GALATIANS

Lesson 2, Part 2

CONTENDING FOR THE TRUE GOSPEL

Galatians 2:11-21

I. CONTENDING FOR THE GOSPEL IN ANTIOCH vv. 11-21

A. The Mistake of Simon Peter, vv. 11-13.

1. Paul stood up for the truth, v. 11.

2. Peter ate with Gentiles, which was right, v. 12.

3. When the Judaizers arrived, Peter quit eating with Gentiles, v. 12.

4. Others followed his example, v. 13.

B. Paul Contends With Peter, vv. 14-15.

1. Paul rebuked Peter publicly, vv. 11, 14. This would rule out Peter having Papal authority, since Paul could correct him . The issue was greater than Peter or Paul!

2. Peter a Jew, had lived as a Gentile, yet he was compelling Gentiles to live as Jews. This was inconsistent, v. 14

C. Paul Contends For Justification b Faith, vv. 16-21.

1. No man justified by the Law but “by the faith of Christ.” v. 16.

2. Paul clearly declares that a person is justified by faith in Romans 4. This chapter should be carefully.

3. Jews in turning to Christ admit their sinfulness, v.17.

4. Jews in turning to Christ admit the law cannot save, v. 17.

5. To go back to the law would be a transgression of the Law, vv. 18-19.

a. The Law was to show our need of the Savior, Galatians 3:24, “Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.”

b. The old man under the Law was crucified with Christ, Romans 6:6, “Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.” After having been crucified with Christ and having been led to Christ by the Law, it would be a sin to depart from Christ and go back to the Law!

6. The believer crucified with Christ, v. 20.

a. This is a matter of “knowing” and “reckoning,” Romans 6:6, 11, “Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. 11 Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

“Reckon” does not mean to guess or hope. It means to “impute,” “count,” or “account.” It means to reckon inward, count up or weigh the reasons, and to deliberate. ELB

b. We believe Christ died because God declared it, and not by feeling. “It means that the effect of the death of Christ on the cross was to make him dead to these things, in like manner as he, when he died, became insensible to the things of this busy world.” Barnes.

c. The believer identified with Christ, in death and resurrection, v. 20; Romans 6:6, “Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.”

d. We live by faith, v. 20. “Paul has the closest personal feeling toward Christ. ‘He appropriates to himself, as Chrysostom observes, the love which belongs equally to the whole world. For Christ is indeed the personal friend of each man individually.’” (Lightfoot).

e. The personal nature of Christ’s love and death for me, v. 20.

f. Christ did not die in vain, v. 21.

g. “Frustrate” is “ATHETEO” (in Greek) which means “to do away with something laid down, presented, or established … to nullify, to make void; to set aside, disregard, to thwart the efficacy of anything, nullify, make void, frustrate to reject, to refuse, to slight.”

h. If our salvation came in part or in whole from the Law or works, it would nullify the grace of God and the Lord’s death would have been in vain!

–Lesson by E. L. Bynum; Revision by Art Davison

Lesson 2

CONTENDING FOR THE TRUE GOSPEL

Galatians 2:1-21

Memory Verse: 2:20, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”

Introduction:

The general scope of the chapter is to show that Paul did not receive the gospel from man; that he had not derived it from the apostles. He did not acknowledge his indebtedness to them for his views of Christianity and they had not set up authority over him, but, rather, that they had welcomed him as a fellow-laborer in the work of the Lord. Paul contended for the faith as much as or perhaps, in some cases, more than some of the other Apostles.

Now in the 21st Century we must understand that the gospel must be contended for as much as was in Paul’s day. There can not be compromise or adjustment to the gospel today any more than there could have been two thousand years ago. Many want to take from the Word of God or add to it today, but either way that would be a tragic error.

I. CONTENDING FOR THE GOSPEL IN JERUSALEM vv. 1-10

A. Paul before the Council, vv. 1-5.

1. The time of his appearance, v. 1. Was it fourteen years after his conversion or fourteen years after his first visit? 1:18, “Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and abode with him fifteen days.”

2. Why Paul was there? v. 2.

a. God’s “revelation” (the command of God) caused him to go, v. 2; Acts 16:9, “And a vision appeared to Paul in the night; There stood a man of Macedonia, and prayed him, saying, Come over into Macedonia, and help us.”

b. Paul was sent by Antioch Church, Acts 15:1-4.

