When the apostle Paul picked up his pen to write to the churches in Galatia, he wasn’t wasting any words. Right there in the opening verses—before any pleasantries or small talk—he laid out the entire framework of what he was about to defend: the true gospel of Jesus Christ.
Let’s walk through what Paul establishes in these opening verses and why it matters so much.
An Apostle by Divine Appointment
Paul introduces himself simply: “Paul, an apostle.” But this wasn’t just a job title or professional credential. In the first century church, an apostle held unique authority—these were men handpicked by Jesus himself, witnesses of the resurrected Christ, commissioned to lay the foundation of the Christian church.
What’s striking is how Paul immediately establishes the source of his authority. He’s an apostle “not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father.” This wasn’t a self-appointed position or something granted by human committee. Paul received his commission directly from the risen Christ.
Why does this matter? Because false teachers in Galatia were trying to undermine Paul’s message by first undermining his authority. If they could discredit the messenger, they could distort the message. Paul wasn’t defending himself out of wounded pride—he was defending the gospel itself.
A Message from the Top
Paul’s transformation tells its own story. Here was a man who went from violently persecuting Christians to passionately preaching Christ crucified. You don’t make that kind of 180-degree turn without something miraculous happening. Paul had encountered the risen Lord, and that encounter changed everything.
The apostle wanted his readers to understand: if you ignore my message, you’re ignoring God’s message. This teaching didn’t originate in human wisdom or religious tradition. It came straight from divine revelation.
The Gospel in Brief
Remarkably, Paul packs a complete gospel summary right into his greeting. Two words capture it all: grace and peace.
Grace is God’s undeserved kindness toward sinners. It reaches back into eternity, where God chose to save a people for himself before the world even existed. We bring nothing to the table—salvation is entirely God’s work.
Peace is what follows grace. When a sinner receives the Savior, they gain peace with God. The penalty is paid. Condemnation is removed forever.
Then Paul unpacks what Christ accomplished: He “gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age.” Notice the willing nature of Christ’s sacrifice—He wasn’t forced or reluctant. Compelled by love, Jesus laid down His life to pay for sin, to rescue us from both the power and penalty of sin, and to ultimately deliver us from this fallen world system.
All of this happened “according to the will of our God and Father.” Jesus’ death wasn’t an unforeseen tragedy or backup plan. It was eternally ordained. The Father doesn’t love us because the Son died for us—rather, the Son died for us because the Father loves us. This entire saving plan reflects the united purpose of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
All Glory to God Alone
Paul concludes his opening with a doxology: “to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.”
Who deserves credit for salvation? God does. He planned it, executed it, and applies it. As the Reformers proclaimed: Soli Deo Gloria—to the glory of God alone.
News, Not Advice
Here’s a helpful way to understand the gospel’s uniqueness: it’s news, not advice. (This illustration is from Martyn Lloyd-Jones)
Advice is counsel about future action you need to take. News is a report about something that’s already happened.
Imagine a king who defeats an invading army. He sends back messengers with joyful news: “The enemy has been defeated! It’s finished! Live in the peace that’s been won for you.” But if the battle is still raging, he sends back military advisors with orders: “Build barricades here, position archers there—fight for your lives!”
Every other religion sends military advisors. The message is always: “Here are the steps, rituals, and laws. Follow them perfectly and maybe you can earn salvation.”
But Christianity sends heralds with good news: Jesus has already won the battle. The work is finished. Your appropriate response isn’t to fight for victory—it’s to trust in the victory already secured and live in grateful obedience to the King who won your peace.
The Central Message
Perhaps you’ve been confused about what Christianity is really about. It’s not “try harder to be good.” It’s not primarily about keeping rules or following commandments, as important as obedience is in its proper place.
The central message is this: God has accomplished through Christ something you could never accomplish for yourself—perfect obedience to God. Where we failed, Christ succeeded. And now the call is to trust His work, not your own. To receive His righteousness as a gift, not to manufacture your own through effort.
As Paul will later write in this same letter: “A person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ.”
Why This Matters
Paul’s opening salvo in Galatians reminds us that the gospel stands or falls on what God has done, not on what we do. Any teaching that adds human requirements to simple faith in Christ distorts the good news into bad advice.
The gospel is grace from God and peace with God—purchased by Christ, planned by the Father, applied by the Spirit, and received by faith alone.
That’s news worth celebrating.
This is an edited A.I. summary of the sermon “Paul’s Apostleship and Message”
"This & That" 
Leave a comment