Category: A Slow Walk Through the Bible

My own notes (pseudo-commentary) on the books of the Bible, with the intention of preparing/mulling over thoughts that may be pulled into sermons in the future. You will have to deliberately opt-in to this category, as it is more notes than a blog entry.

Let Me Sit At Another Table
Galatians 2:11-21

Do As I Say, and Not as I Do

But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood self-condemned; for until certain people came from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles. But after they came, he drew back and kept himself separate for fear of the circumcision faction. And the other Jews joined him in this hypocrisy, so that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy. But when I saw that they were not acting consistently with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas before them all, “If you, though a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you compel the Gentiles to live like Jews?”
Galatians 2:11-14

One of the first things that comes to mind when reading this passage is that Peter was reacting out of fear, much like he did in the courtyard of the high priest after Jesus’ crucifixion. When people confronted him about his association with Christ, he denied that he knew Jesus. And here, when he fears confrontation about the freedom he knows in Christ, he pulls himself back from eating with gentiles.

Peter had a vision which showed him that gentiles were loved by God (Acts 10:1 – 11:18), and that God had accepted them as full members of God’s family. And so, Peter accepted the gentile Cornelius and his entire family and brought them into the family of God, not requiring them to follow all the rules and regulations that he he had grown up with. Paul preached this same freedom from maintaining the law, and, he had just told the readers of this letter that he had met with Peter (Galatians 2:1-10), and that Peter and the other apostles had agreed with him about the inclusion of the gentiles into the family of God.

Since Paul is writing to the Galatians – gentiles – and since he had just explained to them that Peter had agreed that gentiles are a part of God’s family, this calling out of Peter’s hypocrisy serves more than just to bash Peter in the eyes of the Galatian believers. It has to do with who belongs to Christ’s family; and how exactly that relates is in the next section.

But, we cannot overlook that Peter, and even Barnabas joined into this division within a church of fellow believers. They heard what the people from James had said, and then turned around and refused to eat with the gentiles. Peter had understood God’s decision to include gentiles in the story of salvation. And Peter had already had a meeting with Paul, James, and John about not needing to make gentiles follow the rules and regulations of their Jewish heritage. So this decision by Peter and Barnabas to fall into a pattern of excluding people is, as Paul says, based entirely in fear. Fear that he might be ridiculed, have his authority challenged, or have his leadership threatened.

If Peter, the pillar of the church, could be swayed by fear over those confronting something that God had personally explained to Peter, then we can see how easily it might be for us to step into doing things that are opposite what we claim to follow.

But we must examine that possibility, because Peter’s actions harmed those whom he excluded. His actions harmed himself, because those watching (those within the community as well as those outside of it) saw that he was failing to live up to his own standards. And his actions harmed the church as a whole, because he was unwilling to correct those who would sow the seeds of exclusivity and division among the believers. By not correcting them, these men were able to continue sowing division and confusion among the greater church.

But this side story by Paul, really had the intent of defining who truly belongs to the family of God, rather than just calling out Peter for his inconsistencies.

Those Who Believe Are Christ’s Family

We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners; yet we know that a person is justified not by the works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ. And we have come to believe in Christ Jesus, so that we might be justified by faith in Christ, and not by doing the works of the law, because no one will be justified by the works of the law. But if, in our effort to be justified in Christ, we ourselves have been found to be sinners, is Christ then a servant of sin? Certainly not! But if I build up again the very things that I once tore down, then I demonstrate that I am a transgressor. For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not nullify the grace of God; for if justification comes through the law, then Christ died for nothing.
Galatians 2:15-21

The whole story about Peter’s inconsistency was just a lead up to remind everyone that anyone who believes in Christ is a member of God’s family. No one should make distinctions between people who believe.

Paul reminds Peter and the others about their heritage, in order to remind them that they themselves know that it is impossible to keep all of the law, and that they cannot be deemed righteous by following the law all on their own. And he reminds them that they themselves know that it is only through the faithfulness of the messiah that they are justified.

