Galatians 6:11-18

¹¹ See what large letters I use as I write to you with my own hand!

We come to the conclusion of Paul’s letter to the Galatians and he makes this statement about how large he writes. In the flow of this letter, it could be that his concern for the Christians who are being falsely lead into their previous Old Testament ways is the reason why he writes in large letters to indicate the importance of what he is proclaiming. JUST LIKE THIS though there are some interpretations of ‘large letters’ that could be in regards to his penmanship as he has mentioned in other letters so that the people reading would know it was Paul who was writing and not someone else. I prefer the former reason as it seems to flow with the context of the passage, but I won’t say for sure.

2 Thessalonians 3:17 “I, Paul, write this greeting in my own hand, which is the distinguishing mark in all my letters. This is how I write.”

1 Corinthians 16:21 “I, Paul, write this greeting in my own hand.”

Colossians 4:18 “I, Paul, write this greeting in my own hand. Remember my chains. Grace be with you.”

¹² Those who want to impress people by means of the flesh are trying to compel you to be circumcised. The only reason they do this is to avoid being persecuted for the cross of Christ.

There were some who were trying to teach the newly converted Christians that Jesus wasn’t the only way to be saved due to fear of being persecuted. These people would come in and say that they require circumcision of the flesh, which is to follow the law given by Moses in order to be saved. For example in Acts 15:1 “Some men came down from Judea to Antioch and were teaching the brothers: “Unless you are circumcised, according to the custom taught by Moses, you cannot be saved.” In doing so they would appear to be zealous and righteous before the people in their outward acts. This of course contradicts God’s grace and nullifies Christ’s death, hence Paul’s concern that people would move away from the gospel as he mentioned earlier in Galatians 5:11 “Brothers, if I am still preaching circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? In that case the offense of the cross has been abolished.”

¹³ Not even those who are circumcised keep the law, yet they want you to be circumcised that they may boast about your circumcision in the flesh. ¹⁴ May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.

Paul describes that those who are compelling them to be circumcised do so to boast to everyone how many converts they have and how many people follow their ways. Their motivation is to glorify themselves so that people can look up to them. Yet, the very thing they are professing, which is to follow the law given through Moses, they themselves don’t even keep.

Romans 2:25 “Circumcision has value if you observe the law, but if you break the law, you have become as though you had not been circumcised.”

Matthew 23:1-7 “¹ Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: ² “The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. ³ So you must be careful to do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach. ⁴ They tie up heavy, cumbersome loads and put them on other people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them. ⁵ “Everything they do is done for people to see: They make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long; ⁶ they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; ⁷ they love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and to be called ‘Rabbi’ by others.”

Matthew 23:15 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when you have succeeded, you make them twice as much a child of hell as you are.”

Matthew 23:27-28 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean. ²⁸ In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.”

Jeremiah 9:24 “but let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight,” declares the Lord.”

Philippians 3:2-9 “² Watch out for those dogs, those evildoers, those mutilators of the flesh. ³ For it is we who are the circumcision, we who serve God by his Spirit, who boast in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh— ⁴ though I myself have reasons for such confidence. If someone else thinks they have reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: ⁵ circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; ⁶ as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for righteousness based on the law, faultless. ⁷ But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. ⁸ What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ ⁹ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith.”

¹⁵ Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything; what counts is the new creation.

Lastly Paul states that whether a person has been circumcised or not, it doesn’t matter, because God isn’t looking at outward appearances, race, gender, age, or those who follow the rituals of the past, but what matters is that the person has been made new again, cleansed from his sins, and given a new hope in Christ.

This also reflects the unity of Jew ( the circumcised) and Gentile (the uncircumcised) becoming a “new creation”, a revelation given to Paul regarding the acceptance of the Gentiles as can be read in Ephesians 2:14-18 “4 For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, ¹⁵ by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, ¹⁶ and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. ¹⁷ He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. ¹⁸ For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.”

¹⁶ Peace and mercy to all who follow this rule—to the Israel of God.

This is the Israel of G0d that Paul eludes to:

Romans 9:6-8 “It is not as though God’s word had failed. For not all who are descended from Israel are Israel. ⁷ Nor because they are his descendants are they all Abraham’s children. On the contrary, “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.” ⁸ In other words, it is not the children by physical descent who are God’s children, but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as Abraham’s offspring.”

Galatians 3:29 “If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.”

¹⁷ From now on, let no one cause me trouble, for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus. ¹⁸ The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers and sisters. Amen.

Concerning the sufferings of Paul in Acts 9:15-16 the Lord says “¹⁵ But the Lord said to Ananias, Go! This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel. ¹⁶ I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.”

