Paul's Epistle to the Galatians
Paul's Epistle to the Galatians
1. Historically, the Galatians as a people had come into the central highlands of what is now Turkey around the Third Century B.C. as part of an ongoing great Celtic migration out of central Europe. This migration extended also across western Europe and into what is now known as the British Isles and their language is still spoken in portions thereof. Historical records show an overlap of the terms Celtic and Gallic. Their region was once called Gallo Graecia and was made a ...
Paul's Epistle to the Galatians
1. Historically, the Galatians as a people had come into the central highlands of what is now Turkey around the Third Century B.C. as part of an ongoing great Celtic migration out of central Europe. This migration extended also across western Europe and into what is now known as the British Isles and their language is still spoken in portions thereof. Historical records show an overlap of the terms Celtic and Gallic. Their region was once called Gallo Graecia and was made a ...
Paul's Epistle to the Galatians
1. Historically, the Galatians as a people had come into the central highlands of what is now Turkey
around the Third Century B.C. as part of an ongoing great Celtic migration out of central Europe.
This migration extended also across western Europe and into what is now known as the British
Isles and their language is still spoken in portions thereof. Historical records show an overlap of
the terms Celtic and Gallic. Their region was once called Gallo Graecia and...
Paul's Epistle to the Galatians
1. Historically, the Galatians as a people had come into the central highlands of what is now Turkey around the Third Century B.C. as part of an ongoing great Celtic migration out of central Europe. This migration extended also across western Europe and into what is now known as the British Isles and their language is still spoken in portions thereof. Historical records show an overlap of the terms Celtic and Gallic. Their region was once called Gallo Graecia and was made a ...
Paul's Epistle to the Galatians
1. Historically, the Galatians as a people had come into the central highlands of what is now Turkey around the Third Century B.C. as part of an ongoing great Celtic migration out of central Europe. This migration extended also across western Europe and into what is now known as the British Isles and their language is still spoken in portions thereof. Historical records show an overlap of the terms Celtic and Gallic. Their region was once called Gallo Graecia and was made a ...
2. Paul had profited (v. 14) in his former religion, which had a tradition of equating gain with godliness and redemption. 1PE 1:18.
A. profit: intr. To make progress; to advance, go forward; to improve, prosper, grow, increase
(in some respect). Obs.
(1) Paul had advanced in the Jews' religion, and it is a general rule that systems
promote those who further their interests, not the interests of something contrary.
a. He had been a Pharisee, “...the most straitest sect of our religion...”
(ACT 26:5). ...
vs. 15-16
1. Paul here sets forth his conversion to Christ from the Jews’ religion and the bondage of sin’s deception.
A. As a Pharisee trusting in his own righteousness to justify him before God, he would have been convinced that he was free. JOH 8:33.
B. But his overlooking of the covetousness that condemned him before God made him also overlook that he was not free. JOH 8:34.
C. “None are more hopelessly enslaved than those who falsely believe they are free.” (J.W. von Goethe)
Galatians 1-1-17 Page ...
C. “...immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood” (v. 16).
(1) What need is there for a conference when the instruction is clear and directly from
the Source?
a. “Always drink upstream from the herd. Even the Water of Life is purest
before it has input from a corrupt creation.” (PWB)
b. Corruptible flesh and blood (1CO 15:50) had not revealed the truth to Paul:
his gospel was “...not after man...” (GAL 1:11-12) so why seek confirmation
of men?
c. NOTE: It is a general trend of our nature, whe...
F. What Paul experienced in conversion and suffering gave rest, comfort and growth to the
churches. ACT 9:30-31.
(1) God knows that seasons of relief are needed. 1PE 5:10.
(2) Seasons of peace should promote the building of God’s house. 1CH 22:9-10.
(3) Seasons of challenge need not halt the building of God’s house.
EZR 4:23-24; 5:1-2 c/w HAG 1:2-4.
(4) The word of God (by which the house of God is built numerically and spiritually) is to be advanced in all seasons. 2TI 4:2.
vs. 21-24.
1. Having escaped Je...
Chapter 2
The first half of this chapter is Paul's account of the great church council at Jerusalem (ACT 15). That council convened because of the Judaizers’ infiltration of the Antioch church (ACT 14:26 – 15:2). It was for the express purpose of deciding what aspects of Mosaic law and ritual, (particularly circumcision) should be binding upon Gentile Christians and whether they should be conditions for eternal justification. Thus, its determinations had a direct application to the Galatians. Paul's gospel ...
B. Regrettably, false prophets/teachers all too often find reservoirs prepared to receive their polluting doctrine. The unstable, morally weak and the disaffected are drawn to the tune of these Pied Pipers. 2PE 2:14; 2TI 4:2-4.
C. Heretics (those who openly advance contrary doctrine) must be warned before rejection.
TIT 3:10.
