At the beginning of the letter, Paul emphasizes that his calling as an "apostle" came from God. It did not come "from men," nor through a revelation of God "by a man." It happened directly "through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead." Someone who is called in this way, directly by God Himself and accountable only to God, has the freedom to preach God's message without fear of men. Therefore, the apostle was neither dependent on the twelve apostles nor on anyone else, both in his proclamation and in his ministry.
In this verse, the divinity of Christ is mentioned both directly and indirectly. It is explicitly stated in the phrase "nor through a man, but through Jesus Christ." By the way Paul sees "Jesus Christ and God the Father" together here, Jesus' divinity is implied because both are placed on the same level. Then it is mentioned that "God," the "Father," raised Jesus Christ "from the dead." Paul has a good reason to remind the Galatians of this. The resurrection was the proof that God found complete satisfaction in the redemptive work of Christ accomplished for us. Obviously, the Galatians were not fully satisfied with this work of the Savior, as they were trying to improve it by adding their own efforts through keeping the law.
Paul was called by the risen Christ, in contrast to the twelve apostles, whom the Lord Jesus had called during his earthly ministry. From his calling, the resurrection played an important role in his proclamation.
In this verse, the divinity of Christ is mentioned both directly and indirectly. It is explicitly stated in the phrase "nor through a man, but through Jesus Christ." By the way Paul sees "Jesus Christ and God the Father" together here, Jesus' divinity is implied because both are placed on the same level. Then it is mentioned that "God," the "Father," raised Jesus Christ "from the dead." Paul has a good reason to remind the Galatians of this. The resurrection was the proof that God found complete satisfaction in the redemptive work of Christ accomplished for us. Obviously, the Galatians were not fully satisfied with this work of the Savior, as they were trying to improve it by adding their own efforts through keeping the law.
Paul was called by the risen Christ, in contrast to the twelve apostles, whom the Lord Jesus had called during his earthly ministry. From his calling, the resurrection played an important role in his proclamation.
 | Author: William MacDonald Rank: Author Posted on: 2024-06-26 Source: Title: Commentary on the New Testament Year (original): 1989 Author: William MacDonald Number of pages: 1504 Publisher/Editor: CLV Print: GGP Media GmbH, Pößneck |
The apostle Paul asserts his apostolic character against such as lessened it.
St. Paul was an apostle of Jesus Christ; he was expressly appointed by him, consequently by God the Father, who is one with him in respect of his Divine nature, and who appointed Christ as Mediator. Grace, includes God’s goodwill towards us, and his good work upon us; and peace, all that inward comfort, or outward prosperity, which is really needful for us. They come from God the Father, as the Fountain, through Jesus Christ. But observe, first grace, and then peace; there can be no true peace without grace. Christ gave himself for our sins, to make atonement for us: this the justice of God required, and to this he freely submitted. Here is to be observed the infinite greatness of the price bestowed, and then it will appear plainly, that the power of sin is so great, that it could by no means be put away except the Son of God be given for it. He that considers these things well, understands that sin is a thing the most horrible that can be expressed; which ought to move us, and make us afraid indeed. Especially mark well the words, “for our sins.” For here our weak nature starts back, and would first be made worthy by her own works. It would bring him that is whole, and not him that has need of a physician. Not only to redeem us from the wrath of God, and the curse of the law; but also to recover us from wicked practices and customs, to which we are naturally enslaved. But it is in vain for those who are not delivered from this present evil world by the sanctification of the Spirit, to expect that they are freed from its condemnation by the blood of Jesus.
Verses that belong to this explanation: 1-5
1 Paul, an apostle, (not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead;) 2 And all the brethren which are with me, unto the churches of Galatia: 3 Grace [be] to you and peace from God the Father, and [from] our Lord Jesus Christ, 4 Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father: 5 To whom [be] glory for ever and ever. Amen.
 | Author: Matthew Henry Rank: Priest AD: 1714 Source: Title: Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible Author: Matthew Henry |
Greeting and Blessing
[Verse 1]. Paul begins with an extensive emphasis on and defense of his apostleship. In the former part I have already said that there were some people who wanted to undermine his apostleship. That really was smart, because, if the Galatian believers started to doubt his apostleship, they would also start doubting the message he had brought. For instance, they said that Paul was not a real apostle because he did not belong to the twelve apostles who were with the Lord Jesus on earth. Therefore Paul states clearly how it is with his apostleship.
