THE GOOD NEWS MISSION

Bible study Daily, explanation and encouragement - Galatians

Galatians 1:1-2

Galatians 1:1-2

We come to the book of Galatians - 1:2 - I write this letter, with all the brothers who are with me, to the churches of Galatia.

Authorship: There is no fact, in New Testament studies, more widely attested than the Pauline authorship of Galatians.

Recipient: At first glance, the recipient is clearly defined, namely, "the churches of Galatia" (1:2).

Purpose: For centuries, the only bulwark against the tide of pagan debauchery was Jewish legalism. By the law received by special revelation, these devout people secured a degree of justification with God. When the Gospel of Christ was preached to the Gentiles the question about the necessity of the law very naturally arose. The apostle to the Gentiles, inspired by new revelation, proclaimed that salvation was through grace, by faith - without the law! This message aroused strong opposition from many who were convinced that man could only be justified by keeping the law, and who feared that disregarding it would open the doors to pagan practices. The apostle vehemently rejected this conclusion, and in this letter he convincingly presents his arguments.

Conclusion: How frequently it appears, and how many suggestive, even insistent, ways that the Christian must have the protection of a legalistic mantle! We must heed Paul's warning today and always that such legalism can only result in bondage and that the discipline of the Spirit can only produce spiritual fruit.

We are very excited to study this letter from Paul. Come with us! It will be a blessing.

Galatians 1:4

Galatians 1:4

In verse one the apostle Paul says that he was called not by people or by human authority, but by Jesus Christ Himself and by God, the Father who raised Jesus from the dead.

Every servant of Christ - minister or layman - must have a sense of divine commission. The source and agency of His works must be higher than human authority. If he is sent only BY MAN, he will fail.

Paul's reference to Jesus' resurrection as the basis of his claim to divine commission highlights the importance of this doctrine of faith in the early church. Everything they believed was conditional on the fact that God the Father had resurrected Jesus Christ. "If Christ has not been raised, your faith is vain, and you will still remain in your sins" (1 Corinthians 15:17). THIS IS WHAT MAKES CHRISTIANITY DIFFERENT FROM OTHER RELIGIONS. A question arises here: How important is the resurrection for our faith today?

Verse 1:4 says that Jesus Christ gave Himself for our sins. The cross and resurrection are Paul's primary themes, so he rarely mentions the life and ministry of Jesus. Paul's understanding makes the cross indispensable. A dedicated life—even that of Jesus Christ—is not effective in atoning for sin. The purpose of giving Himself is that He could deliver us from the present evil world. The word FREE suggests rescue from a state of impotence. This salvation is not the universal and automatic consequence of the Cross, but it is a ready possibility.

Paul speaks of this age as present and evil. Men are desperately trapped in the grip of this evil world; but, through the cross, Christ can save them. Paul does not suggest that God's purpose is to remove men from the world, but that He saves them from the power of evil in the world.

The reference to freedom from sin based completely on the death of Christ highlights Paul's greatest concern: refuting the proponents of the law. Instead of praising the Galatians, he confesses astonishment and surprise at their rejecting the grace of Christ. All of Christ's sacrifice happened in accordance with the will of God, the Father. Thus Paul can conclude: TO WHOM BE GLORY FOREVER, AMEN!

Galatians 1:6-7

Galatians 1:6-7

Since the beginning of the church, people have infiltrated it in order to distort the Gospel of Christ, today, in our time we have seen this all over the world, people bringing teachings in which Christ is only love, the gospel of love without changes, without regret, come as you are and stay as you entered, you will not be offended by your choices.

In this Galatian church, Paul's opponents said that what they taught was a gospel, logically meaning that it was superior to what Paul had preached. Paul declares that it is not a gospel of "the same kind". It was not gospel at all. The true gospel is "good news" - specifically the good news of Salvation. The intention of Paul's opponents was to agitate, disturb and destabilize the Galatians. By disturbing these new converts, they wanted to upset the Gospel of Christ. What they taught was not gospel at all, but a veiled attempt to destroy the gospel of Christ, which is the good news that, through Christ, there is liberation from this evil age. The result of their message was only slavery and bondage in contrast to the liberation and freedom that the Galatians found through grace, through faith.

Galatians 1:8

Galatians 1:8

Verse 9 - I (Paul) repeat what I said before: if anyone announces good news other than what you received, let him be cursed.

