Galatians Lesson 1

Galatians Lesson 1
Lesson Passage: Galatians 1:1-10

How many of you are confident in speaking up when you hear a distortion of the gospel?

We have lots of laws we live by …

Palo Alto, California has a population that usually feels pretty good about itself. The city’s Web site immodestly states that “Residents are highly educated, politically aware and culturally sophisticated. But after a pattern of inappropriate body language, the City Council drafted a proposal to regulate behavior. “It’s not rocket science,” said Ms. Harrison, assistant city manager, “but there is the need for basics, including how do you behave at a meeting.” Rules were drawn up to prohibit eye rolling, frowning and harrumphing, said to hinder the Council’s decision-making ability. The City Council’s actions drew mocking by conservative talk radio hosts, and a deluge of complaints from people near and far. “Seeing how this has played all over the country has given people a start,” Councilman Jim Burch said. “It is like the old game of telephone. Something is said and then it gets manipulated and distorted in each step.” The City Council dropped the proposal.
Source: Dean E. Murphy, “Chastened Palo Alto Council Drops Plan to Ban Rude Body Language,” The New York Times, 7 May 2003, www.nytimes.com.

Those crazy Californians huh?  But they are behind us this time.
Athens Clarke County has it covered
Sec. 3-5-2. Disturbing meetings. No person shall create any disturbance at any public meeting or any place of amusement by loud talking, indecent or profane language, or any disturbing sound or action. (Ord. of 4-7-92, § 8) State law references: Preventing or disrupting lawful meetings, gatherings or processions, O.C.G.A. § 16-11-34.

Antinomianism and Legalism are opposite sins

Proper view of God commands is part of a normal healthy Christian life

Making faces isn’t something God prohibits

Things that are neither forbidden nor commanded by God are adiaphorous

To teach as a command of God something that He hasn’t commanded is sinful, just like teaching that something He has forbidden is OK to do.

Galatians has been called Luther’s book.  He said it was his wife.  Martin Luther was influenced by the clear presentation of Grace in the book of Galatians.

The basic Gospel truths that were “rediscovered” about 400 years ago have been handed down to us.

Background on Galatians

Author:
The apostle Paul wrote Galatians (1:1). He mentions a group of his coworkers who had some role in sending the letter (1:2), but the letter’s style and theology demonstrate that Paul was the immediate author.

Date and Occasion:
Paul names his addressees as “Galatians” (3:1; cf. 1:2), but to which “Galatians” was he writing? He may have been writing specifically to the Celtic people who lived in northern Galatia and who were widely known as “Galatians,” or he might have been addressing the people who lived in the entire province of Galatia.

If Paul wrote to southern Galatia (a.d. 49). If this is correct, Galatians may be Paul’s earliest epistle in existence today.

If Paul wrote to the ethnic Galatians in the north (a.d. 54 or 55).

In order to understand the epistle, some knowledge of the situation that provoked Paul to write is essential.

Not long after the Galatians had accepted the gospel, agitators came among them who attacked Paul personally (4:17) and preached a distorted form of Christianity (1:6, 7). Their “gospel” required circumcision for salvation (6:12). Since the Galatians were uncircumcised Gentiles, the agitators insisted that the Galatians not only believe in Christ for salvation but also accept circumcision (2:3–5; 5:2, 6, 11; 6:12, 13, 15).

The zeal of these agitators likely reflects Jewish pressure as well as their own pride. Probably they were attempting to convert the Gentile Galatians to Judaism under pressure from nationalistic Jewish groups in Judea who, according to the Jewish historian Josephus, were becoming increasingly intolerant of contact between Jews and Gentiles during the last half of the first century.

First, they claimed that Paul was a renegade who had defied his superiors, the Jerusalem apostles.

Second, they said that Paul had recently argued with Peter over whether the gospel required Gentiles to become Jews in order to become Christians.

Third, the agitators spread the notion that Paul had originally preached circumcision for salvation (5:11) but had recently changed his gospel so that he might more easily accommodate the Gentiles (1:10).

Characteristics and Themes:
The Galatian letter stands like a sentinel over the truth that salvation is the gift of God’s grace, unearned and undeserved, to be received by faith alone (2:15, 16). Indeed, faith itself is God’s free gift (1:3, 6, 15; 2:19, 21; 6:18). Quite simply, this is “the truth of the gospel” (2:5, 14). Paul shows deep anger over the agitators’ denial of it (3:1; 5:12), warning that those who reject it cannot expect to be saved (1:8; 5:4).

Read 1:1-5
NIV
1 Paul, an apostle—sent not from men nor by man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead—  2 and all the brothers with me,  
To the churches in Galatia:  
3 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ,  4 who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father,  5 to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.  

ESV
1 Paul, an apostle—not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead— 2 and all the brothers who are with me,
To the churches of Galatia:
3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, 4 who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, 5 to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

1:1 Paul, an apostle
Remember the Apostle Johnny Washington, Pastor and founder of Tabernacle of Prayer, Inc. in Jamaica Queens, New York?  We don’t recognize a position of apostle in this age.  “One sent as an authorized ambassador to speak in the place of another”.  Paul was claiming a special authority.  He wasn’t just saying he was a missionary.  Some of the functions of an apostle are still present in church planting and pastoral care. We do not allow for the authority with regard to doctrine that was present prior to the time that the canon of Scripture was complete.  However, the term is often used as an honorific title rather than a functional title.  That can be harmless if the person is just unaware of what they would otherwise appear to be claiming.

