No human mind, or minds, however many and however wise, could have planned and prepared a book such as we have in the Bible, a book of unfailing guidance exactly meeting the needs of the children of God through the centuries, and today shedding its broad beams of heavenly light over a very dark world, for all who are subject to it. This book professes to be, and it is, the Word of God; the believer finds the needs of his soul met therein; finds the path of obedience in it, and, his sorrows relieved, his errors corrected, a heavenly joy filling his heart, as Christ becomes increasingly the object before him, he pursues his course toward an assured end at his Saviour’s side in glory.
The Epistle to the Romans makes plain what man is, lost and undone, and how a holy and righteous God can save lost sinners; nothing can separate the subjects of His grace from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. The Epistles to the Corinthians point out many of the pitfalls which the old nature within, and Satan, the enemy of our souls, would use to the believer’s loss. (How thankful we should be for this, because these very evils abound around us today!) The truth of the “one body,” comprising all believers, is found in the Corinthians; so is a chapter dealing with the Lord’s supper, and others tell of the Holy Spirit’s work in the assembly, of the coming of the Lord, and many other subjects forming part of the instruction the believer needs.
The Epistle to the Galatians differs from Romans wherein positive truth is presented, in that the recovery of the truth formerly known is what is pressed in the epistle now before us. Perhaps the first mention of Satan’s successful scheme to corrupt the gospel is found in Acts 15:1-311And certain men which came down from Judea taught the brethren, and said, Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved. 2When therefore Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and disputation with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas, and certain other of them, should go up to Jerusalem unto the apostles and elders about this question. 3And being brought on their way by the church, they passed through Phenice and Samaria, declaring the conversion of the Gentiles: and they caused great joy unto all the brethren. 4And when they were come to Jerusalem, they were received of the church, and of the apostles and elders, and they declared all things that God had done with them. 5But there rose up certain of the sect of the Pharisees which believed, saying, That it was needful to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses. 6And the apostles and elders came together for to consider of this matter. 7And when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up, and said unto them, Men and brethren, ye know how that a good while ago God made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and believe. 8And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us; 9And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith. 10Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? 11But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they. 12Then all the multitude kept silence, and gave audience to Barnabas and Paul, declaring what miracles and wonders God had wrought among the Gentiles by them. 13And after they had held their peace, James answered, saying, Men and brethren, hearken unto me: 14Simeon hath declared how God at the first did visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name. 15And to this agree the words of the prophets; as it is written, 16After this I will return, and will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down; and I will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up: 17That the residue of men might seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles, upon whom my name is called, saith the Lord, who doeth all these things. 18Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world. 19Wherefore my sentence is, that we trouble not them, which from among the Gentiles are turned to God: 20But that we write unto them, that they abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood. 21For Moses of old time hath in every city them that preach him, being read in the synagogues every sabbath day. 22Then pleased it the apostles and elders, with the whole church, to send chosen men of their own company to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas; namely, Judas surnamed Barsabas, and Silas, chief men among the brethren: 23And they wrote letters by them after this manner; The apostles and elders and brethren send greeting unto the brethren which are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia: 24Forasmuch as we have heard, that certain which went out from us have troubled you with words, subverting your souls, saying, Ye must be circumcised, and keep the law: to whom we gave no such commandment: 25It seemed good unto us, being assembled with one accord, to send chosen men unto you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, 26Men that have hazarded their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. 27We have sent therefore Judas and Silas, who shall also tell you the same things by mouth. 28For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things; 29That ye abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication: from which if ye keep yourselves, ye shall do well. Fare ye well. 30So when they were dismissed, they came to Antioch: and when they had gathered the multitude together, they delivered the epistle: 31Which when they had read, they rejoiced for the consolation. (Acts 15:1‑31). In Acts 21:20-2220And when they heard it, they glorified the Lord, and said unto him, Thou seest, brother, how many thousands of Jews there are which believe; and they are all zealous of the law: 21And they are informed of thee, that thou teachest all the Jews which are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, saying that they ought not to circumcise their children, neither to walk after the customs. 22What is it therefore? the multitude must needs come together: for they will hear that thou art come. (Acts 21:20‑22) we see that the Jewish believers at Jerusalem were inoculated with this evil mixture of law and grace, though they had learned that the Apostle Paul taught the Jews as he did the Gentiles who believed, justification by faith without the deeds of the law (Rom. 3:2828Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law. (Romans 3:28)).
