Galatians 1 Verses 1 to 10 A Cry for Freedom January 7, 2024

Galatians 1 Verses 1 to 10 A Cry for Freedom January 7, 2024

Class Presentation Notes AAAAA

Background Scripture:

· Ecclesiastes 2:10-12 (NKJV)

Main Idea:

· Legalism teaches that Jesus plus good works equals salvation. Grace teaches that Jesus plus nothing equals salvation.

Study Aim:

· To understand that as a follower of Jesus, you have been set free by the gospel of grace.

The Biblical Truth:

· The true gospel is the good news that people are made right with God through faith in Jesus Christ alone.

Create Interest:

· In a world filled with trouble, it is becoming more and more difficult to find any “good news,” so perhaps the newspaper was a bargain after all. To the person who has trusted Christ as Savior, the real “Good News” is the Gospel:

o “Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures … He was buried, and … He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures” (1 Cor. 15:3–4).

o It is the Good News that sinners can be forgiven and go to heaven because of what Jesus Christ did on the cross.

o The Good News of salvation through faith in Christ is the most important message in the world.

· As you begin to read Paul’s letter to the Galatian Christians, you can tell immediately that something is radically wrong, and Paul is not going to stand by and do nothing.[1] Let’s see how Paul addresses the attack on the gospel and learn how we can defend this precious message.

Lesson in Historical Context:

· Paul is the first word in 13 of the 27 books of the New Testament. In those days writers of letters listed their names at the beginning. Each of the 13 books from Paul is a letter written to churches or church leaders, addressing specific issues in the churches.

o Through his ministry and his writings Paul had a major role in determining the shape of the Christian faith.

o When churches have drifted from God’s purpose, the Lord has often used the letters of Paul to renew them and redirect them.

· Many Bible students think that the Letter to the Galatians was Paul’s earliest letter. It was surely his most emotional letter. In it, Paul defended the gospel of grace against the legalists, who wanted to add keeping the Mosaic law to the requirements for salvation. Thus, Paul emphasized faith as the only way of salvation. He also defended the gospel of grace against the charge that salvation by grace encourages people to sin. (why would this be so or not?)

o He stressed love and the Spirit as the basis for the moral demands of grace.

· Galatians is a book that was written specifically to counter legalism and to address the centrality of grace in the church. As we study this book, we should begin to see more clearly what grace is, to be saturated with it, and to know when it is being taught accurately.

§ When we hear a false gospel, we should be discerning enough to recognize it. This is exactly what the Galatian church, a new church that was just beginning to grow, was in danger of missing.[2]

· Paul preached the gospel of grace in the churches of Galatia (Acts 13:14–14:20). Although he encountered opposition from unbelieving Jews, many Gentiles and Jews became Christians.

o After the first missionary journey Paul and Barnabas returned to Antioch. Peter came down from Jerusalem to visit them, fellowshipped with them, and then withdrew from the Gentile Christians only to be publicly rebuked by Paul for his inconsistent behavior. (Ecclesiastes 2:10-14)

o Meanwhile, Judaizing, false teachers had infiltrated the churches in Galatia, attacking is gospel of grace and teaching that Paul taught and incomplete gospel because they said that circumcision was necessary for salvation.

o William Barclay related that the Judaizers had come to the people of Galatia saying that Paul was not really an apostle and that they need not listen to what he had to say.

§ They based their belittlement on the fact that he had not been one of the original twelve,

§ that, in fact, he had been the most savage of all persecutors of the Church,

§ and that he held, as it were, no official appointment from the leaders of the Church.

§ Paul’s answer was not an argument; it was a statement. He owed his apostleship to no man but to a day on the Damascus Road when he had met Jesus Christ face to face. His office and his task had been given him direct from God.[3]

· Reacting quickly and vigorously to Peter’s actions and the threatened lapse of the Galatians into legalism, Paul wrote this strong letter prior to attending the Jerusalem Council.[4]

o Paul wrote the Letter to the Galatians to defend his credentials as an apostle and to insist that the gospel he preached is the only true gospel.

o The Jewish Christian leaders supported Paul in this understanding of the gospel. This position was made official at the Jerusalem Conference (Acts 15:1–29).[5]

Bible Study:

Galatians 1:1 (NKJV) 1 Paul, an apostle (not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised Him from the dead),

· The letter begins with an emphatic denial: ‘Paul, an apostle—sent not from men nor by man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead.’ Human beings had nothing to do with the fact that Paul was an apostle—neither as source or as agent.

