Galatians: Lesson 2

Overview

The Gospel Under Threat: Paul's Defense in Galatians 1:1–2

The gospel is good news precisely because it announces that we are saved by Christ alone—and that is exactly why it is always under attack. Luther observed that the gospel is "dangerous" because it threatens religion: it tears law, sin, and death from the devil's grasp and refuses to let the burden of earned righteousness rest on our shoulders. The devil's strategy is twofold. First, he tempts us to sin (or to trust our religious performance); then, the moment we fall, he uses God's law to accuse and drive us to despair. God uses the law to expose our sin and lead us to Christ; the devil uses it to grind us down. The gospel rescues us from this cycle by proclaiming that salvation is passively received—a gift, not a wage. If someone hands you a birthday present and then asks for fifty dollars, it was never really a gift. Grace doesn't work that way.

This is the crisis Paul confronts in Galatia. The Judaizers were impressive figures—men of prestige, heritage, and proximity to the original apostles—who slipped in behind Paul to undermine his authority and his message. Paul answers immediately in his greeting: "Paul an apostle—not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead" Galatians 1:1-2. Every word counts. Paul claims full equality with the Twelve because his commission, like theirs, came directly from God. Scripture confirms this pattern: Matthias was chosen by God through the casting of lots Acts 1:20-26; Christ Himself named Paul "a chosen instrument" on the road to Damascus Acts 9:15 and sent him "far away to the Gentiles" Acts 22:21; the Holy Spirit publicly set him apart at Antioch Acts 13:1-3. Apostleship was no boast—it was a call to obedience, suffering, and a life that was no longer his own.

Notice, too, what Paul highlights about God in this opening line. He doesn't simply call God the Creator or Sustainer (though He is). He names Him as the Father "who raised him from the dead." This is the heartbeat of the gospel: Jesus "was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification" Romans 4:24-25. Paul also adds "all the brothers who are with me"—comrades in arms who bear witness alongside him that the doctrine is true and divine. The defense of the gospel was never meant to be a solo effort.

For us, the application is direct. We are still tempted to add "and what must I do?" to the announcement that our sins are forgiven. We are still tempted to trust our religiosity, to question whether our baptism "counted" because we were too young to act, to forget that baptism is God's promise and God's doing. And we are often tempted to take the safer path of correcting fellow believers rather than proclaiming Christ to those who do not know Him. Stand firm in the truth that you are saved by Christ and Christ alone—crucified, risen, and freely given to you. Then, as comrades in arms with Paul, guard that gospel and carry it to the lost.

Transcript

Lord Jesus, we ask that you would bless this time of study. 6s

We thank you so much that we turn to you and that we know we can turn to you and that 10s

you always hear us and are with us and we trust you to lead us during this time of study 16s

together. 24s

We lift this to you in the precious name of Jesus Christ. 24s

Amen. 28s

Okay. 30s

So, last week we talked about the Judaizers. 33s

Okay, I did move this too close. 38s

I can't quite. 40s

Okay. 41s

I'm a mover. 41s

So last week we talked about the Judaizers. 44s

Those who had come in after Paul into the Galatia area to under the Galatians. 46s

He'll undermine him and to undermine his teaching and most dangerously to undermine the 54s

gospel. 60s

It's the gospel is the gospel for a reason and it is dangerous to undermine the gospel 61s

because it's hearing the gospel that saves us, right? 69s

We hear it and the Holy Spirit uses that to call us to Himself. 74s

And so, Luther said that the gospel is a doctrine that teaches something far more sublime 80s

than wisdom, righteousness and religion of the world. 87s

It leaves these things at their proper level as the created. 91s

But man in sin wants to value them more than the creator. 95s

The gospel cannot be undermined but at every turn we find the gospel attempting or being 100s

attempted to be undermined. 108s

It's dangerous. 111s

Luther says that the gospel is dangerous. 113s

It's dangerous because it threatens religion. 115s

It threatens religion. 120s

The devil attempts to use religion to keep you under the burden of the law and under the 122s

burden of earned righteousness. 128s

The gospel overthrows the devil tearing from his grasp, law, sin and death that he uses 131s

to accuse and drive to despair the religious. 138s

And I say religion and religious in quotations because I would say that we are all a religious 143s

people who practice our religion but we know that our salvation does not come from our practice. 151s

