Galatians 1:1

Galatians 1:1. contains the text of the first two Chapter s: namely, the divine mission and independent apostolic authority of Paul, which the Judaizers denied, but which is clearly proved by the following narrative and the testimony of the older Apostles themselves. Galatians 1:4 implies the theme of the second part, chaps. 3 and 4, namely, a defense of the doctrine of free grace in Christ.

An Apostle, lit., messenger; here in the highest sense: one of the special messengers of Christ and witnesses of his resurrection who were (1) directly called by him, (2) inspired by the Holy Spirit, and hence infallible in their religious teaching, and (3) commissioned to all nations; hence the founders and authoritative teachers of the whole church in all ages. See note on Romans 1:1. The Judaizers confined the apostolic dignity to the Twelve, to whom Paul did not belong. He represented the independent apostolate of the Gentiles.

Not from men, nor through man. Paul's apostleship is entirely independent of human agency, direct or indirect. The preposition ‘from' denotes the origin or fountain, the preposition ‘through' the instrumentality or channel. The singular ‘through man' (any man whatever) makes the exclusion of human agency stronger, and forms a contrast to the following through Jesus Christ, who is more than a man. ‘Through' includes here for brevity's sake both the nearer instrumental and the more remote originating source of authority. Paul was called at his conversion on the way to Damascus, when the risen and ascended Saviour appeared to him personally (Acts 9:15). The Apostles are both ‘from Christ' and ‘through Christ;' their disciples (and all regular teachers of the church) are ‘from' Christ, but ‘through man;' the false teachers are ‘from men' and ‘through man,' or self-constituted intruders with-out any authority from Christ. Paul's call was just as direct as that of the Twelve; but the Judaizers, in their tendency to overrate external forms and secondary causes, laid great stress upon the personal intercourse with Christ in the days of his flesh, and hence they were disposed either to declare Paul a pseudo-apostle, or at least to subordinate him to the Twelve, especially to Peter and James.

And God the Father. The immediate and frequent coordination of Christ with God the Father, especially here in contrast with the preceding men and man, proves that the Apostle regarded the Saviour as a Divine being. God is the Father, not indiscriminately of all men (though He is the creator, preserver, and judge of all), but of Christ, His only begotten and eternal Son, and of all believers who by regeneration become the children of God (Galatians 4:6; Romans 8:15; John 1:13). God is ‘our' Father, because He is the Father (not simply of ‘Jesus Christ,' which would place Christ on a par with us, but) of ‘our Lord Jesus Christ' (comp. Romans 15:6; 2 Corinthians 1:3; 2 Corinthians 11:31; Ephesians 1:3; Ephesians 3:14; 1 Peter 1:3).

Who raised him from the dead. It was the risen Saviour who called Paul to the apostleship, who founded the Church and gave some Apostles, some prophets, and some evangelists (comp. Ephesians 4:11).