Bible Study — September 2, 2026
GALATIANS 1 (ENGLISH STANDARD VERSION)
Greeting
1 Paul, an apostle—not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead— 2 and all the brothers who are with me,
Acts 9:15 (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.
Paul and Barnabas had just completed their first missionary journey (Acts 13:2–14:28). They had visited Iconium, Lystra, and Derbe, cities in the Roman province of Galatia (present-day Turkey). Upon returning to Antioch, Paul was accused by some Jewish Christians of diluting Christianity to make it more appealing to Gentiles. These Jewish Christians disagreed with Paul's conclusion that Gentiles did not have to follow many of the religious laws that the Jews had obeyed for centuries. Some of Paul's accusers had even followed him to those Galatian cities and had told the Gentile converts they had to be circumcised and follow all the Jewish laws and customs in order to be saved. According to these people, known as the Judaizers, Gentiles had to first become Jews in order to become Christians.
In response to this threat, Paul wrote this letter to the Galatian churches. In it, he explains that following the Old Testament laws—the Jewish laws—does not bring salvation. God saves us by grace through faith; no amount of good deeds can earn us salvation. Paul wrote this letter in about AD 49, shortly before the meeting of the Jerusalem council, which settled the law-vs.-grace controversy (Acts 15).
To the churches of Galatia: 3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, 4 who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, 5 to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.
1 Corinthians 15:3 (ESV) 3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures,
God planned all along to save us by Jesus' death. We have been rescued from the power of this present evil world, which is ruled by Satan and full of cruelty, tragedy, temptation, exploitation, and deception. Being rescued from this evil world doesn't mean that we are taken out of it but rather that we are no longer enslaved to it. You were saved to live for God. Does your life reflect your gratitude for being rescued and set free from sin? Have you transferred your loyalty from this world to Christ?
No Other Gospel
6 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel—
Some people were preaching "a different way" than what Jesus had taught. They were teaching that to be saved, Gentile believers had to follow Jewish laws and customs, especially the rite of circumcision. Faith in Christ was not enough. This message undermined the truth that salvation is a gift, not a reward for good deeds. Jesus Christ has made the gift of salvation available to all people, not just to Jews. Be careful of any teaching that says we need more than simple faith in Jesus Christ to be saved. When people set up additional requirements for salvation, they deny or diminish the power of Christ's death on the cross.
7 not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ.
Acts 4:12 (ESV) 12 And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved."
Romans 10:9-13 (ESV) 9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. 11 For the Scripture says, "Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame." 12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. 13 For "everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."
Ephesians 2:8-9 (ESV) 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
God has provided only one way to be forgiven of sin and inherit eternal life: by believing in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. Desiring to be open-minded and tolerant, some people assert that all religions provide equally valid paths to God. In a free society, people have the right to their religious opinions, but this doesn't guarantee that their ideas are right. God does not accept human religion as a substitute for faith in Jesus Christ. He has provided just one way—following Jesus Christ (John 14:6).
Those who had misled the Galatian believers and distorted the Good News were zealous Jewish Christians who believed that the Old Testament ceremonial practices, such as circumcision and dietary restrictions, were required of all believers and necessary to receive salvation. Because these teachers wanted to turn the Gentiles into Jews first, before becoming Christians, they were called Judaizers.
A twisted or distorted version of the truth is often more difficult to spot than an outright lie. The Judaizers were twisting the truth about what it took to follow Jesus Christ, and the churches in Galatia were having trouble discerning what was true. The Judaizers claimed to follow Jesus, but they denied that his work on the cross was sufficient for salvation. There will always be people who twist the Good News. Either they do not understand what the Bible teaches, they think they know better, or they reject the truth as it stands. How can we tell when people are twisting the truth? Before accepting the teachings of any group, find out what they teach about Jesus Christ. If their teaching does not match the truth in God's Word, then treat it as false and stay away.
8 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.
Hebrews 1:1-2 (ESV) 1 Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world.
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.
