Galatians 1, Part 1: The Work of Christ

GALATIANS 1:1-5

Application: For believers – redemption, forgiveness, salvation and Heaven itself depends on the completed work of Christ. Glorify Him because of His work on your behalf.

IT IS THOUGHT THAT THIS LETTER TO THE GALATIANS WAS LIKELY THE FIRST OF THE EPISTLES WRITTEN BY PAUL.

IT IS GENERALLY ACCEPTED THAT HE WROTE IT FROM EPHESUS IN THE TIME OF 56-57 AD.

IT IS ADDRESSED TO THE CHURCHES IN GALATIA AND IS A CIRCULAR LETTER, MEANT IT WAS TO TO BE CIRCULATED AMONG THE CHURCHES THERE AND READ ALOUD IN EACH ONE.

THE GALATIANS WERE GAULS OR CELTS WHO HAD SETTLED IN THE REGION AROUND 240 BC, AND ALL WERE GENTILES.

THE REASON FOR THE LETTER TO BE WRITTEN WERE THE SERIOUS DEFECTIONS FROM THE CHURCHES OF MEMBERS WHO WERE BEING

MISLED AND LURED AWAY BY JUDAIZERS.

THESE FALSE TEACHERS WERE SAYING THAT THESE GENTILE BELIEVERS MUST SUBMIT TO THE LEGALISMS & CEREMONIAL PARTS OF THE LAW OF MOSES (CIRCUMCISION & JEWISH DIET RULES)

THEY ALSO DISPUTED THE DIRECT TEACHINGS OF PAUL HIMSELF, WHO HAD FOUNDED THE CHURCHES ON HIS 2ND MISSIONARY JOURNEY.  

THEY WERE CLAIMING THAT PAUL WAS NOT A TRUE APOSTLE OF JESUS CHRIST, SINCE HE WAS NOT AMONG THE ORIGINAL 12 CHOSEN BY JESUS DURING HIS EARTHLY MINISTRY.

PAUL'S TEACHING AND INFLUENCE WERE BOTH BEING CHALLENGED BY THESE FALSE ONES CAUSING PAUL TO SEE THE NEED TO SEND A SERIOUS DEFENSE LETTER TO THE CHURCHES.

THIS LETTER BY PAUL IS STILL CONSIDERED  ONE OF THE RICHEST WRITINGS OF THE ENTIRE NEW TESTAMENT FOR THEOLOGY, FOR STUDY, AND FOR PREACHING.

IT REVEALS SOME OF THE YEARS OF PAUL'S LIFE AND ALSO REVEALS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT CONCEPTS OF THE GOSPEL, WHICH IS THE JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH APART FROM THE WORKS OF THE LAW OF MOSES.

HIS LETTER MAY BE VIEWED IN THREE MAJOR SECTIONS:

• THE TRUTH OF THE GOSPEL (1:11-2:21)

• THE LAW IN LIGHT OF THE PROMISE (3:1-5:12)

• THE MORAL LIFE OF THE JUSTIFIED (5:13-6:10)

PAUL TAUGHT THAT THE GOSPEL TRUTH FREED THE BELIEVER FROM THE LAW.

HE ALSO CLEARLY STATES IN OUR VERY FIRST VERSE THAT THIS TRUTH IN THE GOSPEL WAS NOT REVEALED TO HIM BY MAN BUT BY JESUS CHRIST   AND VERY IMPORTANTLY, BY THE HEAVENLY FATHER AS WELL.

IT WAS THIS VERY TRUTH THAT PAUL LATER USED TO CORRECT PETER AT THE ANTIOCH MOMENT WHEN PETER SEEMED TO ACT AS A HYPOCRITE WHILE EATING WITH GENTILES UNTIL THE JEWS SHOWED UP AND THEN HE SHUNNED THE GENTILE BELIEVERS.

