The Apostle Paul’s Letter to the Galatians

This is my 365 day daily journaling commentary. It covers the entire 6 chapters, 149 verses, 3,084 words over the course of 12 months. Feel free to read, copy, & utilize the material in your own personal bible study. Throughout, the English Standard Version is used. If you are following along in 2025, come back each day for the next entry. I look forward to sharing this study with you and hope you are blessed as you read my thoughts and ponder the great truths of Scripture.

INTRODUCTION

Paul was saved and called sometime around AD33. The Book of Galatians was likely written around AD49-50, between Paul’s first missionary journey (AD47-48) and his second missionary journey (AD49-52). Galatians is sometimes called a brief reflection of his exhaustive work, Romans. He set out to make clear what Christianity really is instead of what some false teachers were positing. From the get go, Paul got down to business writing this letter. That is apparent since he did not open with his usual salutation of grace and peace. The truth of God’s grace is overwhelming in this book from beginning to end.

January

January 1

Chapter 1, Verse 1, “Paul, an apostle—not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead.”

Παῦλος, ἀπόστολος, Paulos, apostolos, “Paul, and apostle.” In nine of the fourteen books written by Paul (if you include Hebrews), he begins by referring to himself as an apostle. An apostle was a man chosen by Jesus, one who accompanied the Lord while he ministered here on earth, and one who was an eye witness of his resurrection. Peter spoke about these credentials in Acts 1:21-26, “So one of the men who have accompanied us during all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, beginning from the baptism of John until the day when he was taken up from us—one of these men must become with us a witness to his resurrection.” And they put forward two, Joseph called Barsabbas, who was also called Justus, and Matthias. And they prayed and said, “You, Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which one of these two you have chosen to take the place in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place.” And they cast lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias, and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.” Jesus, himself, called the men to be apostles as recorded in Matthew 10:1-4, “And he called to him his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every affliction. The names of the twelve apostles are these: first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.” (See also Mark 3:14-19) So what qualified Paul to be an apostle? Jesus! In Acts 9:1-22, we read about Saul’s (Paul) conversion and special call of God to the Gentiles (the other apostles were called only to the house of Israel). A man named Ananias laid hands on Saul who had been blinded by the Lord on the road to Damascus. When Ananias prayed over him, Saul’s sight was restored and he immediately began to testify that Jesus was the Christ. The Lord said to Ananias in verse 15-16, ““Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel. For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.” To understand the miracle God worked in Paul’s life, we must read 1 Corinthians 15:1-10, “Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me.” Paul was certainly “untimely born,” but it is just as certain that he was completely sold out to Jesus and rightly called an apostle.

January 2

Chapter 1, Verse 1, con’t, “Paul, an apostle—not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead.”

The New Living Translation (not a direct translation but a dynamic equivalence) render this phrase with the most clarity of intent (see also NASB), “I was not appointed by an group of people or any human authority, but by Jesus Christ himself and by God the Father.” Galatians is a book full of passion from Paul seeking to make clear the path of righteousness from grace alone apart from works. His first step was to be clear about his call to ministry. He faced opposition from every direction, the most serious objections coming from the Judaizers–those who insisted on piling legal requirements of the Law on top of the gospel. They claimed Paul was perverting truth, that he was a Jewish traitor, that his message made it too easy for Gentiles to come to God, and that he ignored the Law of Moses. So Paul had to be plain in asserting that his message was directly from God and not from men. Paul’s gospel was plain and simple (in this the Judaizers were correct); faith alone in Christ alone, by the word alone, through grace alone is what brings a person to salvation–no works, no membership, no ordinances, no religious rules. Sadly, nothing has changed since Paul preached. Vast world religions and denominations want to impose rules on believers instead of bringing them to freedom in Christ. That freedom is what sets a person on the right path to serve God and man.

January 3

Chapter 1, Verse 1, con’t, “Paul, an apostle—not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead.”

τοῦ ἐγείραντος αὐτὸν ἐκ νεκρῶν, tou egeirantos auton ek nekrōn, “the [One] having raised him out from [the] dead.” The verb ἐγείρω, egeiró, usually means “to raise” or “to awaken” as in arousing from sleep. It is used in the New Testament for both physical and spiritual awakenings, and includes being awakened from death. When Paul, and the other apostles who were still alive, began preaching about the resurrected Christ, the whole concept of coming back from the dead was foreign to the first century mind. So, why did Paul open the letter with real life after real death? He did so because without the resurrection of Jesus, the message of the gospel was completely powerless. About five years after Paul wrote Galatians, and at the end of his second missionary journey, he wrote to the Corinthians, “Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me” (1 Corinthians 15:1-7). At Christmastime, we celebrate the birth of the Christ-child. But at Easter, after we reflect upon his death to pay for our sin, we exalt and cheer the risen Son of God. John 3:17, “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.”

