Background to the Churches in Galatia
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Galatia is situated almost across the centre of modern day Turkey. When the apostle Paul went on his first missionary journey with Barnabas in about AD46-48, they established churches in various cities in Galatia, namely Perga – Acts 13:13, Antioch in Pisidia – Acts 13:14, Iconium – Acts 13:51, Lystra – Acts 14:6 and Derbe – Acts 14:6. When they had finished preaching in Derbe they then returned to Lystra, Iconium and Antioch is Pisidia and strengthened the believers there - Acts 14:21-28. These churches are the recipients of Paul's letter to the Galatians.
The Churches is Galatia were made up of both Jews and Gentiles. The main reason Paul writes his letter to the Galatian churches is that those churches were listening to and succumbing to the Judaizing false teachers that had crept into the Church who were undermining the central New Testament doctrine of justification by faith in Christ Jesus.
Romans 3:28-31 (NKJV)
28 For we maintain that a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law. 29 Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles too? Yes, of Gentiles too, 30 since there is only one God, who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith. 31 Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law.
These false teachers were specifically teaching that Gentiles must first become Jewish proselytes and submit to all the Mosaic law before they could become Christians – thus nullifying Christ’s death on the cross for the salvation of mankind! Paul wrote his letter to counter these false teachings, to defend justification by faith in Christ Jesus alone, and to warn those churches of the dire consequences of abandoning this essential doctrine.
Note: in the body on this article the verses from Galatians are in italics, the explanation of the verse/s follows in straight text with additional scriptures shown in bold italics.
1 Paul, an apostle (not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised Him from the dead), 2 and all the brethren who are with me,
To the churches of Galatia:
In the first verse above, Paul confirms to the Galatians that he is an apostle not appointed from or through men but appointed directly through Jesus and God the Father under the leading of the Holy Spirit. He is an apostle to the Church in Galatia whose members are both Jews and Gentiles who are now Christians! In Christ Jesus there is no difference between Jew and Gentile.
Acts 13:2 (NIV)
While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.”
Romans 11:13-14 (NIV)
13 I am talking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch as I am the apostle to the Gentiles, I take pride in my ministry 14 in the hope that I may somehow arouse my own people to envy and save some of them.
Romans 15:15-16 (NIV)
15 Yet I have written you quite boldly on some points to remind you of them again, because of the grace God gave me 16 to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles. He gave me the priestly duty of proclaiming the gospel of God, so that the Gentiles might become an offering acceptable to God, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.
Galatians 3:26-29 (NIV)
26 So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, 27 for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.
In verse two above we see that Paul has addressed his letter to all the churches is Galatia and not just to one particular church. The same problem was facing all the churches that he and Barnabas had established in Galatia. They were all being led astray by false teachers who were preaching a different gospel than what he and Barnabas had first preached to them, that is faith in Christ Jesus alone!
If we look around us at the Church today you will say that the Church across the world is facing the very same problem. False teachers and prophets are coming in nineteen to the dozen! They are all around us and are wolves in sheep's clothing and they are leading good people astray in their thousands! The Church needs to wake up and expose these demonically led teachers!
Matthew 7:15 (NKJV)
“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.
Ephesians 5:11 (NKJV)
And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them.
3 Grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, 4 who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, 5 to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.
In verses 3-5 above Paul is pronounces a prayer of blessing over the Galatian churches. His pronouncement is one of grace (unmerited favour) and peace (the peace of Jesus that surpasses all understanding) is to them from both God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour.
Paul stresses to the Church that because of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross for our sins, the Lord delivers us from this age of evil and that this sacrifice and our redemption is according to the will of the Father to whom eternal glory belongs. What a blessing to all of His children! Let me assure that this blessing is for us today as well as Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever!
Hebrews 13:8 (NKJV)
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
Only One Gospel
6 I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, 7 which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. 9 As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed.
10 For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ.
In verses 6-10 above Paul cuts to the chaste and gets right to the point of why he is writing this letter to the Galatians.
