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Introduction Our working theme for Galatians: “Grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, as taught in Scripture alone, to the glory of God alone” CHARTING THE COURSE FOR THIS STUDY Paul’s apostolic ministry to the Gentiles Audience
Occasion of writing
The “troublemakers”/Judaizers
Our reading strategy/working
theme for Galatians PAUL’S
APOSTOLIC MINISTRY TO THE GENTILES A. The inclusion of the Gentiles into the church was the biggest debate in the New Testament church. B. The church was “huddled” in Jerusalem until the great persecution (Acts 8:2). 1. Philip went to Samaria (Acts 8:2-24). 2. The Samaritans received Christ and were baptized (Acts 8:12). 3. The Apostles in Jerusalem went to Samaria and the Samaritans received the Holy Spirit (Acts 8:14-17). 4. Philip is led by the Spirit to witness to the Ethiopian eunuch (Acts 8:25-40). C. Saul is converted and becomes an Apostle to the Gentiles (Acts 9). D. Cornelius goes to Peter (opposite of the church going to Cornelius!) (Acts 10). 1. Peter shares the Gospel with Cornelius and the Holy Spirit fell upon those listening (Acts 10:44). 2. The circumcised believers are amazed because Gentiles received the Spirit (Acts 10:45). 3. Cornelius is baptized (Acts 10:47-48). 4. Those who were circumcised took issue with Peter (Acts 11:2-3). 5. Circumcised men in Jerusalem accept Peter’s “Good News” and glorify God – at least for the time (Acts 11:18). “So then those who were scattered because of the persecution that occurred in connection with Stephen made their way to Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except to Jews alone.” (Acts 11:19) E. Paul begins his first missionary journey (Acts 13:13-14:26) 1. Paul’s first missionary journey was about 1,400 miles. 2. Up to this point in time (c.46-48 AD) not much work had been done with the Gentiles. 3. Paul went into what was considered the region of Galatia (southern) at this time: Pisidian Antioch (Acts 13:46-48); Iconium (Acts 14:1); Lystra (Acts 14:15). 4. Many Gentiles were coming into the church through Paul’s ministry (Acts 14:27). F. With the influx of Gentiles into what started out as a predominantly Jewish church, problems arose. It would be like fifty African American families wanting to join an all white church in the Deep South in the late 19th century. 1. Some began to teach that Gentiles could not be saved if they were not circumcised (Acts 15:2). 2. The Synod of Jerusalem was convened to determine what Gentiles needed to do to be saved (Acts 15:2-35). a. Pharisees argued that it was necessary to circumcise them and direct them to observe the Law of Moses (Acts 15:5). b. Peter says that Jews are saved by grace as well as Gentiles (Acts 15:8-10). c. James judges that the Gentiles not be troubled by circumcision and the Law of Moses… (Acts 15:19-20). d. Paul and others were then sent out to instruct those churches who were being affected by the party of the circumcision (Acts 15:22-35). e. It was around this time that Paul wrote to the Galatians. There is a debate as to whether Paul wrote Galatians before or after the Synod of Acts 15, but it is indisputable that the issues of Acts 15 and Galatians overlapped: i. Faith and grace (What is at stake in both is the Gospel): Acts 15:9-10 with Galatians 1:8-9; 2:16. ii. Reception of the Holy Spirit: Acts 15:8 with Galatians 3:2 iii. Circumcision: Acts 15:1,5 with Galatians 5:2-6 iv. Law of Moses: Acts 15:5 with Galatians 2:16-21 v. Unity of Jew and Gentile as one fellowshipping body: Acts 15:20-21,28-29 with Galatians 3:26-29 vi. One of the big differences between Acts 15 and the book of Galatians is that the Synod of Jerusalem never questioned Paul’s Apostolic authority. In the churches of Galatia there were individuals who did question Paul’s Apostolic authority. AUDIENCE
A. Paul wrote to the churches of Galatia (Galatians 1:2; 3:1). B. Were these churches were situated in ‘North Galatia’ (i.e. ) or ‘South Galatia’ (i.e. Pisidian Antioch, Iconium, Lystra, Derbe). The uncertainty is because “Galatia” could refer to northern Asia Minor founded by the “Gauls” OR to the Roman territory which included parts of southern Asia Minor (e.g. Pisidian Antioch, Iconium, Lystra and Derbe). “If the Epistle to the Galatians was indeed addressed to the churches of Pisidian Antioch, Iconium, Lystra and Derbe, then we have important historical, geographical, literary and epigraphic data which will provide material for its better understanding” (F.F. Bruce, The Epistle to the Galatians, 18).