January 4

Chapter 1, Verse 2, “and all the brothers who are with me, To the churches of Galatia:”

καὶ οἱ σὺν ἐμοὶ πάντες ἀδελφοί, kai hoi syn emo pantes adelphoi, “and the with me all brothers.” The noun ἀδελφός, adelphos, combines a (alpha as a prefix) denoting unity, and delphus = a womb–thus meaning brother or close kinsman. Adelphos in generally used in the New Testament to indicate a fellowship in life that is the result of common birth; i.e., born of the same mother, or common belief; i.e., followers of the same convictions of faith. The psalmist said, “Behold, how good and pleasant it is
when brothers dwell in unity!” (Psalm 133:1) Brothers at home, brothers at work (used in a wider context), even brothers at war (used in the widest context), make things go better when they get along. When Jesus addressed the final judgement as his appearing in Matthew 25, he said, “For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.” (vss. 35-36) Then his redeemed asked when they had done these things. He responded, “And the King will answer them, “Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers [emphasis mine], you did it to me.” (vs. 40) And who are these brothers? The answer is found in Romans 8:28-30, “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers [emphasis mine]. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.” The Lord Jesus is not only our Savior and our Lord–he is our brother. We have a godly kinship by faith in Christ Jesus. It is a relationship that will last forever.

January 5

Chapter 1, Verse 2, con’t, “and all the brothers who are with me, To the churches of Galatia:“

Ταῖς ἐκκλησίαις τῆς Γαλατίας, Tais ekklēsiais tēs Galatias, “To the churches of Galatia:” The two important words in this phrase are “churches” and “Galatia.” ἐκκλησία, ekklesia, combines ek = out, and klesis – calling, from the verb kaleo = to call. The literal meaning is “called out ones” and in the Greek world of that time referred to citizens being called out of their homes and businesses to conduct the business of the city or to take care of affairs of state. In the New Testament, ekklesia can be used to represent all churches as a group, akin to the body of Christ which includes all believers, and it can also be used concerning a single congregation or a small group of assemblies in a specific geographical region as it it here. Galatia was, in fact, a region and not a city like Philippi or Colossae. The cities in the middle Asia Minor area (present day Turkey) included Attalia, Perga, Antioch, Iconium, Lystra and Derbe (the area of Derbe/Lystra is where Timothy lived). Paul and Barnabas established the Galatian churches during the first missionary journey. Since there were on printing presses in that era, the letter would have been carried form city to city, read aloud, and eventually copied at some point. Paul wanted to get this letter out to all the churches immediately because the Judaizers were trying to gain influence and pervert the gospel message.

January 6

Chapter 1, Verse 3, “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”

All of Paul’s letters (except for Hebrews, and that assuming you include Hebrews in Paul’s corpus) contain the greeting “grace and peace” as part of the opening. In his letters to Timothy and Titus, he included “mercy” between grace and peace. Some writers dismiss the import of these terms and their order. For me, and I believe for Paul, grace is always important and always comes first. We, who are believers, understand that every good thing in life flows from God’s grace. χάρις, charis, is usually translated grace, but also favor, kindness, and sometimes blessing. Charis is derived from χαίρω, chairō, = “to rejoice” or “to be glad.” God’s grace is his favor (unmerited) directed toward mankind in the person of Jesus as a gift which, when received by faith, gives us salvation from sin and a sure future living for eternity in the presence of God. Paul wrote to the Ephesians, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not of our own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:8-9). Once we received God’s free gift, we are privileged to do good for the glory of God.

January 7

Chapter 1, Verse 3, con’t, “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”

If you think about it logically, practically, and biblically, each and every time grace is extended, peace follows, assuming the one offered grace accepts it. Peace, εἰρήνη, eiréné, is derived from εἴρω, eirō, meaning “to join” or “to tie together as a whole.” The Hebrew equivalent is שָׁלוֹם, shalom, from shalem = to be complete. In a very basic sense, then, peace or the feeling of peace, implies completeness which is followed by calm, a state of tranquility, harmony within, and perceived well-being. So peace is not the absence of something–such as war, disagreements, troubles; peace is the presence of something. In the biblical sense, which should affect all aspects of life, peace is the presence of God in our lives through faith in Jesus. In John 14:27, Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” In Philippians 4:4-7, Paul wrote to that fellowship of believers, “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” While we cannot fully understand the nature of God’s peace, we can enjoy it benefits as we walk with God in Christ.