2 Corinthians 11:23-28 “Are they servants of Christ? (I am out of my mind to talk like this.) I am more. I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again.²⁴ Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. ²⁵ Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, ²⁶ I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers. ²⁷ I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. ²⁸ Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches.

Filed under: Galatians, Apostle Paul, Bible study, Galatians, God, Jesus, New Testament, Not Circumcision but the New Creation, Scripture

Galatians 6:1-10

¹ Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted.

In Paul’s last passages to the church he ends by cautioning them to do good to other people. In verse 1 Paul is talking about people within the church that if anyone had committed a sin whether knowingly or not, then a brother or sister who is living by the Holy Spirit can help that person by gently showing them the proper way. Note that Paul calls a person who lives by the Spirit because it is the Spirit of God who will lead the believer in truth and with meekness of heart when dealing with the brother or sister who has sinned. Paul also warns that the person who is helping should make sure that they also not be tempted into the same sin after being around that person because of the weakness of the flesh and the exposure to sin they have allowed themselves to be in.

Matthew 18:15 “If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over.”

Psalm 141:5 “Let a righteous man strike me–it is a kindness; let him rebuke me–it is oil on my head. My head will not refuse it. Yet my prayer is ever against the deeds of evildoers;”

2 Corinthians 2:7 “Now instead, you ought to forgive and comfort him, so that he will not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow.”

2 Thessalonians 3:15 “Yet do not regard him as an enemy, but warn him as a brother.”

² Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. ³ If anyone thinks they are something when they are not, they deceive themselves. ⁴ Each one should test their own actions. Then they can take pride in themselves alone, without comparing themselves to someone else, ⁵ for each one should carry their own load.

Every person who lives on this Earth will have their fair share of burdens to carry. Paul encourages the church to carry the burden’s of fellow brothers and sisters to lighten the load and to really love and care for that person as they are lead on the correct path. In rebuke Paul also states that if anyone thinks of themselves more highly than others, or too important, too holier than thou, then these people are deceived because they too have had their times of reckoning where they needed guidance and comfort. However if a person has overcome a sin in any particular issue then that person can be satisfied by themselves alone and not judge or compare what sins they have overcome with that of someone else, which is to bring others down. At the end of the day every member is responsible for their actions and the church is there to uplift each other and bring truth to light.

Romans 15:1 “We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves.”

⁶ Nevertheless, the one who receives instruction in the word should share all good things with their instructor.

Anyone whom God reveals instruction to, it would be good for that person to also reveal what God has spoken to their leaders and teachers so that they too can learn and teach the entire church. In this way the church will benefit.

⁷ Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. ⁸ Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.

God knows everything, he knows the heart of men, the intentions, the truth that is hidden within. God is also a just God who doesn’t hide the consequences of our actions, therefore you can’t hide your actions before him whether good or bad. Paul states that if what you go out to achieve is purely for the gratification of the flesh then what you will reap is death, however for those who sow good things in the Spirit of God, they will reap life.

Job 13:9 “Would it turn out well if he examined you? Could you deceive him as you might deceive men?”

Job 4:8 “As I have observed, those who plow evil and those who sow trouble reap it.”

⁹ Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. ¹⁰ Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.

Lastly Paul encourages the church to continue in doing what is good and not to get tired of doing good because after a while they will benefit from the works they have sown. He makes mention to do good to those who believe in Christ not only to uplift the church, but because they should consider them as close family and friends, and not neglect them when doing good things for others.

Isaiah 40:31 “but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”

2 Corinthians 9:6 “Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.”

Proverbs 3:27 “Do not withhold good from those who deserve it, when it is in your power to act.”

Filed under: Galatians, Apostle Paul, Bible study, doing good to all, Galatians, God, Jesus, New Testament, Scripture

Galatians 5:13-26

¹³ You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. ¹⁴ For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” ¹⁵ If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.

Paul continues his letter from the previous passage where he is concerned about the state of the Galatian church and those that have quickly turned to follow false teaching. In verse one Paul concludes the matter by stating that his Christian brothers and sisters were called to freedom through Christ and no longer slaves to the law and to the sinful nature (indulging in the desired of the flesh).

Paul gives them a warning not to be in contention and argue with one another else both parties may come to ruin. Rather he makes the claim in the previous verse that the entire law is fulfilled by loving one another as he quotes from the book of Leviticus 19:18 “Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against one of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord.”

¹⁶ So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. ¹⁷ For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. ¹⁸ But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

Paul encourages the church to live according to the Holy Spirit by being led by God in their daily lives. In this way they will be able to live Holy lives. However he also makes a statement that the desires of the flesh oppose the desires of the Spirit, therefore they will always be in contention with each other, which can result in but not always the Christian not being able to carry out their deed because of the nature of the flesh even though that may not be what the person intended. This is similar to the statement made in  Romans 7:15 “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.” Not as an excuse to do wrong, but as a fact of the carnal nature of man.

