Galatians 1: 21-24 (God is glorified when a sinner repents)

Summary:  Paul is continuing his story.  In the verses preceding this text, Paul recounts his first visit to Jerusalem to see Peter, followed by an oath that all that he has said up to this point is true.  Now he mentions going from Jerusalem to Syria and Cilicia.  Whereby the converts in those places praised God for Paul’s new identity in Christ, for before this time, Paul heavily persecuted the church.

Note: The Greek for “preaching” in verse 23 has the idea of bringing/ declaring the Good news or tidings (from the Greek euaggelizo).

                Timeless Principle:  There are two notable points that must be recognized from this text.  The first is divine changing of Paul’s heart.  Let it be known that Paul was infamous among Christians in those days because of his reputation of persecuting the church.  After all, he was the same man who took part in the stoning of Stephen [Acts 8] and made it his ambition to destroy the church.  But now through a supernatural act of God, he has been given a new ambition, that being the ambition to take the Gospel to the gentiles no matter the cost.  Every Christ follower has been supernaturally chosen and violently changed reformed as being transferred from death to life [John 5: 24, Eph. 2: 1-6, Rom. 6].  Though perhaps our heart change isn’t as outwardly apparent as Paul’s heart change it has indeed occurred for every born again Christ follower.  Let it be known that no one up and decided one day that they hated God and chose to remove their hearts of stone, but rather we were content to follow after Satan and God, in His perfect righteousness, made us alive; a change so abrupt that it cannot be explained by any other means other than a blatant act of God.  A simple study of Paul’s life proves this point.  He was a highly exalted self-righteous Pharisee.  And yet he threw it all away for what?  Some sudden whim? No. He threw it all away to spread a Gospel that he tried to destroy, despite all the beatings, shipwrecks, and even an eventual stoning, more so than these, martyred.  The only explanation that any man would sacrifice his everything for seemingly nothing is if he has had some sort of revelation to a treasure that is far more valuable that that he is giving up in the first place.  Such a revelation can only be revealed by God.  It follows from this, that if you are in Christ, than he has removed your callous heart and made you brand new, sealing you with the Holy Spirit who is violently working within you in order to make you like Christ. 

                The second principle from Paul’s life that can be seen through this text is found in verse 24.  The word for glorifying maintains the idea of “esteeming Glory to God.”  The peoples of Judea upon seeing the obvious new man that Saul had become, this man now called Paul, caused them to stop dead in their tracks.  They stopped to give the glorify and magnify God esteeming Him and Him alone as worthy of such a life change.  This is the reason that God changes a sinner’s heart, such that his name might be glorified.  This is my desire, to have God’s eternal name glorified in my life, to be like Paul, such that when men look at this life I am living they see the love of my creator resonating through the body that was once inhabited by God’s enemy.  May that be the desire of our hearts, to have God’s name glorified in our lives.

                My Prayer:  Father, you are the worker of all good.  You are the only explanation for such emphatic life change as Paul’s, and mine, as well as any other believers.  I thank you God for changing my heart, for I would have never pursued you, but rather you pursued me.  You are the sole author and finisher of my faith.  God, work violently within me, ripping away my flesh no matter the pain and agony.  The pain scares me but I know that you are working it for my good and for your glory and my desire is to have your name glorified.  If I desire anything else, then surely I will waste my life.  Continue to attack my heart with the truth of the death of your son such that my attention will be fixed on you and not the things of this earth which are forever fleeting.  I ask these things in the name of Christ Jesus, Amen.

Galatians 1: 15-20 (Paul’s instant response to unmerited grace)

