The Run Down

Read Galatians 6:1-18

Within this text we will find….
Mutual correction.
Self examination.
Financial support of teachers.
Final warnings.
Salutation.

6:1-2 Paul thinks of the church as an extended family… where we should have the responsibility to take care of one another.

After his teaching on walking by the Spirit… Paul is realistic to know.. that some within the church will be “trapped” in transgressions.
“Caught”. “Overcome”. Not in the sense of passivity, but being weak to… like to heroine. You choose to transgress… but it’s so powerful.
So he prescribes the remedy.

The “community”…. Those with the Spirit… walking by the Spirit… are to
“restore”…. Mending broken fishing nets. Setting a broken bone. To make whole again.

In the background is Lev. 19:17. . . Preceding Lev. 19:18. No coincidence.
And the Fruit of the Spirit… .love joy peace patience kindness goodness faithfulness gentleness and self control.
It is much easier to talk about the fruit of the spirit, the memorize the fruit of the spirit, to lift up the fruit of the spirit, than to grow in the fruit of the spirit.

Also:
2 Cor. 2:5-11; Matt. 18:15-18; Luke 17:3-4; James 5:19-20.

Not just instructed to do it… but how to do it….. with gentleness.
The fear of falling into sin could be the same sin… or the sin of pride…. And looking down on the sinner.

Vs. 2…. In bearing one another’s burdens… we fulfill the law of Christ.
Up till now… Paul has contrasted the Law and Grace…. The Flesh and the Spirit.
Now he speaks of the Law of Christ… as already defined by Lev. 19:18… loving neighbor as self Gal. 5:14.

The Law of the Christ… is not like the Judaizers are teaching… to become circumcised and follow the Law… no.. it’s the new Law of Christ… from Lev. 19 and the Spirit… and Grace….

Vs. 3 Spiritually Elite?
Maybe a Christian thinks he is above helping out his brothers/sisters…. Maybe they want to exclude or not help the fallen ones….
Don’t think you are above your brother/sister to help…
Yes… you need to be careful as you help and not get tempted… but don’t think you are beyond them… those sinners…

Vs. 4 But test your own work… test yourself… Paul is for self examination… 2 Cor. 13:5 …Romans 12:3; 1 Cor. 11:28.
Yes indeed… faith should produce fruits… works.
You can boast in your faithfulness to God… not in your comparison to your neighbor. 1 Cor. 4:3-5
You boast to yourself… “not to your neighbor”.

Vs. 5 For each will have to bear his own load. A different word is used here. Before… it was a bear one another’s “heavy burdens” in vs. 2… now it is a common term for a man’s “pack”…each should do his own pack of work.

We are all personally accountable to God for our own work… but we are also called in community together to bear one another’s heavy burdens.
We are called to both.
Also… might have eschatological overtones … of responsibility before God’s judgment.

Vs. 6 ho katechoumenos – the one who is taught… must share…
Financial support. Some in Galatia who are “teachers” to be supported.
Romans 12:7 and 1 Cor. 12:28.
“do good to all” was a euphemism for giving alms.

Vs. 7 Reap and sow from 2 Cor. 9:6 also about giving.
Or reverting back to the general principle concerning the flesh with the sins just above… of being trapped.. or prideful, which the flesh is what he next goes into.
Vs. 8 Could be mixing the two of flesh of sinful nature with flesh of circumcision…
To unequivocally denounce both for the Spirit which reaps eternal life.

Vs. 9 “Don’t grow weary… don’t give up.” Don’t quit. Luke 18:1; 2 Cor. 4:1, 16-18.
In due season… Kairos…. Time… the judgment…
Spirit led manifestations of doing good are a must… doing it by Law… are wrong.
5:6… like faith working through love.

Vs. 10 One commentator continues with the entire line of reasoning that this is about financial support… another… that this is doing good… at every opportunity…. Especially to those of the household of faith. Those in Christ. Following the Spirit. Not circumcision.

Vs. 11 Paul takes the pen from his amanuensis and will write the summary and salutation.
He will emphasize his main points.

The large letters…. Are either to emphatically express his thoughts… or due to his possible weak eyesight (2 Cor. 12:7 / Gal. 4:15) or due to being a laborer as a tent maker thus with crude writing abilities.

Vs. 12 A good showing in the flesh… boast… brag… success in religious teaching…. And also so they can avoid the persecution that comes from preaching the cross alone.
The cross of Christ… reminds us that God came and died for us, man is a sinner and needs saving, and that this is the only atonement for our sins.

Vs. 13 But even those that want you to follow the law… and be circumcised… don’t themselves follow the law… Paul knows this… he has tried… they want to boast in their actions… or works… as if this brings justification with God.
They also want to boast in their “conversions”. Something we too have to be careful about. Bragging about the numbers who were born again at our event… without really caring about those who were born again.