Paul’s last statement is that if you are led by the Spirit you are not under the law given through Moses. By the Spirit they are now free from the law and all its rules and regulations and follow the new way in Christ, which coincidentally does not contradict the law but sums up the law in love and a free spirit.

¹⁹ The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; ²⁰ idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions ²¹ and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

In these next verses Paul gives examples of the desires of the flesh that go against the nature of the Holy Spirit. These acts are supposed to be “obvious” to people and if not the Holy Spirit then their consciences should at least alert them. Those who willingly choose to live in this manner will not inherit God’s kingdom because in God’s kingdom there is no sin. Therefore they must be able to change their hearts and minds with how they behave and act towards one another. And they do this by following the Spirit and allowing God to change them.

²² But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. ²⁴ Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. ²⁵ Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. ²⁶ Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.

In the last verses Paul gives examples of the desires of the Holy Spirit. He encourages the church to follow and keep in step with the Spirit so that they can live the lives that God intended for them. In doing so, those who believe in Jesus and what he did for them, have rid themselves of the desires of the flesh by nailing them to the cross. By following his examples there is no law that could condemn them because they walk in the Spirit and will of God.

Colossians 2:11 “In him you were also circumcised, in the putting off of the sinful nature, not with a circumcision done by the hands of men but with the circumcision done by Christ”

Romans 6:6 “For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin.”

Filed under: Galatians, Apostle Paul, Bible study, Galatians, God, Jesus, life by the spirit, New Testament, Scripture

Galatians 5:1-12

¹ It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.

Paul is continuing his letter to the Galatians regarding those Christians who have turned back to follow the old testament ways where they would observe certain days/months/years and try to obtain salvation through their works. He affirms in verse 1 that Jesus has set them free when he died on the cross by accepting all sin that man has and could ever do. Paul encourages the Galatians to stand firm and not to let anyone convince them to turn back to how they were living, being a slave to the law again.

John 8:31-35 “³¹ To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. ³² Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” ³³ They answered him, “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?”³⁴ Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. ³⁵ Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. ³⁶ So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”

In contrast Jesus has asked the believers to put on his yoke and his burden.

Matthew 11:28-30 “²⁸ “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ 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. ³⁰ For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

² Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all. ³ Again I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law. ⁴ You who are trying to be justified by the law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace. ⁵ For through the Spirit we eagerly await by faith the righteousness for which we hope. ⁶ For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.

In the old testament, the Israelites had to be circumcised as part of a command set out by God to establish his people amongst the Gentiles. In this passage we learn that there would have been some people who had come to convince the new believers to be baptized according to the old ways. Here Paul tells them that fleshly circumcision will not make you any more closer or righteous with God but it is through faith in Christ that will justify you. He also states that by allowing yourself to be circumcised would mean that you no longer believe in grace as you have turned to follow the old ways again, thus being a slave again to the law.

Here is an example of what had happened in Antioch, Jerusalem regarding circumcision and following the customs of previous times. Similar to this example would have been what happened with the Galatian church:

Acts 15:1-11 “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.” ² This brought Paul and Barnabas into sharp dispute and debate with them. So Paul and Barnabas were appointed, along with some other believers, to go up to Jerusalem to see the apostles and elders about this question. ³ The church sent them on their way, and as they traveled through Phoenicia and Samaria, they told how the Gentiles had been converted. This news made all the believers very glad. ⁴ When they came to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and the apostles and elders, to whom they reported everything God had done through them. ⁵ Then some of the believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees stood up and said, “The Gentiles must be circumcised and required to keep the law of Moses.” ⁶ The apostles and elders met to consider this question. ⁷ After much discussion, Peter got up and addressed them: “Brothers, you know that some time ago God made a choice among you that the Gentiles might hear from my lips the message of the gospel and believe. ⁸ God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us. ⁹ He did not discriminate between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith. ¹⁰ Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of Gentiles a yoke that neither we nor our ancestors have been able to bear? ¹¹ No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are.”

⁷ You were running a good race. Who cut in on you to keep you from obeying the truth? ⁸ That kind of persuasion does not come from the one who calls you. ⁹ “A little yeast works through the whole batch of dough.” ¹⁰ I am confident in the Lord that you will take no other view. The one who is throwing you into confusion, whoever that may be, will have to pay the penalty.

Paul expresses his concern here that previously the Galatians were doing well in their new found faith in Christ. As previously mentioned in the last passage, Paul explains how well they had loved and treated him. Now, things had turned and people were falling back to their old ways. Paul states in verse 8 that it isn’t God because he has sent them Jesus who will free them, but Paul blames the one person/s who is causing people to lose faith. He states that a little yeast works through the whole dough, which means that it only takes one false teaching to cause many to stumble until the whole church is thrown into confusion.

