The first verse of Galatians firmly established who Paul is, "Paul, an apostle - sent not from men nor by man but by Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised him from the dead". One translation puts it, "Paul, an apostle, (not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ. and God the Father who raised him from the dead.)" There is a subtle difference in translations the key point however is that Paul is not representing men be they apostles or others within the church but Jesus Christ and God the Father.
Today we have ministers who are working for someone, the church council, the bishop or someone else in authority. However, Paul was not sent by the apostles nor by their disciples but was sent directly by God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ who selected him before he was even born (verse 15). Therefore Paul was able to speak with authority not because he was well trained, well educated, and well liked but because and only because he was sent by God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ who gave him his authority. Paul needed to confirm his office because there where those who were challenging his authority as an apostle. He was called last, he wasn't part of the original twelve, he did not walk with Jesus but was called after the crucifiction therefore according to some he was not as authoritative as Peter, the other apostles or even the disciples of the apostles some of whom walked with Jesus and heard His teachings directly. To this Paul simply refers them back to his calling to apostleship by God and Jesus.
In the Greek the word apostle means, "one who is sent away" or "sent one" the meaning here is like an emissary or ambassador. An emissary or ambassador is not important in and of themselves but because of whom they represent. Paul is representing God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ and therefore may demand respect not for him personally but because of whom he represents. Paul spends much of the rest of the chapter giving his history both as a Jew and as an apostle. The main point is that because he is sent directly from God he is not seeking to get the approval of men for men did not send him but is seeking to please God who did send him. Too often today we in the church are seeking to be pleasing to our culture, our society. Paul clearly tells us we need to seek to be pleasing to God and God alone. Humans are fickle, changing with every fad, but our God is constant, the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. He is Lord of all and over all. Men and women and their philosophies pass away but the word of the Lord remains forever.
The third verse is unique to the epistles, "Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen." The terms grace and peace are important terms because they reflect back to the cross. Christ died for us that by His sacrifice we might be saved from the wrath to come and enter into God's mercy and grace. Grace releases us from the law of sin and death. Martin Luther writes in his commentary on Galatians, "Grace releases sin, and peace makes the conscience quiet. The two fiends that torment us are sin and conscience. But Christ has vanquished these two monsters, and trodden them under foot." What joy! we are no longer subject to the law that points out our sins but under the grace of God who because of the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross makes us righteous, not by our works but by His work! It is like the old hymn; Jesus paid it all, All to Him I owe; Sin had left a crimson stain, He washed it white as snow.
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