"...UNTO THE CHURCHES OF GALATIA"
A Commentary On Paul's Epistle To The Galatians
Copyright © 2004 Jerry C. Brewer
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Dedication
W. R. and Sarah Craig
To The Memory Of W. R. Craig at whose feet I sat when I was very young. More than anything else, he knew the power of the gospel he tirelessly preached for most of his 79 years and his greatest work was training young men to preach it also. I was but 24 years old when he became Paul to my Timothy 47 years ago. He was my confidant, friend, mentor, and beloved brother in Christ who cried over my sins and rejoiced at my repentance. He loved the Lord, the faith once delivered, and the church for which Jesus died. I loved him much, I loved him long, I love him still, and cherish his influence on my life.
And To Sarah Kelly Craig whose love and devotion to the Lord, her husband, W. R. Craig, and her son, Pat, exemplified all that is best in the soul and character of one of spiritual Israel’s sweetest mothers. Her godly life blessed her own family as well as the Brewer family who considered her a cherished part of our own for more than four decades.
Author’s Preface
A commentary is just that—the author’s comments upon the Bible. The Bible says what it says regardless of what I think it says, and God always means what He says regardless of what anyone thinks He means. The conclusions I have drawn in this study spring not from my own subjective reasoning, feelings or “think-sos,” but from my study of God’s objective Truth. This commentary is based on the King James Version. It was this old Bible which planted the church on the North American continent, which I learned as a child and from which I have preached all of my life. It has stood the test of time and criticism and I abominate and detest the proliferation of so-called “new versions” of the Bible in the last four decades.
The Bible is so simple a child can understand it, yet so profound that the richest and greatest minds of the ages will never plumb its depths. It would be arrogant and delusional for me to claim that this work is the final, scholarly tome on Galatians. I make no claim to “deep scholarship,” nor do I claim to have broken any “new ground.” This work is neither exhaustive nor definitive, but simply the result of my study of Paul’s epistle to the churches of Galatia. It is my hope that it will be used as a springboard for further study of the word of God, and if it aids one soul in coming to a better understanding of the Truth, then my purpose will have been accomplished.
I express deepest gratitude to those who critiqued this manuscript and offered their insights and suggestions while it was in preparation. They are Harrell Davidson of Obion, Tennessee; Gary Colley of Collierville, Tennessee; Robert Taylor of Ripley, Tennessee; Wayne Price of McLoud, Oklahoma; and Marion Fox of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
Most of all, I am grateful to Sherlene, the wife of my youth and faithful Christian and mother, whose steadfast devotion to Christ and her family has always been a godly example and a constant source of encouragement, and without whom I would not want to remain on this earth. Thank you, my dearest girl, for helping me in our journey to heaven.
Elk City, Oklahoma
16 March 2004
Foreword
The pure Gospel of our Lord and Saviour needs to be articulated anew in every generation. Not because there is anything new under the sun, but because every generation needs someone who is equipped that will take the time and set down in order these precious truths. This is not to minimize those ancients of the past who have, with pen in hand, written precious words in commentaries such as this that have guided many of us through the years. Once, as a young preacher, I consulted some of these works, some of which are quoted in this volume, almost weekly with the earnest longing for updated material from a little different perspective. The late brother Franklin Camp, a personal friend and confidant, wrote two volumes entitled Old Truths In New Robes because he believed that the Gospel must be adapted to each generation.
Brother Jerry C. Brewer, of Elk City, Oklahoma, has written this commentary on the tersest epistle that the apostle Paul wrote. One in which Paul, by Inspiration, had little of a congratulatory nature to write to the Galatians. Jerry has lovingly and kindly produced this work over a period of time that is a masterpiece in every respect. His love and respect for the late brother Foy E. Wallace, Jr. is evident as he quoted from the illustrious pen of this intellectual giant of the past, as well as a host of others in this work. Brother Brewer is well qualified to present this work to the brotherhood. He studied Bible at the Elk City School of Preaching where he sat at the feet of some of the all-time greats in biblical scholarship. He also earned a degree in Journalism from the University of Oklahoma, at Norman, Oklahoma, thus he knows what to say and how to say it. Additionally, he has been preaching the Gospel for many long years and he is unashamed and unafraid to proclaim the whole “counsel of God.”
