By referring to the present age, Paul also sets the stage for the last part of the epistle, which is an exhortation to Christian living (5:13–6:10). Rescued and freed from the power of this evil age, Christians are responsible to †live in a manner that conforms to their new life in Christ. They have received the †eschatological gift of the Spirit, who opposes worldly and †carnal ways of living. The opposition between the present evil age and the age to come is reflected in the conflict between the †flesh and the Spirit in the life of the believer (5:16–25).
The thrust of the entire letter is thus already indicated in the first few verses. Paul has thought ahead of time about what he will say. This does not mean that his letter will be a carefully arranged discourse. Polished orators and methodical teachers are concerned not only to offer convincing arguments but also to express them in the most organized way. They prepare a well-ordered presentation arranged as clearly as possible in divisions and subdivisions, and they take time to correct every sentence, eliminating any obscurity, irregularity, and defect. Paul is not that kind of writer; instead, his style is explosive.5 He thinks long and hard about what he wants to say, but reflects on his topic passionately without detailed attention to the form of his remarks. Although he has a clear goal in mind, when the time comes to begin dictating the letter, he does not step back to compose his thoughts in a meticulous manner (like the author of Hebrews, for instance) or to review his text and correct the style. Rather he advances full speed ahead, impelled by his passion and conviction.
This is especially true for the Letter to the Galatians, where Paul has scarcely identified himself before he begins presenting his argument. Other writers might devote more space to courteous pleasantries, but Paul considers the matter to be so urgent that he immediately gets down to business. Even the phrase and all the brothers who are with me (v. 2) may be intended to make a point. At the beginning of his other letters, Paul usually names one or more of his coworkers (Sylvanus, Sosthenes, and especially Timothy) as coauthors of the letter. Here no other individuals are named; there is only this general reference. The naming of only Paul himself as author forcefully asserts his personal authority. On the other hand, the fact that “all the brothers” are with him indicates that he is not isolated as he addresses the Christians in Galatia. His position is thus doubly reinforced.
Paul’s terse manner of referring to his addressees as the churches of Galatia—there is no compliment or praise for them—is also a hint that tension exists. This tone contrasts with the wording in his other letters. For example, 1 Cor 1:2 contains no less than three expressions of appreciation and esteem: “to the church of God that is in Corinth, to you who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be holy.” In Rom 1:7 Paul says, “to all the beloved of God in Rome, called to be holy.” For the Galatians there is no mention of any churches “of God,” no “beloved,” no “called to be holy,” since Paul wants to call their attention to an urgent problem.
[1:5]
Even the †doxological formula in verse 5—to whom be glory forever—can be explained by Paul’s perspective on the situation in Galatia. In his other letters, the Apostle never includes a doxology at the beginning. Why does he do so here? In his other letters the first words after the opening are usually, “I give thanks to God,” or “I bless God.” In those letters Paul goes on to thank God for the †grace abundantly poured out on the recipients of his letter. Here, however, the first words after his opening sentence will be very different. He does not say, “I give thanks,” but “I am amazed,” and follows with a stinging rebuke. Paul did not feel it was appropriate under the circumstances to express thanksgiving to God about the Galatians (even though he will later express the depth of his love for them, 4:19–20). On the other hand, he did not want to forgo giving glory to God. It is thus reasonable to infer that Paul’s doxology compensates for the absence of an opening prayer of thanksgiving and signals in advance that Paul will not be praising the Galatians.
1. Acts 13:1–3. See 2 Cor 8:23 for an instance when Paul uses the term “apostles” to refer to emissaries of the churches.
2. Acts 2:24, 32; 3:15; 4:10; 1 Thess 1:10. Other texts emphasize the active role of Christ or the Spirit in the resurrection (Mark 16:6—see RSV; John 10:17–18; Rom 8:11; 1 Thess 4:14; 2 Tim 2:8—see RSV).
3. See Matt 12:32; 24:3; Luke 18:30; Eph 1:21; Heb 6:5. Sometimes the Greek word for “age” is translated “world” (e.g., Rom 12:2 RSV).
