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March 16, 2014 |
| Galatians 1-4 An Overview | ||
The Apostle Paul's epistles contain insights at the levels of a verse, groups of verses, chapters, and often there is a point that covers multiple chapters of an epistle. When a point spans chapters it can be difficult to see and understand. Sometimes people miss that larger point and therefore misunderstand the verses within it. They take only a verse or two that supports their view and delude themselves and others into a mistaken understanding.
This was a known problem in Paul's writings. Peter writes about it in 2 Peter 3:15-16
15 […], just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him. 16 He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction.
Galatians chapters 1 through 4 contain one of these multi-chapter points that people often miss. In this lesson we will take an overview of those chapters so we can see the larger point. We'll only touch down on selected verses as we go along.
Paul begins the epistle in a similar style to that of his other epistles. He announces himself as an apostle sent by God and he addresses the epistle to a particular church.
1 Paul, an apostle - sent not from men nor by a man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead - 2 and all the [brethren] with me
There is a difference here though. He emphasizes the point that he was not sent by a group of men nor by any man but by Jesus himself. He begins this way because he will be returning quickly to discussing his credentials as an apostle in order to establish his authority before saying what he needs to say to the Galatians.
With the introductions and greetings out of the way by verse 6 Paul begins to tear a strip off of the people of Galatia.
6 I marvel how quickly you have been turned away from the Messiah, he who called you by his grace, unto another gospel 7 which does not exist, but there are some who trouble you and wish to change the gospel of the Messiah.
Here is a sentence worthy of a lawyer. It combines these statements:
Paul then goes on to say that if the apostles started teaching a different gospel than they first taught or even if an angel from Heaven came and taught the Galatians a different gospel - it would be a false gospel. Anyone who would teach that false gospel, man or angel, he would be damned.
Having gotten the attention of the Galatians this way Paul now begins what can seem like an unrelated discussion. He has a carefully crafted plan, though, one that will establish his credentials to speak against those in the Galatian church who are teaching falsely.
He begins in verse 10 with an account of his history describing how the gospel that he teaches came to him.
11 But I notify you my brethren, that the gospel that was preached by me was not from a human; 12 for I neither received nor learned it from a man, but by the revelation of [Jesus] The Messiah.
He makes some important points here. He was not taught that gospel by a man. It came to him from Jesus himself by revelation. His point is that he is teaching the true gospel. He could not have read about the gospel in a book because those books had not yet been written. He could not have learned it from an apostle because he had never met any - at least not in a way that he might have learned from them.
He goes on to remind them how he had persecuted the church in his earlier days and of his conversion on the road to Damascus. After that he travelled to Arabia and later back to Damascus. During this time the gospel was revealed to him. After three years he went to Jerusalem to see Pater. He also saw Jacob the brother of Jesus. There it was learned that he was preaching the same gospel that they were preaching.
23 [The churches in Judea] had heard only this: "He who from the first persecuted us, now, behold, he preaches that faith which from earlier times he had overthrown."
Paul has now confirmed that the gospel that he learned by revelation from Jesus is the same gospel preached by those who were Jesus disciples. This ends the first chapter.
Paul continues this discussion of the history of his gospel by saying that 14 years later he returned to Jerusalem with the intent of revealing to the apostles the gospel that he was teaching to the Gentiles. He was doing this to ensure that he was not off-track in that message.
Speaking of the apostles he says "those who were considered to be something." In saying this he is addressing a problem in the Jerusalem church that he will come back to - favoritism towards a particular group.
This visit to Jerusalem by Paul is part of a meeting of all the significant people of Christianity at the time. It is now called the First Council of Jerusalem and is described in greater detail in Acts 15. The problem at the time turns out to be very similar to the problem the Galatians were having. Acts 15:1 describes it this way.
1 Certain people came down from Judea to Antioch and were teaching the believers: "Unless you are circumcised, according to the custom taught by Moses, you cannot be saved."
In Galatians 2:4 Paul describes it this way
4 But because of false brethren who came in to spy on the liberty that we have in [Jesus] the Messiah, so as to enslave me,
In saying this Paul makes a reference that he will come back to later, that these false brethren were trying to enslave Paul and for that matter all Christians. To what? To the written law as a source of salvation. The council saw that the Holy Spirit was being given to Gentiles and determined that circumcision was not required for salvation.
Paul also makes another comment on the topic of "those who were considered to be something". The phrase "accept the persons of men" means the same as us saying "playing favorites."
6 But those who were esteemed to be something (but who they were does not concern me) for God does not accept the persons of men, but those who are such have not added anything to me.
The important part of the verse above, for the larger point Paul is making, is that "such have not added anything to me". His gospel message as revealed to him was complete and lacking nothing when he went to Jerusalem.
A little bit later in chapter 2 Paul comes back to finish the topic of "those who were considered to be something". He relates the story that Peter himself had fallen into the sin of favoritism. Some of the Jews in the Jerusalem church were holding to the Old Testament regulations on food and association, not understanding that the wall between Jew and Gentile had been torn down. Peter was not living by those regulations himself but would act as a Jew when the Jews were around and separate himself from the Gentiles. Paul publicly scolded him for this.
It seems then that the smaller point here is that all men fail, even apostles. No one is to be treated as greater than another because all fail, but each has a role to play. But the larger point is that Paul is authorized even to correct other apostles.
A little later Paul makes the statement that is central to the larger point here. Without understanding this statement it will not be possible to fully understand what he says later.