· His apostleship, he says, was ‘not from men’. No group such as the Twelve or the elders of one of the churches had made Paul an apostle. Nor was his apostolic position byman or through man. No one had been involved in conveying the divine will to him or mediating the divine appointment. The appointing was exclusively the act of Jesus and God the Father.[6]

· Ultimately, Paul is answerable, then, to God, not to the Jerusalem apostles and, if not them, certainly not to the rival teachers who have come to Galatia claiming, perhaps, the authority of the Jerusalem church for their own message and mission. It is highly likely, given Paul’s extended treatment of his own commission and his careful delineation of his relationship with the Jerusalem apostles in Gal 1:11–2:10, that Paul is already working from the first lines of this letter to destroy prejudice aroused against him by the rival teachers.[7]

Thought to soak on:

· Paul’s call and ministry came from the Risen and Living Lord Himself. He was called to servethe Living Lord, the very same Lord served by the twelve apostles.

o If they were true ministers, then he also was a true minister, for he had been called by the same Living Lord who had been raised from the dead by God the Father.[8]

§ The ministry is of God; therefore, a call to the ministry must come from God. God alone can give a true call and commission to the ministry.

o Every minister should examine his heart to make sure his call and ministry have been commissioned by God. The ministry is...

§ not a profession to be chosen.

§ not a job to earn a living.

§ not a position to secure recognition and esteem.

§ not a service agency founded by men.

§ not an ordained commission from men.

§ not a call ofmen nor by men.

o The ministry is of God; therefore, a call to the ministry must come from God. God alone can give a true call and commission to the ministry.

📷 2 Corinthians 3:5-6 (NASB) 5 Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God, 6 who also made us adequate asservants of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

📷 1 Timothy 1:12 (NASB) 12 I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because He considered me faithful, putting me into service,

📷 Ephesians 3:6-7 (NASB) 6 to be specific, that the Gentiles are fellow heirs and fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel, 7 of which I was made a minister, according to the gift of God's grace which was given to me according to the working of His power.

Let’s pause here for just a moment and see the larger picture Paul is defending as shared by N.T. Wright. This is worthy of soaking on

· Paul’s project is, he often says, building: but he’s building with people, not with bricks and mortar. He lays foundations for this building by telling people some news which is so good it’s shocking.

o According to Paul, there is one God, the world’s creator (standard stuff for the Jews)

o This one God has now unveiled his long-awaited plan for the world. The unveiling took place in a Jew called Jesus;

o Paul says this Jesus is the Jewish Messiah, a kind of king-to-end-all-kings (sounds like a challenge to Emperor Claudius).

o Jesus was executed by the Romans; that’s what they did, often enough, to other people’s kings.

o But, Paul says that the true God raised Jesus from the dead.

· That’s the beginning of the good news, but it doesn’t stop there.

o According to Paul, Jesus’ death and resurrection mean that this God is now building a new family, a single family, a family with no divisions, no separate races, no one-table-for-Jews-and-another-for-Gentilesnonsense.

· Jews believed that when the Messiah came he would be Lord of all the world; so, Paul argues, he’d have to have just one family.

o Though this family is the fulfilment of what this God had promised to the Jews,

o The remarkable thing is that, because of Jesus, you don’t have to be a Jew to belong.

o The God of Israel wants to be known as ‘father’ by the whole world.[9]

Galatians 1:2-3 (NKJV) 2 and all the brethren who are with me, To the churches of Galatia: 3 Grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ,

· Galatia was the territorial designation for central Asia Minor (also known as Anatolia, now modern Turkey). This was a Roman province created by Augustus Caesar in 25 bc. Galatia covered a large territory that included ethnic Galatia as well as parts of Phrygia, Pisidia, Lyconia, and other regions in southern Asia Minor.

o After Galatia was annexed into the Roman Empire in 25 bc, the Romans initiated an extensive urbanization program in both the northern and southern parts of the province that involved building cities, constructing roads, and establishing the imperial cult.

