As in all his letters, Paul first identifies himself as the sender. In this case, he notes he is an apostle by God's calling, having received no credentials from any human agency. Further, he identifies whose apostle he is, and mentions there are with him others who believe in the same Savior. He writes to the churches he started in Lystra, Derbe, Iconium and Pisidian Antioch. His greeting is graceful, if terse. He notes on whose behalf he writes this letter. It serves as reminder what Paul is all about.
Without any niceties, Paul plunges immediately into the cause of this letter. He refers to their troubles as turning away from Christ. This is not about Paul, but about Christ and His teaching. The message Paul first brought to them was the truth (Acts 13-14), as testified by the works of power which made it possible for a lame man to walk, and for Paul to arise to life after a stoning. He had stayed in that area quite some time, long enough for them to learn the very basic truths of salvation by grace and faith. Once these new believers were established in this faith, how foolish would it be to suddenly change the essential teachings? A different teaching would hardly be "good news," for it would be slavery. Let such a teacher be accursed, regardless who it might be, including Paul himself. Surely, Paul cares nothing at all for making any other human happy, but courts God's favor alone. Should it be he cared at all about the advancement in this world among men, he would have stayed in his former life.
That original message came from no human source, unlike the Talmudic trash the Judaizers brought to Galatia. Paul was a disciple of Christ directly. What Paul had from men was the signal honor of the Sanhedrin membership of some sort, far younger than anyone before. It was all a lie, for the same God who gave Paul life gave him eternal life, too. The Lord revealed to Paul His Son. The reason was that he might carry that grace message to the Gentiles. His discipleship was not second-hand from any mere human, not even the Apostles in Jerusalem. As his Judaism was far above what theirs had been, so his training in Christ must come first hand. This occurred during three years in the Syrian wilderness, which Paul described in another place as including entrance into the Spirit Realm (2 Corinthians 12:2-4). We hardly understand what that means, but it's just the same as saying Paul studied with Christ face to face during that three years.
Thus, Paul hardly needed any training and support from the other Apostles. Yet, he did meet Peter and was received as an equal (Acts 9:26-30), and met also with James, the brother of Jesus. Anyone doubting this could easily query the Apostles and find out. Though he spent so little time in Jerusalem, just long enough to infuriate a Hellenist synagogue, no one with longer authority questioned his calling and apostleship. Instead, they praised God and gave thanks their number one persecutor had been turned to the light.
From these comments, we deduce the Judaizers who had invaded Galatia right behind Paul's mission (Acts 15:1) had slandered Paul. They called into question his apostleship, and his teaching. They made it sound as if Paul weren't a real Jew, because he didn't teach the Law of Moses. Of course, what they meant was Paul didn't teach the Talmud, for what Paul seems to be fighting here is the false, Hellenized brand of Judaism which Jesus Himself fought. Had they actually brought the true Mosaic teaching, there would have been no real conflict; as Jesus said, the Law and Prophets taught of Him. Moses was the original Hebrew of Hebrews, fully immersed in the ancient Semite culture. The greatest teacher after him, Samuel the Prophet, made it clear the only thing which really mattered was obedience from the heart (1 Samuel 15:22-23). Clearly, these Judaizers were pressing the observance of a long corrupted Hellenist Judaism, a mass of empty and pointless rituals. This destroyed the ancient faith of the Old Testament, and would destroy even more so the New Testament in Christ's blood.
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Ed Hurst
26 December 2007
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