Today's Little Lift

'Today's Little Lift'
with Jim Bullington
Galatians... - Part 1
The Superior Rank Gospel of Christ Chapter 1 (1/8)
The Apostolic Greeting () 1/3
"Paul, an apostle (not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father
who raised Him from the dead), and all the brethren who are with me…" (a)
Apostles came in various shapes and sizes in the first century. Some were apostles of
men. By this it is meant that some men were sent on a particular mission by another man. Those
sent were apostles of those doing the sending. That incidentally is the meaning of the word
(apostolos) usually translated as apostle. In its most literal meaning, an apostolos is simply a
messenger. Some were messengers of men; others were messengers of God. However, the word
apostle, as used in the New Testament, has a technical usage. In all but 4 of the 80 verses
containing the word apostolos in the New Testament (; ; ; and ), the word refers to a special
group of men specifically selected by the Lord Jesus Christ to perform work directly connected
with the establishment of the church and the propagation of the Gospel upon the earth. The
office of an apostle was temporary in nature and involved the ability to speak words directly
revealed by the Lord's Spirit as well as the performance of miraculous deeds connected with
the confirmation of the Gospel message.
Paul begins the epistle to the Galatians by affirming that he was an apostle, but not in
the ordinary and non-technical usage of the word; he was an apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ.
So that none would miss his point, he states in a negative vein that he was not an apostle for
men nor by men. As an apostle of Christ, He enjoyed a certain rank that set him apart from
other messengers of men and for men. His commission was directly from on high as opposed
to a mission merely conceived and executed in the earthly realm. By implication, that
commission involved the concept of revelation and miraculous confirmation. So, Paul was an
apostle of Christ, granted special revelations and the miraculous abilities that went along with
them.
From the first verse of this letter, Paul distances himself from those men who, though
having legitimate and perfectly scriptural work to do, were merely messengers of men. His
message was not a message that originated in the human realm and neither was the epistle that
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he was penning to the Galatians. His rank (authority) was critical to the job he had to do through
the Galatian epistle. If his rank was merely equal to all other men who preached the gospel,
then the message of the epistle would have been lost among the declarations of others. However,
if he had a special calling as he claimed to have, his words were of greater weight than others
who were not apostles in this technical sense. That is the distinction that Paul makes in the very
first verse of the Galatian epistle!
Paul did not speak as a mere man in this letter. His claim to the apostleship was a claim
to authority (rank). Those who demote him to just another man and his words to just another
man's ideas do so at the peril of their souls. He was an apostle of the Lord and possessed the
authority that accompanied that position!
Chapter 1 - The Superior Rank Gospel (2/8)
The Apostolic Greeting (1.1-5) 2/3
"Paul, an apostle (not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father
who raised Him from the dead), and all the brethren who are with me, To the churches of
Galatia:" (). The focus of this message is to consider the addressees of this epistle.
In the first century, Galatia was a large area situated in Asia-Minor located between
Bithynia and Cappadocia. It was located in the center of what is modern-day Turkey. Paul
preached in the region of Galatia on his second missionary journey () and remained for an
extended period of time there due to his illness (). His efforts in Galatia were similar to other
regions of the Graeco-Roman world in as much as the inhabitants were given to heathen gods,
mythology, and superstition. However in the southern region of Galatia, there was a large
contingency of Hebrews and Jewish proselytes. This sub-culture made the area ripe for attack
by a group of false teachers that are commonly styled as Judaizers. Specifically, the Judaizers
held that no one could be saved without observing the Law of Moses and insisted on promoting
a mixture of the Law and the Gospel as the means to justification. It was in that region and
religious climate that Paul wrote the Galatian epistle in about 57 AD.
The "churches of Galatia" were the recipients of the epistle. These churches were not
various denominations but they were autonomous congregations of the church that Jesus died
to establish. They were being assaulted by false teachers and stood subject to going into
apostasy should they fail to throw off the error that was being forced upon by the Judaizers.
Paul's personal sweat and tears had helped to establish these congregations and so there was a
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great emotional bond between the grand apostle and the disciples of Galatia. It was this personal
relationship that allowed allow Paul to speak with absolute candor to these endangered
Christians; he did not need to nor did he pull any punches as he warned them of their fate should
they continue to follow the path of error promoted by the enemies of the cross who were at
work in their region. These churches had the ability and responsibility to reject the false
doctrines being presented to their members and it was to that end that Paul wrote this critical
letter.
In these events we have insight into the heart of the apostle Paul. His concern for the
disciples of Christ is obvious on every page and in and every verse of this epistle. He was not
content to baptize a few and then leave them to fend for themselves amongst the error of the
culture. He also had a burning desire to see them prosper in and through the truth. There were
no self-serving motives here, just the desire to see his brothers and sisters in Christ prosper and
be in spiritual health. The alternative was for them to slide into the clutches of the Judaizers and
eventually lose their status as adopted sons of God ().
Obedience to the first principles of the gospel is important, but it is no more important than the
deliberate perseverance that is demanded in order to maintain our rank as sons of God!
The Apostolic Greeting (1.1-5) 3/3
"Grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, 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, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen." (). This greeting contains three
salient points that demand our attention.
Christ gave Himself for our sins. There is no parallel to sin in the physical realm. Any
hope for sin exists outside the realm of the material. You can name every malady of man and
there can be some hope for it within this material universe – not so with sin! The only possible
remedy for sin is in the person and work of Jesus Christ. He was the sinless Lamb of God whose
blood had to be shed for that purpose. But, the most amazing part about this story is that He
gave Himself. No one took His life; He laid it down willingly (see). He loved us in spite of
ourselves; He loved the unlovable! He gave Himself for me. For me!!
His death was to deliver us. There was more to His life and teaching than just another
philosophy or just another religion. His death was to accomplish that which could be done in
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no other way. Apart from the shedding of blood there is no remission, and apart from the
shedding of His blood there is no remedy for the blight of sin that hangs over humanity. He did
not die for His own sake, but for ours. His death was a vicarious death in which He took our
place. We deserved to die; our sins had separated between us and our God. Yet, He willingly
offered Himself in our stead. He was our friend when no one else would or could step forward
in our defense. Oh, what a Savior!!
His death and our deliverance was according to the will of the Father. His plan for our
deliverance was not a substitute plan for something that failed (i.e. the kingdom). Rather, God
sent forth His Son in the fullness of time for the express purpose of redeeming humanity (see ).
For that purpose He came to this lowland of sorrow and sin and for that purpose He died. The
purpose of God was not thwarted at Calvary; it was fulfilled! There is a fountain filled with
blood drawn from Immanuel's veins…
With these three points in mind, it is no wonder that the beloved apostle commends
grace and peace to His fellow Christians in Galatia. His fondest wish for them was made
available through the plan of the Living God. What a pity it would have been for them to have
tasted the goodness of God's love only to be pulled away by the false doctrine of the Judaizers.
If their doctrine was true, then there was no necessity in the death of Christ; hope could have
been realized through the Law of Moses. Paul says by implication in these verses: "Their
doctrine is not true! Grace and peace is available only through Jesus and through Jesus only!"
The One True Gospel (1.6-9) ½
"I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ,
to a different gospel, which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to
pervert the gospel of Christ." ().
The marvel which sparked Paul's statement was the soon apostasy of the Galatian
brethren. Some things are marvels to be held in admiration; others are marvels of dismay and
sadness. The apostasy of the saints in Galatia was of the latter sort. Note that their apostasy was
one of turning – turning from one thing to another thing. They were turning from Christ, or as
the text says, "Him who called you." They were turning to "a different gospel." The doctrine of
Christ and Christ are inseparable. When one turns from the doctrine of Christ, he turns from
Christ. Likewise, when one turns to the doctrine of Christ, he turns to Christ. Paul's marvel was
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that his beloved brethren were being pulled away from the truth to a message which demanded
their departure from the one true Savior.
The root cause behind their apostasy was not their desire to depart from Christ; their
intentions were honorable but they were gullible perhaps due to their immaturity as believers.
They had no intent of departing from Christ, but that is what they were doing. The same could
not be said of the false teachers who espoused the doctrines which they were following. They
were teachers of error who "want to pervert the gospel of Christ." Their intent was ruination
and destruction. To pervert is to change entirely from a thing of one sort to a thing of another
sort. For instance, this word is used in where Peter quotes Joel as saying that the "sun shall be
turned into darkness" and by James in 4.9 where he counsels his readers to "let your laughter
be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom."
Paul styled the false teachers as those "who trouble you." Still waters may be troubled
(cf. ) and the hearts of men can be troubled such as was the heart of Jesus () when he witnessed
the unbelief of His friends and countrymen at the death of Lazarus. The troublers were agitators;
their intent was to trouble, to stir up, and to agitate. This is a sad commentary on the character
of the troublers; they were men of evil intent! They did not want peace; rather they wanted
dissension and turmoil. Only in that type of climate could they have their way. They did their
best work when the hearts of men were unsettled and uncertain!
The perverted gospel preached by the troublers could not bring the deliverance that God
intended for humanity. This was in spite of the good intent of those who were turning to a
gospel which was not the gospel. The troublers could call it what they wanted, but calling it
good news did not make it good news; their doctrine was bad news. It was bad news because it
could not save; in fact, it placed the souls of the saved in jeopardy when they signed on to such
twisted truths! "Be careful little ears what you hear; be careful little ears what you hear!"
The One True Gospel (1.6-9) 2/2
"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. 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." ().
The gospel was a precious commodity worthy of great reverence; reverence not merely
because of its words but because its words were the means to salvation for its hearers. The
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clandestine intent of the troublers was lamentable, but it was their intent nonetheless. Since that
was the case, Paul succinctly and unambiguously declared the fate of any and all that would
alter the delivered message. The Judaizers did not deny the fact of the death, burial, and
resurrection of Christ; they simply added works of human merit to it as a means to salvation. In
so doing they added themselves to the class of the accursed ones decried by Paul.
One inescapable fact in this text is that the gospel was distinct and clear. It had been
delivered without the additions of the Judaizers and it was to be perpetuated without their
additions. The believers had the ability to distinguish between the words of inspired men (such
as Paul) and those of uninspired men (such as the troublers). Though the canon of the New
Testament was yet in its formative stages, God had not left His children without witness; they
could know the truth and distinguish it from error, even the crafty errors of those whose intent
it was to deceive.
It is a fearsome thing to profess to speak on behalf of God. Preachers and teachers ought
to "quake in their boots" given the awesome nature of what we do! Our hearers are of various
maturity levels just as were the Galatians brethren; some are more gullible than others. When
we open the Bible and at the same time open our mouths to speak, the hearer/reader ought to
be able to distinguish between what God has said and that which we deduce that He means for
our lives. We can speak on behalf of God when we read His word and we can speak on behalf
of God when we say that which His word implies. However, when we speak that which
misapplies what God has said, or speak that which God has not implied, it is our voice that
speaks; we speak without the authority of God! That, dear teacher and preacher, is the awesome
nature of the task to which we have set our hands.
There is but one gospel and it is our duty to protect it with all our might. However,
before we can protect it we must know it! We who would teach others have a primary obligation
to God, then to ourselves, and then to our hearers. Truth will not be defended by those who
obtain their teachings from a sermon outline book, or from human commentaries. Truth can
only be defended by those who know God's word, the source of all truth!
"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. 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."
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Paul Preached the One True Gospel (1.10-24) 1/3
Motive goes a long, long way when one is trying to determine the truth of a matter which
is of significant importance. This is true whether one is addressing a criminal case, or politics,
or religion, or any one of a number of other areas of concern. Every criminal investigator knows
that motives lead to arrests and convictions.
In the matter of truth that concerned the Galatian churches, what possible motive could
Paul have for preaching his message, the message that implied that the doctrine of the Judaizers
was flawed? How did his motives compare with those of the Judaizers? These critical questions
would have been of tremendous significance to the believers as they tried to determine whether
they should follow the teaching of Paul or the teachings of the Judaizers. They knew one thing
for sure: Both doctrines could not be correct; they contained elements that were completely
contradictory. So for the Galatian Christians, the choice was one of grave and eternal
consequences. Paul's first line of argument to persuade the Galatians to follow what he was
preaching had to do with motive. Consider his terse argument as it is discussed below.
"For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased
men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ." (). In asking these questions, Paul is asking the
Galatian brethren to examine his motives. If his motives were to gather to himself a following,
i.e. to persuade men, would he be preaching the unpopular doctrine of the gospel since it
excluded those who preached justification through the law? Wouldn't he, if his motives were to
attract a multitude of followers, preach a doctrine of inclusion rather than exclusion? This is the
argument that he offers as a first line of defense against the charges of some that he was teaching
error.
Now watch as he develops this argument further. "For if I still pleased men, I would not
be a bondservant of Christ." In this he argues from the standpoint of his accusers who were
saying that Paul's motives were self-serving and maybe even profit motivated. His arguments
are telling for those who would examine the case without prejudice. Regardless of one's past
motives, would any right-thinking person choose to be a disciple of the Lord if his current
motives were to be popular? Wouldn't it make more sense to preach a doctrine of inclusion if
such motives were at the heart of one's preaching? The answer was obvious to his readers. They
knew that the doctrine that Jesus was the sole means to salvation was not a popular doctrine.
They knew that the persecutions that came upon any who preached this doctrine were severe
and often times fatal! Who, in his right mind would dedicate himself to the preaching of the
cross of Christ if his motives were merely popularity based?
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This same line of reasoning makes a strong presumptive argument in favor of all who
preached the gospel in the first century. In spite of persecution, alienation, and death, men
defended the exclusionary gospel of Jesus! Motive? It was out of this world!
"But I make known to you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according
to man. For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came through the
revelation of Jesus Christ." (). With these words, Paul makes the most straightforward argument
possible for the authenticity of his message. If Paul speaks truth here, he speaks truth elsewhere;
if Paul is wrong here, he is wrong elsewhere. If he is not the teacher of truth that he professes
to be in the matter of the gospel versus the Judaizers then it follows that he is not to be heeded
in other matters. His authority stands or falls on the arguments being made in this text!
Note carefully the details of his claim. "The gospel which was preached by me is not
according to man." This statement takes the form of a negative affirmation. Paul denies
unequivocally that his gospel had its source in the human realm. If indeed, as he writes, his
gospel is not according to man, the alternatives are certainly reduced! If not of man, then of
whom and from whence did his gospel originate? Hear the rest of his argument!
