Written by: Richard Johnson - Head of Biblical Studies, Redcliffe College
Galatians 1 v 1-5
From Paul, an apostle. I was not chosen to be an apostle by human beings, nor
was I sent from human beings. I was made an apostle through Jesus Christ and
God the Father who raised Jesus from the dead. This letter is also from all
those of God's family who are with me.
To the churches in Galatia:
Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus gave
himself for our sins to free us from this evil world we live in, as God the Father
planned. The glory belongs to God for ever and ever. Amen.
Notes
In the ancient world, the writer of a letter would (very sensibly) write their
name at the beginning rather than at the end. Paul follows this custom, but
then adds that he is an "apostle"; that is, "a person who
has been sent by someone to accomplish a task". In Paul's case, the
one who has sent him is none other than Jesus Christ, and God the Father "who
raised Jesus from the dead"! But even Paul, with his special vocation,
is not a "lone ranger"; he never forgets that he is also a part
of the wider family of God's people. What he writes is not just his own ideas,
but the mind of Christ as discerned by the whole people of God.
He writes to "the churches in Galatia". These had been visited by Paul just a year or two before, in AD 48 (Acts 13-14 describes some of Paul's adventures on this journey). These churches were a mixture of Jews and Gentiles, and Paul therefore greets them by combining the expressions "grace" (a typically Greek greeting) and "peace" (equivalent to "shalom", the Hebrew greeting). Each of these words now had a deeper meaning for Christians, who had received genuine "grace" and "peace" from "God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ". Jesus' sacrifice of himself on the cross, and subsequent resurrection, enabled them to live lives of freedom, despite the evil that surrounded them in the world.
As we read or watch the news, we are constantly reminded of the evil within our own world; but this letter reminds us, first, that Christ gives us the freedom not to be entangled by evil, and second, he has sent us as God's representatives to the world with the message - and in the power - of Jesus' resurrection!
Prayer
Lord, help me to remember that I am one of your ambassadors to those around
me. Help me not to be entangled by the evil that surrounds me, but to live
in the power of your resurrection, as I seek your mind for the message I
need to proclaim to this needy world. Amen
Galatians 1 v 6-10
God, by his grace through Christ, called you to become his people. So I am
amazed that you are turning away so quickly and believing something different
from the Good News. Really, there is no other Good News. But some people
are confusing you; they want to change the Good News of Christ. We preached
to you the Good News. So if we ourselves, or even an angel from heaven, should
preach to you something different, we should be judged guilty! I said this
before, and now I say it again: you have already accepted the Good News.
If anyone is preaching something different to you, he should be judged guilty!
Do you think I am trying to make people accept me? No, God is the One I am
trying to please. Am I trying to please people? If I still wanted to please
people, I would not be a servant of Christ.
Notes
In almost every letter Paul writes he begins by praising and thanking God for
those to whom he is writing, even when he is going on to criticise them later.
But not this one! Instead, he immediately registers his amazement at the
fact that the Galatians are turning away from the Good News he had preached
to them – "the Good News of Christ".
This reminds us that the Christian message is, in fact, "Good News" - count how many times the phrase occurs in today's passage! If you are hungry, to be invited to eat is good news. If you are lost, for a guide to come alongside you is good news. And if you are burdened or bound by sin, the news of forgiveness and freedom, and the possibility of a new start, is, truly, good news - in fact the best news that one can hear.
But this good news comes from, and is centred on, Christ. Paul is astonished because the Galatians are turning away from Christ and pinning their hopes on something or someone else, as people have done ever since. Paul doesn't yet mention what they are turning to, but in a sense it doesn't matter; in whatever direction you turn, if you are turning away from Christ you are missing the heart of God's "Good News" for you.
In a world in which people are travelling in countless different directions, to proclaim that one direction is the true one does not make one popular, but Paul is not bothered by that. His concern is simply to please God and to be a servant of Christ. We, too, must be prepared to lose popularity within our post-modern society when we proclaim that "true truth" is centred on Christ and that it is truly, deeply "Good News".