Vs. 14 Paul will boast only in the cross. This is the point Paul wants to leave them with. It’s all about this cross. Not just a teaching Messiah… who is incorporated into the Law… but a dying Messiah… and all the implications that flow from that.
The world is crucified to Paul.. and Paul to it.
It’s dead. He’s done trying to please it. He’s done trying to please his flesh. He’s done trying to please the Law. He’s done trying to please the religious.
Phil. 3:3-7 Jew of Jews… what I gained I count it as loss.

Vs. 15 Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts… but a new creation.
Being born again. Saved. Converted. Holy Spirit coming inside of you.

Vs. 16 “Walk”… we are to walk by this rule. The new creation. The Spirit.
Peace and mercy. From trying to find justification from obedience to the Law.
“The Israel of God”. From the context must mean the true believers of God. His true… new people. Phil. 3:3 the true circumcision.
Strong words… Paul calling the Gentiles “the Israel of God”… and the judaizers are not!
Maybe could be saying a quick blessing on literal Israel. But not likely.

Vs. 17 Paul is not pleading to the legalizers… he is pleading that the Church not succumb to this teaching from them and cause him trouble.
He is speaking of the beatings he has received in his service for Christ. He bears the “marks” of Jesus… not boasting in marks of circumcision.

Vs. 18 Paul’s salutation. Paul still calls them brothers.

The Run Down

Read Galatians 5:16-26

Vs. 16. “Walk”….
A common way Paul writes about discipleship… is walking… walk after… walk in… like how a disciple followed and walked after the teacher.

“Spirit” vs “Flesh”.
He will now contrast these two. The Spirit and the Flesh.
This is particularly a Pauline topic. He speaks of it much elsewhere.
The Flesh- Greek – Sarx.
Flesh with its original meaning the actually material flesh… body…
Came to mean and be used frequently by Paul, not that the material is evil…
But that the fallen nature of man… with his earthly sinful desires ….
Come from a more expansive definition of flesh meaning fallen man with desires originating from his sinful condition.
The flesh… is the old nature… the sinful nature….
Without “revelation” from God by His Spirit… the flesh has us trapped and enslaved.

Spirit-Greek-pneuma, early on was wind, air, breath, life.
Later it came to mean the “air” of man… the “air” of life… the spirit God breathed into him. And when death comes the “air”… the “spirit” goes.
Fuller NT Sense.

1 Cor. 2:14. The Spirit of God comes inside us and reveals to us.
Gal. 4:6.
Walking by the Spirit… empowers us to overcome sin.
I like what one author wrote…. We are to “develop a Christian personality.”
The Spirit comes to live within us… and the process is at varying rates…
But our personality is being changed.
Romans 12:2. Be transformed.

Vs. 17.
The “Flesh”: Total Depravity.
The “Spirit”: Total Dependence.
The desires of the flesh are against the Spirit. They are directly opposed to one another.
Now this doesn’t mean… just the material… because God created and called it good.
So it’s not saying… in some way… like some cults… who believe that everything material is bad… and only spiritual is good…
This is saying… the “flesh” with the connotations of the sinful man… original sin… tainting / staining all his choices… without the Spirit… or opposing it… is bad. Evil.
Romans 7:15-25; 8:1-11 Walk, set the mind.
Romans 13:14 Put on.
Eph. 2:1-10, flesh, passions, wrath.
2 Cor. 5:17 New creation.
Gal . 6:15 New creation.
John 3:3 Born again.

Vs. 18 Led by the Spirit.
Paul want to say… that we should live godly lives… but he is not turning back again to the law…. Nor is grace a license to sin which he stated…..
No… we are to obey and follow God by His Spirit… which empowers us.
Hebrews 8:10

Vs. 19-21. Works of the flesh.
Four potential groupings:
1st- 3-sexual.
2nd-2-religious.
3rd- 8-towards others.
4th- 2-alcohol driven.

Sexual immorality- sexual relationships outside of marriage.
Impurity-morally dirty.
Sensuality- (debauchery) open reckless contempt of propriety.

Idolatry- worshipping created things… not the Creator.
Sorcery- use of the powers of evil.

Enmity- divisions between peoples. The opposite of Gal 3:28.
Strife- discord. Not having unity. Causing problems.
Jealousy- from selfishness ambition, prideful intent.
Fits of anger- flying off the handle.
Rivalries- Selfish approach to work.
Dissensions & Divisions- people are divided and feuds flourish.
Envy- word used is always bad, wanting others’ stuff or traits.

Drunkenness-Revelry- alcohol induced and related… with sexual overtones or activity… debauchery.

