Not so long ago, sitting down with a pen and paper was one of the most meaningful ways to stay connected with loved ones far away—especially for anyone hoping to avoid a crushing long‑distance phone bill. People wrote for all kinds of reasons: to stay in touch, to steady their emotions, or simply to feel close to someone they missed. This was never truer than during the Second World War.
The average soldier overseas wrote roughly six letters a week, and many far surpassed that. Between 1942 and 1945, more than a billion letters were sent by servicemen alone. These weren’t just casual notes; they were sustenance. Writing reminded soldiers of the people they were fighting for, and it kept alive the hope that they would return home in person rather than as a name on an envelope. For families, each letter was reassurance—proof that their loved one was still thinking of them, and still alive.
Life at home, of course, carried on. Bills needed paying, meals needed cooking, and children continued to find trouble. One can easily imagine a father stationed at Aldershot Garrison, preparing to face the Nazi war machine, reading about his son’s latest mischief and wishing he were there to set the boy straight. Distance sharpened every emotion. Humans are wired to want to be near those we love, and the helplessness of being far away—especially when things weren’t going well—was often overwhelming. So, I can picture a soldier writing to his beloved family making mention to his wife to let his son know that his father was still the head of the house, though separated by distance, and that ignoring his mother’s guidance would still bring consequences.
Paul’s letter to the Galatians carries that same pulse. It is the voice of a man separated from those he cares for, making known his authority, and with urgency, how they were on the wrong track and repercussions were on the way.
The Text:
Paul, an apostle (not sent from men nor through the agency of man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised Him from the dead), and all the brethren who are with me, To the churches of Galatia: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for our sins so that He might rescue us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be the glory forevermore. Amen. (Galatians 1:1-5)
Apostleship
As we mentioned in our introduction to the book of Ephesians, there was a distinct group of men in the first century known as apostles who followed Jesus and were given His authority. The apostleship of the followers of Christ was to a divinely appointed office with the original apostles being known as “The Twelve”[1]. While generally reserved for those who were eyewitness of His resurrection, being an apostle was not kept solely for the 12 apostles[2], but that title could be used in a wider sense as it was extended to such men as Barnabas (1 Corinthians 9:5-7), Apollos (1 Corinthians 4:6,9), Silvanus or Timothy. Of course, as we see in this epistle and others, Paul not only saw himself as an apostle but an equal with the twelve (Romans 1:1,5).
In the introductory words to this epistle, he strangely describes his apostleship in the negative by stating that he was not sent from men nor through the agency of man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father… (V.1). This was a sharp and unmistakable departure from his usual self-introduction such as “called to be an apostle by the will of God” etc. even though he is saying essentially the same thing. It is quite obvious that those who were embroiled in a theological war with him (those attempting to modify the message of the gospel) were using some shady tactics by questioning and even challenging Paul’s own authority. They were looking to undermine his message by tarnishing the reputation of the messenger[3].
The expression and in return his desire for his readers to see this apostolic authentication perhaps stems from his encounter with the apostle Peter. It’s possible that Paul’s apostleship came under scrutiny because Peter seemed willing to insist on circumcision for believers (2:11–14). If Peter—the eyewitness, the Jerusalem pillar—still held to certain legal requirements while Paul openly rejected them, people may well have wondered whether Paul’s authority was genuine. Paul wasn’t an apostle by virtue of a democratic process or because some human king appointed him as such. His appointment came from the divine and hence relied on this as its authentication. But Paul not only states that it isn’t from men, but it also didn’t come from human agency (Not through men or through man – NKJV). We have here the same word in a singular and then in the plural[4] . The latter is probably referring to a hierarchical position from a human organization. It was through an appointment by Jesus Christ Himself. The words in this letter carried that divine authority and in return should be heeded by the Galatian Churches.
The Resurrected Christ
Another significant part to the salutation is that Paul writes that he was in fact an apostle of Jesus Christ and of God the Father who raised Him from the dead. The emphasis here may be that he too believed in the resurrection of the Messiah, for he had personally seen the risen Christ (Acts 9) just as Peter and the Twelve had. By highlighting this, he was asserting that his authority stood on equal footing with those who had witnessed the resurrection firsthand including Peter, James and John.
