You who are spiritual. Really, is their anyone fearing this who thinks they are not spiritual? The problem developing is the the admonition to assist other Christians in time of need without either looking down on their misfortune and unwilling to help because of their their deluded high self opinion. The other end is is verse 4 where we try to get someone to do what we do, playing manipulative victim. Both are forms of stinky, icky pride. And pride, above all other sins, is the sin God detests more than any other.
For some reason, we seem to put up with pride, it is welcome and received almost everywhere. The humble person realizes that all they have comes as an unwarranted gift from a gracious God.
Other
Law of Christ: Love one another. Trespass, go off mark, not huge sin. Restore: to set a broken bone or mend a fishing net. The verse at 1 Cor 2:15 shows us the insight of the spiritually mature Christian.
Galatians 6:1-5
Loads and Burdens
Gal 6:2 Bear one another’s burdens, and thus fulfill the law of Christ. Burden is the Greek word baros- it means weight, excessive load, connotation is somebody puts a hundred pound rock in your backpack. As this verse says, these are to be shared among Christians; we were never supposed or expected to bear burdens alone.
Gal 6:5 For each one shall bear his own load. Load here is the Greek word phortion, it means a load, or a cargo. A cargo is something that one is expected to carry, my share of responsibility. I spend most of my working day, as a matter of fact, determining for my company’s package car drivers exactly what is a fair load, and not an excessive burden.
Galatians 6:6-10
V6: Please make checks payable to cash. (Joke) The other side of bearing loads and sharing burdens is the bearing of a preacher / pastor’s burden, the obligation of the church to support the ministry of the Word. In 1 Cor 9, Paul expands the idea of proper expectation of this ministry.
As is the Law of Love, so this giving is an evidence of the heart condition of the Christian. Jesus gives us the foundation in Luke 16:13 and its parallel Mat 6:24. Again, it’s not a requirement, but an evidence, a fruit of the spirit.
Galatians 6:11-18
Paul had eye problems, the thorn in his flesh (2 Cor 12:7) is believed to be an eye condition combined with this statement that Paul used large letters because he could not see well.
By having the Galatians jumping through the circus hoops of the Law, especially circumcision, these people sought to dominate the Galatians and anyone they could suck in.
But Paul understood better than most. He, as a dominant Pharisee recognized the power of domination by being chained to the Law, and ultimately to recognize its meaninglessness in being saved from one’s sins.
The Judaizers sought to mutilate the body with circumcision; Paul had been mutilated for Christ and the Gospel by the marks he bore:
2 Cor 11:25-33 shows three times beaten with rods (Acts 16:22),
Stoned in Acts 14:29, shipwrecked in Acts 27, jailed,
Let down in a basket to escape the Judaizers and on and on.
The message seems to be “Don’t tell me about body mutilation, I have lived it for Christ. The difference is that one is self-inflicted, the other, the result of preaching against (in essence) that very affliction!
Religious Spotlight – Walter Martin Cult of Liberal Christianity
Can we visit for a moment, you & I? How are you, friend? How have you been? No, really. I’d like to know. Specifically, how’s your week going? Is that all? Oh, wait, what else? And how much free time DO yo have? Wow! You are busy.
Aren’t you busy!
Well, if you’re reading this tiny post, on a tiny blog, in a vast sea of words and pixels and video and sound and distraction, you are probably looking for something on Galatians. Maybe you’re a Bible study teacher, maybe a student, possibly grabbing a picture or reference. Help yourself, by all means.
But you ARE a BUSY Christian. My goodness. Did you day you serve your church, maybe another or two or three miniseries. A pastor?
OK, one more question: Are you a Martha or a Mary? Of course I’m speaking of the story of Jesus visiting Mary and Martha. Mary sits at the feet of Jesus, and Martha makes lunch abad gets spun up because she’s working working working and Mary is (in her mind) lollygagging when there’s work to be done. See Luke 10:38-42 for the story if you’re not familiar. Go ahead, I’ll wait. I’d like to know how you rate yourself.