http://www.ccel.org/bible/phillips/CN092MAPS1.htm 1. North Galatia (churches of churches of Ancyra, Pessinus, Tavium [modern Turkey]) a. Understands Acts 16:6 and 18:23 as alluding to Paul’s ministry in North Galatia (cf. Gal.4:13). b. strengths: i. Galatians 4:13 indicates Paul visited the northern churches twice (cf. Acts 16:6; 18:23). ii. This was the view almost all commentators until the 18th century. c. Proponents: Assumed view of commentators until the 18th century; J.B. Lightfoot, Betz d. Ramifications: i. Paul wrote Galatians while on his 3rd Missionary Journey (Acts 18:23-21:17) and therefore after the Jerusalem Synod of Acts 15. 2. South Galatia a. Planted during Paul & Barnabas’ first missionary journey (Acts 13:14-14:26). Paul then revisited the church in Acts 16:6; 18:23. b. strengths: i. In Acts, Luke mentions churches in southern Galatia but not northern (Acts 16:6; 18:23). c. objections: i. It’s hard for some to believe Paul circumcised Timothy (Acts 16:3) after writing Gal.5:2). However, Timothy is not mentioned in Galatians and it is possible that Galatians was written before Timothy jointed Paul in Acts 16:1-5. d. Ramifications: i. Galatians 2:1-10 is not to be allied with Acts 15 but Acts 11:30. ii. Paul could have written Galatians before or after the Jerusalem Synod of Acts 15. The North Galatian view only allows for a date of Galatians after Acts 15. e. Proponents: William Ramsay, F.F. Bruce, Donald Guthrie, Colin Hemer, Richard Longenecker 3. We can’t be dogmatic about either theory. A. Galatians begins with “Paul” (1:1). B. Paul gives his autobiography (1:11-2:14). C. Paul write in “large letters” to confirm his authorship (6:11). A. The main question about the date is whether Galatians was written before or after the Jerusalem Council in Acts 15. Questions that need to be answered: 1. How do we assess the biographical information of Galatians with the account of Paul’s life in Acts? The book of Acts gives five of Paul’s visits to Jerusalem: a. postconversion visit (Acts 9:26–30) b. famine relief visit (Acts 11:30) c. conference visit, (Acts 15:1–30) d. Acts 18:22 e. arrest visit (Acts 21:15–17) 2. What is the meaning of first in Galatians 4:13? 3. Are the churches Paul is addressing in Galatians in the North or South? We learned above that we can’t be dogmatic about our answer to this question. B. Some arguments in favor of Galatians being written before Acts 15 (c.49 A.D.): 1. Assessment of Paul’s biographical information in Galatians with Acts: Galatians 2:1-10//Acts 11:27-30. a. This explains why no explicit mention of the Synod of Acts 15 is mentioned – Galatians was written before the Synod. b. However, Luke makes no mention in Acts 11:27-30 of Paul visiting the Apostles and no mention of the controversy we find in Galatians 2:1-10! 2. Problem: This assumes two major conferences in Jerusalem over the same issue: (1) Gal.2:1-10//Acts 11:27-30 and (2) Acts 15. This is not impossible but many find it doubtful. 3. Ramifications: a. If Galatians was written before Acts 15 then the connection between the Judaizers in Galatians and the Judaizers in Acts 15 is more explicit. b. A date before the Synod of 15 would mean that Paul was writing to the churches of Southern Galatia (see Acts 13:13-14:28) because Paul didn’t visit the region of northern Galatia until after Acts 15). C. Some arguments in favor of Galatians being written after Acts 15: 1. Assessment of Paul’s biographical information in Galatians with Acts: Galatians 1:18//Acts 9:26-30; Galatians 2:1-10//Acts 15:1-30. This view takes the position that Galatians 1 does not list all of Paul’s journeys to Jerusalem. a. We need to remember that Paul didn’t write Galatians with the book of Acts in mind. b. Paul’s autobiography in Galatians 1 was not to record all his visits to Jerusalem but rather to highlight his authority from Christ and his relationship to the other Apostles. There was no reason for him therefore to mention his famine relief visit in Acts 11:30. 2. Conybeare argues that the visit of Galatians 2 corresponds with Acts 15. He contends that if the Galatians 2 visit was before Acts 15 then there would have been no need for the church to send them again to Jerusalem. He also points out that the Galatian 2 visit could not have happened after Acts 15 because almost immediately, after that period, Paul and Barnabas ceased to work together as missionaries to the Gentiles (Acts 15:36-40 with Galatians 2:1,9); whereas, up to the time of Acts 15 they had been working together (The Life and Epistles of St. Paul; Appendix 1; 1:546). 3. If
