Bitesize Bible Commentary:
Galatians
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Explanation: In 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 apostleship.
Application: The Apostle Paul's focus at the beginning of his letter to the Galatians is to emphasise that salvation is something that God does for humanity (faith) and not something that humanity does for themselves (works). 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 work and accomplishment of God that humanity receives in gratitude through faith. As will be seen, the Galatians were abandoning this understanding of salvation and prioritising obedience to the Law of Moses over faith in Christ.
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 after falling into sin (self-redemption). Salvation is that God descended to humanity to rescue and restore humanity from sin (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. It also places salvation out of reach, since human sin will always compromise human obedience to God’s Law and place humanity under God’s judgement. Paul will expand on these themes in detail as the letter develops.
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Explanation: In Galatians 1:6-10, the Apostle Paul expresses amazement that the Galatians are abandoning the gospel that saves for a counterfeit gospel that cannot save. The gospel that saves relies on the work of Christ as the way of salvation (Jesus died as an atoning sacrifice for human sin) in contrast to obedience to the Law of Moses. 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 and have not received God’s forgiveness in Christ. In addition, the gospel that the Galatians received through Paul’s 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. In challenging this false gospel, Paul states that his focus is to be a servant of Christ and to please God rather than people.
Application: 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 or an angel from heaven for their actions. These individuals should be avoided and at times publicly 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? The Apostle Paul interpreted this commission as receiving, preaching and defending the gospel of Christ. The primacy of the gospel (salvation in Christ through faith) must likewise be your focus as a Christian if you are to please God. 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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Explanation: In 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 could have turned a fanatical Jew who had persecuted Christ into a passionate apostle who was now preaching Christ.
Application: 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 (2 Timothy 1:12-17), Jesus purposefully saved the worst of sinners (a blasphemer, a persecutor and a violent man) so that all may know that there is salvation (forgiveness of sins and peace with God) in Jesus.
You can likewise 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? Like the Apostle Paul, 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, and Jesus came to save humanity individually as well as collectively. This means that your story of salvation is unique and God will use it to show others that there is salvation in Jesus.
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Explanation: In Galatians 2:1-10, the Apostle Paul describes his second visit to Jerusalem. Paul says that this visit took place fourteen years after his conversion, that he was accompanied by Barnabas and Titus (an uncircumcised Gentile) and that he met with the leaders of the Jerusalem Church and presented to them the gospel that he was preaching among the Gentiles. This visit was a success for two reasons. First, Titus was not compelled to be circumcised, which means that obedience to the Law of Moses was not a requirement for salvation in Christ or obedience to Christ. Second, those esteemed as pillars within the church (James, Cephas and John) gave Paul (and Barnabas) the right hand of fellowship, which means that they acknowledged the authenticity of Paul’s apostleship and the accuracy of Paul’s gospel. Paul further notes that a distinction was made between himself and the Apostle Peter (Paul had been entrusted with the task of preaching the gospel to the Gentiles whereas Peter to the Jews) and that Paul should continue to remember and support the poor (a likely reference to the impoverished believers in Judea). The purpose of Paul recollecting this visit to Jerusalem was to combat the false accusations of the Judaizers and further assure the Galatians that his gospel and apostleship were genuine. Simply put, Titus was not compelled to be circumcised when visiting Jerusalem (showing that Paul had not corrupted or altered the gospel by excluding circumcision), and Paul was given the right hand of fellowship by the leaders of the Jerusalem Church (showing that Paul was not working independently or in opposition to those esteemed as pillars). The claims made against Paul by the Judaizers were therefore false.
Application: The Apostle Paul’s second visit to Jerusalem was successful in preserving the truth of the gospel. The false and legalistic claim of the Judaizers was that Gentiles as well as Jews must obey the Law of Moses and be circumcised to receive God’s salvation in Christ. In opposing this, Paul accuses the Judaizers of taking away the security and freedom that has been given to all believers in Christ. Jesus successfully secured for every believer a place within the Kingdom of God by dying as a propitiation or atoning sacrifice for sin. In other words, the guilt of human sin demonstrated by the Law has been removed in Christ for Jews and Gentiles alike. However, if salvation depends on human obedience to the Law as the Judaizers insisted, then this security is lost and salvation (peace and reconciliation with God) is uncertain. It also means, as Paul will later say, that Jesus died for nothing.
Have confidence of your salvation and guard against modern-day Judaizers who will attempt to take away your security and freedom in Christ. Remember too that freedom in Christ is freedom from the impossible task of earning your salvation through obedience to the Law. However, the Law still describes the holiness of God and what pleases God in human conduct. Strive to obey the Law of Christ and to please God but know that your salvation is received through the assurance of Christ’s death and not your wavering obedience to God's Law. In short, you have a place within the Kingdom of God because of the saving work of Christ received in faith.