4. In that discussion Paul will no longer use the word “age” (Greek aiōn) but will speak of the elemental powers of the “world” (Greek kosmos).
5. While some may question whether these remarks about Paul’s writing style pertain to Romans, they clearly do not apply to Ephesians and Colossians, which some scholars believe were written by a disciple of Paul after his death. Other scholars, who consider these letters from Paul, attribute the difference in style to the aid of a secretary and perhaps to the additional time he had available to write these letters while a prisoner.
Strong Words: Paul Takes a Stand
Galatians 1:6–10
Paul’s initial greeting hinted at a controversy. In the words that follow, he directly confronts the situation that has prompted the letter and expresses his vigorous response.
A Stern Reproof (1:6–10)
6I am amazed that you are so quickly forsaking the one who called you by [the] grace [of Christ] for a different gospel 7(not that there is another). But there are some who are disturbing you and wish to pervert the gospel of Christ. 8But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach [to you] a gospel other than the one that we preached to you, let that one be accursed! 9As we have said before, and now I say again, if anyone preaches to you a gospel other than the one that you received, let that one be accursed!
10Am I now currying favor with human beings or God? Or am I seeking to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a slave of Christ.
NT: Acts 15:24; 2 Cor 11:4, 14; 1 Thess 2:4; Jude 1:3
Catechism: the gospel, 75–76
These verses introduce the theme of the letter: the defense of Paul’s †gospel and his fight against the Galatians’ adherence to a distortion of the gospel. The content is presented not in an academic manner but with great intensity. Paul does not begin by simply stating his topic, but rather immediately enters into battle brandishing his most potent weapon, a repeated anathema. Paul’s language is not that of detached exposition, but of spirited confrontation.
Why is Paul so impassioned? As the rest of the letter makes clear, the Galatians have been listening to Jewish Christian teachers who say that it is not enough to believe in Christ and be baptized. They say it is also necessary for †Gentile Christians to be circumcised and to keep the †law of Moses (see “Historical Setting” in the introduction, pp. 23–25). Paul discerns that this teaching not only is mistaken but also fundamentally contradicts the gospel he was sent to proclaim. He will explain his reasons in 2:15–21.
[1:6]
His first words, I am amazed, express Paul’s reaction to the situation: astonishment and disappointment. He is saying in effect, “I did not expect this from you!” He sharpens his rebuke with sarcasm—he is amazed they are doing this so quickly. Paul charges the Galatians with desertion, made all the worse because of the person they are so quickly forsaking. It was God who called the Galatians, but they are turning their backs on him. He established them in a wonderful plan of generous love, the grace [of Christ],1 but they are leaving to go elsewhere. How foolish! How shocking and disgraceful! Paul does not explain the circumstances or say how he learned of this situation. He simply states what he sees.
Paul says they “are forsaking,” present tense, because their shocking behavior is current: the Galatians are forsaking God’s call now. Paul is watching the drama unfold and is dumbfounded. However, the use of present tense means that their desertion is not yet complete. At times commentators overlook this present tense and speak as though t
he Galatians have already completely abandoned their †faith. But Paul is not saying that they have already gone over to a different gospel, only that they are in the process of doing so. His letter is not a pronouncement of final judgment on a situation beyond repair but is an intervention to stop a development that is under way.
Paul wants to shock the Galatians with his first words. In all probability, they did not think they were turning their backs on God when they were discussing the need for circumcision. On the contrary, it is likely that their concern was to be even more faithful to God’s will as it is expressed in the Scriptures they had, what we now call the Old Testament. Paul, however, sees things very differently: the Galatians are on a path to perdition. He wants to set a radical choice before them. The situation is extremely serious, so Paul uses strong words.
BIBLICAL BACKGROUND
The Meaning of “Gospel” in the New Testament
Paradoxically, the noun “†gospel” (Greek euangelion, “good news”) rarely appears in the Gospels (twelve times, never in Luke and John) but is used very often by St. Paul (sixty times!). In every instance the word refers to the preaching of the Christian faith. The books that we call Gospels were almost certainly not written when Paul wrote Galatians. Only in the second century did the word “gospel” come to refer also to the four canonical Gospels.