Paul has set up the dichotomy between God’s grace and trying to attain righteousness by maintaining the law. It’s a comparison between God’s works, and our works. And the point is clear. Our works can never amount to enough to justify us before God, because if we could, then there was no need for the messiah, or for the messiah to die. So, the only people who are justified in God’s sight are those that believe in Christ.

And that includes the gentiles, who also believe.

And if it includes the gentiles, why are you pulling yourself back and refusing to eat with them? You’re falling back into the idea that your works of the law that you grew up with will save you. But you cannot be justified by any of that. You are justified only by faith in Christ, just like these men who did not grow up with your heritage. But, they now share the same future that you do, simply by believing in Christ.

Paul has, by calling out Peter’s inconsistencies, brought back the idea that there is to be unity among all believers. He calls out those sowing confusion and division by bringing them all back to the understanding that the only thing that matters is faith in what the messiah has done through his death and resurrection.

Important Words and Phrases

ὑποστέλλω – hupostello – “I draw back” mid. shrink from, avoid, keep silent ¹ – notable because it sounds similar to ἀποστέλλω – “apostello” – “to send, to send out,” as of the apostles. Peter “drew back and kept himself separate.” Peter, like Paul, had been sent by God to spread the news of Christ, but here, rather than living into his “sending out,” he has retreated in fear of what others might think of his living in spiritual freedom. In Hebrews 10:37-38, this word indicates that believers can not expect a reward if they fail to confess the truth of the gospel.

ἀφώριζεν – from ἀφορίζω – aphorizo – “I separate” ² – Peter separated himself, held himself off, created boundaries between himself and others; the exact opposite of the unity the Gospel teaches. The New Testament uses this word to indicate being separated for divine service, or “calling.” So in a sense, Peter has separated himself from his calling to preach the gospel because he has separated himself from those with whom he should share the Gospel.

συνεσταύρωμαι – I have been crucified, from συσταυρόω – sustaurao – “To crucify together with” – in this sense, ” I am crucified with.” We tend to gloss over the idea of having died to sin, having died with Christ, etc. but this imagery of being nailed to a cross together with Christ should carry a bit more weight than it seems to.
1. Theological Dictionary of the New Testament (TDNT), pp 1074
2. TDNT, pp 728
3. TDNT, pp 1105
April 12, 2021
Who Says You’re Important?
Then after fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus along with me. I went up in response to a revelation. Then I laid before them (though only in a private meeting with the acknowledged leaders) the gospel that I proclaim among the Gentiles, in order to make sure that I was not running, or had not run, in vain. But even Titus, who was with me, was not compelled to be circumcised, though he was a Greek. But because of false believers secretly brought in, who slipped in to spy on the freedom we have in Christ Jesus, so that they might enslave us — we did not submit to them even for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel might always remain with you. And from those who were supposed to be acknowledged leaders (what they actually were makes no difference to me; God shows no partiality) — those leaders contributed nothing to me. On the contrary, when they saw that I had been entrusted with the gospel for the uncircumcised, just as Peter had been entrusted with the gospel for the circumcised (for he who worked through Peter making him an apostle to the circumcised also worked through me in sending me to the Gentiles), and when James and Cephas and John, who were acknowledged pillars, recognized the grace that had been given to me, they gave to Barnabas and me the right hand of fellowship, agreeing that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised. They asked only one thing, that we remember the poor, which was actually what I was eager to do.
Galatians 2:1-10

Unity

When Paul went down to Jerusalem, he met with the acknowledged leaders of the faith, which included James, John, and Peter (v. 9), and shared with them the Gospel that he had been preaching to the Gentiles – the facts of his Gospel, if you will. But Paul wasn’t doing this to check and make sure that his Gospel was correct, as the phrase, “in order to make sure that I was not running, or had not run, in vain” might suggest. He went to Jerusalem because God told him to in a revelation (v. 2). And when he got there, he met with the leaders in private, not to make sure that they might correct him, but that any disagreement between leaders in the church might be kept out of the eyes of those most likely to be swayed by these disagreements. They did this in order to maintain unity.