From the brethren
Paul then greets them along with “All the brethren who are with me”. He often includes others in the salutation of his epistles but in this instance, there doesn’t seem to be a specific individual(s) mentioned. Who were these “Brethren” that were represented in this letter? A parallel might be found in Philippians 4:21 where Paul ends the letter with a greeting from the brethren who are with me. It could be those who were with him when he penned the letter or a group of important leaders who were ready to support him. But ultimately, we are not sure.
The Churches in Galatia
Paul then moves to identify the recipients of this glorious epistle by stating that he is writing to the churches (plural) of Galatia. This was not unusual for Paul. In fact, in 1 Corinthians 16:1 he reminds the Corinthians that he had already given similar instructions to the churches of Galatia, telling them to set something aside on the first day of each week. The churches in Galatia are probably those that he himself planted during his first missionary journey which included Antioch, Lystra, Iconium, Derbe etc. This means that what he was going to address was binding upon them all, not just a few.
One of the noticeable differences with other letters is that there is no real expansive identity of the churches. Missing is terms such as saints, Beloved of God, faithful in Jesus Christ, faithful brethren etc. This is most significant since it sets the tone of the epistle. Except for a quick blessing of grace and peace upon them, he doesn’t linger on pleasantries but goes straight to the point, moving quickly into his rebuke.
The Rescuer of Men
As part of the salutation, Paul wastes no time in getting into the core of His message by a pre-emptive description of the topic at hand. He describes Jesus Christ as the One who gave Himself for our sins so that He might rescue us from this present evil age. This is a clear description of the work of Jesus Christ and its effects upon those who receive it. Right away he fixes his attention upon the theme of the message of the letter. Paul will unpack throughout the epistle this very reality and how exactly this rescue occurs. This language is common throughout the New Testament to describe the purpose of Christ’s death. Mark speaks of the Son of Man who came to give his life as a ransom for many (Mark 10:45) or described as He gave Himself as a ransom for all in Paul’s epistle to Timothy (1 Timothy 2:6). The concept however is also found in the Old Testament especially in the writings of Isaiah 53 where we are told that My Servant, will justify the many, As He will bear their iniquities (Isaiah 53:11). Paul will also personalize this reality by describing Christ as the one who loved me and gave Himself up for me (2:20). What we don’t want to miss is the little word “for” which denotes a substitution whereas Christ dies on behalf of or to substitute for sinners. There is an exchange that happens and it benefits the recipient of that substitution. The “rescue” language is probably denoting a deliverance from something whether danger or more significantly an enemy.
The Era of Evil
This present evil age is the age where the Kingdom of Darkness (Colossians 1:13) has his grip on this world and Satan is its god (2 Corinthians 4:4). Christ came to liberate us from this age through the gospel and introduce humanity to a better and more powerful kingdom to which those who believe on Him are transferred into (Colossians 1:13). There is much said about this age in the scriptures. We are called to live a life that is not conformed to this age but a life that is transformed by the renewing of our minds (Romans 12:2). We will see more of this when we discuss how this present evil age compares with the New Creation of Galatians 6:15.
There are however many interpretations of this expression of Present Evil Age. Many commentators feel that this is in contrast with the age to come (Mark 10:30). There is this concept of an eschatological breaking in from the age to come into history in an already/not yet perspective. But in this text, notice that he rescues us from it, not simply leaves us in it.
This purpose of Christ’s was according to the will of God the Father. This authenticates the message itself with a stamp of approval from God Himself and hence this message finds its commission in a divine will, not a gospel from men as we will see later. God didn’t spare His only Son but delivered Him up for us all (Romans 8:32).
Amen
Paul finishes his greeting to the Galatians with a short eulogy towards God the Father. In his doxology, he expressed glory to God the Father for his willingness to send His Son into the world for this rescue, to which Paul affirms with expression “Amen”.
Still Today…
The apostolic authority behind the words of this epistle still rings true today. God is still glorious! Jesus Christ is still the rescuer of men, and His resurrection still brings hope to a lost world. He is still an offering to forgive sinners and calling all men to repent and come to Him for that forgiveness. We as the churches continue to have a responsibility to adhere faithfully to the gospel. We are to proclaim it and protect it at all cost.
In our next segment, we will explore a very popular term in church history mainly the anathema of God. Join us!
[1] Luke 6:11-16; John 6:67,70; 1 Corinthians 15:5
[2] Matthew 10:2-4; Acts 1:13
[3] Paul will defend this authority and his character much further a little later in the letter with statements such as in 1:10-11: “for am I now seeking the favour of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ.
[4] ανϑροπον vs. ανϑροπου