Galatians 1:2 Commentary

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Galatians 1:2

Comments

Although the letter was not written by ‘all the brethren’ as well as Paul – for he writes throughout as ‘I’ – yet the brethren knew about the letter and endorsed all that Paul said in it. When he wishes merely to extend greetings from others besides himself, he does so at the end of his epistles. By placing this greeting at the start, he indicates that the brethren fully support the strong exhortations and doctrines found in the letter. What he teaches in this letter is not something believed by him alone, but is the commonly accepted doctrine of the universal church.‘Unto the churches of Galatia’. He still refers to them as true churches for although they had stumbled badly, they had not yet entirely fallen from grace. However if they followed the doctrine of the Judaizers much longer they would inevitably do so. Paul still has hope for them, but the outcome will depend on how they respond to this letter, so that they must give the most careful consideration to all that he writes.

Application

The use of the plural ‘churches’ here in a letter addressed to a single region shows that Paul recognised each local fellowship as a church in its own right. As such it was complete, having elders and deacons, preaching and ordinances and being a colony of heaven answerable directly to Christ. He does not speak of any human authority over these churches, but only the authority of the word of God as delivered by the apostles and prophets inspired by the Spirit. Each church is therefore ruled directly by Jesus Christ through his word.

Questions

The Galatians clearly knew where Paul was when he wrote this epistle, for he sends greetings from the brethren who are with him without stating his location. Galatians 4:20 indicates that, though he would have liked to have done so, he was not near enough to come to them easily and therefore, says Hendriksen, it was probably not sent from Ephesus. Some favour Antioch and others Corinth as Paul’s location.

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Galatians 1:2 Commentary and Bible Study