The Apostleship of Paul - Galatians 1:1-2

Today we begin a new study of the Scriptures.  But not really.  What’s new about it is it isn’t from the book of Isaiah.  Other than that, what we’re studying today is the same thing we always study.  Every Lord’s Day we come together and do the same thing we’ve done for over a decade.  I stand here with some notes, we open our Bibles, and together we look to see what God has said.  Today is no different except we won’t be reading from my good friend Isaiah.  Instead, turn with me to the New Testament book of . . . Galatians.

[1:1] 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,

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. (Galatians 1:1-5 ESV)

Now I don’t want you to be overly concerned, but for today, we’re mostly going to look at the first three words of Galatians: Paul, an apostle.  We’re going to do a brief background check on Paul before we start listening to what he has to say.  In fact, much of the first chapter of Galatians is Paul’s own version of a background check.  In essence, we want to ask and answer two questions today: 1) Who is Paul? and 2) What is an apostle?

First, who is this man named Paul?  That is a relatively easy question to answer.  Paul himself will go to great pains in the rest of this chapter to tell us just that. However, when we first read of Paul in the book of Acts, we see his original name was Saul.  His name literally meant “desired”.

The first person in the Bible named Saul is found in Genesis, chapter 36.  He was one of the early kings of Edom and we know nothing about him other than his name.

The second mention of Saul in the Scriptures is in 1 Samuel 9.  The people of Israel demanded a king.  They felt the need to be like the nations around them, so they insisted upon a man to rule over them instead of God.  They desired someone they could see instead of the invisible and omniscient Jehovah.  So God gave them the desire of their hearts, a man who in every superficial way was outwardly desirable.  So it is no surprise to read that Saul’s name means “desired”.

[9:1] There was a man of Benjamin whose name was Kish, the son of Abiel, son of Zeror, son of Becorath, son of Aphiah, a Benjaminite, a man of wealth. [2] And he had a son whose name was Saul, a handsome young man. There was not a man among the people of Israel more handsome than he. From his shoulders upward he was taller than any of the people.  (1 Samuel 9:1-2 ESV)

It seems the Lord gave the children of Israel a king that met their desires.  Someone who looked the part.  He looked like a king ought to look: tall and handsome.  But as we read further in the OT account, we see a man who was anything but desirable.  Out of jealousy, he tried to kill David repeatedly.  This is the man who consulted with a witch in order to conjure up the spirit of the prophet Samuel from the dead.  This is the man who committed suicide on the battlefield.

That raises a question in my mind: Why would a first century Jew (presumably) name his son after a man like Saul?  Why would anyone want to be named after him?  Saul, even amongst the Jews, must have been understood to be a very ungodly man.  So why would a good Jewish father ever name his son Saul?

Because Saul was the first king of Israel.  The Jews hadn’t had a king upon the throne in Israel for many years.  If a first century Jew named his son “Saul”, he was most likely making a political statement.  The intent would have been understood amongst the Jews who were suffering miserably under the thumb of the Romans.  They wanted a king and a kingdom once again.  In my mind, this says something about Paul’s heritage.  It says something about the mindset that was instilled in Paul from childhood.

In Philippians, when Paul is explaining his own background, he says, “If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews . . . .” (Philippians 3:4-5 ESV)

This could even explain to some degree why he eventually became a Pharisee.  The Pharisees were quite literally the “Separatists” of their day.  They were political “Protestants” who wanted nothing to do with Gentiles in general, and especially with Rome.

But there was one thing about the NT Saul in particular that was very much like the OT Saul: He hunted down Christians in the same way Saul hunted down David to kill him.

. . . Saul was ravaging the church, and entering house after house, he dragged off men and women and committed them to prison. (Acts 8:3 ESV)

Acts 9 tells us Saul breathed “threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord . . . .” Verse 13 says he performed much evil against the saints in Jerusalem.  The believers in Damascus described Saul by saying, “Is not this the man who made havoc in Jerusalem of those who called upon this name?  And has he not come here for this purpose, to bring them bound before the chief priests?” (Acts 9:21 ESV).  And according to Paul’s own testimony, he “. . . persecuted this Way to the death, binding and delivering to prison both men and women.” (Acts 22:4 ESV).

But something happened that was so significant, it caused him to change his name from Saul (Desired), to Paul (Small or Little), the exact opposite in outward appearance, but more importantly in his inward perception of himself.  Because of Christ, the big man Saul, the bounty hunter Pharisee who killed Christians, was now a small, humble man who understood his place.  On the road to Damascus, he was miraculously made to realize whom he was persecuting: the resurrected Son of God.