I thought so. Me too. I get spun up and writing, playing, practicing, studying, and my devotional life suffers. Luther suffered from this as well. He did stations of the Cross, fasting, indulgences, and a lot of other things until he came to the end of himself.
Ray Stedman described the moment:
“He (Martin Luther) was struck by a verse in the Psalms that said,
…in thy righteousness, deliver me! (Psalms 31:1 RSV) This gripped Martin Luther’s heart because the righteousness of God was to him a terrible thing — that unbendable righteous judgment by which God would destroy everyone who failed in the least degree to measure up to the full expectation of the holiness of God. Luther said that he even hated the word “righteousness.””
Source: Raystedman.org
There’s an old saw that goes “If the devil can’t make you sin, he’ll make you busy.” Busy is an enemy. It’s a treadmill and an idol that allows us to block out intimacy with God and people by salving our conscious by or works. It can run periliously close to works righteousness.
But our hearts are turned to Christ, so that, as we will see in chapter 6, we can be liberated from that yoke, provided we have spent time at the foot of the Master, and wear only His yoke, His light burden.
“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30
Galatians 5:1
This could very well be a summary verse for the book. Freedom is the purpose of the letter, and dedication to this or any other freedom requires diligence, since it is an unnatural human state. Our forefathers knew this well, and fashioned our Constitution in such a way as to prevent tyranny and bondage to be imposed on the citizenry. From the Declaration of Independence:+
“Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed.”
In other words, the government would rather change the rules for “efficiency and streamlining” and that we the people are more apt to put up with that cost. It took a bloody revolution to overthrow our shackles, and sadly, we are allowing ourselves to be fitted with a new shiny yoke.
Galatians 5:2-6
If you leave the Gospel, are on your own. And not only are you on your own, you have to walk a tightrope a thousand feet over the Grand Canyon. One slip, and you’re a goner.
So instead of the tightrope of Law, we place hope, not a nebulous expression of wishful worldly thinking, but a surety, because the basis of that hope is God Himself, and His proven promises. This makes works meaningless in terms of salvation. There true relationship will be expressed shortly. Note how Paul here an later makes dramatic allusions to severing body parts to emphasize his revulsion of works righteousness.
Galatians 5:7-12
Now Paul calls into question the knuckleheads who started this whole business of works-righteousness, and the how a little works must necessarily spread into all ares of religious life; it cannot remain a small part, for just as Paul (and James 1:10) says that a failure in one tenant, is a total failure of the Law.And there he goes again with the mutilation-emasculation, chopping off thing again. OK, I get it.
Chop chop
Galatians 5:13-15
Paul recaps this precious freedom, and repoints the way to the New Testament Law we keep because of love, the Law of Love.
This is Law is, in a sense, reactionary. That is,. instead of the works treadmill, our reaction to our love of Christ is to keep his commandments (John 14:15), which is to love one another (John 13:34) This is the impetus for service.
Galatians 5:16-24
It is the war of the ages, the old sinful nature (the flesh), vs the new spiritual nature. The winner is the nature you feed the most.Paul gives us two signposts to see how we are doing, Sin Circle, and Spirit Street.
Living on Sin Circle there’s your neighbors, and they are a miserable lot. I don’t know how I could get a night’s rest with these people living next to me. Ima Immoral would be knocking on the door when her husband was gone, Anger Anne would be yelling at the wee hours of the morning with her husband, Jealous Jack, while factious Phil, the neighborhood gossip would be collecting the local trash about you gossiping with Sorcerer Sal.
Over on Spirit Street, Joy is always baking pies, even with her Stage 3 cancer. She lives to help the neighbors. Gentle Jill is watching her kids play on the bikes on the sidewalk. She and her husband, Louis Love have the most beautiful well behaved kids. Self Control Sid has the most beautiful lawn and front yard you’d ever want to see. Started out as a rental, but Sid and his brother Paul Peace built it up, cleaned out the trash, painted it, and keep the place looking nice. Took a while, but they are proud to be members of Spirit Street.
