THE APOSTLE AND HIS MESSAGE PART 2

The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Volume 10: Romans through Galatians A. Salutation (1:1–5)

The deliverance is conceived of here, not as a deliverance out of the present evil world (though that will also be true eventually), but as a deliverance from the power of evil and the values of the present world-system through the power of the risen Christ within the Christian.

Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations 5397 Only Two Religions

5397 Only Two Religions

While presenting the Gospel on the street of a California city, we were often interrupted about as follows: “Look here, sir! There are hundreds of religions in this country, and the followers of each sect think theirs the only right one. How can poor, plain men like us find out what really is the truth?” We generally replied something like this: “Hundreds of religions, you say? That’s strange; I’ve heard of only two.” “Oh, but you surely know there are more than that?”

“Not at all, sir, I find, I admit, many shades of difference in the opinions of those comprising the two great schools; but after all there are but two. The one covers all who expect salvation by doing; the other, all who have been saved by something done. So you see the whole question is very simple. Can you save yourself, or must you be saved by another? If you can be your own savior, you do not need my message. If you cannot, you may well listen to it.”

—H. A. Ironside

This story hits on the gist of the Book of Galatians. Can man be saved from eternal damnation by doing good works? Or is man in need of a Savior who has the done the work Himself? Is the cross of Christ sufficient or does something more need be done in order that we might be saved.

Not longer after the first missionary journey of Paul and Barnabas contention broke out in the church. The tension had to due with the content of the gospel message which emphasized justification by faith alone.

Live in Liberty: The Spiritual Message of Galatians Preface

As New Testament scholar Darrell Bock has said:

If the church is in a fog on the gospel, then the church very much risks losing its reason for being. A misdirected gospel message robs the church of valuable momentum in the world. Nothing leads to stagnation more quickly than for an institution to forget why it exists. A plethora of messages from the church might lead to no message from the church. In sum, in many locales the gospel has gone missing, and wherever that takes place, the church suffers, God’s people lose their way, and the world lacks what it so desperately needs—an experience of God’s presence.

THE APOSTLESHIP OF PAUL

THE DEFINITION OF AN APOSTLE

A representative of someone who is of a higher rank; i.e. an ambassador

An office peculiar to a limited amount of men, namely the twelve, along with Matthias, and Paul

a. The prerequisite for this office is that they had to have seen the risen Christ

There are many who fall under the first part of the definition as being an ambassador. But only fourteen who could legitimately claim the office of apostle.

Luther wrote:

Luther’s Commentary on Galatians Chapter One

Likewise, when Paul so highly commendeth his calling, he seeketh not his own praise, but with a necessary and a holy pride he magnifieth his ministry; as to the Romans (xi. 13) he saith: “Forasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I will magnify mine office,” that is to say, I will that men receive me, not as Paul of Tarsus, but as Paul the apostle or ambassador of Jesus Christ.

[1] Luther, M. (1997). Commentary on Galatians (p. 32). Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.

THE SOURCE & AUTHORITY OF HIS APOSTLESHIP

Not of Human Origin

It would seem that Paul’s detractors were teaching that Paul had a much more limited authority than he claimed to have. Perhaps more in keeping with the authority of a pastor of a local congregation. But certainly not the authority that the official apostles had. In their minds Paul may be a representative of the apostles, but not an apostle himself. Therefore Paul said that he was an apostle (not sent from men nor through the agency of man).

As the pastor of this local assembly I derive my authority within this church from a human agency — the Britton Bethel Baptist Church. My authority is limited to this assembly — I do not have any authority over any other assembly. And my authority is limited by this assembly in that I am answerable to you folks by means of our form of church government — congregational rule. And I would not have it any other way. I am not an apostle in the sense of the office of apostle.

Notice:

Galatians 1:11–12 NASB95PARA

For I would have you know, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man. For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ.

2. A Divine Calling

Paul’s claim is that he derived his authority in the same manner that the twelve derived theirs — he was commissioned by Jesus Christ and God the Father. Of this Martin Luther wrote:

Luther’s Commentary on Galatians Chapter One

Paul is so inflamed here with zeal, that he cannot tarry till he come to the matter itself, but forthwith, in the very title, he bursteth out and uttereth what he hath in his heart. His intent in this Epistle is, to treat of the righteousness that cometh by faith, and to defend the same: again, to beat down the law, and the righteousness that cometh by works. Of such cogitations he is full, and out of this wonderful and exceeding great abundance of the excellent wisdom and knowledge of Christ in his heart, his mouth speaketh. This flame, this great burning fire of his heart, cannot be hid, nor suffer him to hold his tongue; and therefore he thought it not enough to say that he was an Apostle sent by Jesus Christ, but also addeth: “by God the Father, who hath raised him up from the dead.”

