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Galatians

Chapter 1

No Other Gospel and Paul's Gospel from Christ

Paul opens by grounding his apostleship and the Galatians' rescue in Jesus Christ's self-giving, then moves almost at once into astonishment that they are turning to what is not truly a gospel at all. He pronounces a curse on any contrary message and then defends the gospel he preaches by tracing it not to human origin, but to revelation from Jesus Christ, God's gracious call, and a ministry that did not arise from dependence on Jerusalem.

This opening chapter sets the letter's sharp tone and its central stakes. Before Paul argues about law and faith directly, he establishes that the gospel itself is being endangered and that his authority rests on God's call rather than human appointment.

3 sections·467 words·~2 min read

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Galatians 1

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vv. 1-5

Paul’s Greeting to the Galatians

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P1aul, an apostle — sent not from men nor by man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised Him from the dead — 2and all the brothers with me, 3Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, 4who gave Himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, 5to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.

vv. 6-9

No Other Gospel

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I6 am amazed how quickly you are deserting the One who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel — 7which is not even a gospel. Evidently some people are troubling you and trying to distort the gospel of Christ.

8But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be under a curse! 9As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be under a curse!

vv. 10-24

Paul Preaches the Gospel

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A10m I now seeking the approval of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ. 11For I want you to know, brothers, that the gospel I preached was not devised by man. 12I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ.

13For you have heard of my former way of life in Judaism, how severely I persecuted the church of God and tried to destroy it. 14I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries and was extremely zealous for the traditions of my fathers. 15But when God, who set me apart from my mother’s womb and called me by His grace, was pleased 16to reveal His Son in me so that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not rush to consult with flesh and blood, 17nor did I go up to Jerusalem to the apostles who came before me, but I went into Arabia and later returned to Damascus.

18Only after three years did I go up to Jerusalem to confer with Cephas, and I stayed with him fifteen days. 19But I saw none of the other apostles except James, the Lord’s brother. 20I assure you before God that what I am writing to you is no lie. 21Later I went to the regions of Syria and Cilicia. 22I was personally unknown, however, to the churches of Judea that are in Christ. 23They only heard the account: “The man who formerly persecuted us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy.” 24And they glorified God because of me.

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  1. 01vv. 1-5Paul’s Greeting to the GalatiansPaul opens by naming his apostleship as coming through Jesus Christ and God the Father rather than through human appointment, and he speaks grace and peace over the Galatians through Christ's self-giving for sins. Even the greeting already carries the letter's burden, since Christ's work is described as a rescue from the present evil age according to God's will.
  2. 02vv. 6-9No Other GospelPaul says he is astonished that the Galatians are so quickly deserting the one who called them by Christ's grace and turning to what is not another gospel at all. He identifies the trouble as a distortion of Christ's gospel and twice places a curse on anyone who preaches a contrary message, no matter how exalted the messenger might seem.
  3. 03vv. 10-24Paul Preaches the GospelPaul asks whether he is seeking human approval and answers by declaring that his gospel is not man-made, received from a teacher, or shaped to please people, but given by revelation from Jesus Christ. He then recounts his former zeal in Judaism, God's gracious call, his limited contact with Jerusalem, and the Judean churches' later glorifying God because the former persecutor now preaches the faith he once tried to destroy.
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