Paul, an apostle, (not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead;)
Judaizing teachers persuaded the Galatians that Paul had taught them the new religion imperfectly and at second hand; that the founder of their church himself possessed only a deputed commission, the seal of truth and authority being in the apostles at Jerusalem; moreover, that whatever he might profess among them, he had himself at other times, and in other place, given way to the doctrine of circumcision. To refute this, he appeals to the history of his conversion, and to the manner of his conferring with the apostles when he met them at Jerusalem: that so far was his decline from being derived from them, or they from exercising any superiority over him, that they had simply assented to what he had already preached among the Gentiles, which preaching was communicated, not by them to him, but by himself to them. Such an apologetic letter could not be a later forgery, the objections which it meets only coming out incidentally, not being obtruded as they would be by a forger; also being such as could only arise in the earlier age of the Church, when Jerusalem and Judaism still held a prominent place.
Apostle - here in the highest sense; not as in 2 Corinthians 8:23; Philippians 2:25; 1 Thessalonians 2:6; Romans 16:7 means, 'as being persons who are favourably reported of among the apostles' (Fritzsche in Ellicott). In the earliest letters-the two to the Thessalonians-through humility, he uses no title of authority, but associates with him "Silvanus and Timotheus;" yet here, though "brethren" (Galatians 1:2) are with him, he does not name them, but puts his own name and apostleship prominent, evidently because his apostolic commission needs now to be vindicated against deniers.
Of, х apo (G575)] - 'from;' the ultimate origin from which his mission came; 'not from men,' but from Christ and the Father.
By, х dia (G1223)] expresses the mediating agent. Not only was the call from God as its source, but 'by Christ and His (Ellicott) Father' as the immediate Agent (so entirely are they One, that the immediate agency proper to the Son is attributed to both) (cf. Acts 22:15; Acts 26:16-18). The laying on of Ananias' hands (Acts 9:17) is no objection, for that was but a sign of the call, not an assisting cause. So the Holy Spirit calls him (Acts 13:2-3): he was an apostle before this special mission.
Man - singular, to mark the contrast to "Jesus Christ." The opposition between "Christ" and "man," and his name being put in closest connection with God the Father, imply His Godhead.
Raised him from the dead - implying that though he had not seen Him in His humiliation, as the other apostles (which was made an objection against him), he had seen and been constituted an apostle by Him in His resurrection power (Matthew 28:18; Romans 1:4-5; 1 Corinthians 9:1; 1 Corinthians 15:8). Compare also, as to the ascension, the consequence of the resurrection, and the cause of His giving "apostles," Ephesians 4:11. He rose again, too, for our justification (Romans 4:25). Thus Paul prepares the way for the prominent subject, justification in Christ, not by the law.