In fact Paul’s apostleship is a higher one than that of the twelve. The twelve were called by the Lord Jesus to be His apostles when He was on earth; but He called Paul to be an apostle when He was in heaven. The source, the origin of his apostleship was not on earth, but in heaven. That is what Paul means when he says “not from men”. In Acts 9 you can read how that happened [Acts 9:1-19].
But he adds something: “Nor through the agency of man.” What he means by that is, after being called by the Lord, he was not appointed by any man to be an apostle nor officially confirmed in his apostleship. People had nothing at all to do with his call and confirmation as an apostle – it all happened “through Jesus Christ and God the Father”.
So in the first verse he immediately emphasizes the independency of his service from any human being. What Paul says of himself here implies an important point. Every believer has received a gift from the glorified Lord [Eph 4:7]. The habit that has taken root in almost the whole of professing Christianity to appoint people in an official or unofficial way in the service of any gift or to send them out, is against the instructions the Scripture gives here.
In these five introductory verses the Lord Jesus and the Father together are mentioned three times. In this is shown the Godhead of Christ and His being one with the Father. But They are clearly distinguished in Their work. The first time (in [Verse 1]) you see that the Lord Jesus died and that the Father raised Him. The addition “who raised Him from the dead“, emphasizes again that we have to do with an accomplished work of redemption accepted by God. When the law regains a place in the life of a Christian, it indicates a denial of God’s work of redemption.
[Verse 2]. There is something else they put at stake. Paul doesn’t stand alone in defending the truth. A number of brothers who are with him completely agree with him. It had to become clear to the Galatian believers that by opening their minds to this deceit they were denying the common faith of the saints.
[Verse 3]. On the whole it is becoming clear from the start how serious the situation was in the churches in Galatia. The wish of the apostle that they should receive “grace” and “peace” is also found in other letters. But here that wish is the more important because grace is clearly opposite to the law and peace is clearly opposite to the curse of the law. In this wish the Lord Jesus and the Father are mentioned the second time, only in the reverse order. Grace and peace is only found in Them (and not in the law). They are the source. In [Verse 1] the emphasis is on the Father; now the emphasis is on what the Son did.
[Verse 4]. It’s touching to see how Paul makes himself one with the Galatians when he says that the Lord Jesus gave Himself for our sins. He doesn’t say your sins or my sins. Above all it is touching that the Lord Jesus gave nothing less than “Himself”. Only He and His work are able to direct the hearts of wandering believers to the right goal.
Our sins are gone. But that is not the only thing. His work didn’t only have the goal of saving us from our sins – however great that might be – but He also wanted to “rescue us from this present evil age”. ”Evil age” means: all evil influences and inclinations which are present in this world and by which satan keeps people under his control.
Among God’s children there is far too little awareness of the radical separation between the believer and the world in which he lives. This radical separation is the result of what the Lord Jesus did on the cross. He who opens his heart to something from this world is tearing down the work of Christ. Later in this letter you will see that reintroducing the law means going back to behaving yourself as if you still belong to this “evil age”, while the purpose of the work of the Lord Jesus was to rescue from it. Every believer who is aware of this will be on his guard that nothing of this influence will be allowed into his life.
Added to this is the fact that the Father wants it this way. In the goal – indicated by the word “that” – of what the Lord Jesus did, you see for a third time the Father and the Son together. The Father wants to have a nation for Himself, a nation that will give Him glory forever and ever. The law – and everything that is associated with it – is completely opposite to this. He who allows the entrance of the law into his life again loses sight of the Father’s will.
[Verse 5]. So you see how Paul in these first verses has already shown the Galatians the position of the Christian in a simple way. This position goes from the will of the Father, via the work of the Lord Jesus to the eternal glory. God and the Lord Jesus want us to enjoy that now. Paul links into that and commits himself to it in this letter. The word “amen” at the end of these introductory verses testifies to it. Let us agree wholeheartedly with it.
In fact Paul’s apostleship is a higher one than that of the twelve. The twelve were called by the Lord Jesus to be His apostles when He was on earth; but He called Paul to be an apostle when He was in heaven. The source, the origin of his apostleship was not on earth, but in heaven. That is what Paul means when he says “not from men”. In Acts 9 you can read how that happened [Acts 9:1-19].
But he adds something: “Nor through the agency of man.” What he means by that is, after being called by the Lord, he was not appointed by any man to be an apostle nor officially confirmed in his apostleship. People had nothing at all to do with his call and confirmation as an apostle – it all happened “through Jesus Christ and God the Father”.
