Chapter with Audio
Greeting
1 Paul, an apostle—not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead— 2 and all the brothers who are with me,
To the churches of Galatia:
3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, 4 who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, 5 to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.
No Other Gospel
6 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— 7 not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. 9 As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed.
10 For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.
Paul Called by God
11 For I would have you know, brothers, that the gospel that was preached by me is not man's gospel. 12 For I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ. 13 For you have heard of my former life in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God violently and tried to destroy it. 14 And I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my people, so extremely zealous was I for the traditions of my fathers. 15 But when he who had set me apart before I was born, and who called me by his grace, 16 was pleased to reveal his Son to me, in order that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with anyone; 17 nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me, but I went away into Arabia, and returned again to Damascus.
18 Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to visit Cephas and remained with him fifteen days. 19 But I saw none of the other apostles except James the Lord's brother. 20 (In what I am writing to you, before God, I do not lie!) 21 Then I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia. 22 And I was still unknown in person to the churches of Judea that are in Christ. 23 They only were hearing it said, “He who used to persecute us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy.” 24 And they glorified God because of me.
Chapter Analysis
Galatians 1: The One True Gospel Of Christ
Grace And Peace From Christ
📖 Galatians 1:1–5
¹ Paul, an apostle not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised Him from the dead, writes with the brothers who are with him to the churches of Galatia. ² ³ Grace and peace come from God the Father and from our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁴ Jesus gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father. ⁵ To Him be glory forever and ever. Amen.
🔹 The Truth
Paul’s apostleship came through Jesus Christ and God the Father.
Jesus Christ gave Himself for our sins.
The death of Christ delivers believers from this present evil age.
Salvation is according to the will of God the Father.
🔹 The Promise
Jesus Christ gave Himself to deliver His people from sin and this present evil age.
✅ Conclusion
Galatians begins by grounding everything in Jesus Christ. Grace and peace come from God, and deliverance comes through the One who gave Himself for our sins.
No Other Gospel
📖 Galatians 1:6–10
⁶ Paul marveled that the Galatians were turning away so quickly from Him who called them in the grace of Christ to a different gospel. ⁷ But it was not another true gospel; there were some troubling them and wanting to distort the gospel of Christ. ⁸ Even if Paul, or an angel from heaven, preached a gospel contrary to the one already preached, let him be accursed. ⁹ As Paul had said before, he said again: if anyone preaches a gospel contrary to what they received, let him be accursed. ¹⁰ Paul was not seeking to please men, but God. If he were still trying to please men, he would not be a servant of Christ.
🔹 The Truth
There is only one true gospel of Christ.
A distorted gospel is not harmless; it turns people away from God’s grace.
No messenger has authority to change the gospel, not even an angel from heaven.
A servant of Christ must seek to please God, not man.
🔹 The Promise
The true gospel calls sinners into the grace of Christ.
✅ Conclusion
The gospel must be guarded carefully. Any message that changes the grace of Christ is not another valid option; it is a distortion that leads people away from the truth.
The Gospel Received By Revelation
📖 Galatians 1:11–17
¹¹ Paul made known that the gospel he preached was not according to man. ¹² He did not receive it from man, nor was he taught it by man, but received it through revelation from Jesus Christ. ¹³ They had heard of Paul’s former life in Judaism, how he violently persecuted the church of God and tried to destroy it. ¹⁴ He advanced in Judaism beyond many of his own age among his people, being extremely zealous for the traditions of his fathers. ¹⁵ But when God, who set him apart from his mother’s womb and called him by His grace, was pleased ¹⁶ to reveal His Son in him so that he might preach Him among the Gentiles, Paul did not immediately consult with flesh and blood. ¹⁷ He did not go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before him, but went away into Arabia and returned again to Damascus.
🔹 The Truth
Paul’s gospel was not invented by man.
Paul received the gospel through revelation from Jesus Christ.
Before Christ saved him, Paul was zealous for religious tradition and persecuted the church of God.
God called Paul by grace and revealed His Son in him.
Paul was appointed to preach Christ among the Gentiles.
🔹 The Promise
God’s grace can transform even a persecutor into a preacher of Christ.
✅ Conclusion
Paul’s life showed the power of God’s grace. He was not improved by religion; he was transformed by Christ. The gospel he preached came from Jesus Christ Himself.
God Glorified Through Paul’s Conversion
📖 Galatians 1:18–24
¹⁸ After three years, Paul went up to Jerusalem to visit Peter and stayed with him fifteen days. ¹⁹ He saw none of the other apostles except James, the Lord’s brother. ²⁰ Before God, Paul said he was not lying about these things. ²¹ Afterward, he went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia. ²² He was still unknown by face to the churches of Judea that were in Christ. ²³ They only heard that the one who once persecuted them was now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy. ²⁴ And they glorified God because of him.
🔹 The Truth
Paul’s message did not depend on approval from Jerusalem.
The churches heard that Paul now preached the faith he once tried to destroy.
Paul’s conversion caused believers to glorify God.
God receives glory when His grace transforms a life.
🔹 The Promise
God can turn a former enemy of the gospel into a witness for Christ.
✅ Conclusion
Paul’s changed life pointed people to the power of God. The churches did not glorify Paul; they glorified God because of what He had done in Paul.
Overall Conclusion
Galatians 1 warns believers not to turn away from the grace of Christ to a distorted gospel.
Paul shows that the true gospel came from Jesus Christ, not from man. Christ gave Himself for our sins, delivers believers from this present evil age, and calls sinners by grace.
This chapter reminds us that the gospel must not be changed, softened, mixed with works, or shaped to please people. The true gospel brings glory to God through Jesus Christ.
Final Questions For You
- Why is it dangerous to accept a gospel that has been changed or mixed with man’s ideas?
- How does Paul’s conversion show the power of God’s grace?
- What does it mean to serve Christ rather than seek to please men?