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The Epistle of Paul to the
GALATIANS
Introduction
1
Salutation
1 Paul, an apostle—not from men nor through a man,* Paul's apostleship did not depend upon human ordination or recognition. So what about apostleship today? but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised Him from the dead† The resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead is absolutely central to the Christian Faith (1 Corinthians 15:14,17).— 2 and all the brothers with me,‡ It would be interesting to know who those “brothers” were. to the congregations in Galatia:§ “The congregations in Galatia”—Paul evidently intended that the letter be widely circulated. Would not each congregation want its own copy? 3 Grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, 4 who gave Himself* In John 10:17-18 Sovereign Jesus made this clear. for our sins, so that He might deliver us out of this present malignant age,† The word ‘malignant’ properly refers to Satan, the ‘god of this world’, so “this present malignant age” presumably refers to the whole world system controlled by Satan. All human cultures have suffered satanic influence, and all true followers of Sovereign Jesus should place biblical values above those of their surrounding culture. The second (last) Adam came to recover all that the first Adam lost—precisely the will of the Father. according to the will of our God and Father, 5 to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.
Paul is disappointed
6 I am sadly surprised that you are turning away so quickly from the one who called you by the grace of Christ, to a different gospel 7 —it is not a mere variation, but certain people are unsettling you and wanting to distort the Gospel of the Christ. 8 Now even if we, or an angel out of heaven, should preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed! 9 As we have just said, I here emphatically repeat: If anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed!!‡ ‘Other gospels’ would seem to be in plentiful supply; those who promote them are under a curse. Note that Paul is claiming to be competent to define the only true Gospel of Christ, and he can only do so genuinely by divine inspiration.
10 Am I just now appealing to men, or to God?§ Since it is God who applies the curse, he is appealing to God to back him up. I myself do this habitually. Or am I trying to please men? You see, if I were still pleasing men I would not be a slave of Christ.* Oops! Come on Paul, you cannot be serious. Do you really mean that pleasing men and being a slave of Christ are mutually exclusive? On the basis of my experience I would have to agree with Paul, with the understanding that fellow slaves are not included in the ‘pleasing men’. (When I am pleasing Christ His other slaves should be pleased as well.)
Paul's credentials
11 Now I want you to know, brothers, that the Gospel preached by me is not according to man; 12 because I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather it came through a revelation from Christ.† I follow what I understand to be the best line of transmission (though in a minority here, 30%) that reads ‘Christ’ without ‘Jesus’. I take it that ‘Christ’ is in the ablative case: ‘from’ rather than ‘of’. Paul is claiming revelation—this is the plain meaning of verses 11-12. Saul of Tarsus got his training in Judaism at the feet of Gamaliel, but his understanding of Christianity came from no such human teacher.
How he was before
13 You have heard of my former conduct while in Judaism, how I was rabid in my persecution of God's Church and tried to annihilate it; 14 indeed I was advancing in Judaism beyond many Jews of my own age, being far more zealous for the traditions of my forefathers.
How he was recycled
15 But when God—who set me apart from my mother's womb and called me through His grace—resolved 16 to reveal His Son in me so that I might proclaim Him among the nations/Gentiles, I did not start by consulting with flesh and blood, 17 nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before I was; rather I went off into Arabia,‡ Do you suppose he went to Mt. Horeb? and then returned to Damascus.
A new life and ministry
18 Subsequently, after three years,§ The Text does not say that he spent three years in Arabia; part of the time he was in Damascus. I went up to Jerusalem to compare notes with Peter,* 98% of the Greek manuscripts have “Peter”, not ‘Cephas’. In 2:1 below it is 93%. and stayed with him fifteen days. 19 (I saw none of the other apostles except James, the Lord's brother.† Note that this James, though not one of the Twelve, is declared to be an apostle. 20 Really, before God, I am not lying in what I write to you.) 21 Then I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia. 22 So I remained unknown by face to the congregations of Judea (those in Christ)‡ Every town with a synagogue would have a local congregation, but usually not “in Christ”. 23 —they just kept hearing that “He who once persecuted us now proclaims the faith he formerly tried to destroy.” 24 And they glorified God about me.

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*1:1 Paul's apostleship did not depend upon human ordination or recognition. So what about apostleship today?

†1:1 The resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead is absolutely central to the Christian Faith (1 Corinthians 15:14,17).

‡1:2 It would be interesting to know who those “brothers” were.

§1:2 “The congregations in Galatia”—Paul evidently intended that the letter be widely circulated. Would not each congregation want its own copy?

*1:4 In John 10:17-18 Sovereign Jesus made this clear.

†1:4 The word ‘malignant’ properly refers to Satan, the ‘god of this world’, so “this present malignant age” presumably refers to the whole world system controlled by Satan. All human cultures have suffered satanic influence, and all true followers of Sovereign Jesus should place biblical values above those of their surrounding culture. The second (last) Adam came to recover all that the first Adam lost—precisely the will of the Father.

‡1:9 ‘Other gospels’ would seem to be in plentiful supply; those who promote them are under a curse. Note that Paul is claiming to be competent to define the only true Gospel of Christ, and he can only do so genuinely by divine inspiration.

§1:10 Since it is God who applies the curse, he is appealing to God to back him up. I myself do this habitually.

*1:10 Oops! Come on Paul, you cannot be serious. Do you really mean that pleasing men and being a slave of Christ are mutually exclusive? On the basis of my experience I would have to agree with Paul, with the understanding that fellow slaves are not included in the ‘pleasing men’. (When I am pleasing Christ His other slaves should be pleased as well.)

†1:12 I follow what I understand to be the best line of transmission (though in a minority here, 30%) that reads ‘Christ’ without ‘Jesus’. I take it that ‘Christ’ is in the ablative case: ‘from’ rather than ‘of’. Paul is claiming revelation—this is the plain meaning of verses 11-12. Saul of Tarsus got his training in Judaism at the feet of Gamaliel, but his understanding of Christianity came from no such human teacher.

‡1:17 Do you suppose he went to Mt. Horeb?

§1:18 The Text does not say that he spent three years in Arabia; part of the time he was in Damascus.

*1:18 98% of the Greek manuscripts have “Peter”, not ‘Cephas’. In 2:1 below it is 93%.

†1:19 Note that this James, though not one of the Twelve, is declared to be an apostle.

‡1:22 Every town with a synagogue would have a local congregation, but usually not “in Christ”.

© 2016 Wilbur N. Pickering, ThM, PhD