OPENING SALUTATIONS

The writers of the Bible use a number of different literary forms to communicate their message. There is historical prose, drama, biography, poetry, proverb and prophecy. But one of the most distinct forms in the New Testament is the epistle.

The epistles of the New Testament are personal letters written both to individuals and to churches. I can think of no other literary device more designed to communicate on a personal level. It is the form of intimate relationship.

Whenever the mail is delivered to our house, I go through it very briefly to sort out what to open and what to discard. I look for what we commonly refer to as "junk" mail. These are not personal letters but actually mass mailings designed to appear personal. It will be addressed to me, so the only way I can tell that it is junk mail is to check the return address. When people wrote letters in the ancient world, they always followed a specified format.

Any number of examples of this format can be found both in the pages of the Bible as well as in ancient letters brought to us via archaeology.

In each of these examples, the entire greeting would take place within the equivalent of a single verse. And yet Paul takes up five verses to give us his opening salutation in this epistle. Why? It is because he will utilize the format of the salutation to introduce the message of his letter. This is not filler material so that the real epistle can start in verse 6. This introduction is foundational to his message and sets the stage for everything that is to follow.

Before we start with the concept of an apostle, let us take a step back and say something about the name "Paul." When he is first introduced in the book of Acts, his name is not "Paul" but rather "Saul."

It has been customary to think that Paul CHANGED his name from its original "Saul" to "Paul" so that he could better identify with the Gentiles (Saul is a Hebrew name, while Paul is a Latin name). However, I do not believe that this is completely the case. In the days in which Paul lived, all Roman citizens had THREE names.

All Roman citizens possessed three of these names. Here are a few well-known examples...

• Gaius Julius Caesar

• Publius Cornelius Scipio

• Lucius Sergius Paulus

As you can see in the above example, PAULUS was a cognomen. It was ALWAYS used as a cognomen. As such, it was a family name.

Although Paul was a Jew, he had also been born as a citizen of Roman (Acts 22:28). At some time in the past, one of his ancestors has been "adopted" into one of the families of Rome and given a Roman name. Thus, when Paul uses this name for himself, he is not making it up. He is merely using one of his names which would serve to better identify himself with the Gentiles. It is rightfully his own name.

It was customary when identifying yourself in a letter to include whatever official titles might be yours. Paul does this when he calls himself an apostle.

Our word "apostle" is a transliteration of the Greek word apostolos. The Hebrew counterpart of this word was the sheliach. A well-known Hebrew proverb states: "The authority of the send one (sheliach) is equal to that of the sender." Thus authority is inherent in the term "apostle" from both its Greek and Hebrew backgrounds.

While the word "apostle" comes from the root verb "to send from" it seems to have a more specific meaning. Indeed, the Greeks of the Peloponnesian Wars used this as a military term for the admiral of their fleet who was "commissioned" with a special duty. When used in this sense, it seems to speak of one who is sent out with special AUTHORITY. The authority of the apostle was dependent upon the authority of the one who sent him out.

1. Stated in the Negative.

2. Stated in the Positive.

For the last four thousand years the plains of central Anatolia have been a smelting pot of a multitude of ethnic groups and races. From earliest history invading armies have marched through this land. This was the scene for the Hittite Civilization. Then came wave after wave of invaders -- the Phrygians, the Assyrians, the Lydians. And then came the armies of Cyrus, Darius, Xerxes and Alexander.

In the 3rd century before Christ a great migration of Germanic tribes began a push that was to influence the entire ancient world. There were three different groups involved in these movements:

• The Gauls moved into France.

• The Celts moved across the English Channel into Britain.

• The Galatians crossed the Hellespont and moved into central Anatolia. They were stopped in their eastward push by the Seleucid king Antiochus and they settled in the highlands south of the Halys River.

The Galatians came under the rule of Rome in 25 B.C. when the region was divided up into a series of Roman provinces. Thus when you spoke of the Galatians, there were two ideas which could be designated:

1. Old Galatia: This was made up of all of the lands in which the Gauls had settled throughout the central territories of Anatolia.
2. The Roman Province of Galatia: Included not only the northern territories but also most of the cities in the south that Paul and Barnabas had visited during their First Missionary Journey.

Paul and Barnabas came to the Province of Galatia during their first missionary journey. Coming up from the ocean, they moved from city to city, setting up churches as they went. Each of these cities had a mixed population of both Jews and Gentiles. It was from the Jewish synagogues that the greatest opposition arose.

As Paul writes this epistle, it is evident that the Jewish opposition has now taken a new form. It will be in the teaching that it is necessary for one to be circumcised and become a Jewish proselyte in order to become a Christian.

Notice the brevity of Paul's description of his recipients: Paul... and all the brethren who are with me, to the churches of Galatia. This is the only time in any of Paul's epistles that he does not include some qualifying statement when addressing a church.

• To all who are beloved of God in Rome, called as saints (Romans 1:7).

• To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, saints by calling (1 Corinthians 1:2).

• To the church of God which is at Corinth with all the saints who are throughout Achaia (2 Corinthians 1:1).

• To the saints who are at Ephesus, and who are faithful in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 1:1).

• To all the saints who are in Philippi, including the overseers and deacons (Philippians 1:1).

• To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ who are at Colossae (Colossians 1:2).

• To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ (1 Thessalonians 1:1 and 2 Thessalonians 1:1).

There is no such qualifying statement made in this epistle. It is unique. Paul does not thank God for the Galatians. He does not praise them. He does not even state that they are in Christ. He has nothing good to say to them. Why is this?

It is because he has received news that they are in the process of turning from the faith. They are denying that the death of Christ was sufficient in and of itself to save them. Their position does not lend itself to thanksgiving. There is nothing to be praised in what they are doing. It is even questionable as to whether they are really saved.

Even the Corinthians with all of their sinful practices are referred to as those who have been sanctified (1 Corinthians 1:2). But the Galatians are in the process of denying the very basis of any possible sanctification.

The normal greeting found in most ancient letters was only one or two words. But Paul takes it much further than this to use it as the introduction for his epistle.

Most letters contained the single word chairein ("greeting"). An example of this is seen in the salutation of James 1:1. But instead of the usual chairein, Paul uses charis ("grace"). And that is not all. He also adds the word "peace."

The Hebrew equivalent (shalom) was used by the Hebrews as the greeting in the beginning of their letters, just as chairein was used by the Greeks. Thus, Paul's greeting combines the Greek and the Hebrew salutations into one greeting.

1. Grace and Peace.

2. The Source of Grace and Peace: God our Father… the Lord Jesus Christ (Galatians 1:3).

1. The Gift of the Gospel: Who gave Himself for our sins (1:4).

2. The Goal of the Gospel: So that He might rescue us from this present evil age (1:4).

3. The Plan of the Gospel: According to the will of our God and Father (1:4).

4. The Glory of the Gospel: To whom be the glory forevermore. Amen (Galatians 1:5).