It was in AD 47 that the Church at Antioch in Syria was moved to send Paul and Barnabas on what became known as Paul’s first missionary journey (AD 47 – AD 49). That journey took Paul to the Roman Province of Galatia which was in the central area of the modern state of Turkey. Within this Province Paul worked in the southern part, in the regions of Pisidia and Lycaonia.
Paul’s experiences in these regions are described in Acts chapters 13 and 14. Whilst persistent effort led to many converts in Antioch in Pisidia, Iconium, Lystra, and Derbe, fierce opposition also arose. He left the area in AD 48.
Thus, the new believers were facing hostility and persecution. However, another problem was about to hit them.
Acts 15: 1
“And certain men came down from Judea and taught the brethren. ”Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.”
Thus, Paul was moved to write to the new believers in the churches in southern Galatia so soon after he had departed the area. No doubt, Paul’s contacts in the area had informed him of these difficulties. They were under considerable local pressure and in danger of being drawn into false doctrine. Paul wrote the letter from Pamphylia which was south of Galatia towards the Mediterranean.
Thus, we see the principal themes of Paul’s letter to the Galatians intended to offer support to the new believers in their troubles and to guard against false doctrine: – the inability of the law to justify; the believers’ deadness to the law; the believers’ crucifixion with the Lord Yeshua; Abraham’s justification by faith; that the law brings not salvation but God’s wrath; that the just shall live by faith; the universality of sin; that believers are spiritually baptised into the Lord Yeshua; that believers are adopted as God’s spiritual children; that love fulfils the law; the importance of walking in the Spirit; the warfare of the flesh against the Spirit; and the importance of believers bearing one another’s burdens.
Thus, we see that the dangers Paul saw the Galatians facing, produced a letter which we can enjoy as full of spiritual truth. Paul sought to answer the Judaizers who were preaching a mixed gospel of genuine faith with the keeping of the law, a mix of grace and law, a mix of the law of Yeshua with the law of Moses.
Paul commences the letter by boldly asserting his apostolic authority. His calling as an apostle was divine “through Jesus Christ and God the Father”. We should note here that Paul immediately links the Lord Yeshua with Jehovah, emphasising the deity of the Lord Yeshua. And what is the relationship between the Father and the Son? The Father “raised Him from the dead”. Paul is implying that the great power for believers has come through the Lord’s death and resurrection.
In verse 3, Paul wishes the Galatians “grace” and “peace”. “Grace” is God’s kindness towards us, and “peace” is the result of that grace.
But these blessings have only come, and can only come, through trusting in the Lord Yeshua. Our salvation came at a great cost; the Lord “gave himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil age” Knowing that the penalty for our sin has been paid, that all sins of those who believe have been forgiven, and we have salvation (we will never be condemned), we are not only blessed with peace with God but with the peace of God.
Thus, Paul’s frustration that the Galatians were listening to false teacher.
“I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him, who called you in the grace of Christ to a different gospel …”
In chapter 2 Paul outlines the inability of the law to justify and the believers’ crucifixion with the Lord Yeshua.
Galatians 2: 16, 19 – 21.
“… knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified…
For I through the law died to the law that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life that I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain.”
“Justification” is being declared innocent and pardoned. This can only come through faith in the Lord Yeshua. No person can be declared righteous by obedience to the law (even if anyone could be without transgression). There is no validity in the notion that good deeds can play any role in salvation. What the law (including the Commandments) can do is to make us aware of our sinful nature, it cannot redeem us from sins. Only the Lord Yeshua can do that.
Paul and all believers were “crucified with Christ” to die to sin, die to the law and die to the present evil age.
Of course, when Paul says we were crucified with The Lord, he does not mean that we ceased to live as a personality or as an individual. Whilst believers continue to live physical lives, the Lord Yeshua also lives within us spiritually.
When a person trusts in Him for salvation, that person participates with the Lord in His crucifixion and His victory over sin and death.
The Lord Yeshua’s resurrection power, through the Holy Spirit is working through the believer who has chosen to live by faith in the Son of God.
Of course, the Lord did not die for us so that we could go on living according to our sinful nature. He died for us that we might be able to live His life in us; a life in the same human body but now lived through reliance and dependence on Him. This holy life is made possible by trusting in the Lord.