During Jesus time, he had actually warned the disciples against the false teachings of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

Matthew 16:6 “⁶ “Be careful,” Jesus said to them. “Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”

Matthew 16:12 “¹² Then they understood that he was not telling them to guard against the yeast used in bread, but against the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”

¹¹ Brothers and sisters, if I am still preaching circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? In that case the offense of the cross has been abolished. ¹² As for those agitators, I wish they would go the whole way and emasculate themselves!

Lastly Paul states that he is still being persecuted, even though the false teaching that Paul was preaching circumcision was going around. If that was the case then he asks why would they persecute him if he was in their favor supposedly? Obviously he is not preaching circumcision hence why he suffers persecution for proclaiming the cross of Christ. If Paul wasn’t preaching Christ then nobody he states would be offended by it, but he is, therefore the false teachers of the law are offended and are merely trying to win people back to slavery by imposing such things as flesh circumcision, something that is no longer a requirement with Christ.

Filed under: Galatians, apostle, Apostle Paul, Bible study, freedom in christ, Galatians, God, Jesus, New Testament, Scripture

Galatians 4:21-31

²¹ Tell me, you who want to be under the law, are you not aware of what the law says? ²² For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the slave woman and the other by the free woman. ²³ His son by the slave woman was born according to the flesh, but his son by the free woman was born as the result of a divine promise.

Paul continues to refute the false teachings that had arisen in the church of Galatians and here he speaks with the Christians in the church. For those who are turning away from the preaching that Paul had given to them, and are now going back to old testament ways of the law, he asks if they are aware of what it says, and consequently its teaching regarding Christ and their salvation.

In the book of Genesis, we read about Abraham, a man who was righteous to God by his faith in him. Abraham, becomes the father of two sons. One of his sons, Ishmael, was born of Hagar the slave woman of Sarah. His other son, Isaac, was born of Sarah, Abraham’s wife. In Paul’s quick analogy, he states that Ishmael was born according to the flesh, but Isaac was born according to a promise made by God.

²⁴ These things are being taken figuratively: The women represent two covenants. One covenant is from Mount Sinai and bears children who are to be slaves: This is Hagar. ²⁵ Now Hagar stands for Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present city of Jerusalem, because she is in slavery with her children. ²⁶ But the Jerusalem that is above is free, and she is our mother. ²⁷ For it is written: “Be glad, barren woman, you who never bore a child; shout for joy and cry aloud, you who were never in labor; because more are the children of the desolate woman than of her who has a husband.”

He confirms here that what he is saying in regards to Hagar and Sarah shouldn’t be taken literally but figuratively so they could understand the revelation of God’s divine purpose, even through old testament scriptures.

In his illustration Paul demonstrates the difference between slave and free. Hagar represents the present Jerusalem who received the law from Moses on Mount Sinai. They are in “slavery”, a slave to the law, being guarded by it, and having to follow all its rules and regulations. Whereas Sarah represents the new Jerusalem, those who were chosen from God above, and are free from the law.

Paul then quotes Isaiah 54:1 indicating the fact that there are more Gentile believers in the gospel of Jesus – a people who were considered without the true God, than the Jews who uphold the law – those who have lived under God’s protection yet rejected the promise that he had given to them. Please note that Paul is talking about the Jews that had forsaken Christ. As Paul himself was Jewish but accepted Christ, therefore he is also apart of the free woman.

Isaiah 54:1-8 “¹ “Sing, barren woman, you who never bore a child; burst into song, shout for joy, you who were never in labor;
because more are the children of the desolate woman than of her who has a husband,” says the LORD. ² “Enlarge the place of your tent, stretch your tent curtains wide, do not hold back; lengthen your cords, strengthen your stakes. ³ For you will spread out to the right and to the left; your descendants will dispossess nations and settle in their desolate cities. ⁴ “Do not be afraid; you will not be put to shame. Do not fear disgrace; you will not be humiliated. You will forget the shame of your youth and remember no more the reproach of your widowhood. ⁵ For your Maker is your husband— the LORD Almighty is his name—
the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer; he is called the God of all the earth. ⁶ The LORD will call you back as if you were a wife deserted and distressed in spirit— a wife who married young, only to be rejected,” says your God. ⁷ “For a brief moment I abandoned you, but with deep compassion I will bring you back. ⁸ In a surge of anger I hid my face from you for a moment,
but with everlasting kindness I will have compassion on you,” says the LORD your Redeemer.

