What is the meaning of Galatians 1:1? Paul, • Luke introduces him first as Saul, “still breathing out murderous threats” (Acts 9:1), yet God turns that zeal into missionary fire. • He is a living picture of 2 Corinthians 5:17—“If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.” • His name up front signals to the Galatians that the letter comes from someone who knows grace firsthand (1 Timothy 1:15–16). an apostle— • “Apostle” means “sent one,” and Paul consistently anchors the title in eyewitness experience of the risen Christ (1 Corinthians 9:1; 15:8). • Acts 9:15 shows Jesus calling him “a chosen instrument.” • The role carries authority equal to the Twelve (Galatians 2:6–9), so the churches must weigh his words as God’s truth, not personal opinion. sent not from men nor by man, • Paul’s commissioning didn’t originate in a church vote or a Jerusalem committee (contrast Acts 6:3–6). • He reminds the Galatians, “I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ” (Galatians 1:12). • Acts 13:2–4 shows the Spirit initiating the first missionary journey, underscoring that even when people lay hands on Paul, heaven is the true sender. but by Jesus Christ • The One who met Paul on the Damascus road (Acts 9:3–6) still directs him. • Matthew 28:18–20 affirms that all authority flows from the risen Jesus, so Paul’s message carries that same authority. • John 20:21: “As the Father has sent Me, so also I am sending you.” Paul stands in that ongoing stream of divine sending. and God the Father, • Father and Son act in perfect unity (John 5:19–23). Paul’s calling is a Trinitarian project, not a private vision. • 2 Corinthians 5:18 calls God “the One who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation,” exactly what Paul is doing in Galatia. who raised Him from the dead— • The resurrection is the credential behind every Christian claim. Romans 1:4 says Jesus “was declared with power to be the Son of God by His resurrection.” • Acts 2:24, 32 shows the apostles preaching a risen Lord; Paul anchors his apostleship in that same event. • Because God raised Jesus, the gospel Paul brings is life-giving, not just moral advice (1 Corinthians 15:14–20). summary Paul opens Galatians by stacking credential upon credential: his transformed life, his apostolic office, and most critically the direct commissioning of the risen Jesus and the Father who raised Him. Every phrase shouts that the gospel he will defend is heaven-sent, resurrection-certified, and non-negotiable. |
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