
Principle
Nothing pleases God more than to reveal His Son through His saints.
Application
God not only wants to reveal His Son to us, but also in us. He wants us to conform to the image of Christ daily. "But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord" (2 Corinthians 3:18).
Even sinners can make great saints when they allow Christ to transform them. God can take foul sinners and make them just like the Lord Jesus in character.
God will also use those with awful backgrounds to serve Him in unique ways.
"But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy" (1 Peter 2:9-10).
Galatians 1:17
"…nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me; but I went to Arabia, and returned again to Damascus"
nor did I go up to Jerusalem
Paul did not need the approval of the apostles in Jerusalem for his gospel of grace. He did not check with Peter before he went out to preach.
to those who were apostles before me;
The apostles mentioned here were those apostles appointed earlier than Paul. They took up residence in Jerusalem. It would have been natural for them to teach him about the fundamentals of the faith. As Paul did not receive the gospel from human beings at his salvation, neither did he receive it from the apostles after his salvation. This shows his independence from the twelve apostles. But, by acknowledging them as apostles who came before him, he also gives them full recognition.
but I went to Arabia,
Instead of going to Jerusalem immediately after his salvation, he went to an area of Arabia known as Nabatea (in Transjordan to the south and east of Damascus of Syria). Arabia was a barren and thinly populated place. Paul needed to clarify the distinctions between law and grace. He spent decades steeped in legalism, so he needed time to orient himself to grace and think through the issues.
He went to Arabia to spend time with God in solitude. During this stay, God clarified the doctrine of grace to him. He did not get his message from human beings but from God. He wanted to get his message as clear as he could before he started preaching.
and returned again to Damascus
After the Lord clarified his message in Arabia, Paul returned to Damascus. He stayed there for a stretch of time and encountered persecution from the Jews. "But Saul increased all the more in strength, and confounded the Jews who dwelt in Damascus, proving that this Jesus is the Christ. Now after many days were past, the Jews plotted to kill him. But their plot became known to Saul. And they watched the gates day and night, to kill him. Then the disciples took him by night and let him down through the wall in a large basket" (Acts 9: 22-25).
Principle
God schools his saints in solitude.
Application
God uses isolation and solitude to separate our souls from restless and busy lives. The Psalmists says, "Be still and know that I am God." We need time to think about God. Solitude is God's Wilderness Graduate School. It’s the place where we develop deep convictions about our relationship with the Lord and our service for Him.
God took many of his ministers to His Wilderness Graduate School. He took Moses there before He would use him. He also allowed Elijah to go through a wilderness experience. David spent some time there, while Saul hunted him like an animal. The Lord Himself spent forty days in the desert.
God must speak to us and we to God before we speak to other people. Has God placed you in His Wilderness Graduate School in order to use you later?
Galatians 1:18
"Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and remained with him fifteen days"
Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter,
The word "then" means thereafter, referring to the time following Paul's three-year stay in Arabia and Damascus. After waiting three years, Paul finally went to Jerusalem to see Peter (Acts 9:26-30). When Paul first left Jerusalem, he had gone to Damascus to murder and imprison Christians. However, he came back as a Christian! He left as a beast but came back as a champion for Christ.
We get the English word history from the Greek word for to see. When Paul says he went to see Peter, the word carries the idea of making a social call on his fellow apostle. Paul wanted to get acquainted with Peter. They told each other their story. This must have been a great time of fellowship. In fifteen days, they told of God's grace and work in their life.
and remained with him fifteen days
Paul wanted to get to know Peter. He stayed in Jerusalem only a short time because his life was threatened (Acts 9:29). There was no time for Peter to train Paul theologically or certify his ministry, so Paul did not get his doctrine of grace from Peter.
After fifteen days, Paul fled for his life. It took some courage to go back to Jerusalem. He was not afraid to face the past. We cannot get away from our past by running away from it. We deal with it by facing it.