Summary: Paul is continuing his defense of the Gospel in defending his apostleship.  He states that he had been set apart, even before birth.  Set apart for the purpose of sharing the good news with gentiles.  He then records what went on after his conversion, the places he went and the people to whom he saw over a three year period.  He makes a bold assertion at the end of this passage in stating that what he writes, “before God, he isn’t lying.”
Note: Judaizers had probably been claiming that Paul had been heavily instructed by the apostles during his stay in Jerusalem to write him off as not credible, hence Paul’s assertion that he was not lying.
 Timeless Principle: One principle to pull from this text is the simple yet overwhelming fact that God’s grace is unmerited [see 15-16: “before I was born… I was called by grace… God was pleased to reveal his son me even while I hated him”].  Paul says that he had been set apart even before birth.  Too often I find myself, in my sinful nature, saying that I have something to do with the grace I have received despite the fact that I know the opposite is true.  God has “chosen us (follower’s of Christ) in Christ before the foundations of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him.  In love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved” [Eph. 1: 4-6].  God has freely chosen us to be a “people for his own possession, zealous for good works” [Titus 2:14].  In Christ, God has transferred us from darkness into marvelous light, blessing us, not only with the uniting of us to himself, but with every spiritual blessing under heaven and Earth, more than these things he has set his love on us not because we were mighty or strong (when rather we were the weakest and smallest), but because he loved us, even more so than that he has counted us a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, showing the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness towards us in Christ Jesus [1 Pet. 2: 9, Eph. 1: 3, 2: 7, Deut. 7: 6].  This grace is unmerited; It was not like God looked down on me and said, “Canaan is such a good guy, I think I’m going to show my immeasurable grace to him because of how sweet a dude he is.”  We must realize that grace is completely (100 percent plus some) undeserved; this unearned grace has found us for a very different reason.  Perhaps it, though not a perfect illustration, would be more appropriate to say that God looked down at me and was disgusted by my sin and even driven to fury, but in his perfect grace was pleased to open my eyes to the image of his Son’s twisted body on a roman cross, more so than that adopting me, the foremost of sinners, even a hater of God by nature, to be his Son, bringing me into communion with himself simply because he loved me, and that is it.  I, you, we have never nor shall we ever do anything to merit God’s amazing grace.  Paul realized that even before his moral acts God had chosen him, hand-picked for the sake of taking the Gospel to the world.  It is the mere fact of this grace that drives Paul to proceed despite his awareness of the afflictions to come to say this, “I do not count my life as any value or precious at all, if only I may finish my course and complete the ministry that the Lord Jesus Christ, to testify to the Gospel of the freely given, unmerited grace of God” [Acts 20: 24].  May we, I, be like Paul in that I might be driven by this grace that sought me out.  May I remember that the God who fabricated the world, delicately knitted me together in my mother’s womb, setting me apart for his work (as is true for every adopted child of God by his perfect grace) [Psalm 139]. 
 Another principle that can be seen in this text is Paul’s urgency to see the carry his calling.  Paul is testifying that after his conversion he did not ask questions but rather went straight into preaching the good news of the Christ-given grace of God.  Paul had a divine calling right? So how does this relate to me, I didn’t have a personal encounter with Christ on some desolate road in the middle of nowhere?  Maybe the real question is Paul’s calling a singular calling or is it shared by all believers?  Though Paul had a specific calling to reach gentiles, his calling to make disciples was not and is not a singular calling.  We are joint heirs of the Gospel and we have been called to go forth and make disciples teaching them to obey all Christ has commanded [Matt. 28: 18-20].  We, having been sealed with the Holy Spirit are to be Christ’s ambassadors to the nations [Acts 1:8].   May we like Paul be driven to sorrow if we are but to preach the Gospel and declare its excellences, even declaring with Paul, “woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!” [1 Cor. 9: 16]  One challenge that I feel sometimes is the lie that I do not have enough knowledge of the word to share the Gospel.  Anyone who is now in Christ, by necessity, knows all that they should ever know to proclaim Christ.  If you are a follower of Christ, then you have heard the truth of Christ’s substitutionary death for our sake and it is this truth that is the heart of the Gospel.  Knowledge, or lack thereof, is not an excuse to be idol when Christ has commissioned you into the war.  Besides, what knowledge is there besides the Gospel?  None worth mentioning.  May we, like Paul, work, beginning in prayer and humility, to reach the nations. 
 My Prayer:  Father, thank you for calling me out, when I would have never called out for you.  Thank you, for being sovereign.  Thank you for your free grace because if it was free then it would be unattainable, for I am but a man who mocked you time and time again in my sin. And even as I desolated your name, you loved me anyway so much so that you willingly killed your son.  More than that, you have entrusted me to proclaim you truth and father I pray that you would instill in me a heart like Paul, that even the thought of not sharing your Gospel would greatly trouble my heart.  I pray that you would go before your chosen ambassadors and prepare the hearts of men for though we are you messengers we are powerless to change men’s hearts and so we ask that you do a supernatural work so that your name might get glory.  In your’s Son’s name I pray, Amen.

