Gal. 1:1 apostle. Paul was sent by God to proclaim the gospel. On apostleship, see notes on Matt. 10:2; Acts 1:20; Rom. 1:1. False teachers have evidently raised questions about whether Paul should really be called an apostle (Gal. 2:7–9). not from men nor through man. Paul stresses both here and in 1:11–12, 16–17, 19 that he received the gospel directly from the Lord, not from others.

Gal. 1:2 all the brothers . . . with me. Those with Paul agree with the gospel he proclaims. The Galatians are wrong to accept a gospel that demands circumcision for salvation.

Gal. 1:3 Grace means God’s unmerited favor. Peace is not just the absence of conflict. It echoes the OT concept of blessing, in which the person and community are well and whole in all aspects of life. Such blessing comes especially in a right relationship with God (e.g., Num. 6:24–26).

Gal. 1:4 gave himself for our sins. Christ’s saving work on the cross is central in this letter. Jesus saves Christians from their sins and sets them free from slavery to this present evil age (3:22–26; 4:1–11).

Gal. 1:1–5 Many of the typical elements of Paul’s greetings appear here (e.g., “grace and peace”), but there is no thanksgiving for or reference to the Galatians’ faith, hope, or love.

Gal. 1:1–9 Opening. Paul offers a greeting (vv. 1–5). He then addresses the crisis in the Galatian church (vv. 6–9).

Gal. 1:6–9 The Galatians are abandoning the true gospel because of the false teachers. so quickly. It was a short time between Paul’s first preaching to the Galatians and their present confusion. there are some who trouble you. Visiting preachers have taught them that circumcision and obedience to the whole law are essential to justification (see also 4:17; 6:12–13).

Gal. 1:13–14 Paul distances himself from his former life in Judaism, but he does not reject his identity as an Israelite (see Rom. 11:1). Rather, he has broken with the life of seeking righteousness through the Law of Moses. the traditions of my fathers. In the first century A.D., rabbinic teaching was the foundation of Jewish life, particularly for the Pharisees (see Mark 7:3–5).

Gal. 1:16 that I might preach him among the Gentiles. This was Paul’s specific mission.

Gal. 1:17 The journey to Arabia and back to Damascus occurs between Acts 9:25 and 9:26. On the city of Damascus, see note on Acts 9:3. Roman Arabia included much of modern Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and southern Syria.

Gal. 1:18 after three years. If Paul was converted in A.D. 33 (an approximate date), then this visit occurred around A.D. 36. It is probably the visit to Jerusalem described in Acts 9:26–29. Cephas. Peter.

Gal. 1:19–20 none of the other apostles except James. This implies that James was among “the apostles,” though he was not one of the original 12 (see note on 1 Cor. 9:4–5).

Gal. 1:10–24 Paul’s critics say he teaches a gospel received from man, not from God. They also say he wants to please man rather than God. Paul does not simply defend himself but shows a pastoral concern. He wants to reassure the Galatians that the gospel they received was authentic. It was not a false message delivered by an untrustworthy messenger (e.g., 2:5).

Gal. 2:1 after fourteen years. Could refer to an additional 14 years after the three years mentioned in 1:18. The 14 years could also start from Paul’s conversion and include those three. The latter seems slightly more probable, placing this visit around A.D. 47. It probably corresponds to Acts 11:29–30 (see note on Acts 11:27–30).

Gal. 2:2 Those who seemed influential probably includes James, Peter, and John (see v. 9).

Gal. 2:3–4 The Jerusalem apostles agreed that Titus, a Gentile, did not need to be circumcised. Thus, says Paul, they agreed no Gentile needed to be circumcised. But some false brothers continued to disagree. (On circumcision, see Acts 15:1–35; Rom. 2:25–29; 4:9–16; Gal. 5:2–12; 6:12–15.)

Gal. 2:7–8 As an apostle, Paul was not inferior to Peter: Paul was assigned to evangelize the uncircumcised (Gentiles), while Peter was sent to the circumcised (Jews). Therefore the Galatians should not consider themselves inferior to any other believers.

Gal. 2:9 pillars. Peter, James, and John were clearly leaders in the early church. Significantly, they gave the right hand of fellowship to Barnabas and Paul. This showed that they approved of the gospel Paul preached and of his ministry to the Gentiles.

