Bible Study - The Apostle Paul - From the Law to Grace - Galatians 1:1-24 - October 12, 2025

 

Bible Study – The Apostle Paul – From the Law to Grace – October 12,2025

Galatians 1:1-24

Christian Standard Bible

The Apostle Paul had an amazing encounter with JESUS when he was going to Damaskus to arrest new believers in JESUS and destroy the group. This new group of Christian believers was called, “The Way.”

GOD and JESUS knew the heart of Saul and knew that if he saw the truth in the Gospel of Salvation through faith in JESUS, Saul/Paul would be a valuable asset to the building of the Christian faith, especially among the Gentiles.

Some brief background on Saul/Paul. Saul was a loyal Jew and believed that the only way to GOD was through Judaism, strictly obeying the Law. Grace was not in his vocabulary. Let’s explore!

We read in Acts 9:1-9: Now Saul was still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord (JESUS). He went to the high priest ² and requested letters from him to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any men or women who belonged to the Way, he might bring them as prisoners to Jerusalem. ³ As he traveled and was nearing Damascus, a light from heaven suddenly flashed around him. ⁴ Falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?”

⁵ “Who are you, Lord?” Saul said.

“I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting,” he replied. ⁶ “But get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”

⁷ The men who were traveling with him stood speechless, hearing the sound but seeing no one. ⁸ Saul got up from the ground, and though his eyes were open, he could see nothing. So, they took him by the hand and led him into Damascus. ⁹ He was unable to see for three days and did not eat or drink.

Let’s look forward to Paul in ministry.

Let’s read Galatians 1: 1-24 Greetings

1 Paul, an apostle—not from men or by man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised him from the dead— ² and all the brothers who are with me:

To the churches of Galatia.

³ Grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord^[a] Jesus Christ, ⁴ who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father. ⁵ To him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

No Other Gospel – This is vital as we get closer to the second coming of JESUS. There will be deceivers and misleaders who will attempt to lead astray those who are seeking to be in right relationship with GOD, through faith in JESUS. That is why we must know the truth of GOD’S Word.

Even in Paul’s lifetime there were deceivers, and this will get worse as we get closer to the second coming of JESUS. So, fellow Christians stay alert and know the truth in GOD’S Word.

⁶ I am amazed that you are so quickly turning away from him who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel—

One may think, “that was a long time ago and we are more enlightened now.” Don’t count on it.

This is especially true in the latter days. Satan is a deceiver and a liar. He will do all he can to lead as many people away from the true gospel of CHRIST as he can. Satan will recruit others to help him deceive people.

⁷ not that there is another gospel, but there are some who are troubling you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. ⁸ But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, a curse be on him!^[b] 9 As we have said before, I now say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, a curse be on him!

Here, we need to keep in mind that Saul/Paul was a student of the Old Testament scriptures. We will read in our selected scripture that Saul’s family were GOD fearing and honoring people and raised him in the synagogue.

Paul continues ------

¹⁰ For am I now trying to persuade people,^[c] or God? Or am I striving to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.

It was clear to The Apostle Paul that JESUS was the promised Messiah. As you recall before Paul’s conversion to JESUS, he was Saul.

Saul was well educated in the scriptures. He studied under the famous Hebrew teacher Gamaliel.

The Origin of Paul’s Gospel

¹¹ For I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that the gospel preached by me is not of human origin. ¹² For I did not receive it from a human source, and I was not taught it, but it came by a revelation of Jesus Christ.

 

The Holy Spirit still reveals truth and teaches all who have been “Spirit-born” and helps them to change their lives to trust the leadership of JESUS and build their faith in JESUS to move mountains as directed by the Holy Spirit.

¹³ For you have heard about my former way of life in Judaism: I intensely persecuted God’s church (The Christian church at that time was named, The Way, established after the Passion of JESUS. That is why Saul was going to Damascus to arrest those who followed JESUS and called themselves, The Way. That is when Saul encountered The resurrected JESUS.

¹⁴ I (Saul) advanced in Judaism beyond many contemporaries among my people, because I was extremely zealous for the traditions of my ancestors. ¹⁵ But when God, who from my mother’s womb set me apart and called me by his grace, was pleased (Saul/Paul believed GOD had called him to ministry before he was born. GOD knew Saul’s heart and his character and chose him.) ¹⁶ to reveal his Son in me, so that I could preach him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with anyone.^[d] 17 I did not go up to Jerusalem to those who had become apostles before me; instead I went to Arabia and came back to Damascus.