[9:1] But Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest [2] and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. [3] Now as he went on his way, he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. [4] 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.” [7] The men who were traveling with him stood speechless, hearing the voice but seeing no one. [8] Saul rose from the ground, and although his eyes were opened, he saw nothing. So they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. [9] And for three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank. (Acts 9:1-9 ESV)

Suddenly the big man Saul was the little man Paul.  What took seven years for King Nebuchadnezzar to learn, the proud, self-righteous Pharisee Saul learned in a moment: “Those who walk in pride he is able to humble.” (Daniel 4:37b ESV).  So when Paul introduces himself by name in Galatians 1, it is not simply a description of his small stature.  It is a self-deprecating, humble statement regarding who he really is.  It is as though he has changed his name in order to say along with John the Baptist, “He must increase, but I must decrease.” He has gone from being the chief persecutor of believers to being the chief of sinners in his own eyes.  This is who the apostle Paul is.

That leads us to the second question: “What is an apostle?”  Or, maybe more precisely, “What did Paul mean when he claimed to be an apostle of Jesus Christ?”  Let’s look first at the word “apostle”.  Once again, words derive their meaning from the contexts in which they are found.  So the specific meaning of this word is dependent upon how it is used in Scripture in various places.

Literally, the word means “a person sent by another; a messenger; envoy”.  In this sense, even Jesus was an apostle of God sent by His Father to us.  And as such, when Jesus spoke, He spoke with the authority of God.  In fact, what most amazed His hearers was the way in which He spoke to them: with absolute authority.

Apostles speak authoritatively for another.  Paul likens the office of apostle to an ambassador.  Originally, the eleven disciples of the Lord Jesus were designated as His apostles because He gave them the authority to go and preach His gospel to the world.  In Acts 1, Matthias was chosen to take the place from which Judas had fallen.  And there are several others in the New Testament who are designated as apostles.

But Paul states repeatedly in his writings that he is also an apostle of the Lord Jesus.  The reason he has to do this is specifically because his authority to speak as an apostle is constantly being questioned by his enemies.  It is precisely because the apostles of Christ have been granted authority to speak for Christ that Paul’s apostleship is constantly under attack.  And here in Galatians, as he does in 2 Corinthians and elsewhere, he vehemently defends his office, his authority, and consequently, the legitimacy of the gospel message he preaches.

What Paul went through in his day is precisely the same thing we face today: the constant questioning of divine authority.  More specifically, we are speaking of the rejection of the Scriptures as our sole, authoritative, written revelation from God.  Just as the Jews rejected Paul’s authority to speak for Christ and take the message of the gospel to the non-Jewish world, so today the entire world rejects our preaching of the authoritative message of the gospel from the Bible, God’s revelation to us.

That has been the struggle since the Garden of Eden.  By casting doubt upon God’s word, Satan suppressed the truth in unrighteousness when he deceived Eve.  Evil men and women have been doing that very same thing ever since.  Knowing the truth, they suppress it.  The Jews did that when they told the Roman guards to lie about the resurrection of Jesus.  Even though they knew Jesus was alive from the dead, even though they understood the ramifications of Jesus’ resurrection, they squelched the truth and deceived their own people by lying to them concerning their own Messiah.

It was this same kind of deception which the Judaizers were trying to bring to the churches of Galatia by destroying Paul’s credibility as an apostle.  They cast doubt upon his authority to speak for Christ.  That is why Paul’s first words in this epistle to the churches of Galatia are “Paul, an apostle”.  Then he goes on to make this claim: That Jesus Christ Himself granted Paul his apostleship.

Paul, an apostle—not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead—

Here is what one commentator says about this verse:

“The important fact, upon which the whole letter turns, is that Paul had been a messenger straight from God to the Galatians.  His message, as delivered originally to them, had been a message coming from God.  No subsequent variation or change of message on the part of any person, himself or others, could affect that fundamental truth; and that fact has to be made to live and burn in their minds.  Hence he begins by calling himself ‘an apostle, not from men, neither through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father.’” 2

That is what is at stake here.  Did, or did not God say what Paul preached to the Galatians?  Was Paul’s gospel message from God or from other men or from himself?  Was Paul a legitimate apostle who could speak with authority from Jesus Christ, or just another itinerant preacher trying to gain a following?  Or even worse, was Paul in fact a false teacher who was trying to lead the Gentiles into believing they could gain salvation without becoming Jewish?

Here is the question that must be answered: Is the gospel true?  Is this message which Paul preaches a message from Jesus or not?  Is Paul really an apostle of the resurrected Christ, or is he an impostor?

Let’s ask another, more personal question: You say this gospel that we talk about week after week is true.  How do you know it’s true?  Now before you answer, let me say that if you start singing a gospel song as your answer, and one hymn in particular, I’m going to be sorely disappointed.  “You ask me how I know He lives?  He lives within my heart!”  If that is your final answer, let me just say it is less than convincing.  And far short of biblical.