Salvation does not come from our religiosity. 162s

It comes from Christ and Christ alone. 166s

But the undermining of the gospel that we are saved by Christ, the undermining of that 171s

is the accusation that you are not religious enough or that you don't practice correctly 181s

or just right or enough. 189s

I think it's really interesting that the devil attempts to use religion because we think 194s

okay no the devil and religion are opposites. 202s

They are on other sides. 206s

But the devil is as we are told in Peter, Peter says the devil is like a prowling lion. 209s

And a prowling lion will enter any door that's open. 217s

And so the prowling lion will come in. 222s

What does the devil do? 227s

The devil tempts us. 228s

Right? 231s

Tempts us says, oh come on, this forbidden fruit, it's not that bad. 231s

It's not that wrong. 237s

Do I have a tissue? 239s

Sorry, that was a total non-sequeter. 240s

Oh, I do. 242s

Good. 243s

It is allergy season again. 243s

So the devil, the devil lures us in, come on, it's okay, it's okay. 247s

And the moment we fall, the moment we fall and we sin and give in to whatever that temptation 253s

may be, including being a good religious follower, depending on our religion to save us. 262s

The moment we fall, it is the devil then that stands and accuses us. 275s

You, now for it. 280s

I can't believe you did this. 283s

And he uses the law of God. 287s

God uses the law to show us our sin. 292s

The devil uses the law to just grind it in and accuse. 297s

And we can't, we know, we can't outperform the law. 305s

We can't do enough religion or practice enough religious act to make ourselves right. 310s

And so the devil uses the undermining of the gospel to continue to keep us under the burden 321s

of the law, to continue to keep us concerned about our religiosity instead of concerned 331s

with the freedom and concerned with the gospel that we are saved by Christ and Christ alone. 342s

Luther writes about those in his day and age that damaged the gospel that he and his cohorts 350s

were proclaiming. 356s

He had the Catholics that he was constantly battling with. 357s

And then he also had the anabaptists that he was constantly battling with. 364s

For those of you who took part in a small group that we had on the hammer of God, we saw 368s

this come to fruition a lot in that novel. 374s

It's a great novel. 377s

But we see that undermining of the gospel in that way where it's, well, are you really 378s

being religious? 387s

Are you really following, practicing what you preach? 389s

And in a way of condemnation instead of the full awareness of your sinner, but you're 394s

saved by Christ, you're saved by grace and grace alone. 403s

Today, if you tell someone that they passively receive grace, that they passively receive 409s

salvation, it's dangerous. 418s

What is passively receiving or passive salvation mean? 420s

It means that you don't do anything to earn salvation. 423s

It means that you don't do anything to receive the grace of God that Christ has done it 427s

all. 435s

So what we talked about last week, when we come to confession and we hear that our sins 438s

are forgiven, there is no more, well, what's next? 445s

What do I have to do? 452s

To hear that we are saved, to hear that we are saved by Christ and Christ alone, we 455s

can't come back and say, well, then what do I have to do? 462s

I know some of you have heard me say this before, but if I gave you a birthday present and 467s

you opened it up and you said, oh, I love this. 473s

Thank you so much. 476s

You received that. 477s

And then I say, you owe me 50 bucks. 478s

Then you're taking part in providing for your birthday present. 483s

It doesn't work like that with grace. 489s

When we are told that our sins are forgiven, our sins are forgiven. 491s

You're not owing 50 bucks. 498s

You're not owing a certain amount of righteous deeds, a certain amount of prayers. 500s

