Read Galatians 1 at Bible Gateway.
Previous studies: galatians 1, a different gospel 2013 apr 08
The gospel of Christ, which Paul preached, and to which the Torah and Prophets attest, is that righteousness (justification or salvation) is of faith (grace) and not attained by obedience to the Law or by works of the flesh! We will see him come back to this foundational definition again and again.
These are the chiastic structures I have found in Gal 1 so far (please review the teaching tools of scripture if you are unfamiliar with chiastic structures):
Gal 1:1-12
1a) Gal 1:1-5, Paul’s apostleship not from men but through Jesus Christ;
1b) Gal 1:6-7, The men who pervert the gospel of Christ have troubled the Galatians;
central axis) Gal 1:8-9, Single theme repeated twice: Let him who preaches a different gospel to you be accursed;
2b) Gal 1:10, Paul a bondservant of Christ not pleasing men, but God;
2a) Gal 1:11-12, Paul’s gospel not from men but through the revelation of Jesus Christ.
About the B pair: the bounds of the A pair, and the repeating theme of the central axis, force the B pair together. I have been meditating on what it could mean. Paul seems to say in the central axis, that those who preach a different gospel are not called by God, but cursed. They are not called of Christ, not bondservants of Christ. Those who are true bondservants of Christ seek to please Him. You cannot please both God and men. But those who preach a different gospel, i.e., those who pervert the gospel, serve someone other than Christ – perhaps themselves? They seek to be pleased by the compliance of the Galatians, they do not seek instead please God.
Gal 1:13-24
1a) Gal 1:13-16a, Paul persecuted the Church/ tried to destroy it, but God called him to preach;
1b) Gal 1:16b-17a, I did not confer with flesh and blood, nor did I go to Jerusalem to the apostles before me;
1c) Gal 1:17b, But I went to Arabia, and returned again to Damascus;
central axis) Gal 1:18-20, After three years I saw Peter for 15 days / I saw no other apostles but James / I am not lying;
2c) Gal 1:21, Afterward I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia;
2b) Gal 1:22, And I was unknown by face to the churches of Judea which were in Christ;
2a) Gal 1:23-24, “He who formerly persecuted us now preaches the faith which he once tried to destroy.”
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