PAUL'S POINT WAS THAT THE GENTILE BELIEVERS WERE ALREADY ABRAHAM'S SEED, NOT IN FLESH BUT BECAUSE THEY HAD BEEN BAPTIZED IN JESUS, THE SPIRITUAL DESCENDANT OF ABRAHAM.

HE WAS BASICALLY TEACHING THAT ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD'S PROMISE AND WAS JUSTIFIED AND THAT THESE GALATIAN BELIEVERS BELIEVED THE MESSAGE OF FAITH AND THEREBY RECEIVED THE HOLY SPIRIT.

PAUL SAID THAT THE LAW WAS GIVEN 430 YEARS AFTER ABRAHAM WAS GIVEN THE PROMISE BY GOD, UNDER THE CONDITION OF FAITH.

WE WILL SEE IN CHAPTER THREE THAT HE WILL TEACH A COMPLETELY NEW CONCEPT THAT THE LAW WAS MADE TO FUNCTION AS A SCHOOLMASTER UNTIL THE MESSIAH WAS GIVEN, AND THEREFORE WAS ONLY TO PROVIDE TEMPORARY PROTECTION UNTIL CHRIST, WHO FULFILLED THE LAW, ARRIVED.

HE ALSO TEACHES IN THIS LETTER THAT THERE IS NO LEGALISM OR WORKS RIGHTEOUSNESS ONCE GENTILES AND JEWS WERE MADE ONE UNDER THE GOSPEL.

THOSE WHO ARE NO LONGER UNDER THE LAW ARE NOW AND FOREVER UNDER GRACE, LED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT, WHO LEADS TO THE SPIRITUAL FRUITS OF LIFE, AND URGES ALL WHO ARE SAVED TO EXPRESS THEIR FAITH IN LOVE.

HIS CENTRAL ARGUMENT IS THAT HE ONCE AND FOR ALL ESTABLISHES THE DOCTRINE OF FAITH, GRACE, FORGIVENESS OF SIN, AND THE FREEDOM FROM SATAN'S DARKNESS GIFTED TO THOSE WHO ACCEPT THE GOSPEL AND TRUST THE LORD.

RIGHTEOUSNESS NOW ARRIVES INTO THE HEART ONLY BY THE CHANGE OF JUSTIFICATION THAT IS IMPUTED TO US, WITH NO WORK POSSIBLE TO MERIT IT'S GIFT.

THIS NEW AND POWERFUL DOCTRINE WOULD BE LATER JOINED BY

ONE MORE NEW DOCTRINE THAT IS KIN TO IT AND CHALLENGES ALL PREVIOUS JEWISH BELIEF IN THREE WORDS:

“NOT OF YOURSELVES”

PAUL SENT THESE WORDS TO THE CHURCH IN EPHESUS IN EPH 2:8-9

AND THESE TWO NEW WAYS OF THINKING ABOUT GOD TURNED THE

WORLD OF FAITH UPSIDE DOWN FOREVER BY REMOVING ALL WORKS HELD SO DEAR FOR 2,500 YEARS AND REPLACING THEM WITH THE PURE GRACE OF GOD'S SOVEREIGN WILL.

HERE IS THIS FIRST POWERFUL CHAPTER, WE SEE HOW PAUL WAS GIVEN HIS CALL, HOW STRONG IS THE AUTHORITY OF THE GOSPEL BROUGHT BY JESUS, HOW STRONG THIS GOSPEL MADE PAUL HIMSELF, AND WHAT HE WAS CONVERTED TO DO.

NOW LET'S LOOK AT OUR STUDY VERSES IN CHAPTER ONE.

VERSE 1

 AGAINST THE VAIN & UNTRUE TEACHING OF THE FALSE APOSTLES WHO HAD COME TO UNDO PAUL'S TEACHING OF TRUTH, HE NOW BOLDLY SETS HIS AUTHORITY, CALLING, AND MINISTRY IN CLEAR TERMS. 

THESE MISSIONS HAD BEEN GIVEN BY JESUS CHRIST HIMSELF ALONG WITH THE HEAVENLY FATHER AND NO MAN HAD A HIGHER CALLING TO TEACH THE GOSPEL.

