Part 1: Epistle to Galatians

EPISTLE: “Y’ALL ARE CRAZY”

Key Verse

Galatians 1:6-8 “6 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— 7 not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed.”

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pray: Letters of Love to ALL OF US.

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Series Introduction: EPISTLE

EPISTLE SIMPLY MEANS: LETTER

Why Epistles? Why letters & why are we talking about them for the next 6 weeks.

LETERS WERE THE MAIN METHOD OF COMMUNICATION IN THE TIME OF THE EARLY CHURCH.

Why were letters a thing in the ancient world? it was the main form of communication outside of Visits & being face to face.

When you got a letter, you got all your gonna get. it was a simple way of life. letters were EXTREMELy important.

A FEW THINGS ABOUT LETTERS IN THE TIME OF THE FIRST CENTURY:

1.Firstly, material was expensive: Centuries before Jesus’ time they would use tablets which had brief information o n them but they progressed to eventually become more personal....The oldest physical example of a Greek letter is a trio of thin lead tablets which date to c. 500 BCE. Other materials used included pieces of pottery and limestone, animal skins, and tablets covered in a mix of beeswax and carbon, and wooden tablets with a darkened or lightened surface. As in Egypt, though, the preferred form of writing messages was on papyrus. Rather than scrolls, the

Greeks typically folded their papyrus documents into sheets, tied them up with string and then put a seal on them to make sure only the intended recipient read them. Pens were often made of reeds and dipped in ink, but writing on wax or clay tablets used a stylus.

WRITING LETTERS WASNT SUPER EASY.....

2.There was no post network as such in Classical Greece, but there were specialized messengers (hemerodromoi) and messenger ships.

It took a team to write letters: Leaders would use secretaries, someone who with differing levels of ability and influence would physically document the letter which is why there are discrepancies....

Transport was something large to consider as well: who would then “carry” the letter and be entrusted to carry a letter was a major part of the deal also - Who was traveling to a destination, people would be known carriers or couriers.

being a courier was a dangerous job.

Letters were also meticulous, people would take along time to think about and write letters - and so therefore they were intense forms of communication: think about this: Because material was so expensive and hard to come by, and because of shipping challenges & trade routes and other things GETTING letters to a destination AND to also the right person was no easy task - You can see WHY letters were such a big deal.

It was RARE to get LETTERS - it was TREASURED When you received a communication from afar from a letter it was a special, almost a sacred thing.

NO I WANT YOU TO THINK ABOUT OUR BIBLES: They are ONE LONG LETTER

66 Books

2 Testaments

1 LONG LETTER, ONE GIANT EPISTLE WHICH IS INTENDED FOR YOU.

It is an interesting and instructive fact that a large portion of the New Testament is taken up with epistles. The doctrines of Christianity are thus not set forth in any formal treatise, but mainly in a collection of letters. “Christianity was the first great missionary religion.

typically if someone wanted to address someone else they would send someone, they would show up. now christians were Jew AND Gentile. Male and Female. Christianity was a SPREADING religion that was inclusive so GOD USED letters as a mechanism to EQUIP His people QUICKLY.

HOW QUICK DO YOU WANT TO BE EQUIPPED NOW?

READ THIS - YOU’LL GET SUPER EQUIPPED SUPER FAST. Just like the early church did.

COUPLE OF OT Verses to show letters were a thing prior to Jesus also:

2 Chronicles 21:12-15 And a letter came to him from Elijah the prophet, saying, “Thus says the Lord, the God of David your father, ‘

2 Chron 2:11-15 Then Hiram the king of Tyre answered in a letter that he sent to Solomon, “Because the Lord loves his people, he has made you king over them.” Hiram also said, “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, who made heaven and earth, who has given King David a wise son, who has discretion and understanding,

Quick Comments about the way Letters were typically written:

In contrast to modern letters, epistles usually named the author at the very beginning, followed by the recipient (for example, see Philippians 1:1). The scribe (or more correctly, the amanuensis) who wrote down the letter may be named at the end of the epistle (e.g., Romans 16:22). In the absence of a postal system, the courier may also be named (e.g. Ephesians 6:21–22).

