Galatians chapter 1 verses 11 to 20 - The Apostleship of Paul - Dr J Stewart Gillespie

1. The Message – Which he Preached (1:11-12) 
2. The Man – Who was Changed (1:13-16a) 
3. The Mission – He was Given (1:16b-17) 

 Beginning to see something of the first of the 3 themes of the epistle: Paul’s Apostleship. 

 Paul’s Apostleship was being challenged at Galatia: they didn’t like his message, as is often the case if don’t like the message, we attack the messenger. 

 Some seem to have pointed out that he came to faith after the death of Christ – not a true apostle at all – 2nd rate – hadn’t journeyed with Christ, sat at His feet, listened to His ministry, saw His miracles. 

 Perhaps suggested he had partly received his message from some of the other apostles & altered and added bits to it. 

 Against this background we have the teaching of chapters 1&2. 

The Message – Which he Preached (1:11-12) 

 “I certify you” – One of the few epistles to come with an authentication certificate. 

 “gospel which was preached” – lit. “the gospel that I gospelled.” 

 Paul before he had been saved had been an accomplished Pharisee (Phil3:5). A member of the Jewish religious body. The clergy of its day. Learned in all the traditions of Judaism. Regarded themselves as being at the top of the religious pile. 

 These Pharisees had 2 sources of teaching: 

Written Teaching  – The OT of the Bible & the teaching of past Rabbis in the Mishnah 
Oral Traditions – Passed on from one Rabbi to his students 

 To these oral traditions Paul refers in v12, “I neither received it” – “paralambano” a technical term for oral traditions passed on by the Rabbis to their students – not by transmission or tradition. 

 This is what his opponents accuse him of: second hand traditions, received and altered from others, not direct experience of Christ. 

 Not by education, “neither was I taught it” – “didasko” (v12) – “a specific reference to academic instruction” (Ridderbos) 

 Apply this truth: if were going to have an experience of Jesus Christ; it won’t come by listening to someone else, won’t come by reading books. 

 Real biblical Christianity: Not a set of traditions, not a set of rules, not a set of regulations, a living personal experience of God through Jesus Christ. 

 Say: I’m a Christian, I go to Church. I go to McDonald’s but that doesn’t make me a hamburger. Not Christians by association, nor by tradition  but by personal experience of Christ, “for I know whom I have believed…” (2Tim1:12). 

 This begins the day we open our heart in faith to Christ. 

 This is how Paul received the gospel, “by the revelation of Jesus Christ”(v12b), – an unveiling – a personal experience of Christ. Start off with a veil over our mind to Christ, God can lift it. 

 Cf. what Paul says about the origin of his apostleship (1:1) & the origin of the message (1:11-12) – both were clearly under attack. 

The Man – Who was Changed (1:13-16a) 

Consider his: 

 Conversation (v13) – “my conversation” – “my manner of life.” a major theme in Acts & 1Co15:8; 1Tim1:12. His conversion was a defining moment in the H/O the Church. Any understanding of Christianity has to be able to explain what caused such a transformation. His remarkable testimony is frequently referred to throughout the NT as a well established & widely accepted fact. 

 There had been a dramatic change in his life. Anyone who has had a personal experience of Christ ought to be changed. 

 Paul’s pre-conversion life many things were quite excessive but it was marked by: 

Religion (v14) – Religion is no substitute for REALITY 
Traditions (v14) – No substitute for TRANSFORMATION 

 Many today would be quite happy with that as their own version of Christianity: a bit of religion, a bit of tradition, a bit of church going, a name on a role, a nice routine, a few good works. 

 That’ll do us for Christianity! But this was before Paul was saved! 

 Christianity is ever so much more than religion + tradition. 

 If this was Paul’s idea of what it was to be lost. What was it to be saved? 

God revealed Christ to him (v12) 
God revealed Christ in him (v16) 

 Back to this point of a personal experience of Christ through faith. Putting our trust in Him. Not in a vague religious way, but knowing Him & trusting Him completely as our personal saviour. His presence as real as our nearest & dearest. 

 Revelation of Christ: “in me” (v16a) & by him (v16) – Christ is revealed “in” Paul ever before He is revealed by Paul. We can only preach Christ to others as we have experienced Him ourselves. If our testimony/ministry has a hollow ring to it maybe its because we don’t speak from the fullness of our own heart (Jo7:38). Once God has: 

Revealed Christ to him (v12) 
Revealed Christ in him (v16), then God can: 
Revealed Christ through him (v16) 

 In v13&14 the emphasis is on what Paul had done, now the emphasis is on what God has done (v15&16). 

