Gal 1.1-5

What happens to us when we die?

Terminology

Death, Hades, Sheol, Hell

Judgement

Hebrews 9:27–28 “27 And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, 28 so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.”

Eternal Paradise for the believer

Eternal Punishment for the unbeliever

Luke 16:22–26 “22 The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried, 23 and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. 24 And he called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame.’ 25 But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner bad things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish. 26 And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us.’”

INTRO

Phillips, John. Exploring Galatians: An Expository Commentary. The John Phillips Commentary Series. Kregel Publishers; WORDsearch Corp., 2009.

Paul’s epistle to the Galatians, in the Greek text, runs to approximately twenty-four hundred words—the length, indeed, of a small pamphlet.

It shows us Paul’s soul on fire. We catch glimpses of Paul’s wide vision, keen logic, biting sarcasm, vehement indignation, warm love, and spiritual power.

The letter has been called a rough draft for his formal and far-reaching epistle to the Romans.

The letter not only was aimed at silencing the Judaizers but also was designed to define, once and for all, just exactly what Christianity really is.

Martin Luther loved this epistle. It is “my epistle,” he said. “I have betrothed myself to it. It is my wife.” The epistle to the Galatians became Luther’s dagger to plunge into the heart of the papacy. It was his battle-ax in his ceaseless war with Rome.

Why does the Letter to the Galatians exist?

How would you handle an attack against your personal testimony and character?

What matters more to you, peoples perception of you, or the clarity of the gospel of God?

What is the gospel of Paul, is it different then the other apostles, or even Christ’s?

Galatians 1:1–5 ESV

1 Paul, an apostle—not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead— 2 and all the brothers who are with me, To the churches of Galatia: 3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, 4 who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, 5 to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

PRAYER

A - Oh God in heaven, Holy is your name, May Your will be done personally in each of our own lives just as it is perfectly carried out by the hosts of heaven. Give us today our daily does of your word for man cannot live on bread alone.

C - Forgive us we pray from our sins, not because of anything we have or can do but rather because of what your son has done! Therefore also God make the character of your Christ live in us bearing witness of Him to those around us and bringing you glory in His name.

T - We thank you father for the victory we have in Jesus over this life and by His death victory in life everlasting in the one to come. We agree with Paul that without the gospel you deserve glory for you are God. Yet all the more because of your salvation our hearts long to bring you praise and honor and glory forever and ever. Amen!

S - Lord God as we come together to examine your text now this morning please give us clear understanding and grant us your Spirit that we might apply the text to our lives.

MESSAGE

The reason for the letter is an ATTACK.

The Attack on Paul

Gal 1.1 “1 Paul, an apostle—not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead

His Person

Saul

King Saul - Large, Powerful, Stately

Intelect / Education = Gamaliel - rabbi

Religion

Philippians 3:4–7 “4 though I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh also. If anyone else thinks he has reason for 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; as to the law, a Pharisee; 6 as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless. 7 But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ.”

Paul

Literally means “small” or “little”

Galatians (1) The Sender (1:1–2a)

The earliest physical description we have of Paul comes from The Acts of Paul and Thecla, a second-century apocryphal writing that describes the apostle as “a man of small stature, with a bald head and crooked legs, in a good state of body, with eyebrows meeting and nose somewhat hooked, full of friendliness; for now he appeared like a man, and now he had the face of an angel.”

Name change on Damascus road

2 Cor 12.10 “10 For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

No Pride in his previous “achievements”

Philippians 3:8 “8 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ”

Personal Achievements

Mozart / Rembrant / Rockefeller

speaking / thinking / missions / passion / patience / perseverance

His Position

Gal 1.1“1 Paul, an apostle—not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead

Apostle

Galatians (1) The Sender (1:1–2a)

The word “apostle” had a rich and varied history prior to its assuming a New Testament meaning. As the noun form of the verb apostellein, meaning “to send” or “to dispatch,” an apostle is literally an envoy or ambassador, one who has been sent in the service of another.

Christian Apostles - special class that is non-repeatable today

Personally chosen, called and commissioned by Jesus

This is one of the very things Paul was being attacked over !

