Galatians 1:1 Paul, an apostle (not sent from men, nor through the agency of man, but through Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised Him from the dead), ² and all the brethren who are with me, to the churches of Galatia: ³ Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ, ⁴ who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us out of this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, ⁵ to whom be the glory forevermore. Amen.

THE REAL THING/GALATIANS 1:1-5

Just as there are many counterfeiters in this world of ours, all attempting to gain riches and power for themselves, so too the apostle Paul faced religious counterfeiters. The book of Galatians is a book about Paul confronting religious counterfeiters. He is seeking to help his original audience, and us today, have the skill of a bank teller to tell the real from the counterfeit. The more we handle the real, the more prepared we are to detect the counterfeit. So, Paul gives us the real thing to handle. We begin with ...

I) PAUL’S SALUTATION–VV.1-5

A) In Paul’s salutation, he helps us understand what the real gospel is in a summary fashion. He will be answering the question, "What is the gospel (the good news)? throughout his letter to the churches of Galatia. Paul begins his salutation by stating who he is, and with what authority he is addressing his audience (v.1). Paul does this because there were those in Galatia that were discrediting his authority, resulting in a dismissal of his message–that salvation is by grace alone, and not by grace and works as we will see. Paul takes the battle to those seeking to discredit him. Paul declares that he is an apostle–one sent with a message. His apostleship was not as a result of a sending agency, nor was it conferred upon him by man. Rather, Paul says that his apostleship came to him through His encounter with the risen Jesus on the road to Damascus (cf. Acts 9:15), and this with God the Father’s approval as He’s the One who raised Jesus from the dead (v.1). Therefore, Paul’s message was to be believed and heeded as He was God’s chosen instrument, and personally chosen by Jesus Christ, Himself! Added to this, Paul says that there were many who believed him and his message ... "all the brethren who are with me" (v.2a). The audience of his letter is the churches of Galatia that he founded in one of his previous missionary journeys (v.2b). It is a bit of a surprise to me that the churches Paul founded could be in such danger of misunderstanding the good news of Jesus Christ so soon (Galatians 1:6). If them, so too us! In light of these things, we would do well to heed the words of Paul, an apostle of God’s own choosing. We dare not listen to the voice of those who would be critical of Paul, and the message of salvation by grace alone he brings. There are many preaching a counterfeit message, so let us handle the real gospel message till we can easily spot the fake.

B) Paul next launches into a summary of the message that alone saves, the message he will spend the rest of his letter unpacking for all who will listen. At the heart of the gospel, the real thing, is the message of grace (v.3a). God the Father doing for mankind what they cannot do for themselves–saving them from His wrath and the penalty of their sins on His terms alone, and that being the death of His Son on the Cross as the sin-bearer (v.3b). So, grace is the cause of salvation, and peace is its consequence (v.3a). Peace is intricately tied to grace. The grace of God given by faith in Christ brings a cessation of war with God, and a tranquility of the soul that surpasses understanding. Paul makes us aware that the gospel message concerns "Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for our sins" (v.4a). Paul’s emphasis here is on "the perfect, finished and unrepeatable work of Christ in purging the sins of His people [which] sets the true gospel apart from all imitations." "Christ did not die merely to make salvation possible. He died to obtain eternal redemption for those whom He would, in course of time, call to Himself through the gospel preached to every creature." This results in a rescue of these from this "present evil age" (v.4b). "The present age is an evil age because sin has such a grip on our lives and on the institutions of our society, and because Satan is allowed so much power (cf. 2 Corinthians 4:4). But, for those who trust Christ, a liberation has begun to take place cf. Colossians 1:13" (Piper). All of which is according to "the will of our God and Father" (v.4c). This is God’s predestinating plan to guarantee the salvation of all who will come to Him cf. Ephesians 1:4-5; Romans 8:29-30. Paul then tells us that "the whole redemptive process has only one object, namely that God might be glorified" (v.5). Here’s the point: "The authentic gospel exalts Christ, not ourselves. We are seen for what we are, miserable undeserving sinners, under God’s righteous anger, helpless and hopeless." We need God to save us by His grace, and that for His glory!

C) "The genuine gospel features:

the free grace of God as the cause of salvation;

peace with God as the result of salvation;

Christ as the heart of salvation;

Christ’s death and resurrection as the means of salvation;

deliverance as the hallmark of salvation;

the will of God as the source of salvation;

the glory of God as the purpose of salvation" (Edgar H. Andrews).