Bible Commentaries
Galatians 1

Verse 1

- Gal_2:1

1 Paul loses no time in coming directly to the heart of the trouble at Galatia. If he received his commission from the twelve apostles at Jerusalem or through Peter, he could have no distinct evangel for the nations. But he insists that he, as well as they, received his evangel directly from the risen Lord. He was given it without the intervention of Peter, he proclaimed it on a par with Peter, he maintained it in spite of the opposition of Peter.

6 Unlike Paul's other epistles, there is no note of thanksgiving or blessing in this opening strain. Corinth, with an its moral and doctrinal evil, did not fail to call this forth. But here, the defection is too serious. Instead, he marvels at the Galatians and hurls his anathema at those who are disturbing them. The two evangels were different in kind and could not be classed together. They had been called in the grace of Christ. They were being transferred to the bondage of law.

8 The intense zeal of the apostle for the evangel he had proclaimed comes out in the fact that he calls down this anathema on himself, in case he should be guilty of distorting the message he is proclaiming. It is worthy of note that he is not objecting to the apostles of the

Circumcision preaching a distinct evangel to them . That was what they had been commissioned for. But they had agreed that they would not go to the nations. Hence he repeats the words to you thrice.

9 The apostle now includes the Judaising teachers in the second anathema.

11 Those who were disturbing the Galatians had no message except what they had received from the twelve apostles. But Paul is unwearied in his insistence that he received nothing from them. His evangel was a fresh revelation made known to him by the Lord Himself. If Paul merely proclaimed what the twelve taught, why did he not receive it through them? What need for the Lord to descend and call him on the Damascus road? Why should he be severed from the rest at Antioch? Why did the believing Jews in Jerusalem oppose his ministry among the nations?

14 While his opposers know nothing of the grace of Paul's evangel, he was better acquainted with Judaism than they were. And not only so, but he had exceeded them in the energy and zeal with which he had defended it.

16 The first revelation which came to Saul of Tarsus prepared the way for those which were to follow. He was called outside the land. Hence he found his sphere of service among the nations. He was not seeking God, but was His most implacable human enemy. He is saved by a display of grace which had hitherto been unknown. Hence his evangel is the exponent of the unadulterated grace of God. His first meeting with Christ was after His ascension and glorification. Hence he is concerned, not with His earthly life, but with His heavenly position.

He recognizes Him as the Son of God, and, as such, he immediately proclaims Him ( Act_9:1-20 ).

17 The natural course for one in Saul's case would be to go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and submit to them what he had received from the Lord and seek their patronage and fellowship in its proclamation, or, indeed, ask their opinion and permission to promulgate it. But what did he do? He went into the desert where no human influence was at work. He waited three years before telling Peter about it, and then he does not even form the acquaintance of the twelve or of the ecclesia. They actually did not know him personally, though they were glorifying God for the great change in him. All of this shows conclusively that Paul did not, at that time, derive his doctrine from Peter or the twelve.

1 Paul's next visit to Jerusalem was pursuant to a revelation. The time had come to obtain official recognition of his apostleship and evangel. The occasion was furnished by those of the Circumcision themselves. They insisted that it was needful to circumcise those among the nations who had believed, and to teach them to observe the law of Moses. Paul and Barnabas were sent to Jerusalem to put this question before the apostles and obtained from them the assurance that circumcision and law keeping were not necessary for salvation.