Introduction to Galatians
Pastor Bill Nichols - September 6, 2009Introduction
When I think of the New Testament, I think of it in specific blocks of information. First there are the Gospels which are the accounts of the birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus our Lord and Savior. Next is the book of Acts, which is a historical account of the spread of Christianity and the development of the church in both the Jewish and the Gentile world. We have one book of prophecy, which is the book of Revelation. It points to the end times and the events that must take place at the second coming and during the millennial reign of Christ and His church. Sandwiched in between we find 21 letters, written by various important characters including disciples of Jesus, one of Jesus brothers, people who lived during the early years of the church, and finally, one who was a pharisee and antagonist of the early church, the Apostle Paul.
Of the 27 New Testament books, 13 of them are attributed to the Apostle Paul. Two in particular are very theological in nature, those being the book of Romans and the book of Galatians. Beginning today, I want to take you on a journey through the book of Galatians. The book can be divided into three basic topical sections. In chapters one and two, Paul defends his apostleship and the gospel against the claims of false teachers in the church. In chapters three and four Paul defines the doctrine of grace, and in chapters five and six Paul teaches about the our freedoms in Christ and our need to live our lives by the power of the Holy Spirit.
One of the major themes of the book of Galatians is freedom. Galatians has been called by some our "Christian Manifesto" because it tells us that we have been set free from sin, we have been set free from the law, and through the knowledge of the truth of the Gospel of Christ, we have been set free from both death and hell.
A few of things that I think everyone should know concerning freedom.
1st- Freedom cost someone a price. Our freedom in America came at the lives and hands of our forefathers. They made huge sacrifices that we might enjoy the freedom that we enjoy today.
2nd- Freedom is not a license without restraints. Your freedom is limited to the restraints of the civil law. You are not free to steal or kill or slander, etc. If you do you will have to pay the penalty of the law.
3rd- Real Freedom, True Freedom, Total Freedom comes through knowledge of the truth. When I lived in California I remember a saying concerning out of state drivers: Ignorance of the law is no excuse. Likewise, as Christians, you cannot use the excuse "I did not Know." A knowledge of the truth will set you free.
I. Background for Galatians
The Apostle Paul wrote this letter to the churches in the region of Galatia. These churches were founded by Paul and Barnabas during their first missionary journey to the Gentiles. They included churches in the cities of Derbe, Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch of Pisidia.
Paul made a second trip to these churches in about A.D. 49 to strengthen the believers there. It was shortly after that visit that false teachers, called Judaizers, invaded the church and began to undermine Paul's credibility as an Apostle, and to corrupt the Gospel by teaching that in addition to trusting Christ for salvation, they also had to obey the Old Testament laws including the rite of circumcision.
Paul wrote this letter with three basic purposes in mind.
- To defend his apostleship and his right to be God's spokesman.
- To state again the True Gospel of Jesus Christ.
- To encourage Christians to live by faith and not by the law.
II. Paul's Authority as an Apostle
Paul begins this letter in a different manor than any of his other letters. In his other letters, Paul always begins with a warm, upbeat salutation and kind words concerning the church. In the letter to the Galatians however, Paul begins somewhat abruptly and without the usual praise and thanksgiving for the recipients. In the very first verse, Paul defends his calling as an apostle as a commission from both Jesus Christ and God the Father.
Galatians 1:1
"Paul, an apostle - sent not from men nor by man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead"
He continues this defense of his apostleship in verses 11-24 (although I do not plan to go through this section verse by verse, if you will read it, you will see what I mean.)
False teachers had come to the churches in the region of Galatia, and one of the first things they did was to try and undermine Paul's authority as an apostle. These false teachers were probably familiar with the 12 original apostles and knew that after the death of Judas Iscariot that Matthias was chosen by the others to take his place. We find that the Apostles set certain requirements (not given by God) in Acts 1:21 in order to choose Judas replacement;
"Therefore it is necessary to choose one of the men who have been with us the whole time the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, beginning from John's baptism to the time when Jesus was taken up from us. For one of these must become a witness with us of his resurrection."
- He had to have been a follower of Jesus with them from the beginning, referring to the time when John was baptizing in the Jordon.
- He had to be an eyewitness to Christ's resurrection.