So in the first verse he immediately emphasizes the independency of his service from any human being. What Paul says of himself here implies an important point. Every believer has received a gift from the glorified Lord [Eph 4:7]. The habit that has taken root in almost the whole of professing Christianity to appoint people in an official or unofficial way in the service of any gift or to send them out, is against the instructions the Scripture gives here.
In these five introductory verses the Lord Jesus and the Father together are mentioned three times. In this is shown the Godhead of Christ and His being one with the Father. But They are clearly distinguished in Their work. The first time (in [Verse 1]) you see that the Lord Jesus died and that the Father raised Him. The addition “who raised Him from the dead“, emphasizes again that we have to do with an accomplished work of redemption accepted by God. When the law regains a place in the life of a Christian, it indicates a denial of God’s work of redemption.
[Verse 2]. There is something else they put at stake. Paul doesn’t stand alone in defending the truth. A number of brothers who are with him completely agree with him. It had to become clear to the Galatian believers that by opening their minds to this deceit they were denying the common faith of the saints.
[Verse 3]. On the whole it is becoming clear from the start how serious the situation was in the churches in Galatia. The wish of the apostle that they should receive “grace” and “peace” is also found in other letters. But here that wish is the more important because grace is clearly opposite to the law and peace is clearly opposite to the curse of the law. In this wish the Lord Jesus and the Father are mentioned the second time, only in the reverse order. Grace and peace is only found in Them (and not in the law). They are the source. In [Verse 1] the emphasis is on the Father; now the emphasis is on what the Son did.
[Verse 4]. It’s touching to see how Paul makes himself one with the Galatians when he says that the Lord Jesus gave Himself for our sins. He doesn’t say your sins or my sins. Above all it is touching that the Lord Jesus gave nothing less than “Himself”. Only He and His work are able to direct the hearts of wandering believers to the right goal.
Our sins are gone. But that is not the only thing. His work didn’t only have the goal of saving us from our sins – however great that might be – but He also wanted to “rescue us from this present evil age”. ”Evil age” means: all evil influences and inclinations which are present in this world and by which satan keeps people under his control.
Among God’s children there is far too little awareness of the radical separation between the believer and the world in which he lives. This radical separation is the result of what the Lord Jesus did on the cross. He who opens his heart to something from this world is tearing down the work of Christ. Later in this letter you will see that reintroducing the law means going back to behaving yourself as if you still belong to this “evil age”, while the purpose of the work of the Lord Jesus was to rescue from it. Every believer who is aware of this will be on his guard that nothing of this influence will be allowed into his life.
Added to this is the fact that the Father wants it this way. In the goal – indicated by the word “that” – of what the Lord Jesus did, you see for a third time the Father and the Son together. The Father wants to have a nation for Himself, a nation that will give Him glory forever and ever. The law – and everything that is associated with it – is completely opposite to this. He who allows the entrance of the law into his life again loses sight of the Father’s will.
[Verse 5]. So you see how Paul in these first verses has already shown the Galatians the position of the Christian in a simple way. This position goes from the will of the Father, via the work of the Lord Jesus to the eternal glory. God and the Lord Jesus want us to enjoy that now. Paul links into that and commits himself to it in this letter. The word “amen” at the end of these introductory verses testifies to it. Let us agree wholeheartedly with it.
Verses that belong to this explanation: 1-5
1 Paul, an apostle, (not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead;) 2 And all the brethren which are with me, unto the churches of Galatia: 3 Grace [be] to you and peace from God the Father, and [from] our Lord Jesus Christ, 4 Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father: 5 To whom [be] glory for ever and ever. Amen.
 | Author: Ger de Koning Rank: Author Posted on: 2024-04-16 Source: Title: Galatians Author: Ger de Koning Copyright: kingcomments.com Note General: All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior permission of the author or the publisher. |
I have taught the churches of the believers to reverence one almighty, invisible, and incomprehensible God. And this teaching has been given me, not from men, nor through men, but through Jesus Christ,
 | Author: The Apostolic Constitutions AD: 375 |
He professes himself to be "an apostle"-to use his own, words-"not of men, nor by man, but by Jesus Christ.".
at all events, have handed down to me this career of Paul, which you must not refuse to accept. Thence I demonstrate that from a persecutor he became "an apostle, not of men, neither by man; ".
