Galatians 1
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CHAPTER 1
Paul’s Trials and Comfort (1:1-11)
1 When Paul wrote this letter to the Corinthians, Timothy, Paul’s young colleague and spiritual son, was with him (see Acts 16:1-5; 19:22; 1 Corinthians 4:17; Philippians 2:22). Therefore, Paul adds Timothy’s name in the greeting, as if he and Timothy were writing the letter together. Paul writes not only to the church in Corinth, but to all SAINTS (Christians) in the province of Achaia,3 the southernmost province of Greece.
Paul’s greeting here is similar to that found in his other letters (see Romans 1:1; Galatians 1:1; Ephesians 1:1 and comments).
2 See Romans 1:7; Ephesians 1:2 and comments.
3-4 One of the most important teachings of the Gospel of Christ, one that we want all the people of the world to hear, is that God is a God of compassion, a God of all comfort (Psalm 86:5,15; 103:13-14). He comforts us in all our troubles—not sometimes, but always. Because of His comfort, we are able not only to endure our troubles but also to rejoice in them (2 Corinthians 12:10; James 1:2-3).
God comforts us for two reasons. First, He comforts us because He loves us as a human father loves his children. Second, God comforts us so that we might share His comfort with others who are in trouble. Just as God gives us comfort and blessing, so we must give comfort and blessing to others. We are like water pipes: as God’s love flows into us, it must also flow out. Freely you have received, freely give (Matthew 10:8).
5 Together with God’s love, the sufferings of Christ also flow into our lives. Christians are called to share in Christ’s sufferings—His humiliation, His sorrow, His pain, even His death (see Philippians 3:10; 1 Peter 4:13 and comments). If we want to follow Christ, we must be prepared to suffer just as He suffered (see John 15:20; Romans 8:17; 2 Timothy 3:12 and comments).
But to whatever extent Christ’s sufferings come upon us, to that same extent God’s comfort and hope also come to us (Romans 8:18; 2 Corinthians 4:16-17).
Remember, when we suffer for Christ’s sake, we receive comfort and other great blessings; but when we suffer because of our own sin and selfishness, then we receive, not comfort, but discipline.
6 Here, from his own experience, Paul states an important principle of the Christian life: If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation. In order to preach the Gospel to the Corinthians and to bring them to faith, Paul had to endure much distress and suffering. His suffering was for their sake.
When we ourselves suffer, we receive through our suffering a special ability to comfort and heal others. In a way, this is a mystery. The one who has suffered the most is the one who is able to give the most help and comfort to others. It is written of Christ: … by his wounds we are healed (Isaiah 53:5). In suffering there is great power to heal others. This is an important spiritual truth.
Therefore, when we experience abuse, persecution, or distress of any kind, let us remember that through our suffering we are also being given the power to heal others. When we suffer, our love and humility can be more easily seen. When we ourselves are weak, then the power of Christ within us can more readily flow out to others (see 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 and comment).
If Paul is comforted, then the Corinthians should also be comforted. The Corinthians are sharers both in Paul’s comfort and in his distress, both in his joys and in his sorrows (Romans 12:15). Through Paul’s own suffering and comfort, the Corinthians should be better able to bear their own sufferings.
7 Just as the Corinthians shared in Paul’s suffering and comfort, so each of us share in each other’s suffering and comfort. We are all members of one body; when one member suffers, all the members suffer. When one member is comforted, all the members are comforted (1 Corinthians 12:26-27).
8-10 Paul mentions here the hardships we suffered in the province of Asia4 (verse 8). It is not certain what these hardships were. Perhaps one of them is related to the episode described in Acts 19:23-41.
Through his sufferings, Paul learned to rely not on himself but on the God who is able to deliver us from all our troubles.
That which is a disaster for man is an opportunity for God; our disasters are an opportunity for God to show His power. When we are in despair, when we see no way out, when we can endure no more—then we can expect to see God do His greatest works.
11 Paul tells the Corinthians: … you help us by your prayers. God usually works according to the prayers of believers. All power is with God, but we obtain that power mainly through prayer. God can do all things, but He usually does only what we ask for. Let us not limit God’s blessings by our small prayers!
Thus the Corinthians’ prayers on Paul’s behalf were extremely important. It’s possible that if the Corinthians had not prayed for Paul, he would not have been delivered from all his troubles. Let us always remember that God desires to work according to the prayers of His people. Therefore, let us not neglect to pray for one another.
When we pray much, we receive much. When we receive much, we will have much to give thanks for.