These false teachers were contending that Paul did not meet the requirements of an apostle and therefore he did not have the authority to speak to the church as such. In addition, I am sure they reminded the people how Paul had previously persecuted the church, agreeing with the stoning of Stephen and arresting those who followed this new religious sect called The Way. So it was easy for them to build a wall of contention toward Paul and his ministry.
What was Paul's defense to the churches in Galatia?
Verse 1: Paul states that he was "sent not from men nor by man."
Paul claimed that his appointment as an apostle came directly from Jesus Christ and God the Father. The original 12 apostles were appointed by Jesus. Matthias was appointed by men (the remaining 11 Apostles). In essence, he was saying that He was the 12th apostle by virtue of God's appointment as such.
In Acts 9:3-5 Luke recounts how Saul was blinded on the road to Damascus, and he heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?"
When he asked who are you, Jesus responded,
"I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting, now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do."
In verse 15, Ananias is told concerning Saul,
"This man is My chosen instrument to carry My name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel."
While Matthias was man's pick to be an apostle, Saul who became Paul, was God's pick.
In 1 Corinthians 15:8-10, Paul appears to equate himself with the other apostles when he states,
"and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born. For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am."
I think that Paul gives us something to think about concerning our calling to serve God and especially to preach.
A minister is someone who has been called by God and given the authority by God to preach and teach His word. Man made institutions cannot supplant God's calling. I have two degrees in frames sitting on the shelf in my office. I have a certificate of ordination and a license issued to me by the denomination giving me the authority to preach in the church and by these the state recognizes my authority to do weddings and funerals.
But the reality is, if I were not called of God to preach, my degrees, ordination papers and license would be just worthless pieces of paper. God is not impressed with degrees or titles or any of those things. Look at the 12 disciples. They were not schooled men. They were fishermen and tax collectors and such. But they were men chosen by God and anointed with the Holy Spirit and commissioned to preach the good news. If you have been called to serve God, do not let the fact that you do not have a degree from a religious institution get in your way. If God calls you to preach or teach, you had better do it.
Paul was an apostle - sent not from men nor by man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised Him from the dead.
III. The Cost of Our Freedom.
After reminding the church of his authority, he then reminds them of the cost of their freedom. Verses three and four:
"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."
You know, it is so easy to become insensitive toward something as time goes by. That which was once very special and important to you often becomes taken for granted. The freedoms that we have in this country did not just happen. Men and women have given their lives throughout the history of this great nation that you and I can enjoy these freedoms. But when people forget the price that was paid, and begin to take these freedoms for granted, those freedoms have a tendency to get trampled on by those who do not appreciate the price that was paid.
I have heard it said that the most effective time in a Christian's life in sharing their faith with others and leading others into the church is during the first six months after they become a Christian. After that, they begin to take their faith for granted and settle into a pew mentality.
I believe that Paul felt that the churches in Galatia had forgotten the great price that Jesus had paid for their freedom, and as he pens this letter to them, right away he reminds them of that cost.
In the book of Romans, Paul tells us why Jesus made this great sacrifice:
Romans 5:6-8 (NIV)
"You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Jesus Christ gave Himself for our sins."
Why? To demonstrate God's love for us, and to rescue us from the present evil age. The word age here means the world or the world system in which we live. Jesus died to rescue us from the ungodly world system that we live in. Why is that so important?
First John 2:17
"The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever."
Conclusion
Friends, sometimes we too need to be reminded of the price that was paid to set us free from the penalty and power of sin. Jesus Christ gave Himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age. The letter that Paul wrote to the churches in Galatia could very well be addressed to the churches in Springfield today.
While you and I might not question Paul's authority as an apostle, I wonder how many of us question the Bible's authority over our lives? By that I mean, do we really believe that the Scripture is absolute truth? Do we recognize that the teachings found in the New Testament are applicable to our lives today? And do we understand the implications involved in the Gospel of Jesus.
Let me tell you this morning that it is not enough to know about Jesus sacrifice for sin. You have to act upon it. By that I mean, you have to accept the gift of eternal life by expressing a faith in Christ's death, burial and resurrection. Or as Paul so simply puts it in Romans 10:9,
"If you confess with your mouth, Jesus as Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved."
I do not care what others may have told you about being saved, the Scriptures clearly teach that you must be saved by grace through faith. That faith is expressed by your confession of Jesus as Lord.
Prayer and Invitation