Galatians 1

Tuesday, 1 February 2016

…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, Galatians1:4

The opening clause of this verse lays out the tone for the rest of the epistle. It is the very thing which those in Galatia had forgotten or had intentionally set aside. They were given the gospel and then along came Judaizers who were intent on watering it down through a works-based religion. This is contrary to what God has set forth as being pleasing to Him. It was Christ “who gave Himself for our sins.” As this is so, then what could be added to that? If Christ has given Himself for our sins, then that is how our sins are atoned for. Adding in works of our own, of any kind, in an attempt to cover our sins is thus contrary to the gospel of Christ.

This is repeated numerous times in the New Testament, but several examples of note are:

“…just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” Matthew 20:28

“He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?” Romans 8:32

“For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, ⁶ who gave Himself a ransom for all…” 1 Timothy 2:6

“…who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.” Titus 2:14

Christ is the only atoning sacrifice for our sins; He is the only One who could ransom us from the world of sin; and He is the only One who has redeemed us to God. When we fall back on the law, which was given to show us our sinful state and to show us how utterly sinful sin is, then we reject the very sacrifice which has redeemed us from that law. It is a self-condemning act. When Jesus said on the cross, “It is finished,” He wasn’t saying, “It is partially fulfilled and so keep working hard…. you might make it to heaven someday.” Rather, He indicated that all was complete and all sin-debt was satisfied through His work.

Everything He did was so “that He might deliver us from this present evil age.”  Further, it was a voluntary act. He “gave Himself.” Therefore, if it was insufficient to save, then it was a horrific waste. When a person jumps on a grenade in order to save his friends, the intent is to fully save them. If he and those he tried to save died, then the death was futile indeed. But if the friends are saved, then the purpose for his death was met. If Christ died on the cross of Calvary to save His people but failed to save them, then what a waste! However, if He did accomplish this as intended, then for us to say, “I still need to do something,” is to reject the very thing He did.

The reason for His death was to save us from our sins, and the object of that salvation was “that He might deliver us from this present evil age.” If we are in this present evil age even now, then His death must have an effect of saving us through the entire age. If not, then He would save us and pull us right out as soon as He saved us. However, we are still here and thus we are to trust that His salvation has accomplished what it was intended to do. If we continue adding works into our life in order to be pleasing to God enough to be saved, then we do not believe that what Christ did was really sufficient to save us in the first place.

Finally, Paul says that this work of the Lord was “according to the will of our God and Father.” The Bible’s goal, from the very beginning, is to show God’s plan of salvation for man. Just after the fall, the Messiah was promised. The coming of Messiah then is a pre-planned course of action to redeem man from his fallen state. If the work of Christ wasn’t sufficient to do that, then not only was He a failure, but the God from whom He came was also a failure. If this is so, then He isn’t the true God. Further, man is still in his sin and there is no hope of ever being reconciled to God.

Rather, the work of Christ is wholly sufficient to save, in and of itself. Anything added to it as an attempt to reconcile ourselves back to God is to reject the entire plan of God. Either the law is fulfilled or it is not. If it is, then it is set aside. If it is set aside, then Christ’s work on our behalf is solely of grace and grace alone.

Life application: Trust in the grace of Christ alone.

Heavenly Father, may we never fall back on deeds of the law to be pleasing to You. Either what Christ did was wholly sufficient to save us, or it was the greatest blunder in all of history. Should a man fall on a grenade to save his fellow soldiers, and should they die in the process, then his sacrifice was in vain. How much more then would the voluntary death of Christ on the cross be a failure if it was insufficient to save us from the very law He came to fulfill? Cosmic blunder! Utter failure! – But No! Christ accomplished Your will and His work is all-sufficient to save and keep on saving. May we stand on the grace of Jesus Christ alone, never reinserting any precept of the law and thus offending You. Thank You for the work of Jesus – the Messiah of the Jews and the Christ of the nations. Amen.

Monday, 31 January 2016

Grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, Galatians 1:3

Paul here makes his usual apostolic greeting which is found, for example, in Romans 1:7. “Grace” is the blessing poured out from God on those who are undeserving of His favor. Grace is “getting what you don’t deserve.” Instead of judgment and wrath, we are lavished with His goodness and abundance. This is the standard Greek greeting one might expect at the time of Paul.

“Peace” is a fullness of everything that is needed to be satisfied in all ways. It is a request for health, filling of every need, and even abundance. It would be the standard greeting of the Jews that one would expect at this or at any time. The Hebrew word which Paul would have on his mind would be shalom. In Greek, it is eiréné.

