|
GALATIANS I. BACKGROUND
1. Author - Paul, the apostle, who had first
preached the gospel to the churches of the Galatian region: Antioch of Pisidia, Iconium, Lystra, Derbe - 1:1; Acts
13:13-14-14:23 2. Date - probably during Paul's 2nd missionary
journey, after he had visited the churches a 2nd time: Acts 16:1-6. A.D. 50-55 3. Setting - Following Paul's departure some
people came to the churches perverting the gospel of Christ and telling the Christians they needed to be
circumcised, and teaching them that they could be justified only through keeping the law of Moses
and following Jesus. 1:6-8:
6:14; 3:2; 4:21; 5:7-12 Paul's
apostleship was being questioned also. II. PURPOSE OF THE BOOK
1. Key Verses:
2:15-21; 5:2-6 2. Purpose - To show a system of trying to be justified
through what the flesh could accomplish by keeping laws Could Never replace the good news of what God
had accomplished through the cross of Christ for all believers. God's grace
causes freedom, while this teaching of
law-keeping caused bondage again. 1) A life of
law-keeping was contrary to the gospel of Christ: 1:6-10; 2:2;
3:21-22; 5:1-12; 6:12-16 2) Remain in your freedom in Christ and stay
away from the bondage of law-keeping:
5:1 3) God had always justified people through
faith, not through law-keeping:
2:15-16; 3:6-4:7; 4:21-31 4) The law had a different purpose than justification;
it was to bring us to Christ:
3:19-25; 4:1-7 5) The one law of the new covenant is
identified: 5:13-14 6) Freedom has definite boundaries, the
boundaries of love: 5:13-6:10 III. APPLICATION
- LESSONS
1. There will always be struggles between those who
are Free and those who are in Bondage:
4:21-31 (especially v.29) 1) Free - those who are confident in what God
has done through Jesus on the cross and in His resurrection, thus creating their relationship with
God 2) Bondage - those who see their own abilities
to perform (or keeping law pefectly) as a means of causing God to reward them, thus their
dependence on self. 2. What system is blessed and what system is
anathema (accursed)? 1) Blessed - The system of justification that
depends on God's work through Jesus Christ, which creates freedom in Christ by individual faith
working through love: 5:5-6; 2:16-20 2) Accursed - The system of justification that
depends on one's self to keep a set of requirements (laws), which creates bondage because no one can
be perfect: 1:6-9; 3:10-14;
4:30 3. Freedom in Christ is accomplished by: 1) Serving others in doing good: 5:13-14;
5:22-6:10 2) Being imitators of Jesus, obedient to His
nature and to His spirit: 5:16-18,
24-25 3) NOT BY satisfying our own desires:
5:16-21 4) NOT BY judging others by trying to make sure
they keep the law perfectly:
5:15; 4:29 GALATIANS
QUESTIONS
1. Anyone who preaches a perverted gospel is to
be considered _______________________.(Galatians 1:6-10) 2. According to the letter to Galatia, what
perverted gospel was being preached there? 3. Can the keeping of any kind of law justify
us? (Galatians 3:11) 4. Is it possible to preach Jesus and the cross,
and also preach justification by law? 5. "For _________________ did Christ set
you free." (Galatians 5:1) 6. "For the whole law is fulfilled in one
word, even in this:____________________________________." (Galatians 5:14) 7. If we are belonging to Christ, by whose
spirit do we live? 8. Put each word in its correct category: Faith Law 1) Freedom ___________ __________ 2) Bondage ___________ __________ 3) Accursed _________ __________ 4) Flesh ___________ __________ 5) Spirit ___________ __________ 6) Grace ___________ __________ |