HERE HE AFFIRMS THAT HIS OFFICE WAS NOT “OF” MAN NOR “BY” MAN AND HE HAD RECEIVED IT BY THE REVELATION OF GOD.

HE GOES EVEN ONE STEP FURTHER TO SAY THAT IF HE HIMSELF, OR EVEN AN ANGEL SHOULD TEACH ANOTHER GOSPEL, THEN THAT ONE WHO SO TAUGHT SHOULD BE ACCURSED.

SO THE GALATIAN BELIEVERS WERE TO HEAR NOT ONLY PAUL, BUT THROUGH PAUL CHRIST HIMSELF AND THE FATHER HIMSELF.

HERE HE ALSO ENDS THIS PERFECT FIRST VERSE BY ALLOWING THE ORIGINAL TEACHING, WHICH WAS A FLAME BURNING IN HIS HEART, BY ADDING THE WORDS “AND BY GOD THE FATHER WHICH RAISED HIM UP FROM THE DEAD”.

PAUL IS REINFORCING HIS POSITION WITH THE THEOLOGY HE TAUGHT TO THESE CHURCHES.

CHRIST LIVES, RISEN TO NEW LIFE, AND THIS MESSIAH SPEAKS OUT OF THE LIPS OF HIS CHOSEN APOSTLE, AND BY THIS RISING PAUL AND ALL THE BELIEVERS (AND US) ARE MADE CLEAN FROM SIN & THE FEAR OF DEATH IS NOW REMOVED FOREVER.

VERSE 2

AS IF IT WAS NOT ENOUGHT TO CONVINCE THEM IN VERSE 1 OF HIS HIGHEST & DIVINE CALLING, PAUL NOW SAYS THAT WITH HIM ARE BRETHREN WHO ARE FELLOW FOOT SOLDIERS WHO WILL TESTIFY AND BEAR WITNESS THAT THIS DOCTRINE IS TRUE AND GODLY.

PAUL HAD PREACHED THE GOSPEL ALL THROUGH GALATIA AND ALTHOUGH THE ENTIRE REGION HAD NOT YET BEEN CONVERTED, MORE THAN SEVERAL CHURCHES HAD BEEN PLANTED.

FALSE TEACHERS HAD CREPT IN WITH CORRUPT TEACHING WHERE THE PROPER FOUNDATION HAD BEEN LAID.

THROUGH THIS CORRUPTION SOME HAD BEEN MISLED BUT THE WORD OF THE LORD STILL RESIDED IN SOME AS GOOD MEN WHO HAVE STRONG HEARTS REMAIN IN FAITH.

PAUL HAD WITH HIM SOME SIMILAR BRETHREN WHO WERE FAITHFUL AND WHILE HE DOES NOT NAME THEM, HE DOES ASSURE THEY EXIST.

VERSE 3

THIS GREETING OF THE LORD'S APOSTLE WAS STRANGE TO THE WORLD, AND NOT TAUGHT OR HEARD BEFORE THE PREACHING OF THE GOSPEL.

THESE TWO WORDS “GRACE” & “PEACE” BELONG ALMOST ONLY TO CHRISTIANS AND ARE THE SPIRITUAL CHILDREN OF THE WORK OF THE GOSPEL (THESE TWO WORDS ARE TWIN SONS OF THE GOSPEL)

GRACE RELEASES SIN.

PEACE MAKES THE CONSCIENCE QUIET.

THE TWO DEMONS THAT TORMENT US ARE SIN AND CONSCIENCE.

BUT PAUL SAYS THAT JESUS BROUGHT VICTORY OVER BOTH.

ONLY CHRISTIANS HAVE THIS TYPE OF DOCTRINE AND ARE ARMED WITH IT THROUGH THE HOLY SPIRIT AFTER SALVATION AND THROUGH IT EACH BELIEVER GAINS THIER OWN VICTORY OVER SIN & DESPAIR.