Galatians was written after Acts 15, how could the Judaizers have maintained
a foothold opposing Paul? Why didn’t
Paul appeal to the decisions of the Jerusalem Synod? a. Paul taught in accord with Acts 15 saying that circumcision was not a necessary requirement for Gentile converts to Christianity (see Acts 15:1,5,22). b. Paul taught in accord with the Synod of Jerusalem that we are saved by grace through faith (Acts 15:8-11; Galatians 2:16) c. The Judaizers may have disputed Paul’s teaching and interpretation of the Synod’s decision. They could have pointed out that the Jerusalem Synod directed the Gentiles to observe certain food laws and nothing was explicitly said in the Synod’s letter about circumcision (Acts 15:20,23-29). d. The foot/stranglehold of the Judaizers was strengthened by the hypocrisy of Peter and others (Gal.2:11-13). 4. Ramifications a. Allows for the possibility that Peter lapsed again after the Synod of Acts 15 (see Galatians 2:11-14). b. Peter’s hypocritical methodology indicated his faulty theology. Other major events happening around the time Galatians was
written: 43 A.D. Tradition has the Apostle Thaddeus going to
Armenia to preach Christianity. 44/46 Theudas beheaded by
Procurator Cuspius Fadus for saying he would part the Jordan river (like
Moses and Joshua) 48 – Claudius married his niece Agrippina. 49/51 – Jewish persecution of Christians in Rome becomes
so disruptive that the Jews are expelled from the city
50 – The Romans found the city Londinium on the River
Thames.
52 – Tradition in the State in the state of Kerala,
India, has it that the Apostle Thomas converted Hindus to Christianity in
this year. 59 – Agrippina became insane and was murdered by her son,
Nero. Source: http://timelines.ws/01AD_299AD.HTML OCCASION OF WRITING
A. Disturbers (NIV)/Troublemakers (KJV)/Confusers (NRSV) (Gal.1:7; 5:10,12; see Acts 15:1,5). B. These opponents to the Gospel are mentioned in every chapter (1:6–9; 2:4–5 ; 3:1; 4:17; 5:10, 12; 6:12–13). THE
“TROUBLEMAKERS”/JUDAIZERS
A. Who Paul’s opponents were and their doctrine is one of the great problems facing interpreters. “What then can be said about this ‘other gospel’ which the Galatian Christians were disposed to embrace, or about the identity and motives of those who pressed it on them? These questions constitute what has been called ‘the singular problem of the Epistle to the Galatians’” (F.F. Bruce, The Epistle to the Galatians p.20). B. From the time of the reformation, it has been the Protestant view that the troublemakers were Judaizers who advocated a works righteousness. This was not innovative to the Reformers but is at least as old as Marius Victorinus (4th century), The Galatians are going astray because they are adding Judaism to the gospel of faith in Christ, observing in a material sense the sabbath and circumcision, together with the other works which they received in accordance with the law. Disturbed by these tendencies Paul writes this letter, wishing to put them right and call them back from Judaism, in order that they may preserve faith in Christ alone, and receive from Christ the hope of salvation and of his promises, because no one is saved by the works of the law. So, in order to show that what they are adding is wrong, he wishes to confirm [the truth of] his gospel. [1] 1. The Reformation emphasis upon justification by grace alone, through faith alone in Christ alone found