Galatians 1: Verse-by-Verse Commentary (with Videos)

24 verses · 53 video commentaries from 13 courses · Berean Standard Bible

¹Paul, an apostle—sent not from men nor by man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised Him from the dead—

²and all the brothers with me, To the churches of Galatia:

³Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ,

⁴who gave Himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father,

⁵to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.

⁶I am amazed how quickly you are deserting the One who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel—

⁷which is not even a gospel. Evidently some people are troubling you and trying to distort the gospel of Christ.

⁸But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be under a curse!

⁹As 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 under a curse!

¹⁰Am I now seeking the approval of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ.

¹¹For I want you to know, brothers, that the gospel I preached was not devised by man.

¹²I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ.

¹³For you have heard of my former way of life in Judaism, how severely I persecuted the church of God and tried to destroy it.

¹⁴I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries and was extremely zealous for the traditions of my fathers.

¹⁵But when God, who set me apart from my mother’s womb and called me by His grace, was pleased

¹⁶to reveal His Son in me so that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not rush to consult with flesh and blood,

¹⁷nor did I go up to Jerusalem to the apostles who came before me, but I went into Arabia and later returned to Damascus.

¹⁸Only after three years did I go up to Jerusalem to confer with Cephas, and I stayed with him fifteen days.

¹⁹But I saw none of the other apostles except James, the Lord’s brother.

²⁰I assure you before God that what I am writing to you is no lie.

²¹Later I went to the regions of Syria and Cilicia.

²²I was personally unknown, however, to the churches of Judea that are in Christ.

²³They only heard the account: “The man who formerly persecuted us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy.”

²⁴And they glorified God because of me.

Galatians 1 Section and Chapter Commentary

Gal 1:11-24

Paul's account of his conversion and early interactions with apostles

In Galatians, Paul provides an autobiographical account of his conversion and subsequent interactions with the Jerusalem apostles. He asserts that his gospel message came directly from Christ, not from Peter or other apostles, and that he only met with Peter for two weeks three years after his conversion, and later with Peter, James, and John 14 years after that, to ensure their agreement on his Gentile mission.

Summarized by AI · Did Peter Hate Paul? Apostolic Conflict in the Early Church · Lecture 1: Two Apostles Head-to-Head (And Toe-to-Toe?) · watch the clip

Discrepancies Between Acts and Paul's Letters

A significant problem with attributing Acts to a companion of Paul is the numerous discrepancies between the accounts of Paul's actions and teachings in Acts and Paul's own letters. These differences, ranging from minor details about companions to contradictory theological messages, suggest the author of Acts was not an eyewitness or close associate of Paul.

Summarized by AI · Bart D. Ehrman · YouTube · Was Luke Written by Luke? And Why Should We Care? · watch the clip

Gal 1:11-20

Paul's Galatians autobiography answers the charge he corrupted the gospel

Ehrman says Galatians 1 and 2 is one of the few passages where Paul gets autobiographical, and he has a good reason: the missionaries urging the Galatians to adopt the Jewish law are also attacking Paul, and it looks like one of their attacks is that he inherited his understanding of Christianity from the apostles before him, such as Peter, and then changed the message on his own. Paul answers that he had been a persecutor of the Christians, that God revealed Christ to him and sent him to the Gentiles, and that he waited three years before going to Jerusalem, so he did not go to learn Christianity from the apostles.

Summarized by AI · Did Peter Hate Paul? Apostolic Conflict in the Early Church · Lecture 1: Two Apostles Head-to-Head (And Toe-to-Toe?) · watch the clip

Gal 1:11-17

Paul's Vision of the Risen Christ

Paul's conversion was prompted by a vision of the resurrected Jesus, which convinced him that Jesus was the Jewish Messiah. This experience fundamentally changed his life and led him to believe he was wrong in persecuting early Christians.

Summarized by AI · Bart D. Ehrman · YouTube · Earliest Source for Jesus · watch the clip

Gal 1:13-17

Galatians against Acts on Paul's persecution in Damascus

Fredriksen says Paul admits in Galatians that he opposed the assembly of God and tried to destroy it, in Damascus according to Galatians 1:17, and calls Acts' story of a high priest deputizing him from Jerusalem fantasy, since the high priest had no jurisdiction outside Judea. Where Acts and Galatians 1 collide over Paul's movements after the revelation, she follows Paul. From the 39 lashes Paul says in 2 Corinthians 11 he received five times, a synagogue punishment, she conjectures he had once had Jewish Christ followers lashed, while admitting we cannot know what 'to the utmost' means.