THIS DOCTRINE OF BELIEF DOES NOT PROCEED FROM FREE WILL NOR IS IT INVENTED BY REASON  OR THE WISDOM OF MAN, BUT IS GIVEN AS THE FREE GIFT OF GOD FLOWING FROM ABOVE.

(HERE THE WORK OF JESUS CHRIST IS SHOWN)

WHILE ALL PEOPLE POSSESS FREE WILL, NO ONE HAS EVEN BEEN ABLE TO FREELY CHOOSE HEAVEN HIMSELF. 

WE MAY FREELY CHOOSE HELL, BUT ONLY GRACE GIVEN BY GOD ALLOWS US ETERNAL LIFE. (JOHN 1:13 PROVES IT)

THESE TWO WORDS USED BY PAUL IN THIS VERSE CONTAIN THE WHOLE SUM OF CHRISTIANITY.

GRACE CONTAINS THE REMISSION OF SINS AND PEACE BRINGS A QUIET & JOYFUL CONSCIENCE.

WE MUST NEVER FORGET THAT THE PEACE OF CONSCIENCE CAN NEVER BE FOUND UNLESS SIN HAS FIRST BEEN FORGIVEN.

NO MAN, EXCEPT JESUS, EVER SATISFIED GOD'S LAW. NOT FATHER ABRAHAM, NOT ISAAC, NOT JACOB, NOT MOSES.

(HERE THE WORK OF JESUS CHRIST IS SHOWN)

THE LAW TERRIFIED THE CONSCIENCE, ALLOWING IT NO PEACE.

PETER HIMSELF EVEN DESCRIBED THE LAW AS A YOKE AROUND THE NECK.

IN THIS MATTER RESTS THE ENTIRE GOSPEL. JESUS WAS GIVEN AS A MAN TO FULFILL THE LAW AND BY HIS ONCE AND SUFFICIENT SACRIFICE THE SINS OF DISOBEDIENCE OF ALL MEN TO THE LAW WERE ATONED.

FROM THAT MOMENT ONWARD, ALL WHO BELIEVE ARE ABLE TO POSSESS THAT FREEDOM FROM SIN BY THE GIFT OF GRACE.

NOTICE PAUL INSERTS HERE THE WORDS “AND FROM OUR LORD, JESUS CHRIST.

WHY DID HE NOT JUST WRITE “AND FROM GOD”?

HERE HE IS ASSURING US WITH HIS CONFIRMATION THAT WHAT HAS BEEN MADE AVAILABLE TO US THROUGH JESUS IS NOT FROM HIM ALONE BUT THAT HE IS INDEED TRUE GOD.

WHAT HE HAS DONE TO BRING POWER, GRACE, FORGIVENESS, PEACE AND VICTORY IS DONE BY HIM THROUGH THE FATHER.

HAD PAUL PRESENTED THE NEW GOSPEL ANY OTHER WAY, HE WOULD HAVE BEEN GUILTY OF THE HIGHEST FORM OF BLASPHEMY BY THE JEWS.

THE LORD'S HOLY PROPHET ISAIAH HAD TAUGHT IN ISAIAH 42:8 THAT GOD HAD SAID “MY GLORY I WILL NOT GIVE TO ANOTHER”.

JESUS WAS NOT ANOTHER. HE WAS GOD IN FLESH.

PAUL WAS A PHARISEE HIMSELF AND HE KNEW THE SCRIPTURES AND HE UNDERSTOOD HOW IMPORTANT WAS THIS MATTER.

SO WE SEE HERE ONCE MORE THE BEAUTY OF THE LORD CHOOSING PAUL TO BE HIS APOSTLE. AS WE LATER LEARNED IN ROMANS, ALL THINGS WORK TO HIS GOOD PURPOSE.

VERSE 4 & 5

THE BEDROCK OF PAUL'S TEACHING WAS THE ANSWER TO THE IMPORTANT QUESTION “HOW ARE SINS FORGIVEN?”

