Galatians: A Welcomed People; How God Frees the Galatians and Us from Guilt.

Galatians 1: The Good News

Objective: At the end of this study, you will 1) understand Paul's relationship with the Galatians, 2) be able to differentiate between the origin of good and evil, and 3) describe Paul's credentials as an apostle.

B701. Welcome to this in-depth online free course on the book of Galatians from the Bible Dialog Institute.

Paul, writing in AD 48 or 49, starts the letter with an opening greeting that centers in Christ's gift for the recipients (Gal 1:1-5). Then, without the usual praise or encouragements, he right away states his reason for writing, namely the local perversion of the gospel (Gal 1:6-10). Here he does not elaborate on this, but he clearly sets the true gospel against the false one. The nature of the true gospel is the subject of the letter. Then the rest of the chapter is given over to establishing his authority to speak on that subject (Gal 1:11-24).

A. Paul was the missionary who on his first missionary journey had help raise up and establish the churches in southern Galatia, among them the ones in Antioch, Iconium, Lystra and Derbe (Acts 13:14-14:23). He went back there on his second missionary journey (Acts 16:1-6). Thus he had the love of a spiritual father for these believers. That these precious new believers had left their new-found faith and had permitted some teachers to trouble them with a different gospel disturbed him greatly (Gal 1: 6-10).

B. God made men in His image to be His companions and representatives (Gen 1:26-27). At creation, God made men very good (Gen 1:31) and instituted child rearing, management, eating guidelines (Gen 1:28,29), the weekly cycle with a Sabbath rest (Gen 2:1-3), ownership (Gen 2:16,17) and marriage (Gen 2:21-25). But then Eve and Adam did evil and stole God's fruit from the designated tree and ate it (Gen 3:1-6). God responded with the Good News that sinners who accept God's free gift of forgiveness are no longer counted as evil but again become His loved children (Rom 5:15-18). Accepting God's free gift has always been hard for men, and it still is. We ask if we can do anything to earn or deserve that gift, and God's answer has always been no (Eph 2:9). The Galatians tried and Paul told them plainly that they could do nothing to become good (Gal 1:6,7; Gal 2:21).

C. Paul wanted this letter to carry the full authority of God. Thus Paul traced here the proof for his discipleship through some five events (Gal 1: 10, 12, 14, 16, 23). As a credentialed disciple, Paul spoke for God. Later on, God used this book and the book of Romans to speak to Martin Luther to get the Reformation started. By R. Klimes.

1. Salvation is by faith alone:

Mark 16:16

"He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned."

Jn.3:18, 36: "He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already .... He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him."

Acts 16:30-31: "Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house."

Rom.1:16-17: "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God salvation to every one that believeth .... As it is written, The just shall live by faith."

Rom.3:20: "By the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight."

Rom.3:28: "A man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law."

Rom.4:2: "For if Abraham were justified by works he hath whereof to glory?"

Rom.4:13: "For the promise ... was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith."

Rom.5:1: "Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ."

Gal.2:16: "A man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ."

Gal.3:11-12: "The just shall live by faith. And the law is not of faith."

Eph.2:8-9: "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast."

Titus 3:5: Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost."

2. Justification and Sanctification are tied together:

"For you render to each one according to his works."

Jer.17:10: "I the Lord ... give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings."

Mt.12:37: "For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned."

Mt.16:27: "For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works."

Mt.19:17: "If you want to enter into life, keep the commandments."

Lk.10:26-28: "He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou? And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself. And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live."

Jn.5:29: "And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation."

Rom.2:6, 13: "Who 'will render to each one according to his deeds'. For not the hearers of the law are just in the sight of God, but the doers of the law will be justified."

2 Cor.5:10: "For we must all appear before the jugment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad."

2 Cor.11:15: "Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works."

Jas.2:14: "What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him?"

Jas.2:17: "Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead."

Jas.2:21-25: "Was not Abraham our father justified by works? You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only. Likewise, was not Rabab the harlot also justified by works? For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also."

1 Pet.1:17: "The Father, who without pariality judges according to each one's work."

Library

These links may lead to reliable and unreliable information. Use your own judgment to evaluate all pages.

Resources: http://www.livingweb.com/library/227_4.htm http://www.gospelcom.net/cgi-ivpress/book.pl/toc/code=3011 http://www.efree.org/sermons_galatians.htm

Luther on Galatians: Martin Luther said of Galatians, "This is my epistle, I am wedded to it." Luther A , Luther B, Luther C, Luther D, Luther E, Luther F, Luther G.

Commentaries: Note 1, Note 2, Note 3, Note 4, Note 5, Note 6, Note 7, Note 8, Note 9, Note 10, Note 11.

Other courses: Course A, Course B, Course C, Course D, Course E, Course F, Course G.

Course Instructor: R. Klimes, DMin; Consultants: Ordell Calkins, Diane Ottlinger, Mike Miller, Herald Galer.