◄ Galatians 1:3 ►
Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ,
Study Bible
Grace and peace to you

Paul opens with a blessing that announces the heart of the gospel before addressing the Galatians’ departure from it. Grace is God’s undeserved favor shown through the saving work of Christ, received by faith rather than earned through obedience to the law. Peace is the restored relationship with God that results from forgiveness and reconciliation. Those who have peace with God are also called to live in the settled confidence and unity produced by His grace.

Rom 1:7 To all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints…
1Co 1:3 Grace and peace to you from God our Father…
2Co 1:2 Grace and peace to you from God our Father…

from God our Father

God is the Father of all believers through their union with Christ. The Galatian churches belonged to one spiritual family, regardless of ethnicity, social standing, or former religious background. God’s fatherly care stands in contrast to the insecurity produced by trying to establish righteousness through human effort. He receives His children because of Christ and faithfully provides what they need to stand in the truth.

2Co 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,…
Eph 1:2 Grace and peace to you from God our Father…
Col 1:2 To the saints and faithful brothers in Christ at Colossae:…

and the Lord Jesus Christ,

Jesus (Greek: Iesous, meaning Yahweh is salvation) Christ (Greek: Christos, meaning Anointed One) is joined with the Father as the source of grace and peace, affirming His divine authority and saving work. Jesus is the promised Messiah, the Savior sent by God to redeem sinners and establish a new covenant people. His lordship requires the Galatians to recognize that no human teacher, religious custom, or spiritual experience can replace His completed work. The following verses ground this blessing in Christ’s self-giving death, by which He delivers His people from the present evil age.

2Th 1:12 so that the name of our Lord Jesus will be glorified in you…
2Th 2:16-17 Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father,…
1Ti 1:2 To Timothy, my true child in the faith: Grace, mercy…

Persons / Places / Events
1. Paul
- The apostle who authored the letter to the Galatians, addressing issues of legalism and emphasizing the gospel of grace.

2. Galatians
- The recipients of the letter, a group of churches in the region of Galatia, struggling with the influence of Judaizers who insisted on adherence to the Mosaic Law for salvation.

3. God the Father
- The first person of the Trinity, the source of grace and peace.

4. Lord Jesus Christ
- The second person of the Trinity, through whom grace and peace are given.

5. Judaizers
- A group within the early church advocating for the necessity of following Jewish law, particularly circumcision, for salvation.
Teaching Points
Understanding Grace and Peace
Grace is the unmerited favor of God, a foundational concept in Christian theology that underscores salvation as a gift, not earned by works.

Peace is the result of grace, a state of reconciliation with God and inner tranquility that believers experience through Christ.

The Source of Grace and Peace
Both grace and peace originate from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, emphasizing the divine initiative in salvation and the unity of the Father and Son in the work of redemption.

The Importance of Greeting in Christian Fellowship
Paul's greeting is not merely a formality but a theological statement that sets the tone for the letter, reminding believers of their identity in Christ and the blessings they have received.

Guarding Against Legalism
The context of Galatians warns against adding human requirements to the gospel of grace, a relevant reminder to uphold the purity of the gospel message today.

Living in Grace and Peace
Believers are called to live out the grace and peace they have received, impacting their relationships and witness to the world.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does understanding the meaning of "grace" and "peace" in Galatians 1:3 affect your daily walk with Christ?

2. In what ways can you ensure that your understanding of the gospel remains centered on grace rather than works?

3. How can the greeting of "grace and peace" influence the way you interact with fellow believers and non-believers?

4. What are some practical steps you can take to experience the peace of God in your life, as mentioned in Philippians 4:7?

5. How does the unity of God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ in providing grace and peace encourage you in your faith journey?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Romans 1:7
- Paul similarly greets the Roman church with "grace and peace," highlighting the consistent message of grace throughout his epistles.

Philippians 4:7
- Discusses the peace of God that surpasses all understanding, which is a result of the grace given through Jesus Christ.

Ephesians 2:8-9
- Emphasizes that grace is a gift from God, not a result of works, reinforcing the message Paul is conveying to the Galatians.

