Author: Charlie Garrett

Galatians 1:2

Charlie Garrett Galatians (Written)

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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.

 

 

Galatians 1:1

Charlie Garrett Galatians (Written)

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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.

 

 

 

2 Corinthians 13:14

Charlie Garrett 2 Corinthians (Written)

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Thursday, 28 January 2016

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen. 2 Corinthians 13:14

This is the last of the 257 verses of the book of 2 Corinthians. Paul ends this marvelous epistle with words reflecting the nature of God revealed in the pages of Scripture; that of the Trinity. Charles Ellicott notes that, “It is not without a special significance that the Epistle which has been, almost to the very close, the most agitated and stormy of all that came from St. Paul’s pen, should end with a benediction which, as being fuller than any other found in the New Testament.”

The words are rich and alive. They reflect both a prayer of blessing and a hope for the ending of the strife and division which so permeated the church at Corinth. And so he begins with, “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ.” Normally, words describing the Trinity do not begin with Jesus, but with God (implying God the Father). However, the thoughts are inverted here.

The order he has chosen is important to Christian theology because it shows that there is really One God revealed in three Persons without any inequality between the three. If there were, Paul’s words would be most inappropriate. However, this shows that they are truly co-equal within the Godhead. His words, rather than noting any distinction, are given based on priority of thought. He wants, first and foremost, to highlight the “grace of the Lord Jesus Christ” one last time to them.

Grace is one of the great themes of the Bible. Man is fallen and man needs grace for his salvation and for his continued walk with the Lord. Paul asks for this marvelous blessing to be bestowed upon his audience. In this petition, it is understood that they are undeserving of it. One cannot merit grace. Therefore, the petition is one of hope that this unmerited favor “of the Lord Jesus Christ” will continue to be lavished upon them – sinners already saved by that same grace.

He next focuses on the “love of God.” The term “God” here is certainly speaking of “God the Father.” This is evident by the naming of the Lord Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit in the same verse. Albert Barnes describes the words of this clause – “The love of God brings salvation; imparts comfort; pardons sin; sanctifies the soul; fills the heart with joy and peace; and Paul here prays that all the blessings which are the fruit of that love may be with them.

This logically follows “the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ” in order because one cannot truly experience the continuous and eternal stream of the love of God without first being reconciled to Him. It is through the grace of Christ that this occurs. Though it is also an act of the love of God, without receiving the grace by faith, one cannot continue in the love of God. However, once the gift is received, the love of God will be realized and reveled in.

Paul’s final words of the epistle close with, “…and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen.” The communion, or fellowship, of the Holy Spirit is something that not all believers fully experience. One is sealed with the Holy Spirit upon belief (Ephesians 1:13, 14). At that moment, they receive their guarantee of eternal life and they receive the fullness of the Holy Sprit. They will never receive “more” of the Spirit.

However, this doesn’t mean that they will experience the fullness of what they have received. In Ephesians 5:18, Paul tells us to “be filled with the Spirit.” In the Greek, it is an imperative, but it is also in the passive. This means that we are not actively, but passively filled with the Spirit. This then means that He will fill us as we yield to Him. This is done through prayer, praise, worship, fellowship, and study of His word. It is through these things that we are “filled” with the Spirit. We have all of the Spirit we will ever receive, but He can get more of us as we yield to Him.

In yielding, we enter into fellowship with Him. It is this blessed state which Paul prays will come upon his audience at Corinth (and thus us!) as he writes to them. It is something they were surely lacking, but something that his letter of love to them hopes for. May it be with us as he has prayed for them!

The final word “Amen” is apparently missing from most early manuscripts and therefore many scholars suggest that it is a later addition by a scribe. Whether this is so or not cannot be precisely determined. No matter what, it is something that Paul would have surely said in his heart, even if it was unstated with his pen. It means “So be it,” and this would have been Paul’s fervent desire for them.

Life application:  You have now made it through 257 verses of the book of 2 Corinthians. You are next admonished to carefully evaluate the coming book of Galatians; a book which contains 149 wonderful verses of doctrine for our understanding. Stay tuned as we prepare ourselves for that journey by relying on the very benediction which has been bestowed upon us by Paul at the end of this marvelous letter, 2 Corinthians.

Lord God, is it too much for us to get up each day and spend a good amount of time in Your word before we start our other activities? Is it right that we spend so much time playing on social media, watching TV, going to sports games, and otherwise frittering away the time while neglecting Your perfect gift of love and learning for us? Help us to get our priorities right, even now O Lord. Help us to faithfully reach out and pursue Your superior word. Be pleased to bless us as we pursue You. And should You fail to bless us for neglecting Your word, then isn’t that a just note of censure? If so, then give us wisdom to learn from it and take it to heart. Amen.

 

2 Corinthians 13:13

Charlie Garrett 2 Corinthians (Written)

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Wednesday, 27 January 2016

All the saints greet you. 2 Corinthians 13:13

As the letter begins to close, Paul reminds the Corinthians that they are still beloved by the members of the other churches. In other words, he hasn’t maligned them in any way and he hasn’t led them to believe that the church in Corinth wasn’t worthy of their greeting. Instead, he notes to those around him that he was writing to the Corinthians, and they in turn asked for their greeting to be passed on to them. It is a sign that Paul had presented the church at Corinth to them as a group of fellow Christians.