1) Notice that when certain men began to preach that a person could not be saved except he be circumcised, Acts 15:2, “When therefore Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and disputation with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas, and certain other of them, should go up to Jerusalem unto the apostles and elders about this question.”

2) Modern day “peace-at-any-price-compromisers,” who would sell out the truth, have no leg to stand on. In my opinion they are “false brethren,” v. 4, “And that because of false brethren unawares brought in, who came in privily to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage:”

c. The gospel was of SUPREME IMPORTANCE and had to be CONTENDED FOR with all their might, Jude 1:3, “Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.”

If the Church at Antioch and the Church at Jerusalem had compromised on this critical issue the truth of God would have been abandoned. (The student should carefully read Acts 15:1-35, and see even more about this case.)

d. Paul went to Jerusalem to reveal what he had preached among Gentiles, 1 Corinthians 15:3, “For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;”

3. Titus, a TEST CASE, vv. 3-4.

a. Paul and the delegation were sent and brought on their way, BY THE AUTHORITY OF THE CHURCH at Antioch, Acts 15:3, “And being brought on their way by the church, they passed through Phenice and Samaria, declaring the conversion of the Gentiles: and they caused great joy unto all the brethren.”

b. Titus, a GENTILE, was NOT required to be circumcised, v. 3.

1) He was most likely included in the “certain other of them,” mentioned in Acts 15:2.

2) If Titus the Gentile, was not required to be circumcised, then no believing Jew or Gentile would ever be required to conform to the law of Moses, v. 14, “But when I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel, I said unto Peter before them all, If thou, being a Jew, livest after the manner of Gentiles, and not as do the Jews, why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews?”

c. False brethren tried to require Titus to be circumcised, v. 4. They are described in Acts 15:5, “But there rose up certain of the sect of the Pharisees which believed, saying, That it was needful to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses.”

4. Paul was UNYIELDING to any change of the Gospel, v. 5.

a. Paul did not give these Judaizers even an hour of attention, Jude 1:3, “Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.”

b. That the great principle of the Christian doctrine which had been taught to the Gentiles might continue, 1 Thessalonians 2:13, “For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.”

B. The Decision at Jerusalem, vv. 6-10.

1. They DID NOT ASK Paul TO CHANGE his message, v. 6. See v. 9.“Paul refers to the Big Three (Cephas, James, and John). He seems a bit embarrassed in the reference. He means no disrespect, but he asserts his independence sharply in a tangled sentence with two parentheses.” —A. T. Robertson, Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament.

2. They recognized that Paul and Peter were led of the Spirit, vv. 7-8.

a. Peter to the Jews, Acts 2:14-41. This did not mean that he would be preaching another gospel, but that he was going to Jews who were already circumcised. Peter did go to Gentiles on certain occasions. This included Cornelius a centurion of the Italian band, (Acts 10).

b. Paul to the Gentiles, Acts 9:15, “But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel:” Paul also preached to Jews on many occasions. In fact in his missionary journeys he would go to the synagogues first and preach to them. They usually ended up throwing him out, and then he would go to the Gentiles.

3. The Jerusalem leaders approve ministry of Paul and Barnabas. v. 9. This James was not one of the original apostles, but he was the Lord’s brother. I believe that he was the pastor of the Church at Jerusalem, 1:19, “But other of the apostles saw I none, save James the Lord’s brother.”

4. Their special request, v. 10.

a. Paul and Barnabas had already been remembering the poor, Acts 11:27-30, “And in these days came prophets from Jerusalem unto Antioch. And there stood up one of them named Agabus, and signified by the Spirit that there should be great dearth throughout all the world: which came to pass in the days of Claudius Caesar. Then the disciples, every man according to his ability, determined to send relief unto the brethren which dwelt in Judaea: Which also they did, and sent it to the elders by the hands of Barnabas and Saul.”

b. The poor here, are the Judean Christians who were in a state of poverty that had already lasted for a number of years.

c. The Bible nowhere teaches that the churches are to take care of all the poor. The Scriptures teach that those who are able to work, must do so if they want to eat, 2 Thessalonians 3:10, “For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat.”

II. CONTENDING FOR THE GOSPEL IN ANTIOCH vv. 11-21

A. The Mistake of Simon Peter, vv. 11-13.

1. Paul stood up for the truth, v. 11.

2. Peter ate with Gentiles, which was right, v. 12.

3. When the Judaizers arrived, Peter quit eating with Gentiles, v. 12.

4. Others followed his example, v. 13.

B. Paul Contends With Peter, vv. 14-15.

1. Paul rebuked Peter publicly, vv. 11, 14. This would rule out Peter having Papal authority, since Paul could correct him. The issue was greater than Peter or Paul!