"For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came through the revelation of
Jesus Christ." (). Having made his negative statement that his gospel was not according to man,
he makes a positive affirmation as to its source: "It came through the revelation of Jesus Christ."
This statement explicitly involves the miraculous hand of God in the matter. Having excluded
all men from the process, Paul now specifies the means by which and through whom his gospel
had come! That explanation could either be rejected or it could be accepted, but there could be
no misunderstanding about his claim. Paul's claim was one that entirely and without any vestige
of reservation states that the gospel which he preached had its origins outside and apart from
any man or human processes.
In claiming that God had spoken to Him through special revelation, Paul placed himself
in the same class as the Old Testament prophets Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Moses. There simply is
no middle ground here. There are only 3 viable explanations for this situation. Paul was either:
1) An inspired prophet of God as he claimed, (2) A willful deceiver, (3) A self-deceived but
well-meaning individual. Regardless of which of these conditions was the case, none of them
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affected how his hearers could judge the matter. He claimed to be a prophet of God and, as
such, came with the credentials of a prophet. Had he failed to perform the signs and wonders
commonly associated with an inspired prophet, his hearers would have laughed him out of town
and the book which the first century church came to revere as a part of God's word would have
been cast aside like so much rubbish.
Is it not strange that the people who were in the best position to judge the work of the
apostle as genuine did so by accepting Paul's writings as inspired and those who are in the worst
position to judge (i.e. this generation) reject his apostleship and cast his writings aside by
asserting that he was just expressing an opinion like any other man is entitled to do? How utterly
absurd!
The veracity of Paul was at stake! He was being called a false teacher and a liar! The
Judaizers had lost no love when it came to Paul. He was their arch-enemy because the doctrine
that he preached was diametrically opposed to the doctrine which they preached. If Paul could
show that he had received his extensive knowledge of the gospel apart from human instruction
and that his doctrine was consistent with that being taught by the other apostles in Jerusalem,
he could succeed in showing that the doctrine that he taught was, in fact, revealed to him directly
from God. That is the task that he undertakes in the last 13 verses of Galatians 1.
In the midst of his argument along these lines, Paul pauses to affirm, "Now concerning
the things which I write to you, indeed, before God, I do not lie." (Galatians 1.20). The witnesses
necessary to prove or disprove Paul's case were alive and could be easily contacted by anyone
having interest in the matter. In the midst of the controversy within the region of Galatia, it is
certain that the facts that he presented were scrutinized from top to bottom by his opponents.
However, there is not a scintilla of evidence that there was the slightest inaccuracy in Paul's
story. He had not been taught by the other apostles. He had not conferred with them before
going on public record regarding the facts of the gospel. And yet, when he eventually did go to
Jerusalem and completely "compare notes" with the other apostles, there was no discrepancy.
His doctrine was their doctrine. Their doctrine had originated with the Lord and so had Paul's.
The apostles in Jerusalem as well as the apostle born out of due season (Paul) had received their
instructions directly from the Lord! Thus the case for Paul's authority and for the accuracy of
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his message was confirmed. He was not lying when he wrote against the Judaizers nor was he
lying when he affirmed that the gospel that he preached was the one true gospel revealed by the
power of the Holy Spirit.
The strength of Paul's argument for his authority as an apostle hinges on the fact that
truth is consistent. Had he preached one doctrine while the apostles in Jerusalem preached
another, his case would have fallen flat! However, his doctrine was consistent with the doctrine
of the other apostles. This fact proved his apostleship. This entire line of argumentation would
be irrelevant if truth were not consistent. However, since God has honored the principle of the
consistency of truth, it follows that we likewise should honor that principle. The modern-day
crowd that preaches a relevant and subjective truth is from a different cut of cloth. Truth is
consistent with itself and God honors that fact. If truth were not consistent with self, God would
be inconsistent with Himself. That alternative simply cannot be! God is the definition of truth
and righteousness!
Many do not like to reason from the facts about absolute truth. Others bow in humble
submission to the awesome nature of truth. Love God; love the truth; God is truth!
Chapter 2 – Paul – The Equal Rank Apostle (1/5)
The Jerusalem Conference (2.1-10) ½
The Jerusalem Conference took place about 20 years after the establishment of the
church. The superstructure of human traditions was slow to bend even under the weight of God's
direct revelation. God had made it clear about 10 years before the conference that He fully
accepted the Gentiles into the Body in just the same measure and through the same methods as
the Jews. For various reasons, these facts were slow to catch on; men resisted the change, even
good and godly men. Finally after the Judaizers were beginning to forge an organized approach
to spread their heresies, the brethren determined that they should meet in Jerusalem regarding
the Judaizers and the negative impact that they were having on the churches in general.
Paul attended the conference at Jerusalem and he was granted full access to the public
as well as to the private meetings regarding the teaching of the Judaizers (Galatians 2.1-2). His
credentials as an apostle were not challenged nor was his practice of including both Jew and
Gentile into his evangelistic work. As further evidence of the fact that the gospel that Paul
preached and practiced was consistent with that of the other apostles, he took Titus, an
uncircumcised Gentile, with him to the conference (Galatians 2.3). Had Paul been inferior in
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any way to the other apostles two things would certainly have been different. First, he would
not have been allowed to have an equal place in the conference as the "fully accepted apostles."
Secondly, his taking of Titus to such a conference would have been decried as heretical and
divisive. Neither of these things happened. He was accepted and so were his practices regarding
the Gentiles. The Jerusalem conference, though not its primary purpose, placed an apostolic
stamp of approval on Paul's apostleship, ministry, and doctrine.
This fact was important to Paul's case against the Judaizers in Galatia. He was being
accused of usurping the place of an apostle; his credentials were being challenged; he was being
called a liar and a false teacher. Paul's reasoning against these accusations was ironclad! The
evidence he presented for his apostleship was impregnable. In spite of the brash words of the
Judaizers, Paul could fully defend and prove that his apostleship was of God and that his
doctrine had the Divine stamp of revelation and inspiration affixed indelibly upon it. Had there
been any weakness, any hole, in his defense the Judaizers would have exploited it and
discredited him as a minister and an apostle before the churches of Galatian. They did not
exploit the weaknesses in his arguments because there were none! God had given Paul the
words to speak just like He gave them to other apostles in times similar to these.
The authority of Paul was a crucial issue in the days of the Galatian churches and it is
crucial today. It is interesting that the same arguments that are being made against Paul today
were made then. It is equally interesting to see that the same arguments that were used to defend
his apostleship then will also stand against modern-day attacks. Paul was an equal rank apostle
and his actions at the Jerusalem conference proved that to be the case once and for all
The Jerusalem Conference (2.1-10) 2/2
Paul continues to give evidence that his authority as an apostle is equal to that of every other
true apostle. Galatians 2.6-10 provides yet two other lines of evidence to support this position.
This message examines these two other arguments.
First, Paul argued, "… [T]hose who seemed to be something added nothing to me. But on the
contrary, when they saw that the gospel for the uncircumcised had been committed to me, as
the gospel for the circumcised was to Peter (for He who worked effectively in Peter for the
apostleship to the circumcised also worked effectively in me toward the Gentiles)." (Galatians
2.6-8). Carefully examine his words. Those who "seemed to be something" were the arrogant
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false teachers (not Peter, James, and John as most commentators suppose) who tried to disrupt
the teaching of truth; they were the pseudo-brethren of Galatians 2.4. Now notice what they
(the pseudo-brethren) noticed! They saw that God worked with equal effectiveness in the
ministry of Paul as He did in the ministry of Peter. There was no difference in doctrine,
authority, or confirmatory miracles! Had God placed His stamp of approval only on Peter's
work there would have been a clear distinction between God's working (miraculous and
otherwise) through Peter and His working through Paul. They saw there was no difference!
Hence, Paul was an equal rank apostle!
Secondly, when everything was said and done at the Jerusalem conference, James, Peter, and
John extended the right hand of fellowship to Paul and Barnabas (Galatians 2.8-10). The pillars
of the church at Jerusalem (or the prominent ones) fully accepted the doctrine and practice of
Paul and Barnabas among the Gentiles; there was no rebuke, not even the slightest hint of one
that came out of the conference. Rather than rebuke, there was a show of unanimity between
the ministers to the Jews (James, Peter, and John) and the ministers to the Gentiles (Paul and
Barnabas). The extension of the right hand of fellowship to Paul was proof-positive that he
stood on equal footing with other of the apostles: Paul was an equal rank apostle.
In these events, an awesome fact is revealed regarding God's watch-care over His word,
the truth. When error is bold enough to raise its head against truth, the very actions of error are
frequently turned against it in "friendly-fire" incidents. That is due to the inherent nature of
truth and error. Truth cannot be inconsistent and error cannot be consistent! Error will always
step on its own shoestrings if it marches far enough and long enough. There is no way to bundle
error in such a way as to avoid self-destructive and self-contradictory actions. Truth has nothing
to fear in open and evenhanded confrontation with error. The sword of truth must be skillfully
wielded but given that fact, has nothing to fear in the face of error.
Paul was an equal rank apostle notwithstanding the boisterous and arrogant attitudes of
the purveyors of error who attacked the churches of Galatia. Never let meekness be mistaken
for weakness and never let meekness manifest itself as weakness.
Peter's Rebuke (2.11-21) 1/3
"Now when Peter had come to Antioch, I withstood him to his face, because he was to be
blamed." (Galatians 2.11). With these words, Paul introduces a second set of arguments to
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confirm that he was a legitimate apostle of Christ and equal in every way to the other inspired
apostles. Consider these additional arguments.
We simply do not know when Peter came to Antioch, nor do we know the purpose of
his visit. We do know, however, that Peter came to the city where the disciples were first called
Christians (Acts 11.23). Furthermore, when in that city, Peter committed an egregious sin
before Paul and before others. Specifically, Peter had been eating with the Gentiles indicating
that they were social and spiritual equals. However, when others came from Jerusalem that
might not be of such a persuasion, Peter withdrew from the Gentiles and refused to have further
interaction with them (see Galatians 2.12-13). In this act, Peter violated the very doctrine that
he professed and of which he had been personally instructed of the Lord in the case of the
conversion of the house hold of Cornelius (see Acts 10 & 11). Because of this sin, "Paul said I
withstood him to his face." This significant event had a direct bearing on the proposition of
Paul's apostleship.
In Paul's own words, the extension of this argument would go something like this: "If I
am not a legitimate apostle, and if I am in some way inferior to the other apostles, would I be
so presumptuous as to openly and publicly rebuke one of the foremost apostles, namely Peter?
Of course, had Paul been inferior in some way, he would have been foolish to take such a course
of action. But this was now a matter of history! He had rebuked Peter and with no remorse or
subsequent censure. Peter and the others present at the time of this event recognized that Paul
was an equal rank apostle.
It is not the point being made in this text, but a truth nonetheless, none of us ever gets
so big as to not be subject to public censure should the circumstances warrant. This was not the
first time Peter had sinned and it probably was not the last. He was a man just as surely as was
Paul or James or Barnabas. As such, Peter was subject to the same passions and weaknesses as
other men; Peter was subject to sin just like the rest of humanity. When he sinned, the path back
to God is the same as with any other man; there is not a plan for restoration of the prominent
and yet another plan for restoring the "minor players" in the Christian system. God is no
respecter of persons and that principle extends to the second law of pardon as well as to the
first.
A second point is that there are circumstances that demand public censure. Paul judged
correctly that this was the case with Peter's hypocrisy. Others had begun to follow his sinful
example; Barnabas himself was also led away under the influence of Peter's hypocrisy. For this
reason and possibly others, Paul thought it necessary to publicly rebuke Peter for his sin.
Paul and Peter were great men of faith, but they were not beyond reproach nor were they beyond
needing the forgiving power that resides only in the blood of Jesus Christ our Lord!
13
"For if I build again those things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor." (). This
commonsense illustration needs no explanation. The force of the argument is this: To the extent
that I, by my actions, restore the things which I have previously destroyed, there is no external
law needed to see that I am wrong; I make myself a transgressor. Paul cited this principle when
he condemned Peter for playing the part of the hypocrite regarding Jew and Gentile
relationships.
What were the things that Paul had once destroyed? He answers the question right in
this context. "[A] man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even
we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the
works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified." (). He had not destroyed
the law, but he had destroyed the concept that justification could come through the law.
The Hebrew nation took great pride in the fact that they had been the recipients of the
law. In that connection, many of the Jews tended to look down on the Gentiles because they
were not specifically identified as recipients of the law. However, when the truth of the gospel
was finally preached, it became obvious that the Jews were at no spiritual advantage because
the law was given to them and likewise, the Gentiles were at no disadvantage because it wasn't
given to them. The gospel message which Paul preached was a "double whammy" to the egos
of the Jews who clung tenaciously to the law thinking that a spiritual advantage could be gained
thorough it. Not only did he show that the Gentiles could be saved by the gospel, he also showed
that the Jews could not be saved by the law!
So that being the case, Paul certainly would not revert to the old practices that had come
from the Hebrew's misunderstanding under the law. Once the wall of partition was broken down
and the two peoples were united in Christ, Paul would not try to rebuild the wall and bring about
their separation again. In fact, Paul now had many brothers and sisters who, by blood, were
Gentiles. He enjoyed their fellowship on an equal basis with those who were Hebrews by birth.
Not only would Paul not attempt to re-establish the partition that separated them, he would
oppose any actions that would tend to lead them back to the former days and ways. Peter's
hypocrisy in this matter was an affront to what he and Paul had agreed to do and to the will of
God. Paul's rebuke was an unmistakable signal that he did not intend to revert back to their
former days.
14
The lack of consistency between doctrine and practice has always been a problem. When
we fail to live like we teach (we talk the talk but fail to walk the walk) we condemn ourselves;
our own conscience will convict us if we will but listen. Truth and honesty demands that we
make every effort to see that we "practice what we preach." To do otherwise is to transgress!
"I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life
which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself
for me." (). This verse is so packed with meaning that it is impossible to do it justice in such a
forum as this. Nevertheless some comments are in order.
"Living by faith" as Paul expresses it is the defining difference between the Law of the
Old Testament and the Law of the New Covenant. The difference is not in the existence or lack
of existence of law; both old and new covenants have law involved. Rather, the difference is in
remedy, remedy for sin. The Old covenant was temporary in nature and was intended to
demonstrate the futility of man in seeking remedy for his sin-condition through his own perfect
obedience to a set of ordinances ("so that sin through the commandment might become
exceedingly sinful" ). Once violated, a law of obedience can never be "un-violated." The Law
of Christ takes that fact into account and provides an actual (not theoretical or potential) remedy
for the sin-condition. To live by faith is to reject the concept of justification through our own
deeds and to accept justification that results through the provisions entirely made possible
through the work of another!
