CHAPTER 1
Galatians 1:1-5 Paul the Apostle, not from men nor through a man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised him from the dead, and all the brothers with me, to the Churches of Galatia: grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.
Immediately the being of a disciple of men is destroyed. For he says, “I am an apostle, not having been commissioned by men, nor through a man, but through Christ himself I came to this work.”
" but through Jesus Christ and God the Father ." Notice here the preposition διὰ, that is, through , is applied to the Father and the Son, and the Son is named first.
“ who raised him .” This has been said concerning the honor given to the Father, and because of the weakness of those who hear.
" from the dead ." At the opportune time he remembered the Lord's economy [οἰκονομίας] and death, so that, having reminded of the benefits of Christ, he might in that way persuade them no longer to cling to the law but to Christ.
" and all the brothers with me ." For what reason does he now mention all the brothers together? Because those who were accusing him said that Paul alone was now forbidding circumcision; therefore he wishes to show that there are many allies to him in such a teaching.
" to the Churches of Galatia ." See the mark of anger. For he did not say, as was customary, "to the Beloved," or "to the Sanctified," or at least "to the Churches of God," but " of Galatia ."
— [CHRYSOSTOM] " grace to you ." For since they were in danger of falling from grace because of the circumcision, he prays this for them.
He also says, " and peace ." For they had been at war with God, by the observance of the ritual precepts.
" from God the Father ." Where do you have, he says, the right to call God Father?” Is it not from baptism? Why then do you oppose the law?
" who gave himself ." Behold, he gave himself; therefore, when you hear that he has been given by the Father, perceive the Father's good pleasure.
“ to deliver us from .” He gave Himself for our sins, blotting out the former things and preserving for the future.
He says, “ to deliver us from the present evil age ,” that is, from evil actions and a corrupted life: for he calls this an evil age , not the time itself or the day: Not at all. For we also are accustomed to speak accordingly when something unexpected has happened to us: “I endured an evil day.” “ of the evil age .” By saying “ the present evil age ,” he showed that evil is not uncreated, nor eternal, but temporary.
" according to the will of God and our Father ." For since they said that one ought not to abandon the law which had been given by God, he likewise showed that it was the Father's will that they should believe in Christ. For according to the will of the Father the Christ gave himself. You see that there is nowhere a command of the Father to the Son, but only harmony. Again, having said " our Father ," he reminds us of baptism. What then do you have of the law?
" to whom be the glory forever and ever ." Reflecting on the indescribable benefits of God through the things said, he finished his speech in doxology. For he could not express them.
Galatians 1:6-8 I am astonished that you are so quickly turning away from the one who called you by the grace of God to a different gospel. Not that there is another gospel, except that there are some who are disturbing you and wanting to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we preached to you, let him be accursed.
Two sins: transferring blame, and doing so quickly, as if deceivers needed no time. Observe carefully. Since they thought to appease the Father by holding to the law, he showed that one who departs from Christ and the Gospel also departs from the Father. For the Father himself, he says, has called us to the grace of his Son. For the Son bestows remission by his blood, by grace and not by merit, for the Father calls to this; truly the Spirit consents. Indeed, it is a common benefit toward us of the holy and blessed Trinity.
" to a different gospel ." For they called their deception a “gospel”, persuading the Galatians to observe things like Sabbaths and circumcision, using the name as bait.
" Not that there is another gospel ." Which is to say, he declares, only one thing, and there is no other besides this. Unless, then, some of you are troubled, wishing to pervert you and to distort the gospel of Christ.
" But even if we or ." So that no one may say that he composes his own preaching out of vainglory, he first accurses himself, if indeed he were willing to alter anything in the Gospel.
" an angel from heaven ." Do not say to me, he says, Peter and John and James, but even if the powers above were to pervert the Gospel, let them be accursed. And these things, he says, not as if something different from what others proclaim about Peter (for neither are the powers above) but wishing to stop the mouths of the deceivers who, by means of the office surrounding Peter, were deceiving them.
“ contrary to what we preached .” The phrase “ to what ” indicates the extent, however small, of the preaching.