January 8

Chapter 1, Verse 3, con’t, “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”

Grace, the greatest gift, and peace, the greatest benefit, are from God alone. James wrote about faith versus temptation in James 1. Beginning in verse 13, he wrote, “Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth deathDo not be deceived, my beloved brothers. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change” (James 1:13-17). In verse 17, James was underscoring the unchangeable nature of God. The psalmist wrote, in Psalm 121:1-4, “I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.” The God we serve, forever on his throne, never takes his eyes off his children. And Malachi wrote about God, “For I the Lord do not change” (Malachi 3:6a). This is the loving Father Paul wrote about over and over. And throughout time, when men have seen God and experienced his great power, it has been Jesus who they saw. He is Lord, Κυρίου, Kuriou, (in the Old Testament LORD is Yahweh). In the Greek world, kurios was someone who had authority, control, and power. He is Jesus, Ἰησοῦ, Iēsou, (the Greek form of Joshua, from Old Testament Yeheshua), signifying “God who saves.” And he is Christ, Χριστοῦ, Christou, the “Anointed One,” the title pointing to his role as the promised Savior. John wrote, “He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:10-14). The grace Paul wrote about comes to us through the Lord Jesus Christ, and him alone.

January 9

Chapter 1, Verse 4, “who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father”

τοῦ δόντος ἑαυτὸν, tou dontos heauton, “the [One] having given himself.” The Greek verb δίδωμι, didómi, (the form here is Aorist Active Participle – Genitive) is a primary verb and was the principle term used to communicate the act of giving something to someone. In Hebrew, the fundamental word for giving is נָתַן, nathan, meaning “to give.” In the New Testament, it can mean giving gifts, granting authority, bestowing blessings, or offering oneself for the benefit of another/others. The later is how it is used in this verse–God giving himself in Jesus. Paul said to Timothy, “For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time” (1 Timothy 2:5-6). And he said to Titus, “For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time” (Titus 2:11-14). To the Ephesian church, he wrote, “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God” (Ephesians 5:1-2). No one took the life of Jesus; he freely gave his life for our redemption. As a corollary, Ephesians 5:25 says, “Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.” Gentlemen, if you read this as a married man, give all you are to all she is. When you do, she will follow you anywhere–if she, too, is a believer. If she is not, do your best to win her to Christ. And wives, do your very best to help your husband be the best and godliest leader he can be. That is his job.

January 10

Chapter 1, Verse 4, con’t, “who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father”

ὑπὲρ τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν ἡμῶν, hyper tōn hamartiōn hēmōn, “for the sins of us.” The Greek noun ἁμαρτία, hamartia, is the combination of “A” = “not,” and meros = “a part of” or “a share of,” and hence, “no share,” meaning a lost from not hitting the target–missing the mark, sin. Sin was a serious problem of the Old Testament Hebrews (just as it is the most serious issue we all face now), and they used three separate words to describe sin: חֵטְא, chet = sin, offense, עָוֹן, avon = iniquity, guilt, and פֶּשַׁע, pesha = transgression, rebellion. The sin problem, for mankind, has existed since the fall in the Garden of Eden. The never-ending argument about original sin and what is at it’s root gels around this truth–Adam and Eve disobeyed God, they were separated from him spiritually, they faced death as a result, and every human being born since needs to be saved from sin. So, Jesus died “for our sins.” Romans 6:23 tells us, “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” We are all sinners, but God loves us too much to leave us that way.

Janurary 11

Chapter 1, Verse 4, con’t, “who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father”

ὅπως ἐξέληται ἡμᾶς ἐκ τοῦ αἰῶνος τοῦ ἐνεστῶτος πονηροῦ, hopōs exelētai hēmas ek tou aiōnos tou enestōtos ponērou, “so that he might deliver us out of the age of having come presently evil.” Jesus died and rose again “so that he might deliver us.” The Greek verb ἐξαιρέω, exaireó, adds the preposition ἐκ, ek = “out of,” to the verb αἱρέω, haireō, = “to take” or “to choose.” The present form primarily means to remove from a situation and is often used to mean rescue, signifying God’s intervention where someone requires removal from danger. That is the world we live in. Danger is everywhere, both physical and spiritual. And while not always, much of the danger we face is the result of evil actors masquerading as concerned entities. Peter exclaimed, “Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:6-8). Sometimes, it seems evil is overwhelming. But it is not. Peter went on, “Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you” (1 Peter 5:9-10). Suffering may be required, but deliverance is sure. And when we are finally delivered into the presence of God, our eternity will be nothing like our present estate.