Which neighborhood do you want to live in?
Galatians 5:25-26
The point is, being saved by grace and then truing to be pious to one up the guy ion the next pew with loud (and fake) piety on Sunday is not what makes a good work in the Spirit. Yielding to God is.
Memory Verse – “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Galatians 5:22b-23a
OK, a little cheesy for grownups. But you’ll memorize it if you listen…
Application – Root out and question your ministry. Are they being done to placate a guilty conscious? To impress people? Or are they coming as a heart-response to a beautiful God who has touched us forever by Hs grace and love?
We are given positions as Sons of God, not just justification. The word for child used here are little, under 15 children. The father gives a ceremony bringing the child into full sonship, a time determined by the father, and not an arbitrary age. The Toga Virillus was that ceremony, was given a robe and a ring. The ring was a signet, and gave him the same authority as the father. The Law never made anyone a son of God. Adoption – The word used here is the man’s own son. The Toga Virilis made him, literally placed as a full grown son of God. 1 Cor 2:9-10 shows that the Word of God can only be interpreted by the Spirit of God. The Spirit of God teaches us, quoting from Isa 64:4.Many people debate the name of God, Jehovah, G-d, YHWH, Yahweh. But we don’t call Hime by any of these names. We know Him as Abba, Father. Mark 14:36 Romans 8:15So the Spirit can teach us as newbs, or mature Christians. We need to take the first step to be willing to learn. Romans 8:9-16 parallels this abridgement.We can believe that piety or baptism of the HS is the only way to have an experience as a son of God. No a brand new believer is a son of God. Of the two, truth comes before experience.
Galatians 4:8-11
The fulness of time is what Paul shows, though he dos not say it outright: God chose to wait until “the fulness of time.8-9 Known of God is approved or recognized by God. In 9 it is the experiential knowledge of God (after the truth, the Word of God.) Turning to Law is going back to idolatry. dDays months, seasons, and years are from the OT Law feasts, sabbaths, sabbatic year, new years, year of Jubilee, etc. It’s worthless.
Galatians 4:12-20
There is commonality between Paul and the Galatians. Paul reminds them of their kindness. He is being polite in this harsh rhetoric. v 17-18: references 2 Cor 11:12, This is the universal hook of the cults: to affirm the new cult convert for no good purpose but to add a notch to their crooked Bible, not for your good. Rather be zealous for the right *truthful) things of God, not false zeal for the cults. Gal 4:19-20 A tender note for those born again, as a tender father or mother wanting to gather in his little ones, like a quail covey guarded by the parents.
Galatians 4:21-26
Mc Gee points out here that most most people who follow the Ten Commandments don’t really hear it in light of the terror and majesty of its giving to Moses in Exo 19:16-25 and Exo 20:18-22. Being sinners is a terrible thing. Paul then uses allegory to show the difference between the promise (freedom) of the child of Sara, and the flesh (slavery) of the slave girl Hagar. In Abraham’s day, the son of a slave was a slave, as well as Rome. Also, there is a comparison of Mt Sinai and Jerusalem.
Galatians 4:27-31
Since we are born again, we too are spiritual children of Abraham as we previously saw in Chapter 3.V 29 Gen 21:9 reminds us that like Sara, we too are going to be reviled for preaching the Gospel. The natural man is at odds ands hates the Gospel because he cannot accept the Holy Spirit 1 Cor 2:14Lose the fleshly self, put on Christ.
Captain Edward J Smith of the Titanic – Choke Artist
This week we feature our Gallery of Great Choke Artists:
Poor Gus. Gustavus Adolphus, King of Sweden (1594-1632), disdained the steel armour offered by his aides at the Battle of Lützen, saying: “The Lord God is my Armour!” Yes, the Battle of Lutzen was indeed in 1632.
Peter Crawford’s self-defence in a New York court suffered slightly after he asked the key witness: “Did you get a good look at my face when I snatched your bag?”
