Paul’s Letter to the Galatians – Part 1
Galatians 1:1-10

by Paul George

The gospel message Paul preached in the churches of Galatia and the character of Paul are under attack. Judaizers, Jews professing they were Christians, were telling the Galatians the teachings of Paul were incorrect and he was not a true apostle. They claimed Paul was a liar because he attributed his apostleship to the glorified Christ. They claimed the teachings of Paul were incorrect because they excluded the ceremonial law given to Moses by God. This was a denial of Paul’s doctrine justification by faith only.

Justification is a judicial act by God. It is God’s declaration that the demands of His Law have been fulfilled in the righteousness of Jesus Christ.  The basis of justification is the death of Jesus Christ. The benefits of Jesus’ death are freely given to us through faith. Justification is a gift from God. The negative result of justification is we are saved from the wrath of God. The positive result is we have peace with God. Although the penalty for our transgressions of God’s Law has been paid in full, it is through faith we receive the benefit of justification.

The doctrine justification by faith only has been under attack for centuries. Merit salvation has been taught and is taught in churches today. The gospel that Paul preached and the gospel that should be preached today denies merit salvation. Merit salvation separates us from the heavenly joy, happiness, and liberty into which a risen Christ brings us.

There is two points we need to understand. First, the Galatians were Gentiles. This does not mean there were no Jews converted under Paul’s preaching. Second, they worshipped pagan gods. Paul begins in his introduction, pointing out the true source of his apostleship. He is not an apostle either of men or by man. He does not come on the part of men as though sent by them, and it is not by means of any man that he received his commission, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father. He closes his greeting with the apostolic benediction. Paul and the brethren, who were with him, wish these churches grace and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace includes God's good will towards us and His good work upon us; and peace implies in it all inward comfort, or outward prosperity, which is needful for us come from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Both these the apostle wishes for these Christians. However, grace first and then peace, for there can be no true peace without grace. Having mentioned the Lord Jesus Christ, Paul cannot pass without speaking of His love; and therefore adds, “Who gave Himself for our sins, that He might rescue us from this present evil age” (Galatians 1:4).

We must never get so caught in doing, whatever it is we do, we forget Jesus Christ gave Himself as a sacrifice to make atonement for us. The justice of God required this, and Jesus freely submitted to this for our sakes. He did this, not only to redeem us from the wrath of God, and the curse of the law, but also to recover us from the corruption that is in the world and rescue us from the vicious practices and customs of it, to which we are naturally enslaved.

This present world is an evil world: it has become an evil and wicked world because of man’s sin and because of a lack of God’s love. However, Jesus Christ died to deliver us from this present evil world and rescue us from the power of it, keep us from the evil of it, and in due time take us to another and better world. Jesus did this according to the will of God our Father. In offering up Himself as a sacrifice for this end and purpose, he acted according to not only the Father’s will but His will as well. Therefore, we have the greatest reason to depend upon the efficacy of what He has done and suffered for us. For this, we are encouraged to look upon God as our Father, for He is the Father of our Lord Jesus, so in and through Him He is also the Father of all true believers.

Closing his introduction Paul states his concern about the defection of the Galatians.

“I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel: which is really not another; only there are those who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed! As we have said before, so say I again now, if any man is preaching to you contrary to what you have received, he is to be accursed. For am I now seeking the favor of men, or God? (Galatians 1:6-9).

The defection of the Galatians from the faith filled Paul with great surprise and sorrow. Abandoning the doctrine of faith and justification removed the Galatians from the one that had called them; not only from the apostle, who had been the instrument of calling them into the fellowship of the Church, but from God Himself. It was by God’s order and direction Paul preached the gospel message to them. They were invited to participate in the privileges of it; such as justification, reconciliation with God, eternal life and happiness. These blessings and privileges our Lord Jesus purchased with His precious blood, and He freely bestows them upon all who sincerely accept Him as their Savior and Lord. Deserting the faith resulted in the removing of the blessings and privileges and a drawing away from the established way of obtaining these blessings and privileges. In a very short time, the defectors lost the joy and happiness that they seemed to have, and fell in with those who taught justification by the works of the law. They perverted the doctrine of Christ, and so corrupted it. They accepted another gospel which was not another. Paul called it another gospel because it opened a different way of justification and salvation from that revealed in the gospel, namely, by works, and not by faith in Christ. It was the undermining of the foundation of the gospel, a gross perversion.

