1 Paul, an apostle—sent not from men nor by a man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead— 2 and all the brothers and sisters [The Greek word for brothers and sisters (adelphoi) refers here to believers, both men and women, as part of God’s family; also in verse 11; and in 3:15; 4:12, 28, 31; 5:11, 13; 6:1, 18.] with me,
To the churches in Galatia:
3 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, 4 who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, 5 to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.
No Other Gospel
6 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you to live in the grace of Christ and you are turning to a different gospel— 7 which is really no gospel at all. Evidently, some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let them be under God’s curse! 9 As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let them be under God’s curse!
10 Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.
Paul Called by God
11 I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that the gospel I preached is not of human origin. 12 I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ.
13 For you have heard of my previous way of life in Judaism, how intensely I persecuted the church of God and tried to destroy it. 14 I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my people and was extremely zealous for the traditions of my fathers. 15 But when God, who set me apart from my mother’s womb and called me by his grace, was pleased 16 to reveal his Son in me so that I might preach him among the Gentiles, my immediate response was not to consult any human being. 17 I did not go up to Jerusalem to see those who were apostles before I was, but I went into Arabia. Later I returned to Damascus.
18 Then after three years, I went up to Jerusalem to get acquainted with Cephas [That is, Peter ] and stayed with him for fifteen days. 19 I saw none of the other apostles—only James, the Lord’s brother. 20 I assure you before God that what I am writing you is no lie.
21 Then I went to Syria and Cilicia. 22 I was personally unknown to the churches of Judea that are in Christ. 23 They only heard the report: “The man who formerly persecuted us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy.” 24 And they praised God because of me.
NOTES:
1:1–5 See note on Rom 1:1–7, concerning the greeting.
1:1 Apostle: because of attacks on his authority in Galatia,
Paul defends his apostleship. He is not an apostle commissioned by a
congregation (Phil 2:25; 2 Cor 8:23) or even by prophets (1 Tm 1:18; 4:14) but
through Jesus Christ and God the Father.
1:2 All the brothers: fellow believers in Christ, male and
female; cf. Gal 3:27–28. Paul usually mentions the co-sender(s) at the start of
a letter, but the use of all is unique, adding weight to the letter. Galatia:
central Turkey more likely than the Roman province of Galatia; see
Introduction.
1:4 The greeting in v 3 is expanded by a christological
formula that stresses deliverance through the Lord Jesus from a world dominated
by Satan; cf. 2 Cor 4:4; Eph 2:2; 6:12.
1:6–10 In place of the usual thanksgiving (see note on Rom
1:8), Paul, with little to be thankful for in the Galatian situation, expresses
amazement at the way his converts are deserting the gospel of Christ for a
perverted message. He reasserts the one gospel he has preached (Gal 1:7–9) and
begins to defend himself (Gal 1:10).
1:6 The one who called you: God or Christ, though in
actuality Paul was the divine instrument to call the Galatians.
1:8 Accursed: in Greek, anathema; cf. Rom 9:3; 1 Cor 12:3;
16:22.
1:10 This charge by Paul’s opponents, that he sought to
conciliate people with flattery and to curry favor with God, might refer to his
mission practices (cf. 1 Cor 9:19–23) but the word still suggests it refers to
his pre-Christian days (cf. Gal 1:14; Phil 3:6). The self-description slave of
Christ is one Paul often uses in a greeting (Rom 1:1).
1:11–2:21 Paul’s presentation on behalf of his message and
of his apostleship reflects rhetorical forms of his day: he first narrates the
facts about certain past events (Gal 1:12–2:14) and then states his contention
regarding justification by faith as the gospel message (Gal 2:15–21). Further
arguments follow from both experience and scripture in Galatians 3; 4 before he
draws out the ethical consequences (Gal 5:1–6:10). The specific facts that he
takes up here to show that his gospel is not a human invention (Gal 1:11) but
came through a revelation of Jesus Christ (Gal 1:12) deal with his own calling as
a Christian missionary (Gal 1:13–17), his initial relations with the apostles
in Jerusalem (Gal 1:18–24), a later journey to Jerusalem (Gal 2:1–10), and an
incident in Antioch involving Cephas and persons from James (Gal 2:11–14). The
content of Paul’s revealed gospel is then set forth in the heart of the letter
(Gal 2:15–21).
1:12 Although Paul received his gospel through a revelation
from Christ, this did not exclude his use of early Christian confessional
formulations. See note on Gal 1:4.
1:13–17 Along with Phil 3:4–11, which also moves from
autobiography to its climax in a discussion on justification by faith (cf. Gal
2:15–21), this passage is Paul’s chief account of the change from his former
way of life (Gal 1:13) to service as a Christian missionary (Gal 1:16); cf.
Acts 9:1–22; 22:4–16; 26:9–18. Paul himself does not use the term “conversion”
but stresses revelation (Gal 1:12, 16). In Gal 1:15 his language echoes the Old
Testament prophetic call of Jeremiah. Unlike the account in Acts (cf. Acts 22:4–16),
the calling of Paul here includes the mission to proclaim Christ to the
Gentiles (Gal 1:16).
1:16 Flesh and blood: human authorities (cf. Mt 16:17; 1 Cor
15:50). Paul’s apostleship comes from God (Gal 1:1).
1:17 Arabia: probably the region of the Nabataean Arabs,
east and south of Damascus.
1:18–24 Paul’s first journey to Jerusalem as a Christian,
according to Galatians (cf. Acts 9:23–31 and the note on Acts 12:25). He is
quite explicit about contacts there, testifying under oath (Gal 1:20). On
returning to Syria (perhaps specifically Damascus, cf. Gal 1:17) and Cilicia
(including his home town Tarsus, cf. Acts 9:30; 22:3), Paul most likely engaged
in missionary work. He underscores the fact that Christians in Judea knew of
him only by reputation.
1:18 After three years: two years and more, since Paul’s
call. To confer with Cephas may mean simply “pay a visit” or more specifically
“get information from” him about Jesus, over a two-week period. Cephas: Aramaic
name of Simon (Peter); cf. Mt 16:16–18 and the notes there.
1:19 James the brother of the Lord: not one of the Twelve,
but a brother of Jesus (see note on Mk 6:3). He played an important role in the
Jerusalem church (see note on Gal 2:9), the leadership of which he took over
from Peter (Acts 12:17). Paul may have regarded James as an apostle.
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