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Gal.1:1. Paul the Apostle, not chosen by men or through man, He immediately denies that he is a disciple of people. For he was called not by men, but from above and from heaven, and not through man, but through Christ Himself. For although Ananias baptized him, it was not he who called him to faith, but Christ from heaven. Why didn’t he say: Paul was called, but “an apostle”? Because that’s what the whole conversation was about: they said that people had chosen him to be an apostle. This is what he rebels against, showing that it is wrong. but by Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised Him from the dead, And the book of Acts also says that by the Spirit he was chosen to be an apostle (Acts 13:2). So, it is clear that the will of the Son, and the Spirit, and the Father is one. Note also that the preposition “through” (δια) also applies to the word “Father,” and the Son is named first, this is for the sake of the heretics, who were very busy with this. Very opportunely he mentions death and resurrection in order to convince them not to continue to adhere to the law, which brought nothing for them, but to Christ, who died and rose for them, and therefore moving away from such a Benefactor is great imprudence. He says that the Father raised Him, on the one hand, due to the weakness of the listeners, and on the other, because everything that the Son does relates to the Father. For He was not powerless to resurrect Himself, Who even gave to those who believed in Him the power to raise the dead through the mere shadow of their bodies. Gal.1:2. and all the brothers who are with me - Since they slandered that he alone preaches this, he now shows that many others share his opinion. Notice his indignation and sorrow. He did not say: the beloved, the sanctified, or the churches of God, but simply “the churches of Galatia.” And since they disagreed among themselves, he quite rightly calls them many churches, and at the same time, to awaken shame in them, unites them into one through this name (church). For those who disagree among themselves on many things cannot be called by this name, which means agreement. Gal.1:3. grace and peace to you Since they were in danger of losing grace due to adherence to the law, he wishes it for them; and since they were at enmity against God, establishing by-laws that He abolished, he calls them to peace. God has become your Father. How? Is it through the law to which you are inclined, or through the baptism of Christ? How can you then reject the Benefactor? And note: “from God the Father” (από θεού Πατρός) is placed without an article for the sake of those who placed the Son lower than the Father on the basis of the fact that John says: “and the Word was God” (“και θεός ...”) (John 1.1) without an article. and our Lord Jesus Christ, The law is not our master, but Christ Jesus. And even the very names indicate His good deeds. For He is called Jesus as having delivered the people from sins, and Christ from the anointing of the Spirit, with whom He was anointed for our sake, having sanctified our nature by His incarnation and giving us the right to be called so. Gal.1:4. who gave himself for our sins, Behold, He gave Himself up. So, not as a slave performed a service. Therefore, when you hear that He was betrayed by the Father, understand the consent and will of the Father. He gave Himself up in order to free us from sins from which the law was unable to deliver. How then, having left the Liberator, do you submit to a law that has not shown any benefit? to deliver us from the present evil age, The Manichaeans rely on this saying, saying that he called the present age, that is, our life, evil. But this is not so. After all, it is not the days that are evil in themselves (since what is evil in the solar movement or the change of days), and it is not our life that is bad in itself - and how, when in this life we ​​know God and philosophize about the future life? But he calls vicious actions and corrupted will the evil age. Just as we are in the habit of saying: I spent a terrible day, blaming not the time, but the circumstances and actions. For Christ did not die in order to put us to death and remove us from this life, but in order to deliver us from evil actions for the rest of the time. Since he said above that He gave Himself for our sins, that is, He freed us from former sins, he then adds that for the future He gave undoubted proof that He would deliver us from a bad way of life. But the law did not cleanse former sins, and is powerless against future ones. according to the will of our God and Father; Since they thought that, having abandoned the law, they were not obeying God, he corrects this assumption of theirs, showing that the will of the Father is to free them through the Son. You see, he did not say: by the command of the Father, but by will, that is, by good pleasure. And by calling God our Father, he again reminds us of the Benefactor Christ, who made His Father also our Father. How then do you reject Him? Gal.1:5. To him be glory forever and ever. Amen. Without using the word “amen” anywhere in the introduction, he put it here, showing that he was finished with this speech and that what was said was enough to accuse the Galatians. And recalling the ineffable blessings of God, in which their condemnation already lies, as having abandoned their Benefactor Christ; then, filled with amazement at this Benefactor and not finding anything else to say about them, he concludes his speech with a doxology. Gal.1:6. I am surprised that you so quickly leave Him who called you by the grace of Christ. Shows that he had a high opinion of them. For I am surprised, he says, that you, who have labored so hard in faith, should so quickly turn away. There are two faults here: “cross over” and “soon,” so that the seducers did not need time, which indicates the frivolity of those who accepted their teaching. And he didn’t say “cross over,” but “cross over,” that is, I still don’t believe and don’t