This idea of unity is important here, because the disagreement touched upon the idea of inclusion. If the people who Paul converted to the freedom in Christ were then required to follow the Mosaic Law, then they would be “enslaved” to the requirement to follow the entire law, and not just the requirement to get circumcised. It would force them to lose their freedom in Christ, which, according to Paul, comes merely through belief in the death and resurrection of Christ (see Galatians 3:1-14, and Ephesians 2:8-9). The reason that this is important, is that Christ is the lord of the whole world, and no longer the salvation of Israel alone. If the Gentiles were required to come to faith in the faith of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, then the “family of God” would be dependent upon more than faith – it would divide people based on nationality and race¹.

It seems that the people who were demanding that all Christians become circumcised like the Jewish believers, were the ones who had cast doubts about Paul’s authority to preach the Gospel in Galatia. And, it appears, that people of the same mindset (“false believers”) were present at this meeting of the Jerusalem leadership and Paul. And so, basically, Paul is continuing the defense of his credentials, stating again that his credentials are valid, and that he would not even “submit to them even for a moment.” As proof that he did not yield, he tells us that not even Titus was compelled to get circumcised by these acknowledged leaders of the faith. Paul is, in a certain way, saying, “You want proof of the result of this discussion? Talk to Titus. He can prove what I say is true,” since there really is no way to fake being circumcised.

As more proof, Paul lets us know that these people “added nothing to me.” Or, stated differently, they found no fault with his Gospel, and therefore did not need to correct him. Moreover, they saw, they recognized, that Paul had “been entrusted with the Gospel for the uncircumcised, just as Peter had been entrusted with the gospel for the circumcised.” And so they all agreed that Paul and Barnabas would go to the Gentiles, and Peter and the others would work on sharing the Gospel with the Jews.

The final verse, v. 10, seems almost out of place, which give it a bit of added emphasis. “They asked only one thing, that we remember the poor, which was actually what I was eager to do.” They agreed on this fact that the church should remember the poor. It seems that no matter what church we go to, no matter where they place their theological emphasis, the church still has an outreach program to those less fortunate. Given the vast number of denominations not just in the world, but in the United States alone, it seems that this desire to help those in need might be the one thing that we can all agree on, whether we disagree on everything else or not.

The Only Opinion that Matters

Several years ago, I remember reading a news article about a well-known Hollywood actor who had been pulled over for driving while under the influence. Apparently, in trying to get out of the ticket, he got angry with the police officer, and questioned him, asking, “Don’t you know who I am?” It was a question based entirely on the perceived self-importance of the one asking. Naturally, the police officers did not care who the driver was. The important fact in the situation was that the driver had been driving impaired, and, of course, a ticket was written.

Trying to take advantage of our position, or our perceived importance is nothing new. But in Paul’s case, those that had come through the churches in Galatia had tried to tarnish his reputation and question his authority as an apostle. But Paul won’t have any of it. He tells a story of how the acknowledged leaders in Jerusalem not only agreed that the Gospel he preached was correct, but that they agreed that he was a fellow apostle, and sent him off with their blessings. He finishes off this story with stating that “those who appeared to be something – whatever they were doesn’t matter to me – because God doesn’t play favorites.”

Paul didn’t care whether they were the Emperor of Rome, the leaders of the local gathering, or those who were perceived to lead the entire faith. The only opinion that mattered to Paul was what God thought of him, and whether he was doing what God had commanded him to do. Our own concern should be to follow the idea stated in the Lord’s Prayer: “Your kingdom come, your will be done.” If we are doing what God has asked of us, it should not matter what others say about us. It shouldn’t, though in practice it is not always so easy. But we must continue in our path, seeking to do what we believe to be God’s will in our lives, despite whatever others might say.

Important Words and Phrases

ψευδάδελφος, ου, ὁ – pseudodelphos – literally, fake brothers; from ψευδής, ές and ἀδελφός, οῦ, ὁ; Paul primarily uses “adelphos” to refer to spiritual brothers, roughly 130 times, so the false brothers are false spiritual brothers, those who do not believe according to what was agreed upon by Paul and the others. ²

ὑποταγή, ῆς, ἡ – hypotage – This word means “submission” or “subordination,” as well as “slavery.” Occurs only in Paul in the New Testament, and in 2:5 refers to submission. ³ The thing is.

