1v1-2 Paul and the brothers

This will be brief. Paul introduces himself as an apostle. Distinct from other Christians in this. He is the apostle to the Gentiles. The abnormally born one. But nonetheless not that abnormally born - his was appointed by Jesus not by Christians. More on that later in chapter 1.

Notice that he writes with the brothers who are with him, to the brothers in the churches of Galatia (v2,11) . The gospel that Paul is devoting himself to defending and propogating is one that creates a people. A family who will be found in Christ - gathering Jews and Greeks, slave and free, male and female into one new family. And as they live the Christian life the way they relate to one another will be evidence of their faith in the risen Christ.

Paul's visit to Jerusalem (ch2) will be about the integrity of the apostles doctrine and about his fellowship with them. Peter's crime (ch2) will be as much about the food he wont eat as about the people he refuses to eat with. Spirit-led living (ch5) will be concerned with the way Christians relate to one another - do they bite or do they love?

Jesus as we often miss the resurrection we also often miss the community. Paul writes to the church, concerned not just with individual Christian living but with the faith of the community of the Spirit. He writes out of concern for thefuture of those in Christ.