²⁸ Now you, brothers and sisters, like Isaac, are children of promise. ²⁹ At that time the son born according to the flesh persecuted the son born by the power of the Spirit. It is the same now. ³⁰ But what does Scripture say? “Get rid of the slave woman and her son, for the slave woman’s son will never share in the inheritance with the free woman’s son.” ³¹ Therefore, brothers and sisters, we are not children of the slave woman, but of the free woman.

Paul end’s his illustration by telling the Galatians that they are children of the promise, they share in the new Jerusalem because they have believed in God’s only Son. Ishmael born by human effort persecuted Isaac who was born by the Spirit, just as those that have rejected Christ have persecuted the believers being born of the Holy Spirit.

The result of not believing in Christ is that they will not share in the glorious inheritance in the new Jerusalem. Paul quotes scripture from Genesis regarding his illustration.

Genesis 21:8-10 “⁸ The child grew and was weaned, and on the day Isaac was weaned Abraham held a great feast. ⁹ But Sarah saw that the son whom Hagar the Egyptian had borne to Abraham was mocking, ¹⁰ and she said to Abraham, “Get rid of that slave woman and her son, for that woman’s son will never share in the inheritance with my son Isaac.”

 

Filed under: Galatians, Apostle Paul, Bible study, God, hagar and sarah, Jesus, New Testament, Paul, Scripture, slave and free

Galatians 4:1-20

¹ What I am saying is that as long as an heir is underage, he is no different from a slave, although he owns the whole estate. ² The heir is subject to guardians and trustees until the time set by his father.

Paul uses an example to explain what it means to be a child of God. In this example he states that although a child has the possibility of a future inheritance of an estate passed by his father, until the father gives it, that child is still subject to those in authority to him, much like a slave. Please read the previous two passages to understand this passage in full context.

³ So also, when we were underage, we were in slavery under the elemental spiritual forces of the world. ⁴ But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, ⁵ to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship. ⁶ Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.” ⁷ So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir.

Paul then goes on to explain that those who believe in Jesus Christ are similar to his example. That while you are children/not-knowing Christ your guardian was the law which was handed down from Moses. In this state you were still slaves to your sinful nature. It wasn’t until the Father gave his son Jesus that it was time for those who were under the guardian of the law  to receive their inheritance of Jesus Christ. For those who accept Jesus, they will no longer be a slave to their sinful nature, but be adopted into God’s family, a child of the Father, and renewed in heart and mind to be holy like Christ.

⁸ Formerly, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those who by nature are not gods. ⁹ But now that you know God—or rather are known by God—how is it that you are turning back to those weak and miserable forces? Do you wish to be enslaved by them all over again? ¹⁰ You are observing special days and months and seasons and years! ¹¹ I fear for you, that somehow I have wasted my efforts on you.

In verse 8 Paul states that during the time when the Galatians did not know Christ, they were slaves to their idols and false gods. An idol or false god could have been statues, people, earthly creations such as the sun, wind, etc. Paul’s concern is that the Galatians after having been saved by grace and receiving the freedom that is in Christ, they would turn around again and follow a system that was now dated, yet in observing them, would mean they were displaying an act of servitude and to consider the day sacred. In this case specifically it was that the Galatians had started superstitiously observing special days. This could have either been days, months, and years that were laid out by the Jews or by other gentile men and women who also followed pagan days, months, and years.

¹² I plead with you, brothers and sisters, become like me, for I became like you. You did me no wrong.

As a person would request of another who had no former cause for complaint with each other, Paul makes this plead: for the Galatians to become just as he is, a man who has turned away from following and observing days, and months, and any false idol. In the same way Paul had become like the Galatians, a man free from the law and a follower of Christ, hence why he calls them brothers and sisters.

¹³ As you know, it was because of an illness that I first preached the gospel to you, ¹⁴ and even though my illness was a trial to you, you did not treat me with contempt or scorn. Instead, you welcomed me as if I were an angel of God, as if I were Christ Jesus himself. ¹⁵ Where, then, is your blessing of me now? I can testify that, if you could have done so, you would have torn out your eyes and given them to me. ¹⁶ Have I now become your enemy by telling you the truth?

It is evident here, that the Galatians had started off well and doing great things for the kingdom of God, as we read with how they treated Paul during his illness. But things quickly turn when Paul asks this question Where then is your blessing of me now? or where is that person you once were when I first arrived. The Galatians would have been filled with the Spirit, loving God and loving their neighbor, even treating Paul as if he was God himself.  Paul states that they would have given him anything because they loved him dearly, metaphorically, they would have given him their very own eyes. Paul cements his point that being someone whom they once loved has now found error in their ways, and is now considered their enemy because he speaks truthfully to them.