2. Peter a Jew, had lived as a Gentile, yet he was compelling Gentiles to live as Jews. This was inconsistent, v. 14

C. Paul Contends For Justification by Faith, vv. 16-21.

1. No man justified by the Law but “by the faith of Christ.” v. 16.

2. Paul clearly declares that a person is justified by faith in Romans 4. This chapter should be read carefully.

3. Jews in turning to Christ admit their sinfulness, v.17.

4. Jews in turning to Christ admit the law cannot save, v. 17; Galatians 5:4, “Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.”

5. To go back to the law would be a transgression of the Law, vv. 18-19.

a. The Law was to show our need of the Savior, Galatians 3:24, “Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.”

b. The old man under the Law was crucified with Christ, Romans 6:6, “Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.” After having been crucified with Christ and having been led to Christ by the Law, it would be a sin to depart from Christ and go back to the Law!

6. The believer crucified with Christ, v. 20.

a. This is a matter of “knowing” and “reckoning,” Romans 6:6, 11, “Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. 11 Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

“Reckon” does not mean to guess or hope. It means to “impute,” “count,” or “account.” It means to reckon inward, count up or weigh the reasons, and to deliberate. ELB

b. We believe Christ died because God declared it, and not by feeling. “It means that the effect of the death of Christ on the cross was to make him dead to these things, in like manner as he, when he died, became insensible to the things of this busy world.” Barnes.

c. The believer identified with Christ, in death and resurrection, v. 20; Romans 6:6, “Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.”

d. We live by faith. v. 20. “Paul has the closest personal feeling toward Christ. ‘He appropriates to himself, as Chrysostom observes, the love which belongs equally to the whole world. For Christ is indeed the personal friend of each man individually.’” (Lightfoot).

e. The personal nature of Christ’s love and death for me. v. 20. John 14:20, “At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.”

f. Christ did not die in vain. v. 21; Isaiah 49:4, “Then I said, I have laboured in vain, I have spent my strength for nought, and in vain: yet surely my judgment is with the LORD, and my work with my God.”

g. “Frustrate” is “ATHETEO” which means “to do away with something laid down, presented, or established … to nullify, to make void; to set aside, disregard, to thwart the efficacy of anything, nullify, make void, frustrate to reject, to refuse, to slight.” Mark 7:9, “And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.” Luke 7:30, “But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the counsel of God against themselves, being not baptized of him.”

h. If our salvation came in part or in whole from the Law or works, it would nullify the grace of God and the Lord’s death would have been in vain!

–Lesson by E. L. Bynum; Revision by Art Davison

THE TRUE GOSPEL– A REVELATION FROM GOD!

Lesson 1

Galatians 1:1-24

I. THE SALUTATION. vs. 1-5

A. The Letter, vs. 1-2.

1. From Paul, v. 1a.

a. Paul means “little.” He was originally named Saul (asked of God), Acts 8:1, “And Saul was consenting unto his death. And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria, except the apostles.”

b. He persecuted the Church, Acts 8:3, “As for Saul, he made havock of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison.”

c. He was saved on the road to Damascus, Acts 9:1-6, “And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest, 2 And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem. 3 And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven: 4 And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? 5 And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. 6 And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.”

d. He called himself the chief of sinners, 1 Timothy 1:15, “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.”

2. The source of his apostleship, v. 1b.

a. Not of man, v. 1, “Paul, an apostle, (not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead;)”

b. But of God, 1 Corinthians 1:1, Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother,” 1 Corinthians 9:1-2, “Am I not an apostle? am I not free? have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? are not ye my work in the Lord? 2 If I be not an apostle unto others, yet doubtless I am to you: for the seal of mine apostleship are ye in the Lord.”

3. In his salutation he includes all the brethren who were with him, v. 2a.

4. Addressed to CHURCHES of Galatia, v. 2b.

a. Note that it is “CHURCHES” PLURAL.

b. Note that THE churches mentioned ARE NOT of a universal visible or invisible nature.

c. NOR a REGINAL church.

d. NOR a DENOMINATIONAL headquarters.

e. But rather LOCAL VISIBLE CHURCHES that are PLURAL IN NUMBER.