Galatians 1: 13-14 (Confidence in the Flesh? here is a story of Paul’s confidence in his flesh)

Summary:  Here Paul is beginning his testimony, starting with his Judaic background.  He once persecuted the church heavily, even “trying to destroy it.”  He was far beyond that of other aspiring Jews his own age.  He was zealous for his ancestor’s traditions, seeking with all his might to live by the law which was rigorous.  Some scholars would say that he may have had the entire Pentateuch committed to memory.  Impressive, call Paul a scripture memory champ. 

Timeless Principle:  Paul is beginning with some of his own background as he begins to guard his apostleship in giving it credence.  He petitions to the Galatians rhetorically asking if they had heard of his Judaic history.  He stood alone; he was the best at observing the law and holding true to its outward commands.  He was a student of the Great Pharisee, Gamaliel [see Acts 22: 3], who was one of the most respected Pharisees of his time.  Gamaliel was one of, if not the only Pharisee who served on the Jewish Sanhedrin (almost completely made up of Sadducees), a truly rare find [see Acts 5: 34].  Being Gamaliel’s disciple, Paul receieved some of the greatest teaching that a Jew could have received and it showed in his scriptural understanding and zeal to carry out the law.  In regards to his own achievements Paul says this, “though I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh. If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless “[Phil. 3: 4-6].  John Piper calls this a layout of Paul’s spiritual trophy case.  He was circumcised in accordance with the law on eighth day, born into the tribe of Benjamin, a full-blood Jew.  In regaurds to the law he was a Pharisee, upholding the law and guarding it.  He gained zeal through seeking out and fighting to destroy Christians.  He was probably one of the more respected Jews of his age.  In retrospect, he would have been much like the guy who was valedictorian, prom king, and quarterback in high school.  But what is interesting about this, is the fact that God violently changed his heart.  Paul counted all of his achievements as but loss in comparison to knowing Christ as his lord [Phil. 3:7-8].  This is why Paul is arguing; he is arguing to prove that salvation is not by ANY works of the law but through Christ alone and anyone who would try to earn through the merit of Moses’s law is placing themselves under a curse [3:10].  Paul is using his testimony to say to the Galatians that I was did what you are trying to do (fulfill the law) and it was meaningless because grace is not earned but freely given.  So let us not pursue righteousness by our own works but let us rest only in Christ [Phil. 3: 8].

My Prayer:  Father, I have a dirty past like Paul.  I prided myself in my works, even mocking those who were not as good as me.  I was not worshipping you but rather I was worshipping myself, hating you.  Although I cursed and scoffed at men, against you alone did I sin, even causing you to burn with fury. You had, by your own nature in being perfectly just, to punish my sin.  But this did not stop you from loving me all the same, so much so that instead of crushing my sin on my head you destroyed your son, paving the way for me to commune with you.  Your Son’s is the only righteousness that can provide me with a way back to your side not any that I pursue in upholding the law.  Father remind me and your church of our deprivation, causing us to rely on you and you alone instead of on works like the church in Galatia.

Galatians 1: 11-12 (Not Man’s Gospel [nor could have been thought of by man])

Summary:  Previous to this passage it is hinted to us that it is very likely that Paul’s apostleship has been challenged because he was not with Jesus during the heart of the Gospel times.  In challenging Paul’s apostleship the people who were troubling the Galatians probably wanted to discredit his Gospel account in creating their own.  Now as Paul picks up in this passage, he is now beginning long defense of his apostleship in Christ, not for his own glory but rather so that he may defend the true Gospel.

