This will be a study on the  book of Galatians.  To start with, I want to read a few verses from the first chapter, but then I want to back up and look at some passages that I think will be beneficial to the study, and help us get a deeper understanding of the book.  

In the first chapter Paul says in verse 1:6-7 (NLT):

“I am shocked that you are turning away so soon from God, who called you to himself through the loving mercy of Christ.  You are following a different way that pretends to be the Good News (7) but is not the Good News at all.  You are being fooled by those who deliberately twist the truth concerning Christ.” 

In verse 11-12 (N LT) Paul says:

“Dear brothers and sisters, I want you to understand that the gospel message I preach is not based on human reasoning. (12) I received my message from no human source, and no one taught me.  Instead I received it by direct revelation of Jesus Christ.” 

This is confirmed in 2 Corinthians 12:2-4a (NLT):

“I was caught up to the third heaven fourteen years ago.  Whether I was in my body or out of my body, I don’t know—only God knows.  (3) Yes, only God knows whether I was in my body or outside my body.  But I know (4) that I was caught up to paradise and heard things…

My comments:  I believe what Paul heard when he was caught up into the third heaven, were revelations from Jesus, and that is what Paul is passing on to us in his writing to the various churches.  So what is the true Gospel message that Paul heard from Jesus and preached to the churches? 

I want to take a look at the message Paul preached in various places.  

In the book of Acts, we can actually read a full sermon that Paul preached in the synagouge in Antioch.  And then in ohter Epistles we can see excerpts that Paul wrote to various churches as Rome, Corinth, Ephesus, and Philippi.  And that will give us a good understanding of what Paul was preaching, which was the true Gospel.

So let's first go to Acts chapter 13, when Paul and Barnabas were in the synogogue on the Sabbeth Day.  Verse 15 tells us that after the usual readings from the book of Moses and the Prophets the leaders of the service invited Paul to get up and give any words of encouragent that they might have.  So Paul got up and addressed the congregation as, "Men of Israel, and you God fearing Gentiles."  He went back to the beginning of the Salvation message, and talked about God choosing the ancestors of the Israelite nation and leading them out of slavery in Egypt, and then told the story about brining them into the Promised Land.  I won't retell the complete sermon here, I would encourage you to go to Acts chapter 13 and read the whole passage for yourself.  Here I just want to focus on the parts of the sermon that highlight the Gospel message of salvation. 

In Acts 13:23 it tells us that from David's lineage God brought Isreal a Savior, and then in verse 26 Paul said,  “Brothers, sons of Abraham, and to those that among you who fear God, to us has been sent the message of salvation.  Then verses 27-30 tell us about the rulers in Jerusalem putting Jesus to death on the cross, and then God raising him from the dead and appearing to the men in Galilee.  Then in verse32-33 it says “And now we are here to bring you this Good News.  The promise was made to our ancestors, (33) and God has now fulfilled it for us, their descendants, by raising Jesus.  This is what the second Psalm says about Jesus: ‘You are my Son, Today I have become your Father.’ “

Then jump down to verse 38-39 “Brothers listen! We are here to proclaim that through this man Jesus there is forgiveness for your sins. (39) Everyone who believes in him is declared right with God—something the law of Moses could never do.” 

also want to look at verse 38b-39 in the King James Version:

“…through this man is preached to you the forgiveness of sins: (39) And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could never be justified by the law of Moses.” 

 So to summarize what we just read, Paul was telling us in verse 16 and 26 that the salvation message was for Israel or (the sons of Abraham,) as well as for the Gentiles. So, in other words, the message he was preaching was for EVERYONE.   In verse 32 Paul explains that they were there for the purpose of bringing them the Good News.  In verse 38 and 39 Paul tells them what that Good News (or the Gospel message) is: That through Jesus everyone can be forgiven of their sins and made right with God, IF they believe in Jesus.  He also clarifies that the Law of Moses could never justify anyone or make them right with God.