Every chapter is a magnum opus! From the “certified Gospel” in chapter one to Christian duties in chapter 6, he excelled. His excellent understanding of the Law of Moses and the faith of Abraham in chapter 3, and the clear precise way he conveyed his clear thoughts stand out. Chapter five will live on and on as he demonstrates with Scripture after Scripture the truth regarding the Holy Spirit. The nature and work of the Holy Spirit has been somewhat problematic in every age. However, in the year of our Lord, 2004, there is a vast chasm among brethren. We are on the brink of facing an apostasy on this subject. Therefore, it is without reservation that I commend this work to every brother and sister, neighbor and friend through-out the entire world. Brother Jerry C. Brewer has done all things well in this great Commentary on Galatians.
Harrell Davidson
Obion, Tennessee
March 10, 2004
Outline And Table Of Contents
Introduction
Section I. Paul’s Defense Of His Apostolic Authority (1:1-2:21)
B. His Rebuke For Their Departure From The Gospel (1:6-10)
C. His Former Life And Call To Apostleship (1:11-17)
D. His First Visit To The Apostles In Jerusalem (1:18-24)1
E. His Second Visit To Jerusalem (2:1-10)
F. Paul’s Rebuke Of Peter At Antioch (2:11-21)
Section II. The Gospel Is All-Sufficient To Salvation (3:1-4:31)
A. Rebuke For Abandoning Their Only Means Of Salvation (3:1-10)
B. The Law’s Inability To Save (3:11-18)
C. The Parenthetical Nature Of The Law (3:19-29)
D. From Servanthood To Sonship (4:1-7)
E. An Excursus Appealing To Past Association (4:8-20)
F. The Law And The Gospel In The Allegory Of Sarah And Hagar(4:21-31)
Section III. Duties Enjoined By Freedom In Christ (5:1-6:18)
A. Embracing The Law Abandons Freedom In Christ (5:1-12)
B. Freedom In Christ Is Not A License To Sin (5:13-26)
C. Our Duties Of Mutual Care And Service (6:1-5)
D. Duties To Support Teachers And Render Benevolence (6:6-10)
E. Paul's Final Rebuke Of Judaizers In Galatia (6:11-18)
Introduction
The province of Galatia was where Paul preached on his first evangelistic tour. On that trip, he preached and met opposition from Jews in the cities of Derbe, Lystra, and Iconium (Acts 13-14).Galatia was populated by a Celtic people, known as Gauls, who had invaded Greece from the North in about 300 B.C. After a time of independence in which the Roman government recognized their kings, they became a part of the Roman empire during the reign of Augustus Caesar.
In Paul’s day, the Roman province of Galatia included the old kingdom of Galatia proper, to the north, and also parts of Lycaonia, Pisidia, and Phrygia, which adjoined to the south. Since the letter clearly implies that the churches were all founded in the same general period, Paul could not have been writing to both areas. It is now generally agreed that he was writing to the Southern Galatian churches; Lystra, Derbe, Iconium, Pisidia Antioch, and others in the vicinity (Martin, p. 452). It is our conviction that this epistle was written to those churches which were established on the first preaching tour of Paul and Barnabas through the cities of Attalia, Perga, Antioch of Pisidia, Iconium, Derbe and Lystra in the southern region of Galatia, as recorded by the inspired Luke in Acts 13 and 14.
The People of Galatia
The Galatians are described as “susceptible of quick impressions and sudden changes with a fickleness equal to their courage and enthusiasm, and a constant liability to that disunion which is the fruit of excessive vanity” (Conybeare & Howson, 212). These characteristics are seen in Paul’s words to them. They had readily received the gospel and would have “plucked out their eyes” for him, but then “so soon removed” from that gospel at the behest of false teachers. They had begun to “run well,” but then were “hindered” and “bewitched,” and were as anxious to “bite and devour” one another as they were to exchange the gospel for another which was “not another.”