Chapter 1, Verse 4, con’t, “who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father“

κατὰ τὸ θέλημα τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ Πατρὸς ἡμῶν, kata to thelēma to Theou kai Patros hēmōn, “according to the will of the God and Father of us.” Paul is writing here about that which is unalterable, incontrovertible, and undefeatable–his plan, which is ultimately his will. Thelema, from θέλω, thelō, “to will,” adds the suffix “ma,” pointing to the result of the will–a thing willed. It generally refers to the outcome of what one had decided. This is the will of “our” God and Father. It is personal to the redeemed. John wrote, “He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God” (John 1:11-13). To all who believe on the name of Jesus and receive him into their lives, salvation comes by the will of God. God is the creator, sustainer, and ruler of all things, but on Father to those who accept his Son. The true beauty of this is revealed in Romans 8 where we find that we are heir of God, “For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him” (Romans 8:15-17). The great crescendo of the passage is “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:37-39). Nothing can sever a believers relationship with God. It is his will.

January 13

Chapter 1, Verse 5, “to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

ᾧ ἡ δόξα εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. ἀμήν. hō hē doxa eis tous aiōnas tōn aiōnōn. amēn. “to whom [be] the glory to the ages of the ages. Amen.” Doxa is the noun that means glory, honor, splendor, and majesty. It refers to the divine quality of God–glorious in splendor. Aion, ages, generally refers to an extended period of time and its meaning is connected to immediate context. And Amen is a transliteration of Hebrew אָמֵן, amen, which is from the verb aman that means to be firm, to believe, hence, “so be it.” In the Westminster Shorter Catechism (a summary of Christian doctrine written 350 years ago, containing 107 questions/answers), the first of those questions is, “What is the chief end of man?” Or, in modern parlance, “What is our primary purpose as created by God?” The answer: Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever. 2 John 1:4, “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.” Walking in the truth means knowing God in Jesus Christ, learning and living his word, and enjoying the relationship we have with God in Christ, by faith. When we do this, we being to understand “the peace of God that passes all understanding” (Philippians 4:7).

January 14

Chapter 1, Verse 6, “I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel–“

The New Living Translation renders this, “I am shocked that you are turning away so soon from God. . .” θαυμάζω, thaumazó, “I am astonished,” simply means to marvel, to wonder, or to be amazed. Its connotation can be either positive or negative. Either way, “surprise” is its intent. I have to wonder if Paul might have been a bit rhetorical here because he was a good judge of character and knew well the habits of men. In 1 John 2, the apostle John, who was likely writing to the churches around Ephesus that were facing heretical teaching concerning the incarnation of Christ, stated, “Children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come. Therefore we know that it is the last hour. They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us. But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and you all have knowledge. I write to you, not because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and because no lie is of the truth. Who is the liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, he who denies the Father and the Son” (1 John 2:18-22). Most of the time, when people show up at church because of some awful circumstance, seeking solace, and then after a few times never come back, they simple had a religious experience and not a true encounter with God. Those who know Jesus, who are grounded and strive in his word, genuinely seek a place to be in community with other believers looking to grow in grace and knowledge–sharing their own faith in Christ.

January 15

Chapter 1, Verse 6, con’t, “I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel–“

ὅτι οὕτως ταχέως μετατίθεσθε ἀπὸ τοῦ καλέσαντος ὑμᾶς, hoti houtōs tacheōs metatithesthe apo tou kalesantos hymas, ” that so quickly you are deserting from the [One] having called you.” There is much sadness in this phrase. Some of the Galatians abandoned the truth quickly; tacheos = with no delay, rashly, hastily, suddenly. On top of that, Paul added “so” to quickly, further emphasizing their haste to run from the truth. They deserted; metatithemi = transposing one thing in place of another, as in changing sides, becoming a turncoat. And those who changed their minds about the true gospel had been called by God; kalesantos = a summons, an invitation. A real problem arises here. Either, these people abandoned what they really never had, or worse, they turned their back on what was really theirs. Either way, they were snubbing Christ in favor of false teaching. Paul warned about this in Ephesians 4:11-14, “And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.” In Romans 1:21, Paul wrote, “For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.” (Read Romans 1:16-32 for full context) When people distort the gospel, they are liable to do great harm to themselves and the cause of Christ.

Chapter 1, Verse 6, con’t, “I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel–“

ἐν χάριτι Χριστοῦ, en chariti Christou, “in [the] grace of Christ.” In all of my New Testament commentaries, “in Christ” is italicized over and over. I do this to emphasize its importance because it is the most significant issue in life. We must all ask ourselves the question, “Am I in Christ?” If we answer yes, the next logical question is, “How did I get there?” The answer is in this verse. I am in Christ by faith, through grace. In Christian theology, grace is central to the understanding of salvation. It is by grace that God provides forgiveness of sins, reconciliation, and eternal life through faith in Jesus Christ. Key elements of God’s grace include:

1. Unconditional Love = Grace reflects God’s unconditional love for humanity, regardless of their imperfections or failures.