John 14:27
- Jesus speaks of the peace He leaves with His followers, connecting to the peace mentioned in Galatians 1:3.

2 Corinthians 13:14
- The grace of Jesus, love of God, and fellowship of the Holy Spirit are invoked, showing the Trinitarian source of grace and peace.
Sermons
Grace and PeaceLuther.Galatians 1:3
Heavenly Blessings Alone AvailLuther.Galatians 1:3
Paul's Customary GreetingU. R. Thomas., W. B. Pope, D. D., F. W. Robertson.Galatians 1:3
Peace ExperiencedGalatians 1:3
Peace from GodH. W. Beecher.Galatians 1:3
Peace Through ChristDr. Cumming.Galatians 1:3
St. Paul's SalutationJames Fergusson.Galatians 1:3
The Manner of Obtaining Grace and PeaceJames Fergusson. Galatians 1:3
The Pastor's PrayerJ. Lyth.Galatians 1:3
IntroductionR. Finlayson Galatians 1:1-5
The Gospel of Self-SacrificeR.M. Edgar Galatians 1:1-5
Christ's Sacrifice for Our DeliveranceW.F. Adeney Galatians 1:3, 4
People
Cephas, Galatians, James, Paul, Peter
Places
Cilicia, Damascus, Galatia, Jerusalem, Judea, Syria
Topics
Christ, Grace, Granted, Peace
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Galatians 1:3

     1512   Trinity, equality of
     2027   Christ, grace and mercy
     5058   rest, spiritual
     5308   equality

Galatians 1:1-5

     5328   greeting

Galatians 1:2-5

     8638   benedictions

Galatians 1:3-4

     1115   God, purpose of
     1175   God, will of
     6511   salvation
     6512   salvation, necessity and basis
     6660   freedom, through Christ

Galatians 1:3-5

     1194   glory, divine and human
     8634   amen

Library
Our Manifesto
TO ME it is a pitiful sight to see Paul defending himself as an apostle; and doing this, not against the gainsaying world, but against cold-hearted members of the church. They said that he was not truly an apostle, for he had not seen the Lord; and they uttered a great many other things derogatory to him. To maintain his claim to the apostleship, he was driven to commence his epistles with "Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ," though his work was a self-evident proof of his call. If, after God has …
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 37: 1891

Answer to Mr. W's Fifth Objection.
5. The consideration that none of these raised persons did or could, after the return to their bodies, tell any tales of their separate existence; otherwise the Evangelists had not been silent in this main point, &c. p. 32. None of these persons, Mr. W. says, told any tales of their separate existence. So I suppose with him. As for the two first: How should they? being only, as Mr. W. says, an insignificant boy and girl, of twelve years of age, or thereabouts. Or if they did, the Evangelists were …
Nathaniel Lardner—A Vindication of Three of Our Blessed Saviour's Miracles

The Epistles of St. Paul
WHEN we pass from primitive Christian preaching to the epistles of St. Paul, we are embarrassed not by the scantiness but by the abundance of our materials. It is not possible to argue that the death of Christ has less than a central, or rather than the central and fundamental place, in the apostle's gospel. But before proceeding to investigate more closely the significance he assigns to it, there are some preliminary considerations to which it is necessary to attend. Attempts have often been made, …
James Denney—The Death of Christ

Institutions of Jesus.
That Jesus was never entirely absorbed in his apocalyptic ideas is proved, moreover, by the fact that at the very time he was most preoccupied with them, he laid with rare forethought the foundation of a church destined to endure. It is scarcely possible to doubt that he himself chose from among his disciples those who were pre-eminently called the "apostles," or the "twelve," since on the day after his death we find them forming a distinct body, and filling up by election the vacancies that had …
Ernest Renan—The Life of Jesus

Fourth Conversation
The manner of going to God. * Hearty renunciation. * Prayer and praise prevent discouragement. * Sanctification in common business. * Prayer and the presence of God. * The whole substance of religion. * Self-estimation * Further personal experience. He discoursed with me very frequently, and with great openness of heart, concerning his manner of going to GOD, whereof some part is related already. He told me, that all consists in one hearty renunciation of everything which we are sensible does not …
Brother Lawrence—The Practice of the Presence of God