¹⁷ Those people are zealous to win you over, but for no good. What they want is to alienate you from us, so that you may have zeal for them. ¹⁸ It is fine to be zealous, provided the purpose is good, and to be so always, not just when I am with you. ¹⁹ My dear children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you, ²⁰ how I wish I could be with you now and change my tone, because I am perplexed about you!

In these last verses we read how Paul is so concerned about the state of the church in Galatia that he goes on to say that he is in pains of childbirth for them until they have fully understood and accepted the truth and gospel of Jesus Christ. The problem was that there were false teachers who had entered the church causing distortions in the teaching that Paul had once preached. These people were trying to have the Christians convert back to old testament ways. In these last verses Paul states that their motive was to gain glory for themselves, which now Paul is trying to undo through his letters.

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Galatians 3:23-29

²³ Before the coming of this faith, we were held in custody under the law, locked up until the faith that was to come would be revealed. ²⁴ So the law was our guardian until Christ came that we might be justified by faith. ²⁵ Now that this faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian.

Please read the previous passage in order to get a full understanding of what Paul is talking about in this passage.

Paul continues his letter to the Galatians regarding works by law verses faith in God.  In verse 23 he finishes his example of a child and his inheritance (previous passage) by stating the affect of the law given through Moses. In that before Jesus was revealed those who followed the law were “locked up” or “held in custody” due to the fact that God had not sent his son yet. It is not until Jesus Christ was revealed to them as savior that by their faith in him could they be set free from the bondage of the law.  Though as previously mentioned in the last passage the law had its purpose and wasn’t without cause. Paul indicates that the “guardian” or the one who would hold us in “custody” was the law itself ensuring that we would understand and practice God’s decrees until Christ came.

²⁶ So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, ²⁷ for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. ²⁸ There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. ²⁹ If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

Paul comes to the conclusion of the matter by stating that anyone who is baptized by Christ, no matter who you are, are heirs to the promise. Paul emphasizes that race, gender, rank, or stature, is not a pre-requisite to inheriting the promise. This promise, which was given to Abraham by God due to his righteousness by faith not by works, regarding his “seed” Jesus, is available to all men and women.

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Galatians 3:15-22

¹⁵ Brothers and sisters, let me take an example from everyday life. Just as no one can set aside or add to a human covenant that has been duly established, so it is in this case.

The apostle Paul continues to write his letter to the Galatians regarding works by the law verses faith and the grace of God. Here he states that he is about to give them an example of what happens between everyday people when they make a contract or a promise to each other, no one can amend it or set it aside, but they must fulfill their promise to each other.

¹⁶ The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. Scripture does not say “and to seeds,” meaning many people, but “and to your seed,” meaning one person, who is Christ. ¹⁷ What I mean is this: The law, introduced 430 years later, does not set aside the covenant previously established by God and thus do away with the promise. ¹⁸ For if the inheritance depends on the law, then it no longer depends on the promise; but God in his grace gave it to Abraham through a promise.

Paul explains his previous statement in these next verses.  The promise God made to Abraham had not been set aside or amended when the law came about through Moses 430 years after Abraham. God himself had promised Abraham the “seed” which was to come through him. This seed was Jesus Christ, which was fulfilled as time moved on. Through Jesus, the inheritance or the believers would then depend on God’s grace because God’s promise was always by faith in Christ, and not by fulfilling works by law.

¹⁹ Why, then, was the law given at all? It was added because of transgressions until the Seed to whom the promise referred had come. The law was given through angels and entrusted to a mediator. ²⁰ A mediator, however, implies more than one party; but God is one.

Some might ask why the law was given in the first place, when believers are justified by faith in God and not by fulfilling acts by the law. Paul states that the purpose of the law was to reveal to us the actuality of sin and transgression from God. It was to show us what God expects and anything other would mean you were straying from his holiness. It was to reveal how sinful sin really is by providing a standard, that obviously no man has been able to fulfill, except Jesus himself. Ultimately it was to show us why we needed a savior.

Romans 10:4 “Christ is the culmination of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.”

The next half of verse 19 talks about a mediator who was entrusted with the law. This mediator of course was Moses, in whom the law was given. A mediator has to stand between two parties, and show no partiality towards one or the other. But who are the parties? Moses would have had to mediate between the God who gave the promise of the seed, and the God who gave the law for people to obey. In verse 20,  however, Paul suggests that the God who gave Abraham the promise, and the God who gave Moses the law, is one and the same God. Therefore, Moses became the mediator between God only, hence why he states that God is one.

²¹ Is the law, therefore, opposed to the promises of God? Absolutely not! For if a law had been given that could impart life, then righteousness would certainly have come by the law. ²² But Scripture has locked up everything under the control of sin, so that what was promised, being given through faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe.