 Separation (v15) – Pre-conversion Sanctification, cf. Positional Sanctification (1Co1:2) & Practical Sanctification (1Thess4:3). 

 As Paul looks back he could see Divine purpose being worked out right from the beginning of his life. 

 “Separated” – akin to that of “Pharisee” 

 Cf. “Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations” (Jer1:5). 

The Mission – He was Given (1:16b-24) 

 Note the dependence of Paul upon Christ (v11-17) 

Revealed Christ to him (v12) 
Revealed Christ in him (v16), then God can: 
Revealed Christ through him (v16) 

 Note the independence of Paul from other apostles (v16-24) – some were suggesting Paul was a 2nd rate apostle with a 2nd hand message. 

 Note the relative obscurity in which Paul laboured at first (v22), before he moved out in service in a more public sphere. Note the importance of ‘wilderness years’: 

Joseph – his time as a servant & as a prisoner 
Moses – 40years in the backside of the desert – as a shepherd 
David – His experience gained of His God as a shepherd 

 Waiting time isn’t wasted time. 

 Formerly a ‘persecutor’ & now a ‘preacher’ (v23) 

 In our testimony do we seek to draw attention to ourselves? Do we preach & lift up Christ that all men might be drawn to Him (Jo12:32)? 

 Note the parallel between Paul’s movements out to Damascus, to the Gentiles & that of Elijah in 1Kings19:15. Both returned to Damascus. A foreshadowing of God’s movement of Grace to the Gentiles in Gal1:17?

A message preached in our bible teaching series on Paul's letter to the Galatians.

Free to download audio messages from this ministry series of expository preaching through the chapters of Galatians.

Yours by Grace in Christ 

Dr J Stewart Gillespie

Galatians chapter 1 verses 6 to 10 - The Defence of the Gospel - Dr J Stewart Gillespie

Praise that’s Absent (1:6-10) 
People that Stray(1:6) 
A Gospel that’s Changed (1:6-7) 
Teachers that Trouble (1:8-9) 
A Purpose that’s Pure (1:10) 

Praise that’s Absent (1:6-10) 

 After the introduction in every Pauline epistle, Paul would turn to commendation & praise, for: 

Our reputation/testimony (Rom1:8) 
Our knowledge of spiritual things (1Co1:4,5) 
Us personally (Eph1:16) 
Our Giving (Phil1:3-5) 
Our spiritual progress (Phil1:6) 
Our spirituality: faith, love & hope (Col1:3-5) 
Our evangelical effort/fervour (1Thess1:3,8) 
Our progress in faith & love (2Thess1:3) 

 So after the introduction in Galatians let’s have a look for what Paul finds to commend: Nothing!! Almost as if Paul had gone down the above check list, looked for things in the assembly he could commend and has found nothing to commend! How would we fare? 

Our reputation/testimony (Rom1:8) – They certainly talk about us! 
Our knowledge of spiritual things (1Co1:5) 
Us personally (Eph1:16) – Do we bring delight or despair! 
Our Giving (Phil1:5) – The shakings of the poke? 
Our spiritual progress (Phil1:6) – Need to take the handbrake off? 
Our spirituality (Col1:3-5) – Spiritual giant or spiritual pygmy? 
Our evangelical effort/fervour (1Thess1:8) – In need of resuscitation? 
Our progress in faith & love (2Thess1:3) – Lost the plot and lost the passion? 

 What would Paul have to say to me if he wrote me a letter. He would certainly send a greeting; he always does, but what about commendation? 

 Purely theoretical? Paul won’t send any letter! Maybe not but, “we shall all stand before the judgement seat of Christ.” (Rom14:10). 

 Little commendation here but plenty of condemnation! 

People that Stray(1:6) 

 Had already noted that they had strayed away from the gospel doctrinally, but something new here: v6 doesn’t say they’ve strayed from a doctrine – bad enough but from a person, “removed from Him.” 

 Have already noted the doctrinal problem at Galatia: adding to gospel. 

 Learn here that: Doctrine – What we believe concerning Christ, affects: Relationship – What we have with Christ, “ye are so soon removed from Him…” Believing the wrong things about Christ affects our relationship with Christ. 