In verses 6 and 7 he says that he marvels or is astonished or in modern day English vernacular, he is gob-smacked that they have so quickly turned away from the true gospel of faith in Christ Jesus to a perverted gospel that he calls no gospel at all! And I must say that I feels the same way about those who are led astray by todays wolves in sheep's clothing and there are so many of them!
And in verses 8 and 9 Paul shows how strongly he feels about their desertion from the true gospel and says that even if we (being he and Barnabas) or an angel from heaven preach another gospel other than the one that they (he and Barnabas) first preached to them. Then let that person be accursed. And in verse 9 Paul says the same thing again to give the message more impact, "let that person be accursed!”
The word accursed in verses 8 and 9 is translated from the Greek word ‘anathema’ which is pronounced an-ath'-em-ah and it refers to someone or something that is cursed by God and without hope of being redeemed. In other words, anyone who perverts the gospel and preaches a different gospel and leads people away from the true gospel, teaches a gospel according to man’s thoughts, is cursed of God! Beware you all you false preachers out there!
This perverted gospel is one that is still being preached in many churches to this day. A gospel that is politically correct but so far from being Biblically correct. The preachers and teachers of this perverted gospel come under God’s curse! These false teachers, preachers and prophets are responsible for leading thousands of people astray and as such will be judged harshly and bring destruction upon themselves. These men and women will go to hell if they do not repent!
2 Peter 2:1-3 (AMP)
But [in those days] false prophets arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will subtly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction on themselves. 2 Many will follow their shameful ways, and because of them the way of truth will be maligned. 3 And in their greed they will exploit you with false arguments and twisted doctrine. Their sentence [of condemnation which God has decreed] from a time long ago is not idle [but is still in force], and their destruction and deepening misery is not asleep [but is on its way].
And in verse 10 to finish off this section, Paul let’s the Galatians know that he is telling them these things because he is not a pleaser of men but because he is devoted to pleasing God in Christ Jesus and desires them to be the same as he is, just like he says in his letter to the Corinthians.
1 Corinthians 11:1 (NKJV)
Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ.
And the NIV Bible interprets this verse as Paul saying, “follow my example as I follow Christ’s.”
1 Corinthians 11:1 (NIV)
Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.
Paul's Call to Apostleship
11 But I make known to you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man. 12 For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came through the revelation of Jesus Christ.
Now, in verse 11 and 12 above, Paul tells the Galatian churches in no uncertain terms, of the authority he has to preach the gospel to them, and which authority did not come from man but was given to him directly by the revelation of Jesus! A powerful and compelling statement indeed!
13 For you have heard of my former conduct in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God beyond measure and tried to destroy it. 14 And I advanced in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries in my own nation, being more exceedingly zealous for the traditions of my fathers.
In verses 13 and 14 above Paul reminds the Galatians of who he was in Judaism before his conversion to Christianity. In his letter to the Philippians Paul tells us all about who he used to be before his conversion.
Philippians 3:4-11 (NKJV)
4 though I also might have confidence in the flesh. If anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I more so: 5 circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee; 6 concerning zeal, persecuting the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.
7 But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. 8 Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; 10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, 11 if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.
Paul makes this reminder of who he used to be to the Galatians to emphasise the fact that they should not listen to the false teachers who have infiltrated the Galatian church as they are trying to turn them back to Judaism and are thus perverting the truth of the gospel by trying to convince them that the should still be bound to the law from which they had been set free by the gospel of faith in Christ Jesus alone! Jesus is all we need, He is the way, the truth and the life!
John 14:6 (NKJV)
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.
15 But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb and called me through His grace, 16 to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately confer with flesh and blood, 17 nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me; but I went to Arabia, and returned again to Damascus.
In verses 15 to 17 Paul tells us that it pleased God to ‘call’ him to preach Jesus to the gentiles. He goes on to emphasise the fact that even though he was a Pharisee of Pharisees and a persecutor of the Church, he was actually called by God’s grace right from his mother’s womb and was predestined by God to preach the Gospel to the Gentiles and that he came to ‘know’ Jesus at the time when it pleased God! God is a changer of hearts!
Ezekiel 36:26-27 (NKJV)
26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them.