διαφέρει – “made no difference,” from διαφέρω diaphero – I surpass, excel – In the phrase in Gal. 2:6, it means “to be of no account,” or “makes no difference.” ⁴
1. N. T. Wright, “Paul for Everyone: Galatians and Thessalonians,” pp. 16-17
2. Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, Abridged in One Volume; pp. 22
3. TDNT, I Vol., pp. 1160
4. TDNT, 1 Vol., pp 1254
April 9, 2021
Badges? We don’t need no stinking badges

Galatians 1:11-24

For I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that the gospel that was proclaimed by me is not of human origin; for I did not receive it from a human source, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ. You have heard, no doubt, of my earlier life in Judaism. I was violently persecuting the church of God and was trying to destroy it. I advanced in Judaism beyond many among my people of the same age, for I was far more zealous for the traditions of my ancestors. But when God, who had set me apart before I was born and called me through his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son to me, so that I might proclaim him among the Gentiles, I did not confer with any human being, nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were already apostles before me, but I went away at once into Arabia, and afterwards I returned to Damascus.
Galatians 1:11-17

If anyone was willing to confront Paul about his teaching, and explain away his ministry it could very well start with his claim that his gospel is not from any man, nor that he learned it from anyone; instead, Paul makes the claim that the Gospel he teaches came to him straight from mouth of Christ through a revelation. The claim could be made that he was legitimately crazy.

But Paul goes on, recounting how he used to persecute the Christ’s church, had actually tried to destroy it. He did all of this because of his zeal for the faith and tradtions of his ancestors. It’s almost as if Paul is trying to discredit himself by telling them just how bad he was.

Paul is leaning into his past, in order to address the dramatic change that he experience on the road to Damascus. And, because he was actively attempting to damage the church when God confronted him on the the road, he can then turn everything around and say, “It all happened when God wanted it to. And this was not my choice. Instead, it was all the work of God, through the incredible grace of God, who decided that I would be the one to bring the Gospel to you – the gentiles.”

It’s all because God showed grace and mercy to Paul. That’s what Paul wants them to know, and he wants them to understand this revelation of Christ (v15) as the reason for his dramatic shift in character and behavior. Similar to other places in his letters, Paul also brings up his zeal for his former religion, in order to explain and compare living according to the Law, and living according to the grace and mercy of Christ.

It is because of God’s grace and the revelation that Paul can adequately stat that “I am called. I am an apostle. I am a minister of Christ, simply because God sent me.” Leaning on his past, on who he once was, but is no longer, is what allows Paul to now lean into his calling.

As if to underscore this truth, Paul then talks about how he did not immediately go to Jerusalem to confer with Peter and the other apostles – in order that they could validate his teaching – but instead went on a tour of Arabia for three years, proclaiming the Gospel he had received from Christ himself.

When he finally did go to Jerusalem to join the original disciples, including Peter, they were all afraid of him, not truly believing that one who had formerly persecuted them was now working toward the same goal as they were (Acts 9:26-30). Later, as we find out in chapter 2 of Galatians, and chapter 15 of Acts, Paul and Peter had an argument over circumcision, and in the end they decided that Paul was in fact an apostle, entrusted by God to the Gentiles, just as Peter had been entrusted by Christ to preach the gospel to the Israelites.

What does that mean? Paul finally had the approval and official sanctioning of the other apostles, those originally with Jesus. But we know none of that mattered to Paul, because he had already spent three years preaching to the people in Arabia, making Christ known to them.

Paul did not need their approval. He was called by God, and he knew that. Nothing would shake his faith in that calling.

Badges

Then after three years I did go up to Jerusalem to visit Cephas and stayed with him fifteen days; but I did not see any other apostle except James the LORD’s brother. In what I am writing to you, before God, I do not lie! Then I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia, and I was still unknown by sight to the churches of Judea that are in Christ; they only heard it said, “The one who formerly was persecuting us is now proclaiming the faith he once tried to destroy.” And they glorified God because of me.
Galatians 1:18-24

Too often, I think people wait for approval from others when confronted with a call to ministry, or even just a call to share Christ’s love and message with the rest of the world. Missionaries wait to be accepted by missions groups and church missions boards, having to spend time convincing those committees that they are truly called. It’s almost as if those that are called are trying to persuade people, or seeking the approval of others.

