The Authorized (King James) Version:

Paul, an apostle, (not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead;)

Table of Contents:

Overview

The 1599 Geneva Bible:

Paul an Apostle (not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father which hath raised him from the dead.)

Expositional Theology

William Perkins (c. 1558 – 1602)

[A Commentary or Exposition, upon the Five First Chapters of the Epistle to the Galatians; (Cambridge, John Legat: c. 1604)]

I. Concerning Paul’s Apostolic Office and Calling

Verse 1. Paul an Apostle (not of men, nor by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the father, who raised him from the dead.)

A. Paul’s Self-Commendation to the Galatians

Paul is mentioned in the first verse. In which, in comely and decent manner he commends himself to the Galatians by his office and function’ [as Apostle] that is, one called to be a planter and founder of the Church of the New Testament among the nations. And because the title of an Apostle in general signification may agree to all teachers: therefore he goes further, and sets down the cause of his Apostleship.

B. The Negative Causes: What Paul’s Calling Is Not

1. Not of Men: And first he removes the false causes in these words [not of men] that is, not called by men as by Authors of my calling, or not called by the authority of men. And in this Paul opposes himself to the false-apostles, who were called not by God, but by men.

2. Not by Man: Again he says [not by man] that is, not called of God in and by the ministry of any mere man. And in this Paul opposes himself to all ordinary ministers of the Gospel whatsoever, who are called of God by man.

C. The Positive Cause: The True Author of Paul’s Apostleship

1. Called by Jesus Christ and God the Father

This done, he propounds the true cause and author of his Apostleship, of whom he was called immediately. Against this it may be objected, that Paul was ordained to be an Apostle by the imposition of hands of the Church of Antioch. I answer, that this imposition was rather a confirmation than a calling. Secondly, they of Antioch had not imposed hands on Paul, but that they were commanded by the spirit of God.

2. Three Reasons for Mentioning Both Christ and the Father

Further Paul adds that he was called by Christ [and God the father] for three causes:

The first, was to signify the consent of will in the father and Christ.
The second was to teach us how we are to conceive of God, namely that he is the Father, and Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost: for the Godhead may not be conceived out of the trinity of persons.
The third is, because the father is the fountain of all good things that come to us by Christ.

3. The Effect of the Father’s Action: The Resurrection

Lastly he sets down the effect or action of the Father [who raised him from the dead] and that for two causes:

a. To Prove Christ’s Divine Sonship

One was to prove Christ to be the natural son of God, for he professed himself to be so: and that was one cause why he was crucified and put to death. Now when he was dead, if he had not been the son of God indeed, he had never risen again but had perished in death. And in that the father raised him again to life, he gave testimony that he was his own natural son. And therefore Paul says that Christ was declared to be the son of God by the resurrection from the dead: and he applies the words of the Psalm, (thou art my son this day have I begotten thee) to the time of Christ’s resurrection.

b. To Note the Time of Paul’s Calling

Again, Paul mentions the resurrection of Christ, to note the time of his own calling: for though the rest of the Apostles were called when Christ was in the estate of humiliation yet Paul was called afterwards, when Christ was entered into his kingdom, and sat at the right hand of his father.