Galatians 1:1-5

I've been reading Galatians for a while now, so I've decided to get with the information age and share my learning online. I invite anyone who reads this to comment, disagree, or question my posts. I always think that the best place to begin study of any "book" of the Bible is at the beginning, so to that end, here is the text of Galatians 1:1-5.

1Paul, an apostle, not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised him from the dead, 2and all the brothers who are with me,
To the churches of Galatia:
3Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, 4who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, 5to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

Father, thank you for your Word. Please strengthen your Church with it and send us to proclaim it everywhere, so that all peoples might know and cling to the gospel of Jesus Christ. Amen.

In this discourse, I will first attempt at a brief exposition where I'll explain and illustrate what Galatians 1:1-5 says and means, then I'll provide some questions and points for personal and corporate application.

The first thing we encounter in this passage is the name, Paul. This refers to Paul of Tarsus, a man who once persecuted the Church of God and tried to destroy it (cf. 1:13). But after meeting the risen Christ on the road to Damascus he left his former life and became a minister of the gospel (cf. Acts 9:1-22).

Next, in verse 1, Paul identifies himself as an apostle. This word in Greek simply meant that he was a messenger, but in the context of the New Testament, according to ESV Study Bible commentator and New Testament scholar Tom Schreiner, it means that he had "authority equal to that of the 12 apostles chosen by Christ. The apostles were specifically called by Christ and had seen the risen Lord Jesus. They established and governed the whole church, under Jesus Christ, and they had authority to speak and write the words of God, equal in authority to the [Old Testament] Scriptures" (ESV Study Bible note on Romans 1:1). Thus, his claim to apostleship gave Paul immense authority when proclaiming the truth.

Paul breaks the flow of his greeting to reinforce this apostolic authority by explaining the source of his apostleship. First he explains it negatively- where it did not come from. It was not from men nor through man. Paul did not represent the interests of any religious faction or political party like the Pharisees or Romans; his authority was not derived from his membership in the nation of Israel or the tribe of Benjamin, and he had no army backing his claims. As a matter of fact, no man could gain the authority of apostleship that Paul possessed by any act of volition, logic or physical strength. So why would anyone listen to Paul?

We find as we read on that Paul's apostleship was through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead. This is the grounding of Paul's apostolic authority- that Jesus, the Anointed Son of God, and the almighty Father who raised him from the dead, called Paul to be an apostle and entrusted him with the gospel, the message of salvation by grace, through faith in Jesus Christ (cf. 2:16, Romans 1:16, Romans 3:21-26, Ephesians 2:8-10). Note that Paul mentions only the first two Persons of the Trinity, but throughout his letter he will explain at length the role of the Holy Spirit in the application of salvation (3:1-6, 3:13-14, 4:6-7. 5:5, 6:6-10). Thus, Galatians provides a snapshot of redemption as a grand work accomplished in perfect unity by the Triune God.

To summarize verse 1, Paul is a messenger of the gospel whose authority came directly from God. This should give us great confidence in his words! Let's pray for faith to believe in his message, and be transformed by the working of the Holy Spirit.

Verse two continues the flow of Paul's greeting. He also writes on behalf of all the brothers who are with him. This word for brothers can be translated to mean brothers and sisters, and thus means all the believers in Christ who are with him. Such familial language rings throughout Paul's letters (cf. 1:11, 3:16, Colossians 1:2, etc.). This addition would add to his perceived authority among his audience, since it implies that other believers affirm Paul's message.

Paul finally addresses his audience at the end of verse 2- to the churches of Galatia. Thus Paul is writing to churches- local groups of believing Christians who gather to worship- praying, studying God's Word, singing together, serving one another and their communities, and proclaiming the gospel so that others might be saved (Acts 2:42-47, Ephesians 3:18-21, Colossians 3:16-17). The hard (but not essential) question is, "which Galatia is Paul talking about?" There was an ethnic region composed of what is now north-central Turkey called Galatia, and there was a larger Roman province called Galatia located in central Turkey. Probably, Paul is writing to churches in the Roman province of Galatia in cities where he had planted churches like Derbe, Iconium, and Lystra (cf. Acts 13-14). Regardless of which Galatians Paul referred to, it is important to remember that Paul was writing to churches- groups of people who believed in Christ- not unbelieving pagans or Jews. Also, it is important to recognize that Paul mainly addresses the churches as corporate wholes, not just the individuals who make up the churches. Lastly, it is important to understand that he wrote to the Galatians, and not to you or me. This does not mean that his words do not apply to us, but it means that we must carefully discern how to apply his words in light of the fact that they were originally addressed to other believers during another place and time.

To sum up verses 1 and 2, Paul was a messenger of the gospel, who was entrusted with apostolic authority from God, and was joined by other believers in writing to the Christian churches of Galatia. As Christians, even today, we must pay close attention to the words of Paul, which were addressed long ago the to the churches of Galatia, since we long with them to know and obey the risen Christ as Paul did.