Summarized by AI · Ancient Christianities: The First Five Hundred Years · Lecture 4: Beginnings | Paul, the Pagan's Apostle · watch the clip

Gal 1:15-24

Tensions Between Acts and Other New Testament Sources

The historical accounts in Acts sometimes show tension with other New Testament sources. For example, Paul's chronology of post-conversion travels in Galatians differs from the account in Acts. Additionally, the manner of Judas's death is described differently in Matthew and Acts, prompting scholars to approach Acts' historicity with caution and to analyze individual accounts on a case-by-case basis.

Summarized by AI · The New Testament: Exploring the Christian Bible · Lecture 10: Acts | When Christianity Became “Historical” · watch the clip

Gal 1:15-20

Paul's Post-Conversion Contact with Apostles

Paul's account in Galatians contradicts the Book of Acts regarding his interactions with other apostles after his conversion. Paul explicitly states under oath in Galatians that he did not consult with any human and did not go to Jerusalem for three years after his revelatory experience, meeting only Cephas and James after that period. In contrast, Acts depicts Paul immediately conferring with Ananias in Damascus and then traveling to Jerusalem to meet with the apostles shortly after his conversion. This represents a significant contradiction concerning Paul's early apostolic independence.

Summarized by AI · The Bible and the Quran: Comparing Their Historical Problems · Lecture 3: The New Testament | How Much History, How Much Story? · watch the clip

Galatians 1 Verse Notes

Gal 1:6-9

Paul's condemnation of 'Judaizers' in Galatians

Paul's letter to the Galatians is a fierce rebuke of 'Judaizers' who insisted that Gentile converts must adopt Jewish law, including circumcision, to be true followers of Jesus. Paul declares that anyone preaching a gospel contrary to his own, which emphasizes salvation by faith apart from the law, is 'accursed'.

Summarized by AI · Did Peter Hate Paul? Apostolic Conflict in the Early Church · Lecture 1: Two Apostles Head-to-Head (And Toe-to-Toe?) · watch the clip

Paul's Influence During His Lifetime

Contrary to popular belief, Paul was not widely influential during his lifetime. His letters indicate he faced significant opposition and had more enemies than friends among Christians, constantly defending his views against those who disagreed, such as on the necessity for Gentiles to become Jewish.

Summarized by AI · Bart D. Ehrman · YouTube · Bart Unplugged: Rapid-Fire Answers on the Apostle Paul · watch the clip

Paul's Letters Reveal Early Christian Diversity and Conflict

Paul's letters, the earliest New Testament writings, already show significant diversity and conflict within early Christian communities. Paul frequently complains about 'apostles with a different gospel,' missionaries advocating circumcision for Gentile followers of Christ, and disputes with figures like Peter over dietary practices and fellowship between Jewish and Gentile believers. He even refers to opponents in Jerusalem as 'false brethren,' indicating internal divisions within the movement itself.

Summarized by AI · Bart D. Ehrman · YouTube · The Wild Wild West of Early Christianity: Disputes Over Jesus, Doctrine, and Everything Else · watch the clip

Gal 1:6-7

Paul's Galatians autobiography answers the charge he corrupted the gospel

Summarized by AI · Did Peter Hate Paul? Apostolic Conflict in the Early Church · Lecture 1: Two Apostles Head-to-Head (And Toe-to-Toe?) · watch the clip

Gal 1:8

Paul's Assertion of Apostolic Authority

Paul fiercely defends his apostolic authority, even challenging the 'so-called pillars' of the church like James, Peter, and John. He claims that his message is divinely sanctioned, stating that anyone, even an angel, who preaches a different gospel should be condemned, underscoring his conviction in his direct revelation from Christ.

Summarized by AI · Bart D. Ehrman · YouTube · Historical Paul: What Scholars Actually Know About Paul's Life, Beliefs, and Personality · watch the clip

Gal 1:11-12

Paul's Conversion and Revelation of Christ

Paul's conversion experience, described in Acts and alluded to in Galatians, was a direct revelation from Jesus Christ, not a human-mediated conversion. This personal encounter profoundly reshaped his understanding of Jesus' identity and mission, leading him to become a follower.