think that the seduction has already taken place. Understand wisdom. Since they, holding the law, thought to serve the Father, he says that those who keep the law move away from the Father: for he says, “from him who called you,” that is, from the Father. “By the grace of Christ,” that is, they were justified by Christ, not for works, but by grace. For although the Son grants forgiveness of sins by grace, the Father calls for it. to a different gospel, Gal.1:7. which, however, is not different, but there are only people who confuse you and want to change the gospel of Christ. Since the seducers called their error the gospel, he objects to this name, saying that there is no other gospel except the one that you received. For one is the Gospel, containing the correct teaching that I preached to you, if only some did not trouble your spiritual eyes and force you to see one thing instead of the other, wanting to pervert the Gospel of Christ. True, they did not overthrow the entire Gospel, but introduced only the commandment of the Sabbath and circumcision, but he shows that even a small corruption overthrows the entire Gospel, just as someone who chops off a small part of a royal coin makes the entire coin worthless. Note that this is said for those who say that this is a trifle and not worth attention. And the Marcionites, seizing on this saying, say that on this basis they should accept not four, but one Gospel, which they compiled, accepting some, rejecting others. So Paul, they say, claims that there is one Gospel. What does this mean? Just as we say that the four Gospels are one, of course, by their agreement, so Paul does not speak here of number, but of disagreement. Since, he says, the preaching of these seducers does not agree, therefore it is not the Gospel; if it were consistent, it would be the Gospel, that is, the apostolic sermon. Thus, Marcion's opinion is empty talk. 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. Lest anyone say that he is praising his own teaching out of ambition, he is anathematizing himself. And since they resorted to authority and referred to Peter and James, therefore he also mentioned angels. He added a word from heaven, because the priests were also called angels. So, so that you do not think that he is talking about priests, he indicated the higher powers by pointing to heaven. And he did not say: if they preach the opposite, but if they proclaim something small to you beyond what we have told you. So, anathematizing the angels and himself, he rejects all authority 1 and human friendship in the matter of faith. Do not tell me that your apostles preach otherwise; I will not spare myself if I do not preach the gospel. And he says this not to humiliate the apostles, but wanting to stop the mouths of seducers and show that he does not recognize authority when it comes to dogmas. 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. So that they would not think that he said this in anger and enthusiasm, he repeats the same thing again, showing that he did not speak out so thoughtlessly, but firmly and unshakably deciding it within himself. Gal.1:10. Am I now seeking favor from people, or from God? Do I try to please people? He intends to defend himself against what he is accused of. However, so that they do not become proud, like judges of their teacher, he says: do not think that I am defending myself before you or trying to convince you; no, all my thought and speech are directed towards God. Therefore, I am writing this not with the goal of achieving fame among you and having disciples, but in order to be right before God regarding dogmas, and not out of a desire to please people. Or this: since they slandered him that he preaches one thing to some, and another to others and adapts to people, he asks them: am I trying to convince people and please them, or God? For if I wanted to please people, I would certainly do what you say. If I were still pleasing people, I would not be a servant of Christ. He proves that he does not care about pleasing people - and why would he either flatter them, or preach one thing to some and another to others? After all, if he had cared about this, he would not have abandoned Judaism and would not have turned to Christ; I would not have neglected relatives, friends, such glory and would not have chosen persecution, danger and dishonor. Gal.1:11. I declare to you, brethren, that the gospel which I preached is not human, He wants to show them that he has truly departed from the law, and for this he reminds them of his previous life and the drastic change, showing that he would not have suddenly switched from Judaism if he had not had some kind of divine confirmation. That is why he says: “The Gospel that I preached is not human,” that is, I did not have a human teacher, but was a disciple of Christ Himself. Gal.1:12. for I also received it and learned it, not from man, but through the revelation of Jesus Christ. Since the slanderers said that he was not, like the other apostles, a direct listener of Christ, but received everything from people, he says that he himself revealed the Gospel to me, who taught Peter and others. Gal.1:13. You have heard about my former way of life in Judaism, How can it be seen that I received the Gospel through divine revelation? From my previous life. After all, being such a persecutor, how could I suddenly change if some divine phenomenon had not rescued me? And that I was a zealous persecutor is evident from what you Galatians, who live so far from Judea, heard about this. that I cruelly persecuted the Church of God and devastated it, Notice how strongly he expresses himself. For he did not say “persecuted,” but “cruelly persecuted.” And not only that, but he even “devastated”, that is, he tried to destroy to the ground and destroy - after all, this is the work of the devastator. 