Galatians 1

Study Guide 139: Galatians 1-2 THE GOSPEL Overview Paul’ s brief letter to the Galatians is one of the New Testament’ s earliest, probably written around a.d. 49. Like Romans, it explores the relationship of the Mosaic Law to the Gospel of Jesus Christ and, like Romans, concludes that Law was temporary. It has now been replaced by a better, more effective way of relating to God through the Spirit. Also like Romans, Galatians is concerned with the experience of holiness, and how God’ s people can live a righteous life. Paul shows us here that, though it may initially seem frightening to remove the strictures of Law, God’ s better way produces a righteousness which the Mosaic Code could never produce. Christ has set us free for freedom — not freedom from righteousness, but freedom to be truly good (Galatians 5:1). This little book has proven exciting to generation after generation of Christians, who through it have realized that they are saved by faith — and that the Christian life is lived by faith as well! GOSPEL. The “ Gospel” is mentioned a number of times in the first chapter of this letter. The Greek word simply means “ good news.” But Paul intended us to understand a specific content: there is an unmixed “ Gospel of grace” which Paul preached, and an “ other gospel” which is a mixture of faith and works, grace and law. In this little book we and our students are helped to understand the real Gospel, the Gospel of grace.

Commentary It was early when the apostle rolled over on his pallet and saw the shafts of morning sunlight sifting through the shutters. The confrontation over Peter’ s sudden unwillingness to eat with Gentile converts (Galatians 2:12) had heightened Paul’ s awareness of the dangers facing the young church. Then messengers had come, reporting that delegations of Christian Pharisees had visited the cities where churches had been planted. They taught that the Gentile Christians must place themselves under the Law of Israel, and many were obeying them. Deeply burdened, Paul had called a number of the brothers together and prayed with them through most of the night. Now, fully awake, Paul decided to act. Filled with a deep sense of urgency, he found a pen and papyrus sheets and attacked the task he had set himself. His pen raced; passionate phrases appeared. All the churches in southern Galatia must receive a copy of this, his first letter of instruction and his first attempt to set down a theology for the new Christian movement. “ Paul, an apostle — sent not from men nor by man, but by Jesus Christ” (Galatians 1:1). These Judaizers claimed to be authorized by the Jerusalem church. As if man’ s authorization counted! “ I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the One who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel” (Galatians 1:6). Yes, God knows it is a different gospel! The Gospel rests solely on the grace of God. These Judaizers would make it a gospel of works-plus-faith. But works-plus-faith is not the Gospel; it is a distortion that robs the Good News of its grace. It is a different, perverted gospel! “Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men?” (Galatians 1:10) The gall of those Judaizers! “ Paul just tried to make it easy for you,” they had suggested. “ He was trying to please you, afraid of your response if he didn’ t make the Gospel easy. But,” they had continued, “ there’ s no such thing as ‘ easy believism’ to the Gospel. God insists that your faith cost you something!” Paul’ s pen raced on. “ The Gospel I preached is not something that man made up. . . . I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ” (Galatians 1:11-12). On and on, the words filled sheet after sheet. How exciting now to put down on paper all the deep understanding and struggles that the one-time Pharisee had spent years working through in his own life. How exciting to share with the brothers — the little children he himself had midwifed into God’ s kingdom — the full glory of what the Gospel is, and the glorious fulfillment that is offered to all who believe in Christ! The scene just sketched is imaginary. But it must have been much like this. It’ s easy to visualize Paul pouring out his love and concern in those passionate words to the Galatians which we read in our New Testament. And even today, Paul’ s words are needed. Today too questions arise and Christians feel concern about the true nature of the Christian Gospel. Isn’ t it a little too easy to just “ accept Christ” ? Can we really say that salvation is through faith and by grace, plus nothing? Shouldn’ t a Christian at least be expected to live a certain holy life after he has come to know Jesus? Shouldn’ t God have a right to reject a person who believes in Jesus, but shows no respect for God by continuing to sin? In a later letter to the Romans (which we’ ll study with the last chapters of this book) Paul goes on to define the relationship of the Gospel to righteousness. He shows just how the Gospel produces a holy life. But in Galatians the focal point of Paul’ s instruction is different. The relationship between Law and God’ s grace is at issue. The question is, “ What lies at the heart of the pure Gospel?” LINK TO LIFE: YOUTH / ADULT Set your group members to work in teams. Each team is to develop three distorted statements of the Gospel. That is, the Gospel is to be stated in such a way that it is different than the Gospel as presented in the Scriptures. The more subtle the distortions the better. When each team is finished, write their statements on a chalkboard or overhead. Then work as a group to eliminate the distortions from each statement. This process may well lead to disagreement. Do not force a conclusion in that case, but rather work together to develop questions about the Gospel your group members may have, which you can promise will be answered during your study of the Book of Galatians.

Paul’ s Defense of His Gospel: Galatians 1:1-2:10 After Paul and Barnabas returned to Antioch from their first missionary journey, they found men who had come from Judea and were teaching that “ unless you are circumcised, according to the custom taught by Moses, you cannot be saved” (Acts 15:1). This teaching implied far more than simply accepting circumcision. In the Old Testament, circumcision was a key element in the covenant God had made with Abraham. A Hebrew boy, on the eighth day of his life, was to have the fold of skin covering the end of his penis cut off. God said to Abraham, “ Any uncircumcised male, who has not been circumcised in the flesh, will be cut off from his people; he has broken My covenant” (Genesis 17:14). To the Judaizers this act symbolized, as it does in Scripture, becoming a true Jew. In other words, this teaching implied that to be a Christian, one must first become a Jew. And the Bible makes it clear that the Judaizers intended exactly this: “ the Gentiles must be circumcised and required to obey the Law of Moses,” just as every Jew was required to do! (Acts 15:5) The Judaizers were apparently aggressive, visiting not only Antioch but also going to other Gentile churches. And these men, who apparently did believe in Jesus, claimed a special authority for their teaching: “ We are from Jerusalem! We’ re members of the first (and thus the true?) church!” Paul and Barnabas vigorously opposed the men who taught this in Antioch (Acts 15:2). So Paul and Barnabas, along with some others, were appointed to go to Jerusalem and see what the apostles and elders there had to say about this question. The Judaizers had not been commissioned by the Jerusalem church. Nonetheless, once this issue was raised, this first council of the church held “ much discussion” (Acts 15:7) on the matter. The result was that the church recognized the fact that God showed He had accepted the Gentiles “ by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as He did to us. He made no distinction between us and them for He purified their hearts by faith.” It would thus be wrong for the Judaizers to “ try to test God by putting on the necks of the disciples a yoke [the Law] that neither we nor our fathers were able to bear.” The Judaizers insistence on circumcision and Law was rejected, for “ we believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved” (Acts 15:8-11). All this seems to have happened after Paul wrote his letter to the Galatians, though this is debated. Surely Paul made no mention of the determination of the Jerusalem Council, which it seems likely he would have if its determination had been made before he wrote. All in all, we can credit both Paul and Barnabas with recognizing the threat to the Gospel posed by those who would mix it with Law. Even Peter, as we’ ll see later, did not “ act in line with the truth of the Gospel” in this matter (Galatians 2:14). In his letter to the Galatian churches, then, Paul could not defend his position by referring to the determination of the gathered leaders of the Christian church. Instead, Paul had to develop a different line of defense. Another Gospel (Galatians 1:6-10). The Greek language makes a clear distinction between “ others.” There is another of the same kind (allos), and another of a different kind (heteros). Paul, after a few words of greeting, launched immediately into a confrontation with the Judaizers. What the latecomers preached was not the Gospel Paul had shared: it was a “ different gospel” which because of the difference was “ no gospel at all.” With no equivocation, Paul condemned that perverted gospel, and also those who preached it: let such a person “ be eternally condemned” (Galatians 1:9). The Judaizers had accused Paul of weakening the Gospel to “ please men” and to “ win the approval of men.” That is, they claimed that Paul shaded the truth because he didn’ t want conflict, and instead wanted an “ easy” message. Paul’ s confrontation with those who preach the “ different gospel” would now show just how willing the apostle was to fight for the truth of the Gospel he had been charged by God with delivering (Galatians 1:10). Received by direct revelation (Galatians 1:11-17). Paul had been a persecutor of the church when he was converted. He “ went immediately” into Arabia, and there struggled to understand the Old Testament in light of his experience with Jesus. Paul stressed, “ I did not consult any man, nor did I go up to Jerusalem to see those who were apostles before I was.” This was important to Paul. The Judaizers claimed an authority they said was derived from Jerusalem. Paul claimed an apostleship equal to that of the Twelve, and a revelation which came to him directly by God. Confirmed by the other apostles (Gal. 1:18-2:5). Paul spoke of twice going to Jerusalem to “ get acquainted with” the leaders there. His second trip was directed by God, to “ set before them the Gospel that I preach among the Gentiles” (Galatians 2:2). The leaders confirmed Paul’ s Gospel, and affirmed that he had been right in confronting the “ false brothers” who sought to introduce legalism. On that trip the Jerusalem leaders had accepted Titus, a Greek, as a brother and had not even suggested he should be circumcised. Paul’ s experience with the other apostles, then, suggests that there was no conflict with the Gospel he preached and the Gospel as it was understood by leaders in Jerusalem. Paul’ s commission affirmed (Galatians 2:6-10). The leaders in Jerusalem “ added nothing to my message.” Instead they recognized Paul’ s calling, to take the Gospel to the Gentiles, even as Peter’ s calling was to bring the Gospel to the Jews in the Holy Land and throughout the world. The only concern the leaders in Jerusalem expressed was that the Gentile churches should “ continue to remember the poor,” which Paul was eager to do. Paul thus has buttressed the claim which he made when he began this argument: The Gospel I preached is not something that man made up. I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ. Galatians 1:11-12Paul stood for the Gospel because he was convinced that the Good News he presented is true, and that he held a commission from God Himself to proclaim it in Gentile lands (see Galatians 1:15-16).

Confrontation: Galatians 2:11-21It’ s clear from both Galatians and Acts that the confrontation that occurred between Peter and Paul in Antioch dealt with a basic issue. And at that point, only Paul realized what this issue was. Peter had come to visit the church in Antioch, and at first had gladly participated fully in the body’ s life. But when some of the Judaizer party arrived as well, Peter drew back from the Gentile believers. And other Jewish believers in Antioch followed Peter’ s example! This action, which divided the church into two camps, was not “ acting in line with the truth of the Gospel.” There’ s no doubt that Peter’ s action and that of the Jewish minority must have hurt the Antioch believers personally. It implied that Gentile believers were second-class citizens in God’ s kingdom. But Paul saw more than the momentary hurt, and more than the hypocrisy. Paul saw the deadly intrusion of Law into the Gospel message. Paul reacted. He confronted Peter publicly, and charged him with hypocrisy. We who are Jews by birth and not “ Gentile sinners” know that a man is not justified by observing the Law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. Galatians 2:15-16Those who put their faith in Christ ought not to mix Gospel and Law, but affirm a justification that comes from faith alone. “ A man is not justified by observing the Law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. . . . Because by observing the Law no one will be justified” (Galatians 2:16). God’ s verdict, declaring a person forgiven and free from the guilt and penalty his sins deserve — and God’ s power, breaking the bondage of sin to free an individual to become truly good, have nothing to do with the Law. Justification is a gift of grace, freely extended to all who put their faith in Jesus Christ. “ I do not set aside the grace of God,” Paul insisted, “ for if righteousness could be gained through the Law, Christ died for nothing” (Galatians 2:21). Life and Law. It is still a little difficult to grasp what Paul was saying. That is, until we see the key place of Galatians 2:20: I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. Galatians 2:20-21Jesus’ mission on earth was not to utter some new call for redoubled effort to keep the Law. Jesus’ mission, and the heart of the Gospel — was to issue an invitation to life. It is tremendously dangerous to let our own focus shift from life to the Law. Righteousness can never come through the Law. Only new life can bring us that justification from God which means both (1) entrance into a new relationship with God and (2) the dynamic of God’ s power within to make possible the love, goodness, and holiness which all religions hold out as an ideal, but only the Christian faith is able to produce. This issue is clarified in Paul’ s climactic statement to Peter. And with this said in the letter, Paul moved on immediately to an explosive statement that analyzes the differences between the two approaches to the Gospel. Is the believer to work out his relationship with God through the Law, or is he to do it by recognizing the nature and dynamic of life? As we move on in this letter, we will discover why the legalistic approach to Christian experience is doomed to fail. And we will catch the New Testament’ s first glimpse of the life principle which brings us freedom. For any who have ever felt burdened in his or her Christian life, or felt weighed down by “ oughts” and “ shoulds,” these next chapters contain the charter deed to personal