So Luther was dealing with that. 506s

Today we still deal with that. 510s

If we don't do anything for salvation or we don't do anything to maintain our salvation, 512s

what does that do to the business of spiritual leadership? 520s

And I say that snarkly because there are some that are in the business of ministry. 524s

I've said it before and I say it again. 533s

If anyone is in ministry to make a profit, that is not one to be trusted. 536s

That is not one to be trusted. 543s

It is not a matter of keeping people strong along. 548s

It's not a matter of proclaiming how they can do better, be better, look better, feel better. 555s

The Judaizers undermining Paul were a threat to the congregations in Galatia 568s

because they were men of prestige. 573s

They were respected. 576s

They knew the law well. 578s

They could claim their heritage as those from the seed of Abraham. 580s

They learned from the apostles. 590s

They learned specifically from those who had walked with Christ. 593s

Perhaps some of the Judaizers had actually seen Christ and seen him perform some of those miracles. 597s

These men are the ones that came in behind Paul and they had clout and authority and they would bring into question Paul. 606s

Paul is coming. 618s

He's coming by himself. 620s

There's all of us. 622s

Isn't Paul the last one to be converted to Christ? 623s

We knew the apostles. 627s

We witnessed miracles. 629s

We are many. 631s

Paul is one. 633s

And so their undermining, Paul's authority, their undermining, his message, their undermining, everything that he brought forth. 636s

And the undermining of those who proclaimed the gospel was prevalent in Paul's day. 646s

It was prevalent in Luther's day but it's prevalent even today. 650s

Many of us have experienced the advice to be rebaptized or many of us have been asked if we have had a believer's baptism. 656s

Our children or our grandchildren have often been given that push. 667s

But then that's up to the person. 676s

The actor, the doer in the baptism, the promise, then is the person being baptized. 680s

Whereas we understand that baptism, regardless of age, is God's doing. 688s

It's God's promise that is effective for us. 696s

It's God's promise that is the promise that matters in baptism. 700s

So Paul's authority was questioned. 707s

They were raising questions. 711s

They were planting seeds of doubt in Galatia. 714s

And there's a difference. 718s

Having a theological difference is one thing. 720s

You know, we have friends and family that may have some theological differences than we do. 724s

We may be able to come to the table and discuss those. 730s

But then there are those that are undermining the theology. 734s

Underlining the theology that we know, undermining what is in God's word. 739s

And that is dangerous. 747s

So Paul begins his letter immediately, immediately making a case for his right as an apostle. 749s

If you open up to Galatians chapter 1, and I know if you're using a few edition of the Bible, 758s

it's on page 165 of the New Testament because that's where we are for the sermon today. 767s

So Galatians chapter 1, we're going to look at verses 1 through 2. 771s

Paul and Apostles sent neither by human commission nor from human authorities, 780s

but through Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised him from the dead 785s

and all the members of God's family who are with me to the churches of Galatia. 789s

Just a couple of sentences, but so much is packed in there. 799s

So much is packed in there. 804s

The letters are all beginning with a greeting. 805s

It was necessary for Paul. 807s

And he will often name himself, you know, oh, to, you know, Paul and Apostle for Christ 810s

or Paul a servant and Apostle of Christ. 817s

He will mention his apostleship, but he doesn't generally hang on that. 820s

Here he has to assert his authority immediately. 827s

So this title is in a very strict sense. 831s

Paul is insisting upon his equality with the 12 apostles, 836s

with the 12 apostles that were chosen by God. 842s

Apostolos is the Greek word and that means a delegate, a messenger, one sent forth with orders. 847s

We can read of the calling where Jesus calls his disciples, 856s

he calls the apostles and tells them to follow him. 861s

And he gives them very specific orders at the end of Matthew. 867s

He tells them to go forth. 872s

We are his disciples. We are told to go forth. 874s

They are told. They have walked with Christ. 878s

They have witnessed with Christ. 882s

They have been sent with orders by Christ. 886s

We can read all of those in the gospels. 890s

We read, if we go to Acts, the book of Acts, this is the first book after the gospel of John. 893s