Galatians 1:9-10 As we have said before, and I say again now. If anyone proclaims to you a gospel contrary to what you received, let them be accursed. "For am I now persuading people, or God? Or am I seeking to please people? For if I were still pleasing people, I would not be a servant of Christ.
So that they may not think I have said these things out of anger, as if not truly believing them, he adds the verb second, “ For am I now persuading ,” as if this has been judged and established with him. “ am I now persuading people, or God ?” Then, that they may not suppose that he wishes to persuade them and proclaim different things to others (for those who deceive him accused him, that to some he proclaims circumcision, to others something else) and that they might fall away as if being flattered, he says: “ Or am I seeking to please people ?” I do not say these things to flatter and please you, he says. For if I were seeking to please people, I would also be opposing the Judaism, and friends and kinsmen, and would not have run to Christ abandoning all.
Narrative of his own transition from Judaism by revelation.
Galatians 1:11-14 I want you to know, brothers, the gospel that was proclaimed by me is not according to man. For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but through a revelation of Christ. For you have heard of my former way of life in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God beyond measure and tried to destroy it. And I advanced in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries in my own nation, being more exceedingly zealous for the traditions of my fathers.
Paul wishes to show them that he did not receive the preaching from men, but from Christ himself. " is not according to men ." For it is according to God, that is, according to a revelation from God.
He says, " For I neither received it from man .” For this is what his slanderers were saying about him: that Paul received the preaching from men, not, as those supporting Peter claimed, from Christ. Therefore they said: He ought not to be trusted.
“ For you have heard .” Then since the Galatians did not know of the revelation which had been given to Paul by Christ, he wishes, in order to show that he was formerly a persecutor and now suddenly transformed, which, unless some divine vision had been granted to him, he would by no means have been so suddenly transformed; so that, having been convinced by this, they would not despise him as a disciple of Christ.
" my former way of life ." They would not, however, have heard from Palestine to Galatia, unless he was a very great persecutor.
— [SEVERIAN] “ in Judaism .” What need is there for conduct within Judaism? But let him show one thing, that it works not by deception but by truth. For not having rejected the law did he flee from grace (for he vindicated it), having found that which was more perfect, he departed from the law. [ end of the excerpt by Severian ] —
“ tried to destroy it .” I was not only pursuing it, he says, but also resolved to overthrow and annihilate it. For this is the meaning of, “ tried to destroy it .”
" And I advanced ." I advanced in the persecution of the churches, that is, I continually strove to make it more severe. I advanced and was honorable on that account among the Jews. What then is the reason that they suddenly took up arms against me, those who honored and loved me? Nothing else, he says, but the revelation of Christ.
" being more exceedingly zealous ." I advanced, since I had once been exceedingly zealous for my ancestral traditions. Therefore, he says, I never did the things I did from boastfulness, but from zeal for God, even though mistaken. If then I did not even then act from boastfulness, how could I now, after coming to the knowledge of the truth, preach falsehood to please men rather than those things I received from Christ?
Galatians 1:15-16 When he who separated me from my mother's womb and, having called me by his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son in me so that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately accord with flesh and blood.
If from his mother's womb he was restricted against preaching and was restrained, for some entirely divine privilege the intervening time was allowed, so that his sudden change might strengthen many.
“ and, having called me by his grace .” He was indeed called as a vessel of election; yet he says that he was called by grace, as if to say: the Lord has called me by grace, though I am unworthy and unsuitable.
" reveal his Son ." The Father, he says, called me to the revealing of his Son.
He said, “ in me ,” wishing to show that he had learned not only by word but also by mind and heart, as into the inner person in whom knowledge has taken up residence.
" that I might preach him ." Do you see that the Father who called and revealed his Son to him himself ordained Paul to be a preacher and apostle?
— [PHOTIUS] How then, he says, did I receive and learn the preaching from men? Immediately I did not turn aside to ease and luxury, nor, thinking myself to have achieved something great, fall into slackness and neglect, but I made the course of the Gospel demanding.
Therefore, it was. I no longer valued seeing relatives, or a house, or acquaintances, or homeland, but leaving all behind (for in these matters I am not inferior to those concerning Peter and John), I immediately ran into Arabia and to Damascus and to the preaching.