How do we know anything in this book is true?  Why do we believe, and not only that, but why are we absolutely convinced that the things we read here every Sunday morning are trustworthy and reliable?  How is it that you and I are betting our entire eternity upon what this book says about Jesus Christ?

We believe these things are true, and we defend our faith in these things the same way Paul is going to defend himself in the following verses.  Just like Paul’s faith, our faith is not based upon subjective feelings or personal experiences, although we certainly have feelings and experiences that relate to the truth of the gospel and are a result of the gospel.  But feelings and emotions and experiences are not the foundation upon which we build our trust in Christ.

Ultimately, what we believe about Jesus Christ is based upon the validity of historical events: Real events that took place in the real world, witnessed by real people, and attested to by credible witnesses.  MANY credible witnesses.  These historical events, prophesied hundreds and thousands of years prior to their realization, and anticipated by multitudes of people in previous generations, were presented to us as irrefutable facts.

There was a real man named Jesus Christ.  Real men lived with Him, talked to Him, walked with Him, and witnessed miracles from His hands.  These real men saw Him really die upon a cross.  These same men testified to His real resurrection from the dead.  Their message was that this Jesus is the Son of God who came into the world to save sinners who repent and trust in Him.

Are they telling the truth or are they not?  Are they credible?  Are their accounts of what took place reliable?  And are their interpretations of the meaning meaning those historical events accurate?  These are the things people must consider when they hear the gospel message.  But there is one more absolutely crucial element in all of this.

So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. (Romans 10:17 ESV)

Beloved, there are those who understand that the historical events of Jesus’ virgin birth, sinless life, substitutionary death, resurrection from the dead, ascension into heaven, future return from glory, and final judgment of the world are all true.  But they are not saved.  They would say all these things are true, but they do not really believe what they affirm.  They have a mental grasp of the facts, but those facts have had no affect upon their hearts and lives.

At the end of the day, when all is said and done, we must realize that the acceptance of certain historical facts do not save a person.  We truly believe the gospel message only because we’ve been brought to the point of belief by God Himself.  It is the gospel message itself that has produced this faith in us.  Listen to Paul’s own explanation of it:

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. [17] For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.” (Romans 1:16-17 ESV)

The gospel message preached is in itself the power of God that saves us by revealing God’s righteousness to us and causing us to believe.

[12] For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. [13] And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account. (Hebrews 4:12-13 ESV)

The gospel message is not dead and passive, it is not dull and ineffective, it is not useless and fruitless.  This book is not just a publication of paper and ink and words.  These words have power.  In fact, they have the very same power that created the world and raised Jesus from the dead.

So the reason we believe Jesus Christ is the Promised Messiah is because someone brought the gospel message to us.  We heard it, and the Spirit of God worked by means of the message preached to convict us of sin and righteousness and judgment, to move us to repentance from our sin, to regenerate our hearts and transform our minds so that what was previously foolishness to us suddenly became the most precious thing we had ever heard in all our lives.

We believe these things because we’ve been born again by the Spirit of God.  We believe these things because God saved us.  And let me be sure you understand that.  We believe because God saved us.  God did not save us because we believed.  There is a significant difference in those two statements.  It is true that we encourage people to confess their sins, repent, and believe the gospel.  But it is also true that unless the Spirit of God brings conviction of sin to bear upon the heart, there will be no repentance.  We believe the gospel because God removes our dead and stony and lifeless hearts, and grants us a new birth with a new heart and a new faith to believe.

The Judaizers despised this message.  It was precisely this gospel of salvation by the grace of God alone that they hated.  So they assaulted the messenger, and discredited the claim of Paul that he was an apostle.  In doing so, they created doubt among the believers in Galatia.  Consequently, Paul says to them in verse 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— (Galatians 1:6 ESV)

Paul is addressing the most serious of all sins, the one which the Jews were perpetually guilty of: the sin of apostasy.  Spiritual desertion.  Suppressing the truth so that the unbeliever remains in his unbelief, and the misinformed never hear the full truth.  Just tell them someone stole the body.  Just tell them Paul is an impostor.  Just tell them you can’t be saved unless you become a Jew.  Just tell them the Bible is only a book like any other book.  Just tell them the Bible is full of holes and contradictions and myths and fables.  Just tell them all those people who believe that stuff are hypocritical fools and intellectual buffoons.

Just tell them anything, ANYTHING but the truth, that whoever trusts in Jesus Christ alone will be saved by Him from all their sins and will be granted eternal life.  Just suppress the truth.  Did God really say . . . ?

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1. http://www.biblestudytools.com/dictionaries/eastons-bible-dictionary/apostle.html

2. Ramsay, William M. Historical Commentary on Galatians, Kregel Publications, 1997. p. 13.