Had Paul allowed the Judaizers to lead him one step backward toward the system of the
Old Covenant, he would have surrendered the concept of living by faith; that former system
stood in sharp contrast with the system of faith that Jesus died to establish. Hence Paul affirms
that the current life in which he was engaged ("the life that I now live in the flesh") was totally
devoted to the concept of Christ living in him; no longer would he depend upon his own merits
but entirely upon the merits of the One who loved him and gave Himself for him. is Paul's
Pledge of Allegiance, if you will, to the faith of Jesus. He will give no quarter to anyone (Peter
or whomever) who attempts, consciously or otherwise, to lead him back to the former covenant;
rather, he will exult in the blessings of the gospel and reject out of hand anyone or anything that
makes void cross of Christ!
15
The text in today's message is the Golden Text of Galatians. It is the line of demarcation
that is drawn between truth and error, between Paul and those who opposed him, as well as
between the Judaizers and the teachers of truth; this text expresses the hope of every Christian
in Jerusalem, Galatian, and the entire universe for all time. The "living by faith" principle is the
difference between self-righteousness and the righteousness to which God has appointed
believers. Every other system is false! Every other system makes the cross a meaningless event!
Jesus did not die there because it was a way; He died there because it was THE way. Anything
or anybody that negates that truth stands in stark opposition to Paul – and to God!
Paul is the equal rank apostle who, by the power of the Holy Spirit, penned this Pledge of
Allegiance. All who pass this way must utter that same pledge; there is no other way!!
Chapter 3 – The Inferior Rank Law (1/13)
We Must Begin and End with Faith (3.1-5) 1/3
There is a huge difference in being a fool and doing a foolish thing! All of us do foolish
things from time to time, but that does not make us fools. The Galatians were not fools but they
had done some foolish things. Paul wrote, "O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you that
you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed among you
as crucified?" (). We will consider this statement.
The term foolish means that which is without reason, or not understandable through reasoned
consideration. Paul included himself in the class of those who had acted foolishly in times past
in his letter to Titus (). But now, the enlightened Galatians were acting foolishly; they were
going backward spiritually; they were acting contrary to reason by listening to the teachings of
the Judaizers.
Another key phrase in this text is the expression "clearly portrayed." Christ had been
"clearly portrayed" among them. Literally, the word means to openly and fully depict through
writing or painting. The portrait of the Living Christ had been painted before their eyes through
the words of the Holy Spirit. There was no mistaking this fact; there was no ambiguity
concerning His work and will. Nevertheless, in spite of the fact that a complete picture had been
openly developed before them, they were ready and willing to go back to the law from which
they had been delivered. The reasonable was being exchanged for the unreasonable; Christ was
being exchanged for the law; justification by faith was being exchanged for a system of works
by which no man could be saved.
16
With these facts in mind, it is no wonder that Paul would almost seem harsh in his words
by asking, "Who has bewitched you?" Or to put it another way, he is saying, "No one who is
thinking clearly would do what you are doing. No one would exchange the truth of the gospel
for the bondage of the law, yet that is what you are doing! Who has bewitched you?" The word
bewitched is an appropriate translation. It means to be put under the spell of another, or to be
charmed as through a magic spell. In essence, Paul is saying, "The only reason I could see for
your actions is that your minds have become subject to the will of a magician or a sorcerer."
Notice that acceptance of the teachings of the Judaizers is contrasted with obedience to
the truth. This distinction must never be lost! Truth sets free (cf. ) and error enslaves. Further
the truth that sets free is meant to be obeyed. Knowing truth is not enough. Paying lip service
to truth is not enough. The believers to whom Paul was writing were going back under a system
of bondage; the alternative was to remain faithful to their calling by continuing to obey the
truth.
Before the kingdom was established, Jesus said, "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord,
Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven." ().
Now with the kingdom fully functional, Paul says the same for those who are full-fledged
citizens of the kingdom." Obedience is paramount!
Sarcasm is a tool to be used sparingly but it has its place. Paul under the inspiration of
the Spirit of God sees its place in combating the error of the Judaizers among the Galatian
Christians. His words literally drip with sarcasm as he asks: "This only I want to learn from
you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Are you so
foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh? Have you
suffered so many things in vain——if indeed it was in vain?" ().
Paul knew full-well the source of their spiritual blessings. He knew that their adoption
as sons had not occurred as a result of the law and the dead works that it implies. He knew that
they could not be made perfect (complete; mature) by the flesh and the works of the flesh that
the law imposes. Further, he knew that he would not have placed them in a position of open
ridicule and persecution as Christians had there been a viable alternative. If the teachings of the
Judaizers had been a wholesome doctrine, would he not have recommended it so that they could
17
have avoided the persecutions that they had suffered as a result of becoming Christians? In fact,
would Paul himself not embrace the doctrine of the Judaizers if by doing so he could avoid the
persecutions that he had suffered for the sake of Christ? Paul could embrace the doctrine of the
Judaizers, but he could not embrace that doctrine and at the same time hold on to Christ. The
mantle of truth simply is not large enough to stretch over the Judaizers and the gospel!
By asking these questions, these questions with obvious answers, Paul hoped to bring
the Galatian brethren to their senses. They were choosing an irrational path by going back under
the law. Were they really thinking? Had they considered the evidence around them before
making these choices? Could they consciously be making such reckless decisions? The sarcasm
used here was intended to shock them to their senses much a like an open hand to the face can
cause a hysterical person to come back to reality. This is a drastic measure taken only in an
extremely grave and dangerous situation.
It is not the same in every way, but how often do we as the blessed recipients of God's
grace treat it and Him as if He were nothing? When we willfully sin, we do so at our own peril!
Who is really being hurt by such actions? Is the one hurt with whom we are angry or with whom
we intend to get even? Is it the church hurt when we willfully refuse to give our very best to her
and render only half-hearted service? Well, there may be some injury to others, but the greatest
harm comes home to us. It is impossible for us to willfully hurt another without injuring
ourselves with a more serious wound!
Wouldn't you agree that it would be foolish to try to inflict harm on another if we knew
it would do double damage to ourselves. If every 1 inch gash I put in another resulted in a 2 in
gash in me, how much damage would I try to inflict? To ask the question is to answer it. As a
friend of mine used to say, "Grown men don't act that way!" That was Paul's message to the
Galatians!
God Himself was being challenged in Galatia. The Judaizer's challenge to Paul was a
challenge to God who authored his gospel. God's way of revealing the gospel was one that
offered absolute proof of it authority and truthfulness. When someone challenged the gospel,
they, by implication, challenged God. Paul asked a simple rhetorical question aimed at
reminding his readers of this fact; his question was this: "Therefore He who supplies the Spirit
18
to you and works miracles among you, does He do it by the works of the law, or by the hearing
of faith?" ().
Paul had not come to Galatia professing to represent God without credentials. The
apostles and prophets of the New Testament had not come in word only, but they came in power
also (). The "signs and wonders, with various miracles and gifts of the Holy Spirit," were the
credentials of the apostles and prophets. These inspired men bore witness AND God bore
witness through the miraculous measures mentioned.
Since the things mentioned above were true, the Galatian brethren who had a desire to
know the truth were without excuse. Paul's message had been duly attested to by God Himself
through the miraculous workings of the Spirit. Although we do not have the specific nature of
these miracles, it is an absolute certainty that they were performed. When Moses was before
the courts of Pharaoh, Moses had the ability to demonstrate that his message was sent from
God. It is true that the magicians could feign similar feats, but the signs from God were superior
to the sleight of hand performed through their cunning (see).
Eventually, the magicians themselves declared to Pharaoh, "This is the finger of God."
(). In much the same way, we are assured that God bore adequate witness to confirm His word
among the nations as His gospel was declared. It was to this fact that Paul referred when he
asked, "Therefore He who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you, does He
do it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?"
Those who wanted to know could, with absolute assurance, know that Paul's gospel was
truth. They were not left without adequate and compelling evidence. The gospel message was
confirmed among the first century hearers with signs that could not be denied by any honest
man. However, that is not to say that everyone accepted the truthfulness of the message or the
veracity of the messengers. Just as Pharaoh hardened his heart against the truth, there were
those of the first century who stiffened their necks against God's revelations. God did not leave
Himself without witness. He still speaks today through that same confirmed word!
Faith Justifies; The Law Condemns (3.6-14) 1/3
The Bible-believer knows that Abraham was justified by faith. Passages such as "Abraham
'believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness'" ().
19
There are several scriptures that state that Abraham was justified. There is one scripture
that states when he was justified. Hear James: "Was not Abraham our father justified by works
when he offered Isaac his son on the altar?" (. We have James' inspired commentary that attests
to that fact.
To be a son of Abraham is to be like Abraham. For those of us who wish to be the sons
of Abraham, we must follow in his footsteps. No, this does not mean that we must offer our
children upon an altar; it does, however, mean that our faith in God must manifest itself in
unquestioned obedience. When we obey God in faith, He will follow through on His promise
to declare us righteous (the meaning of justification). There will be no visible or tangible
indication that God has kept His part of the deal but we can be absolutely certain that He will.
This is the "law of faith" that Paul talked about in . For those who insist that justification is
achieved apart from law, they insist on too much. God has promised justification, but He has
never promised it apart from any and all law.
"And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the
gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, 'In you shall all the nations be blessed.'" (). Later Peter
went to those who were afar off, namely the household of Cornelius and declared this same
gospel to them. When this was done, the promise to Abraham had its complete fulfillment.
If we are to be Abraham's seed, we must do what Abraham did, i.e. trust God explicitly!
"So then those who are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham. For as many as are of the
works of the law are under the curse; for it is written, 'Cursed is everyone who does not continue
in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do them.'" (). These verses speak of
two classes of religious people; one class is "of faith" and the other class is "of the works of the
law." One class is blessed with believing Abraham and the other class is "under the curse." We
will look at these two classes of people, and the nature of their beliefs.
The phrase "cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in
the book of the law" is taken from Moses' words as recorded at . These are the closing words of
the "Curses Section" of Moses' instructions to Israel which were to be spoken by Joshua at a
future time at Mount Ebal. The words of this section of the book of Deuteronomy contain
sobering and ominous warnings regarding disobedience. The law itself had no provision for
20
real justification; it only had a means by which someone could be declared unrighteous. No
man could keep all the law, try as he might! Every would-be law keeper sooner or later became
a lawbreaker. Hence, Paul's words of warning had real meaning to those who were "of the law."
Their religious system, by definition, could not make one righteous.
On the other hand, those who were "of faith" were blessed with believing Abraham. To
be blessed with Abraham is to receive the blessings reserved for Abraham and his spiritual
descendents. Those who saw their bankrupt conditions as they stood before an unyielding law
were children of Abraham. Their confidence was not placed in the law, but in the willingness
of God to forgive their transgressions of the Law when they met His conditions of forgiveness.
There is a world of difference between these two positions though from the outside they
might appear strikingly similar. People on both sides of this aisle demonstrate a great respect
for God, for His authority, and for the Law. One side places its confidence in their ability to
keep the law while the other side recognizes from the outset their inability to remain on the
right side of the law at all times. Though those who are "of faith' know that they will sin from
time to time, they take nothing for granted; they dare not sin just so grace can grow larger (cf.).
The side that is "of the law" has confidence in their own ability to walk flawlessly; they have
little or no room for grace and mercy: their confidence is in themselves!
Those who place their confidence in their abilities to live sinlessly are not at risk; they
are doomed. Fifteen hundred years had elapsed since Moses had received the law and not a
single person had succeeded in keeping all it tenets. On the other hand, since the beginning of
time, God had been willing to show mercy toward those who recognized their inability to live
flawlessly; His system of faith had always made provision for them. Cursed or blessed – it all
depends on how we see ourselves, how we see God, and how we respond to the law of faith!
"Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is
written, "Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree"), that the blessing of Abraham might come
upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith."
(). This text speaks of the vicarious suffering and death of Jesus, a fundamental truth that
undergirds the entirety of the Christian faith.
21
No person but Adam was or is accountable for his sins. There are certain consequences
of his sins that affect all of humanity, but the accountability for his sins do not pass to
subsequent generations. Children born to Adam and Eve suffered consequences of their parent's
transgressions, but they were not seen by God as unclean or defiled merely because their parents
chose to break God's laws. However, all of humanity engages in sin after they reach the mental
maturity that is required to make such choices. We become sinners by practice, not by heritage.
This fact is universal among humanity. No accountable person lives without making moral,
ethical, and/or spiritual choices that violate God's laws; all men sin!!
These facts coupled with God's character and his demands for justice form the
framework for what Paul calls the "curse of the law. The curse of the law as used in this text
consists of: 1) Man's inability to keep the law, 2) The pronouncement of the law against
lawbreakers, and 3) God's absolute goodness and His inability to favor sin or sinful practices.
With these three elements in place, all humanity stands before God condemned by the practice
of sin. Anyone who views this condition can see that it is a vicious circle with no means of
escape.
The law spoken of here is the Law of Moses, though the same could be said for any
mere system of law; man is incapable of perfect law-keeping and that is the standard, i.e.
perfection, God demands. Just "another law" would be inadequate to break this cycle; however
there was and is a way out. This way involves several aspects, but two of the prominent ones
are: 1) A perfect offering for the sins of humanity, and 2) Payment of the penalty that sin
demands. The law of faith () is not just another law; it provides both of these remedies; it is the
gospel of Jesus Christ which includes the vicarious suffering and death of a perfect sacrifice.
Paul declared, "Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law." In so doing, "He became a
curse for us." He paid the ransom price (redeemed us) and accepted the penalty demanded by
the scales of eternal justice! The Cross, the tree of Calvary, was the point in time and space at
which these acts took place. In His death He achieved that which no mere law could do. In His
death He willingly accepted the punishment that sin demanded. In His death He provided that
which man could not provide. He died for me – for me!! I owed a debt I could not pay; He paid
a debt He did not owe! That is the glorious wonder of the Cross!
Seeing these things are true, is it any wonder that Paul was willing to risk life, limb, and
liberty to ensure the preservation of this new system, this Divine system of law and grace.