It's the first book after all of the gospels. 900s

So the book of Acts, chapter 1. 904s

Okay. 911s

Where we see, where am I? 914s

Acts 1 verses 20 through 26. 917s

We are reading about the replacement of Matthias in Acts. 920s

So Judas, Betrayed, Judas was one of the 12. 924s

He betrayed Jesus and then he hanged himself. 927s

And so then the Lord says, you need to replace this, you need to replace Judas. 932s

So in verse 20 of chapter 1, it is written in the book of Psalms, 940s

let us homestead become desolate and let there be no one to live in it and let another take his position of overseer. 947s

So it's in God's word. 954s

God foretold of Judas being gone. 958s

And he says someone else needs to take that place. 963s

So one of the men who have accompanied us during all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, 965s

beginning from the baptism of John until the day when he was taken up from us, 973s

one of these must be a witness with us to his resurrection. 977s

So they proposed to Joseph called Barsabis, who was also known as Yustis and Matthias. 981s

Then they prayed and said, Lord, you know everyone's heart. 991s

Show us which one of these two you have chosen to take the place in this ministry and apostleship 994s

from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place. 1000s

And they cast lots for them and the Lot fell on Matthias and he was added to the 11 apostles. 1004s

So Matthias place also was chosen by God. 1010s

They knew they were to call someone. 1015s

This apostle had to be one that had been with the disciples, with Jesus following from his baptism on and had witnessed the resurrection. 1018s

So we know that Matthias has witnessed the resurrection. 1030s

We know that Barsabis was in that same position and so those two are taken and then lots are cast 1034s

or lots are drawn and it lands on Matthias. 1044s

So we know that this is not a coincidence that this is who God has chosen. 1048s

So God has chosen all of his apostles. 1053s

Paul is an apostle, sent forth with orders, but he plainly says, 1057s

in Galatians that he is an apostle not from men. 1063s

He was not commissioned by men. 1069s

He wasn't made an apostle at the church at Antioch and he was not made an apostle at the church or by the church in Jerusalem. 1073s

He was not made an apostle by or through man. 1083s

No man appointed him as an apostle. 1088s

We are going to say in the book of Acts, but we are going to read where he was appointed as. 1092s

Apostle. 1097s

We are going to go first to Acts chapter 9, Acts chapter 9, verse 15. 1098s

This is after Paul had met Christ on the road to Damascus and Christ says that I am going to use you. 1109s

You will be told what to do. 1121s

So he goes into the city, he is taken into Damascus and he is with outside. 1124s

He is neither eating nor drinking for three days. 1130s

Then God comes to Ananias, a disciple of the lords. 1132s

And he tells Ananias to go and serve or preach, proclaim to Saul. 1138s

And Ananias says, this dude has been persecuting your church. 1147s

How am I supposed to go to him? 1153s

And the lords says in verse 15, the lords said to him, go, for he is an instrument whom I have chosen to bring my name before Gentiles and kings and before the people of Israel. 1155s

I myself will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name. 1168s

Jesus, we know, chose Paul for his service. 1174s

And Jesus says, I have chosen him and I will let him know how much he is going to suffer. 1182s

You go and do your job and I will tell Paul what his job is. 1190s

In Acts 22, we hear Paul talk about this himself. 1194s

Acts 22, when he is defending himself, he is telling about his conversion and 22 verse 1. 1201s

I don't think that's right. 1217s

Oh no, verse 21. 1223s

So, Acts 22, verse 21, as Paul is telling about his conversion, he says that Jesus said to him, go, for I will send you far away to the Gentiles. 1225s

God is commissioning him, giving him orders to go forth to the Gentiles. 1237s

He is made an apostle, he is given orders sent by Christ himself. 1245s

Then, if we go back to Acts 13, we see that his Apostolic commission was renewed in Acts chapter 13 beginning in verse 1 when he was in Antioch. 1253s

Now, in the church at Antioch, there were prophets and teachers, Barnabas, Symian, who was called Niger, Lucius of Syrene, Manion, a member of the court and hered the ruler and Saul. 1270s

While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them. 1282s

Then, after fasting and praying, they led their hands on them and sent them off. 1292s

Again, it was the Holy Spirit, it was God who recommissioned or who confirmed that Apostolic placement for Paul. 1295s

He is the one that said, I am sending them. I am sending them forth, I have work for them to do. 1306s

Paul is not bragging. He is not bragging of his divine appointment, but he is calling out the Judaizers. 1315s

The Judaizers were sent by man or they decided to go in after Paul on their own. 1324s

They didn't hold the same authority as Paul because he was sent forth under the authority of God. 1332s

They were going out of their own authority or out of the authority of their people. 1339s

Paul wasn't bragging, but to be an apostle was an honor, but it was also a great responsibility. 1345s

The title is automatically one of lowliness because he is being sent. 1355s

He had to be obedient. 1361s

He had to be obedient. 1365s

He was a servant which meant that his life was not his own. 1367s

His life was not his own. 1377s

We see that played out throughout his mission journeys and throughout his ministry. 1380s

He faced so many hardships that if he were not obedient, if he were not obedient and a servant of Christ, he would not have endured. 1387s

He would not have endured those hardships, but because he was an apostle that also meant that he was one who was going to draw closer and closer to the Lord. 1401s

He can only face the hardships that he was to face through the strength of God. 1415s

It was the only way he was going to get through any of it. 1423s

So let's read that first verse in Galatians again. 1427s

Paul, an apostle, sent neither by human commission nor from human authorities, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised him from the dead. 1433s

Paul claims his authority. 1446s

He claims the more worthy authority than the false teachers. 1448s

He says that he is the God of the gospel with his followers, and then he hits on the very point of the gospel with his follow through. 1451s

He is appointed by Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised him from the dead. 1456s

The death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is at the center of the gospel. 1463s

That is the gospel, the good news. 1470s

Christ is risen for our justification. 1473s

Let's go to Romans so you can keep your hand in Galatians. 1477s

We're going to go to Romans, that's just one book back. 1480s

Romans chapter 4, verse 25. 1483s

Where is it? 1491s

Actually, we're going to back up into a little bit of 24. 1493s

It will be reckoned to us who believe in him, who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead, who was handed over to death for our trespasses and was raised for our justification. 1497s

So going back to Galatians, we read how Paul is an apostle through Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised Jesus from the dead. 1510s

We know that Jesus was raised from the dead for our justification. 1522s

That is the gospel. 1528s

That is the good news. 1531s

And Luther brings out a really important point here. 1533s

He notes that Paul doesn't say he's an apostle appointed by Jesus and by God the Father, creator, and preserver of all things. 1536s

But he points out that Paul says he is raised by Jesus and God the Father who raised Christ from the dead. 1544s

We know that God created all, that God sustains all, that God keeps all. 1552s

But the center of the gospel is that Christ died and was raised from the dead. 1560s

Paul has to establish and maintain that effective point of the gospel against the false doctrine that has gone forth. 1569s

So we see over and over in Galatians how it comes right back home to that. 1578s

Right back home to the fact that we are saved through Christ and Christ alone. 1583s

Looking at verse two of Galatians 1, and all the members of God's family who are with me. 1590s

Luther says this helps to stop the mouths of the false prophets. 1598s

It was as though he were saying it is indeed sufficient that by a divine call I have been sent as an apostle through Jesus Christ and God the Father, yet in order not to stand alone, I add all the brethren who are not apostles, but comrades in arms, they are bearing witness with me, that my doctrine is true and divine. 1603s

Paul would travel with others. There were others that would go on the mission journeys with him. 1623s