Gal. 2:10 the poor. This probably refers mainly to poor Jewish Christians in Jerusalem. Paul led an effort to help them financially (see Rom. 15:25–26; 1 Cor. 16:1–3; 2 Corinthians 8–9).

Gal. 2:11–12 The situation behind this passage is likely that the men who came from James (from the Jerusalem church) encouraged Jewish Christians to eat separately and follow kosher dietary laws. Peter decided to go along with this, perhaps not realizing that his example would make the Gentile Christians feel like second-class Christians.

Gal. 2:12 Although it was allowed by Scripture, eating with the Gentiles would have broken Jewish dietary traditions. The circumcision party required keeping the Mosaic covenant law regarding circumcision, food, and special days.

Gal. 2:14 force the Gentiles to live like Jews. Peter was guilty of hypocrisy (v. 13). He had not been observing food laws previously. Now he was requiring Gentile Christians to observe Jewish food laws in order to eat with him.

Gal. 2:16 “Justified” means “counted righteous” or “declared righteous” by God (see ESV footnote). If people obeyed all of God’s perfect moral standards, they could be justified by their own merits. But Paul says that this is impossible for anyone to do (see Romans 1–2). Works of the law means any human effort to be justified by God by obeying a moral law. We also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ implies that justification is the result of saving faith. and not by works of the law. No human effort or merit can be added to faith as a basis for justification (see Acts 13:39; Gal. 3:10–14; Heb. 10:1–14). On justification, see also notes on Rom. 4:25; Phil. 3:9; James 2:21.

Gal. 2:18 I would prove myself to be a transgressor. Ironically, the one who is most clearly seen to be a sinner is not the one outside of the law (the Gentile), but the one who is under the law.

Gal. 2:19 through the law. The law taught Paul that he could not be saved by works. Paul has died to the law. He no longer tries to gain justification by obeying the law. so that I might live to God. Paul has gained God’s acceptance through justification in Christ. He has an amazing new freedom to live a life devoted to God.

Gal. 2:20 It is no longer I who live does not mean that Paul has no personality of his own. It means that he no longer controls his own life. Rather, Christ who lives in me now directs and empowers all that he does. the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God. As Paul trusts Christ moment by moment, Christ works in and through him in all he does. who loved me and gave himself for me. The crucifixion is a personal expression of Christ’s love for people as individuals.

Gal. 1:10–2:21 Indirect Appeal: Paul’s Ministry and the Gospel. Paul received the gospel directly from Jesus Christ (see Acts 9:1–19a; 22:3–21; 26:12–23). James, Peter, and John approved his ministry (Gal. 2:9). Paul had enough authority as an apostle to correct Peter (2:11–21).

Gal. 2:11–21 Paul was not a people-pleaser (1:10). His confrontation with Peter proves this.

Gal. 2:21 Christ’s death would have been pointless if righteousness were through the law. Then people could earn justification by their obedience. But they can never do this. Sin is so serious that only the substitutionary, atoning death of God’s Son can deal with the problem.

Gal. 3:1 Who has bewitched you? Paul uses the language of pagan magic to describe the false teachers’ activities. publicly portrayed. Paul’s presentation of the gospel to the Galatians was so vivid that it was as if they had been eyewitnesses of the crucifixion.

Gal. 3:2 Let me ask. Using rhetorical questions, Paul shows that it is illogical for the Galatians to seek a fuller Christian life by keeping the law. Receive the Spirit refers to the new covenant activity of the Holy Spirit that comes after saving faith. From the beginning of the Christian life, the Spirit sanctifies and empowers believers.

Gal. 3:1–5 Paul asks the Galatians five questions. He is disappointed that they have listened to the false teachers. So he returns to their experience of how they first came to know Christ.

Gal. 3:6–9 Paul issues a second direct appeal to the Galatians: it is not just their own experience of receiving the gospel by faith that should teach them that salvation is not by the law but by grace. Rather, the OT example of Abraham also teaches that it is through genuine faith, not the law, that one is counted righteous (see Gen. 15:6).

Gal. 3:10 Those who rely on works of the law are under a curse. They are “cursed” (“condemned”) because they break the law (2:18).

Gal. 3:11 Habakkuk 2:4 shows that righteousness cannot be achieved through the law.

Gal. 3:12 Paul uses Lev. 18:5 to show that the law is not of faith. Paul probably means the same thing here as in Rom. 10:5 (where Lev. 18:5 is equated with “the righteousness that is based on the law”; compare Phil. 3:9). The one who does them shall live by them. See note on Lev. 18:5.