22
The Law Can't Alter the Covenant with Abraham (3.15-18) 1/2
"Brethren, I speak in the manner of men: Though it is only a man's covenant, yet if it is
confirmed, no one annuls or adds to it. Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made.
He does not say, 'And to seeds,' as of many, but as of one, 'And to your Seed,' who is Christ."
(Galatians 3.15-16).
Some things are so obvious that one would think they need no explanation. But in
matters religious as in more mundane things, people still overlook the obvious and adopt the
preposterous!! Such is certainly the case when it comes to the Law of Moses and its purpose
and longevity. Whatever its purposes, one thing is certain, and it is that one point that Paul avers
in this text: The Law of Moses did not change or add to the covenant which God made with
Abraham. The Law did not enhance, alter, upgrade, improve, bolster, augment or in any other
way materially alter what God had promised through Abraham. When a person's understanding
of the scriptures demands that the Law play that role, his/her understanding is wrong. That is
not my argument or the argument of men who have instructed me; it is Paul's argument stated
in these middle verses of Galatians 3.
Later in this Galatian context Paul will address the purpose of the Law, but for now
suffice it to say, its purpose did not include any material change to God's covenant with
Abraham. Somehow and in someway, the Gospel in prospect was declared to Abraham. It is
foolish to think that we understand this in its entirety, but we can understand the concept.
Perhaps it was this concept that prompted God to place a test before Abraham such as was never
divinely placed before any other individual. That test demanded that Abraham offer his son
Isaac as a sacrifice to the Almighty. Of course, God did not allow Abraham to complete the
offering, but it went far enough that Abraham demonstrated unswerving faith in God. Perhaps
it was for this reason that he was later called the "father of all those who believe" (Romans
4.11).
The seed was to come and it [He] was to be the single source of blessings for Jew and
Gentile alike. God promised universal blessings to all who would bless Abraham's name (see
Genesis 12.3). This fact was a fundamental part of the Gospel in promise made to Abraham.
That fact alone should serve notice that the concept of special spiritual blessings coming to
Israel through the law is a flawed concept. The Gospel had "Universal" written all over it even
from the days of Abraham while the Law had "Israel Only" stamped on it from its inception.
These facts were certainly germane to the overall problem presented by the Judaizers in Galatia.
23
There is a fundamental application lesson that needs to be learned today. The covenant between
God and Abraham could not be changed by subsequent actions. In a similar manner, the New
Covenant is forever fixed since it was ratified by the blood of our Lord. Whatever the covenant
taught then, it teaches now. What ever was forbidden without qualification then is forbidden
now. What ever was required without qualification is required now. Neither time nor
temperament can alter God's Covenants!
The Law Can't Alter the Covenant with Abraham (3.15-18) 2/2
"And this I say, that the law, which was four hundred and thirty years later, cannot annul the
covenant that was confirmed before by God in Christ, that it should make the promise of no
effect. For if the inheritance is of the law, it is no longer of promise; but God gave it to Abraham
by promise." ().
Two expressions are of particular interest here; first is the idea of the "confirmed
covenant." An offer is just and offer. It has no binding force on both parties until it is accepted.
Once accepted, an offer becomes and agreement; a covenant if you will. God made an offer and
Abraham accepted it. It had binding force in both directions. God was bound as much by the
covenant as was Abraham. From one aspect, God certainly did not "owe" Abraham anything.
But, from another aspect, when He entered into a covenant with him, God was bound (he owed)
Abraham certain things. It was purely grace that moved Jehovah God to extend the offer and
every blessing within the offer was made through grace. However, grace does not negate the
obligations that the covenant invokes. Grace is motive; covenant is responsibility.
The second expression of interest is "the inheritance." If this speaks of a literal
inheritance to Abraham, it makes no sense. Abraham was dead; he could receive nothing in this
life. Whatever was owed him in this life could not be changed. However, if this speaks of a
different kind of inheritance, a spiritual inheritance to Abraham and to his progeny, this phrase
is fresh and meaningful. This second interpretation is the correct one; it speaks of hope for all
those who walk in Abraham's footsteps, i.e. the steps of faith. It declares that all who so walk
stand in hope of the inheritance. The blessings of Abraham are in the covenant, and the blessings
of the covenant are passed on to all who walk as he walked. The confirmed covenant is the
absolute guarantee that we will receive the promised inheritance.
24
It was to this end that Jesus bled, suffered, and died. He came to redeem those who were
under the Law of Moses from their transgressions () so that they might receive the promised
inheritance. The inheritance could not be obtained through the Law and had to be given through
a New Covenant! It is the covenant that Paul declared to the Gentiles and Peter to the Jews. It
is the covenant which holds out equal promises and equal rights to all who confess His name.
It is the covenant of which Peter spoke when he wrote of an "…inheritance incorruptible and
undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you." ().
The Law of Moses had a place, but it was not about giving God's inheritance to His
chosen ones. This could not be done through the Law in as much as the inheritance was of
promise and that promise extended to all peoples for all time! When the Judaizers clung to the
Law and demanded that it be kept, they clung to the inferior! That is Paul's message then and it
is his message today. The Covenant of Christ is the superior message through which all the
creation may obtain the inheritance!
The Law was Temporary until Faith Came (3.19-25) 1/3
"What purpose then does the law serve? It was added because of transgressions, till the Seed
should come to whom the promise was made; and it was appointed through angels by the hand
of a mediator. Now a mediator does not mediate for one only, but God is one." (). Two
significant facts stand out in this text. First, the law (i.e. the Law of Moses) was added due to
transgressions, and secondly, God is one. We will consider these two facts.
The law was added because of transgressions, and it was to serve in that way "till the
Seed should come to whom the promise was made." Had Israel realized her own propensity for
sin, perhaps there would have been another way, but she did not. Something was needed to
highlight in her eyes her own sinfulness; the law served that purpose. Once the descendents of
Jacob began to try to adhere to the law, they soon found it to be a futile effort. A day did not
pass in the life of Israel but that their sins shone like a gem against a field of black velvet. They
could not hide them and they could not escape them; their sins were an ever constant
companion. The law provided a means to cope with sin but not resolve it. The baggage of sin
had to be carried, but the Law provided a nice valise in which to put it! So served the Law; it
was needed until such time as the Seed [the Messiah] should arrive.
25
God is one! A mediator is not needed except where a difference, or a divergence is
present. God is constant. There is no variation with Him (see). He does not change; He casts no
shadows. Hence, a mediator is completely unnecessary in the realm of God's existence.
However, a mediator was needed; man took the wayward step and not God; man was the
offending party. This fact had to resound long and loud in the ears of the Israelites. They had to
know that the Law was only needed because they had wavered from the path which God
prescribed. They were the offender and God the offended. God's character had not changed and
neither had His promises. Just as surely as His character remained constant so did His
faithfulness to the promise made to Abraham. His dogged determination to bring the Messiah
into the world was in spite of Israel's actions, not because of her actions.
Given these two facts (i.e. the law was added because of transgression, and God is one)
we begin to get a picture of the real purpose of the law. It was never intended to be a do-all and
end-all for Israel; it had a specific purpose and effectiveness. God set boundaries on the Law of
Moses just as He set them on seas and oceans; He prescribes how far they are to come and so
it is with the law. To try to push the law into some other role is to do violence to God's design
for it. God's purpose for the Law was just as Paul said; it was to given on account of
transgressions and it was to remain until the promised Seed should come.
Two things certainly ought to be taken away from this study: First, God is sovereign
and He decides the limits of His declarations; He can make them as broad or as narrow as He
pleases; such power is solely in His hands. Secondly, we are totally dependent upon God for
the means of our salvation; "bootstrap religion" will never work! Praise God for His marvelous
grace!
"Is the law then against the promises of God? Certainly not! For if there had been a law given
which could have given life, truly righteousness would have been by the law. But the Scripture
has confined all under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who
believe." (). The argument here by Paul as guided by the Holy Spirit is ironclad! In these two
verses he answers the voice of the objectors even before they speak.
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In effect Paul becomes the devil's advocate as he argues: "If the inheritance does not
come by means of the Law, then the Law is opposed to the promises of God." He makes their
argument in the form of a question and then immediately responds, "Certainly not!" In
structuring the text in this way, the reader can not but be struck by the finality of the answer;
there is not the slightest bit of room to warrant such a conclusion! Then he gives his reasoning:
If a law had been given by which life [spiritual life] could have been obtained, then that law
would have been the final word in matters of righteousness. After all, that was the objective of
God in dealing with humanity, i.e. for Him [God] to be just [righteous] and justifier [the one
declaring another righteous] (). His desire from eternity was for fellowship with His creation
and when man fell His entire thrust was to achieve the ends just noted: The Bible in its entirety
is about God remaining just while declaring man justified!
"But the Scripture has confined all under sin…" "Scripture" here is addressed as a living
entity and it is personified by giving it actions and intent. And what did the Scripture do? Why,
it confined all under sin! The word "confined" as used here appears but 4 times in the Bible;
two times are in the book of Galatians, one at and initially at . Luke's usage expresses the force
of the word. He tells of Peter's fruitless fishing trip which ended in a miraculous draught of
fishes after Jesus had told him where to lower his nets. Luke records, "…they caught a great
number of fish, and their net was breaking." The word picture here is one where a net
completely ensnares its prey and renders its escape impossible. That picture is man's picture
when it comes to sin and his hopeless entrapment by it; there simply is no way of escape apart
from God's mercy and grace. The more man struggles with sin, the surer the outcome. Paul's
argument is that the Scripture shows that man cannot escape from the confinement of sin by
means of the Mosaic Covenant; such is a futile effort doomed to failure!
The latter part of verse 22 states the reason for such a demonstration – "That the promise
by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe." The promise was made in faith
and it was given to those of faith. From the outset of God's great scheme of redemption, He had
intended that faith play a prominent role in the matter. A system that envisioned redemption
apart from faith was never in the offing! In reality, one could be a descendent of Abraham, live
under the tenets of the Law and never have faith in God. Such was never anticipated as the
means to justification. In the mind of God, faith was a necessary ingredient even before "day
one."
The Law was not against God's promises; it was a way to demonstrate the need for saving faith!
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"But before faith came, we were kept under guard by the law, kept for the faith which would
afterward be revealed. Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be
justified by faith. But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor." ().
Theses verses obviously speak of a progression; some things were before others and
were to have temporary status pending the arrival of the other things. There is also a metaphor
in the text that helps to explain the relationship of the sets of things. The Law had a function; it
kept the Hebrew nation "under guard," they were literally enclosed within it! However its
functional significance was to cease once "faith" came. The Law in this text is contrasted with
"the faith." The Law was temporary and The Faith was permanent. Without the law the Hebrew
nation could well have been swallowed up by the nations around them; the Law kept from that
fate. In a similar manner, the law was responsible for the scrupulous recording of the
genealogies that typified Jewish society. Without the preservation of these historical records,
the line of Abraham might have been blurred with the lineage of other nations or families. With
the Law in place, national and tribal history was a matter of public record; Messiah could
descend just as Jehovah had promised in the early chapters of Genesis and proof could be
obtained in the public records.
Paul states, "The Law was our tutor." Notice the past tense description - it was our tutor.
But now, now that faith had come, Paul affirms that the tutor was unnecessary. In the Roman
and Greek culture, slaves and other designated individuals were assigned to supervise the
growth and maturity of boys from well-to-do families. The paidagogos had total oversight of
the boys under his charge. According to some authorities, the youngsters under such tutors were
not so much as allowed out into the yard without direct supervision. This figure is the one that
the Holy Spirit chose to depict the function of the Law during the former years of Israel. As
was the case with the tutor, so it was with the Law – its useful function was limited. When a
boy under a tutor reached manhood, the tutor had no more authority over his charges. The lesson
is simple; the Law had authority over Israel until the mature age arrived in which Messiah came
upon the scene. However, after Messiah arrived, the tutor/law had no further authority.
Now all of this was done so that "…we might be justified by faith." Given the fact that
there was no justification under the law (), the superiority of the Gospel system was evident to
all who wished to know. What the Old Law could not do because of the frailty of men, the New
Covenant could do through the blood of its perfect sacrifice. Justification was no longer a
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promise of some future age; it was a reality within the grasp of all who would place their trust
in the Savior! The contrast could not be more stark; the Law had no means to justification and
could only lead to death; the Gospel had the means by which justification could be achieved
and the promise of life. Why would anyone want to go back to the inferior system? That was
the question which must have haunted Paul and his Gospel companions.
The gospel still holds the same promises that it did in Paul's day; it will never go out of style!
The Inheritance Obtained through Faith in Christ (3.26-29) ½
"For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized
into Christ have put on Christ." ().
What a marvelous affirmation – "You are… sons of God!" The recipients of this letter
were, at least many of them, Gentiles. Do you know what kind of response one would have
gotten if he had asked the average Hebrew a few years earlier, "Can a Gentile be a full-fledged
member of God's family?" In most cases the question would have seemed ludicrous and not
even deserving of an answer. Yet there was one Jew who believed differently a few years
earlier. John wrote concerning His life and work - "But as many as received Him, to them He
gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born,
not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God." (). And again Jesus
said, "And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will
hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd." ().
What a marvelous location – "You are… in Christ Jesus." Of course, this is not a
physical location to which Paul refers; rather, it is a spiritual location; to be in Christ is to exist
within His realm of influence and within His Kingdom (). To be in Christ is to have access to
the plethora of spiritual blessings that flow from His hand (. To be in Christ is to have escaped
the pollutions of this world () and to have one's affections fixed on the One who demonstrates
perfect love toward all humanity (). To be in Christ is to be an heir-apparent to the inheritance
promised to Abraham and to all those who bless his name (). To be in Christ is to stand in hope
of eternal life which God promised before time began ().
What a marvelous process – "You… were baptized into Christ." The awful scenes at
Calvary would have forever been a bane upon the heart of humanity had God not finished the
painting with strokes that only His brush could supply. Yet He took that event and transformed
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it into a living scene, a true drama that He yearns to see reenacted over and over again. Not only
does He yearn to see the drama reenacted, all His children also long to relive those scenes from
Golgotha; abject ugliness and evil transformed by one stroke of a Divine brush into loveliness
beyond description. Yet every time a sinner joyfully and with penitent heart willingly
participates in biblical baptism, that precious portrait is refreshed in the hearts of believers. It
is the ultimate climax of life's play where true and eternal beauty is exchanged for the worthless
ashes of a hopeless human heart. That scene at Calvary was made perfect by the resurrection of
THE Son; the reenacted scenes are made perfect as we become sons, united together with Him
in baptism and raised to walk in newness of life ().