Now we come to the meat of Paul's greeting to the Galatian churches, as he moves from discussing the source of his message's authority and the intended recipients of his message, to the message itself: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Here is Paul's message in summary- that God the Father and Jesus Christ have extended grace- undeserved and unmerited kindness and favor- to "you"- the Galatians who believe in Christ. A short list of the benefits of this grace includes receiving the indwelling presence of God in the Holy Spirit (cf. 3:2-5, 3:14), the blessings of the inheritance of Abraham- that God would bless them in order to bless the nations (cf. 3:7-9, 3:13-14, Genesis 12:2-3), adoption into God's family (cf. 4:4-7), freedom from the law (cf. 5:1-6, 18), life and sanctification in the Spirit (cf. 5:16, 5:22-25), and hope and partnership in God's new creation that will last forever (cf. 6:15, Romans 8:18-23, Revelation 21). Knowing, and possessing this grace brings the peace of hope in eternal fellowship with our glorious God (Romans 5:2), the assurance that nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:39), and that the God of peace is with us in the Holy Spirit (cf. 3:6-7, Philippians 4:9, Matthew 28:20).

This is incredible news, and Paul explains how God supplies this grace to his people in verse 4. First he explains that the Lord Jesus Christ "gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age". This is the gospel- that Christ died so that sinners might live. This gospel sounds absurd to people like the Jews who valued displays of might, who think a mighty Lord ought never to stoop to die for his subjects, and it is foolishness to people like the Greeks who valued wisdom and think it makes no logical sense that the Lord of the universe would or could die to save sinners (cf. 1 Corinthians 1:20-25). But this message, that Christ received God's wrath and righteous punishment for sin by dying on the cross, so that sinful people could receive God's grace and the saving righteousness of Christ through faith in Jesus, is the wisdom of God (cf. 2 Corinthians 5:21, Romans 3:21-26, 1 Corinthians 1:18-31)!

Because Christ so loved us, he humbly served as a substitute for sinners. It's as though Babe Ruth came in to pinch hit for the worst team in the peewee league, and hit a grandslam in the bottom of the 9th when they were down 3-0. Of course this illustration fails, but can't you see the glory of this great news? Salvation is free in Jesus Christ! He bore our curse (cf. 3:13-14)! He has redeemed us through faith in him! We had given him only dishonor, but he gave himself for us and loves us unconditionally!

And Christ did all this according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be the glory forever and ever. He was obedient to the point of death while we were dead in our disobedience (Philippians 2:8), so that we could have life (Ephesians 2:1-5). Not only was this God's will during Christ's life on earth, but God the Father chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:3-14, Romans 8:29-30)! Again this shows the great assurance believers have in the work of Christ, because it is God the Father's will to bring his people back to himself! As Paul asks rhetorically to the Romans, "If God is for us, who can be against us (Romans 8:31)?" The answer of course is that nothing and noone can foil God's plan of salvation for his beloved people (cf. Romans 8:38-39). And thus God deserves all the glory forever and ever, if only for his unstoppable redeeming love (this is not to mention other facets of his manifold perfections such as his awesome creative power or his fearsome holiness and wrath)!

In summary, Paul the Apostle writes to the churches of Galatia, with authority from God and the affirmation of the testimony of the Church, that God extends his saving grace to those who believe, and gives them everlasting peace, through faith in Jesus Christ who accomplished their salvation on the cross in perfect obedience to the will of God the Father, who deserves glory and honor and praise forever! Praise God!

Christians, pray for faith in this gospel- that Jesus Christ died in your place and credits you with all the blessings he deserves as the Son of God. Reflect on this gospel, and as you see the glory of God in this message, I'm confident that you will respond with a life of thankfulness and praise that is due to God. But be careful to avoid legalism and self-righteousness. Ask yourselves, "Do I trust in the work and righteousness of Christ alone to make me right with God, or do I rely on my own good deeds?" We were all worms apart from the saving work of Christ and the purifying work of his Spirit in us (Romans 3:23). Therefore, we must not forget the "evil age (cf. 1:4)" from which Christ has delivered us, and that we once were children of wrath like the rest of mankind (Ephesians 2:1-10). Rather, we must remember our former depraved state, and rejoice in Christ and the glory of our everlasting hope in him. So, when a friend who lives in sin- whether it be sleeping around, doing drugs, spreading hurtful rumors and lies, or any number of sins- don't hold expectations over them as though they must change first in order to come to Christ. Remember that Christ died to reconcile his enemies back to God. So you should live in the same way- love others unconditionally, and minister the gospel to them as a minister of the gospel of reconciliation that is in Christ Jesus- not as ministers of a false gospel of good works.

To my unbelieving friends, please consider the witness of the Apostle Paul. He went to the death because he believed and proclaimed this message, as did the rest of the apostles except John, who was tortured and exiled until his death came naturally. Jesus died for you too (1 John 2:2). He loves you and longs that you would enjoy his presence forever (John 3:16). But do not be deceived- Christ is coming again (1 Thessalonians 4:16, 2 Thessalonians 1:4-9, 2 Peter 3:10-12, Jude 14-15, Revelation 19:11-21). So believe while there is still time, so that your heart isn't hardened, leaving you lost to suffer God's wrath forever (2 Peter 3:9-10, 2 Thessalonians 1:4-9, Hebrews 10:24-31).

Father, please change our minds and hearts as we read and reflect upon the words you inspired in Paul. We need your grace, and so we believe in Jesus Christ, our only hope, and our perfect righteousness. Thank you for willing our salvation in Christ Jesus, and thank you for your Word through which you speak and bring lost souls to life by your Spirit. Please bring others to faith. Help them to realize how glorious you are, and how deeply they need your grace, and power to save them. Let them see Jesus as Lord and Savior. In the confidence of Jesus' name alone I pray these things, Amen.