Rommel decided that he could go home to celebrate his wife’s birthday because Normandy was so quiet in June 1944.
This was Sir William Preece, chief engineer of the General Post Office, in 1876: “The Americans have need of the telephone, but we do not. We have plenty of messenger boys.”
t took 177 years to build, but the Pisa’s famous tower began to lean less than a decade after construction began. The enormous project was planned on unstable soil, and had a shallow three metre foundation which couldn’t support the structure’s weight. After extensive renovations, the tower has now stopped moving for the first time in its history.
Maj Gen John Sedgwick (1813-1864) was unimpressed by Confederate sniper fire at the Battle of Spotsylvania. “They couldn’t hit an elephant at this distance!” Five points for the first person to identify when the battle took place…
And topping our list, Captain Edward J. Smith, captain of the RMS Titanic, the largest passenger steamship in the world, was popularly believed to be unsinkable. The huge loss of life that occurred when it crashed into an iceberg in 1912 was due partly to an inadequate supply of lifeboats, and partly to design flaws – including an unreliable system of watertight compartments, and poor quality rivets in the ship’s hull.
Exasperated? So was Paul at the Galatians. His chastisement of the Galatians might be made today as Snap out of it, you knuckleheads. What were you thinking?
Sources: BBC Magazine Daily Telegraph
Paul Rebukes Peter
Galatians 3:1-5
First comes the argument of personal experience. They became Christians by faith, and they knew it. And Paul calls them out with this chastisement.
Galatians 3:6-9
Next comes the comparison of their faith with Abraham’s, appealing to the Old Testament, thereby knocking the argument that salvation required following the Law out the door. Because the Judaizers needed reminding that Abraham’s salvation came before there was a Law to keep. Gen 12:3And that includes Gentiles, because, in a real sense, Abraham was a Gentile
Galatians 3:10-14
Now comes the clarification that the Law brings a curse. Even the OT ends the old Covenant by the reminding of a curse. Mal 4:6 Deu 21:23
Galatians 3:15-18
Paul now closes the door on the argument that the the Law supersedes the promises made to Abraham. Then he focuses in on the distinction was made to one person, one seed, vs seeds. That seed is Christ Jesus. He is quoting Gen 22:17-18Paul is a Biblical literalist!
Galatians 3:19-23
The Law was necessary to show the pitiful human sinner his depraved and utterly helpless position. Good thing I’m not one. What!?Shut up everyone – The Law closes the door on self-righteousness AND justification by works, since no one can keep the Law perfectly. Jesus made this clear when the Pharisees wanted to stone the adulteress and He made the famous offer “Let the sinless one cast the first stone John 8:3-11Ordained by angels – See Deu 23:2 Acts 7:53
The new Jewish believers of Jerusalem were wicked poor. They paid a heavy sacrifice for their faith by being ostracized from Jewish culture and commerce for their steadfast faith in Jesus Christ Paul too was sensitive as were the early church to the leading of the Holy Spirit in His compelling desire to band together not just as participants at some church service, but at the much deeper checkbook level. THAT is koinonia.Biblical glimpses of this are seen:
Acts 2:42-45 The beginning of the Spirit’s movement on Chrst’s new Bride. The pooled resources is one of the distinctives of the church.
Acts 4:32-35 – Sometimes this is manifested in the present day church.
Someone needs lumber for a repair project; one of the brothers goes and buys it without thought to cost; a sister cooks and delivers dinner from money and food from her home without thought of reimbursement.
Acts 5:1-ff Ananias and Sapphira were the counterfeits of this purity nd simple innocence of money. They wanted the glory, while the others gave no thought of recognition.
Romans 15:26 the word for contribution is the Greek koinonia, fellowship. How much more intimate than the giving of money.Other references 1 Cor 8:4, 16:1-4 2 Cor 8:4 ff
Galatians 2:11-14
Paul begins an illustration of the encounter he had with Peter and others to:
Point out and confront Peter’s hypocrisy
Point out the Jewish believers’ of Antioch’s hypocrisy
Correct the the straying Galatians who read the letter
Rebuke the Judaizers who came to Galatia and thought themselves more authoritative than Paul
Correct the brothers (Barnabas et al) from Jerusalem, who having previously fellowshipped with the Gentile believers)
This action also brought unity back to the Gentiles and Jews, as there was only one Gospel, and not two.