                Timeless Principle:  Paul now begins his rather long defense.  He opens by declaring, in a straight forward manner, that this Gospel that he has shared with them is not “man’s” Gospel but rather it is from the very God-man himself, Jesus Christ.  It is important that Paul opens this way.  He is providing the thesis of his argument, being that the Gospel he had preached probably as little as a year or two before writing this letter is indeed the truth. We should ponder on the point that Paul makes about the mere fact that the Gospel is not man’s Gospel.  It can’t be man’s Gospel, for no man could have possibly conceived it.  It was perfectly laid out from before the foundations of the Earth and the things that have been made [Eph. 1].  The plan of salvation in Christ that was set into motion in Genesis 3 by the condemning sin of Adam and Eve, which was foretold by many prophets, which can be seen perfectly through all of the law, which has now been revealed in Christ Jesus is too perfect for it to of possibly been thought up by even the most brilliant thinkers in the whole of history.  Just a short study of God’s perfect plan would leave even Einstein dumbfounded and on his knees humbled, by the Glory of the almighty God.

 It should be noted, as will be revealed later in chapter two that though Paul had not been with Christ during His earthly ministry, he had in fact been directly appointed by Christ to proclaim the good news in dramatic fashion on the road to Damascus.

Hymn: In order to focus on the Gospel that caused Paul to write this letter, read this hymn by Isaac Newton and be reminded of the humility of Christ.

 The deity and humanity of Christ, John 1. 1-3 14.

Col. 9. 16. Eph. 3, 9 10.

“1 Ere the blue heavens were stretch'd abroad,

From everlasting was the Word;

With God he was; the Word was God,

And must divinely be ador'd.

2 By his own power were all things made;

By him supported all things stand;

He is the whole creation's head,

And angels fly at his command.

3 Ere sin was born, or Satan fell,

He led the host of morning stars;

(Thy generation who can tell,

Or count the number of thy years?)

4 But lo, he leaves those heavenly forms,

The Word descends and dwells in clay,

That he may hold converse with worms,

Dress'd in such feeble flesh as they.

5 Mortals with joy beheld his face,

Th' eternal Father's only Son;

How full of truth! how full of grace!

When thro' his eyes the Godhead shone!

6 Archangels leave their high abode

To learn new mysteries here, and tell

The loves of our descending God,

The glories of Imannuel.”

                My Prayer: Father, my prayer is that the Gospel which drove Paul to write this letter with the vigor in which he wrote it would so drive me.  May it and it alone drive me.  Remind me that it was not given by any man nor could any man have possibly conceived it but rather you planned it perfectly according to your perfect foreknowledge.  You pre planned the violent death of your son to save a deprived human race.  May this ravenous love that dramatically sought me out be my only conviction to pursue holiness and may it alone compel me to reach the lost.  Father please continue to kill my pride and give me strength to seek your face and wage war against my sin.  Thank you for giving namely yourself, coming down from an eternal throne and to be found in a the form of a man to converse with worms such as myself.  I thank you and love you oh Lord, in Christ’s name I pray, Amen.

Galatians 1: 10 (I Fear that Man has somehow become bigger than God)

Summary:  Paul is continuing his defense of the Gospel with logic.  He begs the question as to whether or not he serves man or God.  Following this question he states another question: or am I trying to please man?  According to this text it follows that if the answer to the previous question is yes, then it must follow that that person would not be a follower of Christ.

                Timeless Principle:  One way to break down this text is to simply begin with Paul’s question.  The first question is that of “am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God?”  Here it may be noted that a possible reason that he asks this is that essentially the church in Galatia was trying please man, specifically the judaizers who had been “troubling” them, in submitting to the laws of men despite the freedom that they had been given in Christ.  Now perhaps it would be fitting for us to answer this question on our own.  Am I, Canaan, now seeking the approval of man, or of God?  The answer, at least is my own heart, is often man.  Inherently, in this action of submitting to the bondage of man’s opinion, I am creating a couple of ideas in my heart.  First I am telling God that he is small.  I am saying even confidently it my ignorance that a perfectly omniscient, omnipotent, omnipresent God is insignificant.  My value no longer comes from the resurrected Christ.  God is dwarfed in my heart and in my sin, man is made to be giant.  The opinions of a finite man now drown out the splendor of the king.  This is dangerous, deadly even.  When I serve man, I constantly want more and more approval, even in my best attempts in some way my life or my actions fall short.  I am saying essentially that what matters isn’t the fact that Christ values me so much that he willingly submitted himself to death, but rather what matters is how many pats on the back I get from deprived sinners who, like me, declared war against God in their sin. 