Those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
So…. You can have different views of salvation if you want.
But let’s just keep it simple… whether one’s saved and can do these and still go to heaven… whether if one does them “repeatedly” it reveals they aren’t saved and aren’t going to heaven… or that they lose their salvation if they do them.

Let’s just realize… that inheriting God’s Kingdom rule… means living under his Rule…. In His Kingdom… these things won’t happen there… so let’s not live in them or practice them.
We have the Kingdom here amongst us now… in the here… but also not yet… in the eschatological sense. It will come in full. Romans 14:17.

Paul’s teaching about Grace… the Spirit… lead to lives not following in these sins.

Vs. 22-23 Now Paul will continue on with the contrast.. of the Flesh vs the Spirit…and will speak of the fruits of the Spirit.

Love- agape. 1 John 4:8. 1 Cor. 13:13.
Joy- Spiritual happiness in Christ not dependent on circumstances.
Peace- with God, with Jew/Gentiles, in mind, relationships, in the Church.
Patience- putting up with others, God was patient with us.
Kindness- gentle goodness,.
Goodness- positive active action toward others.
Faithfulness- trustworthy, reliable.
Gentleness- a person in control, softly kind, never angry at inappropriate time.
Self-control- victory over fleshly desires. Able to walk in the world but to keep self pure.

Against such things there is no law.
Yes! Avoid the flesh… live by the Spirit… not legalism… not license…
This is what God has in mind for us.

Vs. 24 Those who belong to Christ…
Have “actively”… not passively like before.. themselves… Crucified the flesh.

Vs. 25 If you have been brought to life by the Spirit… then Walk by the Spirit.

Vs. 26 Seems a bit stuck in there… but good answer is a reference back to vs. 15 and a particular situation in Galatia that he comes back to to readdress for the members of that Church. Conceited… provoking… envying.

The Run Down

Read Galatians 5:1-15

2012 Specific commitments.
Not talking about your job promotion, investments, cars, houses, etc… just Christian discipleship.
A mission? Quiet times? Ridiculous generosity? Bible Study?
Behavioral change? Fasting? Hospitality? Connect 1 Disconnected?

Vs. 1 Paul has defended his apostleship, the Gospel of Grace, and now is the pivotal point in the letter. How this translates in life.
Not as liberty for a license to sin but as liberty to follow Christ.
If we can find this root of motivation within ourselves… not because we have to for God’s approval… but because we want to because of God’s approval….
It’s a cornerstone in spiritual maturity.

Jews spoke of “taking the yoke of the law on oneself”…. So Paul will speak of that as slavery.

Matt. 11:29, 30. Jesus’ yoke is what?

Vs. 2 The choice is between Christ and no circumcision at all… or circumcision and not Christ at all.
And the “real” issue… is not actually circumcision… it’s the theology of circumcision.
Later he will say neither circumcision nor uncircumcision is of any value.
At another time he actually circumcises Timothy in Acts. 16.
The issue is the way to find approval with God is not through legalism.
1 Cor. 7:17 Circumcised or not, stay in your state.

Vs. 3 Paul is saying.. you can’t pick and choose.. if you take on circumcision, you must observe the entire law. That’s where that leads. Black and white. Let’s be clear. How will you find the Promise of Abraham. He’s already been through this. If you take circumcision… you must find that blessing by obedience to the entire law… and that’s what’s being “snuck” in on you in this teaching.
Legalism. Vs. Grace. This continues to be Paul’s statement.
He personally knows the inability of this. He personally knows the grace of God through Christ Jesus. Don’t mix the 2. That’s can’t be mixed.

Vs. 4 Wow… strong statement… you are severed from Christ… that’s pretty strong language. Where will you find your justification? (Credit of Righteousness). It’s only by what Christ has done. Not by added efforts… even Jewish added efforts. No! If you choose to find justification through the law…. You must accept the burden of its yoke of slavery… and it severs you from the grace of Christ.
“you have fallen away from grace”. The only time Paul writes this phrase.
Diff. people interpret differently.
I think it best to just say it’s part of his diametric argument… of law and grace.
If you choose the law.. .it severs you from Christ…. Which is opposed to Christ.

Vs. 5 Very important phrase. Paul will change to “we”… “we Christians… through the Spirit, by faith, wait… for the hope… of righteousness”…
Wait… not work…
Hope for the not yet realized….
Righteousness that we grow into and will have in fullness at his return.

Vs. 6 “In Christ Jesus” …neither the 2… only faith working through love.
Great Gospel account. 1-In Christ Jesus 2-religiousness doesn’t matter 3-only faith through love.

Vs. 5-6. Faith, Hope, and Love frequent Paul’s thoughts. 1 Cor. 13. Col. 1:4-5. 1 Thess. 1:3.

