Lesson 2 - Paul's Greeting
3. What significance does Paul’s Christ-given authority have for us today? Yes, this was written to churches in Galatia almost two thousand years ago, but what right does Paul have to direct us now?
As an Apostle of the Lord Jesus, Paul was a messenger or ambassador sent with authority to speak on behalf of Christ; that’s the definition of an apostle.
Imagine a vast kingdom like the British empire in the 19th and 20th Century. At the time, the English ruled over countries spread over the whole world. Of course, the kings or queens couldn’t often be present to rule those far-flung places in person. So, they sent ambassadors and emissaries to speak on their behalf. The authority of the messenger wasn’t inherent; they weren’t authoritative. Instead, their right to command was based upon the sovereignty of the crown. Any commands issued by the ambassador were to be enforced until the king or queen changed their policy – or there was a change in who was sitting on the throne.
Paul’s authority is that of an ambassador. He was granted the authority to communicate the will of the Lord Jesus. Those directions and instructions remain in place as long as Christ’s will hasn’t changed and as long as He’s still sovereign.
The fact that the ambassador (Paul) is long dead isn’t the issue. The one seated on the throne lives and still rules over the Church and all creation. Therefore, as faithful subjects, it’s only proper that we submit to what the Apostle(s) have spoken on the Lord’s behalf.
The Apostle Peter put it this way:
“So we have the prophetic word made more sure, to which you do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts. But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God” (2nd Peter 1:19–21).
5. How does Paul’s skipping the common practicing of offering a prayer or thanksgiving for the recipients influence your interpretation of the “tone” of this letter?
Throughout time, our means and methods of communication have changed. For instance, the Greek New Testament was recorded in all capital letters (with no spaces between words). Lowercase letters were eventually developed and utilized, making reading and translation much easier. But that convention wasn’t used at the time. Today, if you received a letter, note, or message written in all capitals, you might assume the writer wanted to be understood as screaming, expressing anger or rage. Therefore, understanding historical context and convention (how things were done at the time) is extremely important.
For us, we probably wouldn’t skip a beat if we received a letter or email from a friend that didn’t contain a prayer or thanksgiving (it might be odd if we did). However, the 1st Century believers in Galatia would have expected it the same way we expect a greeting or salutation to be included in a formal or semi-formal letter.
By Paul skipping past that common and polite convention, his jumping right into his concern would have spoken volumes to his readers. This is serious. This needs to be addressed immediately.