Galatians: Part 1 - Ch. 1-2

The Church In Galatia

Kicking off the month of May, we will be studying the book of Galatians! As the month moves on, however, we will also cover the book of Ephesians as well. Both of these books are 6 chapters long, but don’t let the short length fool you; both of these letters, written by Paul, are packed with knowledge and wisdom that he has made available for the Church today. The way that Paul explains the gospel to the church in Galatia is done beautifully. We will see how Paul corrects the Galatians’ mindset about the gospel and also see how he encourages them to live as Christ-followers from here on out. As the Bible Project beautifully says about the book of Galatians, “Jesus died to take the curse and consequence of humanity’s failure into himself to bring redemption. Now, through Jesus, the offspring of Abraham, God’s blessing can finally come to all people, regardless of their ethnicity, social status, or gender.” Paul’s message here is clear and powerful for any believer who claims to be a follower of Christ and a member of His church. With this in mind, let’s see what Paul has to teach us through the first two chapters of his letter to the Galatians. 

A Different Gospel

To start, Paul opens this letter much like he did with his letter to the Corinthians. Paul calls out some big issues that the Galatians have that must be addressed. Within the first two chapters alone, Paul condemns the Galatians for accepting a different gospel, he affirms his authority just like he did in Corinth, and he even calls out Peter for how he is still living under the OT Law rather than a born-again believer in Christ. All of these issues are massive problems, but they also all have the same answer: the gospel of Jesus Christ. This is why Paul states immediately in Galatians 1:6-8 “I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel, which is not just another account; but there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed!” Paul’s language is very strong here, but it is also absolutely clear. The gospel that you have been taught is the one true gospel; anything apart from this is to be immediately put away with. Even if an angel itself claims to teach you a different gospel, let him be accursed! It is unmistakably clear that, unfortunately, some in Galatia were accepting a different gospel that had been preached. However, it is also unmistakably clear that there is only one gospel to believe in and follow, and that is the gospel we see in God’s word. 

Apostles & The New Covenant

Beyond this, we see Paul affirm that he was called by God to be an apostle and that he is also accepted by the other apostles themselves. Paul makes it clear that the reason he is to be considered called by God and an apostle is because Christ appeared to him and completely changed his life. Paul even goes further and states that the grace of God had set him apart from the moment he was born, even though he started out persecuting Christians. The other apostles with whom Paul was working also approved of him as an apostle, and he clearly pointed this out to the Galatians. Galatians 2:2 states, “It was because of a revelation that I went up; and I submitted to them the gospel which I preach among the Gentiles, but I did so in private to those who were of reputation, for fear that somehow I might be running, or had run, in vain.” Paul discusses at the beginning of this chapter that he was with Barnabas and Titus discussing his transformation and revelation, and no one refuted him. Paul goes even further in this chapter by talking about how the same grace that was given to James, Peter, and John was given to him as a fellow apostle. This shows the Galatians that they can not only trust Paul, but they can trust him just as much as they trust any other apostle. Furthermore, Paul closes chapter two by calling out Peter for his way of living and leading others to be fearful of a covenant they are no longer under. Look at what Paul says in Galatians 2:11-13 “But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. For prior to the coming of some men from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles; but when they came, he began to withdraw and separate himself, fearing those from the circumcision. The rest of the Jews joined him in hypocrisy, with the result that even Barnabas was carried away by their hypocrisy.” 

Paul is calling out Peter (also known as Cephas) because he is clearly feeling shame for being around Gentiles and sharing the gospel with them. Paul is living under the old covenant and believes that the gospel of Jesus Christ should not be extended to them because they are not Jews or circumcised. What’s worse is that becasue of this, Peter has even led Barnanas astray because of his way of living. This is only what we know about fellow apostles, too, one can assume that many Jews and Gentiles were led astray becasue of this as well. This is why Paul is very strict with what Peter is doing because he isn’t just living contrary to the gospel himself, he is impacting all of those around and under him as well. Paul makes it absolutely clear that, regardless of nationality, gender, or even circumcision, salvation is reliant upon the gospel of Christ and Christ alone. No matter where we are in our walk with the Lord, may we never think that someone in our lives is too high or too low that they don’t need the gospel. No matter how we have lived our lives, we have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. I hope and pray that as we continue our study of this great letter, we remember there is only one gospel, and the truth of this gospel is all we need to achieve salvation. Eternity with the Lord no longer rests in a law, but rather in repentance and faith in Christ and Christ alone. May we hold fast to this truth. 

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Sources

[1] Blue Letter Bible. (n.d.). Blue Letter Bible. https://www.blueletterbible.org/

[2] BibleProject. (2023, September 13). The Book of Galatians. BibleProject. https://bibleproject.com/guides/book-of-galatians/