Commentary on the Epistle to the Galatians

ERSE 1. Paul, an apostle, (not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus

Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead).

St. Paul wrote this epistle because, after his departure from the Galatian

churches, Jewish-Christian fanatics moved in, who perverted Paul's Gospel

of man's free justification by faith in Christ Jesus.

The world bears the Gospel a grudge because the Gospel condemns the re-

ligious wisdom of the world. Jealous for its own religious views, the world

in turn charges the Gospel with being a subversive and licentious doctrine,

offensive to God and man, a doctrine to be persecuted as the worst plague

on earth.

As a result we have this paradoxical situation: The Gospel supplies the world

with the salvation of Jesus Christ, peace of conscience, and every blessing.

Just for that the world abhors the Gospel.

These Jewish-Christian fanatics who pushed themselves into the Galatian

churches after Paul's departure, boasted that they were the descendants of

Abraham, true ministers of Christ, having been trained by the apostles them-

selves, that they were able to perform miracles.

3 MARTIN LUTHER

In every way they sought to undermine the authority of St. Paul. They said

to the Galatians: "You have no right to think highly of Paul. He was the

last to turn to Christ. But we have seen Christ. We heard Him preach. Paul

came later and is beneath us. It is possible for us to be in error-we who have

received the Holy Ghost? Paul stands alone. He has not seen Christ, nor

has he had much contact with the other apostles. Indeed, he persecuted the

Church of Christ for a long time."

When men claiming such credentials come along, they deceive not only the

naive, but also those who seemingly are well-established in the faith. This

same argument is used by the papacy. "Do you suppose that God for the

sake of a few Lutheran heretics would disown His entire Church? Or do

you suppose that God would have left His Church floundering in error all

these centuries?" The Galatians were taken in by such arguments with the

result that Paul's authority and doctrine were drawn in question.

Against these boasting, false apostles, Paul boldly defends his apostolic au-

thority and ministry. Humble man that he was, he will not now take a back

seat. He reminds them of the time when he opposed Peter to his face and

reproved the chief of the apostles.

Paul devotes the first two chapters to a defense of his office and his Gospel,

affirming that he received it, not from men, but from the Lord Jesus Christ

by special revelation, and that if he or an angel from heaven preach any other

gospel than the one he had preached, he shall be accursed.

The Certainty of Our Calling

Every minister should make much of his calling and impress upon others

the fact that he has been delegated by God to preach the Gospel. As the

ambassador of a government is honored for his office and not for his pri-