roots with Paul’s emphasis in Galatians. a. “The epistle to the Galatians is my epistle. To it I am as it were in wedlock. It is my Katherine.” Thus spoke Luther, who considered Galatians the best of all the books in the Bible. It has been called “the battle-cry of the Reformation,” “the great charter of religious freedom,” “the Christian declaration of independence,” etc. b. “Luther speaks as Paul would have spoken had he lived at the time when Luther gave his lectures.” (Betz, Galatians, xv). c. John Bunyan wrote, “I do prefer this book of Martin Luther upon the Galatians (excepting the Holy Bible) before all the books that ever I have seen, as most fit for a wounded conscience.” 2. What do Reformed Protestants mean by
“grace alone” (sola gratia)? 3. Do all Protestants believe in “grace
alone”? a. No, because most Protestants don’t agree that the human condition is so bad off that it cannot “choose” to believe in Jesus. Many evangelical Protestants today don’t believe that the sinful mind is completely hostile to God (cf. Romans 8:7). b. Many evangelical doctrines preach, “You must be born again” but they make this a “choice” and interpret Jesus’ teaching in John 3 to mean “You must choose to be born again.” c. This rejection of “grace alone” finds its roots an ancient heresy called “Pelagianism.” d. One of the most influential spokesmen for a Pelagian view of man’s condition was Charles Finney. He declared, Every “sinner, under the influence of the Spirit of God, is just as free as a jury under the arguments of an advocate.” He dismissed original sin as a doctrine unworthy of God (Charles Grandison Finney—19th Century Giant of American Revivalism: Christian History, Issue 20). C. Who were the Judaizers and what did they teach?
a. How did the false teachers within the churches of Galatia avoid persecution? It was by distorting Paul’s Gospel. i. To avoid persecution the Judaizers deemphasized the centrality of the cross (the stumbling block of the Jews; “they will not be persecuted for the cross of Christ”). ii. To avoid persecution the Judaizers emphasized the centrality of the law (see Acts 15:1,5). b. When Paul preached in Pisidian Antioch (southern Galatia) he emphasized: i. the potency of the cross for our justification (Acts 13:27-29; cf. Gal.1:4; Hebrews 10). ii. the impotency of the Law for our justification “and through Him [Jesus] everyone who believes is freed/justified from all things, from which you could not be freed/justified through the Law of Moses” (Acts 13:39; Romans 7:18-8:4; cf. Hebrews 7:18; 10:1ff.). c. The Jews of Pisidian Antioch hunted Paul down because they thought Paul was preaching a different Gospel. They thought that Paul was teaching a salvation that was contrary to Moses. The very idea of a crucified Messiah was anathema to them because according to the Mosaic Law, anyone crucified was accursed.
i. “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.” (Acts 15:1) ii. “It is necessary to circumcise them and to
direct them to observe the Law of Moses.” (Acts 15:5) 2. Paul taught that Jesus’ death on the cross according to the will of God the Father is the only foundation for God’s acceptance of us. [3] The cross is therefore the only foundation for the church’s acceptance of others. a. The Judaizers taught the foundation of the church’s acceptance of Gentile Christians was faith in Christ + circumcision. b. The Judaizers could appeal to Messianic texts such as Isaiah 2:2-4; Micah 4:1-3; Zech.14:16-19. Their hope was to see: i. the nations being circumcised. ii. earthly Jerusalem as be the hub of the world as in the time of Solomon. iii. the nations celebrating the feasts in Jerusalem (cf. Gal.4:10). c. The Judaizers probably appealed to the demand of the Law, “So you shall keep My statutes and My judgments, by which a man may live if he does them; I am The LORD” (Leviticus 18:5 with Galatians 3:12; cf. Deuteronomy 4:1–2; 5:29; 6:1–5, 24-25; 8:1; 10:12–13; 13:4, 18; 17:19–20; 26:16–17; 28:1–2, 15; 30:4–10; 31:12–13; Luke 10:28; Romans 10:5). d. Paul’s Gentile mission posed a problem for the Judaizers when Gentile believers were not circumcised or instructed to keep the feasts in Jerusalem. 