The readiness of the Galatians to exchange allegiances was seen early in their history when they came southward. Conybeare and Howson say, “They hired themselves out as mercenary soldiers. They were the royal guards of the kings of Syria and the Mamelukes of the Ptolemies in Egypt” (p. 213). This propensity was apparently manifested also in their fickleness regarding the gospel and their readiness to listen to false teachers who called Paul’s apostolic authority into question. Of one whose mind is constantly changing, it has been said that, “His belief is whatever he reads last.” That seems to be the case with the people of Galatia, or the Gauls. For the Galatia’ of the New Testament was really the ‘Gaul’ of the East. The ‘Epistle to the Galatians’ would more literally and more correctly be called the ‘Epistle to the Gauls.’ When Livy, in his account of the Roman campaigns in Galatia, speaks of its inhabitants, he always calls them ‘Gauls.’ When the Greek historians speak of the inhabitants of ancient France the word they use is ‘Galatians.’ The two terms are merely the Greek and Latin forms of the same ‘barbarian’ appellation. (Conybeare & Howson, 212).
These fickle barbarians had a propensity for vacillation and sudden changes of mind. That was graphically illustrated in their reception of Paul and Barnabas as gods after they healed a crippled man at Lystra (Acts 14:8-18). But when Jews from Antioch and Iconium who opposed Paul’s preaching came to Lystra these Galatians, who had earlier hailed Paul as a deity, were persuaded to stone him and leave him for dead (Acts 4:19). It was that kind of vacillating nature which could easily be turned from the gospel, as Paul addressed in his Galatian epistle.
I. Paul’s Defense Of His Apostolic Authority (1:1-2:21)
"Paul, an apostle, (not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead;) and all the brethren which are with me, Unto the churches of Galatia: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father: to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen."
Verses 1-2. The parenthetical statement in verse one is significant. It begins an immediate defense of Paul’s apostolic authority which was called in question by Judaizing teachers among the Galatian churches. That authority was not only the basis of their faithfulness to the gospel which Paul preached, but of all subsequent generations of Christians. Their salvation depended on the veracity of his claims as an apostle of Jesus Christ. If he was not an apostle, the Judaizing teachers were right. But if his claims were true, the Judaizers were false teachers and the Galatians were in danger of losing their souls. The same is true of men today. If the apostolic claims of the New Testament are not true, then our faith is vain.
The apostles were to be forever the teachers of the world. It was therefore necessary that what they taught was infallible.That did not mean they were infallible in their personal conduct, as will be seen in Peter’s actions at Antioch, but that what they taught was the infallible word of God. Jesus promised that they would be infallibly guided when they were brought before magistrates. “But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak. For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you” (Matt. 10:19-20). And on the night He was betrayed, Christ promised that He would send the Comforter—the Holy Spirit—to guide them into all truth and to recall to their minds all He had taught them (John 14:26; 16:13).
Christ also metaphorically referred to their apostolic authority as His spokesmen when He said, “Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of Man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel” (Matt. 19:28). That period which Christ called “the regeneration” referred to the gospel dispensation in which He would sit upon David’s throne and the “judging the twelve tribes of Israel” by the apostles would be concurrent with His reign. Their words would be the standard by which the people of God—called metaphorically, “the twelve tribes of Israel”—would be judged and regulated until Christ delivers the kingdom to the Father (1 Cor. 15:24). Hence their authority in the church would extend throughout the gospel dispensation by the word which they delivered in the first century. That word which is the very Word of God, is unchanged and unchangeable and through it the apostles of Christ wield authority as judges of “the twelve tribes of Israel”—the church—today.
