Galatians 1:1-2:14

Moving on to my next set of readings, we get to Galatians. The letter of course begins with greetings, as Paul is accustomed to doing. He begins to address the fact that he's been hearing that they've turning to a different gospel. He doesn't mean that there's more than one gospel, but he means that they are simply turning away from the one true gospel which was originally preached to them. He wants to stress the fact that they shouldn't be persuaded to follow something else, even if it is presented by an angel. Paul even goes as far as to say that those presenting a different gospel should be accursed. Paul also makes the point that he is not seeking the approval of man, but of God.

Paul tells them that the gospel is not man's gospel. Explaining what happened to him, Paul tells them how the gospel he received was a revelation of Jesus Christ. Receiving the gospel from God, he didn't consult anyone including the apostles, but went into Arabia then back to Damascus. Three years later he meets with Cephas and James, but none of the other apostles. Paul's continuing to explain that this gospel was from God and wasn't largely influenced or added to by men.

Fourteen years later, Paul receives a revelation and takes Barnabas and Titus with him to Jerusalem. Paul wants to make sure he's in the right, so he presents before those influential the gospel to be proclaimed to the Gentiles. This is of course the same gospel, but Paul felt called to preach to the Gentiles and the gospel was pretty much aimed only to the Jews at the beginning.

On his mission, Paul is met with adversaries. Paul exclaims that he did not back down or yield to them and their teachings that were different from the one true gospel. Continuing to show that his gospel was the original real deal straight from God, those influential didn't add anything to it. It's not as if he was missing parts or had added anything extra. This direct revelation to him about the gospel was God's gospel and not influenced or altered by man. Those influential did in fact have one thing to say, and that was for Paul to remember the poor. This wasn't in addition to the gospel since Paul had already planned to do that from the beginning.

There is also this one incident that Paul tells us about. Cephas had been eating with the Gentiles. However, when certain Jewish men came, Cephas withdrew from eating with them, afraid of what they would say if they saw him eating with Gentiles. His actions influenced others, causing them to do the same. Paul saw this and confronted Cephas, showing him that this was not in line with the gospel.