The first letter to the Corinthians ended with the statement, “The churches of Asia greet you.” Now, when ending this letter he says, “All the saints greet you.” It is of note then that wherever he was, he considered all of the churches and their members as a part of the greater church-universal. It is his intent to ensure that they felt this bond of the greater family through his words.

Life application: It is important to not divide what God has joined together. When a church is in right standing with the Lord, they should be considered as brothers and sisters in Christ. Lesser doctrinal differences are to be expected, but those who hold to proper orthodoxy in the greater issues should be treated with the kind respect which Paul shows in his letters to the churches that he addresses.

Heavenly Father, help us to be appreciative of, and kind to, the various churches we may encounter in our travels. As long as the main issues of doctrine are held to, help us to overlook some of the lesser points we may not agree with – types of music, form of worship, small differences in opinion about issues which are debatable. Help us to be friendly and accepting of those who have called on Christ, building them up and treating them just as He would. Amen.

 

 

2 Corinthians 13:12

Charlie Garrett 2 Corinthians (Written)

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Tuesday, 26 January 2016

Greet one another with a holy kiss. 2 Corinthians 13:12

Paul just said, “Finally, brethren, farewell. Become complete. Be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you.” Continuing on now in the hopes they will follow that advice, and in order to promote the general good of the congregation, he tells them to “Greet one another with a holy kiss.” This was, and still is, the custom in many parts of the world. The kiss is intended as a greeting just as western nations today shake hands or possibly hug, depending on familiarity. In the Far East, a deep and respectful bow is given in substitute of this.

Although Paul’s letters are prescriptive, intent must always be considered. Is Paul mandating that all people in all churches meet one another “with a holy kiss?” The answer is “No.” The reason why this is important is because there are small pockets of churches that mandate this even today and even in western societies, such as the US. However, the intent of the kiss of greeting is cultural, not merely biblical. Proof of this follows from the first kiss noted in the Bible in Genesis 27:26 when Isaac blessed his son Jacob before he departed to Padan Aram.

From that point, the kiss is seen among the covenant people and among those who aren’t yet in the covenant, thus demonstrating the cultural nature of the greeting. It is used in the same way we use a handshake. When Jacob met Rachel, without knowing her in any familiar way yet, he kissed her. In 2 Samuel 20, the following exchange begins with a kiss of greeting and ends in death –

“Then Joab said to Amasa, “Are you in health, my brother?” And Joab took Amasa by the beard with his right hand to kiss him. But Amasa did not notice the sword that was in Joab’s hand. And he struck him with it in the stomach, and his entrails poured out on the ground; and he did not strike him again. Thus he died.” 2 Samuel 20:9, 10

In 1 Samuel 20:41, David and Jonathan, close male friends, gave a fraternal kiss in accord with the culture before departing. And, Proverbs 27:6 notes the following –

“Faithful are the wounds of a friend,
But the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.” Proverbs 27:6

This demonstrates clearly that the kiss is cultural because even enemies will kiss rather than shake hands. This is seen in these parts of the world today when leaders who are at war with each other still greet with a kiss. Exchanging “kisses” with “shaking of hands” in this Proverb would hold exactly the same meaning and intent.

And as a premier example of this, read this exchange between Jesus and Simon the Pharisee –

And He said to him, “You have rightly judged.” Then He turned to the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has washed My feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head. You gave Me no kiss, but this woman has not ceased to kiss My feet since the time I came in. You did not anoint My head with oil, but this woman has anointed My feet with fragrant oil. Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little.” Luke 7:43-47

And of course, the most famous kiss in history is recorded concerning Judas’ betrayal of Jesus and reflects the sentiments of Proverbs 27:6 (above) perfectly.

It is important then to understand the cultural nature of this admonition by Paul lest we get swept up into legalism over something which is actually not intended for all cultures and in all situations. If a person with an immune deficiency were to use this verse in a prescriptive manner, he could soon be dead from receiving the germs of others.

Finally, the kisses in these and other verses throughout the Bible which are between men and men (such as David and Jonathan noted above) are not in any way intended to convey the perverse sin of homosexuality as modern liberals often imply. They are merely cultural and welcoming displays just as handshakes are today. To imply this in their writings shows a disregard for God’s order in the natural world.

Paul ends this thought with, “The churches of Christ greet you.” This carries on the warmth that has been transmitted so far. He has gone from personal greetings, to personal recommendations for continued harmony and love, and has finished with extended greetings from many others. He has been careful to show that the bonds of Christian love extend out in all ways and to all those who are believers.

Life application: If you are in Rome, do as the Romans do. If you are in Japan, do as they do. It wouldn’t be appropriate to go to church in the Far East and attempt to hug, kiss, or even shake the hands of another unless they first offered. If you are in a mid-eastern area, a fraternal kiss may accompany a greeting. In America, a hearty handshake and maybe a friendly hug is the custom. The intent of Paul’s words is promoting warmth and harmony between believers, not causing offense.

Lord God, how grateful I am to travel the world and to see so many different cultures that worship You in their own way while still exalting the wondrous work of Jesus. It shows me that You truly are the God of the nations and He is Lord over people of every race, creed, and culture who have set their hopes In You through His finished work. The songs differ, the layout of the meeting places varies, and the way prayers are conducted are unique, but when the Son is exalted, You O God are glorified! Amen.