This letter begins in the normal way for a letter in ancient times. The author - in this case, Paul - identifies himself first (Galatians 1:1), and then identifies the people to whom this letter is addressed: “To the churches of Galatia” (Galatians 1:2). (Remember that letters were normally written on a parchment scroll, which was rolled down from the top to the bottom. It made sense to indicate the author and the recipients at the very beginning, so that people could quickly tell to whom the let...
This letter begins in the normal way for a letter in ancient times. The author - in this case, Paul - identifies himself first (Galatians 1:1), and then identifies the people to whom this letter is addressed: “To the churches of Galatia” (Galatians 1:2). (Remember that letters were normally written on a parchment scroll, which was rolled down from the top to the bottom. It made sense to indicate the author and the recipients at the very beginning, so that people could quickly tell to whom the letter was addressed.) In Biblical letters, there was usually also a brief blessing from God and word of encouragement and praise of the Lord (Galatians 1:3-5).
In this case, Paul also adds in verse 1 that he is an apostle (someone “sent out” on a mission from God) and tells briefly how he became an apostle. He does this and will write much more about being an apostle as the letter goes on. Last week, in the introduction, we heard that he and Barnabas had established Christian churches in the Roman province of Galatia. Then, false teachers came after he had left and challenged the validity of Paul as an apostle and the truth of the good news, the Gospel of Christ that he brought.
Paul wrote this letter, then, to defend himself and his message, but especially to correct the bad teachings that the Galatians had heard and to get them back on track with the truth in Christ and how one can actually be saved. He began by saying that he was an apostle - “not from men or through man,” but “through Jesus Christ” Himself “and God the Father,” who has all power and “raised Jesus from the dead” (Galatians 1:1). God had made him an apostle and he simply shared God’s message; and Paul also wrote with the support of “all the brothers” in the Christian faith “who were with him,” and taught the ideas of all true believers, and not his own ideas (Galatians 1:2).
Paul then gave a prayer of blessing to the Galatian believers, but in the process reminded them very simply from where and how these blessings came. Paul wished first for the Galatians: “Grace to you.” “Grace” means a “gift,” undeserved and unearned, that simply comes from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, out of love and mercy and concern for people.
Paul also prayed for the gift of “peace” for these Galatians. In the Bible, “peace” does not mean absence of war and conflict for people, but well-being when we are at peace with God and have His care and help because of what He has done for us (Galatians 1:3). What has God done for us? Again, Paul put it very simply. God the Father sent His Son, “the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age.”
Every part of the Son’s name is important. The Son is “Lord.” This is a key Old Testament name for God (Deuteronomy 6:4, Philippians 2:5-11). The Son is God. He has the power to “deliver us from the evil of sin and Satan and death. He is also “Jesus.” The name “Jesus” means “Savior” (Matthew 1:21). He gave His life for us on the cross “for our sins” - to pay the penalty for them all and forgive them all. The Son is also “the Christ.” He is the One promised from God, the One “anointed” by God the Father to do all this saving work for us (Mark 8:27-31). This was all “according to the will of our God and Father” (Galatians 1:4). This was His plan to rescue us and forgive us, even though we are sinners in “this present evil age” (1 John 5:19-20, Hebrews 10:10-14, Hebrews 2:14-15).
Clearly, then, Paul was saying as he began this letter, that “grace and peace” came to our world and to us simply by God’s saving plan, brought to us through His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. We sinful humans contribute nothing to our salvation by our own work or efforts or keeping of God’s Law (Ephesians 2:8-9). It is all God’s doing, in Christ.
That is why Paul ended his opening prayer and blessing with these words: to God “be the glory forever and ever. Amen.” We can take no credit or glory for ourselves (Galatians 1:5). (The word “Amen” means “truly” or “this is most certainly true.” We can count on what God says and His promises, always.) We say “Amen” by faith in what God has already said and done for us, especially in Christ.
That is why Paul spoke so strongly, then, in Galatians 1:6-9. Paul was “astonished” that the Galatian Christians had been accepting the teaching of the false teachers, the “Judaizers," as they were sometimes called. These false teachers were saying that Paul had misled the Galatians and that what Jesus had done and accomplished was not enough. They said the Galatians also needed to do additional things truly to be acceptable to God and to be saved. Paul insisted that this idea was a “distortion of the Gospel of Christ.” It was actually “deserting the Lord” and His saving plan in Jesus and “turning to a different Gospel” (Galatians 1:6-7).
Paul went on to say twice in the strongest possible language that anyone who said something different from what he had already preached to them should be cursed and condemned.(Galatians 1:8-9). Trusting in God’s completed plan of rescue in Jesus alone was enough. Adding to Jesus’ work and saying that we must also do additional things ourselves for genuine salvation was “contrary” to the truth of the Gospel and would put put us back under a terrible curse.
Paul went on to say that even if someone claiming to be an “angel” came and said something different, don’t believe that person. Paul even went so far as to say that even if he came back later and preached a different, contrary Gospel, they should not believe him. He had already preached the truth of God’s plan and message in Christ and that is what they must continue to follow, no matter what. This is the message of God the Father and His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, and through the leading and guiding of God the Holy Spirit, as well.
The rest of this letter is largely a continuation of this basic message. We will hear more about Paul’s defense of his “apostolic” ministry, about the wrong ideas being taught by the false teachers, and about why what Paul was saying is still so important for us today. There are plenty of ways still today where people distort who Jesus was and what He did for us and want to add more things that we must do to have salvation. May the Lord bless us, as we continue this study, and help us to listen closely to His Word.