Prayer
Lord, I thank you for today's reminder that you are not merely the speaker
of good news, but that you are, yourself, the good news that I need to embrace.
Help me never to give in to the temptation to turn away from you to something,
or somebody else. Amen
Galatians 1 v 11-14
Brothers and sisters, I want you to know that the Good News I preached to you
was not made up by human beings. I did not get it from humans, nor did anyone
teach it to me, but Jesus Christ showed it to me.
You have heard about my past life in the Jewish religion. I attacked the church
of God and tried to destroy it. I was becoming a leader in the Jewish religion,
doing better than most other Jews of my age. I tried harder than anyone else
to follow the teachings handed down by our ancestors.
Notes
Having expressed his astonishment previously that the Galatians were turning
away from the "Good News of Christ", Paul now wants to show them
that this good news really works. In today's passage, Paul makes two points:
First, the message he proclaimed to them was not a human invention, or a human tradition, even if it must, of necessity, be couched in human words. Paul's message, and all subsequent Christian theology, is simply the attempt to bear witness to, and understand the significance of, an event; for on the first Easter Sunday something unique happened in human history: a man, Jesus of Nazareth, was raised from the dead by God. It was the risen Christ himself who had subsequently appeared to Paul (an experience described in Acts 9); and from that day onwards the risen Christ (rather than any human teaching) was at the heart of Paul's message.
Second, Paul describes what had led up to this, for he had been a man with a mission, desperately trying to live up to God's expectations by zealously obeying the traditional Jewish laws and passionately trying to destroy the church. Later in the letter (e.g. in Galatians 3 v 11) he will tell the Galatians that obeying the Jewish law can't put you right with God; today's passage shows us that he knew what he was talking about, for obedience to the law had been the goal of his life until he met Christ.
In our own lives we cannot expect to replicate Paul's experience, but we can live according to Paul's message. The risen Christ can and should be at the heart of our lives, displacing anything else that we think might enable us to live up to God's standards.
Prayer
Lord, I confess that in the past I have lived a life that has displeased you.
Even when I have tried to please you, I have often failed because of my ignorance
and pride. I pray that the risen Christ would once again take centre stage
in my life. Amen
Galatians 1 v 15-24
But God had special plans for me and set me apart for his work even before
I was born. He called me through his grace and showed his Son to me so that
I might tell the Good News about him to those who are not Jewish. When God
called me, I did not get advice or help from any person. I did not go to
Jerusalem to see those who were apostles before I was. But, without waiting,
I went away to Arabia and later went back to Damascus.
After three years I went to Jerusalem to meet Peter and stayed with him for
fifteen days. I met no other apostles, except James, the brother of the Lord.
God knows that these things I write are not lies. Later, I went to the areas
of Syria and Cilicia.
In Judea the churches in Christ had never met me. They had only heard it said, "This
man who was attacking us is now preaching the same faith that he once tried
to destroy." And these believers praised God because of me.
Notes
Paul recognised that his own life was somewhat out of the ordinary; indeed,
like the prophet Jeremiah (see Jeremiah 1 v 5), he had been chosen "before
his birth". He had had the privilege of seeing the risen Christ in a
dramatic vision that perhaps at times we are tempted to envy; but the greater
the privilege, the greater the responsibility. And Paul's responsibility
would be enormous: to think through and proclaim what the Good News of Jesus
meant for those who came from a non-Jewish background, and to endure much
suffering from those who opposed his message.
Before Jesus began his ministry, he went to the desert for a time of spiritual preparation; and so too did Paul. Such preparation is always vital for those whom God chooses for arduous ministries. Paul later returned to preach in Damascus before meeting Peter and James in Jerusalem - which is probably the visit recorded by Luke in Acts 9 v 26-30. This meeting was short and relatively low-key, and Paul then returned to his home city of Tarsus in Cilicia (in southern Turkey).
