The good news of the gospel is that the Lord Jesus was both fully human and fully God. In this way, he was able to fully represent humanity’s interests before God, and perfectly fulfill holy justice before God. In being both fully human and fully divine, the Lord Jesus was the only and perfect mediator to open up the way of peace between God and humanity.  

Easter is around the corner and for many of us, it is a time of the celebration of Christ’s resurrection. This is the time of year that we are reminded of Christ’s humanity, but also his divinity. Jesus Christ is not only a man, but he is also God. We can see proof of Jesus being Man and God throughout scripture. Today we are going to look at Jesus Christ as God, from the writings of Paul the Apostle in Galatians.

Writings of Paul in Galatians

From the writer of Galatian’s understanding (Paul the Apostle) Jesus Christ is not only a man, but is someone and something more than just a man. It doesn’t take long, just a few verses in Galatians to see how Paul understood and believed that Christ Jesus was divinely God.

In Galatians 1:1, at the very beginning of the letter Paul writes “Paul, an apostle—sent not from men nor by a man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father“.

In this very opening phrase, the church in Galatia was shown who was sending them this letter. This letter was from Paul, but who sent Paul? The authority of the letter was not just the authority of Paul. Paul writes that he has been sent. Who sent him? According to Paul, Jesus Christ, and God the Father. We might mistakenly think this is a division between the man Jesus and the God of Paul. But Paul lumps both Jesus Christ and God the Father together.

Why is This Compelling in Understanding Who Jesus Christ is?

Paul underscores that he has not been sent “from men nor by a man”. If Jesus Christ was only human, then this statement makes no sense and the sentence Paul writes is gravely confusing. But rather than being confusing, this introductory statement is clarifying. Paul leaves ZERO doubt for the Galatians he was writing to. Paul was on an errand of God. Who is that God according to Paul in verse 1? God is the Father and Jesus Christ. Paul has made a claim from the very get-go of the book of Galatians about the divinity of Jesus Christ.

At this point, some might say “Well….that’s just your understanding of one verse Jacob”

Alright, let’s keep reading Galatians past the introductory sentence. Let’s pick up again only a few words after verse 1, in verse 3:

3 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, 4 who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, 5 to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. (Galatians 1:3-5)

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