IN THESE VERSES  HE ALLOWS THE ANSWER.

ALL SINS WERE TAKEN AWAY FOR ALL TIME BY THE DELIVERING BY GOD OF HIS SON OF PERFECTION TO DEATH.

THERE IS NO FORGIVENESS BUT BY BLOOD, AND HIS BLOOD WAS GIVEN FOR OUR SINS.

WE WERE NEVER ABLE TO PUT OUR OWN SIN AWAY.

ALL WHO  HAVE EVEN LIVED KNOW THE POWER AND FORCE OF SIN OVER LIFE. IT HAS BEEN THAT WAY SINCE THE GARDEN OF THE BEGINNING.

A GREATER POWER HAD TO BE BROUGHT AGAINST SIN AND IT WAS MADE SO BY THE PERFECT WILL OF THE LORD FROM THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD.

NOTICE AGAIN THE USE OF THE PRONOUN “OUR” HERE AS SIN IS DESCRIBED.     THIS IS VERY PRECIOUS.

WITHOUT THAT PRONOUN IT WOULD BE SO EASY TO DISCUSS THE WORK OF JESUS TO DISPOSE OF THE POWER OF SIN.

WITHOUT THAT PRONOUN, WE COULD BE HAPPY TO TALK ABOUT HOW JESUS RID BELIEVERS OF “THEIR” SIN BUT PAUL IS SO VERY CAREFUL TO POINT EACH HEART TO IT'S PROPER PLACE HERE.

IT IS SO EASY TO VIEW THE SIN OF OTHERS. PAUL WILL NOT ALLOW US TO DO SO. HERE HE MAKES SIN VERY PERSONAL.

THEY ARE OURS!

WHAT ARE WE DELIVERED FROM?

FROM THE EVIL OF THIS PRESENT WORLD.

HERE PAUL, IN HIS OWN WAY, TEACHES US THAT THERE IS NO MIDDLE GROUND.

WE EITHER ARE BLESSSED BY GRACE TO BELONG TO JESUS OR WE OURSELVES HAVE CHOSEN TO REMAIN IN DARKNESS UNDER SATAN'S RULE OF EVIL IN THE WORLD.

PAUL IS SAYING THAT WHEN OUR HEARTS SAY NO TO THE GOSPEL WE ARE SLAVES TO THE EVIL HERE AND WE HAVE CHOSEN DAMNATION.

THOSE WHO SEEK TO CORRUPT THE GOSPEL MAKE THE SAME CHOICE.

IT IS THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST WHICH HAS DELIVERED US THROUGH GRACE BY FAITH.

THIS DELIVERANCE IS NOT OF OUR OWN WILL, NOR OUR OWN WISDOM, BUT IS THROUGH THE MERCY OF GOD UPON US BECAUSE OF HIS GREAT LOVE FOR US.

THIS IS WHY JESUS CAME, TO BE LIKE US FOR A TIME, THAT WE MAY BE LIKE HIM FOREVER. 

WE ARE COUPLED TOGETHER WITH JESUS FOR ETERNITY.

HIS FATHER AND OUR HEAVENLY FATHER ARE ONE. THROUGH GRACE IN FAITH WE ARE A PART OF JESUS, KNOWN AS THE BODY OF CHRIST.

WHERE IS OUR PROOF?

JOHN 20 GIVES IT.

WHEN JESUS SPOKE TO MARY MAGDALENE HE GAVE HER SOME VERY SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONS:

 “GO TO MY BRETHREN, AND SAY UNTO THEM, I ASCEND UNTO MY FATHER AND YOUR FATHER, UNTO MY GOD AND YOUR GOD”.

AND WHEN JESUS TOOK A SPECIAL MOMENT TO TEACH HIS APOSTLES TO PRAY, WHAT WERE THE FIRST TWO WORDS HE TAUGHT?

“OUR FATHER”

THEREFORE GOD IS OUR FATHER, AND OUR GOD, BUT THROUGH CHRIST ONLY.