Galatiansનમૂનો

The Letter to the Galatians

Martin Luther’s favorite book was the Letter to the Galatians. He compared it to his wife: “The Letter to the Galatians is my favorite letter, to which I have wholly entrusted myself. It is my Käthe von Bora.”* This is not surprising, for the Letter to the Galatians treats the central theme of the Reformation: justification by faith — that is, being declared righteous by God even though one is a sinner, solely through faith in Jesus.

The occasion that prompted Paul to write this letter was, unfortunately, less pleasant. In the churches of Galatia, false teachers appeared — likely Judaizers — who claimed that Paul had left out an important point in his preaching: the Jewish law. They argued that faith in Christ alone was not sufficient, but that one must also live according to the law’s requirements — including circumcision for men. In doing so they not only questioned the gospel but also challenged Paul’s authority. They tried to drive a wedge between him and the Galatians (Gal 4:16–20) and to win the believers to their side (Gal 4:17–18). Paul answers with this letter — a powerful defense of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

*Martin Luther, Preface to the Letter to the Galatians,
Footnote: Käthe von Bora was Martin Luther’s wife.

Galatians 1:1–10
Already in the opening six verses, Paul sums up the whole letter:

• Paul is not acting on his own authority; he was appointed an apostle directly by Jesus Christ.
• The gospel is this: Jesus Christ died for our sins, was raised by God, and thereby has once and for all rescued us from the present evil age — from the dominion of sin and Satan. Sin is defeated. Jesus has accomplished everything. He alone has saved us.
• Anyone who proclaims a gospel other than this is mistaken. What happened on the cross is not a peripheral issue but the central message of the Christian faith. Whoever denies it or adds conditions for salvation is not speaking on God’s behalf — no matter how impressive their credentials. The decisive issue is Jesus alone.

Reflection
The teaching that Jesus died on the cross for our sins is experienced by many Christians today as troubling. Instead, they prefer to emphasize more agreeable topics such as love of neighbor or compassion. But without the event of the cross we would still be separated from God and helpless under the power of sin. Paul knows this message is offensive to many, or may appear as foolishness (cf. 1 Corinthians 1:23). Yet it is the only message that saves. Paul does not care how people perceive him; his commissioning authority is Jesus Christ.