To the Galatians he declares himself to be "an apostle not of men, neither by man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father."
 | Author: Tertullian of Carthage Rank: Author AD: 220 |
But may the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, and Jesus Christ Himself, who is the Son of God, and our everlasting High Priest, build you up in faith and truth, and in all meekness, gentleness, patience, long-suffering, forbearance, and purity; and may He bestow on you a lot and portion among His saints, and on us with you, and on all that are under heaven, who shall believe in our Lord Jesus Christ, and in His Father, who "raised Him from the dead.
 | Author: Polycarp of Smyrna Rank: Bishop AD: 155 |
We are clearly given to understand that Jesus Christ was not a [mere] man but was of divine nature…. Because he knew him to be of a more sublime nature, he therefore said that he was not appointed by a man. .
| Author: Pamphilus of Caesarea Posted on: 2022-11-13 |
The exordium is full of a vehement and lofty spirit, and not the exordium only, but also, so to speak, the whole Epistle. For always to address one's disciples with mildness, even when they need severity is not the part of a teacher but it would be the part of a corrupter and enemy. Wherefore our Lord too, though He generally spoke gently to His disciples, here and there uses sterner language, and at one time pronounces a blessing, at another a rebuke. Thus, having said to Peter, Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, Matthew 16:17 and having promised to lay the foundation of the Church upon his confession, shortly afterwards He says, Get behind Me, Satan: you are a stumbling block unto Me. Matthew 16:23 Again, on another occasion, Are you also even yet without understanding? Matthew 15:16 And what awe He inspired them with appears from John's saying, that, when they beheld Him conversing with the Samaritan woman, though they reminded Him to take food, no one ventured to say, What seekest Thou, or why do you speak with her? John 4:27 Thus taught, and walking in the steps of his Master, Paul has varied his discourse according to the need of his disciples, at one time using knife and cautery, at another, applying mild remedies. To the Corinthians he says, What will you? Shall I come unto you with a rod, or in love, and in a spirit of meekness? 1 Corinthians 6:21 but to the Galatians, O foolish Galatians. Galatians 3:1 And not once only, but a second time, also he has employed this reproof, and towards the conclusion he says with a reproachful allusion to them, Let no man trouble me; Galatians 6:17 but he soothes them again with the words, My little children, of whom I am again in travail: Galatians 4:19 and so in many other instances. Now that this Epistle breathes an indignant spirit, is obvious to every one even on the first perusal; but I must explain the cause of his anger against the disciples. Slight and unimportant it could not be, or he would not have used such vehemence. For to be exasperated by common matters is the part of the little- minded, morose, and peevish; just as it is that of the more redolent and sluggish to lose heart in weighty ones. Such a one was not Paul. What then was the offense which roused him? It was grave and momentous, one which was estranging them all from Christ, as he himself says further on, Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if you receive circumcision, Christ will profit you nothing; Galatians 5:2 and again, You who would be justified by the Law, you are fallen away from Grace. Galatians 5:4 What then is this? For it must be explained more clearly. Some of the Jews who believed, being held down by the preposessions of Judaism, and at the same time intoxicated by vain-glory, and desirous of obtaining for themselves the dignity of teachers, came to the Galatians, and taught them that the observance of circumcision, sabbaths, and new-moons, was necessary, and that Paul in abolishing these things was not to be borne. For, said they, Peter and James and John, the chiefs of the Apostles and the companions of Christ, forbade them not. Now in fact they did not forbid these things, but this was not by way of delivering positive doctrine, but in condescension to the weakness of the Jewish believers, which condescension Paul had no need of when preaching to the Gentiles; but when he was in Judæa, he employed it himself also. But these deceivers, by withholding the causes both of Paul's condescension and that of his brethren, misled the simpler ones, saying that he was not to be tolerated, for he appeared but yesterday, while Peter and his colleagues were from the first—that he was a disciple of the Apostles, but they of Christ—that he was single, but they were many, and pillars of the Church. They accused him too of acting a part; saying, that this very man who forbids circumcision observes the rite elsewhere, and preaches one way to you and another way to others. Since Paul then saw the whole Galatian people in a state of excitement, a flame kindled against their Church, and the edifice shaken and tottering to its fall, filled with the mixed feelings of just anger and despondency, (which he has expressed in the words, I could wish to be present with you now, and to change my voice, Galatians 4:20) he writes the Epistle as an answer to these charges. This is his aim from the very commencement, for the underminers of his reputation had said, The others