Paul was so convinced that there was no other gospel that he called down God's curse on himself - or by angels (today we have religions whose holy book has been dictated to man by an angel) - if they preached another gospel than the one we preached to you. These words were not an inconsequential speech or mere rhetoric. A person of Paul's heritage and education would have deep respect for solemn vows and curses. BEING ANATHEMA (cursed) WAS FATAL.

In our days of growing tolerance in religion, Paul's dogmatic denunciation sounds somewhat out of place. Of course, there is respect for the beliefs of others and we support ensuring that no one suffers religious persecution. But this does not mean that all paths lead to God. Paul's opposition was not narrow sectarianism; it was concern about the fundamental means of salvation. He was convinced that the course the Galatians were taking would lead them into spiritual slavery - and who would know better than he, who had lived under the law? All he can do is condemn such theology - flatly. Had not his Master warned him that He had come to bring a sword (Mt 10:34)? In these days we live in we need to hear this voice of certainty and conviction, as well as true tolerance.

Galatians 1:10

Galatians 1:10

Paul's opponents accused him of tailoring the message so that it would appeal to men and gain their favor. Paul was being accused by the Jews of rejecting the law to please the Gentiles. In another text, the apostle openly demonstrates the importance and even the need to please men in order to win them to Christ (1 Cor 10:33). The apostle cannot be considered a radical independent. He was sensitive to men's attitudes. If he allowed himself to be placed in bondage to the opinions of men he would no longer be the freed servant of Christ. If he had to decide between pleasing men and God, his choice for God was not up for debate.

Galatians 1:15-16

Galatians 1:15-16

Paul says in Galatians 1:15,16 that when he was called by God to preach the gospel to the Gentiles, he did not discuss the matter with anyone.

Often, when we receive a message from God, we want to check that message too much with flesh and blood. We go around looking for someone to confirm that we are doing the right thing. What we need to do is believe John 14:17, which says that we have the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of truth, within us. But if we invite the Spirit of truth to guide us, should we always ignore the advice of others? No! The writer of Proverbs says, "Where there is no guidance, a people falls; but in an abundance of counselors there is safety" (Proverbs 11:14). As with many other things, this is an area where we need balance. We can and should be open to receiving advice from those who are wiser and more experienced than us in some aspect, but we should not depend so much on what people say that we fail to listen to God Himself.

Galatians 2:11-13

Galatians 2:11-13

THE ELEMENTS OF MORAL COWARDY - The history of the Jerusalem conference forms a background introduction:

  1. FEAR OF OUR FRIENDS CAN CAUSE US TO FORGET OUR CONVICTIONS - verse 12 says that Peter, visiting Antioch, ate freely with the Gentiles until a group of Jews arrived from Jerusalem; After that, he turned away from the Gentiles. It occurred after the Council of Jerusalem, when Peter went to Antioch, a church dominated by Gentile Christians. Perhaps Paul had learned that Jews and Gentiles participated in the same meal. There, Paul resists him IN PUBLIC.
  2. PERSONAL TRANSIGENCE INFLUENCES OTHERS TO DO THE WRONG THING - This attitude so influenced the Jewish brothers in Antioch (even Barnabas) that they behaved hypocritically alongside Peter. Verse 13 says: As a result, other Jews imitated Peter's hypocrisy, and even Barnabas was carried away by it.
  3. HONEST REBUKE IS NECESSARY AND SHOULD NOT BE TAKEN EVIL- Paul publicly reprimand the apostle for this conduct, since it corresponded to the truth of the gospel. In verse 14 - he told Peter how he, being a Jew by birth, who sometimes lived like a Gentile, could force Gentiles to live like Jews. Peter and Paul, who learned that a man is not justified by the law, but only by faith in Christ, had themselves thus believed in Christ. Paul testified that he died to the law in order to live for God. In his opinion, his public opinion will be vindicated and his opinion will be corrected.

Compliance and honest effort to allow Christ to live in us is an effective cure for cowardice.

Gálatas 2:20

Gálatas 2:20


Not only does God respond to the voice of faith, but angels are also driven by His words. An angel said to Daniel: "for from the first day that you set your mind to understand... your words have been heard, and I have come because of your words" (Daniel 10:12).

Daniel's words brought the answer from Heaven, and the angel went to exactly the right address!

IF THERE IS A MOUNTAIN IN YOUR ROAD, USE THE WORD TO MOVE IT!

For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood forth (Ps 33.9).