Let us now turn to the delightful part of Paul’s letter where he shows believers to be adopted as God’s spiritual children.
Galatians 4: 4 – 7.
“But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out “Abba Father!” Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.”
The term “the fulness of time” simply means the time which God appointed for Messiah’s first coming. He was “born of a woman” indicating His humanity; the ultimate “seed” of the woman and born a Jew.
Unregenerated people are children of the devil. Before God could bring us into the wonderful position of sonship, the price of sin had to be paid. Because the Lord Yeshua was a man, He could pay the price for humanity.
The only way to become God’s children is through spiritual adoption. It is the Holy Spirit’s work to confirm to believers their adoption as God’s children. Believers can know intimacy with the Father because of the indwelling Spirit. Sonship leads to nearness to God and fellowship with Him, and it creates in us trust, reverence and obedience. The believer is transformed from a spiritual slave to being a son with full rights: our inheritance is eternal life with our Lord.
Having dealt with the curse of legalism and the blessing of the freedom of faith in the Lord Yeshua, Paul turns to the importance of walking the Spirit and the warfare of the flesh against the Spirit.
Galatians 5: 16 – 18.
“I say then: “Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.”
The term “walk” here implies our whole being, in continuous action making progress. Through our walk in the Spirit, we are becoming more and more corresponding to where the Spirit leads i.e., towards a Christlike nature.
The term “flesh” here does not simply mean the physical body but also the mind, the will and the emotions; indeed, our general unredeemed humanness.
To “walk in the Spirit” means to allow Him to have His way in our lives, to remain in communion with Him and to be consumed with the Lord Yeshua. The potential of the “flesh” energised by Satan in our lives should not be underestimated. The inner conflict, described by Paul, between the flesh and the Spirit is very real. The desires of the flesh are at odds with what the Holy Spirit desires for us i.e., to be free from sin.
The only way to overcome the desires of our human nature is to live step-by-step in the power of the Holy Spirit, working through our spirit. In this way we can achieve victory over our sinful nature.
What Paul explained here to the Galatians is universal and on-going and thus relevant to us in the here-and-now.
Paul also provides the Galatians with practical exhortations to ensure the unity in the Spirit, and particularly the importance of believers bearing one another’s burdens.
Galatians 6: 1 – 4.
“Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ. For if anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. But let each one examine his own work, and then he will have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another.”
In the previous chapter Paul had warned against personal attitudes which weaken or threaten a fellowship; conceit, provocation and envy. Here he shows how, avoiding such perverse attitudes, should work within a fellowship to deal with a member who has slipped into sin.
Paul is talking about a believer “overtaken in any trespass”. This suggests someone who has erred by committing sin perhaps at a time when they were vulnerable (Job could so easily have sinned amid his terrible troubles). Paul’s advice is to approach such a person with gentleness; a genuine believer will be distressed when his error is pointed out gently (consider David’s response to Nathan when his serious misconduct over Bethsheba was pointed out to him).
The person seeking to approach the believer who has sinned, must not do so with a boastful attitude. To do so may make them feel good but it will not restore the sinner from their burden of his sin. The approach should be governed by the law of Christ “to love one’s neighbour as oneself”. Anyone who concludes that he is something special in approaching a fellow saint is short-sighted; comparing himself to those who have erred, deceives himself. We should consistently examine ourselves, instead of judging others. If we do that, we might have cause for genuine joy.
Conclusion.
So, Paul’s letter to the Galatian churches was prompted by the need to aid new believers to deal with false teaching and persecution, which was threatening the work he had done so recently among them.
But as he elaborated key aspects of our faith and corrected false doctrine for the believer in Galatia, he has, through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, provided for us superb doctrinal teaching in the areas of gospel truth, justification by faith in the Lord Yeshua alone, our adoption as children of God through our faith in the Lord Yeshua, the power of the Holy Spirit in our battle with the flesh, our freedom in the Spirit, and in the law of our Saviour in practical actions.
The troubles which faced the new believers in Galatia all these years ago, have provided, through Paul’s letter of AD 48, for us, a great boon of “good news”.
These notes have only covered part of the superb teaching of this letter. I commend to you the pursuit of further detailed study.
Amen.