Paul’s Change of Plans (1:12-24)
12-14 Some of the Corinthian Christians opposed Paul and spoke evil of him. But here Paul reminds the Corinthians that he has behaved toward them with holiness and sincerity. He has behaved toward them according to God’s GRACE (see 1 Corinthians 15:10). Paul wants all the Corinthians to understand this, so that in the day of the Lord Jesus (verse 14)—that is, when Jesus comes again—both he and they will be able to boast of each other (see 1 Thessalonians 2:19).
Paul says in verse 12 that his conscience testifies that he has behaved in holiness and sincerity. Paul’s conscience was clear. He was in a right relationship with God; he was in fellowship with God. For this reason, God’s power was always evident in Paul’s life. If there is no spiritual power in our lives, it is most likely because our conscience is not clear—that is, there is some unconfessed sin in our lives, which we aren’t willing to give up. If we don’t give it up, God will not hear our prayers, and we shall receive no power or blessing from Him (Psalm 66:18).
15-16 Paul writes in verse 15: Because I was confident of this (confident that the Corinthians would be able to boast of Paul as their true apostle) I planned to visit you first. Because Paul had confidence that the Corinthians would accept him as their apostle, he desired to pay them an extra visit before going on to Macedonia. But after hearing of some new opposition to him among the Corinthians, he decided to cancel that extra visit and go to Macedonia first—which had been his original plan (1 Corinthians 16:5). Then, after visiting Macedonia and Corinth, Paul planned to go to Judea5 to deliver the collection which had been raised for the poor Christians there (1 Corinthians 16:3-4).
17 Because of Paul’s change of plans, some of the Corinthians began to speak against him, saying: “Paul says he’ll come, and then he doesn’t come. Today he says Yes,’ and tomorrow he says ‘No.’ Who can trust what he says?”
18-20 Here Paul answers such statements. He says, in effect, to the Corinthians: “You can fully trust what I say. I didn’t change my plans for no reason; I changed plans because of the guidance of the Holy Spirit.”
But even though men’s plans change, the Gospel of Christ, which Paul and Silas and Timothy preach, never changes. The Gospel of Christ is never “Yes” today and “No” tomorrow. The Gospel is always “Yes”; it is always true. God is faithful (verse 18). All the promises that God has given are “Yes” in Christ (verse 20); that is, all God’s promises are fulfilled in Christ (Luke 24:44). And so we can say “Amen”6 to all that Christ has done for us.
Silas (or Silvanus, his Greek name) was a leader of the Jerusalem church. Silas accompanied Paul on his second missionary journey (Acts 15:40). When Paul first went to Corinth to establish the church there, both Silas and Timothy were with him (Acts 18:1,5).
21-22 God makes us stand firm IN CHRIST. Just as God anointed Paul, so He “anoints” us with His Holy Spirit; that is, He appoints us, equips us, and gives us grace to do His work (see John 20:21; 1 John 2:20,27). He sets His seal of ownership on us (verse 22); that seal is the “seal” of the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13; 4:30). In New Testament times, a seal was a sign of authority or ownership. When a person placed his seal on something, that proved that he was the owner of that thing. In the same way, when God sets the seal of His Holy Spirit on us, He is giving proof that He owns us—that we belong to Him, to Christ. Christ “bought” us with His own blood (see 1 Corinthians 6:16-20 and comment). Because we have received the Holy Spirit’s seal, we know with certainty that we are Christ’s (see Romans 8:16; 1 John 4:13).
God puts His HOLY SPIRIT in our hearts (verse 22). The Holy Spirit is like a deposit, a guarantee of our reward in heaven (see Ephesians 1:14). In this world, we receive only a part—a deposit—of our inheritance as children of God; but in heaven we shall receive our entire inheritance (Romans 8:23).
Thus, in summary, every believer in Christ is anointed with the Spirit, stamped with the seal of the Spirit, and given the Spirit as a deposit of his inheritance in heaven.
23 After writing his first letter to the Corinthians, Paul had made a quick visit to Corinth. That had been a painful visit (2 Corinthians 2:1). Therefore, Paul did not want to visit the Corinthians again immediately; because if he went immediately, he would have to discipline them. It would mean going to them with a whip (1 Corinthians 4:21); and he didn’t want to do that. He didn’t want to have another “painful visit.”
24 Even though Paul had full authority as an apostle to discipline the Corinthians for their sins, he didn’t want to lord it over them (see 1 Peter 5:2-3). Christ alone is Lord. Each man stands or falls before Christ alone (Romans 14:4). Paul didn’t want to make himself a lord, a judge over the Corinthians’ FAITH. Rather, he wanted only to strengthen their faith, because through faith they would be able to stand firm and to experience the joy of the Lord (see Philippians 1:25-26).