2. Forgiveness = Through grace, God offers forgiveness of sins and the opportunity for a restored relationship with Him.

3. Empowerment = Grace not only saves but also empowers believers to live a godly life, overcome challenges, and grow spiritually.

Ephesians 2:8-9 tells us, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.” 2 Corinthians 12:9 adds, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” And Romans 10:9-10 makes plain how we receive grace, “if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.” Ultimately, the grace of God reflects His character of generosity and compassion, inviting all people to experience His transformative love.

January 17

Chapter 1, Verse 6, con’t, “I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel–“

εἰς ἕτερον εὐαγγέλιον, eis heteron euangelion, “to a different gospel.” There are two questions to ask here. First, “what is the gospel?” Combining εὖ, eu = “good” or “well” with ἄγγελος, angelos = “messenger” or “message,” euanggelion is often referred to as “Good News.” The gospel is the central message of Christianity. It refers to God’s plan of salvation for humanity through the Lord Jesus Christ. At its core, the gospel is about God’s love, grace, and redemptive work to reconcile people to himself. God created the world and humanity to have a loving relationship with him (Genesis 1:276-27). But when sin entered the world through the disobedience of Adam and Eve (Genesis 3), humanity was separated from God’s loving relationship. Because God loved humanity, in spite of sin, he sent his Son to live, die, and return from the grave to save as many as would believe in Jesus. Paul best expressed this in 1 Corinthians 15:1-4, “Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures.” My response to the gospel, in order to be saved, begins with repentance (Acts 3:19), followed by faith (Romans 10:9-10). My salvation is eternal and calls me to a life of faith through which I share the gospel with others and learn to live a godly life to honor God.

January 18

Chapter 1, Verse 7, “not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ.”

ὃ οὐκ ἔστιν ἄλλο, ho ouk estin allo, “which not is another.” In verse 6, Paul used heteros, which is “another of a different kind.” In verse 7, he used allos, which is “another of exactly the same kind.” His point was that some had fallen prey to a “different” gospel that was not the gospel at all. The Judaizers wanted to add works–following the requirements of the old covenant, circumcision, etc.–in order to be right with God. Adding works as a requirement for salvation robs the gospel of grace of its power. The true gospel absolutely has good works as result of its transformative power–but not as a way to enter into a relationship with God. Not much has changed in 2,000 years. Some religious groups, who claim to be Christian, require baptism for salvation while others require speaking in gibberish to be filled with the Spirit of Christ. The truth is: faith alone in Christ alone because of his victory of sin at Calvary and his resurrection is what brings eternal life to the soul. Jesus saves!

January 19

Chapter 1, Verse 7, con’t, “not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ.”

εἰ μή τινές εἰσιν οἱ ταράσσοντες ὑμᾶς, ei mē tines eisin hoi tarassontes, “if not some there are who are troubling you.” Likely the Judaizers, and possibly more, were preaching a “bad news” gospel that brought works and legalism to bear on salvation, both of which are completely opposed to the “good news” of faith in Christ. This (these) false doctrine was confusing the Galatians to the point they were mentally disturbed. ταράσσω, tarasso, means to disturb, to trouble, or to agitate. The Hebrew בָּהַל, bahal, is the Old Testament equivalent, meaning to be dismayed or to be terrified. Used here in the present tense and active voice means they were actively and purposefully trying to cause mental anguish to those they had confused. And that is what confusion does. It sometimes causes people not to know which way to turn. And it is one of Satan’s chief strategies. He used it in the Garden of Eden and again when Jesus was fasting. In 1 Corinthians 14:33, addressing the confusion that often accompanies false prophecies/prophets and tongues, Paul wrote, “God is not the author of confusion but of peace.” So, when someone who claims to be a Christian teacher offers a so-called “truth” that violates the clear message of the bible, and causes confusion, run. They are up to no good.

January 20

Chapter 1, Verse 7, con’t, “not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ.”

θέλοντες μεταστρέψαι τὸ εὐαγγέλιον τοῦ Χριστοῦ, thelontes metastrepsai to euangelion tou Christou, “are desiring to pervert the gospel of Christ.” Here, we discover that the “what” is not as important as the “what for.” Somone wanted to confused the Galatians. They had intent and focus. θέλω, thelo (here, thelontes) means to will, to desire, to intend, or to design.” Those people had a plan and were systematically working toward drawing the Galatians away from Christ. The world always does that with glitz, glamour, and celebrity. It can happen anytime something I do becomes more important that someone I know, namely, Christ. Activities, demands, games, to mention a few, can easily draw a believer into following the wrong life path. And how did they desire to do it? metastrephó means to change, to alter, to turn, or to pervert. In Romans 1, when Paul addressed those who “suppress the truth,” he wrote, “Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen (Romans 1:24-25). Believing the lies of this world leads to living completely apart from God. And when anyone does that, theyare in peril. To ignore or turn away from Jesus will only end in destruction.

