Gal. 1:6. to another gospel,
Gal. 1:7. Which is, however, not another, but there are only people troubling you and wishing to pervert the gospel of Christ.
Since the deceivers called their error a gospel, he objects to this designation as well, saying that there is no other Gospel besides the one you received. For there is one Gospel, containing the correct teaching, which I preached to you, if only some were not confusing your spiritual eyes and making you see one thing instead of another, wishing to pervert the Gospel of Christ. True, they did not overthrow the entire Gospel, but only introduced the commandment about the Sabbath and circumcision; however, he shows that even a small corruption overthrows the entire Gospel — just as one who cuts off a small part of a royal coin renders the whole coin worthless. Note, this is said for those who say that this is a trifle and not worth attention. And the Marcionites, seizing upon this saying, claim that on this basis one should accept not four, but one Gospel, which they composed, accepting some things and rejecting others. See, they say, even Paul affirms that there is one Gospel. But what does this mean? Just as we say that the four Gospels constitute one, of course by their agreement, so Paul speaks here not of number but of disagreement. Since, he says, the preaching of these deceivers is not in agreement, therefore it is not a Gospel; but if it were in agreement, it would be a Gospel, that is, an apostolic preaching. Thus, the opinion of Marcion is idle chatter.
Gal. 1:8. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel other than what we have preached to you, let him be anathema.
Lest anyone should say that he praises his own teaching out of ambition, he anathematizes even himself. And since they were appealing to authority and referring to Peter and James, he therefore mentioned the angels as well. He added the words "from heaven" because priests were also called angels. So, lest you think he is speaking of priests, by the indication of heaven he designated the heavenly powers. And he did not say: if they will preach the opposite, but — if they will proclaim to you anything small beyond what we have proclaimed to you. So then, by subjecting to anathema the angels and himself, he rejects all authority and human friendship in the matter of faith. Do not tell me that your apostles preach something different; I will not spare even myself if I do not preach the Gospel. And he says this not to disparage the apostles, but wishing to shut the mouths of deceivers and to show that he does not recognize authority when it comes to matters of doctrine.
Gal. 1:9. As we said before, so now I say again: if anyone preaches to you a gospel other than what you have received, let him be anathema.
So that they would not think he said this in anger and carried away by emotion, he repeats the same thing again, showing that he spoke not thoughtlessly, but having firmly and unwaveringly resolved this within himself.
Gal. 1:10. Do I now seek the favor of men, or of God? Do I strive to please men?
He intends to defend himself against that of which he is accused. However, lest they become proud, as judges of their teacher, he says: do not think that I am defending myself before you or trying to convince you; no, all my thought and speech are directed toward God. Therefore I write this not with the aim of gaining glory from you and having disciples, but in order to be right before God concerning the dogmas, and not out of a desire to please people. Or thus: since they slandered him, saying that to some he preaches one thing and to others another, and that he adapts himself to people, he asks them: am I trying to persuade men and please them, or God? For if I wished to please men, I would certainly do what you say.
Gal. 1:10. If I were still pleasing men, I would not be a servant of Christ.
He proves that he does not care about pleasing people — and why would he either flatter them or preach one thing to some and another thing to others? For if he cared about this, he would not have departed from Judaism and would not have turned to Christ; he would not have disregarded relatives, friends, such glory, and would not have chosen persecution, dangers, and dishonor.
Gal. 1:11. But I make known to you, brethren, that the Gospel which was preached by me is not according to man,
He wants to show them that he has truly departed from the law, and for this he reminds them of his former life and of the sharp change, showing that he would not have suddenly crossed over from Judaism if he had not had some divine assurance. Therefore he also says: "The gospel which I preached is not human," that is, I did not have a man as my teacher, but was a disciple of Christ Himself.
Gal. 1:12. For I also received it and learned it not from man, but through the revelation of Jesus Christ.
For since the slanderers were saying that he was not, like the rest of the apostles, a direct hearer of Christ, but received everything from men, he says that the One Who taught Peter and the others revealed the Gospel to me Himself.
Gal. 1:13. You have heard of my former way of life in Judaism,
From what is it evident that I received the Gospel through divine revelation? From my former life. For being such a persecutor, how could I have suddenly changed if some divine manifestation had not drawn me out? And that I was a zealous persecutor is evident from the fact that even you, Galatians, living so far from Judea, had heard about it.
Gal. 1:13. that I severely persecuted the Church of God, and was devastating it,
Note how strongly he expresses himself. For he did not say "persecuted," but "persecuted beyond measure." And not only this, but even "wasted," that is, he tried to destroy to the foundation and annihilate — for this is the work of a devastator.
Gal. 1:14. And I advanced in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries in my nation, being an immoderate zealot for my ancestral traditions.
All my contemporaries, he says, I surpassed in zeal, and in the war against the Church I went ahead; in other words: I was held in honor among the Jews. But do not think that this was a matter of vainglory or anger, but of zeal. So then, if I fought against the Church not out of any human calculations, but out of zeal for God, even though I was in error, then how now, having come to know the truth, would I preach out of love for human glory something other than what the truth commands and what Christ taught me.
Gal. 1:15. But when God, who set me apart from my mother's womb:
If from his mother's womb he was destined for the proclamation of the Gospel and chosen by God, then, of course, by a certain divine arrangement he remained for some time in Judaism, undoubtedly so that such a dramatic change in him would attract many to the faith and strengthen them in it. God chose him not by lot, but by foreknowledge that he was worthy.
Gal. 1:15. and called [me] by His grace,
Called by grace, not by merit, but by mercy — although God called him for his virtue, for it is said: "he is My chosen vessel" (Acts 9:15), he humbly says that he was called by grace not according to worthiness, but according to mercy.