Paul’s purpose in Galatians 1:16-24 is to keep pressing the point that his commission to be an apostle and the gospel that he preached to the Galatians was given to him directly from the Lord Jesus Christ. The other apostles had no influence over Paul becoming an apostle, and he received no instruction from them. We can infer from this that the false teachers in Galatia were saying that Paul was misrepresenting what the apostles had taught. So, Paul gives details of his history to show that he was preaching the gospel that Christ gave to him before he met the apostles.
In verse 23, the churches of Judea were hearing it said, “He who used to persecute is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy.” And they glorified God because of Paul for his conversion and the faith he was now preaching.
In John 1:16-17 we read, “From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” Paul’s conversion came from grace, and it resulted in him testifying to the truth of Jesus. Paul was preaching the “faith,” meaning that he was preaching faith in Christ as the way of salvation rather than works of the law.
In Galatians 1:15-16, Paul said that God called him by his grace and was pleased to reveal his Son to him. Paul experienced the power of God for salvation. Grace is a special, effecting gift. It enabled Paul to see the truth of Christ and his need of Christ, to believe in Christ, to love Christ, and to delight to serve Christ. He had to be astonished at the change in him; old things are done away; new things have come.
Beholding Christ is a transforming sight for the soul. When the soul looks at the love of God and Christ in the gospel, it changes him to be like Christ, loving truth and hating error, and seeking to purify himself as Christ is pure. When we look away from Christ to ourselves, we stumble in many ways. The apostle was quick to say of his work, “not I, but Christ in me.”
When we are weak, sinful, troubled, or doubtful, we must go to Christ for the grace we need. Christ is like Joseph, who, when his brothers were in need, opened up the storehouses to supply them. Where will you get grace if you don’t receive it from Christ? He has all the riches of grace; if you say to him, “I am guilty,” he says, “I will pardon you.” If you say, “I am polluted,” he says, “I can cleanse you.” It is comforting when you are poor to have a beneficent Master.
Paul’s preaching the “faith” meant testifying of the truth in Jesus, that he came to save sinners. Jesus said that the truth will set you free, meaning that he did everything necessary for you to be accounted righteous in God’s sight. Our righteousness is not the cause of our salvation, but the righteousness of Jesus Christ is. In Noah’s day, those who trusted in the high hills and the trees instead of getting in the ark perished.
The sinner who has put his faith in Christ sincerely as Paul did has no more chance of being condemned than that Christ would be condemned for lack of righteousness. Paul entrusted Christ with his soul, and Christ entrusted Paul with the truth, to guard the gospel which proclaims the free grace of God to sinners, that they may testify of the glory of God in Christ Jesus. The gospel is as simple as, “Look to Jesus, that believing, you may have life in his name.”
Some object to the testimony of free grace, that the sinner who believes in Christ may sin as he pleases and yet be saved. But as we’ve seen, Paul, when he believed, became as one who lost his life for Christ’s sake and took up his cross. Before a proud sinner, now Paul said, “I have no good in me,” and “not having a righteousness my own, but that which is through faith in Christ.” The cross isn’t primarily about hardships a Christian endures by faith but that the world hates the testimony of Jesus. The cross takes away all grounds for boasting in men.
Sinful men do not want to renounce all our merit before God and give all glory to God in Christ. That is the offence of the cross. But grace teaches us to do just that and to live godly lives that honor such a Savior, in remembrance of such a great salvation.