Gal. 3:13 The divine curse is the result of disobedience (v. 10). But the burden of the curse has been lifted by Christ’s work on the cross.

Gal. 3:14 The coming of the powerful Spirit—the living presence of God— is a key benefit of the new covenant (see Isa. 44:3; Galatians 5–6).

Gal. 3:16 God spoke promises to Abraham on several occasions. Paul probably refers to Gen. 13:15 and 17:8. And to your offspring. Here Paul sees that the truest fulfillment of these OT promises comes to one “offspring,” Christ.

Gal. 3:17 came 430 years afterward. Paul is apparently referring to the Septuagint translation of Ex. 12:40, “The dwelling of the children of Israel . . . in Egypt and in Canaan was 430 years.” This would mean 430 years from Abraham to the exodus (the Hebrew text does not include “and in Canaan”). Another explanation is that Paul is not counting the time from the first promise to Abraham; instead he is counting from the last confirmation of that promise to Jacob before he went to Egypt in Gen. 46:3–4. This would then count the time in Egypt as the entire time from the “promise” to the “law.”

Gal. 3:15–18 A covenant or a will cannot be changed. The promises made to Abraham and to his offspring were not changed when God gave Moses the law.

Gal. 3:19 the law . . . was added because of transgressions. This probably means the law was put in place to reveal people’s sinfulness and need for a savior. put in place through angels by an intermediary. Deuteronomy 33:2 states that God gave the law “from the ten thousands of holy ones” (compare Acts 7:53). Moses was God’s “intermediary” (Lev. 26:46).

Gal. 3:20 Because God is one, his ultimate revelation comes not through an intermediary but from him alone. This assumes that whatever comes from Christ comes from the one true God, for Christ is fully God.

Gal. 3:22 The law (the Scripture), instead of giving “life” (v. 21) with God, imprisoned everything under sin (compare Rom. 3:9–20). Rather than enabling all Israelites to receive the promise, the law was given so that the single “offspring,” Christ, would receive the blessing. Therefore the blessing is obtained by faith in Christ, not by obedience to the law. God was certainly not surprised that the Israelites were unable to obey the law. In fact, at the end of the giving of the law, Moses foretold that the Israelites would not obey it (Deut. 31:24–29). Thus the law confirmed the promise to Abraham, that justification would come only by faith (Gal. 3:6–9, 14, 18).

Gal. 3:23 before faith came. By “faith” Paul means new covenant faith in Christ (see v. 22). Since Paul uses Abraham as an example of justification by faith (vv. 6–9, 14, 18), he cannot mean that there was no saving faith before Christ came. He means that OT believers did not have knowledge of Christ’s finished work.

Gal. 3:24 The law, as guardian, had positive functions. It restrained and exposed sin and promised Christ’s coming.

Gal. 3:26 you are all sons of God. Life under the law was slavery. Life in Christ is marked by the freedom that comes from being God’s “sons.” The Greek word used for “sons” is a legal term used in the adoption and inheritance laws of first-century Rome. Here and elsewhere in Paul’s letters (compare 4:5–7; Rom. 8:14–16, 23), this term refers to the status of all Christians, both male and female. Having been adopted into God’s family, they now enjoy all the privileges, responsibilities, and inheritance rights of God’s children.

Gal. 3:27 Having been baptized, believers have gone down into death. They have died to the old era of law, sin, and death (Rom. 6:3–4; Gal. 2:19; 6:14). They have come up out of the water as participants in the new creation (2 Cor. 5:17). put on Christ. As one puts on clothing. This suggests taking on a new life and purpose through being spiritually united to Christ.

Gal. 3:28 neither Jew nor Greek. In the new creation, the distinction between Jew and Gentile is removed (see Eph. 2:11–22). Certainly these Galatians do not have to become Jews to be Christians (see Gal. 3:14). There is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female does not imply that there are no differences in how these groups should relate to each other, for Paul elsewhere teaches slaves (“bondservants”; ESV footnote) and masters differently (Eph. 6:5–9), and husbands and wives differently (Eph. 5:22–33). Rather, he teaches that old divisions and wrongful attitudes of superiority and inferiority are abolished, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. The verse teaches unity within diversity, but not sameness.