01.17.2010 Galatians Intro and Ch. 1

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We are beginning the Book of Galatians – we are doing this series with some others in the Akron area – I’m going to ask for some patience – doing an overview first – it is important that we capture the big picture and then focus on the practical things that affect our personal lives.
Thank You, Lord, for this family – to bear one another’s burdens. Thank You for the time to worship – Jesus paid it all – and we owe You all – all that we are and have. We would have nothing and be nothing without You. As we look through Galatians, help us to move through some of the deeper things and also the practical realities of how Your love works in our lives. Give light to Your word that we might hear from You – we are Your humble servants.

The Book of Galatians was written to a specific people – but it does have theological and practical implications for us today. Paul wrote this to the people of Galatia – part of Turkey today – and it is a different book than any of the others. In Paul’s letters, he shows a deep concern for the church.

Gal. 1: 6 I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel;
What a way to just jump into it! Shocked! Appalled at what has taken place in your church! What concerns him so much – he is saying they have left Jesus – as deserters – like AWOL – deserting an army. They have left Jesus – and it is important to understand, these are Christians – true believers who have left Jesus! They believed they were ‘completing their faith.’
; 7 which is [really] not another; only there are some who are disturbing you, and want to distort the gospel of Christ
Some Jewish Christians from Jerusalem had come in and were preaching things contrary to the Gospel of Christ – contrary to the truth – and in believing this, they had left Jesus.
I’d like to give you an overview –
Paul tells the story of his own life – and then – he goes back to Jerusalem to make sure he is preaching the right thing.
Gal. 2:3 But not even Titus who was with me, though he was a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised.
Paul gives a hint as to what this false gospel was – “In order to be a true Christian, you must follow the Mosaic Law – you must be circumcised.” – It is like they were saying, “Jesus is great and we’re glad you found him – but now you must complete your faith and follow the Law.”
Gal. 2: 4 But [it was] because of the false brethren who had sneaked in to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, in order to bring us into bondage.