It is certainly true that each organization has the right to vet members according to their own set of rules, expectations, and desires. But more often than not, it seems that those who are in charge of the approval find ways to show those who seek their approval that they are still in power. Sometimes they let others know that they will inform them of what they are truly called to, rather than accepting someone’s personal calling as valid. Sometimes decisions have been made beforehand, so that those seeking approval do not even realize that they have no chance of ever attaining it. And the result is that both the approval board – and those who feel called – stagnate. Both forget that the real mission is to share God’s love and message of hope with the world, and instead focus on human guidelines, human regulations, and human goals.

But imagine for a moment if those that felt called believed in only one thing – that Christ himself had called them to ministry, and that Christ himself had asked them to do the work that he has given them. If those that felt called simply turned and began ministering, the world would be greatly changed, more than likely for the better. Instead, peole feel that they need to have that approval from others, and instead of sharing the Gospel message with others, they defer to comments like, “You should really speak with my pastor, and they can explain it to you.” Then the moment disappears, and the friend never speaks with the pastor. All because someone felt they didn’t have a badge of approval.

The Gospel message is not difficult to understand, nor is it difficult to teach, except that some would make it so. The Gospel message is not a difficult message aroudn which to organize, nor is it difficult to move the gospel forward, especially when carried around by those motivated by the excitement and love of God that comes from a personal calling. Paul showed it. After his conversion he began preaching the Gospel, and confounding the Jews who lived in Damascus, “proving that this Jesus is the Christ” (Acts 9:22). And he did all of this without the approval of the apostles in Jerusalem for at least three years.

And others saw it too

After the meeting with the apostles in Jerusalem, Paul went to Syria and Cilicia, in which he preached the Gospel. These people, he tells us, did not recognize him by face, but had heard of the one who previously persecuted them was now preaching “the faith he once tried to destroy” (v. 23). And those people who heard him, Paul says, “glorified God in me.” I think this one statement makes clear what Paul started with in verse eleven. The Gospel he preached did not come from men, but Christ himself revealed the message to him, and Paul understood that. And other people saw his calling, glorifying God – or the work of God – in Paul. In a sense, the approval of God’s calling on Paul’s life does not come through the council of apostles in Jerusalem, but by those very people to whom he preached, and whom he taught; those people saw the result of Paul’s calling, and glorified God.

Important Words and Phrases

ἐδόξαζον – glorified – from δοξάζω, “I glorify.” The verb has the special biblical sense “to give or have a share in the divine glory.” ¹ The important detail here being that people saw God in Paul and his teachings. This should be the goal of every Christian: that others would glorify God because of our lives.

1 Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, Abridged in One Volume; pp. 181

April 7, 2021
The Gospel as Fake News

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 — and all the members of God’s family who are with me, Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins to set us free from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen. I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel — not that there is another gospel, but there are some who are confusing you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should proclaim to you a gospel contrary to what we proclaimed to you, let that one be accursed! As we have said before, so now I repeat, if anyone proclaims to you a gospel contrary to what you received, let that one be accursed! Am I now seeking human approval, or God’s approval? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still pleasing people, I would not be a servant of Christ.
Galatians 1:1-10

Greetings & Salutations (vs 1)

This is the typical opening, typical greeting of letters in Paul’s time, with one exception. Paul gives himself the title of Apostle. The word apostle just means “one who is sent,” so Paul very quickly makes the distinction that he is sent by God, and not by men. A point he will dig into deeper later on. But the entirety of Galatians has to do with correcting the people Paul to whom he himself had taught the Gospel. The people of Galatia were being led astray by those who would claim that Paul wasn’t really sent by God, and that maybe, just maybe, Paul hadn’t quite gotten the Gospel just right. They themselves, we’ll find out from Paul’s letter, seem to think that they do have it right.