Paul spent alone time with JESUS. In verse 16, we see that the reason for this alone time was to prepare Paul to minister, especially minister to the Gentiles.

Since Saul/Paul was such a diehard Jew, was JESUS testing Paul by offering him the gentile ministry. Only GOD, JESUS, THE HOLY SPIRIT, and Saul/Paul know?

¹⁸ Then after three years I did go up to Jerusalem to get to know Cephas,^[e] and I stayed with him fifteen days. ¹⁹ But I didn’t see any of the other apostles except James, the Lord’s brother. ²⁰ I declare in the sight of God: I am not lying in what I write to you.

²¹ Afterward, I went to the regions of Syria and Cilicia. ²² I remained personally unknown to the Judean churches that are in Christ. ²³ They simply kept hearing, “He who formerly persecuted us now preaches the faith he once tried to destroy.” ²⁴ And they glorified God because of me.^[f]

JESUS changes HIS chosen’s life.

I recall, as a young boy, delivering the local paper. I had to go to the newspaper office where the paper was printed to pick up the papers to be delivered. There was a bully, who rode a motorcycle, and he delivered papers. He would bully us younger paper carriers. I dreaded it when he was picking up his papers at the same time, I had to pick up my papers.

One afternoon, I went to get my papers, and I saw his monocycle and spotted him sitting in a chair near the area where the papers were. I approached the area with caution and noticed he was subdued and thought what was wrong with him? I asked one of my friends and he told me and to my pleasant surprise, my friend said, “Oh, he got saved the other night at his church.” WOW!!! What a relief that was to me. This former bully was a different person. He was a changed person.

Saul had been born into a Godfearing family. Let’s consider some of Saul/Paul milestones:

• Saul, later known as Paul the Apostle, was born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia.
• He was a Jew of the tribe of Benjamin, as stated in Philippians 3:5.
• Saul was raised in a devout Jewish family, adhering to Jewish customs and laws.
• He studied under Gamaliel, a respected Pharisee, indicating a strong Jewish education.
• Saul actively persecuted early Christians, reflecting his commitment to Jewish beliefs.
• Saul’s conversion to Christianity occurred later, after his upbringing in Judaism and the study of scripture. He had the Old Testament scriptures, and after his conversion, he had the Holy Spirit, WHO revealed JESUS and HIS teachings.

Being in right relationship with GOD, through faith in JESUS, results in a changed life. That is exactly what we see in the life of Saul/Paul.

Saul’s life went from obeying the Law to Grace through faith in JESUS.

Salvation through faith in JESUS is eternal. When a person, asks JESUS to forgive him or her for their sins, the sin barrier has been removed by the shed blood of JESUS. The removal of the sin barrier allows the Holy Spirit to unite with the human spirit, and a miracle takes place quicker than the twinkle of the eye. The person of faith in JESUS is “born-again” Spiritually and eternally into GOD’S eternal Family.

What does that mean?

The shed blood of animals was a placeholder until the perfect blood sacrifice was made by GOD’S only SON, JESUS. JESUS willingly gave HIS sinless life to pay, in full, for all sin. So, that is it. NO!!!

JESUS willingly gave HIS sinless life to atone for a person’s sins. Sin is personal and individual; therefore, each person is accountable to GOD and must come before GOD and ask GOD to forgive him/her for his/her sins and for JESUS to come into his/her heart.

When a person takes that step of faith, the Holy Spirit unites with our spirit and that person is born again in his/her spirit. That person is born into GOD’S eternal family, never to be unborn. You have eternal life and you are commissioned to represent GOD and JESUS as the scripture reveals in 2 Corinthians 5:20

Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ since God is making his appeal through us. We plead on Christ’s behalf, “Be reconciled to God.”

As “born-again” believers you will NOT experience the death of your physical earth body.

2 Corinthians 5:1 - Our Future after Death

For we know that if our earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal dwelling in the heavens, not made with hands. Indeed, we groan in this tent, desiring to put on our heavenly dwelling, since, when we are clothed, we will not be found naked. ...

Blessings!!!