Vs. 7 Paul like’s using athletic imagery.
1 Cor. 9:24-27, Gal. 2:2, Phil. 3:13-14, 2 Tim. 4:7.
Who set up an obstacle from obeying “good doctrine” with “non legal obedience”?

Vs. 8 vs. 1:6. Him who calls you is God in Christ Jesus
Vs. 9 the leaven spreads throughout the lump. The false teaching can spread throughout them all. Not good.
Vs. 10 Paul is confident and hopeful that they will not accept this errant teaching… and follow his teaching of the Gospel of Grace. Then the one… the ones…. The teaching… will be judged by God.

Vs. 11 Paul is saying… if some are saying he is preaching circumcision… then why am I being persecuted by my Jewish brothers?
No… the offense of the cross… doing away with the Law.. Jesus brining the New Covenant… making the old obsolete… is what has brought Paul into persectution.

Vs. 12 Paul speaks strongly in several senses. These false teachers he wishes would not stop at circumcision but would go ahead.. and castrate themselves he wishes. They couldn’t physically procreate like he wishes to stop the spiritual spreading of their teaching. This was a pagan practice of some cult priests… and would be offensive to Jews in comparison… and also from Deut. 23:1 someone castrated couldn’t enter into the Temple.

Vs. 13 Back to freedom… the theme of the entire letter. This time instead of guarding against falling into the yoke of slavery to the law… he will encourage not to use this freedom to sin…. But to freely choose to serve one another.
True freedom leads us to freedom to obey God… loving Him and people.
Like many who are at deaths door…. Promise if God would save them… let them live … they’d do good with their lives…. Like Ebenezer Scrooge or It’s a Wonderful Life….
It would be odd to have the salvation.. and then live disrespectfully… or unchanged… or for sinful purposes.

Vs. 14 Now Paul will go to the law in a positive manner… correctly summing it up as in Lev. 19:18 and as Jesus in Matt. 22:39.

Paul is transitioning from the argument against the false teachers… about the Gospel vs. the Law…. Freedom… and to ethical living.

Vs. 15 He instructs them after loving each other not to bite and devour and consume one another.

2012 Specific commitments.
Not talking about your job promotion, investments, cars, houses, etc… just Christian discipleship.
A mission? Quiet times? Ridiculous generosity? Bible Study?
Behavioral change? Fasting? Hospitality? Connect 1 Disconnected?

The Run Down

Read Galatians 4:21-31

Core Value:
Making Disciples
How does TMCC do this?
First, What is a Disciple?
Church Attenders // Believers // Disciples
Attend Some
Football Games (husband makes u)
// Believe in Clemson Tigers
// I am a Clemson Tiger

Vs. 21 Curse under the law.

Vs. 22 Back to Abraham, slave/free.
Matt. 3:7-10, John 8:39-47
(Gen. 16:5, 21:2)
Vs. 23 Flesh/Promise – Natural / Miraculous
Romans 9:4-7
(Gen. 17:16-19; 18:10, 14; 21:1,2)
(Heb. 11:11.)

Vs. 24 Interesting Allegorical Interpretation
Allegory: applies meaning to words other than spoken, extended metaphor.
Paul Applies to
Judaism and Christianity
Seems highly
controversial and a flip.
Using Hagar for Jews and Sarah for Christians.
Like Using Stalin for USA and Abraham Lincoln for Russia.
Just odd.
He is making a point.

Temple still standing.
Vs. 24 Abraham, Moses, Mt. Sinai, The Law.

Rom. 9:4 Adoption, covenants.

Vs. 25-27 Isaiah 54:1
Applied to restoration of Israel after Babylonian Captivity in 586BC.
Paul-
Fullness in Christ sons of Abe/Sarah.

Vs. 28 Supernatural birth.
Gal. 3:29

Vs. 29 Gen. 21:8-11
Gal. 5:11
True Christians will be persecuted.
Matt. 5:10-12
Most often by half brothers.

Vs. 30 Gen. 21:10
Jews thought as principled “casting out” of the Gentiles…
Paul turns this on its head.
John 8:35 Who is from Abraham?

Vs. 31 Not of the slave, but of the free.
Gal. 3:29.

A week has passed.
Video Mr. Young’s back yard in snow.
NY pic. We played.
Half year with Tojan.
Z gone .
Lost Boston and Willie in 2011.
Trucking Ended. Daughter turned 9.
…2011 moments.

First, What is a Disciple?
…2012 moments.
Wading…. Swimming….
Low Dive…. High Dive…

2012
Specific commitments.
Not talking about your job promotion, investments, cars, houses, etc… just Christian discipleship.
A mission?
Quiet times?
Ridiculous generosity?
Bible Study?
Behavioral change?
Fasting?
Hospitality?
Connect 1 Disconnected?