Exposition of St. Paul's Words, Gal. I. 8.
Exposition of St. Paul's Words, Gal. i. 8. [21.] When therefore certain of this sort wandering about provinces and cities, and carrying with them their venal errors, had found their way to Galatia, and when the Galatians, on hearing them, nauseating the truth, and vomiting up the manna of Apostolic and Catholic doctrine, were delighted with the garbage of heretical novelty, the apostle putting in exercise the authority of his office, delivered his sentence with the utmost severity, "Though we," he …
Vincent of Lérins—The COMMONITORY OF Vincent of Lérins

A Reasonable Service
TEXT: "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service."--Romans 12:1. There is perhaps no chapter in the New Testament, certainly none in this epistle, with which we are more familiar than this one which is introduced by the text; and yet, however familiar we may be with the statements, if we read them carefully and study them honestly they must always come to us not only in the …
J. Wilbur Chapman—And Judas Iscariot

The Praise of Men.
"They loved the praise of men more than the praise of God."--John xii. 43. This is spoken of the chief rulers of the Jews, who, though they believed in Christ's Divine mission, were afraid to confess Him, lest they should incur temporal loss and shame from the Pharisees. The censure passed by St. John on these persons is too often applicable to Christians at the present day; perhaps, indeed, there is no one among us who has not at some time or other fallen under it. We love the good opinion …
John Henry Newman—Parochial and Plain Sermons, Vol. VII

Sudden Conversions.
"By the grace of God I am what I am: and His grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain."--1 Cor. xv. 10. We can hardly conceive that grace, such as that given to the great Apostle who speaks in the text, would have been given in vain; that is, we should not expect that it would have been given, had it been foreseen and designed by the Almighty Giver that it would have been in vain. By which I do not mean, of course, to deny that God's gifts are oftentimes abused and wasted by man, which …
John Henry Newman—Parochial and Plain Sermons, Vol. VIII

So Great Blindness, Moreover, Hath Occupied Men's Minds...
43. So great blindness, moreover, hath occupied men's minds, that to them it is too little if we pronounce some lies not to be sins; but they must needs pronounce it to be sin in some things if we refuse to lie: and to such a pass have they been brought by defending lying, that even that first kind which is of all the most abominably wicked they pronounce to have been used by the Apostle Paul. For in the Epistle to the Galatians, written as it was, like the rest, for doctrine of religion and piety, …
St. Augustine—On Lying

Travelling in Palestine --Roads, Inns, Hospitality, Custom-House Officers, Taxation, Publicans
It was the very busiest road in Palestine, on which the publican Levi Matthew sat at the receipt of "custom," when our Lord called him to the fellowship of the Gospel, and he then made that great feast to which he invited his fellow-publicans, that they also might see and hear Him in Whom he had found life and peace (Luke 5:29). For, it was the only truly international road of all those which passed through Palestine; indeed, it formed one of the great highways of the world's commerce. At the time …
Alfred Edersheim—Sketches of Jewish Social Life

The Early History of Particular Churches.
A.D. 67-A.D. 500 Section 1. The Church of England. [Sidenote: St. Paul's visit to England.] The CHURCH OF ENGLAND is believed, with good reason, to owe its foundation to the Apostle St. Paul, who probably came to this country after his first imprisonment at Rome. The writings of Tertullian, and others in the second and third centuries speak of Christianity as having spread as far as the islands of Britain, and a British king named Lucius is known to have embraced the Faith about the middle of …
John Henry Blunt—A Key to the Knowledge of Church History

It is Also Written, "But I Say unto You...
28. It is also written, "But I say unto you, Swear not at all." But the Apostle himself has used oaths in his Epistles. [2342] And so he shows how that is to be taken which is said, "I say unto you, Swear not at all:" that is, lest by swearing one come to a facility in swearing, from facility to a custom, and so from a custom there be a downfall into perjury. And therefore he is not found to have sworn except in writing, where there is more wary forethought, and no precipitate tongue withal. And …
St. Augustine—On Lying

