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Galatians 1

24 verses

TL;DR

Paul affirms his apostolic authority, warns against a false gospel, and recounts his dramatic conversion and missionary work to the churches in Galatia.

Summary

Paul opens with a self‑identification as an apostle by Christ and God, offering grace and peace. He laments how quickly the Galatians have strayed to a different gospel and declares that any other gospel must be condemned. Paul stresses that the gospel he preached is not human, but received through revelation. He recalls his former zeal in persecuting the church, his call by God, and his journey to Arabia and Damascus. After three years, he visits Jerusalem, stays with Peter for fifteen days, but sees no other apostles save James. He affirms his honesty, then describes his missionary work in Syria, Cilicia, and the churches of Judea, who now praise God in him.

Outline
  1. Paul introduces himself and gives a warning against a false gospel
  2. Paul recounts his persecution, conversion, and missionary journey
  3. Paul’s relationship with apostles and the churches is explained
Themes
apostolic authoritypurity of the gospelpersecution and repentancedivine revelationmission to the Gentiles
Keywords
apostlegospelfaithrevelationJerusalemconversion
People
PaulJesus ChristGod the FatherPeterJames
Places
GalatiaJerusalemArabiaDamascusSyriaCiliciaJudea
Things
gospel of Christgracerevelationapostolic authority
Key Verses
  • Galatians 1:1: Establishes Paul’s apostolic calling and divine authority
  • Galatians 1:6-7: Highlights the danger of a false gospel
  • Galatians 1:16-18: Describes Paul's conversion and the source of his revelation
Questions
  • What does Paul mean by saying the gospel he preaches is not of man?
  • How does Paul’s past persecution of the church affect his credibility?
  • Why does Paul emphasize the number of apostles he met?
  • What can we learn from Paul’s insistence on the divine origin of his gospel?
  • How does Paul’s mission to Gentile regions reflect his understanding of the church’s purpose?
Sentiment

neutral
Paul’s tone is assertive and expository rather than emotive