Although we may not be able to live up to the expectations of the law, Paul states that the law has the ability to impart life to the believer. Not that, it will save you, for Christ saves you by his grace, but more so to live lives pleasing to God and not continuing on with what God regards to be sinful.

Matthew 5:17-20 “¹⁷ “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. ¹⁸ For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. ¹⁹ Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. ²⁰ For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.”

Romans 7:7 “⁷ What shall we say, then? Is the law sinful? Certainly not! Nevertheless, I would not have known what sin was had it not been for the law. For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, “You shall not covet.”

Paul states in verse 22 that scripture locks up everything under the control of sin, namely anyone who fails to fulfill the law commits sin and is therefore a prisoner to sin. This being done so that for those who choose to believe in Jesus Christ, that he paid the penalty for our sin on the cross, can be freed from the prison of sin, and accept a new life through Christ by being given the promise of the Holy Spirit.

Romans 7:21-25 “²¹ So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. ²² For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; ²³ but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. ²⁴ What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? ²⁵ Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!”

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Galatians 3:1-14

¹ You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified.

Paul continues his letter to the Galatians regarding faith and works by law. Obviously there were some in the church who had managed to mislead several Christian members that Jesus was not crucified and evidently causing them to stray from the truth even though Paul states that Jesus was crucified before their very eyes (whether by preaching, teaching, or evangelism). False teachers had risen in many of the churches that Paul had ministered to, the Galatian church not being exempted from this problem either.

² I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by believing what you heard? ³ Are you so foolish? After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh? ⁴ Have you experienced so much in vain—if it really was in vain? ⁵ So again I ask, does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you by the works of the law, or by your believing what you heard? ⁶ So also Abraham “believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”

In these next several verses Paul poses a question, in which he states twice, in order to get their attention to what he is saying. Have the Galatians received the gift of the Holy Spirit by works or by faith? Paul answers his own question by stating that it was belief in God that they were able to work miracles through the Spirit and not by doing works of the law. The trouble Paul had with the Galatians was that there were some who after recieving the Spirit, would then turn around to their old way of thinking by means of the law. Paul lastly mentions Abraham, their forefather from the old testament, who he uses as an example of righteousness by faith and not by observing law. This so they are without excuse.

Genesis 15:6 “Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness.”

 ⁷ Understand, then, that those who have faith are children of Abraham. ⁸ Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: “All nations will be blessed through you.” ⁹ So those who rely on faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.

 

In verse 7 Paul gives us a revelation, which he explains further in the rest of this letter, that those who have faith are children of Abraham. In this way, it doesn’t matter if you are a Jew or a Gentile, but as long as you have faith in God, then you are a child of Abraham. Why Abraham? Abraham was an Old Testament prophet chosen amongst the Israelites and a faithful man to God. We all have heard of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. They were known to be the forefathers of the Israelites. To Abraham God had given him the promise of Jesus Christ (seed), to him God said that he would be blessed and he would be the father of nations.

In a sense Abraham represents the Father God. Isaac represents Jesus Christ, and Jacob represents the Holy Spirit. So when Paul states that if we have faith we are children of Abraham, essentially he is saying that we are children of God the Father, and are blessed along with Abraham who was given the promise of the seed/Jesus Christ as saviour.

Genesis 12:2 “I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.^“

Genesis 18:18 “Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nation, and all nations on earth will be blessed through him.”

 ¹⁰ For all who rely on the works of the law are under a curse, as it is written: “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.” ¹¹ Clearly no one who relies on the law is justified before God, because “the righteous will live by faith.” ¹² The law is not based on faith; on the contrary, it says, “The person who does these things will live by them.”

Paul points out here that those who continue to rely on their salvation solely on the works of the law without regard to faith in Christ, are still under a curse as it is written in the book of Deuteronomy, that anyone who doesn’t uphold the law by carrying it out is cursed. Paul understands that no one can live up to the expectations of the law and carry out all the decrees that were given by Moses, therefore Paul declares that people who still follow this are under a curse. Furthermore, Paul points out that even those who follow the law, are still not justified by it, because of the scripture that states that a righteous person is justified by their faith in God.

Deuteronomy 27:26 “Cursed is anyone who does not uphold the words of this law by carrying them out. Then all the people shall say, Amen!”

Leviticus 18:5 “Keep my decrees and laws, for the person who obeys them will live by them. I am the Lord.”

Habbakuk 2:4 “See, the enemy is puffed up; his desires are not upright— but the righteous person will live by his faithfulness”

¹³ Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a pole.” ¹⁴ He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.