were disciples of Christ but this man of the Apostles. Wherefore he begins thus, Paul, an Apostle not from men, neither through man. For, these deceivers, as I was saying before, had said that this man was the last of all the Apostles and was taught by them, for Peter, James, and John, were both first called, and held a primacy among the disciples, and had also received their doctrines from Christ Himself; and that it was therefore fitting to obey them rather than this man; and that they forbad not circumcision nor the observance of the Law. By this and similar language and by depreciating Paul, and exalting the honor of the other Apostles, though not spoken for the sake of praising them, but of deceiving the Galatians, they induced them to adhere unseasonably to the Law. Hence the propriety of his commencement. As they disparaged his doctrine, saying it came from men, while that of Peter came from Christ, he immediately addresses himself to this point, declaring himself an apostle not from men, neither through man. It was Ananias who baptized him, but it was not he who delivered him from the way of error and initiated him into the faith; but Christ Himself sent from on high that wondrous voice, whereby He inclosed him in his net. For Peter and his brother, and John and his brother, He called when walking by the seaside, Matthew 4:18 but Paul after His ascension into heaven. Acts 9:3-4 And just as these did not require a second call, but straightway left their nets and all that they had, and followed Him, so this man at his first vocation pressed vigorously forward, waging, as soon as he was baptized, an implacable war with the Jews. In this respect he chiefly excelled the other Apostles, as he says, I labored more abundantly than they all; 1 Corinthians 15:10 at present, however, he makes no such claim, but is content to be placed on a level with them. Indeed his great object was, not to establish any superiority for himself, but, to overthrow the foundation of their error. The not being from men has reference to all alike for the Gospel's root and origin is divine, but the not being through man is peculiar to the Apostles; for He called them not by men's agency, but by His own.
But why does he not speak of his vocation rather than his apostolate, and say, Paul called not by man? Because here lay the whole question; for they said that the office of a teacher had been committed to him by men, namely by the Apostles, whom therefore it behooved him to obey. But that it was not entrusted to him by men, Luke declares in the words, As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul. Acts 13:2 From this passage it is manifest that the power of the Son and Spirit is one, for being commissioned by the Spirit, he says that he was commissioned by Christ. This appears in another place, from his ascription of the things of God to the Spirit, in the words which he addresses to the elders at Miletus: Take heed unto yourselves, and to all the flock, in the which the Holy Ghost has made you bishops. Acts 20:28 Yet in another Epistle he says, And God has set some in the Church, first Apostles, secondly prophets, thirdly teachers. 1 Corinthians 12:28 Thus he ascribes indifferently the things of the Spirit to God, and the things of God to the Spirit. Here too he stops the mouths of heretics, by the words through Jesus Christ and God the Father; for, inasmuch as they said this term through was applied to the Son as importing inferiority, see what he does. He ascribes it to the Father, thus teaching us not to prescribe laws to the ineffable Nature, nor define the degrees of Godhead which belong to the Father and Son. For to the words through Jesus Christ he has added, and God the Father; for if at the mention of the Father alone he had introduced the phrase through whom, they might have argued sophistically that it was peculiarly applicable to the Father, in that the acts of the Son were to be referred to Him. But he leaves no opening for this cavil, by mentioning at once both the Son and the Father, and making his language apply to both. This he does, not as referring the acts of the Son to the Father, but to show that the expression implies no distinction of Essence. Further, what can now be said by those, who have gathered a notion of inferiority from the Baptismal formula,— from our being baptized into the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit? For if the Son be inferior because He is named after the Father, what will they say seeing that, in the passage before us, the Apostle beginning from Christ proceeds to mention the Father?— but let us not even utter such a blasphemy, let us not swerve from the truth in our contention with them; rather let us preserve, even if they rave ten thousand times, the due measures of reverence. Since then it would be the height of madness and impiety to argue that the Son was greater than the Father because Christ was first named, so we dare not hold that the Son is inferior to the Father, because He is placed after Him in the Baptismal formula. Who raised Him from the dead. Wherefore is it, O Paul, that, wishing to bring these Judaizers to the faith, you introduce none of those great and illustrious topics which occur in your Epistle to the Philippians, as, Who, being in the form of God, counted it not a prize to be on an equality with God, Philippians 2:6 or which you afterwards declared in that to the Hebrews, the effulgence of his glory, and