When we view the real-life events at Galatia in this light, we can understand the
determination that Paul had to dissuade his brothers there from following the path of error
prescribed by the Judaizers. The promises were simply too grand to miss due to the pernicious
words of a few. "Trust God!" Paul says; "He will be true to His promises!"
The Inheritance Obtained through Faith in Christ (3.26-29) 2/2
"There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female;
for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed, and
heirs according to the promise." ().
Three specific things are identified as being irrelevant to one's standing in Christ.
Neither genealogy (Jew/Greek), gender (male/female), or social status (slave/free) has any
effect on whether or not one has a right to become a child of God. This truth stands in stark
contrast to the Mosaic Covenant, or at least the way it was commonly understood among the
Jews. It was commonly believed that the Gentiles could only receive the reflected light of
Jehovah while the Jews had the right to bask in the full light of His glory. There were provisions
for the Gentile in the religion of the Jews but it was not equal status, the proselyte being granted
only limited rights in worship and service. Paul's declaration in strikes at the heart of this
erroneous doctrine. Simply put, Paul says it just cannot be that any of these things have any
relevance to one's spiritual condition.
Rather, Paul says, "…you are all one in Christ Jesus." For the separatists, this must have
stuck a chord of terror in their hearts. For the elitists, this must had seemed terribly demeaning.
For the religious egomaniacs they must have known that their power to control and manipulate
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was being taken away. "All one" is a phrase which may not have served man's purposes, but it
was one which served God's. From the time man had fallen in sin, He had longed for the time
that oneness with Him would once again be possible. The message of the Gospel is a message
of oneness! God and man become one in Jesus and man and man become one in Jesus. In that
sphere, i.e. the spiritual sphere of Jesus, there are no barriers to entrance based on race, color,
ethnicity, gender, economic status, or any other such matter. Any barrier to entrance is on the
inside of man and none are on the outside. The only thing that stands between man and perfect
union with the Creator is the condition of man's heart.
Those who are in Christ belong to Christ; they are "Abraham's seed and heirs according
to the promise." This short statement expresses the realized hope of humanity. The rest of the
Scripture revolves around this promise and its fulfillment. The promise had been so long
anticipated and the Good News of its arrival and its availability was no small matter. The burden
of the prophets, the desire of the righteous, and the hope of humanity was manifested in the
person of Jesus Christ. And further to that point, all who placed their trust in the Lord placed
themselves in the company of the redeemed of the ages. The blessings of Abraham were real
and they were available to any and all who were obedient to the gospel system.
The Law had not brought justification; the Law could not bring justification. The
promises of Abraham predated the Mosaic Covenant and therefore were not altered by the
Covenant at Sinai. God was faithful to Abraham and fulfilled His promises through Jesus Christ.
All peoples in all places and in all times have equal access to those promises in Jesus Christ!
Chapter 4 – Christians Rank as Sons (1/10)
Slaves and Sons; Children and Men (4.1-7) 1/3
The task was still the same – Destroy the error of the Judaizers! The souls of men were
at stake as well as the veracity of God. Paul's passion was in preaching and defending the truth.
Troublers were preaching another gospel, a gospel which had it origins in the minds of men and
not in the heart of God (). The 4th chapter of Galatians presents 5 distinct arguments against
the doctrine of the troublers and for the pure doctrine which Paul preached. The first of these
arguments is contained in and it has to do with Slaves and Sons; Children and Men.
"Now I say that the heir, as long as he is a child, does not differ at all from a slave,
though he is master of all, but is under guardians and stewards until the time appointed by the
father." (). These verses present a figure which is intended to illustrate the relationship of
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humanity and the Jews in particular to God when serving under the Law as contrasted with
those same people serving God under the Gospel system. Explicit in this text is the change in
relationship that occurs with an heir-apparent to an estate as that heir grows from a minor to
majority age. While a minor, the son has one relationship; after coming of legal age, the heir
takes on a whole new set of entirely new and different relationships.
While a child (a minor), the heir is treated just like a slave in that he is placed under the
charge of guardian and stewards. In prospect he owns everything about him including the
direction of the services of the guardians and stewards over him; in reality he owns and directs
none! He is an heir in prospect only and does not due to his age enjoy the position of sonship
into which he will grow with time. In that respect Paul says that he (the minor heir) "does not
differ at all from a slave." That reduces his argument to its lowest level. Argue as you will about
potential rights, at that moment in time, the minor son enjoys the same rights and privileges of
a slave!
But the intent of the father is not for things to remain in this state. The father fully
intends, in fact plans, for the son to grow into manhood when he can accept the responsibilities
that attend such an inheritance. No father would wish his son to remain as a minor but would
long for the day when the son is mature enough to be the actual heir of his estate. In fact, this
arrangement under the guardians and stewards is to last only "… until the time appointed by
the father." The objective of the father in placing the guardians and stewards over the son is so
that one day he can assume the role of manhood. Because of this the father fixes a day in which
such a transition can take place. This day would be a red-letter day in the minds of the son and
the father and would become a deadline date for the work of the stewards and governors to be
done.
Under the Law, Israel functioned as a minor child. The stewards and governors in this
analogy correspond to the Law; they trained and supervised Israel's every move. But, the
inheritance was not because of the stewards and governors; they were just tools the father used
to supervise the son until he came to majority age. To go back to the law is to digress to an
immature age and become subject to unnecessary restrictions and ordinances. Be a man; be a
Christian!
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The analogy is one of slaves to children and sons to mature men. The Law of Moses corresponds
to slaves and children; the gospel corresponds to sons and men. In that analogy, Paul wrote,
"Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world. But
when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under
the law…" ().
God sent forth His Son! This simple declaration is one of unexcelled significance. The
Son was sent by the Father. There was no accident involved in this matter. The actions were
calculated, planned from eternity itself. Literally, the Father sent the Son out on a mission. This
mission was the grandest and most important mission ever to intersect with time. Thousands,
even hundreds of thousands of missions had been planned and executed, but none compared to
this one; it was the Apex Mission of time and eternity!
His Son was born of a woman! The virgin birth is implied in this statement. God had
many sons in a spiritual sense, but He only had one that was His Son born of a woman. This
Son was the seed of woman foreseen in and Immanuel of . The fulfillment of these promises
occurred with the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem of Judea ().
His Son was born under the Law! The primary purpose of the Law had been successful
in protecting Israel until the time appointed of the Father. Had the Law not existed, it would
have been impossible for the Messiah to have come as predicted and if He had, His lineage
could not have been traced. However, under the Law, God stewards and governors for Israel,
the coming of the Messiah was carefully and meticulously documented and traceable.
The sending of the Son was in "the fullness of time!" The time was right for the
appearance of Messiah; a better time could not have been chosen. The Creator of time and the
sustainer of time knew when to send the Son and He acted in keeping with Divine wisdom in
sending the Son when He did. Theories of men not withstanding (e.g. all premillennial and
kingdom postponement theories) God knew what He was doing and He knew when to do it.
The time at which Messiah came into the world was a time which the Father picked for reasons
known only to Him, but it was the right time; it was the fullness of time!
Directly connected to the sending of the Son was the fact that the Hebrew nation was
"... in bondage under the elements of the world." The Law was not something that fostered
spiritual maturity; in fact it existed because of spiritual immaturity; it was a means to preserve
the seed-line through whom Messiah would come. When John and Jesus came on the scene
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they ran headlong into scribes and Pharisees who saw the Law as the be-all and end-all of
spiritual matters. They failed to understand that it had a temporary function and would cease to
exist as an authoritative system once the kingdom of heaven was in place.
Praise be to God, Master of time and space; He sent His only Son; He willingly took my place!
God sent His Son "… to redeem those who were under the Law." (a). The Law was not able to
provide the ransom price; that was the function of the Son. For that reason John would declare
concerning Jesus, "Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!" ().
God sent His Son "… that we might receive the adoption as sons." (b). This word translated
"the adoption of sons" occurs some 5 times in the scripture and has varied meanings determined
by context. The context here would seem to mean that believers came to actually possess the
blessings of sons through the gospel system. They had been children trained and tutored by the
Law but now, through Christ, they were of full age and recipients of the inheritance planned for
them.
Furthermore, because of this adoption, He "sent forth the Spirit [disposition] of His Son
into your hearts crying out, "Abba, Father!" (). The spirit of sonship resulted from the adoption;
once declared to be His children, we realize and claim our rights as sons. We address Him as
Father in His fullness because He recognizes us as sons in that fullness. There is lots of
speculation regarding the term "Abba, Father!" as to its meaning. Suffice to our purposes to
know that in His hour of greatest agony, Jesus used this very same expression when He
addressed the Father. "And He said, 'Abba, Father, all things are possible for You. Take this
cup away from Me; nevertheless, not what I will, but what You will.'" (). What a privilege to
know that we as adopted sons have the right to address the Father on the exact same basis as
did Jesus, the only begotten of the Father!
"Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through
Christ." (). The sons of God heirs of God. In the Roman epistle Paul extends this thought to say
that the heirs of God are "joint heirs with Christ" (). Effectively he is saying that the blessings
of THE Son are the blessing of the sons! Notice carefully how and where this inheritance is
available. Contrary to the teachings of the Judaizers that the Law was essential, Paul avers that
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the inheritance is available "through Christ." There was no need to adhere to the tenets of the
Law since the blessings of sonship were available in Christ!
Taken as a whole the first 7 verses of express an unanswerable argument for the
sufficiency of the Gospel of Christ apart from any other system or creed. The blessings sought
by believers of all ages were fully and completely available in Christ apart from the Law of
Moses. Coupled with other verses, the believer realizes that he has standing with God that is
literally second to none, and this standing is equally available to Jew and Gentile.
"Why go back?" Paul argues! You have everything that you could possibly want through
the blessings of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Those same blessings are available to believers
today. Why attempt to improve on that which cannot be improved? The Gospel in its purity
provides everything that we could possibly want or need!
If Sons, do not go Back (4.8-11) ½
Irrational behavior is always surprising to those who think rationally. Paul saw the
Galatians brethren acting in an irrational manner by the choices they were making. He addresses
their puzzling behavior in saying, "But then, indeed, when you did not know God, you served
those which by nature are not gods. But now after you have known God, or rather are known
by God, how is it that you turn again to the weak and beggarly elements, to which you desire
again to be in bondage? (). Consider his statements further, please.
As Gentiles they had not know God. They had sought Him but in all the wrong ways
and places. The beliefs and superstitions of pagan philosophy could never reveal Creator God
to its adherents. Even if their practices were consistent with the most learned Grecian pagans,
they could not know God. He is not revealed by human means and strivings. Rather, He can
only be known as He declares Himself to humanity. When the pagans sought God through their
own wisdom, God remained hidden from view because their eyes were blinded (). Their
groupings were unsuccessful () even though He was close to every one of them.
However, when they opened their eyes to the truth of the gospel, they found God. Or to
put it more accurately, God found them. In the literal sense, God obviously knew where they
were all along, but until such time as He chose to reveal Himself to them, He was hidden from
their view. When the time came, He removed the veil from the mystery and declared Himself
to all of humanity. In so doing, He came to "know" the Gentiles in a way previously only hoped
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for in the heavenlies; the fellowship that was restored by the Gospel was the thing for which
God sought from the time of the fall. In that sense, God's quest was complete; they were now
"known of God."
How then could they possibly be turning away from Him and back to bondage?
Previously they had been held in bondage to their pagan practices; now they were turning to
the bondage of the Law, "the weak and beggarly elements." The very purpose of the gospel was
to free humanity from the clutches of earthly things and to allow him to be captivated and
captured by heavenly things. The issue was not, "Shall we be in bondage?" Rather the question
was, "To what shall we be in bondage?" And the response of the Galatians was, "We chose to
be in bondage to earthly things!" Someone might ask, "How have we chosen to be in bondage
to earthly things?" The answer is given: In choosing to follow the teachings of the Judaizers,
you chose bondage to earthly things! In turning to the Law you turn away from the fellowship
that is possible in the Gospel of Christ. In following the doctrines of men you reject the doctrine
of God!
Sometimes I have heard people say, "You wouldn't know a good thing if you saw it!"
To some extent that was true of the Galatian brethren. The pull of the present was greater that
the majesty of things to come. The magnetism of materialism was and is perhaps the strongest
detractor to the human mind when it comes to spiritual responsibilities. The blessings of the
gospel are the greatest possible blessing that man can enjoy. Recognize a good thing and keep
it!
If Sons, do not go Back (4.8-11) 2/2
The Galatian Christians were making some very bad choices. They were choosing
bondage to the Law over servitude to Christ and in so doing were choosing fleshly appetites
over spiritual matters. Hear another of Paul's indictments: "You observe days and months and
seasons and years." (). The context makes plain the substance of Paul's indictment as we will
note in continuing to examine this text.
The Law of Moses had many ordinances which had to be remembered. Many of these
things were done with specific regularity either having a weekly, monthly, or yearly frequency.
Each of these remembrances required certain things of those who held to the strict observance
of the Law. There were sacrifices to prepare, feasts to be eaten, prayers to be prayed, obligations
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to be met, journeys to be taken, and myriads of other such things to observe and do. The weight
of trying to faithfully keep all the ordinances was no small thing! In fact, on one occasion Peter
asked concerning the Law, "Now therefore, why do you test God by putting a yoke on the neck
of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?" ().
Since the Law had such burdensome aspects, Paul's natural question would be, "Why
are you seeking to come under its tenets?" And there was no good answer. There were no
spiritual gains to be had under the Law; only additional burdens and carnal ordinances. For that
reason (i.e. the irrational behavior of the Galatians in turning to the doctrine of the Judaizers),
Paul said, "I am afraid for you, lest I have labored for you in vain." (). There is great emotion
in this statement – and love!
Paul literally feared for the spiritual welfare of the Galatians brethren. They were
playing with spiritual fire and the indicators were that they were going to get burned! The truth
sets free and error binds; they were in the process of rejecting the truth and turning to error. The
bondage into which they seemed to be heading was no more a means to freedom than was the
pagan past from which they had come. In any case, Paul's fears were real; they were headed for
spiritual ruin.
There was so much at stake. Sonship was fully granted to the Galatian believers. They
came behind no one as far as access to the Father and the spiritual blessings that were in Christ.
