What Paul preached in Galatians

[Worship Warriors]

What did Paul preached in Galatians

How I studied the book

God did not arrange the bible in parts so that you would read a portion here and there. He gave us a library of books so that we would study a book at a time. Each book was given in the context of history, time and space because God spoke his Word through the prophets in the context of real life situation, time and space. When you understand the time period the book was written, why it was written, to whom it was written and who wrote the book then you will find the key that unlocks the book and you will understand the message of the book.

 

This is what I did with the book of Galatians. Only when you understand the message of the book, can you put every text in its context.

The book of Galatians is

Paul’s most vigorous defense of the nature of the Gospel of grace through faith .

Paul stands up for the defense of the gospel. He even confront Peter in public over major doctrinal issue. Here we have two leading man Peter and Paul involved in a confrontation on major doctrinal issue.

Today the prime virtue is tolerance. There are not enough man like Paul who is willing to confront major doctrinal error in the church.

 

What did Paul teach?

In almost all the churches that Paul had planted the Judaizers would soon follow him there to spread a form of legalism upon the Christian faith. They followed him in Galatia, they followed him in Thessalonica and they followed him in Corinth. Paul calls them false brothers (Galatians 2:4), the circumcision group (Galatians 2:12) and perverters of the gospel of Christ (Galatians 1:7).

The Judaizers taught the Galatians that: the gospel Paul has given you is incomplete. You need faith in the blood of Christ Plus circumcision. Except you be circumcised after the manner of Moses, you cannot be saved (Acts 15:1).Circumcision is a sign of becoming a proselyte Jew. That was the issue before the Jerusalem council. The decision of the Jerusalem council is that you don’t have to be circumcised to be saved. In another words you don’t have to become a proselyte Jew to be saved.

When you become a proselyte, you have to keep all the oral laws and you have to keep the traditions of the elders. And you have to keep the Torah as perverted by the scribes and Pharisees. The Scribes and Pharisees have narrowed down the interpretation of the Torah so that they could keep it by their own human effort.

The nation Israel ignored the righteousness which is by faith and they went about to establish their own righteousness (Romans 9:30-32). To this day in Israel, the Messianic Jews are persecuted by the orthodox Jews for their faith because they do not keep the oral laws and the traditions of the elders.

  Paul is not negating the Torah

In Galatians Paul is not negating the Torah. Paul was a Torah keeping Jew believing in the law and the prophets. (Acts 24:14).What Paul is negating is leaving your faith in Jesus for something else a different gospel. A gospel of trying to establish your own righteousness by your self-effort as taught by the Judaizers and the Pharisee. Hence the term works of the law, yoke of bondage, and curse of the law. You don't need  both Jesus and becoming a proselyte Jew to be saved.

Twice in the opening chapter Paul makes this strong statement. This is the only epistle that contains this statement: 

But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other (a different kind) gospel to you than that which we have preached to you, let him be accursed.

As we said before, so say I now again, if any man preach any other gospel to you than that you have received, let him be accursed.

(Galatians 1:8-9)

 

 This makes me to shudder! What a fearful thing to add or to take away from only one true gospel of grace through faith.

For by grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9)

Salvation in by grace through faith alone equals EVERYTHING. But in the days of the:

Early church, it was:

Grace through faith PLUS legalism. Legalism occurs when you change the original intent of the Torah. You narrow it down so that you can keep it by your own self effort and you create oral laws and traditions along with it.

Today in the church

it is grace through faith MINUS the OT scripture which equals license. When a Christian believes that his freedom in Christ gives him the right to ignore ¾ of the canon of scriptures, you have license lawlessness and carnality. What kind of message you believe will affect the kind of lifestyle you live. How can the man of God be complete and thoroughly equipped for every good work?

 

                                               

   

 

 

         

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited March 7, 2020 by Worship Warriors