                God, by his very nature and by his own perfect character, is a jealous God (see Exo. 20, Deut. 5).  God longs for our attention, he begs for our love.  God created us in his image for his glory.  So then if this true then we must then consider that in serving man, we are bringing a holy God to indignation.  Perhaps this is why Paul states that if a man were trying to serve man then he cannot be a servant of Christ.  Jesus, in his famous sermon on the mount, says this, “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other or he will love the one and hate the other.”  We cannot serve two masters; therefore, we cannot worship both God and man.  It is this simple.  God by his nature will not and cannot justly allow this idolatry (see Exo. 34: 7, Nahum 1:1-3).  We must make war against our desire to please man.  This might lead you to another question: how?  The answer is found in the Gospel.  We must remind ourselves of our worth in Christ.  Think about it this way, we are loved by the Father not because we were the biggest, or the mightiest, where in fact we are the weakest.  We are loved by him simply because he has chosen to love us.  He has loved us with a love that denied his son’s agonizing appeal in Gethsemane three times eventually crushing him on a roman cross.  This is what we fight our man-loving idolatry with, we fight it with the truth of where our true value comes from, Christ alone.  Thinking about these things, read this hymn for the very first time:

In Christ alone my hope is found
He is my light, my strength, my song
This Cornerstone, this solid ground
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm

What heights of love, what depths of peace
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease
My Comforter, my All in All
Here in the love of Christ I stand

In Christ alone, who took on flesh
Fullness of God in helpless Babe
This gift of love and righteousness
Scorned by the ones He came to save
Til on that cross as Jesus died
The wrath of God was satisfied
For every sin on Him was laid
Here in the death of Christ I live, I live

There in the ground His body lay
Light of the world by darkness slain
Then bursting forth in glorious Day
Up from the grave He rose again

And as He stands in victory
Sins curse has lost its grip on me
For I am His and He is mine
Bought with the precious blood of Christ

No guilt in life, no fear in death
This is the power of Christ in me
From a lifes first cry to final breath
Jesus commands my destiny

No power of hell, no scheme of man
Could ever pluck me from His hand
Til He returns or calls me home
Here in the power of Christ I stand

My Prayer:  Father, I am constantly falling and being held captive to man’s opinion of me.  Lord I Know that it is no good for a free man to return to the slavery that he has been slave driver.  And so I pray that as I fight the lies of man with the Gospel that your word would pierce my heart and kill my treacherous desire for the approval of man.  I pray that this would be true for all people who have given up their lives to follow hard after you.  I ask these things in Christ’s name, Amen.

Galatians 1: 8-9 (Let anyone who preaches a false Gospel fall under a divine curse)

Summary:  Paul is now giving a blunt description of the truth of the Gospel that he has proclaimed to the church there, in that there is one Gospel.  He says that even he or an angel from Heaven should preach a gospel other than the one he has preached “let him be accursed.” 

Note: The word accursed (from the Greek anathema) maintains the idea of being set apart or devoted to complete destruction, excommunicated, under a divine curse.

Note: The amplified translation has Galatians 1:8-9 as follows: “But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to and different from that which we preached to you, let him be accursed (anathema, devoted to destruction, doomed to eternal punishment)! As we said before, so I now say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel different from or contrary to that which you received [from us], let him be accursed (anathema, devoted to destruction, doomed to eternal punishment)! “