the very image of His substance; Hebrews 1:3 or again, what in the opening of his Gospel the son of thunder sounded forth, In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God; John 1:1. or what Jesus Himself oftentimes declared to the Jews, that His power and authority was equal to the Father's? John 5:19-27, etc. Do you omit all these, and make mention of the economy of His Incarnation only, bringing forward His cross and dying? Yes, would Paul answer. For had this discourse been addressed to those who had unworthy conceptions of Christ, it would have been well to mention those things; but, inasmuch as the disturbance comes from persons who fear to incur punishment should they abandon the Law, he therefore mentions that whereby all need of the Law is excluded, I mean the benefit conferred on all through the Cross and the Resurrection. To have said that in the beginning was the Word, and that He was in the form of God, and made Himself equal with God, and the like, would have declared the divinity of the Word, but would have contributed nothing to the matter in hand. Whereas it was highly pertinent thereto to add, Who raised Him from the dead, for our chiefest benefit was thus brought to remembrance, and men in general are less interested by discourses concerning the majesty of God, than by those which set forth the benefits which come to mankind. Wherefore, omitting the former topic, he discourses of the benefits which had been conferred on us. But here the heretics insultingly exclaim, Lo, the Father raises the Son! For when once infected, they are wilfully deaf to all sublimer doctrines; and taking by itself and insisting on what is of a less exalted nature, and expressed in less exalted terms, either on account of the Son's humanity, or in honor of the Father, or for some other temporary purpose, they outrage, I will not say the Scripture, but themselves. I would fain ask such persons, why they say this? Do they hope to prove the Son weak and powerless to raise one body? Nay, verily, faith in Him enabled the very shadows of those who believed in Him to effect the resurrection of the dead. Acts 5:15 Then believers in Him, though mortal, yet by the very shadows of their earthly bodies, and by the garments which had touched these bodies, could raise the dead, but He could not raise Himself? Is not this manifest madness, a great stretch of folly? Have you not heard His saying, Destroy this Temple, and in three days I will raise it up? John 2:19 and again, I have power to lay down my life, and I have power to take it again? John 10:18 Wherefore then is the Father said to have raised Him up, as also to have done other things which the Son Himself did? It is in honor of the Father, and in compassion to the weakness of the hearers.
 | Author: John Chrysostom Rank: Bishop AD: 407 |
To say “who raised him from the dead” is to encapsulate the essence of God’s beneficence toward us, which coincides in no small part with his present purpose. For the majority are much less apt to listen to words that establish the majesty of God than to those which demonstrate his good will to humanity.
| Author: John Chrysostom Rank: Bishop AD: 407 |
[The first verse] is full of great passion and strong sentiment; and not the prologue only but, as it were, the whole letter. For always to speak mildly to those who are being taught, even when they need vehemence, is not the part of a teacher but of a corrupter and an enemy.
| Author: John Chrysostom Rank: Bishop AD: 407 |
Not in pride, as some suppose, but by necessity, he said that he was not an apostle from men or through man … so that by this he might confound those who were alleging that Paul was not one of the twelve apostles or ordained by his elders. This might also be taken as aimed obliquely at Peter and the others, because the gospel was committed to him not by the apostles but by the same Jesus Christ who had chosen those apostles. .
 | Author: Jerome Rank: Priest AD: 420 |
I know, obtained the ministry which pertains to the common .
Having beheld your bishop, I know that he was not selected to undertake the ministry which pertains to the common
 | Author: Ignatius of Antioch Rank: Bishop AD: 108 |
And Jacob says, "Who shall rouse him up? "And that is just what David and Paul both refer to, as when Paul says, "and God the Father, who raised Him from the dead."
 | Author: Hippolytus of Rome Rank: Author AD: 235 |
His reason for saying “through Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead” is that what God does he does through Christ. And so that people would not say, “How did you learn from Christ?” since Paul had not previously been a follower of Christ and Christ was dead, he said that God raised Christ from the dead. By this he implies that it is Christ himself, who taught him, who has been raised from the dead—raised, that is, by the power of God the Father. .
 | Author: Gaius Marius Victorinus Rank: Author AD: 400 |
The one sent “from men” is a liar; the one sent “through man” tells the truth, as God too, who is truthful, may send truth through men. The one, therefore, who is sent not from men or through man but “through God” derives his truthfulness from the One who makes truthful even those sent through men.
 | Author: Augustine of Hippo Rank: Bishop AD: 430 |
The listed verse explanations of the individual persons have nothing to do with the explanations of the other persons. This also applies to the Bible translations.
