Galatians 1

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Dave Burnette's Commentary

Galatians Chapter 1

Written By: God through Inspiration

Penned By: Paul

Date Penned: (49 AD)

Overview: Paul Refutes the Judaizers (c 1-6)

Theme: Authenticity of the Gospel (c 1-2)

Message: There is No Other Gospel (v 1-24)

Galatians 1 Commentary

(1:1-5) Greetings from Paul - The year was probably A.D. 49. Paul and Barnabas had just completed their first missionary journey (Acts 13:2–14:28). Following a brief stay on the island of Cyprus, they had visited Iconium, Lystra, and Derbe, cities in the Roman province of Galatia (present-day Turkey). In their travels they had met with both wholehearted response and deep-seated resistance. Shortly after their return to Antioch, some Jewish Christians arrived from Judea. These Judeans claimed that the Antioch church and its missionaries were diluting Christianity to make it more appealing to Gentiles, and they challenged Paul’s authority as an apostle. Some of Paul’s accusers went to the Galatian churches and insisted that the Gentile converts had to be circumcised and follow all the Jewish laws and customs in order to be saved. According to these people (called Judaizers), Gentiles had to first become Jews in order to become Christians. This caused much confusion in the churches that Paul and Barnabas had planted in Galatia. In response to this threat, Paul wrote this letter to the Galatian churches. In it, he explained that following the Old Testament laws or the Jewish laws would not bring salvation. A person is saved only by grace through faith. Most likely, Paul wrote this letter shortly before the meeting of the Jerusalem council in A.D. 50, which settled the law-versus-grace controversy (Acts 15).

(1:6-10) There is Only One Good News - Paul was amazed at how easily the believers in the Galatian churches had given up the Good News of the gospel of Christ for the “bad news” that the false teachers had brought them. Paul’s concern was not over alternative viewpoints of interpretation; he was warning Galatian Christians about turning from the truth to lies, from what was right to what was wrong.

(1:11-24) Having pointed to the uniqueness of the gospel in the last paragraph, here Paul turned his attention to his authority as an apostle. Why should the Galatians have listened to Paul instead of the Judaizers? Paul answered this implicit question by furnishing his credentials: His message was received directly from Christ (1:12); he had been an exemplary Jew (1:13-14); he had had a special conversion experience (1:15-16; see also Acts 9:1-9); he had been confirmed and accepted in his ministry by the other apostles (1:18-19; 2:1-9). Paul also presented his credentials to the Corinthian and Philippian churches (2 Corinthians 11–12; Philippians 3:4-9).

Dave Burnette's Life Application
The One True Gospel

Each day we walk through the Bible chapter by chapter making an application of our text to help us grow in the Lord. Many applications can be made from each day's text. Today we start the book of Galatianswith Chapter 1 and in our text we see Paul speaking of the authenticity of the Gospel as being from God but others proclaimed of a different Gospel of one of works and performance. In making application we see that the Gospel has not changed. We are still saved by grace through faith in the finished work of Calvary but today many preach a different, non Biblical, false gospel of faith + works or adding or deleting from the Bible. How about you? Have you responded to the Gospel of the Bible? Let us learn from our text today to see that is only one way to Heaven, and it is the Gospel of the Bible that says we are saved by grace through faith and not of works lest any man should boast.

Galatians 1

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Galatians 1

¹Paul, an apostle, (not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead;)

²And all the brethren which are with me, unto the churches of Galatia:

³Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ,

⁴Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father:

⁵To whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

⁶I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel:

⁷Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.

⁸But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.

⁹As we said before, so say I now again, if any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.

¹⁰For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.

¹¹But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man.

¹²For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.

¹³For ye have heard of my conversation in time past in the Jews' religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the church of God, and wasted it:

¹⁴And profited in the Jews' religion above many my equals in mine own nation, being more exceedingly zealous of the traditions of my fathers.

¹⁵But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by his grace,

¹⁶To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood:

¹⁷Neither went I up to Jerusalem to them which were apostles before me; but I went into Arabia, and returned again unto Damascus.

¹⁸Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and abode with him fifteen days.

¹⁹But other of the apostles saw I none, save James the Lord's brother.

²⁰Now the things which I write unto you, behold, before God, I lie not.

²¹Afterwards I came into the regions of Syria and Cilicia;

²²And was unknown by face unto the churches of Judaea which were in Christ:

²³But they had heard only, That he which persecuted us in times past now preacheth the faith which once he destroyed.

²⁴And they glorified God in me.

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