· In all Pauline letters except Romans Paul identifies co-senders. In Galatians Paul says that the letter comes from himself and all the brothers with me. Paul’s reference to an anonymous but substantial group of co-senders emphasizes the credibility of his own voice; he wants to communicate that the letter has the endorsement of a significant number of believers (cf. 1:8).

· The letter’s address to the churches in Galatia is remarkably sparse. The addresses of Paul’s other letters typically include an affirmative statement such as “to all God’s beloved at Rome” or “to the church of God which is at Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints” (Rom. 1:7; 1 Cor. 1:2, rsv).

o Rather than affirming his converts, Paul’s terse address helps to set the tone for his letter. Paul writes not warmly but reproachfully.

o He clearly cannot commend his converts’ faith. The absence of his usual commendation, combined with the stress in v. 1 on his apostolic credibility, suggests that Paul writes Galatians in an admonitionary tone. (a gentle friendly reproof/correction)

· The letter’s address to “the churches” suggests that it was intended to be circulated among various groups of believers in the Roman province of Galatia. This sets it apart from Paul’s other letters, which are typically written to a single church. It also indicates that the problem that Paul is combatting has spread among his various Galatian churches.[10]

· Because the apostles’ teaching came directly from the Lord, the writings of Paul, Peter, John, and the others are every much as divinely inspired and authoritative as the words that Jesus spoke in person during His earthly ministry.

o It is for that reason that red letter Bibles may be misleading, because they suggest that the words Jesus spoke during His three-year earthly ministry are in some way more inspired and precious than other parts of Scripture.

o As Paul made clear to Timothy, however, “All Scripture is inspired by God” (2 Tim. 3:16), who is the Author of its every word, whether through the prophets, the Lord Jesus Christ, or the apostles. (Pause here and focus on what you just read) Discuss!

· Because the Bible is God’s own Word, to be subject to God is to be subject to the Bible. It is not an amalgam of human opinion but the repository of divine truth.

· As discussed the churches of southern Galatiawere in the central Asia Minor cities of Antioch of Pisidia, Iconium, Lystra, and Derbe, where Paul had ministered on both his first and second missionary journeys (Acts 13:14–14:23; 16:1–5). The fact that Paul founded those churches certainly gave him some authority in dealing with them (cf. 1 Cor. 4:14–21, where Paul expresses his right to reprimand the Corinthians because he was their spiritual father.[11]

Galatians 1:4-5 (NKJV) 4 who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, 5 to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.

· 1:4 Christ has died for our sins and rescued us from the grip of this evil age in accordance with the will, good pleasure, and command of the Father. As R. A. Cole comments, “Here is no possibility of unreal opposite between a harsh father and a loving son.

o The action of the Son was the very proof of the Father’s love.”

§ In other words, God loves us not because Jesus died for us; rather Jesus died for us because of the Father’s eternal and unconquerable love for us. Focus and discuss!

§ Elsewhere in his writings, especially in Eph 1 and Rom 9–11, Paul developed at length the doctrine of divine election, pointing out that in accordance with His eternal decree we were chosen in Christ before the creation of the world.

📷 While this doctrine receives no detailed elaboration in Galatians, it forms the very bedrock of doctrine of justification by faith alone.

· 1:5 Such a great God merits our highest praise, so Paul concluded his long salutation with a doxology, “To whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.” The inclusion of this exclamation of praise is no mere formality. To contemplate who God is and what he has done in Jesus Christ is to fall on our knees in worship, thanksgiving, and praise. We study the Bible and the great doctrines of the Christian faith not out of vain curiosity, nor merely to increase our intellectual acumen and historical knowledge but rather that we might come more fully to love and enjoy the gracious God who delights in our praise. As Calvin put it so well, “So glorious is this redemption that it should ravish us with wonder.[12] (Share this as my reason for Seminary!)