They who wield this authority from Christ are a special class of men, as the word apostle indicates. Like many New Testament words, there is no special religious significance inherent in it. It is a combination of two Greek words—"apo" which means “away (from something near)” and "stello", meaning “remove one’s self, withdraw one’s self, to depart” (Strong, 14; Thayer, 587). Rendered into English, the word apostle means “one sent,” i.e. one sent on a particular mission with authority and credentials to perform that for which he is sent. Therefore, one who was an apostle of Christ was one sent by Christ for a particular purpose and endowed with authority to accomplish that purpose.
That concept is described by another word—ambassador—exclusively applied to Christ’s apostles by Paul himself. “Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God” (2 Cor. 5:20). An ambassador is one endowed by a sovereign power to speak in that power’s behalf with the ambassador’s words carrying the same weight as if the sovereign head of state himself were speaking.
In his second epistle to the Corinthians, Paul also referred to himself and the other apostles as “earthen vessels” (2 Cor. 4:7). In that letter, Paul also defended his apostleship, saying they had been given the “earnest of the Spirit in our hearts” (2 Cor. 2:22). This “earnest of the Spirit” is an apostolic term that refers to no one today, and is connected with Paul’s statement that “we have this treasure in earthen vessels” (2 Cor. 4:7). At one time, the gospel was in the inspired man and that’s Paul’s meaning in using the term “earthen vessels” to describe the apostles. But now we have God’s word in the inspired Book. Consequently, there are no “earthen vessels” alive today. Those were the apostles who had the “earnest of the Spirit.” That Paul referred to apostolic inspiration in the use of these terms can be seen from his use of pronouns in the Second Corinthian letter when he said, “Now he which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God: who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts” (2 Cor. 1:21-22). That the words “anointed,” “sealed,” and “earnest” apply to Paul and the other apostles is seen in the contrasting pronouns, “us,” “our,” and “you” in this passage. The apostles were anointed in Holy Spirit baptism to guide them into all truth (John 16:12-13). The “earnest of the Spirit” was the truth in the inspired man, and the “seal” of the Spirit were the miraculous manifestations of the Spirit in them to confirm their preaching. When Paul said, “we have this treasure in earthen vessels,” he didn’t refer to the preaching of men today, but to the truth that was in the apostles through Holy Spirit baptism. He uses the pronouns “us” in 2 Corinthians 5:5, “we” in 2 Corinthians 5:11, “us” in 2 Corinthians 5:18, and “we” in 2 Corinthians 5:20, in reference to the apostles as “ambassadors” for Christ. In all of these passages, Paul refers to inspiration in himself. He is not describing men today. There are no living “ambassadors for Christ” nor “earthen vessels” today. Those terms applied exclusively to men in the age of inspiration.
The application of the terms “earnest” and “seal” to the Holy Spirit’s work belong to the apostolic period when the gospel was being revealed in parts and portions and define two necessary aspects of the gospel scheme of redemption—revelation and confirmation. Purposed from eternity and hidden beneath the types and shadows of the old covenant, the scheme of redemption was a mystery that is now revealed. "...how that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words; whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ,) which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit." (Eph. 3:3-4).
The word mystery in the above passage does not mean “mysterious” or “mystical.” It means unknowable through human reasoning and wisdom.
"The word mystery in Revelation comports with the same meaning of the word as used elsewhere in the New Testament - that is, the spiritual truths not discoverable by human reason; understandable, but hidden from human knowledge until revealed. The word has the connotation of secret doctrine, hence prior to revelation it was a hidden thing; but when revealed, it was brought within human intelligence and understanding. ...The word mystery did not mean mysterious. It meant that which could not be known until it was made known, or revealed, and it meant the gospel plan of salvation. The doctrine of the New Testament is, in this sense, called a mystery." (Wallace, The Book of Revelation, 82).