 We cannot claim a closeness to Christ personally & yet be muddled concerning Christ doctrinally. 

 One of the basic NT term for our relationship with Christ is “knowledge” (Phil3:10; Eph3:18,19). A right appreciation of Christ is needed. 

 “We all love the Lord Jesus so everything is alright & the doctrine doesn’t really matter” may well sound very pious & compassionate, but it is utter nonsense: 2Tim1:12; Jo4:22. 

 Right relationship finds its basis in a right appreciation of Christ. 

 Hence, at Galatia; corrupt the gospel – destroy the relationship. 

 There was one small glimmer of hope for the Galatians, it is hidden in a bad translation of v6: “ye are so soon removed,” is really a present indicative; “ye are so quickly removing,” (Ridderbos). “The only ray of hope is that they were still only in the process of deserting & could possibly be reclaimed.” (JM Boice) 

 They hadn’t completely been convinced that it was alright to add to the gospel and believe in Christ AND good works generally or religious observances particularly or circumcision specifically. 

 “removed” can have a military meaning “deserted” – the desertion is all the more painful because it is the desertion of a PERSON & not a PLACE. 

A Gospel that’s Changed (1:6-7) 

 Note the two “anothers”: v6 – “hetero"” – another of a different kind, v7 – “allo"” – another of the same kind. 

 This ‘gospel’ is another of a different kind, no gospel at all, no power to save (5:1-4). We cannot add to the person & work of Christ & still have a gospel which has the power to save (Gal2:21). 

 Notice wherever God has any ‘true’ thing Satan has His counterfeit: 

Counterfeit Gods: Calf of Exodus, Baal, Ashtaroth, Diana, Artemis. 
Counterfeit Disciples: Judas Iscariot, Simon (Acts8) 
Counterfeit Temple: Mt. Gerizim (Jo4) 
Counterfeit Miracles: Pharaoh’s court, Jannes & Jambres 
Counterfeit Christ: The Antichrist 
Counterfeit Prophets: 1Kings18. 

 We note that going along with this counterfeit gospel is a curse (v8,9) rather than a blessing (3:14). 

 Sometimes once we’ve been on the Christian pathway for a while we become open to novelties, something different (Heb13:7,9). 

 ‘If it’s new it’s not true & if it’s true it’s not new’ 

Teachers that Trouble (1:8-9) 

“To tamper with the gospel is to trouble the church…the church’s greatest trouble makers (now as then) are not those outside who oppose, ridicule & persecute it, but those inside who try to change the gospel…” (Stott). 

 The message is more important than the messenger. 

 Must have the discernment to look behind personalities, even those we love & respect & examine their teaching according to the word of God, Cf. the Bereans (Acts17:10-11). 

 Notice Paul’s willingness to curse: “anathema” when the gospel was under threat. He knew that if anything was added to the gospel there was no salvation for anyone, (1Co1:18,23-24; Gal2:16; 3:1-5;Rom1:16) 

 The Galatians were in a bad way, before they could make any progress the dead wood had to be cleared out, the false teachers had to be removed. For them the way forwards was the way back! 

 Notice that a willingness to compromise the truth is no sign of superior spirituality & love. True love for Christ will fight for all the truth which belongs to His person & work, cf. Shammah (2Sam23:11) defending the field of lentils against the Philistines, it was the King’s, it was the Lord’s, therefore it was precious! 

“Denunciation of error is an index of devotion to the truth. He who cannot curse cannot bless, either. Only the person who has a firm grasp of the truth can discern what is erroneous.” 

A Purpose that’s Pure (1:10) 

 Would seem that some slandered Paul with the accusation that his gospel was the ‘easy’ option, didn’t involve any law keeping, & that he preached it to please men & win them over to something easy. 

 Coincidental proof that we preach the same message as Paul, we get the same thing hurled at us! 

 Paul has just pronounced “anathema” on those who disagree with him. 

 Is he now currying favour & trying to please men? 

 Paul is the “doulo"”: servant/slave of Christ. This precludes pleasing men, his will is given over to the service of Christ. 

 Sometimes to please & serve Christ we offend men! Do bear that in mind when you listen to the ministry! 

 The ministry which I have profited from most over the years is the ministry which has most offended me!

Free to download bible teaching ministry from our chapter by chapter bible teaching expounding the truth and meaning of Paul's letter to the Galatians.