B. The Greeting, vs. 3-5.

1. Two great blessings and their source, v. 3. Note which one must come first.

a. GRACE in salvation first, Ephesians 2:8-9, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.”

b. PEACE through the blood of his cross, Colossians 1:20, “And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.”

2. The gift and the purpose, v. 4.

a. He gave himself, Titus 2:14, “Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.”

b. For our sins, 1 Peter 2:24, “Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.”

c. To deliver us from this present evil world. (Many want deliverance from hell but not from the world and their sins.) “But the word peace is also used in contrast with that state of agitation and conflict which a sinner has with his conscience, and with God. The sinner is like the troubled sea which cannot rest.” —Barnes. Isaiah 57:20, “But the wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt.”

3. To whom be glory! v. 5; 1 Timothy 1:17, “Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.”

II. THE OCCASION OF THE EPISTLE. vs. 6-9

A. To warn them of the Danger of Another Gospel, vv. 6-7.

1. They were being removed from the truth, v. 6. “Removed” is in the present tense, indicating that their defection was not complete, but in progress. “Removed” means a turncoat, desertion, revolt, a change in religion and morals. However, Paul uses as mild a word as possible. “He does not employ the language of severe reproof, but he expresses his astonishment that the thing should have occurred.” —Barnes Notes

2. Only one true gospel, 1 Corinthians 15:1-5, “Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; 2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. 3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; 4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: 5 And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve:”

3. Another gospel is a perverted gospel, v. 7. “Pervert” here means to transform into something of an opposite character, as the sun turned into darkness in Acts 2:20, “The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come.”

B. The Penalty for Preaching A False Gospel, vs. 8-9.

1. Even an angel would be accursed, v. 8. “This is a very strong rhetorical mode of expression. It is not to be supposed that an angel from heaven would preach any other than the true gospel. But Paul wishes to put the strongest possible case, and to affirm, in the strongest manner possible, that the true gospel had been preached to them.” —Barnes Notes

2. Any man would be accursed, v. 9; 1 Corinthians 16:22, “If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema Maranatha.” TO EXTERMINATE = The Hebrew verb is frequently used of the extermination of idolatrous nations. —Easton’s Bible Dictionary.

a. The Lord knows His own, Matthew 7:21-23, “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.”

b. They would not have Christ reign over them, Luke 19:27, “But those mine enemies, which would not that I should reign over them, bring hither, and slay them before me.”

C. Let Us Note the PERVERSIONS OF THE GOSPEL TODAY.

1. Some say: Get into the RIGHT church, be baptized to be saved, confess your sins to a priest, celebrate mass, live the best you can, believe the articles of faith, believe the pope is infallible, and then you die, go purgatory and then heaven.

2. Believe Jesus Christ is the Son of God, baptized by immersion FOR REMISSION of sins, live the best you can.

3. Accept Jesus Christ for PAST SINS, then getting to heaven DEPENDS ON HOW you live till you die.

4. TAKE Jesus Christ as your EXAMPLE and TRY to LIVE like Him, and then go to heaven. MOST CHURCHES TODAY TEACH SOME FORM of the above FALSE GOSPELS.

5. HOW DIFFERENT IS GOD’S WAY which is as follows:

a. By REPENTANCE AND FAITH accept Christ as your only and all sufficient Savior for your PAST, PRESENT and FUTURE SINS, Acts 20:21, “Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.”

b. Then SERVE HIM BECAUSE YOU LOVE HIM!!! Galatians 5:13-14, “For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another. 14 For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.”

D. The Preeminence of the Gospel (a Review.)

1. The PURITY of the gospel, v. 4a; Romans 8:3, “For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:”

2. The PURPOSE of the gospel, vs. 4b-5; 1 John 3:8, “He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.”

3. The PERVERSION of the gospel, vs. 6-7; 1 Timothy 6:5, “Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself.”

4. The PRESERVATION of the gospel, vs. 8-9; Deuteronomy 4:2, “Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you.”

III. THE SUPERNATURAL ORIGIN OF THE GOSPEL OF PAUL vs. 10-24

A. The Gospel and Men, vs. 10-11.

1. Not designed to please men, v. 10; Acts 4:19, “But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye. 20 For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.”

a. Paul admits that before his conversion he received his authority from men, Acts 9:1-2, “And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest, 2 And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem.”

b. But NOW he had a higher aim and that was to please God, 1 Thessalonians 2:4, “But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth our hearts.”