Undiscoverable by human wisdom, God’s plan could be known only by revelation which required inspiration, and inspiration required confirmation. The scheme of redemption was revealed in words, (1 Cor. 2:10-13), and confirmed by signs and wonders. (Heb. 2:1-4). Inspiration was the means God used to reveal his plan and miraculous gifts of the Spirit were to confirm that those through whom it was revealed spoke the word of God. This was the function of the Holy Spirit whose work of revelation and confirmation is expressed in the terms “seal” and “earnest.” The “earnest of the Spirit” relates to those gifts of partial revelation of which Paul spoke in 1 Corinthians 13 and is used only in 2 Corinthians 1:22; 5:5 and Ephesians 1:14. From the Greek word "arrhabon", it is defined as, “a pledge, i.e. part of the purchase-money or property given in advance as security for the rest: - earnest.” (Strong, 16). That which was given as an “earnest” was not the Holy Spirit, but that which the Spirit gave and that was partial knowledge of God’s word. The earnest of the Spirit constituted a partial revelation until the “redemption of the purchased possession” which was the completion of di- vine revelation.
"Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away." (1 Cor. 13:8-10).
The partial revelation of the gospel, imparted to Christians in the first century, was an earnest or pledge of the full revelation to come. That partial knowledge would cease when those parts were gathered into the whole, which Paul styled “that which is perfect.” The revelation we now possess in the New Testament is the sum of the parts extant in the apostolic age. The word “perfect” in 1 Corinthians 13:10 means “completeness” and when the parts of the mystery were gathered into the whole, the full price was paid, of which the earnest was a pledge.
The Holy Spirit was not the earnest in the hearts of men in the first century, except in a metonymical sense where the cause was put for the effect. When Paul said God had “given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts,” he referred to that which the Spirit revealed, not the Spirit himself. Neither is the Holy Spirit an earnest in the hearts of Christians today. Many who so teach contend that the Spirit constitutes a “down payment” or “pledge” from God of eternal salvation. But the full purchase price of anything is paid in the same currency as the down payment. If the Holy Spirit is the pledge or earnest of salvation, then God is making his down payment with a currency other than that which he will issue as the balance of the purchase. Besides, to say that God must make a “down-payment” on salvation is tantamount to saying we cannot trust him to fulfill his pledge to us! When Paul said God had “given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts,” (2 Cor. 1:22), he distinguished between himself and the Corinthians. The pronoun “you” in this passage refers to the Corinthians and the pronouns “us” and “our” refer to Paul.
The anointing of the Holy Spirit was Holy Spirit baptism which the apostles received. He made the same distinction in the Ephesian epistle.
"In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will: that we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ. In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also, after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory". (Eph. 1:11-14)
The Ephesians were sealed with the gift of tongues and given the earnest of prophecy when Paul laid hands on them after they were baptized. (Acts 19:1-6). Paul explains the purpose of the earnest and seal of the Spirit in the Ephesians in the following statement:
"Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints, cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers; that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: the eyes of your understanding being enlightened... (Eph. 1:15-18)."
The earnest of the Spirit was revelation which came through Holy Spirit baptism, and the seal of the Spirit was the confirmation of that revelation. When gifts of revelation were imparted through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, they were accompanied by miraculous powers for confirmation. The genuineness of the earnest of the Spirit, or the gospel that resided in inspired men, was attested by the Spirit’s seal of “signs and wonders and divers miracles” upon them. From the Greek sphragizo, the word “seal” is defined as, “to stamp (with a signet or private mark) for security or preservation...to keep secret, to attest... The stamp impressed (as a mark of privacy or genuineness), lit. or fig. : - seal.” (Strong, 70). This seal or sign was a visible attestation of the authority by which inspired men spoke. Those who claim this seal for Christians today cannot produce any visible sign of it. Their argument is the same one made for the direct indwelling of the Holy Spirit—“I know it because the Bible says I have it.” But what is the purpose of a seal of authority? The great seal of a state attests to and confirms the genuineness of documents issued by the state’s authority and is visible to all who read them. The seal of the Spirit were the signs worked by inspired men of the first century and visibly attested to their authority from God. The seal of the Spirit was not some invisible thing placed upon them for God’s benefit. Why would God have to attest ownership of Christians to himself? Does he not know them that are his without having some sort of mark placed upon them? The visible seal of the earnest of the Spirit was what Paul called “the signs of an apostle.” (2 Cor. 12:12). That was the sign or seal of his apostleship.