The People of Galatia (vs 2)

The people of Galatia were those who had settled in what is now modern day Turkey, and had come from the Gallic people, the Gauls, perhaps from Iberia (Spain), or one of the other Gallic tribes. The entire Roman region was called Galatia, and so it’s not necessarily sure if Paul is referring to an ethnic group, or the churches of the entire region, which would have included Antioch, Iconium, Lystra, Derbe, and Tarsus among others. Since Paul was from Tarsus, it would be quite possible that he would also be considered a Galatian himself.

The Gospel in Brief (vs. 3-5)

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins to set us free from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen
Galatians 1:3-5

It’s pretty impressive how Paul quickly summarizes the message that he has taught the Galatians in verses three through five. He wants to remind the people of what he taught them before he confronts the Gospel other teachers are presenting starting in verse six.

The gist of it is this: Grace and Peace to you (the Galatians) from Jesus Christ, who offered himself as a sacrifice for your sins. He did this so that he might deliver you from this present evil age, according to the will of God, to whom be Glory forever and ever.

There is a cyclical nature in these short verses that speak to what Paul will expound on later in the letter. We receive the gifts of grace, peace, and forgiveness of sins through a sacrifice of one man. The Galatians did nothing, and more importantly, had to do nothing, to receive that gift. And because of this, they give thanks, praise, and Glory to God forever. When they sin again, they are once again forgiven, and once again acknowledge the Glory of God. And the cycle repeats indefinitely, because we will continue to fall short of God’s glory and fall back into sin.

Now, Paul doesn’t make it this explicit in these short verses, but since he goes on through the letter to explain these very truths, he is, in effect, giving them this Gospel in brief to remind them of the truths that he taught them.

One thing that I think bears emphasis is the phrase, “that he might deliver us from this present evil age.” The Gospel is not just something that will save the Galatians from eternal damnation, but is intended to make their lives better now. This is something that Paul brings up not only in this letter, but in other letters as well. The Gospel makes life worth living now, and provides peace, joy, happiness, and self-control (things we’ll see again in chapter 5). This liberty in Christ is a common theme in Paul, and I think that they are often the most misunderstood words. Some believe that this liberty gives them a license to sin as they wish, and others fail to understand what it truly means to be forgiven, an therefore resort to a hybrid faith of living according to an unwritten set of morals that they believe will justify them before the eyes of God.

The Gospel as Fake News (vs. 6-9)

I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel — not that there is another gospel, but there are some who are confusing you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should proclaim to you a gospel contrary to what we proclaimed to you, let that one be accursed! As we have said before, so now I repeat, if anyone proclaims to you a gospel contrary to what you received, let that one be accursed! Am I now seeking human approval, or God’s approval?
Galatians 1:6-9

Some politicians have called entire segments of the media “Fake News” simply because they don’t want people to hear the truth; most politicians know that the quickest way to discredit a message is to discredit the messenger. Most criminal defense attorneys know the same thing, and actively try to persuade the people of the jury that the witness on the stand cannot be trusted; often it is just because the witness has an undesirable event in their past. It’s an incredibly effective strategy; most people would clearly not want to be treated or judged in this way, but they are quick to judge another person as untrustworthy simply because that person has been found wanting.

This is, effectively, what Paul had to deal with. While again, we don’t find it here in these verses, there were people speaking against Paul, and the gospel that Paul taught. They were speaking against him because he was preaching without having been “sent” by those in Jerusalem. In other words, Paul was not the “apostle” that he claimed to be. He was preaching a Gospel that didn’t hold the authority of those from Jerusalem, so he should not be trusted. Moreover, it seems that they may have been accusing him of being a people pleaser, since he was not endorsing the need to live up to the Jewish law (specifically, the practice of circumcision), and instead was advocating for a salvation that came through faith alone, which didn’t seem to indicate any particular sacrifice from people – at least not visibly – hence the reason for the accusation that he was pleasing people.

Paul marvels at how they are turning away from the Gospel “so soon” and turning to a “different gospel.” They are not preaching a “better gospel” or just a different “good” gospel; instead, these men are diluting the good news, taking the power away from the Gospel of freedom and faith that Paul preached to them. The exact nature of the message that these men were preaching becomes clearer in later chapters. They were preaching a gospel that relied heavily on following the Mosaic law (chapters 3 & 4), and in particular following through on circumcision (chapter 5). The entire logic behind returning to a law-based gospel completely befuddles Paul. He cannot seem to understand why people would want to place themselves under the law, under a set of rules, when Christ offers freedom from this sort of behavior.

