Introduction
Paul’s letter of Galatians is written to several churches scattered throughout the region of Galatia, which is located in central Anatolia, now modern day Turkey. The Galatians were a Gallic speaking Celtic people who came to the region around 278 BC. They quickly became Hellenized, which meant they adopted Greek culture and customs, but retained their language up through the 4th century. It is thought they brought the god Telesphorus with them when they migrated to Anatolia. Telesphorus is a dwarf god symbolizing the recovery from illness. His name means “the accomplisher” or “bringer of completion”.
In the 1st century AD, many became Christians through the missionary activities of Paul, Barnabas, Silas and Timothy. On his first missionary journey, Paul traveled with Barnabas from Antioch (now a part of Syria) to Cyprus and then on to Galatia. Their first stop is recorded in Acts 13:14 in Antioch of Pisidia. On the Sabbath, they went to the synagogue and taught. At first, they were well received and were asked to come back the following Sabbath. The next week almost the entire town came to hear the message, which made the Jews of the town jealous and resentful. They rejected the gospel and Paul and Barnabas went on to preach to the Gentiles of the town. He said, “For this is what the Lord has commanded us: I have made you a light for the Gentiles to bring salvation to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 13:47) After leaving Antioch of Pisidia, they went on to preach in Iconium, Lystra and Derbe and saw many come to know Christ. (Timothy was from Derbe). This didn’t come without hardship as throughout their ministry in Galatia, Paul and Barnabas were persecuted. Once they were almost stoned to death (Acts 14:19-20), but they continued their ministry, returning to each city to strengthen the disciples. “When they had appointed elders in every church and prayed with fasting, they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed.” Acts 14:23
It is vitally important to note that after their first missionary journey they sailed back to Antioch. When they arrived they encountered a teaching that impacted Galatia and was the reason for Paul’s letter. “Some men came down from Judea and began to teach the brothers: “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom prescribed by Moses, you cannot be saved!” But after Paul and Barnabas had engaged them in serious argument and debate, the church arranged for Paul and Barnabas and some others of them to go up to the apostles and elders in Jerusalem concerning this controversy.” (Acts 15:1-2) And here, we can sum up the theme of the book of Galatians. Is salvation by grace or through the law of Moses? It is easy to misunderstand the book of Galatians without this background. To be sure, this is a controversy that needed to be dealt with immediately, and Paul and Barnabas do just that. They left for Jerusalem to consult the apostles and elders of the church.
When they got to Jerusalem they were welcomed and then gave a report about what God was doing among the Gentiles. Believers from the Pharisees argued that they had to be circumcised in order to keep the law of Moses. This establishes the controversy is larger than just Antioch, but is widespread. “Then the apostles and the elders assembled to consider this matter. After there had been much debate, Peter stood up and said to them: “Brothers, you are aware that in the early days God made a choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles would hear the gospel message and believe. And God, who knows the heart, testified to them by giving the Holy Spirit, just as He also did to us. He made no distinction between us and them, cleansing their hearts by faith. Now then, why are you testing God by putting a yoke on the disciples’ necks that neither our ancestors nor we have been able to bear? On the contrary, we believe we are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus in the same way they are.” Acts 15:6-11. James then spoke and said, “Brothers, listen to me! Simeon has reported how God first intervened to take from the Gentiles a people for His name. And the words of the prophets agree with this, as it is written: After these things I will return and rebuild David’s fallen tent. I will rebuild its ruins and set it up again, so the rest of humanity may seek the Lord even all the Gentiles who are called by My name, declares the Lord who does these things, known from long ago. Therefore, in my judgment, we should not cause difficulties for those among the Gentiles who turn to God, but instead we should write to them to abstain from things polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from eating anything that has been strangled, and from blood. For since ancient times, Moses has had those who proclaim him in every city, and every Sabbath day he is read aloud in the synagogues.” (Acts 15:13-21) So a letter was written and delivered to the churches.
One would think this letter would settle the matter, but no, it did not. Some time passed since the Jerusalem decision (about 1 year) and there are already people at work in the region trying to once again bind the Gentile churches to the law of Moses. It is now around 48 AD and this is Paul’s first recorded letter. The theme is salvation: by grace or through the law? The controversy has infiltrated the churches in Galatia and Paul is going to set the record straight once and for all. With this in mind, let’s jump in to chapter 1.
Galatians Chapter 1
Vs. 1-10 – Paul, an apostle not from men or by man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised Him from the dead and all the brothers who are with me: To the churches of Galatia. Grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for our sins to rescue us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father. To whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen. I am amazed that you are so quickly turning away from Him who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel not that there is another gospel, but there are some who are troubling you and want to change the good news about the Messiah. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel other than what we have preached to you, a curse be on him! As we have said before, I now say again: If anyone preaches to you a gospel contrary to what you received, a curse be on him! For am I now trying to win the favor of people, or God? Or am I striving to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a slave of Christ.
The first thing to notice here is that Paul establishes himself as an apostle, not by the standards of man but by Jesus Christ who called him on the road to Damascus. He then proceeds to let them know he is amazed at how quickly they have turned away from the truth. Not long has passed since the letter from Jerusalem and Paul quickly gets to the point. They are pursuing another gospel, not the truth that was preached to them. Paul makes no bones about it, he is not out to please people. He is a slave to Christ and it is God and God alone that he seeks to please.
Vs. 11-24 – Now I want you to know, brothers, that the gospel preached by me is not based on human thought. For I did not receive it from a human source and I was not taught it, but it came by a revelation from Jesus Christ. For you have heard about my former way of life in Judaism: I persecuted God’s church to an extreme degree and tried to destroy it. I advanced in Judaism beyond many contemporaries among my people, because I was extremely zealous for the traditions of my ancestors. But when God, who from my birth set me apart and called me by His grace, was pleased to reveal His Son in me, so that I could preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with anyone. I did not go up to Jerusalem to those who had become apostles before me; instead I went to Arabia and came back to Damascus. Then after three years I did go up to Jerusalem to get to know Cephas, and I stayed with him 15 days. But I didn’t see any of the other apostles except James, the Lord’s brother. Now I am not lying in what I write to you. God is my witness. Afterward, I went to the regions of Syria and Cilicia. I remained personally unknown to the Judean churches in Christ; they simply kept hearing: “He who formerly persecuted us now preaches the faith he once tried to destroy.” And they glorified God because of me.
Paul then gives them a synopsis of his own history. How did he come to this place? First he establishes that the gospel he preaches comes from God and not from man. He reminds them that, in his former life, he persecuted the church, but God, in His grace, revealed Jesus so he could preach among the Gentiles. After his conversion, he spent three years with the Lord before going to Jerusalem to speak with the apostles. When he does go to Jerusalem he meets with Peter (Cephas) and James. He, the former persecutor of the church, is now the one who preaches the faith. All glory goes to God. And now, he is ready to tackle the controversy at hand. Grace and the Law of Moses.
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