After the names of the author and recipient, Pauline epistles often open with the greeting, "Grace and peace to you." "Grace" was a common Hellenistic greeting, while "peace" (shalom) was the common Jewish greeting; this reflected Paul's dual identity in Jewish faith and Hellenistic culture. There may also be a word of thanks to the audience. In secular letters, a prayer or wish for health followed.

SO AUTHOR / RECIPIENT /BODY or MESSAGE / FINAL WORDS, DIRECTIONS - CLOSE.

WHICH BRINGS US TO OUR EPISTLE FOR TODAY:

Letter to the Galatians: 6 Chapters that GET STRAIGHT to the POINT.

Title is this: Y’all are CRAZY

Crazy Galatians.....

Who were the galatians?

a province of Churches

a number of local churches in it. Asia Minor. (Map).

could be considered a GENERAL EPISTLE To these churches: which ones

Acts 13-14 we see which ones they are: Pisidian Antioch, Iconium, Derbe & Lystra. THIS WAS THE GALATIA That paul was writing to. Gentile churches which Paul has planted and had apostleship over - they were important to him.

This is a GENERAL Letter to those churches.

What was the Apostle Paul writing this epistle for?

He is addressing a major theological issue: a DEPARTURE from the TRUTH of the GOSPEL!

Galatians 3:1 The Message

1 You crazy Galatians! Did someone put a hex on you? Have you taken leave of your senses? Something crazy has happened, for it’s obvious that you no longer have the crucified Jesus in clear focus in your lives. His sacrifice on the cross was certainly set before you clearly enough.

Jews were trying to merge Judaism and Christianity together. they were trying to “mix” and relate to the OLD covenant

What formed Judaism is works. the LAW

what forms Christianity is GRACE.

He is dealing with the THEOLOGICAL ISSUES IN THE CHURCH: which is WHAT WE HAVE TO DO EVEN TO THIS DAY, BUT PAUL IS ESTABLISHING FOR US CORE CHRISTIAN DOCTRINE HERE

SO WHAT ARE THE MAIN THEME’s:

**Freedom in Christ - True Christian LIBERTY.

**Righteousness apart from the Law

**Justification by faith alone

Its a book of CONTRASTS: OPaul the apostle is a GREAT writer of LETTERS - He is amazing at taking what would be a vital moment - and with one letter does some incredible work, or shoudl i say - the Holy Spirit does this work through him:

PAUL Contrasts the

Law with the spirit,

death and life,

Freedom and Captivity

Law and Grace

Judaizers and christian beliefs...

FUN FACT: This is the oldest written book of Pauls letters

Luther said: “Galatians is the book of Romans in seed form”

Law - 32 Times

Faith - 22 Times

Flesh - 18 Times

Spirit - 18 times

So what are the takeaways from the EPISTLE to the CHURCHES IN GALATIA: AND THEREFORE THE TAKEAWAYS FOR US ALSO:

1. You are Free from your past.

So dont GO BACK to your OLD CHAINS.

Write this down: The old way cannot and will not work in your new life.

Your old life cant come and creep back into your new life. Why? The old man doesnt know the new man.

The Law doesnt Know Grace

The Flesh doesnt understand SPIRIT.

and so LONG AS WE ARE TRYING TO INTERTWINE those TWO LIVES we will always be FRUSTRATED

If you are a CHRISTIAN todayL The way of the Cross is your new way.

It was how you found freedom,...... its how you stay FREE.

PAULS LETTERS STARTS OFF PRETTY FIRED UP AND ANGRY! (Maybe hes young and passionate he just doesnt care yet: we see his maturity in some of his later letters but galatians is just paul with boxing gloves on and im grateful for that: He GIVES IT TO THEM STRAIGHT, and STRAIGHT OFF THE BAT

What was happening here?