Thus, the apostles of Christ were special ambassadors sent by Christ to carry His message to the world. In so doing, He endued them with authority to speak in His name by sending the Holy Spirit upon them (Acts 2:1-4) and giving them miraculous powers as credentials of their calling. The apostles were, therefore, special representatives of Christ, personally called and commissioned by Him, and through whom the word of God was revealed and preached in the world. Paul had the same authority and credentials possessed by the other apostles (2 Cor. 12:12) and was not inferior to them in any way (2 Cor. 11:5). Like the other apostles, he was an “ambassador,” a “witness” of Christ, an “earthen vessel” containing the truth of God, and he could impart the “seal and earnest of the Spirit.” Paul was an apostle in every sense described by these terms. There has not been a living man to whom those terms applied since the apostles walked the earth and, despite Catholic and Mormon claims, the apostles of Jesus Christ had no successors. The apostolic office which Paul and the others occupied was, and remains, unique.
The apostles of Christ originally consisted of the twelve, which included Judas Iscariot. But after Judas fell and took his own life, their number consisted of the other eleven plus Matthias who was chosen to take Judas’ place. The choice of Matthias was recorded by Luke in Acts one and the qualifications of an apostle are there delineated by Peter. “Wherefore of these men which have companied with us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, beginning from the baptism of John, unto that same day that he was taken up from us, must one be ordained to be a witness with us of his resurrection” (Acts 1:21-22). The choice of Matthias as an apostle of Christ was made by God and, like Paul, he was not one of the original twelve.
That Paul had not companied with the Lord during His personal ministry, and was therefore not an apostle, was probably one of the objections lodged against him by false teachers. It’s true that Paul’s conversion and call to the apostolic office came sometime after the establishment of the church in Acts two. H. Leo Boles notes that the church was confined to Jerusalem for about the first three to five years before the disciples were scattered upon the death of Stephen.
"...after the martyrdom of Stephen, the persecuting spirit, which had already so often attempted to silence the apostles, became more decided and even unrelenting...It is probable that the events took place in A. D. 37; this was the year in which Tiberius died and Caligula succeeded him'" (Boles, 122, 123).
Thus, it was probably at least three years after the church was established that Paul was called to be an apostle, (Acts 26:14- 18), but that special call did not negate the authenticity of his apostleship. That’s why he called himself, “one born out of due time,” saying he was the “last” witness of Jesus Christ (1 Cor. 15:8). Though his call was special and unlike that of the original twelve, his apostleship was nevertheless genuine and his inspired teaching was as authoritative as any other of the apostles, for he too had seen the Risen Lord. The forceful language of the first two verses of the Galatian epistle are designed to negate immediately the spurious charges of Paul’s opponents that he was not a true apostle of Jesus Christ, but had gained his knowledge of the gospel from human sources. Human authority was not the source of Paul’s gospel—not of men—nor did he receive it through the teaching of human agency—neither by man.
After naming himself as the writer of the letter, Paul includes others in the salutation in verse two. Who these were is not known, but if the Galatian epistle was written from Corinth in 57 or 58 A.D., as is supposed by Lipscomb and Shepherd (Lipscomb, 183) at least one of those would probably have been Timothy. Suffice it to say that Paul was in the company of faithful co-workers and he subjoins their salutation to his. It is further noteworthy that Paul does not address these churches as he does others in the New Testament. Even the members of the Corinthian church with all their corruption were addressed as “saints” as were those at Ephesus, Philippi, and Colossae. But the address in this letter is simply, “Unto the churches of Galatia.”
