Galatians 1
- Who wrote it
- Paul
- Who it was for
- The churches of Galatia
- What was happening
- Paul skips the thanks and defends the one true gospel, which came to him by revelation from Christ
What’s happening
Paul, "an apostle, not from men, neither through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead," and all the brothers with him, write to the churches of Galatia: grace and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, "who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us out of this present evil age." Where a letter would normally give thanks, Paul says, "I marvel that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ to a different good news; which is not another good news. Only there are some who trouble you, and want to pervert the Good News of Christ." Even if an angel from heaven should preach anything else, "let him be cursed," and he says it twice. Is he now trying to win the approval of people? "If I were still pleasing men, I wouldn't be a servant of Christ." He insists the gospel he preached was not man's: he didn't receive it from a human source, "but it came to me through revelation of Jesus Christ." He reminds them of his former life in Judaism, how he persecuted the church of God violently and tried to destroy it, advancing beyond many of his own age in zeal for the traditions of his ancestors. But when God, who set him apart from his mother's womb and called him by grace, was pleased to reveal his Son in him so that he might preach him among the Gentiles, he did not confer with flesh and blood or go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before him, but went to Arabia and returned to Damascus. Then, after three years, he went up to Jerusalem to get to know Cephas and stayed fifteen days; he saw none of the other apostles except James the Lord's brother. ("I assure you, before God, that I am not lying.") Then he went to the regions of Syria and Cilicia, still unknown by face to the churches of Judea, who only heard that the former persecutor was now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy, "and they glorified God in me."
Why the setting matters
Letters in Paul's day usually opened with a prayer of thanks, and the missing thanksgiving is the first sign of how serious things are. The "different gospel" being offered in Galatia seems to have come from other Jewish-Christian teachers who said Gentile believers needed circumcision and the law of Moses to be full members of God's people. Paul never names them (the label "Judaizers" is later), and we only hear his side. To answer the charge that he is a second-hand apostle, he tells his own story in detail. That story overlaps with Acts 9 but does not match it in every detail; for example, Acts does not mention Arabia, and the visits to Jerusalem are counted differently in Galatians and Acts, which is one reason for the debates about the letter's date. "Arabia" probably means the Nabatean kingdom east and south of Damascus. His language about being set apart from his mother's womb echoes the calls of Jeremiah (Jeremiah 1:5) and the Servant (Isaiah 49:1). "Cursed" translates the Greek anathema, and the word is the same one used in 1 Corinthians 16:22.
Who’s in this chapter
Paul
Defends his apostleship and tells his story.
The believers in Galatia
Quickly turning to a different gospel.
The agitators
Teachers who "trouble" the Galatians.
Cephas (Peter)
Paul visits him for fifteen days.
James, the Lord's brother
The only other apostle Paul saw on that visit.
Jesus
Who revealed himself to Paul and gave himself for our sins.
Talk it through
- Paul skips the usual thanks and goes straight to astonishment. What does that tell us about the stakes?
- Paul says the gospel he preaches came by revelation of Jesus Christ and not from people. Why does the source of the message matter?
- Paul tells a story that includes his own violent past. Why is his history part of his argument?
- "If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ." How do you hold together caring for people and refusing to bend the message?
Read Galatians 1
World English Bible
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 assemblies of Galatia: 3Grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, 4who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us out of this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father— 5to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.
6I marvel that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ to a different “good news”, 7but there isn’t another “good news.” Only there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the Good News of Christ. 8But even though we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you any “good news” other than that which we preached to you, let him be cursed. 9As we have said before, so I now say again: if any man preaches to you any “good news” other than that which you received, let him be cursed. 10For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? For if I were still pleasing men, I wouldn’t be a servant of Christ.
11But I make known to you, brothers, concerning the Good News which was preached by me, that it is not according to man. 12For I didn’t receive it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came to me through revelation of Jesus Christ. 13For you have heard of my way of living in time past in the Jews’ religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the assembly of God and ravaged it. 14I advanced in the Jews’ religion beyond many of my own age among my countrymen, being more exceedingly zealous for the traditions of my fathers. 15But when it was the good pleasure of God, who separated me from my mother’s womb and called me through his grace 16to reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I didn’t immediately confer with flesh and blood, 17nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me, but I went away into Arabia. Then I returned to Damascus.
18Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to visit Peter, and stayed with him fifteen days. 19But of the other apostles I saw no one except James, the Lord’s brother. 20Now about the things which I write to you, behold, before God, I’m not lying. 21Then I came to the regions of Syria and Cilicia. 22I was still unknown by face to the assemblies of Judea which were in Christ, 23but they only heard: “He who once persecuted us now preaches the faith that he once tried to destroy.” 24So they glorified God in me.
Text: World English Bible, Public domain. About our sources