January 21

Chapter 1, Verse 8, “But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed.”

In the Greek text, a definite play on words is present in this verse. The words angel, gospel, and preached are all from the same root, ἀγγέλλω, aggellō, which means “to announce” or “to bring tidings.” Think of it this way: “If a messenger brings you a message different from the one we messaged you. . .” There’s even a bit of absurdity here. An angel from heaven, living in the very presence of God, would never say or do anything contrary to the will of God. Paul wrote in Hebrews, “Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it. For since the message declared by angels proved to be reliable, and every transgression or disobedience received a just retribution, how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation?” (Hebrews 2:1-3a) Paul was comparing the false teachers and their message to the angelic servants of Satan who fell from heaven for seeking to usurp God’s authority. Paul warned the Corinthians of this, “And what I am doing I will continue to do, in order to undermine the claim of those who would like to claim that in their boasted mission they work on the same terms as we do. For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds. ” (2 Corinthians 11:12-15) As I stated earlier, the message that was contrary to Paul’s gospel, brought to the Galatians primarily by the Judaizers, added works to the gospel message and sought to draw the people away from God in Christ. That is no different from what Satan did in the Garden of Eden when he perverted the truth and mankind fell into sin. Beware of the false teachers who seek to change your focus from Christ to their perverted message.

Chapter 1, Verse 8, “But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed.”

ἀνάθεμα ἔστω !, anathema estō!, “accursed let him be!” Anathema, from ἀνατίθημι, anatithēmi, = “to set up” or “to dedicate,” is a scary word used on six times in the New Testament. Its Hebrew equivalent, חֵרֶם, cherem, means “devoted thing” and generally refers to something devoted to destruction by God. In essence, if something is considered anathema, it is banned, not to be recognized, and anyone who adheres to the accursed thing will be judged for their evil practice. It can be considered a “divine guarantee” from God that perverting the true gospel of Christ will end in eternal destruction. And make no mistake, since God is no respecter of persons (Acts 10:34), many who claim to represent God, when in fact they only serve their own selfish interests, will, in the end, receive divine, eternal punishment from God on his throne. Jesus said, in Matthew 7:15, “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.” And he followed with, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name? And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness'” (Matthew 7:21-23).

January 23

Chapter 1, Verse 9, “As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed.”

This repetitive statement stands in stark contrast to Philippians 4:4-7, “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” And with good reason. Here is verse 9, Paul is not so much addressing the accursed as he is speaking to those who claim they had been saved by grace. The stark contrast comes down to who you know and what you do with it. Those who know Christ are first of all known by Christ–and they hear his voice (not necessarily audibly, but through his word). In John 10, Jesus told Jews gathered for a feast, “Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name bear witness about me, but you do not believe because you are not among my sheep. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.” Among the members of the churches of Galatia, there were those who had truly trusted Christ and were being deceived by false teachers and there were others who had never really accepted Christ and were falling for the lies. If, at some time, you wonder which camp you are in, ask yourself, “Who am I following?” Jesus always lead us to the truth, never to lies.

January 24

Chapter 1, Verse 10, “For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.”

Ἄρτι γὰρ ἀνθρώπους πείθω , ἢ τὸν Θεόν ? Arti gar anthrōpous peithō, e Theon? “Presently for of men do I seek approval, or God?” In verse 10, for a variety of reasons, Paul began mounting a defense of his ministry. He likely had to do this many more times than we read in Scripture because of his checkered past. We must remember that Paul (Saul) was not an eyewitness of Jesus’ ministry as were the other apostles and he represented Rome against Christians with arrest warrants. He had been accused of currying favor with the Jews by insisting that Timothy be circumcised and then ignored the same with Titus to satisfy the Gentiles. Paul did say, “For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them. To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though not being myself under the law) that I might win those under the law. To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (not being outside the law of God but under the law of Christ) that I might win those outside the law. To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings.” The key to understanding Paul’s sharp rebuke in Galatians 1:8-9 in light of defending his ministry is found in verse 23, “I do it all for the sake of the gospel.” Paul did not seek to ingratiate himself to others, he simply met them were they were in life with the truth of the gospel.

January 25

Chapter 1, Verse 10, con’t, “For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.”