They had forgiveness of sins. They stood in hope of eternal life. They were the spiritual children
of Abraham and heirs of all the promises made to him. All of this and more was on the line!
What Paul doubtless hoped for was for them to think!! "Just stop and think!! We can almost
hear him say these words. "Why throw all this away? What do you hope to gain? Stop and
think!"
Sometimes we are like the Galatians. Sometimes we fail to see the great riches that we
have – either in our country, our friends, our faith, our families, our jobs, etc. We, like the
Galatians, see something that glitters and all too often are ready to chuck everything else to "go
for the gold." God expects us to gather facts, to reason, and to act rationally in our choices. God
is a God of reason and faith is reasonable. Think! Reflect! Contemplate! God is pleased when
we use the faculties with which we were endowed at creation!
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Emulate Paul, a son through Faith (4.12-15) 1/1
"Brethren, I urge you to become like me, for I became like you. You have not injured me at all.
You know that because of physical infirmity I preached the gospel to you at the first. And my
trial which was in my flesh you did not despise or reject, but you received me as an angel of
God, even as Christ Jesus. What then was the blessing you enjoyed? For I bear you witness
that, if possible, you would have plucked out your own eyes and given them to me." ().
There is a lot to consider in the text quoted. It is also fertile for conjecture on the part of
many commentators. However, there is plenty of meat available without speculation. Here is
the true matter of the case. Paul writes, "You have not injured me at all." In other words, his
complaint was not with how they treated him as a person. The issue at hand was not a personal
matter. In fact, their love for him was beyond question. He notes that they "… would have
plucked out your own eyes and given them to me." Whether this is similar to our idiom "I would
give my right arm to…" or, whether Paul had a problem with his eyes, the bottom line is the
same. The Galatians loved Paul so much that they would have gladly given of their very soul
to take care of him. After all, He had been the messenger through whom they had received the
message of grace and forgiveness. After hearing the gospel, the Galatians knew well the
blessings which they enjoyed. If anything, they owed a debt to Paul but that is not the basis for
Paul's appeal to them. Nothing about the issues at hand are about persons or personalities. It is
all about truth and their response to the truth.
Now note: "Brethren, become like me for I became like you." Paul is specifically and
explicitly asking the Galatians to follow him, to emulate his deeds. He had become as one of
them – that is, not subject to the Law. As Gentiles, they had no responsibility to the Law when
he first met them and in that sense, he became as they were, i.e. not accountable to the Law.
However, the troublers in Galatia were now telling them that they needed to add certain portions
of the Law to their religious observances. It is ironic that Paul became as they were (not bound
by the Law) and now they were moving to become like Paul was (i.e. a keeper of the Law).
Paul capitalizes on the irony of their actions to call them to repent and come back to the pure
gospel which he had preached among them at the first.
He had preached the gospel among them and not the Law. He was reared under the Law,
lived under the Law, and even persecuted Christians because he saw them as being opposed to
the Law. He certainly could have preached the Law – but he didn't. His preaching among them
was about Jesus Christ and the system of faith which He died to establish. Furthermore, he had
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worked miracles among them as a means of confirming the Good News which he delivered. It
was not about personalities; it was about truth!
Never let personalities get in the way of truth! Never mistake issues of truth for personalities!
Paul had become a son of God through faith and they needed to emulate him!
Zeal must be directed by Truth (4.16-18) ½
Truth sometimes hurts. When we are wrong and we are confronted by truth it is seldom
painless. The Galatians doubtless felt some pain from Paul's straightforward rebuke of their
journey into error. Perhaps it was their reaction to his words of truth that prompted him to write,
"Have I therefore become your enemy because I tell you the truth?" (). Whatever the
background, Paul was not the first to become an enemy because of his stand for truth.
Ahab, king of Israel, had the privilege of knowing Elijah, one of the greatest prophets
of the Old Testament. On one occasion Ahab said to Elijah, ""Is that you, O troubler of Israel?"
(). No man was truer or more loyal to Israel than Elijah, yet these are the words that the king
spoke to him. Hear Elijah's response: "And he answered, 'I have not troubled Israel, but you
and your father's house have, in that you have forsaken the commandments of the LORD and
have followed the Baals.'" (). The real troubler was obvious to any who cared to know, yet
Elijah was the enemy because he told the truth!
A few years later Ahab and Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, contemplated war against Syria.
After listening to all the state prophets spout the same message of success, Jehoshaphat asked
if there was not another prophet of whom they could inquire. Ahab answered, ""There is still
one man, Micaiah the son of Imlah, by whom we may inquire of the LORD; but I hate him,
because he does not prophesy good concerning me, but evil." (). Micaiah was the enemy of
Ahab for no other reason than he spoke truth!
On another occasion, Zechariah was moved to declare to Israel, "Thus says God: 'Why
do you transgress the commandments of the LORD, so that you cannot prosper? Because you
have forsaken the LORD, He also has forsaken you.'" () The truth spoken by Zechariah so
infuriated some of the Jew that "… they conspired against him, and at the command of the king
they stoned him with stones in the court of the house of the LORD." ().
Jesus talked a lot about truth; Jesus was truth. He taught others to respect truth, and yet
He had many enemies because of His insistence upon truth. According to even His own brothers
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did not believe in Him. Speaking to them, He said, "The world cannot hate you, but it hates Me
because I testify of it that its works are evil." (). Clearly this passage teaches that the hatred that
exists for teachers of truth arises out of their allegiance to truth.
Zeal must be directed by Truth (4.16-18) 2/2
The false teachers had an agenda in Galatia; they always do. The purveyors of error
there were styled as Judaizers. They allowed Christians to hold to their faith in Christ but
imposed the keeping of certain parts of the Law of Moses upon the believers. This concept was
wrong because it was not of God's design. Their doctrines originated with uninspired men and
not from a Divine source. Consider their agenda as you continue to read.
Hear Paul's explicit statement: "They zealously court you, but for no good; yes, they
want to exclude you, that you may be zealous for them. But it is good to be zealous in a good
thing always, and not only when I am present with you." (). The Judaizers were aggressive in
their quest for converts. But zeal alone was not a badge of truth. The Hebrew nation had been
zealous but their zeal was deficient in knowledge (). Their zeal was to no good end so in and of
itself, it was of no value. The purpose behind zeal ought always to be examined.
And why were the Judaizers so zealous? Paul said it was so the Galatians might be
zealous for them. In other words, they needed the Galatians to feed their egos in a wholly self-
serving religious ploy. Perhaps the teachers of error would be recognized for their success the
more followers they had. Maybe the Judaizers would appear to be experts in their field should
the Galatian brethren cast their lot with them. Whatever the specific reason, Paul was clear that
it was to serve their own selfish ends. The Judaizers wanted the Galatian believers to adopt their
doctrines and thus become dependent and subservient to their wishes. In so doing, the Judaizers
hoped that the believers would become "zealous for them."
So that none would get the wrong idea, Paul points out that there was nothing inherently
wrong with the zeal shown by the Judaizers. Nor was there anything wrong with being zealously
affected (courted) by someone other than Paul. He writes: "But it is good to be zealous in a
good thing always…" The Galatian believers could do as they pleased in such matters but the
critical thing to consider was the motive and objective of those who were so aggressive in their
deeds. Paul was not crying foul due to any personal insult on his part caused by the Judaizers;
he cried foul because of the misguided intent of the Judaizers and the ultimate effect upon the
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Galatian brethren. However, to be taken in by something that is not good can never be right, no
matter how much zeal its adherents possess. "But it is good to be zealous in a good thing always,
and not only when I am present with you."
Many, many issues can be best resolved by looking at motives. We do not know how
Paul knew the motives of the Judaizers, but he obviously knew them – and they were not good.
Motives alone are sometimes adequate to make a decision on doctrine! If motive violates godly
principle we should reject the doctrine – and that is Paul's argument in this text and context.
Regardless of the personal exaltation that might result from a particular position, there can be
no justification for rejecting God's way! Truth is implicitly more important than all of error's
explicit gains!!
The symbology of Hagar and Sarah (4.19-31) ½
A gentle greeting and a stern rebuke form the introduction to the analogy of Hagar and Sarah
contained in ).
John, the Apostle of Love, used the phrase "my little children" some seven times in his
first general epistle. Jesus used this same term in in comforting his disciples on the night He
was to be betrayed. Paul referred to the Galatians as "dear children" because that is what they
were; he had "birthed" them through tribulation and persecution during his preaching there. He
loved them with a genuine love that could only be known by a fellow-believer and mentor! But,
similar to the rearing of literal children, the pangs of birth do not end at delivery; they are
sometimes repeated in the emotions of development and maturity. There is no hurt like the hurt
a child can inflict on his/her parents in adolescence; neither is there any joy that can exceed the
joy of that time. There is a spiritual parallel here. And for Paul, the times are not pleasant. He
is in agony over the condition of his spiritual children; he is "laboring in birth again!"
The purpose of his labor is stated – "Until Christ is formed in you." After the "new birth"
there is another birth that takes place in each believer. As the truth of the gospel permeates the
heart of the believer, he/she is morphed into the image of Christ. This is a process that takes
time, but for the Galatians something had gone horribly wrong. The effects of false doctrine
had interrupted this beautiful process and grotesque things were happening to the image.
Defects were being formed, thus marring the visage of what was intended to be the loveliest of
faces! Make no doubt about it! Paul was not an idle bystander; he was their spiritual parents
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and the foolish course that they were pursing was ripping his heart out! He was in labor once
again!
But all is not lost; there is yet hope that the Galatians will become the lovely spiritual
image that was intended. notice how this might be done. Paul exclaims, "I would like to be
present with you now and to change my tone." Just as the Galatians had become Christians by
the hearing of the gospel, so the process of maturation was continued by the same method.
Spiritual growth occurs as we hear and obey the principles of godliness contained in the gospel
message. Christianity is not a "one shot" deal that leads to instant maturity; it is a life time of
studying and applying the concepts of Christ to our lives. So it was that Paul wished he could
be in Galatia so he could "change his tone." If he were there, he would speak in a different
manner than before. Perhaps his voice would be more urgent. Maybe he would be sterner in
warning of the dangers of apostasy. Perhaps he would remind them of their obligations to look
out for the welfare of one another. Whatever the case, he would speak in an entirely different
way!
This passage points out the grave responsibility that rests upon all who name the name
of Christ. These obligations do not end at the baptistery; they begin there! We are responsible
to see that an environment exists such that Christ can be formed in us! The alternative is
unthinkably ugly!
The symbology of Hagar and Sarah (4.19-31) 2/2
Paul writes, "…Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia, and corresponds to Jerusalem which now is,
and is in bondage with her children —— but the Jerusalem above is free, which is the mother
of us all." ().
These words are in the midst of an extended symbolic passage which depicts two
Jerusalems – one that was currently in earthly existence, and another that was "above." These
two Jerusalems are further described as being "bondage" and "free," respectively. Even if one
does not fully understand this passage, it is obvious that it describes two systems of religion
and only one of them provides the freedom that it promises. In fact, the "Jerusalem which now
is" is "in bondage with her children." Not only does it not deliver freedom, it enslaves.
Although this passage has two very specific religious systems in view, the same could
be said for any religion that competes with the one true system established by our Lord. When
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Jesus was on the earth, He frequently spoke of the restrictive, even exclusive, way that He
represented. He spoke of the wide gate and broad way () that leads to destruction. He talked
about very specific attitudes that had to exist in order for one to see the kingdom of heaven ().
He taught about two builders, one of whom was foolish and whose works would meet with a
destructive end (). In a very straightforward passage spoken toward the end of His ministry, He
said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." ().
Somehow our society has come to believe that it is unloving to state the things that Jesus stated.
This would include such simple truths as, "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall
enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven." (). Our culture
wants to find a way that is less restrictive and that embraces any and all who simply affirm the
name of Jesus. However, if one believes the Bible, he cannot miss the point that the foolish man
is the one who hears and does not obey and the wise man is the one who hears and obeys ().
The difference isn't in the hearing; it is in the obeying! One cannot "accept Jesus" without
accepting His words and teachings. It simply cannot be that "the man without the plan" is the
narrow way; in fact, that is the broad way that leads to destruction.
The stakes are far too great to treat these very serious matters frivolously. Freedom and
bondage are effectively opposites. One offers benefits and blessings while the other offers
thankless service and perpetual slavery. One is desired by right-thinking people while the other
is repulsive and revolting. But beyond all of this, when such matters as these are considered,
the real issue isn't what we think about the matter or whether or not it appeals to us, the real
issue is how our Creator views such matters. Even if we desired bondage, slavery, and thankless
service, the result is still the same – all who fail to follow Jesus will be lost eternally.
It isn't unloving to warn of the horrible fate that awaits all who reject Messiah; it is unloving to
fail to warn. "We are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free." ().
Chapter 5 – Rank is Jeopardized by False Doctrine (1/7)
Judaizers threaten Christian Liberty (5.1-11) 1/3
"Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled
again with a yoke of bondage. Indeed I, Paul, say to you that if you become circumcised, Christ
will profit you nothing. And I testify again to every man who becomes circumcised that he is a
debtor to keep the whole law. You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be
justified by law; you have fallen from grace." ().
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This passage contains some of the sweetest words that mortal tongue can utter. Liberty,
free, Christ, and grace are unexcelled in tenderness and meaning. It is significant that these
sweetest of words are in a text which also contains some of the bleakest terms imaginable to
humankind, terms like yoke of bondage, debtor to keep the whole law, estranged from Christ,
and fallen from grace. This brief glimpse should give notice of the stakes that were involved in
the error being taught by the Judaizers. This thing being taught in Galatia was not just another
idea or philosophy; it was a grace-killing system of spiritual bondage that would lead its
adherents to an eternal hell!
Paul explicitly warned, "Do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage." The
contrast is not easily missed! Freedom and bondage are two absolute opposites. As the word is
ordinarily used, who would want to be in bondage? The very mention of the word is repulsive
to clear-headed individuals. Yet, whether intentional or otherwise, some Galatians Christians
were actually exchanging the freedom that they had in Christ for abject servitude to the Law of
Moses. This mindless trade was effectively spiritual suicide; no one could survive the service
demanded by the Law; all were doomed to become spiritual casualties!
