The Gospel Part 1

Text

Galatians 1:1–10 KJV 1900

1 Paul, an apostle, (not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead;) 2 And all the brethren which are with me, unto the churches of Galatia: 3 Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ, 4 Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father: 5 To whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. 6 I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: 7 Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. 8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. 9 As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed. 10 For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.

Introduction

Galatians was a powerful letter Paul wrote to his converts in the Roman provenance of Galatia. There is some disagreement about the area that is referenced as Galatia due to the fact that land borders changed through history and its difficult to be precise. There is some consensus about among scholars that the Paul is referring to the Roman provenance which would have put the establishment of these churches squarely within Paul’s first missionary journey. (Acts 13 &14)

This would put the writing of this letter after the important watershed meeting we know as the Jerusalem Council found in Acts 15.

Date of the letter

Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible Jerusalem Council

It is probable that Galatians 2:1–10 recounts events which took place (but were not recorded in Acts) on the occasion of the Acts 11:30 visit, when Paul took famine relief to the church in Jerusalem. Within this reconstruction, Galatians is dated just after Paul’s first missionary journey (Acts 13; 14) and just before the Acts 15 council. Thus, the disruptions in Antioch described in Galatians 2:11–14 are regarded as the same as those of Acts 15:1, and are the immediate reason for calling the council.

Jerusalem Council

Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible Jerusalem Council

Jerusalem Council. Meeting described in Acts 15:6–29, held about AD 48–50. Acts records that the conference was held to deal with the question of the requirement for gentile salvation raised by Jews first in Antioch (14:26–15:1) and later in Jerusalem (15:3–5). The matter was subjected to lengthy consideration by “the apostles and the elders” (15:6), with Peter (vv 7–11), Paul and Barnabas (vv 12, 22, 25, 26), and James the brother of Jesus (vv 13–21), who seems to have been the moderator.

Acts gives only a summary of the conclusion (v 6, “after there had been much debate”). The major points clarified and emphasized include: (1) God makes “no distinction” between Jewish and gentile believers (v 9); (2) salvation is by grace through faith (vv 9, 11); (3) God has confirmed his acceptance of Gentiles through signs and wonders (vv 8, 12); (4) inclusion of the Gentiles among his people was a part of the divine intention revealed in the OT (vv 15–18; quoting Am 9:11, 12). The assembly also issued a list (called “the decree”) instructing gentile Christians to abstain from (1) “the pollution of idols,” (2) “fornication,” (3) “things strangled,” and (4) “blood” (vs 20). The decision was circulated by letter to churches in “Antioch, Syria and Cilicia” (v 22; cf. 16:4).

The Early Church - Brief Summary

Began with primarily Jewish converts

Peter receives a message from the Lord that the Gospel is for all people - the door is open to the Gentiles

The Church is persecuted and scattered

Jewish HQ in Jerusalem

Gentile HQ in Antioch

Early Church leaders disagreed about how to handle these Gentile believers

This disagreement led to the Jerusalem council and several of Paul’s most important Epistles

The epistle to the Galatians links very intimately with that to the Romans. There seem to be good reasons for believing that both of these letters were written at about the same time, probably from Corinth while Paul was ministering in that great City. In Romans we have the fullest, the most complete opening up of the Gospel of the grace of God that we get anywhere in the New Testament. In the letter to the Galatians we have that glorious gospel message defended against those who were seeking to substitute legality for Grace. There are many expressions in the two letters that are very similar.

They are summarized in one Old Testament text found in Chapter 2 of the book of Habakkuk: "the just shall live by faith."

Romans - Question - How shall a man be just with God? - The answer is, "the just shall live by faith."

Galatians - Question - If one has been justified by faith how is he maintained in that place before God? - the emphasis is upon the next two words, "the just shall live by faith."

Hebrews - Question - But what is that power by which men are made just and by which they live? The epistle to the Hebrews answers that by putting the emphasis upon the last two words of the same text, "the just shall live by faith."

Theme of the Letter - Liberty in Christ!

Galatians 5:1 KJV 1900

1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.

Justification vs Sanctification - Paul is dealing with a distortion of both of these foundational truths

Transition

Declaration: The message of the gospel is central to everything in our spiritual life

Proposition: Could we be guilty at times of forgetting its significance and allowing its purity to become contaminated?

Transition: Notice as Paul begins his letter to these churches in Galatia, he reminds them of the gospels purity and contrasts it with the perversion they were hearing

Notice first....

I. The Purity of the Gospel

Galatians 1:3–5 KJV 1900

3 Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ, 4 Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father: 5 To whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Illustration: For anything to be pure it must contain proper ingredients - How I make Chili - the ingredients are never quite the same - it is not that way with the gospel! The pure gospel contains the same ingredients and if it does not then it is not pure!

Paul needed to remind these Galatian believers where they started and they started with the Pure Gospel!

A. The purity of the gospel contains the grace of God

“grace be unto you”

Ephesians 2:8–9 KJV 1900

8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.

Grace is unmerited favor - We did nothing to earn the grace of God!

Charles Spurgeon and Joseph Parker both had churches in London in the 19th century. On one occasion, Parker commented on the poor condition of children admitted to Spurgeon's orphanage. It was reported to Spurgeon however, that Parker had criticized the orphanage itself. Spurgeon blasted Parker the next week from the pulpit. The attack was printed in the newspapers and became the talk of the town. People flocked to Parker's church the next Sunday to hear his rebuttal. "I understand Dr. Spurgeon is not in his pulpit today, and this is the Sunday they use to take an offering for the orphanage. I suggest we take a love offering here instead." The crowd was delighted. The ushers had to empty the collection plates 3 times. Later that week there was a knock at Parker's study. It was Spurgeon. "You know Parker, you have practiced grace on me. You have given me not what I deserved, you have given me what I needed.

Moody Monthly, December, 1983, p. 81.

B. The purity of the gospel contains the peace of God

“…and peace from God the Father”

Romans 5:1–2 KJV 1900

1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: 2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

We are no longer “at odds” with our creator

We are no longer separated from him

Ephesians 2:13 KJV 1900

13 But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.

C. The purity of the gospel contains sacrifice of God

“who gave himself for our sins”

1 Corinthians 15:1–4 KJV 1900

1 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; 2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. 3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; 4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:

D. The purity of the gospel contains deliverance of God

“that he might deliver us from this present evil world”

Eternity in Heaven

Deliverance over sin - this present evil world!

E. The purity of the gospel contains the will of God

“according to the will of God”

2 Peter 3:9 KJV 1900

9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

The gospel is for all - according to the will of God!

D. The purity of the gospel contains the glory of God

“to whom be glory forever”

Paul goes on to expound this thought more later in the letter- but the gospel is not about the glory of man

Not about how many notches we have in our belt or how many people we have led through a prayer

It’s all about him and his glory!

Paul moves from the Purity of the gospel to....

II. The Perversion of the Gospel

Galatians 1:6–10 KJV 1900

6 I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: 7 Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. 8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. 9 As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed. 10 For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.

Paul was so concerned for his converts that he said “I marvel” - he was literally amazed at their course of action.

A. The perversion was a shift

“removed from him that called you”

The person of Christ is central to the message of the gospel

When we move away from him we have started to pervert the message

B. The perversion was subtle

“but there be some that trouble you”

Those who were troubling these Christians seemed to be holy and Godly men - but they were not!

Why do you think these Christians were so duped by these false teachers?

C. The perversion was serious

Galatians 1:8 KJV 1900

8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.

Conclusion