The last phrase of verse 12 indicates that Paul received it (his gospel message and commission) through a revelation of Jesus Christ. He said something similar in where he stated: I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received...”

Paul further explained this in .

When did Paul receive his commission as an apostle? Although he was set apart from his mother’s womb, I will contend that his commission was at the time of his conversion, or shortly afterwards. Notice what Luke records for us in .

Acts 9:10–16 NASB95PARA

Now there was a disciple at Damascus named Ananias; and the Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.” And he said, “Here I am, Lord.” And the Lord said to him, “Get up and go to the street called Straight, and inquire at the house of Judas for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for 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.” But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much harm he did to Your saints at Jerusalem; and here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on Your name.” But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of Mine, to bear My name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel; for I will show him how much he must suffer for My name’s sake.”

Martin Luther wrote:

Luther’s Commentary on Galatians Chapter One

Paul is so inflamed here with zeal, that he cannot tarry till he come to the matter itself, but forthwith, in the very title, he bursteth out and uttereth what he hath in his heart. His intent in this Epistle is, to treat of the righteousness that cometh by faith, and to defend the same: again, to beat down the law, and the righteousness that cometh by works. Of such cogitations he is full, and out of this wonderful and exceeding great abundance of the excellent wisdom and knowledge of Christ in his heart, his mouth speaketh. This flame, this great burning fire of his heart, cannot be hid, nor suffer him to hold his tongue; and therefore he thought it not enough to say that he was an Apostle sent by Jesus Christ, but also addeth: “by God the Father, who hath raised him up from the dead.”

To sum things up then, Paul’s claim is that he is an apostle and that his apostolic authority is equal to that of the twelve.

Live in Liberty: The Spiritual Message of Galatians A Messenger Sent

Paul’s defense effectively proceeds thus: “No matter how much these vipers may brag, their provenance is lacking. They may boast that they have come either ‘from men’—that is, on their own, without any call—or ‘through men’—that is, being sent by someone else. But as for me, I have been called and sent neither from men nor through men but by Jesus Christ. In every way my call is like that of the apostles, and I am indeed an apostle.”

THE ASSOCIATES OF PAUL

Notice with me the first part of — and all the brethren who are with me...

It has been pointed out by most commentators that Paul frequently includes the names of his associates in his salutation. Take for instance

Philippians 1:1 NASB95PARA

Paul and Timothy, bond-servants of Christ Jesus, To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, including the overseers and deacons:

Colossians 1:1 NASB95PARA

Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,

But on this occasion he only reference generically to all the brethren. James Montgomery Boice wrote:

The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Volume 10: Romans through Galatians A. Salutation (1:1–5)

The interesting point is that Paul does not name these fellow missionaries, as he does elsewhere, not wanting to give the impression that his gospel requires additional support. It was, after all, received directly from God. At the same time, he wishes to remind the Galatians that the gospel that had been preached to them far from being a Pauline oddity, is actually the received doctrine of all the Christian church and its missionaries.

THE GOSPEL OF PAUL

I have to caution that I am a little leery of the title of this point. Quite frankly some of Paul’s detractors were saying that the gospel that Paul preached was a gospel of his own making and not the true gospel. Or perhaps they said that what Paul said was true but incomplete. That being said, Paul did refer to his message as “my gospel” on occasion. There are four gospel doctrines that are referred to in these first five verses of Galatians: the doctrine of grace, the doctrine of the incarnation of Christ, the doctrine of the substitutionary atonement, and the doctrine of the resurrection. We will deal with these, not in the order that we see them in this text, but in a timeline order from redemptive history.

THE DOCTRINE OF GRACE

Notice

Galatians 1:3 NASB95PARA

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ,

Grace is a very broad subject. It has been define by the acrostic: GOD’S RICHES AT CHRIST’S EXPENSE, which is a very true statement. Paul makes very clear in his various writings that it is by grace that we are saved, and that this grace cannot be purchased or earned. Grace is a free gift.

Both the Roman church and Protestants recognize that we are saved by grace. But the distinction between Catholic theology and most Protestant theologies is in the means by which grace is imparted. The Catholic church teaches that grace is imparted through the seven sacraments which are:

Baptism

Confirmation — sealing with the Holy Spirit

The Eucharist — celebration of the Mass

Penance

Anointing of the sick

Holy Order — offices of bishop, priest, and deacon

Matrimony

As Baptists we refer to baptism and communion as being the ordinances which Christ gave to the church. We do not recognize any saving power in these ordinances, but we practice them in obedience to, as well as celebration of Christ.

It is very easy to read through the salutations in the various epistles of the N.T. without giving thought to richness of what is being stated. Grace, in my mind, is the umbrella under which all of the doctrines of salvation fall under. “For by grace we are saved, through faith, and not of ourselves. It is the gift of God.”