Paul declares the doctrine introduced by the Judaizers among the Galatians was a different gospel and not the gospel of Christ. The merit salvation taught today is not the gospel of Christ. Paul said the gospel the Galatians were turning to if he or an angel from heaven preached it they would be accursed. Observe here, that he will allow nothing in addition to that which he had preached. The Galatians did not formally deny Christ; they wanted to add circumcision as a means of justification. . However, the gospel, which the apostle had preached, was the complete and whole gospel. They could add nothing to it without altering it, without saying that it was not the perfect gospel, without really adding something that was of another nature, that is to say, corrupting it. For the heavenly revelation of God was what Paul had taught them. In his teaching he had completed the circle of the doctrine of God. To add anything to it was to deny its perfection; and to alter its character, to corrupt it.

The apostle is not speaking of a doctrine openly opposed to the doctrine he taught, but one that had been added to the gospel he preached. This would make the gospel preached by the Judaizers more deceptive than if it were not added to the gospel Paul preached. Modern day preachers of another gospel has learned there lesson. Paul said there could not be another gospel; it is a different gospel, there is no good news except that which he had preached. It is but a corruption of the true, a corruption by which the preachers of a perverted gospel were troubling the souls. Thus, in love to souls, he could anathematize those who turned the Galatians away from the perfect truth that he had preached. It was the gospel of God Himself. Everything else was of Satan. If Paul himself brought another, let him be anathema. He proclaimed the pure and entire gospel.

Paul is dealing with a situation he considered a life-and-death struggle. The Judaizers were challenging the foundation of the Christian faith. They were leading the Galatians away from the truth and Christ. Paul’s strong language shows how serious he considered the situation. He was not condemning the false teachers because they were opposing him. He condemned them because they were enemies of the gospel. There comes a time when we must speak out against those who are leading people away from the truth and Christ. In this present evil age, multitudes are living in darkness because false prophets and teachers have deceived them. Instead of tolerating, the dangerous practices that exist in our nation by those who hide behind a pulpit we need to identify them and denounce their evil ways. This will not justify our thundering out anathemas against those who differ from us in minor things. It is only against those who are advocating a different gospel that is not a different gospel should we condemn what they are doing. We have no right to condemn the false teachers. There is no need. The only One who has the authority to judge and condemn has judged them and set the penalty.

Paul made it very clear he was not doing what the false prophets and false teachers are doing today. He was not seeking the favor of men. He was not striving to please men. Paul said if he was seeking the favor of men and striving to please men he would not be a bondservant of Christ.  What is greater, the favor of men or the honor and favor of being Christ’s bondservant? Paul’s desire was to be a faithful bondservant. His goal in life was to bring men to the cross of Christ where they will find the love of God revealed and be delivered from the bondage of sin and death. This is why he did not accommodate the desires of men either to gain their affection or to avoid their resentment.

The judaizing teachers who were corrupting the churches were mixing works with faith, and the law with the gospel, only to please the Jews, so that they might escape persecution. However, Paul was a man of another spirit; he refused to please them to avoid their rage against him, or to alter the doctrine of Christ to gain their favor or to avoid their fury. In addition, he gives a very good reason for it; if he pleased men, he would not be able to be a bondservant of Christ. Paul knew that no man could serve two masters as the Judaizers were trying to do and therefore, though he would not needlessly displease any, yet he dared not allow himself to gratify men at the expense of his faithfulness to Christ. Through the faithful performance of the duties of his office, Paul proves that he was truly an apostle of Christ.

This must be the goal of every minister of the gospel. We will be faithful to the One that called us and will not seek to please men but seek to please God. Paul shows he was a faithful servant regardless of what his enemies claimed. We must do the same.  

To top of page