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Gal.1:1. Paul is an Apostle, chosen not by men or through man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised Him from the dead. "Paul the Apostle, neither of man nor by man". The very beginning immediately denounces the slander brought against the Apostle, for he said that he was honored with apostolic grace, not having received this gift from people; It was not any of the divine apostles who caught it, but the Lord Himself called it from heaven, without using human assistance. This is what he meant when he said: “not by man.” Then he points to the Caller. "But Jesus by Christ". And lest another, having found a pretext before the name Jesus (διά (δια Ιησου)), thought that the Son served the Father, the Apostle added: “And by God the Father, who raised Him from the dead.” He used the preposition διά before the name of both Persons, teaching that this preposition does not mean any difference in nature. And the words “to those who raised Him from the dead” do not convey the idea of ​​weakness in the Divinity of the Only Begotten (because suffering did not concern the Divinity), but show agreement “in” the work of preaching, namely, that it was not the Son alone who organized the mystery of the Divine Incarnation, but the Father himself participated in this providence. since the defenders of the law assumed that God should be served by keeping the law, the divine Apostle shows that the Giver of the New Testament is not only the Son, but also the Father. Gal.1:2. And all the brethren who are with me - to the churches of Galatia. “And all the brethren who are with me.” The apostle showed that there were many who assisted him in preaching. "To the Churches of Galatia". For he writes not to one city, but to the whole people, since the disease penetrated everywhere. Gal.1:3. Grace and peace to you from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ. Gal.1:4. Who gave Himself for our sins in order to deliver us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father. Gal.1:5. To him be glory forever and ever. Amen. “Grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself according to our sins.” The Apostle showed that living according to the law cannot save us from sins, but that the Lord Christ suffered death for us and freed us from the obligations of sin. “For may he deliver us from the present age of the evil one.” “The Evil Age” he called not the elements, as the Manichaeans say in their madness, but real life, that is, this temporary continuation of human life, in which opportunities for sin open up for us, since while we are invested with mortal nature, we dare to commit greater and lesser sins, but upon our repose into that immortal life, having been freed from present corruption and having put on incorruptibility, we will become victorious sin. And this hope was given to us by the Lord Christ, who accepted death for us and, just as He Himself was the first to rise from the dead, promised resurrection to all of us. He delivered us from the “present evil age,” that is, such a continuation of real life in which opportunities for evil open up. And that this life is not harmful for everyone, the Apostle himself teaches this; He says this: “Even if I live” in the flesh, “this is the fruit of my work; I do not know what I will” (Phil. 1:22), and he prefers life to “being with Christ”, because of the benefit that comes from it, and about Epaphroditus he says that “God had mercy on him”, giving him life (Phil. 2:27). Therefore, the present age is not wicked by nature, but some in it dare to be wicked. The Apostle also showed its short duration, because he called it real. And the Lord Christ not only Himself arranged our salvation, but also has the favor of the Father for this. For this is what the Apostle added. “According to the will of our God and Father, to Him be glory forever and ever, Amen.” Everywhere he compares the Father with Christ, teaching that the Father also wants us to live not according to the law, but according to the Gospel. Thus the Apostle concluded with this preliminary word, presenting it in a new form and briefly showing the purpose of the sermon. He begins his accusations as follows: Gal.1:6. I am surprised that you are so quickly moving from Him who called you by the grace of Christ to a different gospel. Gal.1:7. Which, however, is not otherwise, but there are only people who confuse you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. “I am astonished that so quickly you are being changed by the grace of God (Christ) from Him who called into another gospel: there is no other, but you are the ones who are troubling and who want to change the gospel of Christ.” This accusation is fulfilled by the Apostle of great wisdom; he showed that keeping the law is renouncing the Lawgiver. For he did not say: “you change” from one teaching to another, but “from Him who called you.” And whoever called is evident from what follows by the “grace” of God, that is, the Father Himself, who gave the law, called you to this gospel. Therefore, by leaving it and turning again to the law, you separated yourself from the One who called Himself. And leaving this gospel, you will not find another, because the Lord preaches not another through us, but another through the other apostles, but we all preach the same thing, who have loved the truth; and those who think contrary to us do not offer you anything Divine, but undertake to distort the Divine. Then, inflamed at the memory of his opponents and inflamed with just indignation, he calls the one who attempts to preach otherwise alien to piety, and cries out: Gal.1:8. But even if we or an angel from heaven were to preach to you a gospel different from what we preached to you, let him be anathema. “But even if we, or an Angel from heaven, brings you more good news than the good news, let him be anathema.” Since the opponents said that the divine apostles kept the law, the divine Apostle left the opponents so that they would not think that he was doing this out of some kind of hatred and hostility, but moved on to something greater, embracing everything under this greater one, and subjected himself to a curse before others. He mentioned the Angels, not at all suggesting that any of the holy Angels would begin to teach what was contrary to Divine preaching (for he knew that this was impossible), but thereby rejecting any human innovation. Gal.1:9. As we said before, so now I say again: whoever preaches to you a gospel contrary to what you have received, let him be accursed. “As I foretold, and now I say again: if anyone preaches the gospel to you before he eats it, let him be anathema.” Let no one think that what we said before was said in anger, so we repeat the same thing another time. However, leaving the Angels, the Apostle said vaguely: if “whoever brings good news to you,” and making it known that he was forced to say this, preferring the service of God to everything else, he added: Gal.1:10. Am I now seeking favor from people, or from God? Do I try to please people? If I were still pleasing people, I would not be a servant of Christ. “Now do I argue with men, or with God? Or am I looking to please someone? Even if he were still a human being, he would not be a servant of Christ.” If I wanted to serve people, I would not be numbered among the persecuted, but would stand among those opposing the truth. Therefore, let no one think of me as if I were catching human glory and for this I am composing these words. After this he begins the story of how he was called by Divine grace and how he had a conference about preaching with the chief apostles. Gal.1:11. I declare to you, brethren, that the Gospel which I preached is not human. “I tell you, brethren, the gospel preached from me is not according to man,” that is, it was not compiled according to human conclusions. Where did it come from? Gal.1:12. For I also received it and learned it, not from man, but through the revelation of Jesus Christ. “Neither did I receive it from man, nor did I learn it.” Who was your teacher? "But by the appearing of Jesus Christ". He used the word “appearance” very wisely, because the Lord Christ then ascended into heaven and was no longer visible to everyone equally, but he “appeared” on the way and made him worthy of the ministry of preaching. And the Apostle again contrasted this with the slander of his opponents, making it known that in this too he was no lower than the other apostles. For just as they received the teaching from the Lord Himself, so he also had Him as a teacher. Gal.1:13. You have heard about my former way of life in Judaism, that I cruelly persecuted the Church of God and devastated it. Gal.1:14. And he succeeded in Judaism more than many of his peers in my family, being an immoderate zealot of my fatherly traditions. “You have heard of my life sometimes in Judaism, as if in great numbers they persecuted the Church of God and destroyed it, and succeeded in Judaism more than many of the same age in my family, who were too zealous of my fatherly traditions.” Everything that concerns me is not a secret to you. For if they lived a few days' journey from Judea, then rumors about me spread everywhere and it became clear to everyone that before I was hostile to the Church and was openly at enmity against it, intending to destroy its foundation to the very depths, and more ardently than my peers I rebelled against the preachers of the truth; He did this while defending the law, and I, as a defender of the law, was opposed by the gospel sermon. Gal.1:15. When God, who chose me from my mother’s womb and called me by His grace, was pleased. Gal.1:16. To reveal His Son in me, so that I might preach His gospel to the pagans—I did not then consult with flesh and blood. Gal.1:17. And he did not go to Jerusalem to the Apostles who preceded me, but went to Arabia, and again returned to Damascus. “When God was pleased, who chose me from my mother’s womb and called me by His grace, to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him to the nations.” And here again, inseparably with the Son, he mentioned the Father and said that God had foretold about him before the ages and then called him at the time that pleased Him. He communicated this grace to me not in order to preach the law, but in order to “reveal the Son among the nations.” “Abiye did not venerate flesh and blood, nor sighed in Jerusalem to my chief Apostles.” All this speaks to the slander of opponents. For they said about him that he was worthy of the apostolic teaching, but was violating what the apostles had decreed. Therefore, I am forced to talk about myself, which I have never done in any message. He says: “Having been honored with this calling, I did not immediately go to Jerusalem, but was content with the grace given to me by God,” for it would be extremely indecent for someone who has received a teaching from God to enter into discussions about it with people. “But we went to Arabia, and returned again to Damascus.” I immediately began preaching, offering the gospel to those who had not yet been worthy of the knowledge of God. Gal.1:18. Then, three years later, I went to Jerusalem to see Peter and stayed with him for fifteen days. Gal.1:19. I saw no other of the Apostles except James, the brother of the Lord. “Then I flew three breaths at a time to Jerusalem to spy for Peter.” And this again shows the valor of his soul. For, even having no need for human teaching, as having received it from the God of all, he renders the honor due to the Supreme One. Therefore, I came to him not to learn anything from him, but only to see him. It also shows affection. “And he remained with him for fifteen days. I saw no other from the Apostle except James, the brother of the Lord.” Jacob was called the brother of the Lord, but was not His own brother. He was not even the son of Joseph, born from his first marriage, as others assumed, but the son of Cleopas and a cousin of the Lord, because his mother was the sister of the Mother of the Lord. Gal.1:20. And in what I am writing to you, before God, I am not lying. Gal.1:21. After this I went to the countries of Syria and Cilicia. Gal.1:22. I was not personally known to the Churches of Christ in Judea. Gal.1:23. But they only heard that the one who once persecuted them was now preaching the good news of the faith that he had previously destroyed. Gal.1:24. And they glorified God for me. “And even as I write to you, behold, before God, I do not lie. Then he came to the countries of Syria and Cilicia: But the churches of the Jews do not know the face of Christ, but hearing the sound of persecuting us sometimes, now preaches the faith, even sometimes destroying it: and I glorify God for me.” For, having learned of the sudden change, that the wolf was doing what is characteristic of shepherds, what had happened to me turned for themselves an occasion to glorify God. You might be interested in: