Galatians Overview

Galatians was written to the churches at Perga, Pisidian in Antioch, Conium, Lystra, and Derbe (churches established by Paul and Barnabas during their first missionary journey)2. The purpose of Galatians was to call the churches back to the true Gospel which some of them had recently departed.3. Paul carefully makes clear the True nature of the Gospel is centered on Christ’s atoning death as foretold by Old Testament prophets.4. At the center of the Galatians Epistle is the Truth that salvation is God’s free gift.5. Paul makes it clear to the Galatians that the gospel of Grace rules out the use of mere rules or some code of contact as a means of self justification.

I. Purpose Paul writes to call the churches of Galatia (1:2) back to the Gospel which they had recently deserted (1:6). The “new gospel which they embraced is really no gospel at all he told them (1:7). The true Gospel which Paul preached came through revelation of Christ Jesus to Paul (1:12). It was the same gospel preached by other apostles of Christ 2:7-9. This means altered versions of the Gospel must be necessarily be unacceptable. Not even angelic version or even if Paul himself came preaching a substantially revised one should not be enticed by the Galatians (1:8). But Paul’s purpose was not just to admonish and rebuke the Galatians; he carefully described the process by which he was granted the gift of apostleship this validating the truth of his message (1:11-21). This was in response to some saying he was not a true apostle. He explained the relationship between grace and the Law (3:1-4:7) He also gave extended counsel on how the Christian life is to be lived (Chapter 5-6) Paul’s purpose was two prong.1. It was specific in its insistence that to accept an altered view of the apostolic message about Christ is to nullify the whole Christian faith.2. It was also broad in scope. Looking at his range of arguments and the application to faith and life.

II TWO GOSPELS: True and FalseA. 

A True Gospel a. The question therefore is if Paul’s purpose in writing is to oppose a false gospel what is the True Gospel. Acts (chapters 13-14) are very useful because they record for us some of the messages Paul preached especially at Pisidian Antioch in Southwest corner of Galatia (Acts 13:16-41). This illustrates Paul’s message during his first missionary journey in Galatia and elsewhere. Paul’s basic claims were:i. The God of Israel, the True and Living God has from ancient times been at work saving people from their sins so that they may fellowship with him and worship him at the same time ne a redemptive presence in the world. This redemptive work stretches back to Abraham, Moses, and David (Acts 13:16-22)ii. David’s descendant Jesus announced by John the Baptizer is Savior sent from God (Read Acts 13:23-25).iii. The Gospel message that Salvation lies in Jesus has been entrusted to Jews like Paul as well as non Jews who receive it (Read- Acts 13:26)iv. Even though many Jews rejected the message and even pressed for the crucifixion of Jesus yet Jesus was raised from the dead by God who caused him to appear to many witnesses (Acts 13:26-31) – 40 Days of being with resurrected Jesus Esp. 13:30.v. Not only the living witness but also the Old Testament prophets attested to the good news that Messiah would not only rise from the dead but would bring Salvation to all including the Gentiles cf. Therefore all who hear the message of the Gospel of Jesus are urged to receive it and be joined to the people of God.vi. Acts 13:38-42 warned those detractors (like Paul had been) not to scoff at the message, but accept it as the word of God or they would Perish.Virtually all of Paul’s message in Acts Chapter 13 are echoed and summarized in Galatians. For example in summing up the Gospel that the Galatians originally received Paul says “Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified (Read- Galatians 3:1-3)In Acts 13 as well Galatians, Paul refers to Abraham 8 times, 3 of them in Galatians.The conclusion here therefore is the True Gospel Paul preached was centered on Jesus Christ’s atoning death foretold by the Old Testament Prophets. In light of the Cross, all who rely on Jesus Christ for salvation are saved and given a new life. Just like Abraham relied on God’s promises in the Old Testament (cf. 3:6-14) The Bible says Abraham believed God and was counted for righteousness.

B. A False Gospel Above is the True Gospel that Paul and Barnabas preached. What then was the False Gospel?After Paul and Barnabas preached and founded the Galatians churches they returned to their headquarters, the missionary sending church in Antioch Syria Acts 14:26.Galatians 5:12 tells us the “Agitators” whom some Theologians call Judaizers came and started to preach a different “gospel” which Paul says was not gospel at all.These are some of the people who opposed Paul and Barnabas in Pisidian Antioch, Acts 13:45, 50) Also in 1 Conium (14:2) and persecuted them through Lystra and Derbe. At one point they stoned Paul and left him for the dead Acts 14:19.Many years later near the end of his life the memory of those tumultuous days was still fresh in Paul’s mind 2 Timothy 3:11.In his Epistle we learn that after Paul and Barnabas left the wrath of the agitators (false brothers—fell on the young churches established by these two missionaries in Galatia (Read-Acts 14:23). Paul wrote “some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the Gospel of Christ” (Galatians 1:7). He rebukes the foolishness of those who follow this perverted gospel. Calling them “bewitched” [Galatians 3:1]The Gospel of Christ had freed them from Pagan gods as well as Jewish traditions that could not save them (Read 4:8-11). Those treacherous leaders had false messages they were”…zealous to win over but for no good Galatians 4:17.The agitators (Judaizers) main message was requirement to strict Jewish customs like circumcision and other Jewish practices (6:12) hence the name Judaizers. Paul was so distraught that he writes “As for those agitators, I wish they would … emasculate themselves (5:12) Emasculate to weaker or castrate.

Why was Paul so upset? Grace vs. Law

Grace At the center of Galatians Epistle is the Truth that Salvation is God’s free gift. It is not earned by human merit. Christ has to free people from the tyranny of moral or religious death is what justifies people before God, not the efforts they expend to live to God’s standard ( Read Galatians 3:11-13).Galatians has been called the Magna Carta of Christian liberty because of its stress on freedom from performance – based on approach to pleasing God.Galatians was central to Protestant Reformation with its reassertion of sole sufficiency of divine grace to liberate imprisoned human will.To rely on rules, even Old Testament law that Paul praises in Romans 7:12 is to abandon the gospels message of Grace (read 5:4).What is Grace anyway? According to my good friend Dr. Charles Caldwell Ryrie of Dallas Theological Seminary, “Christianity is different from all other religions because it is a message of Grace. Jesus Christ is the supreme revelation of God’s grace. Salvation is by Grace, and grace governs and empowers Christian living. Without grace Christianity is nothing. Jesus Christ is the Grace of God personified.” Dr. Ryrie continues to assert… “Furthermore the concept of Grace is the watershed that divides Roman Catholicism form Protestantism, Calvinism from Armenianism, modern liberalism form conservatism. Roman Catholicism holds that grace is mediated through its priests and sacraments while Protestantism generally does not. The Calvinists (and so was Paul) feel that he glorifies the grace of God by emphasizing the utter helplessness of man apart  from grace, while Armenian sees the grace of God cooperating with man’s abilities and will..”Paul’s love for the Galatian churches was intense (Read 4:19-20) hence the concern for soundness of faith they professed. Paul like his master Jesus was concerned not merely that people have a religious experience, he was concerned with what substance of their bodies was. So that is why, like Jesus, Paul spent much time teaching. Unlike what you have heard we can conclude the content of what you believe matters.Erroneous beliefs can signal failure to grasp or refuse to accept who Jesus Christ really is and how profoundly the sinner is dependent on Christ’s saving work. Sliding into belief systems that don’t magnify Christ obscures the truth of Christ Jesus and the nature of Salvation he offers.

Positive ethic Paul therefore insists that Salvation is by grace not by human merit. It would also be a terrible mistake to conclude that obeying God is no longer important because Salvation is through Faith not good works. Paul only opposes works when viewed as Galatian false teachers viewed them: deeds that earn Salvation but upholds works when viewed as “faith expressing itself through love”. (Read 5:6)When a person believes the Gospel, Christ enters that person’s life and begins to change it (Read 2:20). Fruit of Christ’s spirit bears the attitudes and deeds like Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and Self control. Galatians 5:22-23. Against such Paul hints ironically there is no law 5:23.

The Gospel of Grace then does not mean an ethic (code of conduct) with no rules. True Gospel abolishes rules seen as means of self justification. It removes “thou shalt not” form the center stage of pleasing God. Just voiding “acts of sinful nature” (5:19-21) is not Christianity. It is mere moralism. In contrast the Gospel calls and enables – people to be filled with Christ’s Spirit. And that is the only way people can find resources not “to gratify the desires of the sinful nature” (Read 5:16) and to move forward by the Holy Sprits power is a life that honors the Lord.Paul’s ethic is then not anti-rule or anti-Law (Antinomian) it is positive, it bases Christian contact on god’s active working in the believer. God Is pleased and his kingdom is increased to Christ’s living presence through the Gospel. The negative self-justifying approach of the Galatians false teachers though no doubt sincere was profoundly mistaken. True gospel is a God given gift to mankind. We must accept it or perish like fools.