Roman Catholic teaching claims apostolic succession and infers an authority.  They imply that Protestants have a problem because they can’t track a line back to The Apostles.  They should read the Old Testament.  God has never been bound to man.  He has forever called His people back to Himself and replaced leadership structures.  God has always had a people and a True Church and the True Church stretches across denominations.  Roman Catholic teaching clearly violates the teaching of Galatians with regard to Grace.

Paul’s Apostleship was special because he was commissioned (mugged) by Jesus after His resurrection.  All the Apostles were apostles through Jesus and God the Father but Paul was “as one born out of time”.  However, they all had the same function that was of critical importance as the canon of New Testament Scripture came into being.


1:2 and all the brothers
Paul was not the Lone Ranger.  They weren’t writing with him but they were an organization and a support group to him.

1:2 the churches of Galatia
We don’t know for sure exactly which part of modern day Turkey was involved.  North or South is about all we can be sure of.  This may have been Paul’s first epistle.   Paul doesn’t use any sort of affectionate or encouraging title for the Galatians.  He doesn’t call them saints or faithful in Christ Jesus.  This probably indicates Paul’s distress with them.  

1:3 Grace to you and peace.
Each of Paul’s letters begins with a reference to these two blessings from God. “Grace” translates the Greek charis, which means “an undeserved act of kindness.” Paul uses this word more often than any other New Testament writer and gives it immense theological significance. It refers to all that God has given us in Christ, nothing of which we have earned or can repay. “Peace” refers to the relationship that Christ’s death and resurrection (1:4) have established with God for those who believe the gospel.  You get them in that order Grace and then Peace.

1:4 who gave himself.
The atonement is in view already because this is where the Galatians are losing their religion.  He gave himself … according to the will of our God and Father.  His life was not taken from Him.  He laid His life down for your sins according to the will of the Father.  The atonement was purposeful.  He meant to do it.  He re-signified Passover as giving himself as food and drink for His sheep.  We have a short version in communion.  But it was no mistake He was laid in a feed bunk at his birth.  

1:5 Soli Deo Gloria
Only God gets glory for our salvation

Read 1:6-10
NIV
6 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel—  7 which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ.  8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned!  9 As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned!
10 Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ.

ESV
6 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— 7 not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. 9 As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed.
10 For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.

1:6 called you in the grace.
God’s grace comes to us at His initiative, by His call, and not because of anything we have done to deserve it.  We must watch ourselves to keep from falling into this same error and thinking that we can add to something to add to the salvation that God offers freely as a work of Grace.  This is a seductive heresy.  We like to feel good about our own righteousness.  Our flesh finds it distasteful to be completely dependent on the Mercy of God that was bought at such a price.  Our flesh finds it distasteful to be told that we were dead in our trespasses and sins.  We would be happier if we were just confused and God offered a helpful suggestion.  Instead He took out a heart of stone and put in a heart of flesh because there was no other way to resurrect me.

1:7 some who trouble.
Probably Jewish Christians from Jerusalem who insisted that Gentiles must not only believe in Jesus Christ but must also accept circumcision and thereby become Jews. Various shades of this idea were widespread among early Jewish Christians.  To be fair, Peter had trouble understanding this too.  Paul didn’t dream this up.  God worked on him really directly.  This was a really radical shift in thinking for Jewish Christians.  What is the same and what is different?  How do you know?  The flesh was just as big a problem for them as it is for us.  

1:8, 9
Those who add any additional requirements for salvation to faith in Jesus Christ, no matter how excellent their credentials, twist the gospel into another form. The preachers of the false gospel are under God’s condemnation.  So if an angle named Moroni shows up with gold tablets and claims they are from God … then please do us all a favor and tell him to return to his father the Devil.

1:9 accursed.
Paul’s usual thanksgiving for his readers is here replaced by the threat of a curse, repeated for emphasis.  God doesn’t repeat stuff that often.  This is a serious thing.  This has serious implications for who we fellowship with.  To seek “common ground” is a good thing but not if we allow it to compromise the Gospel.  One of the most common points of departure is Grace.  The mixture of Grace with works is always a red flag.  Grace is almost always attacked and when we drift we drift from Grace.

1:10 seek to please men.
Paul’s opponents in Galatia attacked not only the gospel but also its messenger, Paul. One of their charges was that Paul preached an easy form of the gospel, requiring neither circumcision nor obedience to the Sabbath laws and dietary restrictions.  The key to understanding this is that it is only a problem for Paul (and of course God) when you claim works as a source of righteousness.  If I want to celebrate Passover this year then fine.  If I think or teach that it makes me more righteous then that is a big problem.  The general thing we keep in mind is that the moral law is still in effect to live a life that is pleasing to God.  The ritual law is not in effect.


Coram Deo

Doctrine matters even in this age

Grace is the beginning, the sustainer, and the end of our salvation

…man is justified by faith in Jesus Christ – by nothing less and nothing more – and he is sanctified not by legalistic works but by the obedience that comes from faith in God’s work for him, in him, and through him by the grace and power of Christ and the Holy Spirit.

You can error on either an antinomian or legalistic side.  

We draw a distinction between the ritual law and the moral law.

With the moral law our obedience comes from faith in God’s work for us, in us, and through us by the grace and power of Christ and the Holy Spirit.