Galatians Bible StudyLet Them Be Damned Galatians 1:8-10 Paul Defends His Gospel Galatians 1:10-24
The Apostle Paul wrote his letter to the Galatians to the churches that he had established on his first missionary journey, the churches that we learn about in Acts ch. 13-14; Pisidian Antioch, Iconium, Lystra, and Derbe. This book was written in AD 48 approximately 1-2 years after his first missionary journey, and the hard hitting, lack of any real greeting style found in the book is an indication of the urgency with which it seems to have been written. Unlike other letters, there is no thanksgiving in the introduction. There was no congratulatory sentences referring to the Galatians faith, hope, and love. Paul was writing this letter to the churches in Galatia that were facing a crisis, belief in another gospel which was no gospel at all. Paul, by the power of the Holy Spirit, had proclaimed the true Gospel of grace through faith in Christ alone Gospel in these places; first to the Jews and then to the Gentiles, and as a result: Acts 13:48 And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord, and as many as were appointed to eternal life believed.
We are told in Acts 14 that a great number of both Jews and Gentiles believed in those cities, and Paul and Barnabas had made disciples, established churches, and appointed elders in each city. We also read that Paul met much opposition in these cities, being chased out of the cities by both Jews and Gentiles, even having been stoned and dragged out of Lystra by a group of angry Jews. After he had left and established churches in Galatia, some of these same Jews had entered into these fellowships that Paul had established and began to teach a new Gospel, a false Gospel of works attempting to add to the glorious Gospel of grace. This is why Paul wrote to these churches and the result is this letter, this epistle, one that Paul could write to the church today. The western church is in the same danger, those from without and from within that are preaching a different Gospel which is no Gospel at all. 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.It is established that Paul wrote this letter, likely around 48 AD around a year or so after his 1st missionary journey. He was established as an apostle. He was not established as an apostle because of what man said. He was called through Jesus Christ by God the Father. The word apostle (GR. apostolos) means one who is sent, and Paul was sent to these churches in Galatia with the sacred trust of the one true Gospel which he makes clear later in the book of Galatians that he received directly from the Lord Jesus Christ (1:11-12, 16-17, 19). He was sent by God to the Jews first, then to the Gentiles. Paul’s pattern in each place that he ministered was to start in the synagogue, and after he was rejected with various levels of violence, he went to the Gentiles. This letter was sent by Paul, and it was from him and all those who were with him- that is in agreement with him about the nature of the true Gospel. Though He was writing with a serious warning, He does send from himself and the brothers he was with blessings of grace and peace to those to who he was writing. He sent these wishes not from Himself, but from the giver of the gifts God Himself. These gifts were presented to the believers through the substitutionary death of the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus’ giving of Himself purchased God’s grace (unmerited favor) on Christians’ behalf, thus giving us peace (GR. eirēnē) (God’s positive blessing of well being, an absence of strife with God) with God because His sacrifice on our behalf removed our enmity from God. This focus places the laser point on Paul’s purpose with this letter: He wanted to re-introduce true salvation to those in the churches in Galatia. This salvation of grace and peace with God has implications in the present, deliverance from both the power of sin and this present evil age, as well as the ultimate penalty of sin which is death. We are saved from sin and this present evil age so that all glory is given to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 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.Paul speaks very strongly here. He was there when the Holy Spirit acted in the conversion of those to whom he had preached in Galatia. He was present as he had established churches, appointed elders, and prayed over them. It is thus that he is astonished (GR thaumazō) amazed at the speed at which he must write this letter to them. They were quickly departing from the Gospel of grace. Even more so, they were abandoning the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, for it is God who calls, indeed who draws (John 6:44) and it is Christ who gave Himself to purchase our peace with God. This grace which was purchased by God means that we are positionally righteous, with all the advantages and rewards thereof. This is the result of the work of Christ and not our own works. The Gospel is not open to debate; there is only one Gospel into which we must believe. It is not a multiple choice test, there is no true and false. There is only one way, through Christ Jesus. There are many things over which Christians can and will disagree. The Gospel is not one of those things; there is only one Gospel and we must agree with God on what that is in order to be saved. The source of the trouble were those people who desired to add to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, that is preaching a hybrid of works and faith in Christ alone for salvation. Specifically, there was a group of Jewish teachers who wanted to add circumcision as a requirement for salvation, and, to a lesser extent, some other Jewish dietary and ceremonial laws. Paul called this a distortion of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. There are many distortions to the Gospel that are related to this today. Allow me to list a few distortions of the Gospel that trouble us today which we will examine over these next weeks:
Encourage and build up othersWhat did you learn in this passage? Write down your response and send it in. It will be edifying for others! Let Them Be Damned Galatians 1:8-10
Paul Defends His Gospel Galatians 1:10-24
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