The term “from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ” means that these blessings come from both. God is the Source of all things; Christ is our Mediator. If one thinks of a stream of water, it doesn’t matter if the water comes right from the well which bubbles from the ground or from some point down the river. In both, the same water is drunk. If the well is by itself inaccessible, the stream is there bringing it to us. This is how it is for us spiritually. Christ is the One who makes the abundance and blessings of God possible for us to enjoy.

It is of note that despite the upbraiding that Paul is going to give to the Galatians because of their straying from the truth, he still takes the time to pronounce this blessing upon them. It is certain that his pronouncement is actually intended as a way of preparing the way for them to receive and accept the truth of his coming words.

Life application: Even if we have to hand out discipline, we can still pronounce a blessing as well. Paul’s example is one we should take to heart in such delicate and difficult times.

Heavenly Father, help us to step back from the pronouncement of angry words and bitter thoughts. Instead, help us to be kind and gentle in how we use our tongues. May they be instruments of edification and encouragement. And yet, help us not to withhold correction as well when it is needed. Give us the ability to properly balance our words so that we never encourage wrongdoing, while at the same time, we never speak harmfully to those we correct. Amen.

Saturday, 30 January 2016

…and all the brethren who are with me,
To the churches of Galatia: Galatians 1:2

Greek scholars very easily find a coldness in Paul’s words here which show his immense disapproval of the situation that he must address in regard to the churches of Galatia. First, he notes “all the brethren who are with me.” The way this is structured – “and the with me all brothers,” or as the Pulpit Commentary translates it, “and the brethren which are with me, one and all” gives an emphasis on the word “all.” As they say it, “…there is not one of those about him who does not feel the like grief and indignation as himself in reference to the news just now received.”

Further, it is to be noted that none of the brothers are highlighted as he so often names them in his other letters. He gives a general, blanket greeting without any additional note of personal greeting. It is as if there was a cumulative hush from the individuals because of their thorough disgust at what had transpired in the churches being addressed.

The severity of this tone should be a wake-up call to every Christian concerning the issue to be discussed. Every rational thinking person who reads Galatians should say, “I will hold to the gospel of grace alone, and I will reject anyone who attempts to reinsert even one precept from the law.” This epistle contains the epitome of disregard for the Judaizers of the world and their corrupt attitude towards what Jesus Christ has done for us.

Whoever these “brethren” are is unknown and actually unimportant to the issue at hand. The lack of mentioning them is sufficient as a rebuke to the Galatians. All that matters to Paul is that there is a unified voice among them concerning what must be addressed. If we are to speculate, possibly those in Acts 20:4 are there with him. The record of Acts in regards to the placement of where Paul is now cannot be determined with precision.

Along with not naming the brothers with him, another note of censure can be inferred. Paul normally opens his letters with a note of commendation and thanks for the faith of the believers. Even the dysfunctional church at Corinth was given such a hearty note of approval. In 1 Corinthians 1:2, he notes those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus. Two verses later, he gives thanks “concerning you for the grace of God which was given to you by Christ Jesus.”

There is no such note to the Galatians. His coming comments in verses 3 & 4 don’t carry nearly the same noteworthy tone. They are simply a hopeful blessing towards them.

In Corinth, there was transgression which needed to be dealt with, it is true. But what has happened in Galatia is far worse and deals with heresy which can only lead to an apostate church. As Charles Ellicott notes, “The Corinthians had failed in the practical application of Christian principles; the Galatians (so far as they listened to their Judaising teachers) could hardly be said to have Christian principles at all. The Apostle is angry with them with a righteous indignation, and his anger is seen in the naked severity of this address.”

Where these Judaizers came from isn’t known, all that is known is that they have come and they have infected more than just a single church; hence, the letter being addressed to all of the churches in Galatia. It seems that someone or some group intentionally followed behind Paul’s ministry and purposely infected each church with their same sour doctrine. He has a special curse coming for such people. His pen will hold nothing back as he condemns them and anyone else who would so twist and abuse the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Life application: Context is king when it comes to biblical interpretation. If something is taken out of its intended context and inserted where it does not belong, then only bad doctrine, or even heresy, will result. One must always identify the points related to proper context before solidifying one’s doctrine.

Heavenly Father, there are a world of heretics out there who would attempt to change the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ into a works-based path to You. But Your word is clear concerning this heresy. Just as Abraham was declared righteous by faith alone apart from any work, we too are counted as sons of Abraham by faith alone. Help us to never be infected by those who would introduce a false gospel. Keep them far from us. Help us to trust the work of Christ alone. What more could we ever add to what He has done! Amen.