Yours by Grace in Christ 

Dr J Stewart Gillespie

  The People & the Place, “the churches of Galatia” (1:2). 

      Read any commentary debate & uncertainty over the place, exactly where Galatia was but can be fairly sure who they were. 

      ‘Galatians’ is an abbreviation of ‘Gallo-Grecians’ 

      The ‘Grecian’ part of the name is simple enough, relates to Greece, these people were Greek in language & culture. 
      The ‘Gallo’ part relates to ‘Gaul’, they were from ‘Gaul’ in France originally and invaded down through Macedonia and into Turkey ~300BC.  

      These ‘Gauls’ were Celtic people. A name we understand. There culture and heritage are still with us. Many of us have Celtic blood in us. 

      Much on NT maybe seems far away. Written to Jews & Greeks. This letter is written to Celtic people, to our people, perhaps making it the ‘nearest’ of the NT epistles to us. 

  Problem of Galatians: false teachers had come in (1:8;3:1;5:710), challenging the very fundamentals of the gospel; teaching faith in Christ, His death  & resurrection + something else, (2:3-5;3:1-2,10;4:10,21;5:1-4). Whenever we do that, add anything to the gospel, we destroy the gospel (3:4;4:10-11;5:2-4). In this case addition = subtraction, hence the warning in Rev22:18-19. What was being added to the gospel?  

1.    Good Works in General – “works of law” (2:16) & (3:1-2,10) – familiar with the concepts of ‘good works’ gospel. Churchianity, Christ + good life + church membership. 

2.    Religious Activities in Particular (4:10) – Jewish feast days & temple attendance. 

3.    Circumcision Specifically (5:1-4) – not just good works now, nothing good/bad about circumcision – surgical procedure – didn’t really matter of itself, Paul had Timothy circumcised in Acts16:3. A religious ordinance, the significance lay in how men regarded it. If their faith lay in Christ + circumcision – no gospel and no salvation. Cf. baptism, can’t even put faith in a God given thing, only in Christ. Christ + nothing else. The significance of baptism – symbolic (Rom6) and its importance lies in the relationship between the believer and God which already exists and not on the baptism itself (1Pet3:21), cf. Acts9:36-37 – the relationship was right & then the act. Hence heaven is full of unbaptised believers (Abraham, Isaac, Jacob   

4.    (Matt22:32), Elijah (Matt17), David & thief on the cross, but is devoid of baptised unbelievers! 

1)    Pauls Apostolic Authority (1:1-2) 
2)    Person and Work of Christ (1:3-4) 
3)    The Purpose of our Redemption (1:4) 

  The above 3 concerns in the introduction are reflected in the rest of the epistle as a whole: 

1)    Pauls Apostolic Authority (Chps1-2) 
  Challenged by the Galatians and defended in Chps1&2. 
2)    Person and Work of Christ (Chps3-4) 
  The centrality of the cross (3:1,13), introduced in 2:20. 
  Justification by faith (3:2ff), introduced in 2:16-21. 
3)    The Purpose of our Redemption (Chps5-6) 
  Explained practically in Chps 5 &6. 
i.    Liberty from the law (5:1ff) 
ii.    Freedom from the flesh (5:16ff) 
iii.    Service for the saviour (Chp6) 

Notice some of the prominent themes in the Galatian epistle: 

1.    The theme of the Cross: 
  Presented Doctrinally  - 1:4 
  Presented Personally – 2:20 
  Presented Evangelically - 3:1 
  See the Power of it – 3:13 
  See the Purpose of it – 3:13 
  See the Purity of it – 5:24 

2.    The theme of the Curse: 
  The Curse of Apostasy (1:8,9) 
   The Curse of the Law (3:10) 
   The Curse of the Tree (3:13) 
  

  
3.    The theme (centrality) of Christ: 
   Christ is the source/origin of Pauls Apostolic authority (1:1) 
   Christ is the origin of Grace & Peace (1:3) 
   Christ is the means of our salvation (1:4) 
   Christ is the content of the Gospel (1:7) 
   Christ is the object of Paul’s service (1:10) 
   Christ is the source of revelation (1:12) 
   Christ is the object of faith (2:16)  