To those who were attempting to be justified by the law, Paul said, "You have become
estranged from Christ." They had known Christ (or as He correctly pointed out earlier), they
were known of Christ. But now, those who had been one with Christ were separated from
Christ; such is the plain import of these words. The argument about falling from grace is once
and for all settled for Bible believers by this text. Paul continues, "You have fallen from grace."
The former state of grace in which they had spiritual access to the Father had been destroyed –
not by the actions of God, but by their own actions. Their embracing of the error of salvation
through a law of works and apart from Christ was a fatal error!
As humans we live our lives, most of us, in a way so as to avoid ugliness and
unpleasantness. Christ came to give us a view of life that is filled with loveliness – grace, love,
mercy, forgiveness, fellowship, unity, peace, hope, etc., etc.; He came so that we might have
life and have it more abundantly (). We do not need to be mean-spirited in our actions, but we
need to realize that all persons who teach doctrines that are contrary to the Gospel revealed in
the pages of the New Testament are persons who potentially rob others of the unspeakable
riches promised the faithful. When this world's clock shall have struck its last hour, the only
thing that will matter is how we have lived against God's standard, the Gospel! "Stand fast!"
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"For we through the Spirit eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness by faith. For in Christ
Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but faith working through love.
You ran well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth? This persuasion does not come from
Him who calls you." ().
"The hope of righteousness" is the prize which righteousness makes available; it is
eternal life with God and the redeemed of all ages. Paul said that "we… eagerly wait for" it.
The Christian life that he lived on earth was not an end in itself; it was a means to an end. His
goal was not about earthly things and accomplishments; his goal was heaven! This stood in
stark contrast with those who wanted to make a show of how many converts they had made to
their Judaizing religion. His motives were godly motives!
In Jesus the accomplishments of the flesh are of no concern – Neither circumcision nor
uncircumcision was of any import; God had no concern with these matters now that the Law
which imposed them was fulfilled. Or as we used to say in Alabama – He had no dog in that
race! But, there was something that availed! Paul provides a three-point formula for spiritual
success. Note that formula - Faith working through love. The formula is not about faith alone
because it is dead (). Rather, faith that avails is coupled with works; not just any works, but the
works that result from God's commandments; works of submission and obedience. Finally, this
working faith must be rooted in the right motives and the first and most important one is love.
Faith working through love! Love is the sugar coating on truth's otherwise bitter pill. The truth
presented without love can be a destructive force. The truth presented with love becomes an
irresistible force. After all, that was God's formula! He so loved that He sent His Son. His
confidence was moved to act out of love.
What a sorry epitaph: "He hindered some from obeying the truth!" Yet that is what Paul
said of some in Galatia. Of all the things that could be said of me, that is one of the last things
I would want said. Christians are encouragers toward righteousness, not discouragers! There is
enough discouragement and temptation without some so-called friends adding to the danger.
"This persuasion does not come from Him who calls you." The source of the doctrine that
opposed Paul's was not heavenly; this persuasion came from elsewhere. God's character is such,
truth is such, that conflicting doctrines cannot come from the same source. God had not
authorized the doctrine of the Judaizers, and by implication, had condemned it even before Paul
wrote the Galatian epistle. When the work of Christ was finished on the cross, the Old Covenant
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was fulfilled and the New became operative. Nowhere had Jesus taught that the Law would
continue as an authoritative entity, but rather that it would be fulfilled (see ). God is truth and
truth does not contradict itself; the doctrine of the Judaizers was not of God!
To accept Jesus was to reject the Judaizers and vice versa. God calls us higher; error condemns!
"A little leaven leavens the whole lump. I have confidence in you, in the Lord, that you will have
no other mind; but he who troubles you shall bear his judgment, whoever he is. And I, brethren,
if I still preach circumcision, why do I still suffer persecution? Then the offense of the cross has
ceased." ().
The proverb of needs no proof. The Corinthians had also been told through this proverb
that sin is like a leavening agent and will, unless isolated, affect all the members (). This truism
is similar to the thought at where Paul warned that the word of false teachers will spread like
cancer throughout the body. These sentiments are similar to our English expression "One rotten
apple will spoil the whole barrel." The application at Galatia was simple: The teaching of the
Judaizers was leaven and needed to be purged out; it was cancer and had to be removed from
the body; it was a rotten apple that needed to be separated from the good for the sake of the
others.
To that end of purging the leaven and removing the cancer, Paul says, "I have confidence
in you… that he… shall bear his own judgment." The churches in Galatia had a solemn
responsibility to fellow-members, to Paul, and finally, to God to see that the offending parties
in the matter of the Judaizers were excised from the body of believers. There was judgment to
be meted out and Paul fully expected the guilty ones to bear their judgment; no amount of crying
to the contrary should stay the swift application of God's laws of disfellowship from being
executed in Galatia. But the ball was squarely in the court of the faithful believers in Galatia;
God had left it that way. The final judgment is solely in God's sovereign hands, but interim
judgments such as this one are in the hands of believers.
Paul states an obvious fact to end this brief passage: "If I still preach circumcision, why
do I still suffer persecution? Then the offense of the cross has ceased." The cross was and is
offensive. There simply can be no other way about it! It was the offense that the Jewish leaders
took to the work and teachings of Jesus that moved them to invoke the cross to end His life. In
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fact, Isaiah had prophesied that the Messiah would be a "rock of offense" to the nations of Judah
and Israel (). From the outset, it had been realized that the message of the Cross would have a
polarizing effect upon its hearers; some would flock to it for refuge while others would flee its
shadow lest their lives be affected by its call to repentance and adoration.
Wherever and to whomever the Gospel of Christ is preached, it demands repentance. It
demands that would-be adherents change their affections and practices. The Gospel cannot
peacefully coexist with competing philosophies; the Father is of the same jealous character that
He was in the former dispensation. The offense of the cross will never cease in this life. As long
as men only stubbornly yield to the message of godliness and self-constraint that the Cross
demands, just that long will people take offense at its message. Preach the Cross! Live the
Cross!
The works of the flesh; the fruit of the Spirit (5.13-26) (1/4)
"For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for
the flesh, but through love serve one another. For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in
this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' But if you bite and devour one another, beware
lest you be consumed by one another!" (). The key thought in this text is "through love serve
one another." We will examine this phrase in this context.
The Christian religion is a religion of the heart; it literally cannot be forced or coerced!
Religious activities that arise from outside coercion are not Christian. With that in view, Paul
correctly notes that we have been called to liberty; no constraints can be placed upon us other
than those we place upon ourselves. However, this along with this liberty (freedom) comes
certain responsibilities. These responsibilities are a part of the "package deal" of Christianity.
One cannot properly claim the freedom of Christ without accepting the responsibilities that are
part and parcel in the deal.
Having said that Paul admonished his readers to be in servitude or slavery to one
another. They were free but that freedom should be used to submit oneself in bondage to others.
Herein is one of the great paradoxes of the faith. There are similar ones. For instance, Paul
spoke of being free from sin in order to become servants of righteousness (). Freedom in Christ
is granted so that we may willingly submit ourselves in servitude!! Those who want freedom
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without its responsibilities do not seek the doctrine of Christ; they seek and preach another
gospel. A paradox – Christ calls us to freedom so that we can chose to be in bondage!!
The admonition to serve one another was not new to Christianity; but it was a forgotten
part of the Mosaic covenant. From of old this had been God's desire for His people. Moses had
written, "… you shall love your neighbor as yourself." (). When Jesus stated that this was one
of the 2 commandments upon which the law hangs, He went to the very heart of Christian
freedom and service! The love of God shapes how we feel about others and the love of one
another shapes how we translate that love into action. It is impossible to love God and fail to
love our neighbors. John takes this statement to its logical end by saying that anyone who claims
to love God but hates his brother is a liar (see ). The same God that said we have a responsibility
to love Him also said, "Love your neighbor." Therefore, it is impossible for one to truly love
God while hating His brother.
But this principle predates even the Mosaic covenant. The principle of loving one
another extends to the bowers of Eden. Adam and all his descendents had obligations toward
one another; regardless of one's denial of the fact, we were, are, and always will be our brother's
keepers! The denial of this fact is tantamount to rejecting God. Paul admonished his fellow-
believers in Galatia to accept the responsibilities that go hand in hand with the freedoms that
exist in Christ. To fail to do so is to use liberty to an occasion of the flesh.
The alternative is self-destruction! I implore with Paul, there is a better way – love one another!
"I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts
against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so
that you do not do the things that you wish. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under
the law. ().
The primary lesson in this text has to do with the Law of Moses and the fact that it had
ceased to exist as an authoritative system of religion; its purpose had been fulfilled and a better
system had supplanted it. The Law had not failed! In point of fact, the Law had achieved exactly
the purpose for which God had given it; it had allowed Israel to maintain her national identity
until such time as the Jesus could assume His rightful place in the hearts of men made righteous
by the promised Messiah.
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However, there is an overarching principle stated here that cannot be missed. Two words
are used which depict two opposite and diametrically opposed world views; these words
are flesh and spirit. Flesh as used here simply stands for any and all acts of man that place
humanity in the center of the spiritual universe and hence relegate God to a position of lesser
importance. The basis for the beliefs and practices of the flesh are derived from man and not
from God. Flesh is a worldview that exalts man's ability to care for himself and diminishes the
role of God from that of Sovereign Creator to a role defined by mankind.
Spirit represents a worldview that holds that man is totally hopeless and helpless without
Divine guidance. Spirit holds that man is unable to find God through his own searchings. Spirit
acknowledges that the only means by which man can know God is through God's own
revelation of Himself. Spirit sees God as the absolute Sovereign of the universe without whom
we would not have existed. Further to that point, Spirit knows that man continues to exist only
because God has so willed it; it is by and for His pleasure that we occupy time and space!
These two world views are at enmity one with another; they CANNOT peacefully
coexist any more than a wolf can be employed as the shepherd of the flock. They are opposed
to one another and are irreconcilable in their differences. No amount of dressing up of the two
systems can change their inherently opposite views. Hence, they are presented as being in
perpetual battle against one another. The Law of Moses was given by God and had a rightful
place in the economy of the Old Testament. However, that place was designed to become
obsolete when Messiah came. Like scaffolding around a building under construction, it was
essential to the building process. However, once complete, the scaffolding was completely out
of place. The Law was that scaffolding. It was appropriate; it was even essential. However,
once Messiah came, its purpose and man's perspective of it was to change entirely.
To cling to the Law was to cling to the flesh. By definition, when one clings to the flesh,
he/she rejects the Spirit. They cannot coexist! Paul's affirmations in paint a graphic picture of
man without God. Read it and chose the only viable alternative to Flesh that exists!
"Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness,
lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish
ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which
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I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things
will not inherit the kingdom of God.. ().
A key word in the passage cited is the word evident. That which is evident is not hidden;
it is, as we might say, patently obvious. One does not have to do any research to find out that
when man turns his back on God, the results are spiritually catastrophic. Man left to his own
devices will not ascend; rather, he descends. Man who seeks to elevate himself finds himself
ensnared in the sins enumerated by God's apostle to the Gentiles. No argumentation was needed
to convince Paul's readers; this truth was axiomatic! The unbounded practice of sin prevails
wherever God is pushed out of man's spiritual horizon.
Is the hall of infamy of the flesh; it lists a number of sins resulting from man's adoration
of self and rejection of God. There are sins of a sexual nature, sins of attitude, sins against ones
neighbor, and sins relating to doctrine. The list is not exhaustive, that is, it is not a complete list
of all sins. Rather it is just the tip of the ice berg of sins. Paul cites these specific sins and then
says, "…those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God" (emphasis mine;
jb). The phrase such things includes all other sins of a similar fashion. The word practice
connotes the idea of to commit and to keep on committing; it is a manner of life and not just a
one time lapse or weakness.
The consequence of living in the flesh is explicitly stated in this text – i.e. "…those who
practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God." To inherit is to receive one's rightful
portion or allotment. God reserves blessings for all his children in heaven but the reservation
can be missed by turning one's back on God's call to holiness. That is the awful tragedy that
Paul seeks to avoid by stating these principles. But Paul also says that this is a restatement of
that which he had taught the Galatians on previous occasions. Its importance was such and the
dangers were so grave that these warnings had to be repeated! Had the danger only been
theoretical, perhaps the Holy Spirit would have not seen fit to restate these facts, but the danger
was more than theory – some were going back into the sinful practices that always result when
God's way is rejected!
The flesh's hall of infamy is actually a condensed picture of the history of mankind. If
one takes a backward step and views in a panoramic fashion mankind's actions from creation,
it is easy to see what Paul is talking about. Throughout the history of the Old Testament, the
cycle is repeated over and over again - God specifies the way, man begins to walk in the way,
and then man steps out of the way. Then the cycle begins again as God restates the way in
calling for man's repentance. Truly, the works of the flesh are manifest; they are obvious for all
to see.
The force of Paul's statements is this: If we walk in the flesh, we lose our inheritance!
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Chapter 6 – Our Equal Rank One with Another (1/7)
Mutual Responsibilities of all Christians (6.1-10) (1/4)
While those who belong to Christ do not practice (engage habitually in) sin, that does
not mean that they cannot be "overtaken in a trespass." In fact, that is the exact scenario which
begins Paul's final chapter to the Galatian Christians. However, the point of the passages isn't
to state such a possibility; it is to point out our mutual responsibilities when such an event
occurs.
"Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a
spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted. Bear one another's burdens,
and so fulfill the law of Christ." (). It is significant that immediately after affirming that the
Galatian Christians were not subject to the Law of Moses, Paul affirms that they are subject to
the Law of Christ. This stands in sharp contrast with some modern-day teachers who say we
are not under law, "Not any law!" In point of fact, the removal of one law does not mean that
we are not under any law, for we clearly are. Grace does not abrogate the need for law because
grace and law are not mutually exclusive. Grace and law coexist in the arena of biblical truth at
God's behest!
The Law of Christ has intent as seen in the fact that we can "fulfill it" (see ) We can't
make it any more perfect than it is; that was the job of Deity and it was accomplished at the
Cross. However, we can do what the law expects of us; we can do God's will in the matter.
Specifically, we can help to restore the erring brother or sister; we can help to bear the load
which is overly burdensome to him/her. We do have an obligation in such matters. That has
been clear since Cain denied that he was his brother's keeper in . The fact that the Christian is
in a community of believers (i.e. the church), is prima facie evidence that we have such
obligations. Some creatures may live alone and face life's battles alone, but God never intended
for it to be that way with Christians. We are a part of a fellowship, a sharing, a joint-
participation. God's wisdom is manifested in the fact that believers have mutual responsibilities
toward one another. Although elders within the church have first-line responsibilities in such
matters ( & ), it also is obvious from such passages as the one under consideration that all
Christians are obliged to look out for all others. In that sense we are of equal rank one with
another.