Friday, 29 January 2016

Paul, an apostle (not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised Him from the dead),… Galatians 1:1

The book of Galatians contains 149 verses of immensely important doctrine. It is a book which every Christian should read and take to heart, understanding that Paul’s words are doctrine for this Gentile-led church age. He will point out what is heresy and thus what constitutes a false gospel. And yet, his words are almost entirely overlooked by a vast swath of misled and misguided people in the world today.

In particular, Paul will speak against “Judaizers.” These are those people who come into Christian circles and demand that the Law of Moses is binding today and that it must be observed, in part or in whole. As a benchmark for this, Paul will use the practice of circumcision. He will argue that if a Christian allows himself to be circumcised (meaning implicitly as a means of obtaining God’s favor) they have set aside the grace of God and are bound to the entire law; it is a self-condemning act.

Though circumcision is the benchmark, it can be equated to any precept in the law – dietary restrictions, Sabbath observances, etc. Let us pay special heed to his words, because they are the very words of God, revealed through His designated apostle.

To open this marvelous book, he begins by identifying himself and then giving his qualifications for writing the letter – “Paul, an apostle.” However, the Greek contains no article. Instead, it says “Paul; apostle.” It is an affirmative statement that he is uniquely qualified to write the words of doctrine which follow. The term “apostle” is to be taken in its strictest sense. In other words, he meets the requirements of an apostle of Jesus, having been instructed by Him and having witnessed Him in His resurrected state.

In his claim as an apostle, he shows that he bears the authority to make doctrinal statements which are to be accepted and adhered to. He is the messenger of the Lord Jesus Christ and his words are to be taken as such.

His next words are, “…not from men.” This indicates that he was not sent by any particular body of people. Further his commission was not from a human origin. His apostleship was higher than any such level. The meaning of “apostle” is “sent one” or “a messenger.” He was sent by Christ and His message is that of the Lord. His words then bear far more weight than those who had come to infect the church with their heretical doctrine. Paul will exactingly define this in the coming verses.

He also says, “…nor through man.” Not only was he not commissioned by any body of men, but he was not appointed by any man. Further, no man had any part in his calling. It was solely of God. He was selected entirely by the choice of Jesus Christ for this apostolic ministry. Acts 9 shows this clearly with words spoken by Jesus –

“Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel. ¹⁶ For I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name’s sake.” Acts 9:15, 16

Going on, he confirms exactly that appointment with the words, “but through Jesus Christ.” It was the Lord who appeared to Him on the road to Damascus and it was He who ordered Ananias to lay his hands on Paul for him to receive his sight once again. The commission is solely the choice of the Lord and therefore his words in this epistle are to be taken as the very words of God for life, doctrine, and practice. Anything less is to ignore the One who commissioned him.

And to finish off the verse, he notes that his authority is also from “God the Father who raised Him from the dead.” As God the Father raised Jesus from the dead, it then shows that His stamp of approval rests on the Son. This is confirmed numerous times in Scripture, but Romans 1:4 states it concisely. There Paul says that Christ Jesus is –

“…declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.”

It is upon Jesus Christ that God’s stamp of approval rests. This defining act of God shows that Christ was approved in His earthly ministry and prevailed over the Law of Moses; God’s standard for the people of the world. This is key to understanding Paul’s authority to write this epistle. It is also key to see that his words concerning the law, and all of its precepts, are fulfilled in Christ on our behalf. Because of this, we are to rely not on works of the law, but on the grace of Jesus Christ alone.

God’s approval is in the Son; we accept the work of the Son; and therefore, our approval will also be from God the Father who will then also raise us from the dead. Without trusting in Christ’s sufficiency alone, God will not approve of us and we will stand condemned. This is the message that Paul will explain in this marvelous epistle.

Life application: Paul’s words are doctrine for the church. They are to be received as such and accepted at face value. By not showing faith in what Paul writes, we are also not showing faith in the surety of the word of God, or in Christ’s commission of Paul which is clearly recorded in Acts 9. Be sure to pay close attention to the words which flow from Paul’s pen as we evaluate them in the months ahead.

Heavenly Father, thank You for the grace of Jesus Christ who fulfilled the law on our behalf. Help us to never, never trust in our own works as a means of attempting to please You enough to save us. Instead, help us to trust that the work of Jesus Christ, which was accomplished on our behalf, is sufficient to save us. Please keep us from those false teachers that add in works of the law, saying we must accomplish those things in order to be saved. If this is true, then what on earth did Jesus accomplish? Rather, help us to trust in Him alone. And we shall! Thank You for our Lord Jesus. Amen.