(1) They may be ignorantly advancing heresy and only need compassionate correction.
(2) But if they insist on opposing the truth (and themselves), they must be identified as hereti...
3. The events of the Jerusalem council were important and relevant to Paul’s letter. ACT 15:6-29.
A. Peter reminded the church that when he first was sent to the house of Cornelius, God made it very clear to him and his Jewish companions that He had His children among the Gentiles (ACT 15:6-9). God demonstrated His acceptance of believing, uncircumcised (and as yet unbaptized) Gentiles as brethren by giving the Holy Ghost to them as He had done to the Jewish believers at Pentecost. ACT 10:34-35, 44-45; 11:...
4. As Paul rehearses the determination of the Jerusalem council, he refers to James, Peter (Cephas, JOH 1:42) and John as pillars. v. 9.
A. Pillars are prominent supports in great structures. So it is with the apostles. EPH 2:20; REV 21:14.
B. The man who walks by faith will be made a pillar in God's house. 1JO 5:4-5 c/w REV 3:12; JER 1:18.
C. It is a comfort to the faithful who overcome temptations and trials that, as in times past, the King stands by the pillar. 2KI 11:14; 23:3; ACT 27:23; 2TI 4:17; MAT 2...
vs. 15-21.
1. Paul here says to Peter, “We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles,” (v. 15).
A. Paul is certainly not insinuating that Jews have no sin. c/w ROM 3:9.
B. A contrast is simply being drawn between the Jews to whom pertained the adoption, glory, covenants, law, and promises (ROM 9:4) and the late-comer Gentiles who were “...graffed in among them...” (ROM 11:17) and were spiritually Jews. ROM 2:28-29.
(1) The gospel was first to the Jews informing them of Christ’s justifying work...
F. Thus, saints should desire to BE found in Him having a righteousness “...which is through the faith of Christ” (PHIL 3:9), not their own faith (which is a law-work). EPH 2:8-9.
(1) Compare desire “...to BE found in Him...” (PHIL 3:9) with “...we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might BE justified by the faith of Christ...” (GAL 2:16).
a. Compare the use of the word “be” in GAL 2:16-17 with “be” in 2CO 6:14-18; MAT 5:44-45.
b. These texts are obviously not setting forth conditions to procure sonship...
6. In vs. 19-21, Paul emphasizes the fact that the law, with all of its ineffective sacrifices, ordinances and impossible requirements (ACT 15:10; GAL 3:10; HEB 10:1-4) had served its purpose, and its purpose was never to produce the righteousness of God in sinners.
A. Sinners might be credited with righteousness for acts of righteousness that conformed to God’s law (DEU 6:24-25) but a nature of sin interrupted by occasional acts of righteousness is NOT the righteousness of God Who “...is righteous in AL...
Chapter 3
Having reminded them of the doctrine to which they had been initially converted, the precedent established at the Jerusalem council and the error of Peter at Antioch, Paul now directs his rebuke at the Galatians. In the light of such evidence and their own experience, how could they so easily be drawn into the designs of the Judaizers? It is a concern of the man of God that serious labors to show men the way of truth are received with apparent shallowness and that without constant ...
4. As Paul carries on (v. 2), he poses an obvious question which the Galatians seem to have overlooked: had they received the Spirit by keeping law-works like circumcision or by hearing about Jesus Christ faithfully fulfilling the law for them? Had the Spirit come upon the church under the dispensation of the law/O.T. from Moses or under the dispensation of faith/grace/N.T. from Jesus Christ? JOH 1:14, 17 c/w ROM 3:21.
A. The dispensation of the Law wound down with the dawning of the N.T. gospel ...
vs. 5-9.
1. Continuing on, Paul reminds them that the blessings and ministration of the Spirit which were peculiar to the N.T. gospel church were theirs to enjoy, not by law-works like circumcision, the “do and live” righteousness of Moses’ Law, etc., but by hearing the gospel of Christ and turning submissively to Him. This was the great lesson of ACT 10. He then makes an appropriate comparison with Abraham.
2. v. 5 asks another obvious/rhetorical question: “He therefore that ministereth to you th...
v. 10-14
The law of Moses was a great blessing to its recipients (ROM 3:1-2) but when relied upon to secure eternal justification, it became a curse. v. 10 c/w ROM 3:19.
“under the law” (GAL 3:23; 4:4-5, 21) = “under the curse.”
(1) “under the law” contrasts with “under grace” (ROM 6:14-15), God’s favor freely bestowed without condition upon unworthy, incapable sinners.
(2) Righteousness by the law is a frustration of grace. GAL 1:21.
<...
D. This grafting of Gentiles into the commonwealth of Israel (EPH 2:12) on the basis of faith without regard to fleshly circumcision was, like the convicting miracles that had been worked among the uncircumcised believers (JOH 15:24-25; GAL 3:5), part of the overall package God had designed to provoke natural Israel to jealousy. ROM 10:17-21.