Galatians 1:6 “6 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel—”

PEOPLE WERE COMING IN AND TRYING TO INSERT JEWISH LAW AND CUSTOM AND MAKING IT ESSENTIALLY PART OF FOLLOWING CHRIST, A PRE-REQUSUITE FOR FAITH.

Galatians 2:15-16 “15 We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners; 16 yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.”

Paul is explaining the new.... and the better way: JESUS CHRIST. Not the old ways of doing things.

BUILD THE BRIDGE: WE ALL HAVE SOMETHING WEVE WALKED AWAY FROM......

Heres how that applies to us: WHAT YOU USED TO DO, EVEN WHAT YOU TRY TO DO NOW DOESN’T GET YOU INTO HEAVEN, JESUS DOES THAT FOR YOU

Maybe you have put your faith in Jesus, but there have been times where you have resorted to what you used to do in order to accomplish things in your life that really are a place where God should be leading you.

*MAYBE You used to LIVE with ANGER and get BY: you now can have PEAVE because you have Christ.

*You used to resort to addiction to survive: you NOW DONT have you do that - you have JESUS who frees you from the bonds of addiction.

*You maybe used to go along with certain relationships that went RIGHT FOR YOU SO THAT to not feel lonely: NOW YOU DONT HAVE TO BECAUSE YOU HAVE JESUS AS YOUR LORD, AS YOUR SAVIOR .... as YOUR FRIEND.

We all HAVE AN OLD (We all have a past, We all have an egypt)… but WE are all GIVEN the OPPORTUNITY FOR THE NEW: GRACE IS AVAILABLE. ITS FOUND IN A PERSON, JESUS CHRIST & THE GOSPEL OF GRACE.

THATS THE EPISTLE TODAY FOR SOMEONE… Is it you?

(ministry time later: were going to LET GO of the PAST.

2. You’ve been Propelled into a glorious future

You have been given new LIFE in CHRIST. Not old with NEW. NEW ONLY

LIVE LIKE THERE IS A TOMORROW! BECAUSE YOU HAVE ONE!

Paul will establish with the CHURCH there: How the past no longer hinders them now or in the future

Galatians 3:23–28 (ESV)

23 Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed. 24 So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. 25 But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, 26 for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. 27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

THERES NO DISTINCTION - IT DOESNT MATTER HOW YOU GOT TO THIS PARTY - LETS JUST CELEBRATE THAT YOU MADE IT!

YOUR HERE

LETS PARTY IN JESUS NAME

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THIS FREES EVERYONE UP TO LIVE WITH CHRIST, FOR CHRIST… BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY ALL ARE IN CHRIST

UNDER GRACE

NOT THE LAW.

Galatians 5:1-2 “1 For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. 2 Look: I, Paul, say to you that if you accept circumcision, Christ will be of no advantage to you.”

3. Now: Protect, Embrace & Use your Freedom in Christ. (to love God, and bear each others burdens).

Now USE YOUR NEW FOUND FREEDOM TO LOVE AND WALK WITH OTHERS.

Life and rightouseness come only by grace through faith.

Use your Ffee gift of GRACE to become a Christian and that is the power that is the SOURCE, THE SUSTAINER and the REWARDER of ALL THINGS.

But - How? The SPIRIT of God.

Galatians 5:16-17 “16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.”

Galatians 5:

PROTECT What God has done in you - FAITH HAS COME. Dont let anyone try to tell you that your faith isnt REAL. its MORE real than anything else you have.

EMBRACE your freedom with boldness and its gonna take courage to stand on the word and do it Gods way. His way is the best way. His way is the only way. Grace is a GIFT, walk in GRACE, Live in GRACE. Work from a place of GRACE in Jesus name.

and ....

USE your Freedom, to walk step in step with the spirit of God and use your HOLY SPIRIT sensitivity to BE a BLESSING to the PEOPLE AROUND YOU IN JESUS NAME.

Never look back. Keep your eyes fixed on Christ.