Galatians 2:15-16
In verse 15, Paul uses language that the Jews would understand, as they were steeped in the Law and therefore considered the Gentiles as sinners since the Gentiles did not keep the Law. Make no mistake, keeping the Law didn’t keep anyone from being a sinner.
In verse 16, the case for justification by faith alone. He goes on to say that as a “good” Pharisee, he had to open his quest for faith by works to attain justification, that is, made right in the eyes of God.
Galatians 2:17
Since he is not justified by the Law, the twisted argument that follows would say, “OK, no Law is needed to be right before God, let’s toss the Law and live like there’s no tomorrow.” Sorry. Although the Law doesn’t save, we who love Jesus keep His commandments Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, souls, and strength, and your neighbor as yourself. This isn’t justifying, it’s the heart’s response and manifestation of the believer.
Paul battled this heresy here, and later when he returned to Jerusalem, where his detractors said to abandon the Law, and were so infuriated, they vowed to kill him. See Acts 21:21
Antinomianism, the twisted idea in this verse, is the opposite of “faith by works.” It says in essence, that since w are saved by grace and not by works of the Law (ten commandments a part of the Law), then we need not observe the commandments. ref: http://www.theopedia.com/Antinomianism
Galatians 2:18-21
If Paul does this thing, he’s the hypocrite. The only way is to die to the Law. That means the court is adjourned when the defendant dies; you can’t convict a dead woman or man of anything! See Romans 6:2, 7:4 1 Cor 9:20
Cult Spotlight – Jehovah’s Witnesses
Watchtower Society in a Nutshell:
Source: carm.org
Memory Verse – “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me” -Gal 2:20
Application – Recognize that there are simply things we can’t accomplish without God’s grace (help.) Ask God for His grace, and leave the things of God to Him.
The Letter to the Galatians is Paul’s warning and admonition to the Christians in Asia Minor to steer clear of people who “knew better” than the simple truth of Paul’s proclamation of the Gospel: Jesus plus zip, zero, nada.
Paul was being ions-upped by the Jews who had come in after him, claiming authority as teachers. Wrote Luther:
“In every way, they sought to undermine the authority of St. Paul. They said to the Galatians: “You have no right to think highly of Paul. He was the last to return to Christ. But we have seen Christ. We heard Him preach. Paul came later and is beneath us. Is it possible for us to be in error – we who have received the Holy Ghost? Paul stands alone. He has not seen Christ nor has he had much contact with the other apostles. Indeed, he persecuted the Church of Christ for a long time.”” Source: Luther commentary on Galatians at Gal 1:1
We share Paul’s uphill battle in defending the purity of the Gospel against its foes, without and within. In this sense, we share his ministry. Let’s be worthy of it.
Paul Authenticates His Ministry
Galatians1:11-12
Paul points out the origin of his Gospel: direct revelation; using the same word, apocalypses, found in Joh’s Book of Revelation.
Galatians 1:13-17
Personal testimony. People may refute what you believe, what the Bible “really” says, but they CANNOT refute your testimony; it is your DNA and story and testimony. And quite natural to use, simply relate your story. Paul’s authority is fully authenticated and apostolic. He did not shrink back from it.
Galatians 1:18-24
Paul explains and gives background to his authority through his testimony. The early years must have been difficult, having conspired to abet the death of Stephen, and persecuting other Christians.It was here that Paul began to understand the the grace of God (Discussion)
Shane Harper’s character, Josh Wheaton and others also had to be brave:
Paul at the Jerusalem Council
Galatians 2:1-10
Paul narrates his validation of his ministry. He was living out the conclusions reached at the Jerusalem Council in 48, some 8-10 years earlier. In it (Acts 15) the question of how one is saved was resolved.What was necessary was that that they had to re-defend salvation by grace. It is not the natural bent of mankind, our pride demands participation, and negates the horror and suffering of the Cross.Instead, the Council said only to abstain from meat sacrificed to idols (to not cause consternation among weaker Christians), and fornication, a rampant epidemic of the day and easily excused.
