The Colliding Worlds
Last week, we saw Paul speaking to the Galatians about the teaching of the false Gospel and how he wished curses on those who spread and practice the false Gospel. As part of the accusations against Paul, the Judaisers accuse Paul of preaching a Gospel that is pleasing to man. You can understand their contempt because they lived their lives legalistically, trying to earn God’s favour through rigorous rituals and traditions. But they missed the point entirely. The Gospel indeed is a Gospel of grace and there is nothing we can or need to do to earn salvation - apart from acknowledging our sins and our need for a saviour. Paul addresses these accusations by sharing his personal conversion circumstance and how those point to a God-revealed Gospel of grace.
Scripture
Galatians 1:10-14 ESV 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. (11) For I would have you know, brothers, that the gospel that was preached by me is not man's gospel. (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.
God and people
The issue Paul is addressing here is the accusation of being a people pleaser. On what grounds do you think the Judaisers were accusing Paul of being a people pleaser?
Galatians 1:10-14 ESV 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 5:2 ESV Look: I, Paul, say to you that if you accept circumcision, Christ will be of no advantage to you.
Two masters doesn’t work
Paul launches his defence by saying that you cannot serve both man and God. Why do you think this is a significant statement, given what he told the Galatians in previous verses?
Galatians 1:10-14 ESV 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 1:8-9 ESV 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.
Matthew 6:24 ESV “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.
What is people pleasing?
There are all sorts of ways we can digest people pleasing and its applications in the Bible. But in the context of Paul’s defence of the true Gospel, what do you suppose the difference between serving man and serving God is?
Ephesians 2:8-9 ESV For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
James 2:14-20 ESV What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. ...
Slave to Christ
The whole Bible is about freedom from sin. Galatians is a vehement defence of this message, and yet Paul refers to himself as a slave of Christ. Why does he say this and how can this be freedom?
Galatians 1:10-14 ESV 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.
Romans 6:22 ESV But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life.
Romans 6:16 ESV Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness?
Not from man
As a slave to Christ, Paul continues his defence by telling the Galatians that he did not receive his Gospel message from man. In fact, he makes three denials about how he received his Gospel. Can you spot them?
Galatians 1:11-12 ESV For I would have you know, brothers, that the gospel that was preached by me is not man's gospel. (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.
The only Holy Source
In fact, not only was Paul’s Gospel not from man, it was from God Himself. That set him in a category belonging only to the Apostles. But Paul was not part of Christ’s ministry, so how did Paul receive his revelation from Christ?
Galatians 1:12 ESV For I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ.
Acts 9:4-6 ESV And falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” (5) And he said, “Who are you, Lord?” And he said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. (6) But rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.”
Galatians 1:15-17 ESV But when he who had set me apart before I was born, and who called me by his grace, (16) was pleased to reveal his Son to me, in order that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with anyone; (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.
Acts 22:17-18 ESV “When I had returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, I fell into a trance (18) and saw him saying to me, ‘Make haste and get out of Jerusalem quickly, because they will not accept your testimony about me.’
Acts 22:17-18 ESV “When I had returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, I fell into a trance (18) and saw him saying to me, ‘Make haste and get out of Jerusalem quickly, because they will not accept your testimony about me.’
Zeal for Christ
Paul speaks about his zeal for the Jewish religion. But when we study the life of Paul, we see that he was a Zealous person. Clearly, God chose him to minister to the Gentiles because of his zeal. His zeal helped him to advance in Jewish law and then in the Gospel of Grace. What can we learn from this?
Galatians 1:14 ESV 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.
Acts 22:3 ESV “I am a Jew, born in Tarsus in Cilicia, but brought up in this city, educated at the feet of Gamaliel according to the strict manner of the law of our fathers, being zealous for God as all of you are this day.
Act 9:15-16 ESV But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel. (16) For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.”