Paul's Apostleship and Christ's Atonement for God's Glory
Galatians 1:1-5

Paul's Apostleship

His defense and greeting to the Galatians (1:1-3)

• Paul is an official APOSTLE! (Gal. 1:1a)
• Negatively - Paul's apostleship was NOT from men or through the actions of men (Gal. 1:1b)
• Positively - His apostleship WAS through the actions of Jesus Christ AND God the Father (Gal. 1:1c)
• Paul is clear: this is the almighty God and Father -- the one who raised Christ from the dead (Gal. 1:1d)
  The resurrection of Christ is central to Christianity, and it was a key element in the TRUE gospel which Paul was about to remind them of.
• Greetings - from "all the brothers with me"
  If Paul was writing from Antioch in Syria, then all of the Gentile believers there would be lending their support to him in this greeting.
• "Grace" = all of the undeserved blessings that believers have in Christ.
  "Peace" = reconciliation and peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ (see Romans 5:1).

Christ's Atonement

The TRUE gospel message - in brief (Gal 1:4)

• Christ is the One who gave Himself on behalf of our sins.
  He willingly sacrificed Himself in our place to bear the punishment we deserved (substitutionary atonement).
• Why did He do this? So that He might rescue us out of this present evil age.
  To "rescue" is to actively deliver someone out of danger. This implies that the one being rescued passively receives the rescuing.
• This passage does not promise that Christ will deliver us from all of our present earthly problems. Christ rescued us from our biggest problems = sin, judgment, separation from God for eternity.
• All of this was accomplished according to the will and plan of the sovereign God.

God's Glory

The ultimate goal of all (Gal 1:5)

• All things are for the ultimate purpose of bringing glory to the almighty, eternal, sovereign God who has created everything for His good pleasure.