Near the end of his life, the apostle Paul looked back on decades of ministry and said something remarkable: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” (2 Tim. 4:7). This is one of the best ways to describe his posture toward the gospel—namely, that it was worth keeping.
It was not the first time he used this kind of language. In his first letter to Timothy, he encouraged him to “wage the good warfare” by “holding faith” (1 Tim. 1:18-19) and “fight the good fight of the faith” (1 Tim. 6:12). The phrase “the faith” referred to the collection of truths to believe for salvation. Therefore, his fight, according to his writings, was the war he waged on his own gospel apathy. He made it his mission to prioritize and protect the gospel as a gift entrusted to his stewardship. In fact, he urged Timothy to follow in his footsteps and “guard the good deposit entrusted to you” (2 Tim. 1:14). Of course, this was not meant for Timothy alone, but all who have been entrusted with God’s good deposit.
In Galatia, the believers were not keeping the gospel. They were deserting the gospel and tolerating a false gospel (Gal. 1:7) because they were troubled by Judaizers who distorted the gospel (Gal. 1:8). We don’t know exactly what they said to confuse the believers, but we do have a sense of their strategy by reading the rest of Paul’s letter. Realizing that they could not outright attack Paul’s gospel, they attacked Paul instead. And, with doubt about Paul aroused, they can introduce a distorted gospel.
This is the same tactic Satan used in the garden. By introducing doubt about God’s intentions for Adam and Eve, he positioned himself as the better truth-teller. He acted as their friend who knew better, and he gently misled them into sin. “You won’t die! God knows that when you eat of the tree, your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God,” he said (Gen. 3:4-5). Satan introduced doubt, Eve was troubled, and an alternative truth was proposed, which was no truth at all. The Judaizers treated the church like Satan treated Eve, and misled them to tolerate a new gospel, which is no gospel at all (Gal. 1:11).
Timothy George, in his commentary on Galatians, composed a fictitious letter from Judaizers that takes into account Paul’s letter to the same believers. It helps us understand what these false teachers were proposing and how. I’ll paraphrase:
“Dear Galatians, we greet you in the name of Jesus Christ. We are glad to hear that through Paul’s ministry, you have turned from idols to serve the living God. You have made a good beginning, but we fear Paul left out some important things about the gospel.
“You see, we come from the church in Jerusalem, where the true apostles lead. Paul, however, was never among them and never even knew Jesus during His earthly ministry. Yes, he visited Jerusalem once after he stopped persecuting the church, but the message he now preaches is not the same as theirs.
“Did Paul tell you about circumcision? Probably not. God gave this command, and others like it, so that Gentiles could truly belong to His people. You know that Jesus Himself kept these laws, and if you follow in his footsteps, you too can live on a higher plane of obedience and please God.”
The Judaizers were compelling, disrupting, and deceitful. They accused Paul of being a false apostle, of learning his gospel from men, and of watering down the gospel to please men. In response, Paul writes what many refer to as his autobiography. But, it is more than that. It is proof-positive that the gospel belongs to God and Paul is God’s chosen apostle. In Galatians 1:10-12, we find his conviction (and thesis). In Galatians 1:13-24, we see his conversion. In Galatians 2:1-10, he describes his confirmation by the apostles. Finally, in Galatians 2:11-21, he describes a confrontation where he defends the gospel and brings his argument to a stunning conclusion.
His autobiography will refute every accusation against him, prove the Judaizers as false teachers, equip the Galatians with tools to keep the gospel, and provide us today with the marks of a gospel keeper so we too can join the fight for the faith that was entrusted to us.
For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ. For I would have you know, brothers, that the gospel that was preached by me is not man’s gospel. [12] For I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ.
Galatians 1:10-12
As mentioned, this portion of his autobiographical argument is his thesis: his gospel comes from Jesus Christ Himself. He points to his master (Gal. 1:10), his message (Gal. 1:11), and his means (Gal. 1:12).