Two terms/phrases stand in sharp contrast, here: “please man” and “servant of Christ.” Please in this verse is ἀρέσκω, areskó, = to please, to be pleasing, or seek to please. It end up meaning agreeable as in willing to render service to another. There is absolutely nothing wrong with having a pleasing personality and serving other people–until my “pleasing” others butts heads with the truth of God. Then, it is sin. Paul said if he did so, he could not be Christ’s servant. Servant is the familiar δοῦλος, doulos. In the New Testament, it means servant, slave, or bondservant. Paul used it here to mean the latter. The concept is that a being servant of Christ emphasized voluntary servitude out of love and devotion instead of forced service by compulsion. In Matthew 6:24, Jesus said, “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.” Divided loyalty always lead to trouble, typically caused by selfish desire (money). Probably the clearest call to decide who you will serve is found in Joshua 24 when the Hebrew leader exhorted the people to leave the gods of Egypt behind. He said, “Now therefore fear the Lord and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness. Put away the gods that your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:14-15). Anything that draws us away form a daily walk with God, in Christ, has become or is becoming a god to us. We must always be careful to keep our focus sharp by being in the word and walking with others who do the same.

January 26

Chapter 1, Verse 10, con’t, “For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.”

EXCURSUS: The Fickle Nature of Man

Any person who has walked in religious circles for very long at all has witnessed others changing their minds about long-held beliefs, jumping from church to church, and sometimes abandoning Christianity altogether. And sadly, for some reason we really do not want to talk about it. Did we fail them? Maybe. Could we have done a better job on their behalf? Probably. Can they be brought back into the household of faith? Let us hope so.

What does it mean to be fickle? The usual dictionary meaning is “one who life is marked by lack of steadfastness, constancy, or stability.” In regard to Christian faith, those who become fickle probably do so because of the greatest personal challenge any of us face: selfishness (or, as it is commonly referred to in a church setting, self-righteousness). Jumping from one faith system to another, or one church to another, may indicate an absence of truth in the organization itself. But when this happens over and over, something else is at play. In Ephesians 4:11-14, Paul wrote, “And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.” So, what is the remedy for being “carried about by every wind of doctrine?

1 — Be sure you know the truth. I am not at all talking about information. I am addressing true and lasting relationship. Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). Be absolutely sure you are in Christ, first. If you do not, nothing else will fit.

2 — Be sure you are in the word. I am amazed and more than a little bewildered at the number of people who claim Christ but do not study the bible, understand the basic concepts of faith, and fail to meditate upon and memorize Scripture. Paul wrote to Timothy, “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15), or as the King James Bible renders it, “Study to show yourself approved. . .,” and “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

3 — Be sure you have an active daily prayer life. I love to share my struggles with others so they can pray for me. But before I do that, I take my struggles to the only one wh can deal with them. 1 Peter 5:6-7, “Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.” God’s intervention in your life may not be what you expect, but it will always be for your good and his glory.

4 — Be sure you have a humble heart. Humility grows out of a steadfast relationship with God–jus the opposite of being fickle. Paul wrote, “I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your concern for me. You were indeed concerned for me, but you had no opportunity. Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:10-13). Stick with Jesus; he will never let you down.

January 27

Chapter 1, Verse 11, “For I would have you know, brothers, that the gospel that was preached by me is not man’s gospel.”

γνωρίζω γὰρ ὑμῖν, ἀδελφοί, gnōrizō gar hymin adelphoi, “I make known for to you, brothers. The verb gnōrizō, derived from γινώσκω, ginóskó, means “to know,” generally means “I make known” or “I declare.” Paul used the present form 4 times; here, in 1 Corinthians 12:3, “I want you to understand,” 1 Corinthians 15:1, “I would remind you,” and Philippians 1:22, “which I shall choose, I cannot tell [do not know].” The point is, I need to know something, or I need you to know something, and it had better be true. In todays’s society, the truth is sometimes turned on its head so that the truth is ignored in favor of a lie. And it is absolutely done on purpose, with an agenda, and it is driven by the god of the age, Satan. At one time his modus operandi was to stand in the shadows and whisper innuendo, but not anymore. Now, the evil in the world is bare-faced and brazen, challenging long-held and accepted truth in every area of life. Religionist, especially, have no problem jettisoning the gospel for a half-witted, conglomeration of so-called social justice and support for perversion. But know this, their just rewards will come swiftly.

January 28

Chapter 1, Verse 11, con’t, “For I would have you know, brothers, that the gospel that was preached by me is not man’s gospel.”