3. Paul taught that the cross reveals the impotence of the Law to save sinners. a. The unbelieving Jews believed that the cross showed the impotence of Christ to save. b. The Judaizers (Jewish Christians) may therefore have felt some shame about the cross; and therefore deemphasized it. c. Paul was not ashamed of the cross because it is the power of God (Romans 1:16-17; 1 Cor.1:18,24; Gal.3:10-14). 4. It appears that the Judaizers accused Paul of trying to please men (Gal.1:10). Paul was getting Gentile converts to the Gospel and wasn’t requiring them to be circumcised. However, Paul was not advocating any method of church growth that compromised the Word of God! 5. The Judaizers seem to have linked the giving of the Spirit with the Torah. They may have maintained that they were the possessors of the Spirit because they were the possessors/keepers of the Law. Therefore, not to take upon oneself the works of the Law was to quench/not have the Spirit. Paul’s argument is that Jesus is the Giver of the Spirit and that the Spirit is received when we put our faith in Christ (Gal.3:2; 4:6; cf. John 7:38-39; 20:22 with Gen.2:7; 1 Cor.15:45; 2 Cor.3:17). “For the agitators, the gift of the Spirit apparently meant the need to be “completed” by adhering to Torah, especially by submitting to circumcision. After all, this was common Jewish expectation, derived from Jer 31:31-34 and Ezek 11:19-20; 36:26-27, that the gift of the eschatological Spirit would lead people to obey the Law” (Gordon Fee, God’s Empowering Presence, 369). 6. The Judaizers may have taught that their Gospel came from Moses/Law. Paul also taught that his Gospel came from Moses (Gal.3:24-25). [4] However, the Judaizers equated our keeping of the Law with the Gospel. They took the emphasis off of Christ and placed it upon man. Paul taught that we can’t keep the law and the Gospel is that Jesus kept/fulfilled the Law for His people. 7. The Judaizers may have taught that they were sons of Abraham through law. Paul’s Gospel is that we are sons of Abraham through faith in Christ (3:29; cf. 4:24,25 5:1). 8. The heart of the Judaizing heresy was a wrong: a. Christology (see Garlington, Exposition of Galatians, 12ff.). b. Soteriology, “The really essential thing about the Judaizers’ contention was not found in those particular “works of the law” that they urged upon the Galatians as being one of the grounds of salvation, but in the fact that they urged any works in this sense at all. The really serious error into which they fell was not that they carried the ceremonial law over into the new dispensation whither God did not intend it to be carried, but that they preached a religion of human merit as over against a religion of divine grace’” (Historic Christianity: Selections from the Writings of J. Gresham Machen, 10).
E. Today, some theologians (E.P. Sanders, James Dunn, N.T. Wright) take issue with the above interpretation which is at least as old as Victorinus (see above comment). They argue that Second Temple Judaism was not a “works salvation” but a religion of grace alone like Christianity. [5] This view is known as the New Perspective and argues that Paul must be read from the perspective of a 1st century Judaism that was not a merit based, but a grace based salvation. This means that Paul’s disagreement with the Judaizers/party of the circumcision is not about grace alone through faith alone but who is a member of God’s covenant. "On the point at which many have found the
decisive contrast between Paul and Judaism - grace and works - Paul is in
agreement with Palestinian Judaism... Salvation is by grace but judgment
is according to works'...God saves by grace, but... within
the framework established by grace he rewards good deeds and punishes
transgression." (E.P. Sanders, Paul and Palestinian Judaism, p.