Not only an epistle of themes but also of contrasts: 
  The present (1:4) & the eternal (1:5) 
  Liberty & Bondage (2:4;5:1) 
  Jew & Gentile (2:9,14) 
  Faith & Works (2:16,3:2) 
  Life & Death (2:19-20) 
  Flesh & Spirit (3:3,5:16-26) 
  Jew & Gentile, Bond & Free, Male & Female (3:28) 
  Sowing & Reaping (6:7ff) 

1)    Pauls Apostolic Authority (1:1-2) 
  “an apostle” – A man with a mission –  “one sent” 
  A man with a message – the gospel (1:4,6ff)     
  What motivates such a man? – “not of men, neither by man”  - “not from  men neither through  men.” His mission & message do not originate from a human source nor through a human channel but directly from Christ. 
  Notice how the Father is described here, “who raised him from the dead.” This was of exceptional importance in the issue of Paul’s apostleship. To be an apostle, a man had to have been an eyewitness of Jesus Christ (Acts1:21-22; 1Co9:1). Paul came to faith in Christ after His death. Pauls apostleship was only thus possible because of the reality of the resurrection. Only because Christ had been raised from the dead could Paul have the experience of Acts9 on the Damascus road. 
  We have to come to grips with what motivated a man like Paul, a Pharisee & persecutor of Christians to make an about turn, join the   
Christians whom he persecuted and then die for the Christ whom he once hated! Paul tells us the answer here & in 1Co15:8 & Acts9 – He saw the resurrected Christ – and that turned his life upside down! Nothing less than this would have done. 
  “And all the brethren which are with me” (v2). In identifying himself in fellowship with his brethren he is touching on one of the accusations laid against him by the Galatians, namely that the gospel which Paul preaches was his own invention (1:11ff ) and was out of sync with the other apostles (2:1ff). 

     
2)    Person and Work of Christ (1:3-4) 
  Note the double greeting: “Grace…peace.” 
      “Grace”  – recalls the traditional Gk. Greeting  
      “Peace” – recalls the traditional Heb. Greeting – “shalom” 
      The Christian greeting incorporates & surpasses both. 
      Note the significance: salvation by grace through faith was being challenged (2:16ff) and thus the peace we have with God would be destroyed (3:10). 
  “Who gave himself for our sins” – Not just for our PERSON (Eph5:2) but for our PROBLEMS, not just for mySELF  but for my SINS. 
 

  
3)    The Purpose of our Redemption (1:4) 
  Not saved to wallow in muck of our own misery. 
  “deliver”  – to take out of – “rescue from the power of” (Boice). Presently this is to be evidenced by; separation & sanctification (1Thess4:3; Rom12:1,2). One day this deliverance will be made complete & final by translation (1Thess4:16-17). 
  One day we will be “caught up” until then we must learn to ‘let go’ 
  Cf. Lot & his separation from Sodom: 
      Symbolically – no leaven in Lot’s house (Gen19:3) 
      Spiritually – He abhorred the values of Sodom (Gen19:7; 2Pet2:7) 
      Socially – His daughters were virgins (Gen19:8), no small thing in Sodom. 
  Ultimately he was ‘plucked out’ from very presence of Sodom (19:16) 
  Even in the story of Lot there is a warning about attachment to the world (19:26), “But his wife looked back.” Much drawing her back to Sodom, 2 lovely daughters, 2 sons-in-law who stayed, a lovely home, maybe grandchildren. Her husbands back was turned, she lagged behind, she had 2 choices, to press forward & catch him up or to turn back. A split second decision betrayed the affections of her heart! She chose Sodom & she chose judgment! 
  The greatest slap in the face we as Christians can give God is to hold onto this, “present evil world,” when Christ died to free us from it. 
 
  Note the “world” isn’t viewed here geographically but morally, not as a site but as a system, “” – “age” – the ideas, manner of life, way of working, thought processes, values, politics & philosophies, anti-God. 
 
  In contrast to this “present” and transient world, the believer is linked to an eternal & unchanging God, “glory for ever and ever,” literally, “unto   
the ages of ages.” We don’t live for time but for eternity. Not for earth but for heaven. 
  There is in almost all Pauls epistles a section for praise after the introduction (1Co1:4-9; Eph1:15;Phil1:3-6;Col1:2-6;1Thess1). Lets try to find it in Galatians. Can’t find it! Not here! Nothing to praise? Reflect? 
 A free to download audio recording of a sermon preached in our systematic exposition of Paul's letter to the Galatians - chapter 1 

Yours by God's Grace in Christ  

Dr J Stewart Gillespie