Paul's Letter to the Galatians: Galatians 1

Galatians 1  •  2 min. read  •  grade level: 10
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The enemy had come into the churches of Galatia making them the center for an evil which had become a source of sadness to the apostle, leading him to write this letter. There must have been many assemblies in Galatia.
Conditions at Corinth had caused the apostle much grief because of moral evil that had been allowed, but the evil in Galatia was of a more dangerous character and called for a strong rebuke. The gospel was being corrupted by the returning to ordinances, keeping the law and setting aside salvation by free grace on the basis of the shed blood of Christ and of that alone. He was not an apostle appointed by man but by Christ Himself.
This doctrine denied full redemption by the death of Christ on the cross and placed man's reasoning above the revelation given to Paul, which he had taught among them.
God allowed this evil to ripen early in the history of the Church, so that down through the ages the believers might be aware of the enemy's efforts to bring believers again under the law of Moses.
These Judaizing teachers had tried to nullify Paul's doctrine, saying that the believers among the Gentiles must keep the law in order to be saved. The same teaching of law brought in Catholicism, rituals, keeping of holy days, not eating certain foods on certain days, and finally introducing idolatry and the worshipping of intermediate beings.
The religious world slew the Lord Jesus and attacks truth.
Paul marveled that the saints had departed so soon from the truth of the clear gospel of peace and grace and had invented another gospel which was not another, but which perverted the true one. He told them that if even an angel should preach another, he should be accursed. Paul did not receive the gospel from man but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.
Paul spoke of his former life and of his enmity against Christ, having been a leader in the Jewish religion. When he was called by the Lord to preach the gospel, he did not consort with men, but received it directly from God by revelation.
Paul went into Arabia and after a time went back to Damascus, then three years after his conversion he saw Peter for fifteen days, but he saw no other apostles, except the Lord's brother. Following this he went into Cilicia in Syria. He was not known to the churches of Judea, but the word had gone out that the one who was their persecutor in time past was now preaching the faith which before he destroyed.
There was nothing in the gospel that could be altered without destroying it. It was the gospel (glad tidings) of God Himself; all else was of Satan. If Paul had given in to satisfy his opponents, he would not be the servant of Christ.