Both Paul and the authors of the Gospels use a verb that means “to announce good news, to preach the gospel” (Greek euangelizomai, from which we get “evangelize”). According to Matthew, Mark, and Luke, the gospel preached by Jesus centered on the good news that God was initiating his long-awaited kingdom and summoned those who heard to repent and believe. In the course of his ministry Jesus also revealed his own identity as the †Messiah (God’s anointed king) and Son of God, although his disciples were not able to fully grasp what he was saying until after the resurrection.
The gospel preached by the apostles in Acts continued to announce the coming of God’s kingdom but centered above all on Jesus as the Messiah and Son of God and on his death and resurrection, which fulfilled the Scriptures and confirmed his identity and message. The apostles summoned all to repent, believe, be baptized, and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit in order to attain salvation.a Although initially the apostles preached primarily to Jews, as Jesus had, after the incident with Cornelius (Acts 10–11) the apostles eventually preached the message to all †nations, starting from Jerusalem in fulfillment of Jesus’ command and ancient prophecy (Matt 28:18–20; Acts 1:8; Isa 2:1–5). The form of the message the apostles preached to Jews, who already believed in the true God and knew the Old Testament, necessarily differed in some respects from what they preached to †Gentiles, who needed to turn from polytheism and idols to serve the true God. Acts includes sermons by Peter and Paul that illustrate the apostolic preaching to Jews (Acts 2:14–40; 13:16–41) and Gentiles (14:15–17; 17:22–31).
The first great controversy the early Church faced concerned whether Gentiles who believed in Jesus needed to become Jews by being circumcised and keeping the law of Moses in order to be †justified (Acts 15). In Galatians, Paul addresses this issue and shows that underlying this question is a crucial truth about the basis of our justification.
a. Acts 2:38–40; 4:12; 13:26, 48; 16:31; 28:28.
[1:7]
At first glance it seems that Paul contradicts himself, since he says the Galatians are turning to “a different gospel,” and then, not that there is another. Although in 2:7 Paul will allude to two expressions of the †gospel, one proclaimed to Jews and another directed to †Gentiles, here he is saying that the gospel of his opponents is not authentic. It is a different gospel that subverts the true gospel. What is this false gospel? Paul does not need to explain, because the Galatians know what he is talking about: the requirement of circumcision and observance of Jewish law that they have begun to add to †faith in Christ. They do not understand what is wrong with this new teaching. What could be the problem with adding these practices that Jews have followed for centuries? But there is no room for doubt about Paul’s diagnosis of the situation: the entire gospel is at stake.
[1:8–9]
Paul describes himself as an apostle “set apart for the gospel of God” (Rom 1:1). When something concerns the †gospel, he immediately catches fire. To Paul the idea of distorting the gospel is intolerable. He therefore responds with tremendous vigor, pronouncing anathemas against whoever would proclaim to the Galatians a different gospel than he preached. Twice Paul says, let that one be accursed (Greek anathema). When it comes to the content of the faith, Paul is not irenic; it is a matter of spiritual life or death. His conviction is so great here that he feels the need to repeat and insist. In speaking about the evangelizing of the Galatians that occurred earlier, he uses the first-person plural (we preached . . . , As we have said . . .) because he had companions; Timothy and Silvanus accompanied Paul on his second missionary journey (Acts 15:40–16:4; 1 Thess 1:1). He then expresses himself in the singular (and now I say again) because it is he alone who is dictating the letter.
A significant detail in verse 8 reveals both Paul’s resoluteness and his priorities. The Apostle begins with the unlikely hypothetical circumstance that he and his companions in the apostolate would preach a different gospel. Even in such an extreme case, Paul has no hesitation: the anathema would be launched at them. This makes it very clear that Paul is defending not himself but the gospel he has proclaimed. The issue is not his personal authority but the truth of the faith. In the section that follows (Gal 1:11–2:21), the perspective will be different, and Paul will defend his own personal position. His goal, however, will still be to defend the gospel as he proclaims it, proving that it comes directly from Christ.