Principle
Iron sharpens iron.
Application
Christians do not keep to themselves.
Galatians 1:19-20
"But I saw none of the other apostles except James, the Lord's brother. (Now concerning the things which I write to you, indeed, before God, I do not lie.) Afterward I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia"
But I saw none of the other apostles except James, the Lord's brother.
In passing, Paul met "James, the Lord's brother," who was also a key leader in the Jerusalem church (Acts 12:17). Jesus had more than one biological brother (Matthew 13:55; cf. Psalms 69:8,9). This verse violates the doctrine of the perpetual virginity of Mary (Mark 6:3; Galatians 2:9; 1 Corinthians 15:7; Acts 15:13; 21:18). James was Mary's biological son.
Now concerning the things which I write to you, indeed, before God, I do not lie.
The legalists who came to Galatia cast such a pall of suspicion on Paul that he pledged he wrote the truth in the preceding verses. He took this oath in God's presence making it solemn. He calls on God to witness his statements (Romans 9:1).
Principle
False teachers love to undermine God's messengers, since it also undercuts God's message.
Application
How strange that Paul's very own converts would think that he was not truthful! This shows the pall that false teaching can cast on the integrity of Christians. Satan loves to cast aspersions on God's people, so that he can undermine God's message.
Galatians 1:21
"Afterward I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia"
Afterward I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia
After his brief fifteen-day visit to Jerusalem, Paul went to the "regions of Syria and Cilicia." He left Jerusalem because of persecution (Acts 9:29-30). Sometimes discretion is the better part of valor. It always costs something to follow the Lord.
Tarsus, Paul's hometown, was in Cilicia. He stayed in Tarsus for at least six years until Barnabas asked him to come to Antioch in Syria (Acts 11:20-26). He may have needed experience in the local church in Tarsus.
Paul had now been a Christian for at least nine years. God waited nine years before He used him in Antioch. Paul needed to go through God's training time. Paul did not become a missionary until after an extended time in Syria, Cilicia and Antioch. Some people are in a hurry to minister, so they take shortcuts into ministry. God has a timetable for our ministry. We must wait on His time.
Antioch of Syria was the city from which they launched the first missionary expedition (Acts 13:1-3). Since Paul was far from Jerusalem, he did not have sustained contact with the leaders there.
Principle
God has His own timing for our ministry.
Application
Do you chafe at the bit wondering why God does not use you more? Are you waiting for God's timing? God is in the process of preparing you to serve Him. This takes time. He wants to reveal what you're made of, so you must go through certain tests to determine whether your character can stand up.
Galatians 1:22
"And I was unknown by face to the churches of Judea which were in Christ"
The churches of Judea, as distinguished from the church in Jerusalem, did not know Paul by sight, because he ministered elsewhere. Paul mentions this to answer the accusation of the legalists who say that the churches in Judea taught him the gospel. The point of recounting these events from his life is to show that He got his message from God and not from the apostles who preceded him. Paul was "unknown by face" to the churches of Judea. They only heard of his conversion from afar.
There is a temptation to thrust new Christians into the limelight, especially if they are celebrities. The churches of Judea did not carry out a media campaign about Paul's conversion: "Come hear a murderer turned Christian!" They did not capitalize on his conversion. Instead, they waited for his spiritual maturation. God takes years to build a great oak.
Principle
God takes time to develop leadership in the church.
Application
The Bible puts a premium on qualified leadership (1 Timothy 3:1f). One of a number of qualifications listed in this passage in Timothy is that a leader should not be a novice" (3:6). When we thrust new Christians into leadership, we stunt their spiritual growth. Although someone may have impeccable business qualifications and business leadership, the Christian maturity to lead may still be lacking.
We do not put novices in leadership lest they be lifted up with "pride." There is a special vulnerability toward pride in new Christians. "I must be important to this church since they put me on the board after being a Christian such a short time," they may think. Pride is one of the main reasons the Lord bypasses certain people.
