FROM PAUL. When we know the attempt to discredit Paul that had taken place in Galatia, these opening words seem _stark!_ WHOSE CALL TO BE AN APOSTLE. Paul emphasizes, that like the Twelve, his appointment as an apostle came directly from the Lord! [If Paul makes thirteen apostles, remember there wer... [ Continue Reading ]
ALL THE BROTHERS. "These brothers, by joining with me in this letter, affirm the truth of what I am writing." TO THE CHURCHES OF GALATIA. This letter goes to an area, rather than a single congregation.... [ Continue Reading ]
MAY GOD. Paul's greeting is sincere, even though he has some harsh things to say to them later.... [ Continue Reading ]
IN ORDER TO. At the time of Christ, Jews spoke of two _ages_ of time: the _present evil age_ meant the time they were then living in; the _New Age_ they viewed as a time when sin and death would no longer rule, and they expected it to come with the (first) Advent of the Messiah. Paul writes to tell... [ Continue Reading ]
TO GOD! Paul is _affirming_ the glory of God, and his "Amen" rings with faith!!!... [ Continue Reading ]
I AM SURPRISED AT YOU! Both the TEV and NIV bring out the _shocked amazement_ of Paul. The strength of his feeling is shown by his choice of words in Galatians 1:8-9. YOU ARE DESERTING THE ONE. These seem to say they are deserting Paul, but since he always seems to say it is God who calls you by the... [ Continue Reading ]
ACTUALLY, THERE IS NO. "There is no other message from God! I say it this way because some are claiming that God told them to turn you to the Law of Moses.... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT EVEN. "They tell you that Peter, and even I myself, preach that you can be put right with God through the Law. But even if we ourselves, or an angel from heaven (if such a thing were possible), would dare to preach a different gospel, may he be condemned to hell!" The TEV correctly brings out th... [ Continue Reading ]
WE HAVE SAID IT BEFORE. He points back to warnings which Silas and Timothy, as well as he himself, have given about this in the past. NOW I. Here he repeats what he said in Galatians 1:8. Some say Paul is not using the spirit of _1 Cor. ch 13_ here. But this is a crisis situation! What Paul shows is... [ Continue Reading ]
DOES THIS SOUND? "I have been accused of saying whatever anyone wants to hear. Does this sound like it??? God will be my judge! If I were trying to be popular with men, I would never have become the servant of Christ!!!" [Some think _still trying_ implies that as a Pharisee, he had tried to be popul... [ Continue Reading ]
LET ME TELL YOU. "The _circumcision party_ says I preach a second-hand gospel, which I have distorted. Let me tell you this is not true!!! My gospel has no human origin!!!... [ Continue Reading ]
I DID NOT. "There is nothing second-hand about my gospel!" IT WAS JESUS CHRIST HIMSELF. Paul is probably thinking of Acts 26:14-18.... [ Continue Reading ]
YOU HAVE BEEN TOLD. "You know all about my old life. I told you about it myself." Paul would have to defend himself to the Jews everywhere he went. Everyone would want to know why Paul the Destroyer suddenly became Paul the servant of Christ. Nothing in his background and past would imply selfish mo... [ Continue Reading ]
I WAS AHEAD. Paul had been an unusually brilliant and eager student of The Law, and probably had been a _missionary of Judaism._ Compare Acts 22:3-5. TRADITIONS. Those unique beliefs which made him a Pharisee.... [ Continue Reading ]
CHOSE ME. Compare Romans 8:29-30 and notes. Paul is thinking of his unique background and training. By his birth he became at the same time, a Hebrew, a Greek, and a Roman citizen. He was educated in the Hebrew Scriptures and the Greek Septuagint, and in all the Greek learning and literature. He was... [ Continue Reading ]
TO REVEAL HIS SON. To qualify as an apostle, Paul had to _actually see_ Jesus (compare 1 Corinthians 9:1). As an apostle, Paul stands DISCRETE, and does not depend on _any man_ for his authority and appointment.... [ Continue Reading ]
NOR DID I GO TO JERUSALEM. "Those who were apostles before I was appointed did not teach me the gospel of Christ." Since the Twelve stayed on in Jerusalem (Acts 8:1), that city was the center of: _Christianity; Judaism: the_ circumcision _party._ INSTEAD. _MacKnight_ has Paul say: "But I went away i... [ Continue Reading ]
THREE YEARS LATER. "Not until three years after my being made new in Christ did I go to Jerusalem to _compare notes_ with Peter." This may imply that Paul stayed in Arabia for three years, coming back just before the trouble mentioned in Acts 9:23 and note. TWO WEEKS = fifteen days as Jews count.... [ Continue Reading ]
ANY OTHER APOSTLE. It seems that James, the Lord's brother, was an apostle, but not one of the Twelve. However, scholars are divided on this. James was an important person in the Jerusalem church (Acts 15:13; Acts 21:18). It may be Paul affirms he only saw these _two,_ because Jews believed _ten_ me... [ Continue Reading ]
WHAT I WRITE IS TRUE. Paul affirms that he is _in fact_ a divinely appointed apostle of Christ, and calls God to be his witness that he speaks the truth!!!... [ Continue Reading ]
AFTERWARD. See Acts 9:26-30 and notes.... [ Continue Reading ]
THE CHRISTIAN CHURCHES. In _standard English,_ both _Christian church_ and _church of Christ_ mean the church which Jesus built (Matthew 16:18 and notes). Paul means he was personally unknown to the messianic community in Judea.... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY KNEW ONLY. Although they did not know Paul personally, they had certainly heard of him and what he had tried to do in the past (Acts 9:1-2). Try to imagine how they must have felt when they heard Paul the Destroyer was now preaching Christ!!!... [ Continue Reading ]
AND SO THEY PRAISED GOD. This shows they accepted Paul's conversion to Christ as genuine!!! This contrasts with the attitude of the _circumcision party!_... [ Continue Reading ]