Timeless Principle:  Both verses seem to portray one common point centered on the True Gospel of Christ.  Paul uses truly explicit language when mentioning any being of any sort (including the divine beings, “heavenly angels” )  who would preach a gospel contrary to the Gospel.  This is key. His attitude must not be neglected.  He is bearing a righteous anger much like that of a sin-hating Father has towards any action that does not bring Him glory.  The word Paul uses in this text is the Greek anathema which holds a devastating reality; a reality that he would even call on himself if he were to preach any other than the Cross of Christ.  The word was used when describing someone or something dedicated for destruction, much like the many peoples of in the Old Testament Canaan.  These people were placed under a divine curse which bore absolutely no mercy.  God called the Israelites to “devote [the people of Canaan] to complete destruction,” while even commanding them to “make no covenant with [the people]… to show no mercy… breaking down their altars… dashing into pieces their altars” and committing them to complete destruction.  The LORD even warned that if His people would not follow through with this command to rid Canaan of its heathen people, then His “anger would be kindled against them… and He would destroy them quickly” (Deut. 7: 2-4).  This horrific look at divine judgment is the same curse that Paul claims for anyone who would preach a false gospel.  And so we must be careful in not attempting to add or take away from the Gospel, while taking our time to peer deep into the wonder of the Cross.

My prayer: Father, it is my prayer that I may never forsake your truth.  That I may never turn from it but be bound to it as an ambassador in chains.  Give me strength to overcome my sinful desires for I am powerless on my own.  Continue to open men’s hearts to the truth that echoes throughout your written word.  Give me the words to in opening my mouth to boldly proclaim your Son’s death but provide me with caution as to not preach it falsely.  I ask these things in Christ’s name, Amen.

Galatians 1: 6-7 (Paul denies “another gospel”)

Summary:  Paul has just greeted the churches in Galatia with thanksgiving for the Cross and now it’s time to get down to business.  He is now beginning his defense of the true Gospel.  He starts in this passage by first announcing his amazement of the pace at which the Galatians have turned away.  He then moves in to a claim that people have distorting the real view of justification through faith alone.

                Timeless Principle:  The main thing that must be brought out of this text is the fact there is only one Gospel.  There never has been nor will there ever be nor can another ever exist.  It is in this spirit that Paul is writing this letter, a letter to say that Christ is sufficient.  Paul is “astonished” at the mere fact that the church has turned from the truth so quickly.  He is overwhelmed with the decision that the church has made, dumbfounded even.  This astonishment causes a Paul to jump right into an argument; he doesn’t even skip a beat to give thanksgiving.  This is peculiar.  In all of Paul’s other letters he first encourages the church he writing to before addressing the problems that have risen, even in his letters to the Corinthians, who were easily the most immoral of all the churches.  This leads to a question: Why is Paul so quick to jump into a defense without offering up the slightest encouragement?  The answer is simple but dire.  The problems of the other churches were usually questions of holiness; however, this has become a question of whether or not the Galatians had ever believed the truth of the Gospel in the first place.  Perhaps this is why Paul worries if all his troubles in Galatia had been in vain [4: 11]. 

                                From this two things arise that must be noted.  The first is a question of what is the true Gospel?  The word Gospel, literally translated “good news,” is tossed around more in churches today than perhaps any other time in history, so often in fact that the true meaning has been lost or tainted.  So then what is it at its core?  What are its bare bones?  What does it consist of that it can never be anything less than?  It is the very fact of the propitiative death and resurrection of the very Son of God, Jesus Christ.  That is it at its core, the atoning death of Christ for the infinite debt of sin.  The second point that must be understood is simply the mere fact that there is not any other gospel.  The Galatians were, as is clear from the rest of the book, were beginning to get things twisted; they began thinking that the Gospel was Christ plus something else.  If that were true then “Christ died for no reason” [2:21].  Nothing we do makes us more saved.  We cannot submit to a false, works-based salvation.  We pursue holiness not as a way to when Christ’s acceptance, but rather we pursue holiness because of the love that Christ has “compels” us [2 Cor. 5].  Any man when reading the Psalms will see the overwhelming love Christ has for us, as if anything else will ever win us more of his grace that has been reserved for his children at Calvary.

For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them. “

                [Psa 139:13-16]

David’s words render the nature of the love of a God who is perfectly at work in the delicate stitching of our being and who has laid out each day carefully even before we were formed.  Our creator’s love is perfectly displayed on the cross and nothing can ever add to it. Just as we cannot add to the Gospel, we cannot take away from it.  Every event at Golgotha was carefully planned and carried out by the Father above.   These things bring to light yet another truth in that we cannot ever let our minds go beyond the cross nor can we ever let our minds push it to the side.  The Cross is what should define our decisions and captivate our thoughts.

