Bitesize Bible Commentary:
Galatians
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Galatians 1:1-5
The Apostle Paul greets the Galatians by affirming his apostleship as independent of human mediation and received directly from Jesus Christ and God the Father. Paul also outlines the gospel by describing the nature of Christ’s death (a sacrifice for sin), the purpose of Christ’s death (a rescue from the present evil age), the origin of Christ’s death (the will of the Father) and the result of Christ’s death (the reception of grace and peace). These themes will be the focus of Paul's letter to the Galatians as Paul defends accusations made against his gospel message and apostolic mandate.
The intent of the Apostle Paul at the beginning of his letter to the Galatians is to emphasise that salvation is something that God does for humanity and not something that humanity does for themselves. This is seen in Paul’s fourfold statement that salvation is accomplished through Christ’s sacrificial death for sin, that salvation is God’s rescue of humanity from the present evil age, that salvation is according to the will of God the Father and that salvation is God’s offer of grace and peace. In short, human salvation is the initiative and accomplishment of God that humanity receives in gratitude through faith. As will be seen, the Galatians were abandoning this understanding of salvation by placing human effort (obedience to the Law of Moses) as the means through which salvation and acceptance with God are attained. Unlike the Galatians, we must always remember that salvation is downward and not upward. Jesus came down from heaven to be the saviour of humanity and the curtain of the Temple (the barrier that divided the sinfulness of humanity from the holiness of God within the Temple) was torn from top to bottom. Salvation is not that humanity ascended to God through works after falling into sin (self-redemption). Salvation is that God descended to humanity to rescue and restore humanity from sin through faith (Christ-redemption). To reverse these roles by insisting on human effort and accomplishment as the way of salvation is to deny the work and glory of God in Christ.
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Galatians 1:6-10
The Apostle Paul expresses amazement that the Galatians are abandoning the gospel that saves for a ‘gospel’ that does not save. The gospel that saves relies on Christ’s work of salvation on the cross received in faith (Jesus died as an atoning sacrifice for human sin) rather than on human effort and works (obedience to the law). Paul further states that those who embrace and preach a false gospel are under God’s curse and opposed to God, meaning they are still in their sins (they have not received God’s forgiveness in Christ). In addition, the gospel that the Galatians initially received (the apostolic preaching) is the measuring stick or standard to judge truth and falsehood. Today, this is the New Testament. The controversy that Paul is addressing was likely caused by the 'Judaizers' described in Acts 15:1-35 and their insistence that circumcision as well as obedience to the Law of Moses was a requirement for salvation in Christ. They had infiltrated the Galatian churches after Paul's departure (Acts 13-14) and corrupted the gospel of grace, hence Paul's letter of correction to the Galatians. Paul concludes this section by stating that his focus is to be a servant of Christ and to please God rather than people.
The Apostle Paul equates the ‘grace of Christ’ with the ‘gospel of Christ’ and says that some will throw people into confusion by perverting the gospel. Sometimes they will even claim divine authority (an angel from heaven) for their actions. These individuals should be avoided and (at times) openly opposed. As Paul states, Christians are to please God and serve Christ as of first importance. What would your life look like if you were primarily a God-pleaser rather than a people-pleaser, if you focused on pleasing God and not people? Paul interpreted this commission as receiving, preaching and defending the gospel of Christ - the free gift of God’s grace given to humanity (Jews and Gentiles) through faith in Christ. The primacy of the gospel (salvation in Christ through faith) must likewise be your focus as a Christian. Also, never abandon the gospel that saves (what Jesus has done) for a gospel that does not save (what you must do). This gospel is your measuring stick for determining truth and falsehood.
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Galatians 1:11-24
The Apostle Paul outlines the source of the gospel that the Galatians received through his apostolic preaching. According to Paul, both his gospel and apostleship came directly from Jesus Christ, which means that the Galatians were in danger of rejecting Jesus by rejecting the gospel (salvation through faith in Christ) that Jesus had commissioned Paul to preach. Paul emphasises this by briefly chronicling his life before conversion (a rejector of the gospel and persecutor of the church), the reason for his conversion (a revelation of Jesus according to the will of God) and his ministry after conversion (an apostle of Jesus and preacher of the gospel). Paul’s point is that only a direct revelation of Jesus and the gospel of grace (hence Paul’s apostolic preaching among the Galatians) could have turned a fanatical Jew who had persecuted Christ into a passionate apostle who was now preaching Christ.
The Apostle Paul's previous life of sin testified to God's willingness to show grace. This is why Paul used his story to tell the story of Jesus when addressing the Galatians. In fact, and as Paul states elsewhere, Jesus purposefully saved the worst of sinners (a blasphemer, a persecutor and a violent man) so that all may know that there is salvation (full and complete forgiveness) in Jesus (2 Timothy 1:12-17). Like Paul, you can use your story to tell the story of Jesus. What has Jesus done for you and how has Jesus done it? What would your life and future be like without Jesus? Reflect carefully on these questions and use them to promote and defend the gospel of grace. Remember too that Jesus came to save the one as well as the many - Jesus came to save the individual as well as the collective. This means that your story of salvation is unique and God will use it to show others that there is salvation in Jesus.