16 Because we know that a man is not justified by works of The Written Law, but by the faith of [Jesus] the Messiah, we also believe in [Jesus] the Messiah, that we should be made right by the faith of the Messiah, and not by the works of The Written Law, because no one is made right by the works of The Written Law.
He is saying that no man can be justified before God or made righteous before God (i.e. saved) by following the laws of the Old Testament. That was never the case, though Israel at that time had fallen into believing that they could be made right by following the laws. No man could ever live such a perfect life; only the man / God Jesus was able to do that.
This is the problem the Galatians are having. They have been led by Jews into believing that salvation comes through observance of the laws.
Paul continues with a description of how a Christian has died to the law (as a source of salvation) through the death of the Messiah and become alive, with the Messiah in him, to live by faith. He closes chapter 2 with this
21 I do not reject the grace of God, for if righteousness is by The Written Law, the Messiah died for nothing.
By this he means that righteousness comes by grace and not by the works of following the law. If it was possible for man to achieve righteousness (before God) by observing the law there would have been no need for the Messiah.
Now in chapter 3, having finished the detour to establish the truth of the gospel he preaches, he returns to beating on the Galatians
1 Oh stupid Galatians! Who has [competed against] you? For behold, the Fashioner was portrayed before your eyes, [Jesus] the Messiah, when he was crucified.
He continues on to remind them that the Holy Spirit they received, and the miracles they saw were all by faith, not by the law. He also says that Abraham, who was before the written law, lived by faith and that was accounted to him as righteousness. By that faith we are the children of Abraham and the recipients of those promised blessings.
Paul spends quite a bit of time on the topic of the role of the written law and the role of faith reasoning from the Old Testament. As part of that he asks the question, if the Old Testament law was not useful for achieving salvation then what was the purpose of it.
19 Why therefore is there The Written Law? It was added because of apostasy [falling away from the truth] until the seed would come to whom the promise belonged […]. 22 But the Scripture has shut all things up under sin, that the promise by the faith of [Jesus] the Messiah would be given to those who are believers. 23 But until the faith would come, The Written Law had kept us while we were closed off to the faith that was going to be revealed.
24 The Written Law was therefore a guide for us to The Messiah that we would be made right by faith. 25 But when the faith came we were not under a guide.
He answers his question by saying it had many purposes. It showed sin for the evil that it was and in doing so showed that all men are sinners. It records the promises made to Abraham including that of the coming Messiah and the faith that he would bring. It also kept Israel from straying too far … until the Messiah would come and they could be made right with God through his sacrifice and resurrection. Therefore it was a guide and a protector.
Under the Old Testament salvation came by believing that the coming Messiah would take away their sins and that belief was to lead them to live according to his law. But once the Messiah came, that faith was available to all, that those who believe would live free from sin.
In chapter 4 Paul continues with this line of reasoning. Then he comes to a verse that gives many people a problem because they have not read and understood the previous chapters.
9 But now that you have known God and especially that you are known by God, you have turned again to those sick and weak principles, and you wish again to be subject to them. 10 You observe days and months and times and years.
His reference to observing "days and months and times and years" is to the various feasts and holy days in the Jewish calendar as given in the law. Some people have understood this to mean that it is a rejection of God's grace to observe these days. We need to understand the context here. Paul has been speaking about where we place our faith for our salvation. So those who have turned their faith away from the Messiah to believing that salvation comes from observing laws have indeed rejected grace.
In saying "those sick and weak principles" he refers to the law and his point is that the law is too weak to save you. That doesn't mean the law is bad; it means it's purpose was never to save anyone.
In chapter 5 this is made especially clear as long as the reader reads carefully - though many do not.
1 Stand therefore in that liberty with which the Messiah has set us free, and do not be yoked again in a yoke of bondage. 2 Behold, I Paul say to you that if you will be circumcised, the Messiah profits you nothing. 3 But I testify again to every person who is circumcised, that he is obligated to observe all of The Written Law. 4 You have been destroyed from the Messiah, those of you who are justified by that in The Written Law, and you have fallen from grace. 5 For we wait for the hope of righteousness by The Spirit who is of the faith. 6 For in the Messiah [Jesus], circumcision is not anything, neither is uncircumcision, only faith that is perfected in love.
If the reader reads only verse 2 or only verse 3 he can become very confused. It sounds like the act of circumcision would separate a person from the Messiah. But when we read verse 4 and understand the context of these chapters we see that Paul is talking about those who seek justification (i.e. salvation) through the written law. This is further supported by verse 6, which makes it clear that someone in the Messiah can be circumcised.
What school did Paul attend to learn about Christianity?
None. What he knew was learned directly from God by revelation.
What can we do to be saved?
Nothing
What have the Galatians done that stuns Paul?
They had turned away from the Messiah and started seeking to be "justified by that in The
Written Law" (v4) instead of being justified by faith in the Messiah
Name as many of the purposes of the Old Testament law as you can.
Keeping Israel, a guide, showed sin to be evil, (2 Tim 3:16) teaching, for correction, for
direction and for a course in righteousness
Was Paul's gospel different from Peter's?
No. In 2:6 Pauls says "those who were esteemed to be something" by which he means the apostles "have not
added anything to me" and "gave me the right hand of fellowship." His point is that everything he needed to know about the gospel
he already knew when he met them and there was no difference between them and therefore he was accepted into fellowship with
them.
Paul gives three reasons why his gospel is true. Can you name them?
Is it OK, then, for Christians to attend a Passover Seder?
Yes, the concern is where your heart is at and not so much the things you do, though the things you
do can show where your heart is at. But, if a Christian attends a Passover Seder because he believes that needs to be done in order
to be saved then that person is not a Christian (follower of Christ).