Due to the fall, both Jew and Gentile have been living under the curse of sin. In order for God to salvage those who would believe in him, he sent his Son Jesus. Jesus had to become a man in order to be subject to the curse of the law, and through his holiness take on the weight of sin of the world past, present, and future. Jesus redeemed us as Paul mentions by becoming a curse for us, and by being crucified as punishment for our sin. Jesus is therefore our blessing from God, for it’s through him that we receive salvation. The Holy Spirit is our blessing from Jesus, so that God may dwell within every believer. Compare this to the Old Testament ways where you had to be the holy of holy priests in order to enter the inner sanctuary where the Holy Spirit would be. Once Jesus accomplished his passion on the cross, the temple curtain tore in two, indicating the Holy Spirit now being available to everyone not just the holiest priests.

John 14:15-21 “ ¹⁵ “If you love me, keep my commands. ¹⁶ And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— ¹⁷ the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. ¹⁸ I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. ¹⁹ Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. ²⁰ On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. ²¹ Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.”

John 14:23 “ ²³ Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them.”

John 14:26 “But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.”

1 Peter 2:24 ““He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.””

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Galatians 2:11-21

¹¹ When Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. ¹² For before certain men came from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles. But when they arrived, he began to draw back and separate himself from the Gentiles because he was afraid of those who belonged to the circumcision group. ¹³ The other Jews joined him in his hypocrisy, so that by their hypocrisy even Barnabas was led astray.

Paul continues to give his testimony to the Galatians regarding the unity of both Jew and Gentile. It was apparant to him that the Jews were trying to get people to turn back to the old testament ways rather than by Jesus’ teachings of unity of the church. In these verses Paul talks about the hypocricy of some of the followers of Christ in particular Cephas (Peter – the apostle to the circumcised Jews), who at one point would dwell with Gentiles (something in the old testament that was not proper for Jewish people to do), and once fear of being persecuted by the Jews arose they would turn their backs on the Gentiles and only associate themselves with the Jews. This sin whcih was spawned by fear had affected other followers like Barnabas who started to copy the actions of Cephas.

¹⁴ When I saw that they were not acting in line with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas in front of them all, “You are a Jew, yet you live like a Gentile and not like a Jew. How is it, then, that you force Gentiles to follow Jewish customs?

This type of living was not in line with the purpose of God, which was to unite both Jew and Gentile, but rather their actions separated everyone and caused people to revert back to the old testament ways of disassociation with anyone who was not Jewish. Here Paul brings to light the true actions of Cephas in order to convict him of his hypocricy so that he may repent and correct his actions.

¹⁵ “We who are Jews by birth and not sinful Gentiles ¹⁶ know that a person is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified.

The age old debate of how we are justified, whether by faith or by works is summed up here in Paul’s letter to the Galatians. Where the Jews who lived by the old testament ways were seeking to be justified by their lawful works, the message of Jesus Christ is one of grace, in which we are justified by faith in God and not by our own works. That this grace from Christ was given to us not because we deserved it but because Jesus loved us and knew that no one would be able to live up to the expectations of the law, hence why Paul states “by the works of the law no one will be justified”.

Note that this should not be used in the same context with the scripture written in James 2:14, for Paul’s letter here is in regards to people seeking SALVATION in which no works attained by human means can save man, but only the grace of God. Whereas James is written in regards to those who call themselves Christians and are ALREADY SAVED by grace. They claim to have faith in God but do not care for their actions. In his context James encourages the Christians to do good deeds in their lives as a result of their salvation not a means to it. For where there is faith, there naturally should be an outpouring of faithful deeds. Hence why he mentions that Abraham was righteous for first believing in God, and by his actions his faith was proven to be true.

¹⁷ “But if, in seeking to be justified in Christ, we Jews find ourselves also among the sinners, doesn’t that mean that Christ promotes sin? Absolutely not! ¹⁸ If I rebuild what I destroyed, then I really would be a lawbreaker.

Paul charges here that it is not sinful for a Jew to associate with a Gentile, especially if it is to build up the church. But it would only be considered wrong if they associated with Gentiles in order to live sinful lives again - to rebuild the sinful life that he destroyed once he came to Christ. Paul is really trying to break the wall between Jew and Gentile, as all are able to attain salvation through Christ.

¹⁹ “For through the law I died to the law so that I might live for God. ²⁰ I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Here Paul speaks metaphorically having died to the law, to sin, to his past life in order for him to live a Chrisitan life for a Godly purpose. Dying to self means that he has taken up his cross to bear and to live the life that God has called him to live, to deny himself and to follow Christ. He reiterates his previous stance on the law is now dead, in order to accept his new stance on grace, which is life.

²¹ I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!”

Paul makes it clear here that we cannot obtain righteousness through our own doing, by our own actions. But it is through God’s grace that we obtain salvation. Otherwise if by our actions we could be saved, then there would have been no point in Jesus carrying the weight of sin of the world when he died on the cross at calvary.

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