---
title: Galatians 1:3
url: https://jw-apologetics.app/verses/galatians-1-3/
markdown: https://jw-apologetics.app/verses/galatians-1-3.md
type: verse
perspective: Protestant (historic Nicene) response to Jehovah's Witness teaching
reference: Galatians 1:3
testament: NT
section: Letters
index: https://jw-apologetics.app/llms.txt
---

# Galatians 1:3

## Text (Berean Standard Bible)

> Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ,

## NWT Wording of the Key Phrase

- NWT (2013 revision): "May you have undeserved kindness and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ."

## JW Usage

Jesus appears beside the Father in the greeting because he is Jehovah's chief representative — the channel through whom blessing reaches the congregation. JWs read the fact that Paul distinguishes "God our Father" from "the Lord Jesus Christ" as proof they are two distinct beings of different rank, and point to 1 Corinthians 8:6, where "one God the Father" is set against "one Lord Jesus Christ."

## Protestant Usage

This is a pickaxe argument — work one observation and let the pattern persuade. Open the NWT here and read it aloud: "May you have undeserved kindness and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ." Then ask which preposition governs the two names. There is one "from," and it covers both. Father and Son are named jointly as the source. Now go back to where grace and peace come from in the Hebrew Scriptures. Numbers 6:24-26 is the priestly blessing: the LORD bless you and keep you, the LORD make his face shine on you and be gracious to you, the LORD give you peace. Grace and peace flow from Jehovah, and from no one else. Paul is echoing that blessing and adding Jesus as co-source. On the 1 Corinthians 8:6 objection, get in first. Paul is not demoting Jesus there; he is splitting the Shema. Deuteronomy 6:4 in Greek says "the Lord our God, the Lord is one" — and Paul assigns "God" to the Father and "Lord," the Greek rendering of Yahweh, to Jesus. Compare 1 Corinthians 1:3, Philippians 1:2, 1 Thessalonians 3:11.

## Arguments Using This Verse

- [Paul's Greeting Puts Jesus Beside the Father](https://jw-apologetics.app/arguments/pauline-greeting-formula.md) — Galatians 1:1-3 — Co-Source of Grace and Peace [Deity of Christ]