Jesus described God's type of faith in Mark 11:23 Jesus said ... WHOEVER SAYS ... ”By faith we understand that the world was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was made out of things which do not appear (Heb 11.3).

The worlds were created by the word of God. Abraham had to capture the spirit of faith before the miracle can be accomplished for me. God calls into existence the things that do not exist! (Rom 4:17)

FAITH ALWAYS COMES WITH A SOUND, A VOICE IS A WORD!

Galatians 2:20

Galatians 2:20

This new life in God, free from the obstacles of the law, was made possible only because Paul was crucified with Christ. This is one of the most important Pauline theological concepts. When man enters into Christ, he enters into his death. He dies with Christ. It is more than a figure of speech, describing a psychological separation or freedom from sin. It means that by faith man makes the death of Christ his own. The future result is that he does not face eternal death for his sins.

There is also a benefit present. The power of sin is broken in man's life because he has died to sin with Christ. Of particular significance in this context is the fact that death with Christ is the only way for those enslaved by the law to have freedom.

It is imperative that the sinner's death with Christ not be confused with the crucifixion of the person's essential personality or with what has been called self-crucifixion. It is the old inner self, hopelessly depraved and depraved by sin, that dies.

The believer, however, does not remain dead. AND I AM ALIVE, NO LONGER I, BUT CHRIST LIVES IN ME. The correlation of death with Christ is always the resurrection and new life in him. The man of faith walks in newness of life (Rm 6:4), he bears fruit for God (Rm 7:4) and serves him in newness of spirit (Rm 7:6). Death to sin is significant only because it makes new life possible. Freedom from sin is the opening of the door to a new glorious life in Christ.

Galatians 3:3

Galatians 3:3

We cannot improve ourselves, and when we try to do so, we get nothing but a lot of frustration. God called us to perfection and gave us perfect hearts. But exercising this perfection is a process that requires faith, patience and time. When we face the truth, admit our faults and put our faith in God to transform us, we will see results, but we must trust in His timing. Things do not always happen when we think they should.

We are partners with God and we have a role to play. Our part is to believe and obey any specific instructions that God may give us; His part is to work out the good work He has placed within us by bringing it outward, where it can be seen and enjoyed by others and ourselves. When we get involved in the works of the flesh (our energy trying to do God's work) we become frustrated. God himself frustrates us; He opposes us and defeats us until we humble ourselves and depend entirely on Him.

Galatians 3:13

Galatians 3:13

Remember that the situation in the Galatians church was that Christians there were being encouraged to return to the practices of Judaism, that is, to fulfill the commandments of the law. And here the apostle Paul is combating these teachings.

Let us go back a little to verse 10: "For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed be every one who does not abide by all things written in the book of the law, and do them."" - Behind this conclusion is the underlying premise that no one can keep the entire law. The passage cited (Dt 27:26) is taken from an summary of the law and emphasizes that it is not a series of regulations that can be easily observed.

If the law and its attendant curse placed man in bondage that required the death of Christ to provide deliverance, it could never be a supplement to faith, much less a substitute. This is Paul's argument. When Christ hung on the cross, he became a curse in favor of the lost, because it is written: Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree. When Christ died to free men from the curse of the law, the very manner of his death placed him under the curse of the law. Christ's atonement was much more than exemplary, it was substitutive. He has provided salvation for all men.

The greater purpose of Christ's redemptive act supports Paul's argument. HE DIED SO THAT THE BLESSING OF ABRAHAM COULD REACH THE GENTILES. The method of the law only brought a curse, but the method of faith through Jesus Christ brought blessing to all men.

Galatians 3:14

Galatians 3:14
  • The Holy Spirit is the key to living on God's grace. Only the Holy Spirit dwelling in us can fulfill the law through us as the life of Christ.
  1. Understand that you have received the promise of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38,39) in the same way that you receive salvation through Christ.
  2. Live under the control of the Holy Spirit. Obey every command of the Holy Spirit. Know that this will defeat any carnal inclinations you may have.
  3. Believe that this will result in the life of Jesus reproduced in you!

…walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh… Galatians 5:16,26

Those who are led by the Holy Spirit will freely do what is right, for they are not under the captivity and condemnation of the law.