τὸ εὐαγγέλιον τὸ εὐαγγελισθὲν ὑπ’ ἐμοῦ, ὅτι οὐκ ἔστιν κατὰ ἄνθρωπον, to euangelion to euangelisthen hyp’ emou hoti ouk estin kata anthrōpon, “the gospel having been preached by me, that not it is according to man.” Paul began this phrase with a kind of play on words. Both euangelion and euangelisthen are from a combination of eu = good or well, and angelos = message or messenger. He could have said, “the good news I good newsed.” He was emphasizing the connection between the message and the messenger. Paul’s gospel was clear as expressed in 1 Corinthians 15:1-4, “Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures.” “Man’s gospel,” as expressed in the ESV, was something different. And as it was then, so it is now. Those who pervert the gospel always do one of two things and usually both. Either they take something away (e.g., the necessity of the virgin birth or resurrection), or they add something that should not be there (e.g., circumcision, baptism, works), so that their “gospel” advances their twisted agenda and do not honor God nor does it lead anyone to salvation. As Paul stated, those people are to be anathema to true believers.

January 29

Chapter 1, Verse 12, “For I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ.”

οὐδὲ γὰρ ἐγὼ παρὰ ἀνθρώπου παρέλαβον αὐτό, oude gar egō para anthrōpou parelabon auto, “Neither for I from man received it.” In the Greco-Roman culture of the time, it would not have been unusual to see a group of people, particularly men, sitting together and discussing the issues of life. The ver here, παραλαμβάνω, paralambano, combines para = “from beside” or “alongside,” and lambano = “to take” or “to receive.” The whole notion of taking, receiving, or giving of ideas was associated with mentorship for the sharing, teaching, and learning of others. That is exactly how Jesus’ small circle of close friends heard and learned about who he was. Paul was not part of that circle of influence. He never “hung out” with the Jesus crowd, much less the inner circle. But neither did he learn about Jesus from the discussions by the wayside. Paul’s call to ministry was much different than the others. After God stopped him in his tracks and blinded him on the road to Damascus, the Lord spoke to a man named Ananias saying, “Rise and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul, for behold, he is praying, and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight” (Acts 9:11-12). He then said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel. For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name” (Acts 9:15). Paul did not fit the “mold,” but he did fit God’s plan. And he was not beholden to anyone.

January 30

Chapter 1, Verse 12, con’t, “For I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ.”

οὔτε ἐδιδάχθην, oute edidachthēn, “nor what I taught [it].” διδάσκω, didasko, (in English, think didactic), primarily means to teach or instruct in a formal or informal setting. When I was in grade school, report cards came out regularly to track advancement and a certificate of completion was awarded at the end of the school year. For all of my theological degrees, I have a framed diploma signed by men who approved my work. Paul received so such instruction. But why make this point? The judaizers, who opposed him, were learned men taught by other rabbis. The problem was that most of their teaching did not come from studying Scripture–it came form rabbinic tradition. In other words, they were taught principles that were the opinions of others about Scripture, think commentaries, or even what I have written. When tradition is imposed upon what the Bible actually says, problems almost always arise. Remember, when you want to know about God and his plan, always begin by reading the Bible and seeking the Holy Spirit to help you understand. Bathe the word you read in prayer and trust God to guide your mind into truth. Then seek the help that comes from others in books and journals and video classes. And be sure to always focus on helps that are gospel-centric. A bible teacher that highlights Jesus and the gospel message can be trusted. Avoid those who do not.

January 31

Chapter 1, Verse 12, con’t, “For I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ.”

ἀλλὰ δι’ ἀποκαλύψεως Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, alla di’ apokalypseōs Iēsou Christou, “but by a revelation of Jesus Christ.” The conjunction alla, meaning but, except, however, and often used to mean “on the contrary,” is pivotal and strategic here because it functions to show sharp contrast between what follows with what preceded. In the New Testament, writers frequently employed alla to show contrast between the old and new covenant, human and divine wisdom, and earthly values as opposed to heavenly values. Those who opposed Paul were teaching idle tradition, ideas that advanced an agenda not reflected in Scripture. Jesus dealt with this issue in Matthew 15:1-9, “Then Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem and said, “Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat.” He answered them, “And why do you break the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? For God commanded, ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ‘Whoever reviles father or mother must surely die.’ But you say, ‘If anyone tells his father or his mother, “What you would have gained from me is given to God,” he need not honor his father.’ So for the sake of your tradition you have made void the word of God. You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, when he said: “‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’” When traditions violate Scripture, it is sin, no matter the source. Paul, on the other hand, declared he received his message by apokalupsis. The term refers to revealing or unveiling something that was previously hidden. Paul’s argument was that God’s grace was available to Jew and Gentile alike without the trappings of the Law of the old covenant. Hence, the opposition to his message. When Jesus revealed himself to Paul and gave him his directive to preach to gospel, the revelation was not merely informative; it was transformative, urging faith and obedience to Christ, and Christ alone, by faith alone.