[1:1-10] Paul was an apostle appointed by Jesus Christ and God the Father. This means that God established Paul’s authority and it was not given to him by a mere man. Paul wrote this letter to the churches in Galatia. He starts the letter by reminding the churches that grace and peace come from Jesus Christ [the One who gave His life for our sins as God the Father planned, from the beginning.] This is a gentle reminder that there is NOTHING that mankind can do to repay this type of sacrifice; it is completely undeserved. Paul praises God for this type of gift.
Paul addresses the Galatians with direct and bold authority. He is shocked that they have turned away from the truth of The Gospel [salvation through Jesus Christ alone] so quickly. He alerts them, to not be deceived by pretending salvation [works]. He boldly proclaims that they are being fooled by Judaizers [those who twist or pervert the truth of The Gospel to include works]. He strongly curses anyone [on earth or in heaven] who perverts The Gospel to be damned. Paul is not concerned with pleasing man. He is concerned with pleasing God.
“Do you know what Paul’s life was like before Christ? He was a people pleaser and a legalist of the worst sort. But after he was called by God, that changed – just like it should for Christ’s servants today. Those who seek to please God alone become invincible within. When you come to grips with your people-pleasing nature and turn to find your sufficiency in the Savior, an invincible quality result inside of you. You stop striving to please people and become unintimidated by pressure from the outside.”[i]
[i] Swindoll, Charles R. The Swindoll Study Bible. (Carol Stream, Illinois: Tyndale Publishing House, 2017) 1460.