One of the results of being justified by faith is that we have peace with God. This peace is an objective truth that endures forever. Another benefit for believers who are walking with Christ is that they enjoy the peace of God which surpasses understanding. The N.T. greeting of peace is tied to the Hebrew greeting of shalom, which “denotes that state of favor and well-being into which men are brought by Christ’s death on the cross and in which they are kept by God’s persevering grace.”

Boice, J. M. (1976). Galatians. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Romans through Galatians (Vol. 10, p. 426). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.

Let’s turn our attention now to the doctrine of the incarnation of Christ.

THE DOCTRINE OF THE INCARNATION OF CHRIST

Look with me again at verse 1, which subtly hints or implies this doctrine.

In case you didn’t see it, it is found in the reference to Jesus Christ and God the Father. Some people get the erroneous idea that Jesus was not an eternally existing being based on the Father and Son relationship within the Holy Trinity. Though the eternal Son of God took on a permanent robe of flesh at His incarnation, He also existed from the beginning. As states so well:

John 1:1–3 NKJV

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.

The doctrine of the incarnation is one of the hinges of the gospel message. The writer of Hebrews informs us that Christ had to be made like His brethren so that He could be faithful high priest and propitiate God.

In Matthews account of the events leading up to Jesus’ birth we read that Joseph was told that this child whom his fiance was bearing was to be named Jesus for He will save His people from their sins.

Look with me once again at as we consider the doctrine of the substitutionary atonement.

THE DOCTRINE OF THE SUBSTITUTIONARY ATONEMENT

Notice first of all that Jesus gave Himself for our sins. In the Gospel of John Jesus stated that no one takes His life from Him, but rather He willingly lays it down. He desired to offer Himself. He purposed to offer Himself. He did offer Himself as the propitiation for our sins.

Notice next that the reason He offered Himself was because of our sins. The only part that the believer plays in his or her own salvation is that our sin caused Jesus to die on our behalf. Our sins caused Him to be, for a short period of time, forsaken by His Father. As the song writer put it so well: “It was my sin that put Him there until it was accomplished, His dying breath has brought me life, I know that it is finished.”

Notice next that this substitutionary atonement rescues us from the present evil age. Before we were justified by faith in Christ alone, we were under bondage to the ruler of this present age, Satan. But because of the subtitutionary atonement we have been transferred from Satan’s domain to the kingdom of Christ. Regarding the term “rescue” or “deliver” Boice wrote:

The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Volume 10: Romans through Galatians A. Salutation (1:1–5)

The deliverance is conceived of here, not as a deliverance out of the present evil world (though that will also be true eventually), but as a deliverance from the power of evil and the values of the present world-system through the power of the risen Christ within the Christian.

Notice next that this was all within the sovereign will and purpose of God. There is a strong connection here to ,

Isaiah 53:4–6 NIV84

Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

Isaiah 53:4–6 NASB95PARA

Surely our griefs He Himself bore, And our sorrows He carried; Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, Smitten of God, and afflicted. But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed. All of us like sheep have gone astray, Each of us has turned to his own way; But the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all To fall on Him.

Isaiah 53:10 NIV84

Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the Lord makes his life a guilt offering, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand.

Isaiah 53:11 NASB95PARA

As a result of the anguish of His soul, He will see it and be satisfied; By His knowledge the Righteous One, My Servant, will justify the many, As He will bear their iniquities.

Notice finally that Jesus Christ offered Himself in order to glorify God.

Within these verse we see much of what came be the cry of the Reformers: Scripture Alone, Grace Alone, Faith Alone, Christ Alone, and God’s Glory Alone.

Let’s look at verse 1 again briefly as we consider the doctrine of the resurrection.

THE DOCTRINE OF THE RESURRECTION

Luther noted that Paul

Luther’s Commentary on Galatians Chapter One

he treateth of the resurrection of Christ, who rose again to make us righteous, and in so doing he hath overcome the law, sin, death, hell, and all evils (Rom. iv. 25). Christ’s victory, then, is the overcoming of the law, of sin, our flesh, the world, the devil, death, hell and all evils: and this his victory he hath given unto us.

Paul tells us in ,

1 Corinthians 15:14 NASB95PARA

and if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain, your faith also is vain.

1 Corinthians 15:17–19 NASB95PARA

and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied.

The Old Covenant era ended at the cross of Christ, and the New Covenant era began at the resurrection of Jesus from the grave. The resurrection was God’s declaration that Jesus, as His beloved Son, is the rightful ruler of all of creation.

Have you had an encounter with Jesus Christ? Have you placed your faith in His work as the only means by which you may be rescued from this present evil age? If you have not I pray that this would be the day in which the Holy Spirit would make you alive in Christ Jesus.

Believer, I pray that you will bask in this wonderful salvation that you have received. And that as a result everything that you say and do will be all for the glory of God.

Let’s Pray.

Closing Song: May The Mind — on the screen