The
book of Galatians was written by Paul, although the exact date is unknown, it
was probably around 49 - 52 AD. It was not written to a specific church but to
a group of churches in the area of Asia Minor,
known as Galatia
- which is present day Turkey. It is believed to be originally settled by
the Gauls, of European origin, who settled in the area and were later conquered
by Rome and
thereby became a Roman providence. The Galatians were a mixture of pagan Gentiles with some Jewish
inhabitants. As a group they were known
to be fickle, impetuous, and loved new and curious things.
The
main subject of the letter was Paul refuting the false teaching of the
Judiazers who had apparently infiltrated the churches and were perverting the
gospel by compelling the Christian believers to follow or otherwise put
themselves under the yoke of Judaism as proof of their religious standing. The
first two chapters deal mostly with Paul’s personal experiences and background. Chapters 3 and 4 are his doctrinal statements
regarding grace and it’s sufficiency for salvation. Paul uses the word grace
100 times in his writings. Among all the other writers of the New Testament,
the word "grace" is only used 55 times. Paul was truly the apostle of
grace. The final chapters describe how
grace is applied and what it looks like in the life of a believer.
Initially
Paul summarizes his personal testimony and the reasons why he speaks with
authority. Paul was a Pharisee of Pharisees
and was steeped in the rituals and practices of Judaism but after his personal
encounter with, and acceptance of, the risen Christ he became a leading
proponent of the gospel of grace; that in Christ all had been accomplished that
was needed for salvation. Anything added
on to this gospel was a perversion and
those preaching such a gospel should be “eternally condemned”. He
recalls his time alone in Arabia after his
conversion, his trip to Jerusalem
and his meeting with Peter and James, how he was known among the churches in Syria
and Cilicia as “the one who had formerly
persecuted the church was now preaching the faith he once tried to
destroy.” He speaks of attending the
council in Jerusalem,
and how the pillars of the church, Peter, James and John, “recognized the grace
given to him” as being the same as they had received. He speaks of his encounter with Peter in Antioch and how he rebuked
Peter for his hypocritical behavior regarding certain men who had “come from
James”. Peter had not deliberately
departed from right doctrine: he had simply deviated from it in practice. Paul lays out why his testimony is true and that
his authority as an apostle, one set apart, is legitimate.
We know that a man is
not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. 2:15
I have been crucified
with Christ and I no longer live but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith
in the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me. 2:20
He
then begins his discourse on the liberty we have in Christ and how it differs
from the bondage of those under the law. Through faith in Christ we are no
longer prisoners to the law of sin and death.
He points out that “we Jews” know that no one is justified - made right
with God - by observing the law but by faith in Christ alone. He cites several Old Testament references as
evidence that this has always been God’s intention. For the law was unable to impart life, but
Christ, through His death on the cross, gave new life to us. The law brings
death and so we have died to the law.
The cross brings life, which we now live by faith in Jesus. He speaks of the Spirit’s role in this new
process of sanctification - whereby we are being conformed into the image of
Christ - and how He is received by faith, not through observing some ritual,
following some rule or adhering to some regulation.
But the Scripture
declares that the whole world is a prisoner of sin, so that what was promised,
being given through faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe.
3:22
Because you are sons,
God sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out Abba,
Father. So you are no longer a slave,
but a son and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir. 4:6-7
He
brings up Abraham and the covenant of faith, which preceded the
giving of the law and was given as a promise from God to those who were of the
family of faith, the true descendants of Abraham; Christ (the Seed) being the fulfillment
of the promise. (Promise: the Greek word kecharistai which is based on
the Greek word charis - grace. God's giving to Abraham was the free
giving of grace. The word is also in the perfect tense, showing that the gift
is permanent.) The law was added
some 430 years later so that we would become aware of our sin - as a doctor who
tells us we are sick and therefore in need of healing but the law was never
intended as a means of salvation - but only to reveal our need for a Savior,
for we can not save ourselves. The
problem was not a defect in the law but a defect in the people. The Judiazers
saw the law as a remedy for sin - rather than a revealer of sin.
But to go back under the law would be like someone who is on a kidney
machine. Once he receives a new kidney,
the machine is no longer necessary and to go back on the machine would in fact
stop the new kidney from functioning.
We
have been made sons of God through faith in Jesus and what He accomplished. We
are no longer “debtors” but heirs of the promise. There is no distinction in the household of
God - Jew or Gentile, slave or free, etc. - the playing field has been leveled
and we are all on equal footing. We are
no longer slaves to the basic principles of this world - as one commentator put
it, it’s no longer a “cause and effect” relationship. We are now subject to and
under grace. We now rely upon, trust in
and cling to the work of Christ Jesus, and because of Him we now have the right
and privilege to call upon the One who called all things into being and to call
Him Abba.
Paul
again points out the discrepancies between grace that comes through faith and
the bondage of being under the law and the works of our own efforts. He uses the analogy of Sarah, the free woman
and Hagar, the bond woman. Through Sarah the son of promise is born, while
Hagar's son comes about through human effort.
The contrast between the two shows how reliance upon God rather than
reliance upon our own ingenuity and self-effort is what is pleasing and
acceptable to God.
It
is for freedom that Christ has set us free.
5:1
For in Christ Jesus
neither circumcision nor un-circumcision has any value. The only thing that
counts is faith expressing itself though love. 5:6
This
liberty we now have is not of the flesh - to do what ever we want - but the
freedom to love God and serve one another in love. He goes on to describe the works of the flesh
versus the fruit of the Spirit. As one commentator put it:
“The works of the flesh
and the fruit of love are not two different optional ways to live in freedom.
When you live according to the flesh, you are in slavery. But when you serve
each other in love, you are in freedom. Why? Because love is motivated
by the joy of sharing our fullness, but the works of the flesh
are motivated by the desire to fill our emptiness.” J.Piper
So I say, live by the
Spirit and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. 5:16
This
is a promise; that when we are lead by and abide in the Spirit, rather than
following in our own strength - we will live a life that is honoring to God and
He will produce the fruit. We can’t make
ourselves “new creations”. God does that
for us, it is something He does in us, not something we do for Him.
The
final chapter is a description of what this new life in the Spirit will look
like.
To
bear one another’s burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ. 6:2
As
Christians, our lives are going to reflect the practices, principles and
perspectives of Jesus. We will be sensitive to His promptings in our lives and
rather than competing with one another we will strive to complete one
another. Our motives will come from our
desire to please Him and a surrendering to His Spirit in us. Our hearts will long to show our love for Him
- not as payback - but from the joy of knowing that we belong to Him and from
the desire to be instruments of His grace and love to those whom He brings into
our lives.