Galatians 1:6-7 (NKJV) 6 I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, 7 which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ.

· Before moving forward, let’s take a close look at Paul’s use of the word “called” in Verse 6:

o The author of Hebrews considered Abraham’s obedience as an exemplary response to God’s call (Hebrews 11:8; cf. James 2:23). Here we see that kaleō intrinsically has theological overtones and almost assumes a technical sense. The same sense is evident in Paul’s writings.

o God’s call to salvation is also a summons to discipleship (1 Peter 2:21). God calls us out of His mercy, but we are to respond by doing His will and purpose. This may involve suffering, but the reward is eternal life (1 Timothy 6:12; Hebrews 9:15; cf. Revelation 19:9: “Blessed are they which are called [ kaleō] unto the marriage supper of the Lamb.”).

o Again, and again the people of God are referred to as the chosen ones. This implies that not only has the invitation to “come” gone out to them, but also that they have received the invitation and have acted positively upon it.[13]

· 1:6, 7: Paul’s style now became terser. He went at once to the very heart of the Galatians’ problem. Acts 14:21–23 record that Paul and Barnabas stopped at each of the new mission churches in Southern Galatia to strengthen, encourage, and organize them before returning to Antioch.

o Paul’s use of the phrase “so soon” suggests that not much time had passed before he heard that the Galatians were being influenced by the message of the Judaizers.

§ Paul expressed his utter amazement and astonishment.

· The apostle used the verb “called.” The Galatians had been called by the grace of Christ. The Holy Spirit, working through the gospel which Paul and Barnabas had shared, had worked faith in their hearts (Titus 3:4–8).

· But now they were being tempted by the Judaizers who stressed that salvation was by works, by living as Jews. In Acts 15:10Peter said that to live according to the Law was too heavy a yoke for even Jews to carry, let alone requiring Gentiles to live that way.

o History informs us that before A.D. 70, the Jewish rabbis had added 341 rules for daily life.

· Paul emphatically stated that the so-called “gospel” with which the Galatians were being tempted was “another” gospel. Paul inquired of the Galatians as to why they departed from the grace of God to another, that is, different (heteros) gospel (Galatians 1:6); which is not another (allos, “similar”) (Galatians 1:7[14].” Paul used this word to emphasize that the gospel which the Judaizers said was the true gospel was a totally false gospel. Then he went on to describe it as not being in any way a gospel at all.[15]

Galatians 1:8-9 (NKJV) 8 But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. 9 As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed.

· Gross perversions of the gospel are heresies. Paul’s final words here are potent. He invokes a curse on anyone (including himself!) who distorts the gospel. Paul’s sentences in verses 8–9 are largely parallel and synonymous with one interesting variation. The expression “the one we preached to you” in verse 8 has its parallel in verse 9 in “than what you accepted.” The latter expression is related to his apostolic calling. Paul uses here the technical language of passing on sacred traditions (“what you accepted”; Gk. parelabete) in such a way as to guarantee authenticity and heredity. It is the same language used by rabbis for handing on their sacred traditions, and it is the same term Paul uses for the tradition of the Lord’s Supper (1 Cor. 11:23). The message Paul preached is the message that ultimately derives from the Lord because it is has been transmitted to others through his apostles.

· Those who distort this message are rejecting the authority of Christ and are therefore cursed (anathema). This word is used in the Old Testament for something consecrated to God for his destruction (cf. Deut. 7:26; Josh. 6:17–18). Paul is not talking here about church discipline; his language is far too strong for that.

· Paul was so certain that the gospel he proclaimed was correct that he considered anyone else who preached another gospel as accursed by God, even if it was an angelic spokesman (Galatians 1:8, 9). This solemn curse was not simply a statement of Paul’s viewpoint; it was the sentence of God upon those who preach another gospel.[16]

Galatians 1:10-12 (NASB) 10 For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a bond-servant of Christ. 11 For I would have you know, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man. 12 For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ.

