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Updated: July 6, 2007
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The Galatians were originally from the Rhine River area of gaul. Originally called Gallo-Grecians, they had been a war-like people and had come to dominate a large part of Asia Minor. Over time prosperity brought weakness and they were conquered and absorbed into the Roman empire. Paul visted the Galatian cities of Derbe, Lystra, and Iconium on all three of his missionary journeys. This may account for Paul's disgust with their gullibility in accepting false doctrine.
[C]2000-07 by Richard L Zorek
- Gal 1:1: Paul, an apostle (not from men nore by man, but by Jesus Christ and God the father who raised Him from the dead) Paul was certain God had spoken to him. This gave him a confidence that often seemed to verge on arrogance. When we are confident of Gods call for us, we stand in kind of a carefree abandon that challenges the powers of the world.
- Gal 1:2: And all the brethren which are with me, unto the churches of Galatia It is specifically addressed to a number of churches in Galatia.
- Gal 1:3: Grace (be) to you, and peace from God the Father, and (from) our Lord Jesus Christ, Pauls order is always grace first-then peace. Peace is dependent upon grace. There are two main ideas in the word "grace." The first is that of "sheer beauty." The Greek word charis means grace in the theological sense; but it always means beauty and charm; and even theologically used the idea of charm is never far way from it. If the Christian life has grace in it, it must be a lovely thing. Far too often goodness exists without charm and charm without goodness. It is when goodness and charm unite that the work of grace is seen.
- Ga; 1:4: Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father It is Gods will that we be delivered from the evil of this presnet world.
- Gal 1:7: Which is not another thing, than that there are some who trouble you, and wish to subvert the gospel of Christ.Paul does not want to use the term "another gospel" which might imply it was a legitimate alternative, so he adds it is "not another," only a product of perversion of the true gospel. To abandon the gospel of Jesus Christ is a terrible thing, but to abandon its free grace in favor of justification by works is worse.
- ,u>Gal 1:10: For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? For if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ
Are you focused on God or man?
- Gal 1:23: But there was only this report among them: He who at one time persecuted us, now preacheth the faith which he formerly was destroying, Paul's conversion was well-known.
- Gal 2:4: "And that because of false brethren unawares brought in, who came in privily to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage." False="pseudo". It appears to be something but its not. And make no mistake about it, there can be spies from the enemy camp in our midst. Bondage=legalism. Legalism is making absolute what was intended to be relative. Liberalism, on the other hand, is making relative what was intended to be absolute.
- Gal 2:16: "Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified." Law is good, proper, and essential in its place, but law can save no man, no laws can remake man and society. The basic function of the law is to restrain, not to regenerate, and when the function of law is changed from the restraint of evil to the regeneration and reformation of man and society, law itself begins to break down, because an impossible burden is being placed upon it.
- Gal 3:19: What, then, was the purpose of the law? It was added because of transgressions until the Seed to whom the promise referred had come. The law was put into effect through angels by a mediator.Where there is no law, there is no sin. A man cannot be condemned for doing wrong if he did not know it was wrong. Therefore the function of the law is to define sin. But, while the law can define sin, it cannot cure it.
- Gal 3:21: I do not frustrate the grace of God; for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain. When I try to earn God favor by my works, I frustrate grace, and make His death a vain thing.
- Gal 3:24: "Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by the faith." The metaphor of the schoolmaster as leading to fuller understanding, was clearly to deny the law as a means of justification. If the law was leading believers to a greater source of understanding it could not be the means of salvation. Justification, says Paul, is by faith in Christ and his righteousness, not by works. The law had and has an important role for believers, but it was not then, nor is it now, a means of justification.
- Gal 6:10: "As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are out of the household of faith.: When one starts to think of excuses for not giving, he automatically moves out of the sphere of grace giving. Grace never looks for a reason, it only looks for an opportunity.
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