“ I did not immediately accord with flesh and blood .” Paul says that he did not go into discussions with the apostles about the preaching, being satisfied with the divine revelation. But he says this to show that he had not learned preaching from the disciples, but from Christ himself. For those who slandered him were saying that he was a disciple of men, not of Christ.
Galatians 1:17-19 I did not go up to Jerusalem to those apostles who were before me, but I went into Arabia, and again I returned to Damascus. Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to visit Peter, and I stayed with him fifteen days. I did not see any other of the apostles, except James the brother of the Lord.
Paul said this more clearly, showing that he was not taught by the apostles but by Christ himself. He did not, he says, go up to Jerusalem to see the apostles before me and to learn anything from them. For he did go up to Jerusalem from Damascus , as the Acts indicate, (Acts 9:2) but not to be instructed, rather to preach Christ himself and to teach the faith. For just as he says he went into Arabia preaching and then again into Damascus , so likewise to Jerusalem. [ end of the Photius excerpt ] —
After three years , however, from the beginning of my preaching and teaching I returned to see Peter, I went up to see Peter, not to learn anything from him. For I was then preaching and proclaiming the gospel.
" but I went into Arabia ." When it was recounted concerning the towns to which he had gone, the remarkable deeds that had been done there by him fell silent, because they were of great modesty of spirit.
" to visit Peter ." See the humility. After so many and such great struggles he withdrew so that he might seem to be inferior to Peter. But so that he might remain honored as well, it was done on account of the honor which he conferred upon Peter.
He said, “ I stayed with him ,” yet I was not taught.”
“ I did not see any other of the apostles .” How could one who had not seen anyone have learned from them?
“ the brother of the Lord .” James was not the brother of the Lord, but he was thought to be 1 , yet in order to lift him up he calls him the brother of the Lord.
Galatians 1:20-24 But I write to you, behold before God, that I do not lie. Then I came into the regions of Syria and Cilicia. And I was unknown by face to the churches of Judea that are in Christ. Only they were hearing, "He who once persecuted us now proclaims the faith which he once destroyed," and they glorified God in me.
“I tell you before the Lord that I am not lying.” Do you see how he strives with this statement? For he even risked not being credible with regard to the proclamation, as being a follower of men and not of Christ.
" into the regions of Syria ." After seeing Peter, the way to the Gentiles was again kept. He says toward the regions of Syria and Cilicia ; for he had been sent to those places.
" I was unknown ." Therefore, he says, I did not preach to those who had believed from the circumcision that they must be circumcised (for this is what the slanderers said, that he proclaimed circumcision to those who believed from the Jews); therefore I did not preach, he said, since they did not know from the beginning.
Or therefore. — [PHOTIUS] From Peter I did not learn; I only saw him. From James I did not learn; for I only saw him as well. I did not see any other of the apostles. But not from some other humbler and not so prominent person? And how does it stand that I learned this from those who have not even seen my face? For I was unknown in appearance to the churches in Judea. For the others were in need of instruction, but they did not teach. Therefore, I did not learn it from a man. [ end of the Photius excerpt ] —
“ to the Churches of Judea .” To the Churches around Syria and Cilicia, to those of the Jews who have turned back to the Lord. For this is what “ in Christ ” signifies.
— [PHOTIUS] " and they glorified God in me ." He did not say, "They praised me," or "They glorified me," but, " they glorified God ," he says. For all that which was in me, he says, was of God's grace.
“ in me ,” that is, on account of me.
“ glorified God in me ,” not this or that teacher, but God himself. He was the one who revealed to me and taught the preaching. [ end of the Photius excerpt ] —
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Translator notes for Galatians chapter 1.
1. Oecumenius appears to have drawn primarily from Chrysostom concerning James not being the actual brother of Jesus. Theodoret of Cyrus goes even further saying, “He was called a brother of the Lord, but was not so by nature. For he was not, as some suppose, a son of Joseph, born from a previous marriage; rather he was the son of Clopas and a cousin of the Lord, for his mother was the sister of the mother of the Lord.”