Cult Spotlight – Mormonism:
Mormonism in a Nutshell:
Source: carm.org
Memory Verse – “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me” -Gal 2:20
Application – The Gospel is precious and to be shared through the words of the Bible and our personal testimony.
The Gospel – Freedom: For freedom Christ has set us free; stand fast therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery” Galatians 5:1
The Letter to the Galatians is Paul’s warning and admonition to the Christians in Asia Minor to steer clear of people who “knew better” than the simple truth of Paul’s proclamation of the Gospel: Jesus plus zip, zero, nada.
Let’s put that myth to rest. The Gospel is easily added to. But if it were necessary to add to, or gain salvation by anything other than the atoning death of Christ, that death would be meaningless. Yet, the notion persists because of many reasons.
It was the freedom of the Gospel that compelled John Wesley, English evangelist, to convert the Indians of North America. Using the Letter to the Galatians, he himself was converted.
He then began a revival, among those saved was John Wilberforce, who was instrumental in the stoppage of the slave trade in the British Empire.
This freedom comes through the emancipation of the Gospel of grace through faith. J Vernon McGee says grace is a way to life and a way of life. Source: JV McGee Note on Through the Bible Epistle to the Galatians Introduction.
There study of Galatians is Paul’s polemic against the Judaizers who came in and taught that (in essence) since Jesus was a Jew, the Law still applied and therefore was a necessary part of salvation. Paul stridently refutes the notion. It is his harshest, there being no personal greetings, instead moving forcefully against the teaching of another Gospel, Jesus plus works.
That is apse how Christianity differs from all other religions.
Summary / Thoughts
Why add to the Gospel? (Discussion) 1:1-10
Eph 2:8-10
How is one saved? Why is he saved? What is required of man?What is not possible for man?
Eph 2:7
Why is he saved?
Romans 1:16
The power of the Gospel
Introduction & Reason for the Letter
The Galatian were descended from a fierce tribe of Gauls (modern France). Galatians are of a specific sub-race and place, Galatia.
The Celtic Gauls, sacked Rome in 4th cent BC, moved to Bithynia at the request of the king. .They are blond Orientals. They had a temper, and are said to be very much like Americans. They had cults and “isms”
It has no commendations, no prayer requests, no one is called by name. Paul has on his war paint here, he becomes strident for the pure Gospel.
Paul seeks to emancipate the people, by freeing them from the shackles of legalism.
Galatians1:1
Consider Acts 1 story of Matthias and the fallacious alternate of choice logical fallacy committed by Peter (before the Church Age and before the indwelling of the HS.) Paul, instead asserts his Apostleship as not a laying on of hands, burning straw, or hocus locus, but selected by God.
Galatians1:3
Grace & peace. Greek chars was the Gentile greeting of the day, while shalom, peace, loosely, is the Jewish greeting.
Galatians1:4
The present evil age. The Jews believed (as do we) that this time is evil, and the one to come will be holy. See also http://www.desiringgod.org/sermons/to-deliver-us-from-the-present-evil-age
Galatians1:6
to the point: The facts are Christ died, was buried, and rose from the dead. Without this, it isn’t the Gospel. The interpreters of heresy (Judaizers) would say that hey, you also need to follow the Law (or whatever, as we shall see as we go through the series.
Galatians1:7
to distort, Greek metastrepho, to distort, pervert or change, in a catastrophic way.
Galatians1:9
Romans 4:5
Memory Verse – “But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed!” -Gal 1:8
Application – The Gospel is precious and to be shared.
.. humble themselves and pray and seek My Face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land. II Chron 7:14
