Key Ideas   

1. Because of the problems in the Galatian churches – people adding more regulations to the believers – Paul is forced to establish the source of his apostleship.

2. The greeting is from Paul and his entourage and is directed to the churches of Galatia which are likely: Antioch (Acts 13:14-52), Iconium (Acts 14:1-7), Lystra (Acts 14:8-20), Derbe (Acts 14:20-21).

3. "Grace" is the standard Greek greeting, while "peace" is the standard Jewish greeting. (This shows the diverse makeup of the church.)

4. “Gave himself” literally means that Jesus “exposed” himself to our “sins” – to our “destructive choices” – in order to “expose” the futility of living in this “evil world” – or, living by the standards and wisdom of the dominant culture. Jesus’s sacrifice was a means of severing our connection with that mindset.

6. The epistle to the Galatians, like that to the Romans and Hebrews, instructs believers to refrain from allowing a resurgence of the “old law” – or covenant – with the new. This hybrid gospel constitutes "another" gospel, “no Gospel”.

8-9. Paul warns about adding things to the Gospel message and pronounces a curse (anathema) on those who would teach or preach any variation (anathema means they have become separated). Paul knows that grace is a very difficult concept for humans to accept, that our minds are attuned to transaction relationships: where we have to do something, or we owe someone something – this is where guilt and shame come in, which have no place in love.

10. In the final analysis, are we interested in doing what’s right – loving people – or are we interested in pleasing people?

11. Paul constantly had to defend his apostleship as well as the origin of the gospel because he, unlike the other apostles, had never met Jesus and was not of the original group – Paul’s conversion was later and by way of “revelation.”

12. Unlike when he sat at the "feet of Gamaliel" (Acts 22:3) and was "taught according to the perfect manner of the law of the fathers," Paul asserts he was not taught the gospel but received it by revelation.

13. The Galatians were familiar with Paul's past life - as were his detractors. The most notable example of his cruelty is described in Acts 7:58 - 8:3; 9:1-2. Though Paul saw this conversion as an avenue for giving God “praising” (see verse 24).

14. Paul was a part of the strict sect of the Pharisee’s which upheld the Law as the most important thing.

15. Paul was "set apart" which probably refers to his natural birth the timing of which he attributes to God – which means he was probably younger than most of the apostles and didn’t come onto the scene until after them, as God “has planned.” Then Paul speaks of his "calling" which is similar to his statement in Rom. 1:1 where he indicates he was "called" as an apostle. To understand the nature of Paul's and any believer's "calling," see Paul's explanation in 2 Thessalonians 2:13-15.

16. God revealed His divine plan and Paul's part in the plan. Paul had no contact with anyone about what to preach. See 2 Cor. 12:1-7.

17. Paul did not confer with the other apostles but instead went into Arabia. That he preached the same message without consultation lends credibility to the message and to Paul's claim to apostleship.

18-19. Paul goes at length to lay out his credentials as coming from God to lend legitimacy to his call to go to the Gentiles instead of to the Jews, which was a point of contention.

Scripture

1 From Paul, an apostle. I was not chosen to be an apostle by human beings, nor was I sent from human beings. I was made an apostle through Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised Jesus from the dead. 2 This letter is also from all those of God’s family who are with me.

To the churches in Galatia:

3 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 4 Jesus gave himself for our sins to free us from this evil world we live in, as God the Father planned. 5 The glory belongs to God forever and ever. Amen.

6 God, by his grace through Christ, called you to become his people. So I am amazed that you are turning away so quickly and believing something different than the Good News. 7 Really, there is no other Good News. But some people are confusing you; they want to change the Good News of Christ. 8 We preached to you the Good News. So if we ourselves, or even an angel from heaven, should preach to you something different, we should be judged guilty! 9 I said this before, and now I say it again: You have already accepted the Good News. If anyone is preaching something different to you, let that person be judged guilty!

10 Do you think I am trying to make people accept me? No, God is the One I am trying to please. Am I trying to please people? If I still wanted to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.

11 Brothers and sisters, I want you to know that the Good News I preached to you was not made up by human beings. 12 I did not get it from humans, nor did anyone teach it to me, but Jesus Christ showed it to me.

13 You have heard about my past life in the Jewish religion. I attacked the church of God and tried to destroy it. 14 I was becoming a leader in the Jewish religion, doing better than most other Jews of my age. I tried harder than anyone else to follow the teachings handed down by our ancestors.

15 But God had special plans for me and set me apart for his work even before I was born. He called me through his grace 16 and showed his son to me so that I might tell the Good News about him to those who are not Jewish. When God called me, I did not get advice or help from any person. 17 I did not go to Jerusalem to see those who were apostles before I was. But, without waiting, I went away to Arabia and later went back to Damascus.

18 After three years I went to Jerusalem to meet Peter and stayed with him for fifteen days. 19 I met no other apostles, except James, the brother of the Lord. 20 God knows that these things I write are not lies. 21 Later, I went to the areas of Syria and Cilicia.

22 In Judea the churches in Christ had never met me. 23 They had only heard it said, “This man who was attacking us is now preaching the same faith that he once tried to destroy.” 24 And these believers praised God because of me.

Word Study

Apostle (apostolos) “one who is sent,” a delegate; an ambassador of the Gospel; a commissioner of Christ with miraculous powers.

Family (adelphos) a brother (lit. or fig.) near or remote.

Churches (ekklesia) called out ones, i.e. a popular meeting, a religious congregation (Jewish synagogue, or community of members on earth or saints in heaven or both).

Grace (charis) goodwill, graciousness, of manner or act, the divine influence upon the heart, and its reflection in the life; including gratitude.

Peace (eirene) peace (lit. or fig.); by implication prosperity, fullness of life.

Amazed (thaumazo) astonished, shocked, taken aback.

Sin (hamartia) error; self-destructive choices; guilt.

Free us (exaireo) to tear out; to select; to release.

Evil World (aion) an age; by extension perpetuity (also past).

Planned (thelema) a determination (prop. the thing), i.e. (act.) choice (spec. purpose, decree).

Turning Away (metatithemi) to transfer, (lit.) transport, (by impl.) exchange, (reflex.) change sides, or (fig.) pervert.

Good News (euaggelion) a good message; Gospel.

Confusing (metastrepho) to turn across, i.e. transmute or corrupt or pervert.

Guilty (anathema) a (religious) ban or excommunicated (thing or person).

Servant (doulos) a slave, in a qualified sense of subjection or subservience).

Made up (gnorizo) to make known; subj. to know.

Showed (apokalupsis) disclosure of the truth, revelation (revealed), laying bare or making plain.

Doing Better (huperbole) a throwing beyond others, i.e. (fig.) super-eminence; adv. preeminently.

Tried Harder (zelotes) one burning with zeal, a sect within Judaism known for radical action and defense of the law (Torah); a "zealot."

Teachings (parádosis) transmission, i.e. (concretely) a precept; specially, the Jewish traditionary law:—ordinance, tradition.

Set me apart (aphorizo) to set off by boundary, i.e. (fig.) limit, exclude, appoint, etc.

Called (kaleo) to "call" (prop. aloud, but used in a variety of applications, dir. or otherwise); to invite; to be called i.e. to bear a name or title (among people).

Not Jewish (ethnos) a race (as of the same habit), i.e. a tribe; spec. a foreign (non-Jewish) person (usually by implication pagan), Gentile.

Get advice (prosanatithemi) to impart or (by impl.) to consult.

Syria and Cilicia: areas to the East and South of Galatia – Tarsus, Antioch