Portions of 2 Corinthians 11 and 12 seem to indicate that the false teachers who had found an entrance in that assembly in the Apostle’s absence, were trying to get the Gentile believers converted to Satan’s device of law and grace—Judaism and Christianity. Philippians 1:1515Some indeed preach Christ even of envy and strife; and some also of good will: (Philippians 1:15) and 3:2-7, 18-19; Colossians 2:14-1714Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; 15And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it. 16Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: 17Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ. (Colossians 2:14‑17) and 1 Timothy 1:3-113As I besought thee to abide still at Ephesus, when I went into Macedonia, that thou mightest charge some that they teach no other doctrine, 4Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questions, rather than godly edifying which is in faith: so do. 5Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned: 6From which some having swerved have turned aside unto vain jangling; 7Desiring to be teachers of the law; understanding neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm. 8But we know that the law is good, if a man use it lawfully; 9Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, 10For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine; 11According to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which was committed to my trust. (1 Timothy 1:3‑11) among other passages show how extended were these efforts of the devil to corrupt the truth while Paul was yet alive. Today this corruption of the truth in varying degree is all but universal, notwithstanding its condemnation in the pages of Scripture.
“God, it is true, in His love has suited the gospel to the wants of man. The enemy brings down that which still bears its name to the level of the haughty will of man and the corruption of the natural heart, turning Christianity into a religion that suits that heart, in place of one that is the expression of the heart of God—an all-holy God—and the revelation of that which He has done in His love, to bring us into communion with His holiness ... ”
“God allowed this invasion of His assembly in the earliest days of its existence, in order that we might have the answer of divine inspiration to these very principles, when they should be developed in an established system which would claim submission from the children of God as being the church that He had established, and the only ministry that He acknowledged.” (Synopsis of the Books of the Bible: Galatians, J. N. Darby).
We turn to the text of the epistle: “Paul, apostle, not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ, and God the Father who raised Him from among the dead, and all the brethren with me, to the assemblies of Galatia. Grace to you, and peace, from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for our sins, so that He should deliver us out of the present evil world, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be glory to the ages of ages. Amen.” (verses 1-5, JND).
Of the nine epistles of Paul addressed to assemblies, this to the Galatians has the most singular form of address. In writing to the Corinthians he had referred to his apostleship as through, or by, the will of God; here the language is, “not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ.” Halted near Damascus in his course as the chief of sinners by the Lord Himself, we see in Acts 9 to verse 30, in chapter 11:25-30, and chapter 12:25, with the beginning of chapter 13, Paul’s history from that meeting on the Damascus road to the commencement of the work outside of Israel’s land to which he was called by the Holy Spirit.
Knowing well what Satan would do to corrupt the gospel, the Lord chose the servant through whom He would make it fully known, chose the place and circumstances of his conversion, dealt with him, not as with the twelve on earth, but as the risen and glorified one, kept him apart from the twelve apostles at Jerusalem in Arabia, and distant Tarsus first, and afterward at Antioch (both these places far to the north of Israel’s land) during years of preparation, that his apostleship might be altogether “not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ, and God the Father who raised Him from among the dead.”
“And all the brethren that are with me;” his brethren, then with the apostle, his companions in service, are united with him; “to the assemblies of Galatia”; setting them apart as though they had taken up with something, some bad teaching (as indeed they had), for which they must be dealt with.
The Apostle wishes, as in all his letters, grace and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, but here adds, “who gave Himself for our sins, so that He should deliver us out of the present evil world, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be glory to the ages of ages. Amen.” Since He gave Himself for our sins, our sins are gone from God’s sight in that one perfect offering; and our present position, through His grace, is that He will deliver us in body, as He has already done for our souls, out of the present evil world, which has been judged. Now these things are completely at variance with Judaism, with the principles of law keeping for salvation. The law looks at a man in the world, alive in his sins, and bids him, “Do this and live,” establishing, if he can, his own righteousness here in the world. And many are quite prepared to go on such a footing.
Verses 6-9: “I wonder that ye thus quickly change from him that called you in Christ’s grace to a different gospel which is not another one; but there are some that trouble you, and desire to pervert the glad tidings of the Christ. But if even we or an angel out of heaven announce as glad tidings to you anything besides what we have announced as glad tidings to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, now also again I say, if any one announce to you as glad tidings anything besides what ye have received, let him be accursed” (JND).
In but a few years the believers in Galatia had turned from the Apostle Paul’s teaching of the whole truth of God in its purity, to an adulteration of it, an addition to it. As another has expressed it, to add anything was to deny the perfection of the entirely heavenly revelation of God; to alter its character was to corrupt it. The apostle is not speaking of a doctrine openly opposed to it, but of that which is outside of the gospel he had preached. Thus there cannot be another gospel; it is a different gospel, but there are no glad tidings but what he had preached. Whoever turned away the saints from the perfect truth Paul had preached, let him be accursed.