1 From Paul, an apostle (not from men, nor by human agency, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised him from the dead)
2 and all the brothers with me, to the churches of Galatia.
Vs. 1: This letter opening is typical of the others in the New Testament. When we write letters, we usually start off with, "Dear ... ," and end with "Sincerely, ... "
"an apostle" - Think of this as a letterhead of a business document. It also establishes Paul's authority.
“Not from men” - Apostleship is not conferred by men or organizations. Apostles were those men chosen and called by Jesus to follow Him. Each one knew Jesus personally. The original eleven lived and learned from Jesus for several years. Saul was late to the party, but was called to serve Christ as an apostle. (See: Acts 9:1-20)
“by Jesus Christ and God the Father“ - Just as Peter or John were personally called by Jesus, so too was Paul.
vs. 2: These letters were hand delivered to the churches. There were probably no street names or house numbers - since mail service as we know it wasn't around until 1400-1500 years later. Personal communication was done by a courier.“Galatia” is a region in the area we now call Turkey. Paul started several churches in this region.
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