These two words come up a lot: Freedom and Bondage
5 But we did not yield in subjection to them for even an hour, so that the truth of the gospel might remain with you.
He is saying – if you give in, and ADD to Jesus any part of the Law – you no longer hold to a true gospel. Then later in Chapter 2, he tells the story of Peter – in Jerusalem there were a lot of Jews and Gentiles fellowshipping together – but then the Judaizers came in and said that they had to be separate when they eat.
Paul writes: Gal. 2: 14 But when I saw that they were not straightforward about the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas in the presence of all, "If you, being a Jew, live like the Gentiles and not like the Jews, how [is it that] you compel the Gentiles to live like Jews?
Galatians will stress theological and social issues – and the implications of the gospel on everyone.
Gal. 3:1 You foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed [as] crucified? 2 This is the only thing I want to find out from you: did you receive the Spirit by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith?
3 Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?
He introduces the Spirit into this story – he is talking about bondage and freedom – The Law and Christ – and to live in Freedom – you have to live in the Spirit.
Galatians 5:1 It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.
This is what the book is about – Freedom – and we will look at this – you are either choosing freedom or bondage, Christ or the Law – you cannot mix it – even a little bit. If you mix a little of the law in – you have chosen bondage – slavery – and you have rejected Christ in doing that.
He continues in 5
13 For you were called to freedom, brethren; only [do] not [turn] your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.
Free to walk in the spirit instead of sin and evil
Chapter 6 – free to live in community and family.
Then he closes off in
6: 14 But may it never be that I should boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. 15 For neither is circumcision anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation.
Paul is saying – the battle for our freedom was won on the cross. It is like the Gettysburg or Normandy of our Christian faith.
Questions to think about:
What was the false gospel – and what is it now?
For them – it was adding in the law.
For us – circumcision is not really the spiritual event it was then.
Freedom – how is it different from our American view of freedom?
Bondage to the Law – then and now
Life in the Spirit – what is it
That should give you an idea of where we are going over the next several weeks.
Galatians 1:
Gala 1:1 Paul, an apostle (not [sent] from men, nor through the agency of man, but through Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised Him from the dead),
Paul has to defend his apostleship. The Judaizers had come in and told the Gentiles that they needed to become Jews. They also said – Who is this Paul guy? He is not from Jerusalem – not even from Israel – born in Tarsus – He never met Jesus – WHO IS HE? He is not one of us.
Look, Paul says – I was appointed by God. Then he defends his gospel:
Galatians 1:3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ, 4 who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us out of this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, 5 to whom [be] the glory forevermore. Amen.
So what he does – right off the bat – he presents this message and we see the simplicity – simple enough that the simplest mind can understand it. But in it, there is so much complexity that you could study it all your life and never mine its depth.
There is a problem – sin – that is the problem – man’s problem is sin. It is not the economy – I won’t continue the phrase – it is not terrorism – yes, those things are bad, but the core of it is SIN. Men are sinners. It must be a part of our gospel.
Then there is a solution – Christ’s sacrifice – He gave Himself for our sin. People are sinners – Christ died for our sin. That is the message. It seems so simple, we want to add some other thing in there! We try to make it more attractive – in our own ways.
There is a result – He rescues us from this evil age. It is not talking about ‘the sin out there’ – He takes us from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of light. From this age to something totally different – a life with Christ.
All of this has happened because it was God’s plan from the beginning. He looked at each of us – and planned to have you as a part of His family – Eons ago – before time – before Genesis 1:1 – before that – He planned to have you as a part of His family for all of eternity –
And all this has unfolded to bring about His plan – that He might have this enormous family in heaven.
Galatians 1: 6 I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel; 7 which is [really] not another; only there are some who are disturbing you, and want to distort the gospel of Christ.
Again, the others were saying you need Moses – Leviticus, Deuteronomy, Exodus – But Paul is saying – if you add this law, you have deserted Jesus. It is Subtraction by Addition. By adding something to God’s grace – you forfeit Jesus. For us, it is not circumcision – but we add things, don’t we? Political conservatism, the Bible one uses, - Paul Sartarelli said – Anytime you say, yes, you can believe in Jesus, but to be a really good Christian, you need to do THIS – then you are a spiritual fascist. You cannot add and keep Christ. We will always be tempted to give in a bit. There is a lot of pressure to add to this message. He says…
6 I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace
We will look at this concept of grace – this religious word, grace – unmerited favor – but a lot of these were living in this Roman-Greco world – different from us and yet at times similar. There were a few who were wealthy – and there were very few who were middle class – but the overwhelming majority was the working poor. There were times when they could not make it – could not get by. What would happen – the wealthy people – culture was set up in such a way…
Jesus said, in the Gentile world, there are benefactors – one who would see someone in need and offer to help them – as a result – the patron would help the needy client – maybe paying for schooling or helping the children learn a trade – this was a way of expressing grace – that is the word they would use. It was an expression of GRACE. The job of the one receiving grace was to offer grace back – to show gratitude – for the benefactor. What they would do – when they received – they would call out – I do not deserve this and I could never repay – you have been so generous and kind to me!
If I were Moneybags Marette – and offered to pay for Alan and Annette’s house – (it would really be the other way around) – and if I would leave for work – he might call out – O great Marette – Your generosity is unmatched – and he would follow him and offer devotion. To have a lack of gratitude was one of the greatest sins he could commit. To not be grateful to the benefactor! Paul was saying that Jesus died for the Galatians – they were in need – and instead of showing gratitude – they were deserting him.
There was another person involved – the Broker – a mediator between the rich and the poor – the Benefactor and the client. The broker would risk his reputation on that poor person – trusting that that poor person would show the gratitude as he gets the grace and hands it down – that the grace would be returned.
That is our gospel isn’t it – we are the poor – the helpless – we cannot make it on our own. And then there is GOD – and sin has caused such a gap between the two that a mediator had to come to represent us – Jesus.
Look at
2 Cor. 8: 9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.
You see – God’s plan is a little different from the Greco-Roman world. The benefactors in that world gave a little of their money in order that they might be lifted up – but for us, Jesus was the wealthiest and became the poorest to lift us up – He gave up everything that we might have everything. I don’t think we really understand that.
Bill Gates has a wonderful foundation – but imagine him giving EVERYTHING – and then going and living in the slums of Haiti and spending his life there as one of them that they might have his wealth and not him. And then – it is this God that the Galatians – this Jesus – that they are deserting because they want to add something of their own thinking and doing to that message.