Galatians 1: Ordination From God

v.1 Apostle means “one who has been sent.”

The apostleship of Paul had been challenged by false teachers. They questioned his authority because he had not been ordained by men. Paul was ordained directly by Jesus Christ. (Acts 9:1–22) The resurrection of Christ is central to the message of the Gospel. His victory over death is our reason to hope.

v.3 Grace is God’s unmeritted favor. The peace Paul speaks of here is the peace of God. When we know the grace of God, then we can experience the peace of God. The title “Lord” describes our relationship to Jesus.

v.4 Paul here describes the work of Jesus Christ for us.

v.6–9 The Galatians were Gauls. They had conquered and settled the area of Asia Minor long before the birth of Christ. Paul traveled in Asia Minor on his missionary journeys. The false teachers followed Paul going into cities after he left to challenge his authority and criticize his teaching. Gospel means “Good News.”

Paul taught the Galatians that their basis for righteousness was the grace of God. The false teachers said that a man’s works made him righteous. They were putting the Galatians under the yoke of the law which was really not another Gospel but a perversion of the Good News that Christ had brought to man. Accursed in Greek’s anathema which means cursed to the lowest hell.

v.10–12 Paul was taught the Gospel by Jesus Christ.

v.13 Wasted means “devastated.”

v.15 God s hand was on Paul’s life from the moment of his birth. He arranged for Paul to be a well-educated Jew, a Roman citizen, and a man who was immersed in the Greek culture from boyhood. God knew what Paul needed to prepare him for the ministry. God creates us for His pleasure (Revelation 4:11). He has a specific purpose for each one of us, and we can only be fulfilled when we’re serving Him according to His plan (Psalm 17:15; John 8:29).

v.16 God wants us to reveal His Son to the world. He continually works in us through the Holy Spirit to mold us into the image of Christ (1 Corinthians 3:18; 1 John 2:6, 4:17). Heathen here refers to the “Gentiles.”

v.17–18 Paul was prepared for the ministry by Jesus Christ for three years (Zechariah 4:1O).

v.19–24 Paul wanted the Galatians to know that his teachings were direct revelations from Jesus Christ, not doctrine from the church leaders.