freedom and to joy. LINK TO LIFE: YOUTH / ADULT Analyze Paul’ s confrontation with Peter, Galatians 2:11-21. What does it suggest about the influence of legalism? About Paul’ s character and commitment? Then work in teams to define: Exactly how was Peter “ not acting in line with the truth of the Gospel” ? Also in teams, try to paraphrase Galatians 2:14-21, the words Paul spoke to Peter. In the Victor Bible Knowledge Commentary Dr. Donald K. Campbell has this helpful explanation of Galatians 2:20: In Galatians 2:20 Paul enlarged on the meaning of Galatians 2:19. He “ died to the Law” because “ he [Paul] was crucified with Christ” ; he was able to “ live for God” because Christ lived in him. Basic to an understanding of this verse is the meaning of union with Christ. This doctrine is based on such passages as Romans 6:1-6 and 1 Corinthians 12:13, which explain that believers have been baptized by the Holy Spirit into Christ and into the church, the body of all true believers. Having been thus united to Christ, believers share in His death, burial, and resurrection. Paul could therefore write, “ I have been crucified with Christ” (lit., “ I have been and am now crucified with Christ” ). This brought death to the Law. It also brought a change in regard to one’ s self: “ And I no longer live.” The self-righteous, self-centered Saul died. Further, death with Christ ended Paul’ s enthronement of self; he yielded the throne of his life to Another, to Christ. But it was not in his own strength that Paul was able to live the Christian life; the living Christ Himself took up His abode in Paul’ s heart: Christ “ lives in me.” Yet Christ does not operate automatically in a believer’ s life; it is a matter of living the new life “ by faith in the Son of God.” It is then faith and not works or legal obedience that releases divine power to live a Christian life. What a wonderful affirmation we have here of the core of the Gospel. It is by faith from first to last, for faith releases the power of God to be at work within our personalities, to express Jesus through our lives.

Teaching Guide Prepare You may wish to supplement group activities from material on Paul’ s life (see Study Guide 117), or from material on the Jerusalem Council (see Study Guide 121).

Explore

1. Divide into teams to formulate statements of the Gospel which will be subtly “ different” from the Gospel as it is presented in Scripture. Your group will then work together to get rid of the distortions. In the process your members will become aware of any problem in their own understanding of the Gospel and will be motivated for study of the rest of this great New Testament book. See “ link-to-life” above for how-to ideas.

Expand

1. In a minilecture review the approach of the Judaizers, as it is discussed in the commentary on Acts 15:1-41 and on Galatians 1:1-24.
2. Work together or in teams to first explain, then to paraphrase what Paul was saying in his confrontation with Peter as reported in Acts 2:11-21. See “ link-to-life” above.
3. Write Galatians 2:20-21 on the chalkboard. Ask each group member to pick a single phrase, and share what the truth represented means to him or her. Or a group member may choose a phrase he or she does not understand, and ask a question about it.

Apply One paraphrase of Galatians 2:20 suggests, “ If He loved me enough to give Himself for me, then He loves me enough to live out His life in me.” Share this paraphrase, and ask each group member to meditate on it as a closing prayer.