Welcome to Youngsville Free Methodist Church

I become excited as I read this today!   Paul points out that we are true children of Abraham, and heirs to the riches in Christ.   What good news! What a blessing!   I can see how he would be frustrated by the Galatians reluctance to receive it.

Read Galatian 1-3

 

Any time I think of the letter to the Galatians I recall this verse (3:1 in the NIV) “you foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you?”

For some reason that verse sticks in my head.  And to answer the question you haven’t asked…yes, I wish it were some other more helpful verse…but it is what it is.

The Galatians were being deceived, that’s for sure.   From reading these first three chapters I have the feeling that someone, or some group had come from Jerusalem and recommended that the Gentiles begin following Jewish customs, after all, they had accepted a Jewish God….it only seems appropriate to now “become Jews” in the fullest sense.   To the men who showed up teaching the false gospel, that meant obeying all Jewish law….dietary law, laws of sacrifice, daily activities, laws about worship and who knows what else.   The Jews were masters at creating “laws”.    And then there were the Old Testament laws that required certain sacrifices at certain times in order to remove the believer from the guilt of sin.    They were recommending that the new believers follow these laws as well.

Well, Paul “flipped out”.  He knew that there was no possible way to embrace Jesus Christ and still hang onto the Old Testament Sacrificial system.   When Paul references “the Law” in this reading I think he is referring to the portion of the Law that deals with the removal of sin.   For instance, there was a law that said “do not murder”….I don’t think Paul is talking about that.   There was a law that said “obey my Sabbath” and “honor your father and mother”…..those laws had nothing to do with taking away sin…I think they are still in effect.   In fact, the Holy Spirit confirms that they are, once He fills the believer.    Those who are filled with the Holy Spirit don’t murder others, misuse God’s name or His day, or disrespect others…especially their parents.    

In short, Paul is saying in this passage that the Law was a means of identifying and protecting a people until Jesus showed up at the right time to fulfill the promise that God made to Abraham.    

In the NIV this passage was hard for me to understand, but in the NLT it seems a little easier.   Paul is saying that God promised Abraham that all nations would be blessed through him and his offspring. In Greek the word is “seed”.  Paul notes that its singular, meaning that all nations would be blessed by someone..one person who would be born of Abraham’s line.   that clearly wasn’t Isaac or Jacob or even David…because as helpful as they were and as much as they did…they didn’t bless “all nations”.    Paul wisely recognizes that Jesus is the “singular seed” descended from Abraham that the Bible is talking about.   And, he calls our attention to the fact that this promise, made by God to Abraham, was 430 years before Moses received the 10 commandments and other “Laws”.   It was Moses who gave the sacrificial system to Israel, repeating what God had given him by revelation.     Paul is saying that Abraham’s promise came directly from God, and he notes that Abraham accepted it by faith….and that’s why he was blessed.   God blessed Abraham because he accepted his promise by faith.   And, God blesses us when we do the same, and accept His Son by faith.   And

s apart from the Law.

 

Apparently the false teachers were teaching that the sacrificial law and other related laws were still in effect.   I suspect that they were also slandering Paul, talking about how he wasn’t a “true apostle” and how “he had never even been to Jerusalem”.    As sad as it is, I think what they were doing would have some effect on new believers.    If they came to town and said “most of the apostles have never even heard of Paul….they haven’t met him, and he certainly isn’t one of the 12 apostles”      It would cast doubt, wouldn’t it?     

A word to the wise:  there will always be people who try to tear down good things simply because they aren’t in control of them.  They want to be seen, to be in control, or to have power more than they want the situation to improve.   They are willing to take the whole society down the wrong path…as long as they get to be in the drivers seat.    That’s sick.     That’s exactly what the devil wants.  He wants us to be so filled with pride and arrogance that we cannot accept the righteous teaching and leadership of others.    The humble disciple will always find a way to lead while still following the lawful direction of  those in charge of him.   God gives the wisdom.    And, the humble person will also refuse to follow anyone who preaches a gospel contrary to the one that Jesus gave and that the Bible teaches.

Salvation is by faith, and we cannot “earn” forgiveness of sins.

 

I want to make note a few great verses from today’s reading as I close:

 

2:16  Yet we know that a person is made right with God by faith in Jesus Christ, not by obeying the law. And we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we might be made right with God because of our faith in Christ, not because we have obeyed the law. For no one will ever be made right with God by obeying the law.”

 

 

 

3:28  There is no longer Jew or Gentile,^aa] slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus.