Today we begin a study of Paul’s letter to the Galatians which I’ve subtitled “The Case Against Combining Law And Grace.” Scholars are divided as to the date of this letter. Some place it in the late 40’s and others in the early 50’s. Either way it one one of Paul’s earliest letters, perhaps even his first, and pre-dated the Council of Jerusalem where the issue of Gentile converts to Christianity was the main agenda item (Acts 15).

The primary purpose of this letter was to contend against a group called the Judaizers, early Jewish Christians who taught that Gentile converts to Christianity also had to observe certain Old Testament rites, specifically circumcision. Some even argued that the only way for a Gentile to become a Christian was to first convert to Judaism and go under the Law.

The Judaizers said Paul was not an authentic apostle but a false teacher who, in order to make the gospel more acceptable to Gentiles, had ignored the legal requirements of Judaism in his presentations. They felt it was their responsibility to follow Paul around and explain the “real gospel” to the Gentile churches he had planted.

One of the things that prompted me to undertake this study now is the growing number of comments I’ve received from certain elements in Christianity voicing those same opinions today, and for the same reason. Some Christians are once again claiming that we are obligated to observe Old Testament rites and regulations, and that Paul was not an authentic apostle.

In his letter to the Galatians, Paul presented a powerful defense of the essential New Testament truth that we are justified by faith in Jesus Christ alone. We do not sanctify ourselves by religious works or Jewish legalism, but are sanctified by faith in the grace and power of God, made manifest in the work of Jesus Christ, and energized in our life by the Holy Spirit.

This will be an in depth study of the Letter to the Galatians and we’ll need several installments to get through it, so let’s get started.

Galatians 1

Paul, an apostle—sent not from men nor by a man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead—and all the brothers and sisters with me,

To the churches in Galatia:

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen (Galatians 1:1-5).

Acts 13-14 records the churches of Galatia as Pisidian Antioch, Iconium, Lystra, and Derbe. They were all geographically located in the south central part of what was then the Roman province of Galatia, known today as Turkey.

The Greek word translated “apostle” means “a delegate or messenger, one sent forth with orders.” Paul always took pains to say he was not appointed an apostle by men but by the Lord Himself.
According to Acts 13:2 the Holy Spirit commissioned Paul and Barnabas to begin their first missionary journey and led them to Cyprus and then into the cities of Galatia where they formed the churches mentioned above.

Paul’s letter was his response to the Galatian churches concerning the Judaizers who visited these churches after he left.

I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you to live in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let them be under God’s curse! As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let them be under God’s curse! (Galatians 1:6-9)

Pay attention to what Paul said here. He pronounced a curse on anyone who tries to promote a gospel other than the one he has presented. Some translations render this as Paul saying, “Let him be eternally condemned.” The Greek word is “anathema” and means “cursed, doomed to destruction.”

We would expect him to come out strongly against the pagan religions that were prevalent at the time, but that’s not what we’re dealing with here. Paul said any so called gospel message that contradicts the doctrine of salvation by grace through faith alone as presented in his letters is by definition a different gospel and puts those who teach it under a curse that dooms them to destruction. That means they aren’t saved, nor can they be. Where did he get the authority to say something like that?

Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ. I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that the gospel I preached is not of human origin. I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ(Galatians 1:10-12).

Paul said what has become known as the doctrine of salvation by grace through faith came straight to Him from the Lord Himself. That’s where he got His authority.

For you have heard of my previous way of life in Judaism, how intensely I persecuted the church of God and tried to destroy it. I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my people and was extremely zealous for the traditions of my fathers (Galatians 1:13-14).

Paul was a Pharisee, taught by Gamaliel, one of the most highly regarded teachers of the time. Paul was a rising star in Judaism who was gaining a reputation as a relentless pursuer of the followers of Jesus, showing no mercy to those he apprehended.

But when God, who set me apart from my mother’s womb and called me by his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son in me so that I might preach him among the Gentiles, my immediate response was not to consult any human being. I did not go up to Jerusalem to see those who were apostles before I was, but I went into Arabia. Later I returned to Damascus (Galatians 1:15-17).

One of the great fears of the day in Jerusalem was that belief in Jesus would spread to Damascus, a major commercial hub in the region. It was feared that if this new faith took root there it would quickly spread in all directions and there would be no stopping it. Paul agreed to go to Damascus to make sure that didn’t happen. He was on the way when He had a personal encounter with the risen Lord that changed everything. Instead of rounding up the believers in Damascus when he got there, he began teaching that Jesus is the Son of God, which so angered the Jews that they conspired to kill him.

With the help of friends, Paul escaped from Damascus and traveled into Arabia. Some say he went to Mt. Sinai and stayed in the same cave Elijah had used during his time on the mountain of God (1 Kings 19:8-9). If so, the place where Moses received the Law would have been the same place where Paul received his revelation from the Lord concerning the doctrine of salvation by grace through faith. After that Paul returned to Damascus where he continued teaching.

Then after three years, I went up to Jerusalem to get acquainted with Peter and stayed with him fifteen days. I saw none of the other apostles—only James, the Lord’s brother. I assure you before God that what I am writing you is no lie (Galatians 1:18-20).

Paul is going to great lengths here to differentiate himself from the Judaizers. They were simply repeating the traditions they had been taught by men. But Paul was sent by God with a gospel he received directly from the Lord Jesus.

Then I went to Syria and Cilicia. I was personally unknown to the churches of Judea that are in Christ. They only heard the report: “The man who formerly persecuted us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy.” And they praised God because of me (Galatians 1:21-24).

Paul visited Syrian Antioch and Tarsus in Cilicia, the city of his birth. While he was in Tarsus, Barnabas came to visit him from Antioch and took him back there. Together they spent a year teaching and ministering to the believers in Antioch. It was there that believers were first called Christians. And it was from there that Paul and Barnabas would later begin their missionary journey into Galatia under the call of the Holy Spirit (Acts 13:2).

Galatians 2

Then after fourteen years, I went up again to Jerusalem, this time with Barnabas. I took Titus along also. I went in response to a revelation and, meeting privately with those esteemed as leaders, I presented to them the gospel that I preach among the Gentiles. I wanted to be sure I was not running and had not been running my race in vain. Yet not even Titus, who was with me, was compelled to be circumcised, even though he was a Greek. This matter arose because some false believers had infiltrated our ranks to spy on the freedom we have in Christ Jesus and to make us slaves. We did not give in to them for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel might be preserved for you (Galatians 2:1-5).

Apparently, the Lord told Paul to meet with the Church leaders in Jerusalem to confirm that the Judaizers were not speaking on behalf of the Church in Jerusalem. This is an interesting point. Paul was given a direct revelation from the Lord about the gospel he was to preach (Galatians 1:12). Even so, he was sent to the Church leadership for confirmation. Remember that the next time someone tells you he or she has a word from the Lord for you. Always seek confirmation. Every matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses (Deut. 19:15, 2 Cor. 13:1).

As for those who were held in high esteem—whatever they were makes no difference to me; God does not show favoritism—they added nothing to my message. On the contrary, they recognized that I had been entrusted with the task of preaching the gospel to the Gentiles, just as Peter had been to the Jews. For God, who was at work in Peter as an apostle to the Jews, was also at work in me as an apostle to the Gentiles. James, Peter and John, those esteemed as pillars, gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship when they recognized the grace given to me. They agreed that we should go to the Gentiles, and they to the Jews. All they asked was that we should continue to remember the poor, the very thing I had been eager to do all along (Galatians 2:6-11).

Paul’s revelation having been confirmed, he returned to Antioch and continued his work there.

When Peter came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. For before certain men came from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles. But when they arrived, he began to draw back and separate himself from the Gentiles because he was afraid of those who belonged to the circumcision group. The other Jews joined him in his hypocrisy, so that by their hypocrisy even Barnabas was led astray (Galatians 2:11-13).

There were 6 cities named Antioch in Biblical times. Of those, two are named in the Bible, Pisidian Antioch, location of one of the churches in Galatia, and this one, sometimes called Syrian Antioch. It was the third most prominent city in the Roman Empire, behind Rome and Alexandria.

By the phrase “certain men from James” Paul meant Jewish Christians from Jerusalem. Some commentators identify these men as Judaizers but I don’t think so because Paul said they came from James. As we saw above, James and the other leaders had already confirmed Paul’s teaching. More likely they were Jewish Christians who were there on an official visit from Jerusalem. But either way, their presence caused Peter , Barnabas, and other Jewish believers, who had been fraternizing with the Gentile believers, to withdraw from them and resume their tradition of separation. Paul saw this as hypocrisy and called them on it.

When I saw that they were not acting in line with the truth of the gospel, I said to Peter in front of them all, “You are a Jew, yet you live like a Gentile and not like a Jew. How is it, then, that you force Gentiles to follow Jewish customs?
“We who are Jews by birth and not sinful Gentiles know that a person is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified” (Galatians 2:14-16).

Three times in two verses Paul stated in no uncertain terms that whether Jew or Gentile, we are not justified (rendered righteous) by the works of the Law but by faith in Jesus Christ. We know that Paul was not trying to marginalize the Law because in places like Romans 7:12 he said the Law is holy, righteous and good. But he was arguing against the improper use of the Law as the basis by which we are made acceptable to God. We are not justified by observing the Law but by faith in the completed work of the Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 3:21-24).

“But if, in seeking to be justified in Christ, we Jews find ourselves also among the sinners, doesn’t that mean that Christ promotes sin? Absolutely not! If I rebuild what I destroyed, then I really would be a lawbreaker.

“For through the law I died to the law so that I might live for God. I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!”(Galatians 2:17-21).

I’m convinced that learning how the Levitical Feasts were observed in Biblical times, and how Jewish wedding customs provide insight into the relationship between the Lord and His bride, can be very helpful to our spiritual growth. I myself have benefitted greatly from doing so. But for anyone who believes that keeping the Law is a necessary component of their salvation, I pray this study will convince them otherwise. Because if righteousness could be gained through the Law Christ died for nothing.

So far Paul has made some pretty strong statements against combining Law and Grace, but as we’ll see next time, he’s just getting started. See you then.

Mankind has a propensity for taking simple things and making them complex, often confusing himself in the process.  Some say this began with the serpent’s question to Eve,  “Did God really say…?”(Genesis 3:1).  Lets look at some of the simple things of the Bible that man has tried to complicate and ask ourselves if we’re better off with man’s opinion or would it make more sense to keep it simple and stick with what the Bible says.

Creation
God said His work of creation required six days and He rested on the seventh day (Genesis 2:1-2).  There was no one around who could dispute His claim but that hasn’t stopped man from proposing alternatives.

The best man has come up with is that we’re really the product of random chance. The Big Bang theory and Evolution are called  laws of nature by some, but in fact, they violate natural law. Things in nature don’t naturally evolve from randomness, or chaos, into order. In fact they go the other way. The evidence is all around us. Your house, your car,  your body, and everything else that’s been created or made or manufactured confirms that absent some kind of preventive maintenance, the natural way is devolution, from order into chaos. Everything breaks down, wears out, rusts, rots, or dies. There’s no way around it.

And the best preventive maintenance can only retard the devolution process. It can never reverse it, let alone turn something into something else. Order into chaos, order into chaos. That’s nature’s way.  Some folks want you to ignore this simple fact and believe that where you’re concerned, natural law was spontaneously reversed for no reason at all so that the amoeba that became the fish that became the monkey could become you.  If we can’t believe the very first thing God said to us, how can we be sure about anything else He said?

The simple thing is to believe God.

Salvation
God said we’re saved by grace through faith, not by works. (Ephesians 2:8-9) He doesn’t want anyone bragging that he earned his own way into the kingdom, and knows that we can’t do it anyway. He gave man a set of laws that were impossible to keep but which defined the standard He required of us. Then He sent His Son to keep those laws for us and give His life to purchase an unconditional pardon that releases us from the penalty of breaking them (Colossians 2:13-14). He said this is the only way we can be saved (John 14:6, Acts 4:12).  All we have to do is believe in the one He sent (John 6:28-29) admit we’re sinners, ask for His pardon, and accept it in faith (Romans 10:13).

But right from the beginning, man has tried to earn his own way into God’s Kingdom. Some have multiplied God’s laws by adding many others, while others have ignored His laws, substituting their own instead.  Either way man has made his existence here on earth miserable as he labors to prove that he doesn’t need God’s free pardon, living a life of guilt and fear in a vain attempt to earn something that has been offered to Him for free.

The simple thing is to believe God.

Agency
God said that anyone who wants to can choose this pardon and have eternal life.  It’s free for the asking irrespective of merit or worthiness (Matt. 7:7-8).  It doesn’t matter if you’re a Jew or Gentile, free or slave, male or female, civilized or barbarian (Galatians 3:26-29). If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you’ll be saved (Romans 10:9). You have your entire lifetime to make your choice. However when you die His offer of pardon expires (Hebrews 9:27).

Some men have  imposed conditions without number to this unconditional promise. They say you must have been chosen in advance by God, or belong to a certain denomination, or behave in a certain way, give a certain amount, maintain certain standards, avoid certain food or drink, etc, etc. Others say you don’t have to accept God’s terms at all.  Just try to do the best you can and treat others nicely. You’ll have a chance after you die to sit down and work it all out with God.  Still others say it doesn’t matter who your god is.   As long as you’re sincere in your belief, you’ll find your way to eternal life.  Jesus said all these ways lead to destruction (Matt. 7:13-14).

The simple thing is to believe God.

Security
God says that when you’re saved He sends His Holy Spirit to dwell within you, sealed there as a deposit guaranteeing your inheritance (Ephesians 1:13-14).  It’s the down payment on His promise never to leave you or forsake you.  God Himself will make you stand firm (2 Cor. 1:21-22), and there’s no one who can take you out of His hand (John 10:27-30).  His Spirit will also guide you and advise you on behavior that’s pleasing to Him, not to earn His favor but as a way to express your gratitude for already having received it. Your behavior is still your own choice and when you sin, as we all do, the Holy Spirit will prompt you to confess so you can be forgiven and preserve your intimate relationship with God (1 John 1:9).

Man says something different.  Some say the Holy Spirit doesn’t come all at once. You get a little bit when you’re saved and more when you’re worthy. You’ll know you’re worthy when you receive a certain Spiritual gift that tells you and others that you’ve made it. They also say the Holy Spirit isn’t permanently sealed within you. He’ll leave you if you don’t behave right or if you decide you don’t want Him any more. And once He’s gone you can never get Him back. Scary.

The simple thing is to believe God.

Abundant Life
God says that you shouldn’t worry about how your life will work out, that He’ll take care of it.  Since He takes care of little birds and flowers, that aren’t worth anywhere near what you are to Him, He’ll certainly watch out for you. “Seek first God’s Kingdom and His righteousness,” He says, “And I’ll take care of everything (Matt. 6:31-33). After all, I came to Earth so that you could have life and have it abundantly” (John 10:10).  So don’t conform any longer to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind (Romans 12:2).

Man says you have to figure out what you want and then strive to get it. Work hard and sacrifice much, and you’ll be rewarded. The stress you feel from the job, and the difficulty you have staying connected at home are just part of the deal. And when you become successful, if it wasn’t all you hoped it would be, well everybody feels that way. The more you have, the better you’ll feel. Stay with it.

The simple thing is to believe God.

Forgiveness
God says to forgive as you’ve been forgiven, that nothing someone does to you can ever approximate what you’ve done to God. (Matt. 18:32-33) And since He’s forgiven you unconditionally, you should do the same. Don’t let the sun go down on your anger. Don’t give the devil a foothold. “Vengeance is mine,” says the Lord. “It’s mine to repay.”

Man says some folks don’t deserve to be forgiven. Make them prove that they’ve earned it before you let them off the hook. Besides, maybe it’s you. Maybe you’re just too weak, too naive. As you become more skeptical, less trusting, you’ll find people won’t take advantage so often. Don’t get mad, get even.

The simple thing is to believe God.

Giving
Jesus said don’t store up treasure on earth, where it can be stolen or destroyed.  Instead, store up treasure in heaven where nothing can happen to it (Matt. 6:19-21).   He said, “Give and it will be given to you, for with the measure you use it will be measured to you” (Luke 6:38).  Paul confirmed this.  He said if we sow sparingly we’ll reap sparingly, but if we sow generously we’ll also reap generously.  He said we should decide in our own heart what to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, because God loves a cheerful giver  (2 Cor. 9:6-7).  He said our generosity will be rewarded with blessing and we’ll be made rich in every way so we can be generous on every occasion (2 Cor. 9:10-11).

Some pastors say you owe a debt to God and if you don’t pay it back to the church you’ll be cursed. Others say you worked hard for your money and it’s yours to do with as you please. Why give any of it to a bunch of do-gooders who’ll just waste it on people who don’t deserve it. Give enough to keep them off your back, if you must, but not so much as to cramp your lifestyle.

The simple thing is to believe God.

Prophecy
God said he would never do anything without first revealing it through His servants the prophets. (Amos 3:7) For over 6,000 years now He’s had a perfect record of first saying what He’ll do and then doing it.  But many scholars call predictive prophecy a sham and go to great lengths to try and disprove its reliability. For example, when history documented that Daniel 11:1-35 contained 135 fulfilled prophecies, scholars tried to say it was written after the fact.

As a result the Book of Daniel became the most thoroughly validated Book in the entire Bible. And yet some still deny its authenticity, in spite of the fact that Daniel also predicted the rise of Alexander the Great (Daniel 7:6, 8:5-8, 8:21-22), named the exact day that Jesus would ride into Jerusalem as Israel’s Messiah,  and foretold His Crucifixion, as well as the city’s subsequent destruction as (Daniel 9:26).

Zechariah prophesied that the Messiah would ride into Jerusalem on a donkey (Zech. 9:9), then be betrayed for thirty pieces of silver with the money being thrown into the Temple for the purchase of a potter’s field (Zech 11:12-13). Micah prophesied that He would be born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2).  Isaiah that He would be the Son of God (Isaiah 9:6), born of a virgin (Isaiah 7:14), pierced for our transgressions (Isaiah 53:5), though innocent would offer no defense (Isaiah 53:7), be buried in a rich man’s grave (Isaiah 53:9), and come back from the dead (Isaiah 53:11).  Amos said the sun would go down at noon on the day He was crucified (Amos 8:9-10). There well are over a hundred more that pertain to the first coming but you get the idea.

In spite of this, some of the very men and women who make a career out of studying the Word of God resort to extreme measures in their attempts to convince us that God is unreliable at best and at worst a liar.  And to what end? If they were diplomats and worked this hard at undermining the principles on which our country is founded, they’d be charged with treason. If they were managers who were committed to destroying the public’s perception of their company’s product, they’d be fired.  But since they claim to be Christians we call them scholars. “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,” Paul wrote, “And the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate” (1 Cor. 1:19)  He was quoting from Isaiah 29:14.

The simple thing is to believe God.

Conclusion
These are harsh and perilous times and now, more than ever, we need someone we can rely on who is utterly dependable. When the hurricane’s threatening to blow you down, and the flood waters are rising fast, you don’t want to be worrying whether the One you’re praying to is committed to your well being.

When your neighbors are publicly planning your destruction, and take every olive branch you hand them then turn it into another excuse to attack, you need to know that the One who gave you the land you’re standing on will keep His promise that it’s yours forever.

When your eternal destiny hangs in the balance, you need to be certain that the One Who says He surrendered His life to redeem yours really did.

The End of the Age is upon us. It’s time to stop debating and start believing the simple truth of the Bible. God is Who He says He is and He did what He said He would do. And in the 6000 years of man’s relationship with Him, not one of the 14 billion of us who’ve walked this earth has ever been able to successfully refute this. Conversely, proof of His existence is so far beyond the limits of mere probability that it’s no longer debatable.  Therefore belief in Him is a choice we make. It’s time to choose and be done with it. Like my favorite bumper sticker says, “God said it. I believe it. That settles it.” It’s the simple thing to do.