But it wasn’t just the Galatians that followed this sort of behavior. There are people that place themselves into legalistic frameworks even now. And while it seems counterintuitive, following a legalistic, rules based faith is often easier than being free in Christ. Why? Because when we are following rules, we come to believe that our future success, or future salvation depends upon how well we keep those rules. But in a Gospel driven by a relationship with the God of the universe, we are required to examine ourselves and check our motivations, to look upon our neighbors with love, and to treat them as we want to be treated. We might be able to follow the rules and feed the poor in our community, but look upon them with contempt, and not with love. A legalistic faith is an easy faith, a weak faith. And, ironically, also a more oppressive faith. This is why Paul wanted those who taught this gospel to be accursed. The Gospel that he taught is one of liberty, and, while it grants the believer more freedom, it also requires that constant cyclical faith that we saw in verses 3-5. But this clear-cut, straightforward faith is easier to digest than what Paul taught them, and that is why the Galatians – and so many people today – jump into a faith that justifies them before the eyes of their neighbors and before God simply by living up to a certain moral standard.

People Pleasing

Or am I trying to please people? If I were still pleasing people, I would not be a servant of Christ.
Galatians 1:10

Because a legalistic faith is in many ways an easier faith than the constant self-examination and willingness to allow the Spirit to mold us, Paul finishes this train of thought with a couple of questions. “Am I now seeking human approval, or God’s approval? Or am I trying to please people?” He asks this because in many ways, those preaching this gospel of legalism were allowing people to reduce their faith to a set of rules. It made their faith easier in many ways, because they could assume their own righteousness simply by keeping the law. Even though it seems counterintuitive, these men were in many ways preaching a gospel the people wanted to hear. But Paul knew that this gospel would eventually be more oppressive than the Gospel of liberty that he preached, because it would demand more and more adherence to rules, rather than a life lived in a true relationship with the divine.

In my own experience, I have been confronted by people who do not want to hear a difficult message, simply because they would rather hear that they are doing well according to whatever standard of morality they hold for themselves. But just because people give to the church, help out the poor and less fortunate, refrain from gossip, or whatever else is on their numbered list of oughts, does not mean that they have truly entered into a relationship with the God of the universe.

This is why Paul finishes this final thought with the statement, “If I were pleasing people, I would not still be a bondservant of Christ.” In other words, if Paul were pleasing people, he wouldn’t still be going around preaching the Gospel he is preaching. It would be much easier for him to simply preach what people wanted to hear, and if he did that, then he could go right along with what these other men were preaching. But Paul wants them to come to a deeper relationship with God, and not just find a way to assuage their own consciences about their faith.

Important Words and Phrases

μετατίθημι– metatithemi – “To fall away,” from τίθημι – tithemi ¹

μεταστρέφω – metastrepho – “I change, alter, pervert.” Used only twice in the New Testament, and means “to turn,” and “to change.” Used in Acts 2:20 and Gal. 1:7²

ἀνάθεμα, ατος, τό – anathema – This word, based on accents, can mean both “something dedicated to deity” and “something put under divine curse.” Paul usually uses the word as the object of a curse. “Handing over to God’s judicial wrath is the idea.” ³

πείθω – peitho – “to convince, persuade” In Gal. 1:10 the sense depends on whether the two questions are parallel. If they are, God is the answer, for it is God’s favor that Paul seeks. If they are not, he is asking whom he seeks to persuade with his preaching, and the answer is “men.” In this case, the parallel is a material one; Paul pleases God by his efforts to persuade men. ⁴

ἀρέσκω – aresko – “to please” in expression of an attitude or approach ⁵

1 Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, Abridged in one Volume (TDNT, I Vol.), pp 1179
2 TDNT, I Vol., pp 1096
3 TNDT, I Vol., pp 57
4 TNDT, I Vol., pp 818
5 TNDT, I Vol., pp. 77

April 5, 2021