Summarized by AI · Must Women Keep Silent? Paul's Real Views on Gender, Desire, and Women · Lecture 1: The Apostle Paul in History and Legend | Apostle to the Gentiles · watch the clip

Peter's Priority in Gentile Inclusion

Acts presents Peter as the first apostle to receive divine instruction regarding the inclusion of Gentiles without requiring adherence to Jewish law, specifically through his vision and conversion of Cornelius in Acts 10. This narrative positions Peter as the pioneer in this gospel message, preceding Paul's mission. This contrasts with Paul's own assertion that his understanding of Gentile inclusion was a direct revelation to him, suggesting Acts aims to establish a unified apostolic front by giving Peter priority in this crucial theological development.

Summarized by AI · Bart D. Ehrman · YouTube · Does Acts Portray Paul the Way Paul Portrays Paul? · watch the clip

Gal 1:11

Ambiguity of the Spirit's Personhood in the New Testament

The New Testament presents a mixed view on whether the Holy Spirit is a distinct person. Some passages suggest personhood, depicting the Spirit as being sent by God, exhibiting agency, and capable of being offended. However, other contexts describe the Spirit as a non-personal substance, like rain being poured out or something that fills people, indicating a more abstract nature.

Summarized by AI · Demons and Ghosts in the Bible · Lecture 25: The "Holy Ghost" in Early Christianity · watch the clip

Gal 1:12

Paul's Calling and Revelation of Jesus

Paul asserts that his calling was predestined from birth, akin to the prophet Jeremiah, and that God revealed Jesus to him directly. This personal revelation forms the basis of his gospel message, which he claims to have received directly from Jesus, not from other apostles.

Summarized by AI · Bart D. Ehrman · YouTube · Historical Paul: What Scholars Actually Know About Paul's Life, Beliefs, and Personality · watch the clip

Paul's Visionary Encounters with Jesus

Paul claims to have had abundant revelations from Jesus, including a profound ascent to paradise, which he describes in 2 Corinthians 12. He views these visionary encounters as superior to physical interactions, establishing a direct and conversational relationship with the risen Lord.

Summarized by AI · Bart D. Ehrman · YouTube · Historical Paul: What Scholars Actually Know About Paul's Life, Beliefs, and Personality · watch the clip

Gal 1:13-16

Paul's Conversion Account in Galatians

Paul states in Galatians that he was persecuting Christians, but God, who had set him apart from birth, chose to reveal His Son to him. This revelation led Paul to understand Jesus as the Son of God and the Messiah, prompting him to become a missionary to the Gentiles.

Summarized by AI · Bart D. Ehrman · YouTube · Why Did Paul Convert? Did He Convert? · watch the clip

Gal 1:13-14

Paul's Jewish Background and Pharisaic Zeal

Paul states that he was raised as a Jew, likely in the diaspora, and was a Pharisee. He was extremely zealous for the Jewish law, claiming to be blameless concerning the righteousness found in it. This background shaped his initial understanding of religious devotion and the law.

Summarized by AI · Paul and Jesus: The Great Divide · Lecture 4: Who Was Jesus According to Paul? · watch the clip

Paul's Self-Description of Persecution

Paul, in his own letters, describes his life before following Jesus, stating he was zealous for the Jewish law and violently persecuted followers of Jesus. This self-account is a primary source for understanding his early opposition to Christianity.

Summarized by AI · Bart D. Ehrman · YouTube · Why Did Paul Hate Jesus and His Followers? · watch the clip

Gal 1:13

Paul's Persecution of Christians

Paul admits to persecuting Christians, though the exact nature of his actions is unclear. He describes his zeal for Judaism as leading him to attempt to destroy the church. The Book of Acts claims he was officially sanctioned by the Jewish high priest to persecute Christians in Damascus, but this is historically unlikely as the high priest lacked jurisdiction outside Jerusalem.

Summarized by AI · Paul and His Letters: A Basic Introduction · Paul and His Letters: A Basic Introduction · watch the clip

Paul's Persecution of Christians

Paul unequivocally states that he persecuted Christians, violently opposing followers of Jesus. He does not specify the exact nature of this persecution or his authority, but it can be inferred that he found the claim of a crucified Messiah highly offensive and contrary to Jewish expectations.

Summarized by AI · Paul and Jesus: The Great Divide · Lecture 4: Who Was Jesus According to Paul? · watch the clip

Galatians 1:13 translation of 'pastime' is likely incorrect

The speaker argues that the translation of Galatians 1:13, which describes Paul's 'pastime within the Jewish religion,' is probably inaccurate. A more fitting interpretation would be 'a period when he had a different point of view,' suggesting a shift in his perspective rather than a mere hobby.