Sermon Tone Analysis

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!

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.