And he had them to back him. 1631s

I like how he calls them, or how Luther says they are comrades in arms. 1636s

They are there to defend the gospel right along with Paul. 1641s

They have to. 1648s

As the church today, we also are called to become rads and arms with Paul and defending the gospel, the truth of the gospel that we are saved by Christ and Christ alone. 1651s

We're going to see how the fruits spill forward from that, but we have to have it straight, first and foremost, that we are saved by grace. 1667s

We are saved by Christ, Christ crucified. 1677s

And then he continues to the churches in Galatia. 1682s

I love this, I have this note. So Paul preached throughout Galatia, my note to myself, show pretty map. 1688s

So he preached throughout Galatia to all the congregations. 1697s

Not all of the region had been converted to Christianity, but he had many churches there. 1705s

He had established many churches there, and not all of the converts defected from Paul's teaching. 1714s

There were some who remained faithful to the gospel. 1721s

The false prophets, this is very interesting. The false prophets are going into the communities of the Christians and they are embedding themselves. 1726s

Part of that is because it's safe. 1737s

It's safe to go into these communities where they know that people aren't going to just kill them or go after them. 1741s

But they are automatically. It was safer than going into the cities where there were people who were outright condemning the gospel or the church. 1751s

It was much, much safer to go to these areas that had been converted and try to undermine than trying to go and convert or share the gospel with those who were persecuting it. 1764s

I think about that in the modern day, how it feels safer to reform the wrong believer than it is to preach the gospel to the unbeliever. 1781s

We have, Pastor Eibel and I will talk about this, that we are not in the business of stealing sheep. 1804s

We are not going out and trying to convert other believers who are in a church home. 1814s

We do this, we talk about this and everyone has witness as well. 1820s

We aren't going out to convert believers because they have a different church home. 1823s

We are called to go to the lost, those who are decurched or unchurched. 1829s

But man, it feels so much safer to get into a theological argument telling someone how wrong they are. 1840s

That feels so much safer to try to be righteous before the righteous who are wrong in their righteousness. 1849s

So we are going to keep on studying, keep on looking how Paul deals with those who are undermining him. 1863s

We are not going to go, I promise, we aren't going to spend just, you know, go to verses by two verses because we will never get that. 1876s

But I thought it was really important for us to see just from the outset how Paul establishes his authority, his rightful place in writing this letter. 1883s

His rightful place in demanding and calling out those who had abandoned the truth of the gospel. 1895s

We are going to move through his apostleship so that will take us into chapter 2 next week. 1909s

We are going to go through that a little more quickly than we did with just these two verses. 1924s

And we are going to see where Paul is establishing, continuing to establish, but where we have him completely firm in his call, completely firm in his position as he is sent as a servant to the Lord and a servant to proclaim the gospel. 1930s

And then we are going to keep on keeping on. 1950s

And you will notice, again, lots of themes of long gospel coming up. 1953s

Last week I had encouraged you to take the time each week to read through or listen to Galatians, the whole book or whole letter of Galatians. 1959s

I hope you are doing that. 1971s

If you are not, that is okay. 1973s

Remember we are saved by grace, not by our religiosity. 1974s

But it is really helpful. 1982s

And then if you have anything that you want to share, as you read through it, as you listen through it, I have received a few emails already. 1984s

Very, very interesting insights that you have. 1992s

This is such a powerful letter. 1995s

And so every time you read through it, every time you hear it, it just hits you all over again. 1997s

It is just amazing. 2005s

So do that. 2005s

If you want to share any of your insights, please do. 2007s

Some of the insights that I received this last week were not to those places yet. 2010s

That is why I have not shared them. 2014s

But y'all are amazing and brilliant. 2017s

And so, again, this week, go ahead and read through or listen to Galatians. 2020s

And we are going to continue with Paul and his apostleship and looking at beautiful maps. 2025s

I might put some trees on there for next week. 2032s

Looking at beautiful maps next week. 2035s

Okay? All right. 2037s

Thank you. 2038s