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?