In any work of God it is important to start small and patiently allow for growth to occur naturally, as with a plant or a tree. Although Paul was chosen by God to be "the apostle to the Gentiles", over a decade would elapse between his conversion and the start of his "missionary journeys". It does great damage to try to force the pace of the ministry God has given us, and is likely to result in burn-out. Paul's example of taking time out to think through what had happened to him, of preaching in a single city and spending time in his home area before facing bigger challenges, is an excellent one for us all to remember.
Prayer
Lord, I confess that at times I have been impatient to do great things for
you before laying down a firm foundation. I pray for strength to resist the
influence of our driven society, and for wisdom to wait patiently for you
to lead me forward step by step. Amen
Galatians 2 v 1-5
After fourteen years I went to Jerusalem again, this time with Barnabas. I
also took Titus with me. I went because God showed me I should go. I met
with the believers there, and in private I told their leaders the Good News
that I preach to the non-Jewish people. I did not want my past work and the
work I am now doing to be wasted. Titus was with me, but he was not forced
to be circumcised, even though he was a Greek. We talked about this problem
because some false believers had come into our group secretly. They came
in like spies to overturn the freedom we have in Christ Jesus. They wanted
to make us slaves. But we did not give in to those false believers for a
minute. We wanted the truth of the Good News to continue for you.
Notes
"Fourteen years" probably refers to the time since Paul's conversion
in (approx) AD 34. He had spent much of this time in Tarsus but had then moved
to Antioch at the invitation of Barnabas (see Acts 11 v 25-26). Due to famine
conditions in Judea, the Christians there sent help to the church in Jerusalem
(see Acts 11 v 29-30), and Paul used this opportunity to check with the leaders
in Jerusalem that he was doing the right thing. It is always sensible to check
our policies with wise leaders if we want to ensure that our work is not wasted.
The big topic they discussed was that of circumcision - the biggest single problem facing the early church. From the time of Abraham circumcision had been a sign that one belonged to God's people, and the church was split on the question of whether this sign should still be imposed on non-Jewish converts to Christianity (male Jewish converts were, of course, already circumcised). Paul was convinced in his own mind that Christ had freed the church from such regulations, and to give in would move the church back to a legalistic mentality that was foreign to the Spirit of God. Others, however, were not so sure; including many among Paul's readers. Titus was a test case, and Paul was relieved that the leaders in Jerusalem agreed with him and did not require Titus to be circumcised. Faith in the risen Christ (not "faith plus circumcision") was the only entry requirement for becoming a part of the Christian community.
It is all too easy to impose additional burdens on new Christians before we fully accept them as a part of our Christian community; and we would all do well to remember that nothing extra is required beyond faith in Christ.
Prayer
Lord, too often in my individual and corporate life I have slipped back into
legalism; I have tried to earn what you would freely give me and have become
a slave to tradition. Help me to serve you in the liberating freedom of the
Holy Spirit. Amen
Galatians 2 v 6-10
Those leaders who seemed to be important did not change the Good News that
I preach. (It doesn't matter to me if they were "important" or
not. To God everyone is the same.) But these leaders saw that I had been
given the work of telling the Good News to those who are not Jewish, just
as Peter had the work of telling the Jews. God gave Peter the power to work
as an apostle for the Jewish people. But he also gave me the power to work
as an apostle for those who are not Jews. James, Peter and John, who seemed
to be the leaders, understood that God had given me this special grace, so
they accepted Barnabas and me. They agreed that they would go to the Jewish
people and that we should go to those who are not Jewish. The only thing
they asked us was to remember to help the poor—something I really wanted
to do.
Notes
Paul and the Jerusalem apostles had agreed on the fundamental issue that non-Jewish
converts to Christianity did not need to be circumcised, but there was still
the practical necessity of working out their respective areas of work. Co-operation
between Christian leaders is always vital if the work of God is to move forward,
because no one person, however gifted, can do everything that is needed.