New Christians need time for God to chisel, sand and polish them for ministry. Our society makes sure that we train our medical doctors. We send them to university for their academic training; then we put them into an internship program so that they can practice. We want them to practice under the supervision of a competent doctor. New believers also need training and internship so that mature believers can nurture them along.
It is easy to get sidetracked while God prepares us for a mission. We must keep our eye on the vision. It is easy to fix our eyes on something lucrative or self-serving. But we must not let the Devil get us on a tangent.
Galatians 1:23-24
"But they were hearing only, "He who formerly persecuted us now preaches the faith which he once tried to destroy." And they glorified God in me"
Churches in Judea kept hearing about Paul, but never met him personally. There is one thing they knew about him - his conversion to Christ. God radically transformed Paul's thinking from salvation by works to salvation by faith.
The Judean churches kept on giving God the glory, as the Greek word puts it, for the transformation that took place in Paul's life. Paul's testimony was an occasion for glorifying God. The persecutor became the preacher. These well-established churches approved of Paul's testimony. This was a powerful blow to the legalists' accusations against Paul.
Principle
We must remember that God does the transforming, not human beings.
Application
It is proper to glorify God for a person's testimony; however, we should not mix the praise of God with praises for our fellow humans. It is God who does the transforming, not us.
Galatians 2:1
"Then after fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, and also took Titus with me"
Then
The word "then" is a sequential word meaning thereupon, thereafter, then. In chapter one, Paul defends his apostolic authority by recounting a sequence of events showing that he stands independently from other apostles. In chapter two, he turns to another historical situation called the Jerusalem Council (Acts 15). In this chapter, he changes his focus from the source of his gospel to its content. He shows the unity existing between himself and the other apostles concerning the doctrines of salvation and sanctification by grace.
after fourteen years
It has been 14 years between Paul's first visit to Jerusalem (Galatians 1:18) and the Jerusalem Council meeting. God so employed Paul in preaching the gospel to the Gentiles that he did not have time to extensively confer with the apostles in Jerusalem about the nature of the gospel of grace.
I went up again to Jerusalem
The book of Acts declares that Paul made five visits to Jerusalem:
1. The visit from Damascus (Acts 9:26-30; Galatians 1:18-20)
2. The famine visit (Acts 11:27-30; 12:24-25)
3. The Jerusalem Council visit (Acts 15:1-30)
4. The visit at the end of the second missionary expedition (Acts 18:22)
5. Paul's final visit (Acts 21:15-23:35)
There is a debate as to whether Galatians 2 refers to the famine visit or to the Jerusalem Council visit. The word "again" does not necessarily imply that this trip to Jerusalem was the very next visit; it is simply a term of sequence without specificity. We can surmise that Paul did not refer to the famine visit because it did not affect his authority as an apostle.
The Jerusalem Council in Acts 15 resolves the church's first great doctrinal conflict--the issue of whether God justifies or sanctifies anyone by works. The Council concluded that the death of Christ suffices for salvation. They settled that issue once and for all.
"And certain men came down from Judea and taught the brethren, ‘Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved' (Acts 15:1).
The issue at the Jerusalem Council was legalism. "Certain men" came to Antioch teaching that to trust the cross of Christ for salvation was not enough. The first great doctrinal struggle of the church originated with a problem in the church at Antioch.
"Therefore, when Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and dispute with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas and certain others of them should go up to Jerusalem, to the apostles and elders, about this question" (Acts 15:2 ).
Circumcision added to the doctrine of the cross landed like a bombshell on those who believed in grace, so a full-scale "dissension" and "dispute" broke out between the two groups in Antioch. According to Galatians, the church at Antioch sent Paul, Barnabas and Titus to Jerusalem to formalize the doctrine of salvation by grace.