Verses 3-5. “Grace be to you, and peace, from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ,” was Paul’s customary salutation which he used in his other epistles. The only variation on this salutation is found in the epistles to Timothy and Titus where he says, “Grace, mercy, and peace...” In all the other epistles he joins God and Christ in the extension of grace and peace—two words describing the scheme of redemption revealed in Christ. The word mercy is elliptical—not placed in the text of this letter, but understood. God’s grace is the fountain of His mercy which was demonstrated toward man through Jesus Christ, and peace with God issues from man’s appropriation of that grace (Eph. 2:8-10).
This “peace” from God and Christ is that which the angels announced at Christ’s birth. When they said, “glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men,” (Lk. 2:14), they referred not to civil or political peace between nations, but the peace that comes from God when man’s sins are remitted through the blood of Christ. It is that of which Paul wrote when he said, “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ; By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God” (Rom. 5:1-2). The mercy of God extended to man through Christ’s atonement is man’s avenue to reconciliation and peace with God. Verses four and five conclude the sentence begun in verse three—the kind of complex sentence which characterized Paul’s writings. “. . .who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.” God was willing to send His Son to die for us (John 3:16) and Christ willingly gave Himself (Rom. 5:6-10; Phil. 2:5-8) that we might be delivered from “this present evil world.” The sacrifice of Christ was for the purpose of delivering us from our sins and fitting us to live eternally in the presence of God. Without that singular sacrifice of God’s Son, we would be hopelessly and inexorably lost and without hope in the world.
B. His Rebuke For Their Departure From The Gospel (1:6-10)
"I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. For do I now persuade men or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ."
Verses 6-7. Without further preliminaries, Paul expresses his wonder and amazement that they had so soon been diverted from the gospel which he preached and had embraced a perversion thereof. They had not embraced “another gospel” because there is only one gospel. They had been bewitched by Judaizing teachers who enjoined certain aspects of the law—specifically the rite of circumcision—upon the newly converted Gentiles. Their teachings had the effect of diluting the gospel and thus perverting it. They had embraced “another” gospel of a different kind rather than “another” of the same kind.
My friend, Wayne Price, says this “better renders the use of two different words for ‘another’ in the original language.” Their hybrid gospel, produced by intermingling certain parts of the law of Moses with the gospel of Christ, was powerless to save. It was not another gospel, but a perverted version of the pure gospel Paul had received by revelation and preached to them. As salt, added to pure water, renders it powerless to quench thirst, so error added to the gospel renders it powerless to save. Error mingled with Truth always results in error and there was never a case of Truth advancing or triumphing through compromise or mixing with error.
Verses 8-9. The finality of divine revelation through the apostles of Jesus Christ is forcefully affirmed in these verses— so forcefully affirmed that Paul repeats it for emphasis. The apostles were guided into all truth (John 16:13). That leaves no room for latter day revelations such as those claimed by Joseph Smith in the Book of Mormon or Muhammed in the Qu’ran. Neither do these verses admit of so-called “revelations” to any preacher in our day. Jude’s inspired book affirms that the faith has been “once delivered unto the saints” (Jude 3). Paul not only excludes modern revelations through men, but says that even angels are accursed if they “preach any other gospel unto you.” Thus is Joseph Smith’s claim of revelation from an angel named Moroni refuted. Even if such an angel had existed and given Smith that revelation, that angel is accursed.
Verse 10. Paul’s questions in this verse are rhetorical. Of course, he didn’t seek to persuade men. The word “persuade” means to gain favor, and he never modified his preaching to gain the favor of those to whom he preached. Unlike modern preachers, Paul never considered the “felt needs” of his hearers.He knew exactly what they needed—the gospel of Christ—and why they needed it—for salvation (Rom. 1:16-17)—and that was the only message he preached. He sought God’s favor, rather than man’s (1 Cor. 2:1-2).
The answer to his second question—“Or do I seek to please men?”—is obviously, “no.” Had he sought to please the men who opposed his gospel, and thus gain their favor, he would not have followed Christ, but reverted back to the dead carcass of Judaism from whence he had been converted. It is obvious from his course of life that if he had sought to please men he certainly would have followed a different course from that which brought him not only opposition, but also persecution and physical injury.