GODS Minister and HIS Authority

Galatians 1:1

Paul, an apostle, (not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead;)

Paul: The “apostle to the Gentiles” who spread the message about Jesus Christ throughout the ancient world through his missionary efforts.

Apostle: masc. messenger, apostle. One sent out; in the nt, especially those sent out by Jesus to preach the gospel. This word is related to the verb ἀποστέλλω (apostellō, “to send out”), and, in the extrabiblical sources, it has the meaning of “something sent” (e.g., a naval expedition; Plato, Ep., 7, 346a) or “someone sent out” (Josephus, Ant. 17.300). In the nt, this word only occasionally indicates “personal messenger” (John 13:16; Phil 2:25). The majority of the occurrences of this term are references to the 12 disciples whom Jesus sent out (apostellō) to preach the gospel (e.g., Mark 3:14)

But: a contrast connective term, (that shows items are unlike or opposites)

And: comparison/correlative connective structure, (that shows ideas to be alike or similar; or shows items related to each other reciprocally

raised: vb. awake, awaken, rise, be raised up. The action of awakening, physically arising to stand erect; metaphorically, coming alive after being dead. This word literally means “awaken.” In the nt, it is very often used metaphorically for raising from the dead. In various passages, it refers to the resurrection of Jesus, the general resurrection, the resurrection of Lazarus (John 12:1, 9, 17), the resurrection of some at Jesus’ crucifixion (Matt 27:52), and the resurrection of others by Jesus and his apostles (e.g., Matt 10:8; Luke 7:22).

Dead: The New Testament contains little explicit information about the state of the dead awaiting resurrection, although some indication may be found in Jesus’ parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19–31). Here the righteous Lazarus dies and is transported to “Abraham’s bosom,” while the rich man finds himself in Hades, tormented in fire. This parable may support the idea of a compartmentalized Hades (note the vast chasm between the tormented and those who are comforted, Luke 16:26). Additionally, it reflects the notion of reward and punishment after death. Other passages sometimes used to define the intermediate state include Matt 10:28; Luke 12:4–5; 23:43; Acts 2:27, 31; 2 Cor 5:1–10; Phil 1:23–24; Rev 6:9–11 (see Osei-Bonsu, 169–194). Various theories about the state of the dead awaiting the resurrection have been proposed. The dominant understanding has been that people experience some form of disembodied existence following death (Osei-Bonsu, “The Intermediate State in the New Testament,” 169). The New Testament does not offer a clear picture of the state of the dead, beyond promising the resurrection of the dead and a final judgment (Matt 25:31–46; John 5:28–29; Rev 20:11–15; Acts 24:15; compare Dan 12:2).1