Paul even goes so far as to say that if an angel from heaven were to reveal a different message, it must be rejected: the gospel of Jesus Christ is the standard against which every revelation must be tested. These words of Paul remain relevant, since both Islam and Mormonism proclaim different messages on the supposed authority of angels.
LIVING TRADITION
The Origin of Anathema in the Christian Tradition
In ordinary Greek usage the meaning of anathema was “votive offering” (e.g., Luke 21:5), but in the †Septuagint this word translates the Hebrew word herem, which means “set apart for destruction” for a religious reason (translated “ban” in Deut 13:16; Josh 6:17). In Galatians the meaning is analogous: the word anathema expresses a curse and therefore proclaims a separation from the people of God. Paul refers here not only to the judgment of God but also to the Church’s most severe penalty for wrongdoing: excommunication (see 1 Cor 5:1–5; 1 Tim 1:20; Titus 3:10–11).
With these anathemas (and a third one in 1 Cor 16:22) Paul’s letters are the means by which this term enters the Christian tradition. Later it was used in the solemn pronouncements of Church councils. Here are two examples from the canons of the Council of Trent:
If anyone says that, without divine grace through Jesus Christ, man can be justified before God by his own works, whether they be done by his own natural powers or through the teaching of the law, let him be anathema.
If anyone says that it is lawful for Christians to have several wives at the same time and that this is not forbidden by any divine law [Matt 19:9], let him be anathema.a
While doctrinal statements sometimes hold in tension different aspects of the truth or entail changes in the way that †faith is expressed or understood, no compromise is acceptable with statements that are contrary to the faith.
a. Denzinger, 1551 (Canons on Justification) and 1802 (Canons on the Sacrament of Marriage).
Why does Paul get so worked up about a “different gospel”? Is it only because of his fiery personality? According to Paul, the gospel is “the power of God for . . . salvation” (Rom 1:16). There is nothing more valuable to a human being and to the human race than eternal salvation. The gospel of Jesus Christ makes salvation available to all. An analogy may help to make Paul’s p
erspective more intelligible. What is the value of a million dollars of counterfeit currency? Precisely nothing. Paul is concerned that his beloved Galatian Gentile Christians are about to exchange their good currency for counterfeit and lose everything. That is why his tone is so fierce.
Another analogy: when someone is about to drink poison unawares, the best way to help the person is not to smile and make small talk but to grab the glass out of their hand. It is a violent action, but it is the most loving thing to do. Paul’s strong words to the Galatians also manifest charity. The Galatians are in the process of abandoning the gospel for a teaching that would lead them to forfeit their salvation by seeking it in religious observances rather than through faith in Christ. Paul has got to do something!
[1:10]
Following the two anathemas, Paul abruptly asks two questions in a challenging tone: Am I now currying favor with human beings . . . ? Or am I seeking to please people? According to this translation, Paul speaks negatively of “currying favor” and pleasing people. However, his first question could be translated more positively, “Am I now trying to persuade people?” In 2 Cor 5:11 Paul uses the same verb positively to describe his apostolate: “We try to persuade others.” To spread the †faith, one must be persuasive. To persuade can be a very praiseworthy undertaking. But Paul has another meaning in mind: persuading people dishonestly by altering the †gospel message to make it more palatable (see 2 Cor 2:17).
It is the same with his second question: “Or am I seeking to please people?” In 1 Cor 10:33 Paul presents himself as an example to imitate since he aims “to please everyone in every way” for the purpose of bringing people to faith. He becomes like a Jew to win over Jews, and like those outside the †law of Moses to win them over as well (1 Cor 9:20–22). However, in 1 Thess 2:4 Paul firmly rejects the idea of wanting to please everyone—“We speak, not as trying to please human beings”—and in that context he links attempting to please people with deception, impure motives, greed for gain, flattery, and seeking human praise. It is the second kind of people-pleasing to which Paul refers in this Galatians passage, since in his final sentence he answers his own questions by declaring the incompatibility of seeking to please people and being a servant of Christ: If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a slave of Christ.
Galatians Page 4
