Exegetical Sermon Outline: Galatians 1:1-5 - The Unshakeable Foundation

Introduction

• Open: (Space for the preacher to add a personal story, current event, or question related to authority, truth, or the core message of Christianity).

• Main Point: In the very first lines of his letter, Paul immediately establishes the divine origin of his authority and the core tenets of the Gospel—Christ's substitutionary death and deliverance according to God's will—setting an unshakeable foundation against the competing messages troubling the Galatian churches.

• Promise: Today, we will delve into these opening verses to understand:

  1. The non-negotiable, God-given source of true apostolic authority.

  2. The nature and divine origin of the foundational Christian blessings: grace and peace.

  3. The essential components of the Gospel message: Christ's sacrifice, our deliverance, and God's sovereign plan.

  4. The ultimate purpose behind God's saving work: His eternal glory.

Body

Section 1: Galatians 1:1

• • Summary: Paul forcefully asserts that his commission as an apostle comes directly from Jesus Christ and God the Father, who validated Christ's work through the resurrection, explicitly denying any human origin or mediation for his authority.

  • Explanation: (Preacher to elaborate on the context of challenges to Paul's authority in Galatia, the significance of "apostle" - apostolos, 'sent one' - the emphatic negations "not from men nor through man" - ouk ap' anthrōpōn oude di' anthrōpou, contrasting divine calling with human appointment, and the critical link between the Father, the Son, and the resurrection as the bedrock of this divine commission).

  • Doctrine & Application:

    • Doctrine: Divine Authority of Scripture (apostolic teaching carries God's authority), The Resurrection (central validating event of Christ's identity and God's power), The Trinity (Father and Son acting jointly in commissioning), Divine Vocation (God calls individuals directly for His purposes).

    • Application: Recognize and submit to the divine authority behind the apostolic witness recorded in Scripture. Ground your faith firmly in the historical reality and theological significance of Christ's resurrection. Be discerning about claims of authority – does the source ultimately trace back to God and His revealed Word, or human opinion/endorsement?

  • Transition: Having established his God-given credentials, Paul broadens the scope to include his companions and addresses the recipients with the core blessings derived from this same divine source.

Section 2: Galatians 1:2-3a

• • Summary: Paul, alongside his fellow believers, extends the foundational blessings of grace and peace to the Galatian churches, identifying the source of these gifts as God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

  • Explanation: (Preacher to discuss the significance of "all the brothers with me" showing communal support, the address "to the churches of Galatia" implying the problem was widespread, the standard but profound greeting of "Grace" - charis, God's unmerited favor - and "Peace" - eirēnē, not just absence of conflict but wholeness and reconciliation with God, flowing from grace. Emphasize the dual source: "God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ").

  • Doctrine & Application:

    • Doctrine: The Church (as a community of faith, both local "churches" and universal "brothers"), God's Fatherhood (relationship established through Christ), Lordship of Christ (His authority and divine status), Grace and Peace (as foundational, divine gifts, not human achievements).

    • Application: Embrace your identity as part of the wider community of faith. Recognize that true spiritual well-being (grace and peace) originates solely from God through Christ, not from adherence to laws or rituals. Actively seek and rely on God's grace daily, allowing His peace to rule in your hearts and relationships.

  • Transition: Paul doesn't leave "grace and peace" as abstract concepts; he immediately grounds them in the specific, objective work of Christ.

Section 3: Galatians 1:3b-4

• • Summary: Paul explicitly links grace and peace to the Lord Jesus Christ, who sacrificially "gave himself for our sins" to rescue us from the influence and destiny of "this present evil age," fulfilling the predetermined will of God the Father.

  • Explanation: (Preacher to unpack the richness of v. 4: Christ's voluntary self-sacrifice - tou dontos heauton; its substitutionary nature - "for our sins" - hyper tōn hamartiōn hēmōn; the purpose - "to deliver us" or "rescue us" - exelētai hēmas - implying a state of helpless bondage; the nature of our bondage - "this present evil age" - tou aiōnos tou enestōtos ponērou, characterized by sin and opposition to God; the ultimate authority - "according to the will of our God and Father." Reference commentators like Chrysostom on the emphasis of God's will or Luther on the contrast between the "present evil age" and the freedom Christ brings).

  • Doctrine & Application:

    • Doctrine: Substitutionary Atonement (Christ died in our place for our specific sins), Reality and Power of Sin, Redemption/Deliverance (salvation as a rescue operation), Eschatology (the conflict between the present age and the age to come), Sovereignty of God (His eternal plan and purpose in salvation).

    • Application: Base your assurance of forgiveness and acceptance solely on Christ's finished work, not personal merit or law-keeping. Understand the seriousness of sin and the radical nature of God's rescue. Live as one transferred out of the dominion of darkness into the kingdom of light, resisting the values and pressures of the "present evil age." Find comfort and confidence in knowing your salvation is rooted in the unchanging will of God.

  • Transition: This profound act of divine rescue, initiated by the Father and accomplished by the Son, rightly evokes a response of worship and adoration.

• Section 4: Galatians 1:5

  • Summary: Paul concludes this dense opening statement with a spontaneous doxology, attributing all glory to God the Father forever in light of His magnificent plan of salvation executed through Christ.

  • Explanation: (Preacher to explain the nature of doxology - words of glory/praise; the object - "to whom" referring back to "our God and Father"; the content - "be the glory" - hē doxa; the duration - "forever and ever" - eis tous aiōnas tōn aiōnōn, emphasizing eternity; the affirmation - "Amen," meaning "so be it." Highlight how God's glory is the ultimate aim and result of redemption).

  • Doctrine & Application:

    • Doctrine: Glory of God (His supreme worth, honor, and the ultimate purpose of all things), Eternal God (His unending existence and reign), Worship (the proper response to God's revelation of Himself and His works).

    • Application: Cultivate a life centered on giving glory to God in all things. Let the truths of the Gospel – God's grace, Christ's sacrifice, your deliverance – fuel heartfelt worship and praise, both corporate and private. Maintain an eternal perspective, understanding that your life finds its ultimate meaning in contributing to God's everlasting glory.

Conclusion

• Recap: We have seen Paul firmly establish his God-given authority and lay down the non-negotiable truths of the Gospel: grace and peace flow from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for our sins according to the Father's will to rescue us from this present evil age, all culminating in the eternal glory of God.

• Application: Therefore, let us anchor our faith in the authority of God's Word delivered through His apostles. Let us continually rely on the grace and peace that come only from Him, cherishing Christ's sacrifice as our sole means of rescue from sin's power and penalty. May we resist the pull of this present evil age and live purposefully for the glory of God, our Father, now and forever. Are you truly living out of this Gospel reality?

• Transition: Recognizing the majesty and saving work of the Triune God, who alone is worthy of eternal glory, let us now stand together and confess the faith handed down to us through the ages.