My Conclusion
From the personal interpretation of the book of Galatians 1:11-24, a conclusion was drawn stating that: From this passage, grace can be understood to be the work of God in calling one from darkness to marvelous light and appointing such person to unite with Him in the saving of others. Although he boasted of knowing the truth, Paul was in darkness as to the nature of the gospel and its power. Nonetheless, God revealed his co-working role in furthering salvation.
Moreover, the emphasis was laid on the differences between the righteousness of Paul that is through the accomplishment of the teachings of the law and traditions and the righteousness of God that is manifested through the accomplished work of Christ. Therefore, through Grace, one is called from his righteousness and qualified to work with God.
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How scholars are interpreting the passage
Asbury Bible commentary
Asbury Bible Commentary (ABC) emphasizes the theme of the origin of the gospel as the keynote of Galatians 1:11-24. ABC notes that Paul is emphasizing the origin of the gospel as from God and not him and that there is one Gospel, which he is now preaching (Asbury Bible Commentary, n.d). Further, ABC notes that Paul had no “predisposition” to the gospel of Christ- Paul could not understand, love, or preach it until God intervened.
ABC adds information that I missed: Paul received the gospel directly from God, and that was sufficient authority for him to go about preaching without seeking permission or apostles’ approval. This made his mission to the Gentiles legitimate. Again, he adds that for a new beginning in the Christian walk, one must have a personal encounter with Christ and see his imperfection.
Mathew Henry’s Commentary
Henry's commentary considers the verses a repeat and enlargement of the claims Paul make in the preceding verses concerning his mission and the legitimacy of his work. The commentary notes that Paul is striving against other teachers that are emphasizing legalistic religion or righteousness by works of man and not the grace of God through Christ (Mathew Henry’s Commentary, n.d).
The annotation takes a different approach than my conclusion and the Asbury Bible commentary by uniting the preceding verses and 11-24. It creates a broader understanding of what Paul is addressing. The subject of grace and the contrast of the religion of Jews, which was hinged on works, and the gospel of Christ are drawn out. Grace is seen as free, and the religion of man as false- Paul holds the gospel of Christ dear to the extent that he would preserve it even if men were displeased (Mathew Henry's Commentary, n.d). Here, the power of the gospel is brought to view as a powerful instrument in God’s hand to transform the vilest offender.
Theology of Work Bible Commentary
The Theology of work Bible commentary covers the entire book of Galatians to conclude the stylistic devices and theme that Paul is addressing. Therefore, Paul is addressing a false gospel based on works and traditions and that he employs the style of imagery in slavery to address the significant point (Theology of Work Bible Commentary, n.d). The approach is different from the commentaries discussed above and my view. A broader context creates a different conclusion and leads one to ignore or forego other essential themes within the verses. However, it is also beneficial in establishing a larger theme.
Evaluation of my Conclusion
From commentaries, a general observation is noted that considering preceding verses is important in contextualizing a text. It is important to make a conclusive and fair judgment of a text. The commentators agree with some of the observations noted in the first paragraph of this paper concerning the independence of God's gospel from man's created theology. However, they add more light, which serves to augment the conclusion, arrived at earlier on. Despite their contributions, the gospel as being an act of grace is not emphasized so much.
A more rational conclusion, after these references, is that the gospel of Christ is the only gospel. Anyone holding the gospel has the legitimacy to preach it. The methodology of understanding the scripture is critical since different conclusions can be drawn from a single text; determining the correct view would depend on the methodology. Finally, the gospel has the power to transform and can only be achieved through a personal encounter with Christ.
References
Asbury Bible Commentary (n.d). Revealed by God (1:11–24) . Retrieved from https://www.biblegateway.com/resources/asbury-bible-commentary/Revealed-God
Mathew Henry’s Commentary (n.d). Verses 10-24. Retrieved from https://www.biblegateway.com/resources/matthew-henry/Gal.1.10-Gal.1.24
Theology of Work Bible Commentary (n.d). Understanding life in Christ (Galatians 1:6-4:31). Retrieved from https://www.biblegateway.com/resources/theology-of-work/understanding-life-in-christ-galatians-1-6-4-31