(1) Jews saw a momentum of Divine favor shifting before their eyes.
(2) They would be jealously angered (ROM 10:19), either towards the blindness of themselves and ...
1. In these verses, Paul sets forth that:
A. the Law was added after the promises were made to Abraham and Christ.
B. the Law was added because of transgressions. Sin remained at large after the promises.
C. the Law was good but could not give life and righteousness.
D. Scripture always taught that all men are under sin.
E. the Law was a temporary covenant.
F. the Law was a schoolmaster directing us to Christ.
G. the Law Covenant was not directly spoken to the people by God.
H. a particular faith came wh...
vs. 26-29.
1. “For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus” (v. 26).
A. Mind that this chapter shows that the Abraham’s faith preceded the Law and was
associated with the inheritance of promise. vs. 6-8, 16-18.
(1) Not only did Abraham’s faith precede the Law, it preceded circumcision (the
unnecessary ritual that was being imposed upon the Galatian saints for
justification). ROM 4:10-11.
...
b. It is especially the property of believers (v. 22): they demonstrate rightful
claim on the covenant of promise on the basis of their faith, not of
circumcision or law-works justification, even as Abraham was shown to be
righteous without circumcision or the Law of Moses. The promise of life is
not in law but in Christ. v. 21 c/w 2TI 1:1.
...
F. The order of the O.T. was that of a servant but the order of the N.T. is that of sons, a
position of excellence which shall not be abrogated but perfected eternally. EPH 3:21.
(1) Remember Jesus’s words: “And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but
the Son abideth ever” (JOH 8:35).
(2) This agrees with what Paul addresses later in this chapter: the casting away of false
cl...
vs. 12-16.
1. Paul here assures them that the bond betweem them and himself has not been broken, though it has
been stretched, and he rhetorically asks them what changed their minds.
A. Paul shows himself to be a longsuffering dresser of the vineyard. c/w LUK 13:6-9.
B. God is wont to preserve something largely decayed for the sake of a small amount of good
still in it. GEN 18:32; ISA 65:8.
C. That some churches survive is owing more to Go...
vs. 17-20.
1. vs. 17-18 set forth pros and cons of emotional thinking.
A. zeal: In biblical language... denoting ardent feeling or fervour...
B. The Greek word translated zealously affect(ed) is “zeloo” (SRN G2206) and means to have
warmth of feeling for or against.
C. The false teachers in Galatia were manipulating the emotions of the Galatians toward
themselves and away from Paul and the true gospel of Jesus Christ.
(1) ...
vs. 21-31.
1. Paul here sets forth a powerful illustrative argument drawn from real history, not from a fable.
A. If the Genesis account of Abraham were little more than a shepherd’s campfire story, Paul’s
use of it would be as vain as the Ephesian townclerk’s reasoning in ACT 19:35-36.
B. Christian faith is rooted in fact, not fable, and is not in conflict with genuine science.
2PE 1:16; 1TI 6:20.
C. If you can’t trust Genesis...
Chapter 5.
vs. 1-6.
1. The conjunctive adverb, “therefore,” ties this concluding order with what has been previously
expressed. v. 1.
A. In their Gentile superstitions before conversion, they were in bondage to weak and
beggarly elements of the world even as others (GAL 4:3, 9) and a reversion to that
bondage implied the preeminence of self over a Savior who died in vain. GAL 2:21.
B. The children of promise are so through Christ, no...
vs. 7-12.
1. Paul here addresses unnamed troublers. GAL 5:7, 10, 12.
A. When church troublers are identified, they should be marked, named.
ROM 16:17; 2TH 3:14; 2TI 2:16-18.
(1) The only named “problem children” in this epistle were Peter and Barnabas who
needed a friendly reproof in another situation. GAL 2:11-14.
(2) Even in that case, the underlying problem was the influential portion of “the
...
vs. 13-18.
1. The thrust of this chapter now shifts from the doctrinal error and implications of law-works
justification to the practice of Christian living by and according to the Spirit.
A. The basis for spiritual living in Christ is first being born of the Spirit. JOH 3:5-8.
(1) This is the work of God, not sinful flesh. JOH 6:63; TIT 3:5.
a. Natural generation is the principle of biogenesis: life from life.
...
vs. 19-26.
1. Paul continues his theme of “spirit v. flesh” by laying out plainly things which are the works of the
flesh and things which are the fruit of the Spirit.
A. These details highlight the fact that Christ’s kingdom is a spiritual kingdom not of this
world. JOH 18:36; LUK 17:20-21.
B. The fruit of the Spirit is expected in the kingdom of God and is actually part of the
inheritance.
(1) They accord...