543) [Sanders'] major point, to which all else is subservient, can be quite
simply stated. Judaism in Paul’s day was not, as has regularly been supposed,
a religion of legalistic works-righteousness. If we imagine that it was, and
that Paul was attacking it as if it was, we will do great violence to it and
to him. . . . The Jew keeps the law out of gratitude, as the proper response
to grace—not, in other words, in order to get into the covenant
people, but to stay in. Being “in” in the first place was God’s gift. This
scheme Sanders famously labeled as “covenantal nomism” (from the Greek nomos,
law). (N.T. Wright, What Saint Paul Really Said, pp. 18-19)
3. N.T. Wright says that Paul’s argument with the Judaizers was not over the issue of how we are saved but how you tell a person is a member of the church. In other words, Galatians is primarily about ecclesiology and not soteriology. However, E.P. Sanders disagrees with Wright (see Garlington, An Exposition of Galatians p.7). 4. Key terms the New Perspective defines differently from Reformed Protestantism: Law – According to the New Perspective, when Paul polemically talks about the law, he is referring to the ceremonial law (circumcision, food laws and sabbath). works of the Law — According to the New Perspective, works of the Law do not refer not moral works through which one earns God’s righteousness but rather works like circumcision that defined Jews over and against Gentiles. righteousness of God – The New Perspective argues that God’s righteousness is not about our status but God’s acting in accord with His covenant promises (cf. Romans 3:21,25-26). justification — The Reformation understood justification as God’s gracious pardon of our sins, acceptance of us as righteous in His sight on the basis of Christ’s imputed righteousness and received by faith alone. The New Perspective says that justification is God’s declaration who belongs to the people of God. boasting —Traditionally, boasting has been seen as an introspective upon our own works. The New Perspective says this can’t be the case because 1st century Judaism was a religion of grace. Boasting is interpreted to mean Israel’s ethnic pride. This ‘boasting’ which is excluded is not the boasting of the successful
moralist; it is the racial boast of the Jew, as in [Romans] 2:17-24. If
this is not so, [Romans] 3:29 (‘Or is God the God of the Jews only? Is he not
of Gentiles also?’) is a non sequitur. Paul has no thought in this
passage of warding off a proto-Pelagianism, of which in any case his
contemporaries were not guilty. He is here, as in Galatians and Philippians,
declaring that there is no road into covenant membership on the grounds of
Jewish racial privilege. (N.T. Wright, What Saint Paul Really Said, p. 129) F. Preliminary comments/critique of the New Perspective: 1. Biblical Judaism has always been a religion of grace through faith. Therefore, we should expect to find this in at least some Second Temple literature. 2. Some Second Temple literature contains a theology of a works salvation (see especially 2 and 4 Enoch; 1 Maccabees 2:52; Sirach 44:19-21; Jubilees 16:28; 24:10-11; 4QMMT). see also, D.A. Carson, Peter T. O’Brien, and Mark A. Seifrid, eds., Justificationand Variegated Nomism, 2 vols. Tubingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2001,2004). 3. What
happened to Paul on the Road to Damascus? a. Did Paul suddenly realize that he could eat unclean foods with uncircumcised Gentiles? b. Was Paul convicted of his sin and lawlessness (conversion) and called to be an Apostle proclaiming the grace of God in Jesus Christ which is received on the basis of faith and not works? (Acts 6-9; 1 Timothy 1:12-15)
4. The New Perspective critiques the conscience of Martin Luther but fails to deal adequately with Paul’s view of the conscience as it relates to the Law (cf. 1 Timothy 1). To be sure, Paul and Luther did not share the same experience of conscience before their conversions. More importantly, they both shared a common misunderstanding about the Law and the Righteousness of God. 5. The apostle Paul, “arguably never appeals to the literature of Second Temple Judaism but the OT exclusively” (Report on Justification, p.38). 6. Paul certainly understood Second Temple Judaism and he saw at least parts of it as a works salvation (Romans 9:30-32; Philippians 3:4-7). How else could a Jew be justified if they didn’t believe in the merits of Jesus? 7. The New Testament falls under the purview of Second Temple Literature. Clearly, part of the problem within some churches were Jewish Christians/converted Pharisees who taught a salvation by works (Acts 15:1,5; Galatians 2:16; cf. Luke 18:9-14). In other words, the issue Paul is addressing in Galatians is not how to “stay in the covenant” but how one “gets in.” (see additional comments in my Introduction to Romans) 8. The new covenant boundary marker is not faith, as some New Perspective theologians contend, but baptism, which has replaced circumcision (Galatians 3:26-29; Colossians 2:11-12). 9. The New Perspective repeats the age old mistake of confusing justification and sanctification (see Westminster Shorter Catechism Q.33 and Q.35). [6] Conclusion: The reformation understanding of Paul and his epistles is not fundamentally wrong. “Students who want to understand Paul but feel they have nothing to learn from a Martin Luther should consider a career in metallurgy. Exegesis is learned from the masters.” (Stephen Westerholm, Israel’s Law and the Church’s Faith, 173) OUR READING STRATEGY/WORKING