Paul strongly denounced the Judaizers' twisting of the Good News of Christ. He said that God's curse should fall on anyone, even an angel from heaven, who came preaching a different kind of Good News. If an angel came preaching another message, he would not be from heaven, no matter how he appeared. In 2 Corinthians 11:14-15, Paul warned that Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. Here he invoked a curse on any human or angel who spreads a false teaching. Paul extended that curse to include himself if he should twist the Good News. Paul's message must never change, because the truth of the Good News never changes. Paul used strong language because he was dealing here with a life-and-death issue.
10 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.
Do you spend your life trying to please everybody? Paul had to speak harshly to the Christians in Galatia because they were in serious danger. He did not apologize for his straightforward words, knowing that he could not serve Christ faithfully if he allowed the Galatian Christians to remain on the wrong track. Whose approval are you seeking—others' or God's? Pray for the courage to seek God's approval above anyone else's.
Paul Called by God
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.
Philippians 3:4-7 (ESV) 4 though I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh also. If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: 5 circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; 6 as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless. 7 But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ.
Paul had been one of the most religious Jews of his day, scrupulously keeping the law and relentlessly persecuting Christians because he believed they worshiped a false Messiah (see Acts 9:1-2). Before his conversion, Paul had been even more zealous for the law than the Judaizers. He had surpassed his contemporaries in religious knowledge and practice. Paul had been sincere in his zeal—but wrong. When he met Jesus, the true Messiah, his life changed. He then directed all his energy toward spreading the news about who Jesus really is and building up the Christian church.
Many Jews had difficulty understanding that God gave his message for Jews and Gentiles (all other ethnic groups) alike. Some Jews thought that Gentiles had to become Jews before they could become Christians. But God had always planned to offer salvation to all people. He had revealed this plan clearly and repeatedly through Old Testament prophets (see, for example, Genesis 12:3; Isaiah 42:6; 66:19), and he had fulfilled it through Jesus Christ. Now he was proclaiming it to the Gentiles through Paul.
15 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.
18 Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to visit Cephas and remained with him fifteen days.
This was Paul's first visit to Jerusalem as a Christian, as recorded in Acts 9:26-30.
19 But I saw none of the other apostles except James the Lord's brother. 20 (In what I am writing to you, before God, I do not lie!) 21 Then I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia.
Because of opposition in Jerusalem (see Acts 9:29-30), Paul had gone to Syria and Cilicia. In those remote areas, he had had no opportunity to receive instruction from the apostles and no direct contact with them.
22 And I was still unknown in person to the churches of Judea that are in Christ. 23 They only were hearing it said, "He who used to persecute us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy."
Paul makes the point that his authority and ministry were recognized by people who had never even seen him; yet the Galatians had met him, listened to him, and believed his message only to turn around and doubt him! The Judean Christians only knew what people were saying: that the one who had persecuted believers was now preaching the faith he had tried to destroy. Instead of doubting Paul's credibility, the churches in Judea had believed and glorified God.
24 And they glorified God because of me.
Why should the Galatians have listened to Paul instead of the Judaizers? Paul answered this implicit question by furnishing his credentials: His message was received directly from Jesus Christ (1:12); he had been an exemplary Jew (1:13-14); he had had a special conversion experience (1:15-16; also see Acts 9:1-9); and he had been confirmed and accepted in his ministry by the other apostles (Galatians 1:18-19; 2:1-9). Elsewhere, Paul also presented his credentials to the Corinthian and Philippian churches (2 Corinthians 11–12; Philippians 3:4-9).
Paul defends his authority by telling of his extraordinary conversion to show that his message came directly from God. God commissioned Paul to preach the Good News to the Gentiles when he revealed Jesus to him on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:3-6). After this amazing event, Paul did not need to consult with anyone about the reality of what had happened; instead, he spent three years in Arabia learning about Jesus and preaching. Then he spoke with Peter and James, but he had no other contact with Jewish Christians for several more years. During those years, Paul preached to the Gentiles the message God had given him. His message did not come from human insight; it came from God.
Paul's changed life had brought praise from those who saw him or heard about him. His new life had astonished them. They had praised God because only God could have turned this zealous persecutor of Christians into a Christian himself. You may not have had as dramatic a change as Paul, but your life should still change in ways that honor God. When people look at you, do they recognize that God has made changes in you? If not, what might be getting in the way of the Holy Spirit's work in your life? In what ways could you better show others your new life? What is Christ revealing to you that people need to hear or see?