Easter Monday
Text: Acts 10, 34-43. 34 And Peter opened his mouth, and said: Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: 35 but in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is acceptable to him. 36 The word which he sent unto the children of Israel, preaching good tidings of peace by Jesus Christ (he is Lord of all)--37 that saying ye yourselves know, which was published throughout all Judaea, beginning from Galilee, after the baptism which John preached; 38 even Jesus of Nazareth, …
Martin Luther—Epistle Sermons, Vol. II

Fifth Sunday after Epiphany
Text: Colossians 3, 12-17. 12 Put on therefore, as God's elect, holy and beloved, a heart of compassion, kindness, lowliness, meekness, longsuffering; 13 forbearing one another, and forgiving each other, if any man have a complaint against any; even as the Lord forgave you, so also do ye: 14 and above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfectness. 15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to the which also ye were called in one body; and be ye thankful. 16 Let the Word …
Martin Luther—Epistle Sermons, Vol. II

Extracts No. vii.
[In this number the objector gives the whole ground of his objections, and the reasons for his doubts: which he states as follows, viz. "1. Mankind, in all ages of the world, have been, and still are prone to superstition. "2. It cannot be denied, but that a part of mankind at least, have believed, and still are believing in miracles and revelation, which are spurious. "3. The facts on which religion is predicated are unlike every thing of which we have any positive knowledge." Under the first …
Hosea Ballou—A Series of Letters In Defence of Divine Revelation

Chrysostom Evades Election to a Bishopric, and Writes his Work on the Priesthood.
About this time several bishoprics were vacant in Syria, and frequent depositions took place with the changing fortunes of orthodoxy and Arianism, and the interference of the court. The attention of the clergy and the people turned to Chrysostom and his friend Basil as suitable candidates for the episcopal office, although they had not the canonical age of thirty. Chrysostom shrunk from the responsibilities and avoided an election by a pious fraud. He apparently assented to an agreement with Basil …
St. Chrysostom—On the Priesthood

The Apostle's Position and Circumstances
PHILIPPIANS i. 12-20 Disloyal "brethren"--Interest of the paragraph--The victory of patience--The Praetorian sentinel--Separatism, and how it was met--St Paul's secret--His "earnest expectation"--"Christ magnified"--"In my body" St Paul has spoken his affectionate greeting to the Philippians, and has opened to them the warm depths of his friendship with them in the Lord. What he feels towards them "in the heart of Christ Jesus," what he prays for them in regard of the growth and fruit of their …
Handley C. G. Moule—Philippian Studies

Epistle Xlv. To Theoctista, Patrician .
To Theoctista, Patrician [153] . Gregory to Theoctista, &c. We ought to give great thanks to Almighty God, that our most pious and most benignant Emperors have near them kinsfolk of their race, whose life and conversation is such as to give us all great joy. Hence too we should continually pray for these our lords, that their life, with that of all who belong to them, may by the protection of heavenly grace be preserved through long and tranquil times. I have to inform you, however, that I have …
Saint Gregory the Great—the Epistles of Saint Gregory the Great

Jesus' First Residence at Capernaum.
^D John II. 12. ^d 12 After this he went down to Capernaum [The site of Capernaum is generally conceded to be marked by the ruins now called Tel-Hum. Jesus is said to have gone "down" because Cana is among the hills, and Capernaum was by the Lake of Galilee, about six hundred feet below sea level], he, and his mother, and his brethren, and his disciples [There is much dispute as to what the New Testament writers mean by the phrase the "brethren of the Lord." This phrase, found in any other than a …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

Indeed in all Spiritual Delights, which Unmarried Women Enjoy...
27. Indeed in all spiritual delights, which unmarried women enjoy, their holy conversation ought also to be with caution; lest haply, though their life be not evil through haughtiness, their report be evil through negligence. Nor are they to be listened to, whether they be holy men or women, when (upon occasion of their neglect in some matter being blamed, through which it comes to pass that they fall into evil suspicion, from which they know that their life is far removed) they say that it is enough …
St. Augustine—On the Good of Widowhood.

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