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. He says, I surpassed all my peers in ardor, and in the war against the Church I went ahead; otherwise: he was honored by the Jews. But do not think that this was a matter of vanity or anger, but out of jealousy. So, if I fought against the Church not out of some human calculations, but out of zeal for God, even though I was mistaken, then how, now that I knew the truth, would I preach, out of love for human glory, anything other than what the truth commands and what Christ taught me. Gal.1:15. When God, who chose me from my mother’s womb: If from his mother’s womb he was destined for the gospel and was chosen by God, then, of course, by some divine order he remained for some time in Judaism, no doubt, so that this such a drastic change in him would attract many to the faith and confirm it. God chose him not by lot, but by foreknowledge that he was worthy. and who called by His grace, Although God called him for virtue, for it is said: “he is my chosen vessel” (Acts 9:15), he modestly says that he was called by grace not according to merit, but according to mercy. Gal.1:16. to reveal His Son in me, He did not say: open to me, but - “in me,” showing that he received not only verbal instruction, but his heart was filled with much Spirit, since this knowledge was imprinted in the inner man and Christ speaks in him. that I may preach His gospel to the Gentiles, God revealed the Son to me not only so that I could know Him, but also in order to preach Him to others. Because not only that he believed, but also that he was chosen to preach was from God. How then do you say that people taught me? And not simply, “that I might preach Him,” but “to the Gentiles.” So how could I preach circumcision to the Gentiles? I did not then consult with flesh and blood, That is, he did not go to a meeting with the apostles, for he calls them flesh and blood, calling them so by nature; or does he say this about all people in general, because in the matter of faith not a single person was his teacher. Gal.1:17. and did not go up to Jerusalem to the apostles who preceded me, How could the apostle say this? Has he really become so proud that he considers himself self-sufficient and has no need for advisers? And hasn’t he heard the saying: “Do not be wise in your own eyes” (Proverbs 3:7); and: “Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes” (Is. 5:21)? Not at all. But since his slanderers said that he should obey the apostles, and not him, and that they were apostles before him, he was forced to say this in order to appease the seducers. And it would be unreasonable for those taught by God to then listen to people. So, he does not say this out of exaltation, but to show the dignity of his preaching. True, he also came to Jerusalem, but not in order to study, but in order to convince others that those living in Jerusalem thought the same. Then he did not come immediately, that is, at the beginning, but after; and even then to convince others. and went to Arabia, and again returned to Damascus. He walked through uncultivated and wild places, because if he had remained among the apostles, his preaching would have encountered obstacles and would not have spread so quickly. So he went to the most savage peoples. But pay attention to humility: when listing the cities, he nowhere said how many he converted, although in Damascus he caused such confusion among the Jews that he was persecuted by the ethnarch. So, if he seems to be talking a lot about himself, he is not talking for the sake of vanity, but so that his sermon will not suffer damage if they do not believe him as a simple man and a disciple of his disciples. Gal.1:18. Then, three years later, I went to Jerusalem to see Peter: And this is proof of humility: having accomplished so much, he went to Peter not for any benefit, but for the sake of a simple meeting, showing him honor as the highest. Therefore, he did not say: “to see Peter” (ίδεΐν), but “to be seen” (ίστορήσαι), as those who study great and beautiful cities express it; just as we go to holy men, but we rather for benefit, and he for the sake of honor alone. and stayed with him for fifteen days. Dating is an expression of honor, and staying is an expression of friendship and ardent love. And he didn’t say that he studied, but “stayed with him,” instead of “with him.” Gal.1:19. I saw no other of the Apostles except James, the brother of the Lord. Although he came for Peter’s sake - he revered and loved him so much - he also saw Jacob, and he also mentions him with respect, calling him “brother of the Lord” - so far was he from envy! And indeed, if he wanted to distinguish, he would call him the son of Cleopas. After all, according to the flesh he was not the brother of the Lord, but was only considered. How was he the son of Cleopas, listen: Cleopas and Joseph were brothers; when Cleopas died childless, Joseph restored his seed and gave birth to him and his other brothers, and Mary, whom, although she was the daughter of Cleopas, the Gospel calls the sister of the Mother of the Lord, since Joseph, in relation to the Blessed Virgin, retained the care of a father rather than the disposition of a husband. Gal.1:20. And in what I am writing to you, before God, I am not lying. As if intending to testify before the court, he resorts to these words in order to seem most trustworthy. 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 - Having come to Judea only for the sake of a meeting with Peter, he again leaves it for the reason that he was sent to preach to the pagans and in order not to undertake construction on someone else’s foundation. Therefore, he says, the Christians in Judea did not know me by sight. So, how could I preach circumcision to them when they didn’t even know me by sight? Because they slandered him that he preached circumcision in Judea. But they only heard about me, that I turned to Christ and preached about Him. Gal.1:24. and glorified God for me. And this is a sign of modesty. For he did not say: they marveled at me, admired me, but attributed everything that happened to the action of grace. For “they glorified God for me,” who truly creates everything. 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