April 14, 2022
Whom Do You Fear?
Galatians 1
Ryan Haney
Central Truth
God has more in store for us than to be concerned with what people think. He has set us free from the things of this world and calls us to be unwavering in living the true gospel.
Key Verse | Galatians 1:10
For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.
Galatians 1
Greeting
1 Paul, an apostle—not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead— 2 and all the brothers 1 1:2 Or brothers and sisters. In New Testament usage, depending on the context, the plural Greek word adelphoi (translated brothers) may refer either to brothers or to brothers and sisters; also verse 11 who are with me,
To the churches of Galatia:
3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, 4 who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, 5 to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.
No Other Gospel
6 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— 7 not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. 9 As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed.
10 For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant 2 1:10 For the contextual rendering of the Greek word doulos, see Preface of Christ.
Paul Called by God
11 For I would have you know, brothers, that the gospel that was preached by me is not man's gospel. 3 1:11 Greek not according to man 12 For I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ. 13 For you have heard of my former life in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God violently and tried to destroy it. 14 And I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my people, so extremely zealous was I for the traditions of my fathers. 15 But when he who had set me apart before I was born, 4 1:15 Greek set me apart from my mother's womb and who called me by his grace, 16 was pleased to reveal his Son to 5 1:16 Greek in me, in order that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with anyone; 6 1:16 Greek with flesh and blood 17 nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me, but I went away into Arabia, and returned again to Damascus.
18 Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to visit Cephas and remained with him fifteen days. 19 But I saw none of the other apostles except James the Lord's brother. 20 (In what I am writing to you, before God, I do not lie!) 21 Then I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia. 22 And I was still unknown in person to the churches of Judea that are in Christ. 23 They only were hearing it said, “He who used to persecute us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy.” 24 And they glorified God because of me.
Footnotes
[1] 1:2 Or brothers and sisters. In New Testament usage, depending on the context, the plural Greek word adelphoi (translated “brothers”) may refer either to brothers or to brothers and sisters; also verse 11[2] 1:10 For the contextual rendering of the Greek word doulos, see Preface
[3] 1:11 Greek not according to man
[4] 1:15 Greek set me apart from my mother's womb
[5] 1:16 Greek in
[6] 1:16 Greek with flesh and blood
Listen to the Podcast
Listen NowDive Deeper | Galatians 1
As a recovering people-pleasing addict, there's no denying the temptation for me to seek the approval of man. Before I truly accepted Christ, I was toeing the line of being in both the world and the church. I focused all my attention on pleasing everyone around me rather than on pleasing God.
That's exactly what the false teachers Paul refers to in Galatians 1 were trying to do. They were trying to have the best of both worlds by seeking approval from the Jewish authorities while preaching a pseudo-gospel that was turning the Galatians away from the true gospel. These false teachers and I shared two completely incompatible goals: to please God and to please man (Galatians 1:10).
It's scary to go all in on pleasing God instead of man. Jesus literally promised us that in this world we will have tribulation (John 16:33), so what is the benefit of being unwavering in living the true gospel? As Paul writes in Ephesians 4:14, it's "so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes." Jesus not only saves Christians from their sins, but He also sets us free from being slaves to the world.
Paul didn't invent this gospel; he received it directly from Christ, pure and undefiled. He gave up everything worldly he had going for him to be unwavering in the cause of the true gospel, and he calls us to do the same as servants of Christ.
Discussion Questions
1. Do you struggle with trying to please man? Are there specific areas or topics that tempt you toward the fear of man?
2. What "gospels" of the world have you heard? What does Scripture say about those ideas?
3. Is there anything you've been a slave to that you need to confess? Whom can you reach out to for accountability?