· A heresy is a false teaching that is deceptive and deadly. The biggest heresy in the first century was that salvation is not by grace through faith alone but that something else is needed. In Paul’s day, what the Judaizers wanted to add was circumcision and the works of the law.

o Seeking to add some additional requirement to the gospel has been the biggest heresy in the centuries since Paul’s day.

o Many people—including many church people—continue to believe that they are saved, or kept secure, by something they do or must do.

· The Judaizers had accused Paul of seeking to please men rather than God.Perhaps they claimed that his omission of the need for circumcision was evidence of his attempt to be popular with Gentile believers. In verse 10 Paul denied their charge. He was the servant of Christ and sought to please Him.[17] (Do you see this approach being used today to discredit others?)

Let’s review Paul’s attitude toward his ministry and learn from it

· We can distinguish Paul’s attitude toward methods, motives, and messages.

o He was flexible about ways of presenting the true gospel.

o He did not compromise moral or spiritual truth, but he was willing to accommodate his methods of presentation to Jews and to Gentiles.

o He testified, “I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some” (1 Cor. 9:22).

o He was even tolerant of people who preached the true gospel from poor motives.

o He wrote to the Philippians about some in Rome who preached out of motives of envy and strife: “The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice” (Phil. 1:18, NIV).

o When the issue was the message itself, Paul was not flexible.

· The only true gospel is the gospel of grace. Any message that adds something to the way of salvation is not of the Lord.

· The true gospel is centered in Christ and based on God’s grace. A “so-called gospel” perverts the true gospel when it is based on human goodness or achievements.

What are some lasting truths in Galatians 1 so far?

· All true believers must hold uncompromisingly to the gospel of Jesus Christ.

· The true gospel is based on God’s grace and is received by faith in Jesus Christ.

· Adding to the requirements for salvation perverts the gospel.

· Those who preach a gospel of good works stand under eternal condemnation.

· As servants of Christ, we should seek to please Christ, not others.[18]

[1]Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 682. [2]David Platt and Tony Merida, Exalting Jesus in Galatians(Nashville, TN: Holman Reference, 2014), 4. [3]William Barclay, ed., The Letters to the Galatians and Ephesians, The Daily Study Bible Series (Philadelphia, PA: The Westminster John Knox Press, 1976), 7. [4]Donald K. Campbell, “Galatians,”in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 588. [5]Robert J. Dean, Family Bible Study, Summer 2003, Herschel Hobbs Commentary (LifeWay Christian Resources, 2003), 57–58. [6]David Campbell, Opening Up Galatians, Opening Up Commentary (Leominster: Day One Publications, 2009), 16. [7]David A. deSilva, The Letter to the Galatians, ed. Ned B. Stonehouse et al., The New International Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2018), 114. [8]Leadership Ministries Worldwide, Galatians–Colossians, The Preacher’s Outline & Sermon Bible (Chattanooga, TN: Leadership Ministries Worldwide, 1996), 7–8. [9]Tom Wright, Paul for Everyone: Galatians and Thessalonians (London: Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, 2004), 4–5. [10]L. Ann Jervis, Galatians, Understanding the Bible Commentary Series (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book, 2011), 32–33. [11]John F. MacArthur Jr., Galatians, MacArthur New Testament Commentary (Chicago: Moody Press, 1983), 4–5. [12]Timothy George, Galatians, vol. 30, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1994), 88. [13]Thoralf Gilbrant, “Καλέω,” The New Testament Greek-English Dictionary, The Complete Biblical Library (WORDsearch, 1991). [14]Thoralf Gilbrant, “Ἕτερος,” The New Testament Greek-English Dictionary, The Complete Biblical Library (WORDsearch, 1991). [15]Ralph W. Harris, ed., Galatians–Philemon, The Complete Biblical Library: Study Bible (WORDsearch, 2009), 21. [16]Scot McKnight, Galatians, The NIV Application Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1995), 51. [17]Robert J. Dean, Family Bible Study, Summer 2003, Herschel Hobbs Commentary (LifeWay Christian Resources, 2003), 61. [18]Robert J. Dean, Bible Studies for Life, Spring 2011, Herschel Hobbs Commentary (LifeWay Christian Resources, n.d.), 123.