Paul is an apostle. In general terms, the word apostle means “one who is sent with a commission”. The 12 apostles of Jesus Christ were sent by Jesus to become ambassadors, a representative of the bearer of the gospel. This means that there is someone who sent Paul even if Paul does not belong to the original 12.
Still in verse 1 Paul said, “not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised Him from the dead” which means that it is not men who commission Paul to be an apostle but it was Jesus Christ Himself and God the Father.
As you observe here, the greetings of Paul is a little unusual compared to other letters that he wrote. Why Paul did mentioned that he did not come from men nor through man? This letter is not too friendly for the Galatians. I can say that this letter a rebuke letter. Later on, as we will be discussing some of the problems in the churches of Galatia, we will be seeing there that there are some people who tried to question the authority of Paul to preach the gospel. And now Paul through this letter is making a defense about the authority he inherited as an apostle.
I also see here that the source of authority that Paul is preaching did not come from man. Paul drew a line here, identifying that the authority who sent him poses the authority more than that of man. Therefore, we can conclude that Paul is recognizing an authority above men, someone who poses a divine power to send messengers for the good news.
Galatia
Galatia is more like a province in Asia Minor. This means that this letter was not only written for one church but for the churches in Galatia (v.2), Antioch, Iconium, Lystra, and Derbe (Acts 13:14-14:23) and there could be some more churches.
Paul blessed the churches in verse 3. In verse 4, Paul emphasized that Jesus whom he preached gave Himself for our sins that He might deliver us from the present evil age. Note here again, that as we go along the book of Galatians, we will be seeing there some false teachers who preached a different gospel. And while Galatians were hearing these false teachings, many of them fell to a different faith that they have received apart from what Paul taught them before.
We can see here a picture of a week group of Christians who have been easily entangled with false teachings. In verse 6, Paul directly said to the Galatian churches what’s wrong with them. Paul used the word “marvel” or in other translation he used “astonished”, this means that Paul was surprised on what is happening to the believers in Galatia. Take note the tone of this letter. If I am going to place myself in the part of the Galatians, I will be reading this letter I would probably say that Paul my leader is a little sarcastic in his words. It is not a pleasant surprised, but a question of the integrity of the gospel that they have received first.
The phrase “turning away” in other translation is heavier; they used the word “deserted” The word deserted is equivalent to a traitor, disloyal soldiers. This means leaving someone who counts on us. If we do this, we are certainly a deserter. It is like playing on the other side of the court. And this is the picture of some Christians in Galatia. They wondered away from the faith that they have received from Paul’s message.
The Gospel Similar in our days, there were already lots of teachings circulating around the Christian world. The book of Galatians gives us a picture of what kind of world they have before. Even at beginning of Christianity, there were already some people who have been teaching a different gospel of Christ. There are some people who have been teaching that they have to follow the law in order to be saved (Galatians 2:11-3:14).
Reading the whole book of Galatians, we can picture there that Paul is actually explaining, or is presenting an argument, that we are saved by grace through faith and not by works. In fact, he is pointing out that we are no longer under the law but under the grace of God. And this truth means that we are justified by faith, and not by the law.
The law bring curse to those who follow it as Paul pointed it out because no one is able to obey the whole law. And once we fail to one, it is guilty in breaking all of it; 10For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. (James 2:10). And because of this, all people are guilty to be condemned to death through eternal fire.
On the other hand, Paul did not undermine the Law because it also came from God. In Galatians 3:19-25, Paul explained that the law had its purpose. Before Christ came, the law kept us under guard, it is a tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith (3:23-24). And now that we are saved by believing and having faith in Christ Jesus (3:22) we are no longer under a tutor.
However, what is happening here in the book of Galatians is against to what Paul is preaching. Some Judaizers teaches people to obey the law fervently. Some of them teach that as believers, they have to be circumcised in order to become a part of the household of God. This is why Paul wrote this letter, to refute false teachings about grace and faith.
Conclusion
We can learn three main things in here.
We are to know whom we preach.
Paul has been very confident in preaching the gospel of Christ. In fact, he claimed that it is Jesus Christ and God the Father who sent him. This is why we should not be afraid in proclaiming the gospel, in sharing it to other people, nor defending our faith. Whenever we go and share the gospel to other people, we know who sent us. Not only pastors, not only our brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus, but also Jesus himself and God the Father who sent us for a mission, a mission that is to be fulfilled.
Through him, we have the confidence; 4Such confidence as this is ours through Christ before God (2 Corinthians 3:4). How about us, do we have the same confidence in Christ Jesus in sharing the gospel?
We are to know where to preach
Obviously, Paul knows Galatia very well. He worked there for several years planting and serving in the churches. And now he wrote this letter, he knows up to what degree of words that he can use for these people.
In addition to this, Paul is confident enough in preaching the true gospel because he knows the place and even the people.
Brothers and sisters, in going to the mission field, it is important to know our target areas so that we can pray for that place. And I believe that praying for the place where we will be preaching can help us a lot.
We are to know what we preach.
Paul knows what he preaches. He knows where he is standing. He knows what and to whom he believes. How about us? Do we know what we believe?
“Confidence in Christ is the driving force of force of evangelism.”
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