Positions Today?

Appointed by Men? = Peter / John

A Radical View

merely a first-century witness for christ which we are too, we know more now.

A Roman Catholic View

These were Church-men and therefore the Church wrote the Bible (Church>Bible)

The Message of Galatians a. The Radical View

The apostles of Jesus Christ were unique—unique in their experience of the Jesus of history, unique in their sight of the risen Lord, unique in their commission by Christ’s authority and unique in their inspiration by Christ’s Spirit. We may not exalt our opinions over theirs or claim that our authority is as great as theirs. For their opinions and authority are Christ’s. If we would bow to His authority, we must therefore bow to theirs.

Preachers / Teachers

Elder / Deacon

His Power

Gal 1.1 “1 Paul, an apostle—not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead

Delight in a Person not a Position

Jesus - the risen one!

more than a mere man

God - trinity of the father son and spirit

The stakes of the attack is the MESSAGE.

Moses or Christ? A dead and obsolete religious system or a living man in the glory of God?

The Gospel of Grace

Gal 1.1-3 … through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead… 3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ,

Gal 1.4 who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father,

Simple Grace

Christ died… for our sins

you cannot earn it for He did the work

The Message of Galatians a. Christ Died for Our Sins

Martin Luther comments that ‘these words are very thunderclaps from heaven against all kinds of righteousness’, that is, all forms of self-righteousness. Once we have seen that Christ ‘gave himself for our sins’, we realize that we are sinners unable to save ourselves, and we give up trusting in ourselves that we are righteous.

The rest of the letter hinges upon the loss of this simple truth…

not a display of love / not example of heroism / sacrifice for sin!

Circumcision / food laws / special dates & days / Cleanliness ritual… obsolete

Judaizer = works based righteousness

Saving Grace

to rescue us from this present evil age

Christianity is a rescue religion

delivered from sin not sinless

perfect in Christ not yet perfect

This current world and all that is in it is passing away

He is seated on His throne

Already & Not Yet

More work to be done… ?

Sovereign Grace

according to the will of God

His plan from the beginning

Both - our rescue / method of rescuing

Voluntary / Exhaustive

this is not cosmic child abuse… Christ chose this!

Mephibosheth - Saul / David - Lame in his feet during the escape… lived in a barren land and had no esteem before God or man.

David the King - reached out to the house of Saul… grace to Mephibosheth

2 Sam 9.8 “8 And he paid homage and said, “What is your servant, that you should show regard for a dead dog such as I?””

adopted into David’s family - lost = restored / place at the table / like a son!!

Sufficient Grace

Grace and peace to you

no grace without peace

no peace without grace

peace with God / men / within

freely given favour / without merit

never ending / never ceasing / never waining

Pauls defense is for the GLORY of GOD.

The Praise of a People

Gal 1.5 “5 to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.”

The Power

Raised from the dead

Life / New Life

sin / temptation / satan / death

The Promise

Future and a Hope = (all the brothers with me, the churches in Galatia)

for you and your children, and your children's children

The church @ Allegan / all the brothers and sisters with me

Hope for today / for tomorrow / for the day after that

The Passion

Glory, forever and ever amen!

For all Our eternity we praise

For all His glory we proclaim

Phil 2.11 “11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

CLOSE

Paul’s letter to the Galatians written in AD 48-55 was addressed to a group of churches in present day Turkey. He wrote to them to counter the false claims against the gospel he was proclaiming.

It is as relevant today as it was then for on the gospel we must be clear! For in it is the message of life from death.

PRAYER

God our father in heaven,

Group Questions

Explain the following statement: Everyone has legalistic tendencies. Give some examples of how legalism shows up in your own thoughts and actions.

How does legalism undermine the gospel?

What’s the difference between legalism and zealous obedience?

Why is it important to be clear about the origin of the gospel, whether from God or from man?

Why is the fact that the Father initiated salvation important for understanding that the gospel is free?

How do we encounter the grace of God through peace with God?

How do we encounter God’s peace by His grace?

In what ways do we add to the gospel? What are some “Jesus + something else” messages taught today?

Does God’s free grace ever lead us to be to carelessness about sin? Explain.