                My Prayer:  Father, too often I wander from your Gospel.  Inherently I find myself looking to go beyond it, as if there were anything beyond it.  Forgive my sin, too often I find myself being motivated but everything but your Gospel even in my quiet times.  God your love is all that sustains me and so I plea that you make the love that you have so freely given me compel my actions.  In Christ’s name I pray Amen.

Galatians 1: 1-5 (Salutation to the Galatians; the True Gospel)

Summary:  This is letter is addressed to the churches in Galatia, probably located in Asia Minor (present-day turkey) (for evidence see the ESV Study Bible’s intro to Galatians).  He begins his salutation with a small defense of his apostleship, in stating that he is not an apostle due to man’s will but he had been declared an apostle by the decree of Christ.  Upon defending his apostleship, he proceeds in a prayer of supplication (supplying of peace and good-tidings for the Galatians) and also thanksgiving for the true* Gospel, this is fitting as it appears that Paul’s main purpose for writing the letter is to address the new-false^ gospel [little ‘g’] that had been sweeping throughout Galatia.

Note: The defense of Paul’s apostleship in the opening verses suggests that his credence had been attacked because he was not with Christ during Christ’s ministry on earth.

*Note: The substitutionary death and resurrection of Christ on a cross for a deprived people; justification through faith alone.

^Note: Many people were coming to the local churches and mixing in Judaic traditions and claiming a false gospel, i.e. justification through faith plus works (in the case of the Galatians, plus circumcision). [Acts 15]

                Timeless Principle:  There are two central points that can be perceived from this text.  The first is the obedience of Christ in his death on the cross.  It was the omnipotent God-man “who gave himself for our sins” (1: 4).  Any man when peering at the truth that has been revealed by Christ himself in John’s Gospel will see that Christ willingly gave himself.  In this passage, depicted by John, Christ makes a staggering claim; that no one takes his life from him, but he gladly, even joyfully, “lays it down at [his] own accord” (see John 10:17-18).   It was for this purpose he was born, to die in a horrifying manner to purchase a people “for his own possession” (Titus 2).  Perhaps the most staggering glimpse of this humility can be seen in Paul’s letter to the Philippians, in saying “that [Christ] being found in the formed of a man, humbled [even humiliated] himself by becoming obedient [perfectly to the Father’s will], even to the point of death on a cross” (paraphrase). 

                The second point is best seen in this question: why did Christ give himself? What was the purpose?  The answer is remarkable.  The purpose was to “deliver us from the present evil age” (1: 4).  Philip Ryken, when talking about this deliverance says this, “the age to come has burst forth [in dramatic fashion] into the present age.”  This is a true Collision of Heaven and Earth.  Any man who has been captured by the grace to come has been broken, freed from the chains of slavery to sin.  Christ has “cancelled the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands.  This he set aside nailing it to the cross.  He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them” (Col. 2: 14-15).  We have been awakened from our hell-laden slumber, called to walk in a new life.  The light has shown in and triumphed over death.  The law no longer holds us but rather Christ holds us, therefore it says “my soul clings to you [O Lord], your right hand upholds me” [Psalm 63: 8].  This truth of Christ deliverance from the evil age might raise a question, Is it this present evil age that Paul refers to at the end of his letter to the Ephesians?  Yes.  This is the meaning of in the world but not of it.  We are to wage a war against sin, pursuing holiness, attacking the lost world with the deadly truth of the Gospel of the risen Christ, such that God might get glory, in proceeding with this war we are fighting the present evil age.  This must not be misinterpreted, if anyone is in Christ he has been made new and released from the holds of sin, delivered forever and for all eternity from its power.

                My prayer:  Father I thank you for this letter to the church in Galatians, I thank you for the truth that you breathed out.  I ask that I and all those taking their time to study it may not only get earthly knowledge of you but rather may come to know you more.  Father I thank you for invading earth with sending of your son, I am ever bound to your Gospel which proclaims your goodness in grace towards me as a sinner who has earned nothing but death.  I pray that the truth of this text, that your love may penetrate my heart daily.  I am forever grateful for your love in kindness towards me. In Christ’s wonderful name I pray, Amen.