Galatians 3:26-29

Galatians 3:13

BAPTIZED INTO CHRIST - Undoubtedly, this refers to the initiatory rite of water baptism that these early Christians regarded as "the formal and visible entry into the Christian life." The reference to baptism was probably due to its similarity to circumcision. Both were initiatory rites. The Jews argued that only circumcision would open the door to God's favor. Paul reminded the Galatians that they had been baptized into Christ and therefore had put on Christ. This is a well-known Pauline figure. The basic metaphor is putting on new clothes that, although a distinct part of the man, become a genuine part of him. The figure describes the believer's union with Christ, which is so intimate and personal that he lives and moves in Christ and Christ in him.

In verse 28 Paul was happy in the list he made of ineradicable sexual, radical and social distinctions. This makes crystal clear the fact that Paul's intended meaning is spiritual. The existence of these earthly distinctions will continue, but they disappear as obstacles to fellowship in the body of Christ, and that is what he is talking about.

Verse 29 - We identify the culminating implication of the believer's union with Christ in the fact that: IF YOU ARE CHRIST'S, THEN YOU ARE ABRAHAM'S OFFSPRING AND HEIRS ACCORDING TO PROMISE. The Judaizers sought to ruin the Pauline gospel by claiming that only through the law could an individual be a son of Abraham and receive the consequent inheritance. Paul argues that the Christian Galatians were the true seed of Abraham by faith and that they would therefore receive the promise. They were children, and this fact guaranteed the Glorious prospect of the inheritance.

Galatians 4:6

Galatians 4:6
  • One of the tasks of the Holy Spirit is to create in the children of God the conviction of sonship and of filial love that leads them to KNOW God as Father.

  • The term "Aba" is Aramaic and means "Father". It was the word Jesus used when referring to the Heavenly Father. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the spirit of sonship. When we cry, "Abba! Father!" Romans 8:15

  • The Holy Spirit gives us subjective assurance that we are God's children! Romans 8:16

  • Good Morning! You are a child of God! If you believe, you have the seal of the Holy Spirit!

Gálatas 5:19

Gálatas 5:19

But I say, walk by the Spirit, and do not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh; for these are opposed to each other, to prevent you from doing what you would. But if you are led by the Spirit you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are plain: fornication, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, anger, selfishness, dissension, party spirit, envy, drunkenness, carousing, and the like. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God (Gal. 5:16-21).

  • In the preceding days we were already discussing the conditions for being taken. Here is a test whether you live in the world or not?
    Many say, but I live good, is that so, do you comply with ALL 10 commandments? Do you love God ABOVE ALL? The Bible study Galatians 5 (www.biblestudy.gratis) clearly explains what each of the above words means.
  • Idolatry is, among other things, that you spend more time on social media such as YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and hotmail, than your time reading the Bible and in prayer for government leaders, teachers at schools and professores at universities, church leaders, unbelievers, etc.
  • Here is the serious warning that those who practice such things will NOT inherit the Kingdom of God (= access to Heaven?).

Gálatas 5:22

Gálatas 5:22

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. (Galatians 5:22-24).

  • As a Christian, let us daily show these fruits in our lives to the unbeliever through the power of the Holy Spirit.
  • When we fail and stumble upon one of these, we may confess it. Without confession we give an opening to satan. With trial and error, more and more of these fruits will become visible in our daily lives.
  • It is a matter of longevity, but NECESSARY, because without these expressions the person is incapable of reigning with Jesus Christ in His 1000-year Kingdom.
  • Earthly life is a training school who is willing to live to the glory of God the Father.
  • It also brings joy to yourself when you experience these fruits in your daily life.
  • The purpose of our Christian life on earth is to be a representative of God and to show that you belong to God.

Gálatas 6:10

Gálatas 6:10

GUIDELINES FOR GROWING IN LOVE AND COMPASSION

Piety (devotion) results from Jesus Christ living in you through the Holy Spirit.

God calls us to love others and to serve others as Jesus did, through the power of the same Holy Spirit and with the same graceful freedom.

For in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith (Gal. 3:26,29)

Let Christ live freely through you!

Worry about the word of God becoming incarnate in you.

Consider yourself to be under construction, in travail until Christ be formed in you (Gal. 4:19).

For freedom Christ has set us free; stand fast therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of worldly slavery (Gal. 5:1-3).

Feed the grace of God
DO NOT ATTEMPT TO EARN WHAT CAN ONLY BE RECEIVED AS A GIFT (Gal 5:4-6)

Love others freely as a gesture of obedient faith.

Remember that the law of sowing and reaping applies to everyone. Always sow what you want to reap.
God guarantees that the harvest will come!