THEME FOR GALATIANS A. Galatians is an epistle of antithesis and we need to read it in this light: sent from men/sent from God (1:1,11,15,16); Gospel/another Gospel (1:6-9; 2:5,14); dead/alive (2:19,20); favor of men/favor of God (1:10; 5:11; 6:12); circumcised/uncircumcised (2:7; 5:2,3,6; 6:15); justification by works/justification through faith (2:16; 3:5,8,11,12,24; 5:4) [7]; Law/Grace (2:21; 5:4); blessing/curse (3:3-14); son/slave (4:1-20); slave/free, Sarah/Hagar, flesh/promise (4:21-5:1); liberty/bondage (2:4; 5:1); Jew/Gentile (3:28-29); Spirit/flesh (3:3; 4:29; 5:13-26); boasting in flesh/boasting in cross (6:13,14). 1. Galatians is a black and white book. There is no grey; no in-between; no compromise; no negotiating; no middle ground. 2. The book of Galatians is challenging because we live in a society that esteems relativism and tolerance. But the message Paul received from Christ has no tolerance, no acceptance and no patience for those who distort His message (Galatians 1:8-9; 2:11; 3:11; 4:11,19,20; 5:4,12). 3. Paul’s epistles often include a thanksgiving (Rom 1:8–10; 1 Cor 1:4–8; Phil 1:3–6; 1 Thess.1:3) but thanksgiving is missing in Galatians. B. The book of Galatians gives a firm biblical foundation for the reformation doctrines of grace alone (sola gratia), through faith alone (sola fide), in Christ alone (solus Christus), as taught in Scripture alone (sola scriptura), to the glory of God alone (soli Deo gloria). 1. Christ is the source of the Gospel message (1:1). This has implications for sola scriptura. 2. Jesus Christ’s work is the basis by which we are rescued from this present evil age (1:4,5). This has implications for sola gratia and soli Deo gloria. 3. We have been crucified and raised with Christ (2:20) 4. Being a bond-servant of Christ means that we seek to please Him alone and not men (1:10; 6:12) 5. Justification comes through faith in Christ alone (2:16). This has implications for sola fide. 6. The unity of the one church is on the basis of baptism into Christ and clothing ourselves with Christ (3:26-29). 7. Jesus alone is the fulfillment of the Law (3:13-14,21-25) 8. Christ alone took upon Himself the curse of the Law (3:13) 9. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Jesus Christ (4:6; cf. John 20:22; with Genesis 2:7; 1 Cor.15:45; 2 Cor.3:17) 10. Christ alone gives us freedom and liberty (5:1) 11. Christ alone is our boast (6:13,14). This has implications for soli Deo gloria. “For Paul, the article of standing or falling of the church is Christ himself. This means that, both in Galatians and in Paul generally, even more basic than sola fide is solus Christus. Paul’s method of argumentation in this letter, as in all others, is historical. His is not a topical discussion of faith and works or of legalism versus grace. Rather, his point is that continued devotion to the Torah exalts the law above Christ and is tantamount to idolatry; it is like being in bondage all over again. Effectively, the message of Galatians is encapsulated by the central statement of Colossians: Christ must have the preeminence in all things (1:18)” (Garlington, An Exposition of Galatians p.12). C. Christ must have the preeminence in all things (1 Corinthians 1:30; Galatians 4:6; Colossians 1:18; 2:16-17; Philippians 2:9-11; 3:7-12; Hebrews 1:1-3). Galatians teaches us that: 1. If your Gospel message comes from a source other than Christ, then Christ does not have the preeminence (1:1,11,12). 2. If the basis of your salvation is Christ + ________ then Christ does not have the preeminence.
5. Christ alone has the preeminence in our sanctification because of: (1) our union with Christ; (2) we are a new creation in Christ [6:15]; (3) we walk by Christ’s Spirit [4:6,16]. 6. Christ alone has the preeminence in our boasting (6:13,14). D. Our take on Galatians means: 1. Christology is foundational for understanding soteriology. 2. Christology is foundational for understanding ecclesiology. 3. Christology is foundational for understanding pneumatology. 4. Christology is foundational for understanding eschatology. 5. Christology is foundational for understanding anthropology. E. Paul’s intensity and vehemence for the Gospel is not simply because the salvation of particular individuals is at stake. Rather, Paul is ultimately passionate for the glory of the Triune God which was now being compromised. |
