Paul doesn't waste any time in his letter to the churches of Galatia. They had come under attack from false teachers and were being persuaded to desert the true gospel—what Jesus did on the cross is totally sufficient to save us—for a false gospel—we have to add to what Jesus did with at least some of our works. Paul makes sure these churches know that he is not speaking on his own terms; rather, he is speaking exactly what Jesus told him face-to-face. He reminds them (and us!) that Jesus + Nothing = Everything. What Jesus did on the cross is totally sufficient to save us from our sins and adopt us into the family of God. In fact, Paul mentions four distinct characteristics of the cross:

1. The willingness of Jesus' cross—"He gave himself..."
2. The purpose of Jesus' cross—"He gave himself for our sins..."
3. The effect of Jesus' cross—"He gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age..."
4. The origin of Jesus' cross—"He gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of God our Father, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen."

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