It is only once we have received Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour, once we are born again, that our Godly calling can be fulfilled in the power of the Holy Spirit and lead a life that will bring glory to Jesus! Our past, present and future sins are forgiven through the blood of Jesus!
In verses 16 and 17 Paul confirms to the Galatians that his calling is not of men but by God as he did not immediately confer with the other apostles in Jerusalem but went into Arabia to preach to the Gentiles in the power of the Holy Spirit and only after a period of about three years (see verse 18 below) did he go to Jerusalem to confer with a few of the other apostles.
Acts 9:15-16 (NKJV)
15 But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel. 16 For I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name’s sake.”
In the above two verses from Acts 9, the Lord is talking to Ananias a disciple of the Lord’s who lived in Damascus. The Lord instructs Ananias to go and pray for Paul as Paul has been chosen by Him to preach the gospel to the Gentiles. Ananias goes to Paul in obedience to the instruction from the Lord, lays hands on him and prays for him. During this prayer Paul is then filled with the Holy Spirit and is water baptised!
Acts 9:17-18 (NKJV)
17 And Ananias went his way and entered the house; and laying his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you came, has sent me that you may receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” 18 Immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he received his sight at once; and he arose and was baptized.
Mark 1:9-13 (NIV)
9 At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10 Just as Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. 11 And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”
12 At once the Spirit sent him out into the wilderness, 13 and he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and angels attended him.
Paul’s calling affirmed in Jerusalem
18 Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and remained with him fifteen days. 19 But I saw none of the other apostles except James, the Lord’s brother. 20 (Now concerning the things which I write to you, indeed, before God, I do not lie.)
21 Afterward I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia. 22 And I was unknown by face to the churches of Judea which were in Christ. 23 But they were hearing only, “He who formerly persecuted us now preaches the faith which he once tried to destroy.” 24 And they glorified God in me.
In verses 18-24 above Paul reiterates to the Galatian churches that his calling was not of man but from God, He wants this fact cemented in their hearts and deems it worthy of repetition.
He lets them know that when he was in Jerusalem specifically to see Peter three years after his calling, that the only two Apostles he met with were Peter and James the brother of Jesus. He stayed with Peter for 15 days and afterwards he went into Syria and Cilicia to preach the gospel there. Paul goes on to say that the believers in Syria and Cilicia were amazed at his dramatic conversion and gave God all the glory!
The idea that Paul the persecutor, who had been throwing fellow believers in jail and allowing them to be stoned to death, had now become a fellow believer was incredible, almost beyond belief. But the believing Jews in Judea had to rejoice based on what they had heard from the believers in Damascus and Jerusalem, including Peter and James, because he was unknown by sight to the churches in Judea which were in Christ.
The idea that Paul the persecutor, who had been throwing fellow believers in jail and allowing them to be stoned to death, had now become a fellow believer was incredible, almost beyond belief. But the believing Jews in Judea had to rejoice based on what they had heard from the believers in Damascus and Jerusalem, including Peter and James, because he was unknown by sight to the churches in Judea which were in Christ.
“Judea” refers to the southern part of Israel, which includes the city of Jerusalem. So, clearly Paul’s authority could not have come from man directly or indirectly. Paul’s authority as an apostle came by revelation directly from Jesus!
Prayer
Dear Father
In the name of Jesus, I pray that you would continually fill me with your Holy Spirit and give me wisdom and discernment so that I will not be led astray by the errant teachings of false prophets and teachers. Reveal to me, I pray, the wolves in sheep’s’ clothing that I may not stray from your path – Jesus Christ and Him crucified! Amen!
Remember: Reading this article is no substitute for reading and studying the Bible for yourself. My word is flawed the Bible is not!
Prayer
Dear Father
In the name of Jesus, I pray that you would continually fill me with your Holy Spirit and give me wisdom and discernment so that I will not be led astray by the errant teachings of false prophets and teachers. Reveal to me, I pray, the wolves in sheep’s’ clothing that I may not stray from your path – Jesus Christ and Him crucified! Amen!
To Jesus belongs all glory, honour and praise!
Jesus the Name above all names!
Remember: Reading this article is no substitute for reading and studying the Bible for yourself. My word is flawed the Bible is not!
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