"And when they had come to Jerusalem, they were received by the church and the apostles and the elders; and they reported all things that God had done with them. But some of the sect of the Pharisees who believed rose up, saying, ‘It is necessary to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses'" (Acts 15:4-5).
The source behind adding circumcision to the cross was the Pharisees of Judea. They dragged their pre-conversion doctrine into their Christianity.
"Now the apostles and elders came together to consider this matter. And when there had been much dispute, Peter rose up and said to them: ‘Men and brethren, you know that a good while ago God chose among us, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe. ‘So God, who knows the heart, acknowledged them by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He did to us, ‘and made no distinction between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith. ‘Now therefore, why do you test God by putting a yoke on the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? ‘But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved in the same manner as they" (Acts 15:6-11).
The Council clearly concluded that salvation is by faith through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. Even the Pharisees themselves could not obtain salvation by keeping the law.
Principle
Faith in the death of Christ on the cross is sufficient for salvation.
Application
Christ's death on the cross with nothing added is God's way of salvation. We cannot become Christians by the cross plus good works, baptism, the Lord's Supper or repentance. Salvation is exclusively through the cross with nothing added. Biblical repentance is part and parcel of believing. When we change our minds to trusting the cross of Christ exclusively to forgive us, we receive eternal life. We cannot help Jesus save us for He does a complete job by His work on the cross.
We cannot earn or deserve anything from God. All we can do is lean upon His provision for salvation and for sanctification.
Galatians 2 refers to a visit by a delegation from the Antioch church to the leaders in Jerusalem to resolve the issue of salvation by faith.
The first half of Galatians 2 deals with salvation by faith (2:1-10), and the second half deals with sanctification by faith (2:11-21).
with Barnabas,
Luke mentions that Barnabas and "certain others" went to Jerusalem with Paul from Antioch. Barnabas was also with Paul when they founded the Galatian church on their first missionary expedition. The word "with" indicates Barnabas was a partner and colleague of Paul in the wonderful fellowship of ministry.
and also took Titus with me
"Took" comes from three Greek words: to take, with, alongside. Paul took Titus, a new convert, alongside with him in his travel to Jerusalem. The idea is that Paul made him an assistant to accompany him in ministry. Luke uses this same word of John Mark in the book of Acts (12:25; 15:37,38).
The reason Paul took Titus to the Jerusalem Council is that he was an uncircumcised Gentile Christian. He was living proof that a Gentile can be a child of God. Paul was the apostle to the Gentiles, so the issue of Gentiles coming to Christ was of utmost importance to him. The Jerusalem Council resolved the issue that Gentiles can enter the family of God by faith and that they do not have to be circumcised (the symbol of becoming a Jew) to become a Christian.
Titus later became a mature leader. He helped settle a dispute between Paul and the Corinthian church (2 Corinthians 3:13; 7:6, 13-14; 8:6, 16, 23; 12:18). At another time, Paul left Titus in Crete to organize the church there (Titus 1:4-5). He evidently was an outstanding mediator.
Titus' name occurs 13 times in four different books of the Bible two times in Galatians; nine times in 2 Corinthians; once in 2 Timothy; once in Titus. Dr. Luke does not mention Titus in the book of Acts, yet he obviously took part in many of the activities in Acts. Do you think he was miffed because of this? This would hurt the feelings of many people today, but not Titus'.
Principle
Mature Christians do not allow their feelings to get in the way of ministry.
Application
If we neglect to give people what they deem to be proper recognition for work they do in ministry, they feel rejected and neglected. They say, "The pastor didn't put my name in the bulletin after all the work I did for that church." Mature Christians can transcend hurt feelings. They will not allow their feelings to get in the way of ministry. The issues are too great and the need is too massive to blunt the ministry of Christ with feelings of rejection.
Galatians 2:2
"And I went up by revelation, and communicated to them that gospel which I preach among the Gentiles, but privately to those who were of reputation, lest by any means I might run, or had run, in vain"
And I went up by revelation,