Their discussion led to an agreement that whereas Peter's special ministry would be to the Jews, Paul's would be to those from non-Jewish backgrounds. This was sensible, as well as in line with the words of Jesus after Paul's conversion (see Acts 9 v 15), as Paul's whole upbringing was a preparation for this task. He was a Jew, but also a Roman citizen; he had studied under Rabbi Gamaliel, but was also familiar with the Greek poets (quoted in Acts 17 v 28); and his whole ministry had demonstrated his ability to effortlessly cross from one culture to another and to preach in a way non-Jewish people could understand.
Like Paul, many people in the world today grow up as citizens of more than one culture. For some, this can lead to a profound loss of identity, but for a Christian it can be a great opportunity to build bridges of understanding and reconciliation between those different cultures.
Part of the bridge-building for Paul was a commitment to encourage the non-Jewish Christians to help the poor, including their famine-stricken Jewish fellow-believers. This became an important part of Paul's subsequent ministry (see, for example, references to the collection of money in 1 Corinthians 16 v 1-4; 2 Corinthians 8-9; Romans 15 v 25-27). We too have a similar responsibility as we live in a world in which the gap between rich and poor continually widens.
Prayer
Lord, as I seek to build bridges of love across our divided world, help me "to
remember to help the poor", so that the reality of your life can be seen
in my actions as well as in my words. May those around me recognise your love
working in me and flowing through me to others. Amen
Galatians 2 v 11-14
When Peter came to Antioch, I challenged him to his face, because he was wrong.
Peter ate with the non-Jewish people until some Jewish people sent from James
came to Antioch. When they arrived, Peter stopped eating with those who weren't
Jewish, and he separated himself from them.
He was afraid of the Jews. So Peter was a hypocrite, as were the other Jewish
believers who joined with him. Even Barnabas was influenced by what these Jewish
believers did. When I saw they were not following the truth of the Good News,
I spoke to Peter in front of them all. I said, "Peter, you are a Jew,
but you are not living like a Jew. You are living like those who are not Jewish.
So why do you now try to force those who are not Jewish to live like Jews?"
Notes
Someone has said that Peter only opened his mouth to change feet! This is somewhat
unfair, but Peter did often speak - or act - first and think afterwards,
which is perhaps why so many people feel that they can relate to him!
The issue of food in today's passage is not really very different from the issue of circumcision earlier in the chapter. What is at stake is how you define the boundaries of your community; and for the Jews, eating only with other Jews was as much a sign of their Jewishness as circumcision. It was a painful experience for the early Jewish Christians to relearn the basics of what it meant to be a member of God's people and to give up centuries of tradition. It was especially difficult for the Jewish Christians in Jerusalem, surrounded by Jewish culture and seeking not to offend their Jewish friends and neighbours. For this reason the church in Jerusalem was typically more conservative than the church elsewhere.
Peter knew that eating with non-Jews was OK for Christians; indeed, he had been the first of the apostles to make this breakthrough after his visionary experience and his encounter with Cornelius in Acts 10. However, it is easy to lower one's standards when afraid, and Peter was certainly afraid of the conservative James (Jesus' brother, not the apostle), now leading the church in Jerusalem. As Peter had denied Jesus once before, so now he failed again and needed to be rebuked by Paul.
It is easy to slip up in a world of many competing pressures; thus we all need to develop both a deep understanding of our faith and the moral courage to put it into practice - especially when we know that our stand will be an unpopular one.
Prayer
Lord, forgive me for those times when I have compromised the truth or have
failed to live up to the radical nature of your demands upon me. I pray for
wisdom and strength to remain firm in times of temptation, and for the willingness
to let go of attitudes which do not glorify you. Amen
word-on-the-web uses the Scripture text taken from the Youth Bible, New Century Version (Anglicised Edition) copyright 1993 by Word Publishing Milton Keynes