Question: Who can be overtaken in a fault? Answer: Anybody! That is why Paul says that those
of us who attempt to restore the erring must do so with the spirit of gentleness lest we also be
tempted. Unless we are careful, we can actually be overtaken by a trespass as we try to restore
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others. This is a bit of a double bind in as much as we are duty bound to do it but we can stumble
as we do! However, God knew what He was doing when He required this of our hands. One
thing is sure, since God has decreed this as a mutual responsibility – if we fail to act to restore
the erring, we are definitely guilty of sin.
In restoring the erring, the chief motivating factor, i.e. love, must remain operative. Love
prompted God to send His Son to save us and love will prompt us to save others.
"For if anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. But let
each one examine his own work, and then he will have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in
another. For each one shall bear his own load." ().
Spiritual self-examination is one of the most difficult commandments contained in
God's will. But, the effects of not doing it, or for doing it ineffectively, are totally unacceptable
to the human mind. Failure to know one's strengths and weaknesses is a sure formula for failure
in many arenas, but especially in the spiritual one. And those who think they have no weakness
are self deceived. Of all the types of deception that one can name, self-deception is the most
deadly. The only inoculation against such deception is an unabashed and undying love for truth
(see ).
The reasons for self examination are simple: First, we all have a job to do and the only
way we can be prepared to do that job is through self-examination. Secondly, the only way we
can determine where we need to grow is through self-examination. Thirdly, growth can only be
measured by comparing where we are with where we have been. Relative to the first of these
reasons, Paul wrote, "For each one shall bear his own load." It is to this point that we direct our
attention.
For an examination to occur in any arena there must be a standard; it is no different in
spiritual matters. And there are a variety of standards from which we can choose. There are
books authored by men which may be used to assess our spiritual health. There are teachers that
say that the way we feel about ourselves is the all-important measure of spiritual health. Still
others teach that the inner feelings prompted by the Holy Spirit are the means by which we can
determine the status of our relationship with God. The problem with the latter two in this
abbreviated list is – there is no standard! Its all touchy-feely, better-felt-than-told, wispy and
52
abstract feelings! Faith takes a back seat to feelings in such matters. Stated plainly, the Bible
knows nothing about such a standard which subjects faith to feelings.
There is a standard against which all spiritual matters ought to be assessed. It is the same
standard by which God will judge humanity in the last day. It is the standard which is
unchanging and incorruptible. That standard, the one against which all matters religious ought
to be measured, is the eternal living Word of God. It is "the measure of faith" which is the same
for all men now living or who shall ever live.
Therefore, when Paul said, "Let each one examine his own work," he was not saying
that each person becomes a law to him//her self. He was saying that each person has an
obligation to compare himself to God's standard of right and wrong. And because all are of
equal rank one with another, our persons make no difference in God's eyes; we are all subject
to the same requirements laid down by Sovereign God. We are each to bear our own load!
"Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For
he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of
the Spirit reap everlasting life. And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season
we shall reap if we do not lose heart." ().
There is a list of things that fall under the heading of "doing good" in the first nine verses
of . Some of these things are: Restoring the erring (v1), demonstrating a spirit of gentleness
(v1), remaining strong against temptations (v1), bearing the burdens of others (v2), thinking
soberly about one's own spiritual condition (v3), rejoicing in noble accomplishments (v4), and
supporting those who teach the truth to others (v6). Other sub-points could be added but this
list is adequate to demonstrate the point being made, namely – In order for the highest good to
occur, we must constantly and consistently prosecute the doing of good about us!
God's view of things is from a perspective that is so lofty that it will not be skewed by
the temporal ideas and human fads of the time. Good is defined by God and He knows it when
He sees it. Man, on the other hand has a limited perspective of events and things about him; he
is easily deceived into making wrong choices if he takes his eye off the goal and the one who
makes the goal possible. That entity is Sovereign God! When man realizes that it is God who
53
defines good and it is God who knows the good that occurs, then and only then will man be
motivated to achieve for the Master.
God set into motion a law, the law of sowing and reaping; it is true in the physical realm
and it is true in the spiritual realm. The God who declares it true in one realm, declares it true
in the other. Our obligation to fellow Christians, our equal rank one with another, is the result
of God's edict and not our accomplishments. Our service to Him must be based upon our
recognition of His Sovereign power and might. When we see God in that light, we understand
His ability, in fact His covenant word, to bring the unrighteous into judgment and to reward the
faithful with eternal bliss. Fads and human incentives do not beget spiritual faithfulness; a
recognition of God for who He is and for what He has promised begets spiritual faithfulness!
God is not mocked! There have been not a few men who have shook their fists at God and
declared Him not to exist or to be powerless. Some of these mockers have gone to their graves
as scoffers and ridiculers of Jehovah God. Perhaps they or their disciples thought that they were
successful in mocking God. However, there is a grand reality that is yet to be manifested in the
course of Divine History. That reality is final judgment. God's payday is not at the end of the
week, or semi-monthly, or monthly, or even yearly. God's payday, the day in which all accounts
will be settled, is at the end of this age. Then and only then will the scales of Divine Justice be
employed to make every matter of injustice right in the eternal scheme of things.
God is not mocked! Even when we think He has been mocked, He has the final word!
"And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose
heart. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of
the household of faith." ().
As we have opportunity" simply means as we have occasion, or as occasions present
themselves to us. That is the frequency with which we are to do good. It is not a seasonal thing
which comes and goes based on the calendar or decrees by others; it is a personal obligation
based solely upon opportunity. And if one considers this introductory comment carefully, such
opportunities are continually present in our lives on a daily, hourly, and even a minute by minute
basis.
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To do good is a generic statement. However, if anyone has a question as to exactly what
constitutes doing good, we have an example. Looking back on the ministry of Jesus, Peter
summarized it to the household of Cornelius by saying that Jesus, "…went about doing good."
(). As incentive to believers to follow this flawless example, Paul writes that God "…will render
… eternal life to those who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor, and
immortality." (). Knowing that the discipline to continually capitalize on opportunities to do
good can be somewhat wearisome, Paul counseled, "But as for you, brethren, do not grow weary
in doing good." (). We have an example of doing good, we have incentive, and we have inspired
exhortations to persevere.
Sometimes God gets a bum rap with the inferences involved in the question, "Why do
bad things happen to good people?" The more realistic question is, "Why do good things happen
to bad people?" And the answer is: God causes good things to happen to bad people! If we
depended upon our own innate goodness as a precursor to receiving good from the hand of God,
we would yet be waiting for His first gift. However, God makes (causes as opposed to passively
allowing) the sun to rise and the rain to fall on the good and the evil (). From this fact, Jesus
reasoned that kingdom citizens ought to do the same in doing good to our friends as well as our
enemies (). In doing good to all men, we become perfect (complete) just as our Father who is
in heaven is perfect ().
In prioritizing our doing good, Paul used a self-explaining figure, namely a household.
In this case, it is the household of faith, the body of believers, who ought to be our focus in
doing good. They are not the sole recipients, but they are our first obligation. Just as our
obligations in caring for others are limited by our responsibilities to our families, our obligations
to non-believers are limited by our responsibilities to believers; families come first before
strangers. However, lest the obligation be lost in over analysis, it should be noted that we have
and always will have responsibilities towards those who are non-believers.
But regardless of the object of our kindnesses, we must not grow weary in doing good!
Faith in Christ – the only Basis for Boasting (6.11-17) (1/2)
"But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the
world has been crucified to me, and I to the world." (). The context of this statement is one
which directly concerns the doctrines of the Judaizers as compared to the truth of the Gospel.
55
The Judaizers zealously courted the Galatians but it was to no good end (). Paul on the other
hand had boasted in the only legitimate source of glory in the spiritual realm, the Cross of Jesus
Christ.
But what is the Cross of Christ in this context? Is it a merely a wooden fixture designed
to punish wrong doers in the first century Roman culture? Or is it more than that? If it is a
symbol, for what does the Cross stand? Is the Cross of Christ related to the Gospel of Christ?
If so, in what way?
Well the cross as used here is not merely an instrument of torture. In fact in Paul's
writings, the cross can be made of no effect by false practices and false doctrines (). The cross
has a message and that message is able to save according to and through the power of God ().
The cross was an offense to some but Paul refused to compromise the point of doctrine that
made it offensive, namely, allowing others to add circumcision as a requirement (). Because of
this offense, some even suffered persecution for the sake of the cross (). Those who taught other
doctrines than those taught by Paul and the inspired prophets of the New Testament were
enemies of the cross of Christ (). And finally to show that the Cross of Christ is far more than
just an instrument of pain, Paul indicated that there was a spiritual indictment against all of
humanity that was nailed to the cross with Jesus. In that one Divine act, forgiveness and
justification were made possible for all men (see ).
So the Cross of Jesus is far more than wood and nails and cords. As used in the context
of , the cross stands for and is synonymous with the entire Gospel system. It is the pivotal point
around which all our hopes revolve. Without the cross, the death of Jesus is just another death;
with the cross, the death of Jesus is the promised event upon which and in which the sacrificial
types of the Old Testament find their fulfillment. It was there that the Suffering Servant received
the stripes by which we are healed. It was there that the Lamb of God was slain, the Lamb by
which the sin of the world was taken away. It was there that the penalty for sin which we so
obviously deserved was willingly taken upon another. It was there that the ransom was paid for
our sins. It was there that the unchangeable priesthood was brought to fruition and it was from
that scene that He obtained the blood by which our hearts and minds could be sprinkled from
and evil conscience. It was there that He obtained the blood by which He would enter the eternal
and true tabernacle to dwell in the presence of God the Father forever.
Boast in the Cross? With all our might we shall – both now and forever!
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Faith in Christ – the only Basis for Boasting (6.11-17) (2/2)
"For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but a new
creation. And as many as walk according to this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon
the Israel of God. From now on let no one trouble me, for I bear in my body the marks of the
Lord Jesus." (Galatians 6.15-17).
The great question that occupied the minds of the debaters of the region was
circumcision. Should it be imposed upon all or was it an ordinance only to be imposed upon
the descendents of Abraham? Paul had just affirmed that the only thing in which he could
legitimately boast was the Cross of Christ and it seemed to have nothing directly to do with
circumcision and the great debate that raged. Lest someone miss the implication of the No
boasting except in the Cross statement, Paul quickly adds, "For in Christ Jesus neither
circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything." Once again not only did man not know the
right answers, he didn't even know the right questions! It wasn't circumcision or uncircumcision
that was of any concern of God; it was the Cross and only he Cross (see previous message for
the meaning of the Cross)!
No one could deny Paul's zeal for the causes in which he believed. Prior to becoming a
Christian he had been in the forefront defending the Jewish traditions against the changes which
Christianity was bringing about. After becoming a Christian, he was equally zealous in
spreading the Good News to others with special emphasis upon the Gentiles. In both endeavors
he made many enemies. As a defender of Judaism and a persecutor of Christians he had such a
reputation that the church in Jerusalem was reluctant to accept him even after his conversion.
Also, after his conversion the Jews with whom he had previously companied became obsessed
with the idea that they would put a stop to his preaching of the gospel. It was this animosity that
resulted in numerous narrow escapes for Paul. A partial list would read: "From the Jews five
times I received forty stripes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned;
three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep; in journeys often, in
perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of my own countrymen, in perils of the Gentiles,
in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false
brethren…" (2 Corinthians 11.24-26).
Because of his zeal and because of opposition on every side, Paul could literally say, "I
bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus…" (Galatians 6.17). The word "marks" in this text
is an interesting word. It translates the word stigma in the original. Stigma were literally brands
57
or tattoos which were pricked into slaves' bodies to show to whom they belonged. Whether
literal or figurative, Paul could affirm that he did indeed bear the brand of Jesus; he belonged
to Christ! The proof of that ownership could literally be viewed in the flesh of the peerless
apostle. The rods, the stones, and the whips had left indelible markings which forever identified
Paul as a servant of the Lord Jesus. Should anyone question his sincerity, proof was right before
the eyes.
Life always leaves its scars! Why not let them count for something of eternal value?
A closing commendation of grace (6.18) (1/1)
"Brethren, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen." ().
This type of closing was not unusual with Paul. He frequently commended the brethren
to the grace available in Christ as he ended his letters. However, the closing to the Galatians
should be viewed with a slightly different perspective in as much as there are specific warnings
in the Galatian epistle regarding grace. Note some of these warnings especially as they relate to
the error of the Judaizers.
"I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of
Christ, to a different gospel, which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want
to pervert the gospel of Christ." (). "I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness
comes through the law, then Christ died in vain." (). "And I testify again to every man who
becomes circumcised that he is a debtor to keep the whole law. You have become estranged
from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace." ().
In every case cited (paragraph above), Paul directly alluded to the error that threatened
the believers in the regions of Galatia. Not only was it possible to fall from grace, Paul knew
that it was a certainty should the Judaizers have their way. Freedom from sin had come through
truth and bondage to sin would result from error. Truth sets free and error enslaves. The grace
of Christ was appropriated through truth and the grace of Christ could be lost through error.
Had such not been the case, had apostasy not been a real possibility, there would have been no
Galatian epistle. The entire thrust on the letter is to warn of the dangers of Judaism and to show
the superiority of the Gospel of grace over the law of human works.
To say that Paul was concerned for his brethren in Galatia would be an understatement.
He had even gone so far as to call them foolish and asked who had bewitched them. (). He also
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said, "I am afraid for you, lest I have labored for you in vain." (). With these facts in view and
having penned his epistle under the influence of the Holy Spirit, Paul closed his inspired
exhortations by saying, "Brethren, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen."
(). This is more than a perfunctory comment; it is one which expresses the only means by which
those for whom Paul had labored so diligently could keep themselves safe from the spiritual
predators who prowled the highways and byways of their country.
Just as there were spiritual predators in Paul's day, so there are today. Actually their
modus operandi has not changed over the centuries. They still try to derail believers by teaching
a perverted gospel, thus making the grace of Christ of none effect. The remedy is still the same
also. Just as the Galatians could counteract the Judaizers by truth so we today can destroy the
power of error with the pure truth of the gospel. The grace of Christ is available through the
truth of Christ!
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