2. The Gospel was NOT from men, v. 11; 1 Corinthians 11:23, “For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread:”

B. Paul’s Gospel was A REVELATION FROM GOD, vv. 12-24; Ephesians 3:3, “How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words,”

1. His gospel DID NOT come from his Jewish RELIGIOUS background, vs. 12, 14.

2. His PERSECUTION OF THE CHURCH shows his ISOLATION from the church, the apostles and their doctrines, v. 13.

3. His salvation and calling CAME FROM GOD and not man, v. 15.

4. He conferred NOT with flesh and blood, v. 16.

5. His stay in Arabia reveals that his doctrine was NOT FROM MAN, v. 17.

6. After 3 years, he spent 15 days at Jerusalem, vs. 18-20.

a. Apostolic contact with Paul was limited to Peter and James, Galatians 2:9, “And when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given unto me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship; that we should go unto the heathen, and they unto the circumcision.”

b. His doctrine was not changed. This event recorded in Acts 9:26-30.

7. He did spend time in Syria and Cilicia, v. 21. Acts 15:23, “And they wrote letters by them after this manner; The apostles and elders and brethren send greeting unto the brethren which are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia: 41 And he went through Syria and Cilicia, confirming the churches.”

8. His face was unknown to Judean churches, v. 22.

a. Paul had visited Jerusalem only, and he had formed no acquaintance with any of the churches in the other parts of Judea.

b. The Galatian churches were like the churches in Judea, “in Christ,” 1 Thessalonians 2:14, “For ye, brethren, became followers of the churches of God which in Judaea are in Christ Jesus: for ye also have suffered like things of your own countrymen, even as they have of the Jews:”

c. However, they rejoiced in what they heard about his preaching, vs. 23-24; 1 Timothy 1:13-16, “Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. 14 And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. 15 This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief. 16 Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.”

CONCLUSION

Lesson 1

INTRODUCTION TO GALATIANS

GALATIA was a province of Asia Minor, having Pontus on the east, Bithynia and Paphlagonia north, Cappadocia and Phrygia south, and Phrygia west. It was probably about two hundred miles in its greatest extent from east to west, and varied in breadth from twelve to an hundred and fifty miles. It was one of the largest provinces of Asia Minor, and covered an extent of country almost as large as the State of New Jersey.

The name Galatia is derived from the word Gaul, and was given to it because it had been conquered by the Gauls, who, having subdued the country, settled in it.

The Purpose of the Epistle: “The Judaizers in Galatia both discredited Paul and proclaimed a false gospel. It was necessary that Paul vindicate his apostleship and message, a task he undertook in the first two chapters. In chapters 3 and 4 Paul contended for the true doctrine of grace, that is, for justification by faith alone. Finally, to show that Christian liberty does not mean license the apostle, in chapters 5 and 6, taught that a Christian should live by the power of the Holy Spirit and that when he does he manifests in his life not the works of the flesh but the fruit of the Spirit.” —The Bible Knowledge Commentary.

Outline

Galatians chap. 1 & 2 = Christian Experience = Personal

Chap. 3 & 4 = Christian Doctrine = Doctrinal

Chap. 5 & 6 = Christian Character = Practical

Read Acts 13, 14, & 15, which tell of Paul’s first missionary journey and the founding of churches in Galatia. Iconium Lystra, Derbe and other communities who were touched with the gospel on this journey.

Paul and Barnabas were Holy Spirit called and sent, through the Church at Antioch, Acts 13:1-4.

Other preachers from Judea were not Holy Spirit called nor church sent. Their doctrine was false, Acts 15:1, “And certain men which came down from Judaea taught the brethren, and said, Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved.” Acts 15:24, “Forasmuch as we have heard, that certain which went out from us have troubled you with words, subverting your souls, saying, Ye must be circumcised, and keep the law: to whom we gave no such commandment.”

Paul’s message was unchanging, the same everywhere. This letter was written in approximately 55 to 60 AD from Antioch of Syria most likely. It was written to refute the two-headed error of the judaizing preachers who had “bewitched” many of the Galatians.

This error was:

1) That a person must be circumcised and obey the law. “Living right” must be mingled with faith in order for one to be saved.

2) The saved person must “live up to” the law if he is to stay saved. These errors are still popular in the 21st Century!!!

–Lesson by E. L. Bynum