The Book of Galatians
The traditional view (probably still held by the majority) is that the book of Galatians was written to the “territory” of Galatia settled by the Gauls around 3rd century B.C. which was incorporated into a Roman province in 25 B.C. This territory includes those to the south as well, i.e. Pisidia, Lycaonia and Pamphylia etc. The Apostle Paul probably visited there on his way to Europe during his 2nd missionary tour (source: Gordon Fee’s lecture notes).
However, during Paul’s absence, “trouble-makers” and “agitators” came from Palestine, entered into the church, and claimed that Gentile believers could not be true Christians without observing circumcision. They also challenged Paul’s apostleship apparently because he was not one of the twelve original apostles (and because he did not meet the criteria set by the Apostle Peter, Acts 1:21-22). Presumably, the naïve Galatian Christians accepted such arguments and teachings.
Paul was compelled to write to prove his apostleship (1:1–2:14), to emphasize that justification is purely through faith in Christ alone rather than by the works of the Law of Moses (2:15-5:15), and to point out that the key to a godly life is still through the Spirit, not the Law of Moses.
The Defense of His Apostleship (I)
(1) Greetings (vv. 1-5)
a. How does Paul defend his apostleship even as he opens his letter? (v. 1; see Acts 9 especially vv. 15-16)
b. As he sends his presumably standard greeting, how does Paul remind them of the following things?
- The time (or age) they are in.
- The way in which they have been saved.
(2) Only one gospel (vv. 6-9)
a. What is Paul astonished about? (v. 6)
b. Why does the turning to a different gospel amount to “deserting the one who called” them by the grace of Christ? Who is this “one”?
c. Twice Paul curses those who preach a different gospel:
- Is he being too harsh? Why or why not?
- To you, what are the basic doctrines of the gospel the deviation from which constitutes a “different gospel”? (You might wish to consult the Apostles’ Creed.)
(3) Direct revelation from Christ (vv. 10-24)
a. What is his motive in proving his apostleship (v. 10)
b. In proving that his gospel message is a direct revelation from Christ, Paul reiterates his journey of being called into ministry:
- What marked his life before his conversion? (vv. 13-14)
- What does Dr. Luke tell us about the immediate post-conversion period of Paul? (Acts 9:20-25)
- How does Paul fill in the gap between Acts 9:25 and 9:26 here? (vv. 15-18)
- What happened after his first short trip to Jerusalem? (vv. 19-24)
- How is it consistent with the accounts in Acts 9:26-30?
- What is the point that Paul tries to make? (1:11-12)
- Why is it so important to him?
(4) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
“I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ.” (Gal. 1:12)
As a young Christian, I was deeply troubled by the Paul that I read of in the Acts of the Apostles and in some of his arguments favoring his apostleship. I thought that he was arrogant and that he placed himself above all other apostles. It was not until I had the opportunity of reading all of his epistles, of all his sufferings for Christ, and of his tears of love for his own race and other believers, that I came to not only accept him but respect him.
I have also come to see how he was put between a rock and a hard place basically by the words of Peter.
Before Pentecost, Peter and the other apostles somehow felt the need to fill Judas’ place based on the prophecy in Psalm 69:25 (Acts 1:20). Peter’s understanding was certainly correct, except that he took on the task of filling Judas’ vacancy himself with the others, and laid down the following criteria:
“Therefore it is necessary to choose one of the men who have been with us the whole time the Lord Jesus was living among us, beginning from John’s baptism to the time when Jesus was taken up from us. For one of these must become a witness with us of His resurrection.” (Acts 1:21-22)
Unfortunately, Paul did not meet any of the above criteria. And thus he basically spent a good part of his ministry defending his apostleship as one “sent not from men or by man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised Him from the dead”. (Gal. 1:1)
It is an important reminder to us that sometimes our noble and spiritual notions might actually hurt the cause of God’s Kingdom if done presumptuously.
The Defense of His Apostleship (II)
(1) The Jerusalem Council (vv. 1-10)
a. Why did Paul go the Jerusalem? (vv. 1-3)
b. What actually led to this revelation to go to Jerusalem? (Acts 15:1-2)
c. What was the specific challenge brought up at the meeting? (Acts 15:5)
d. How did Paul interpret their challenge? (vv. 4-5)
e. Who spoke up at the meeting besides Paul and Barnabas? (Acts 15:7, 13)
f. Who eventually made the decision on the matter? (Acts 15:22)
g. How did Paul view their authority (vv. 2:6, 9)
h. What was different about their ministry to that of Paul? (vv. 7-9)
i. What was still common about their ministries? (v. 8)
j. How did these pillars in Jerusalem affirm Paul’s apostleship? (v. 9; Acts 15:25-26)
k. What was the resolution at the Jerusalem Council? (Acts 15:28-29)
l. What was Paul’s version of the resolution? (v. 10)
m. What do you think of how Paul had taken the Council’s decision?
(2) Peter’s visit to Antioch (vv. 11-16)
a. Since Peter was “an apostle to the Jews” (v. 8), what might be his reason for visiting Paul and Barnabas in Antioch?
b. Peter did eat with the Gentiles at the beginning. What does this show about Peter’s view of Gentile believers?
c. Upon seeing “certain men from James (the leader of the Jerusalem church)” Peter began to withdraw from the table of the Gentiles: Why?
d. What impact did his action have on others? (v. 13)
e. How did Paul choose to confront Peter? Should he have done that? Why or why not?
f. In what way did Peter “live like a Gentile”? (Note that “Gentiles” in the mind of pious Jews are synonymous with “sinners”.)
g. How has Peter’s action (apart from his hypocrisy) violated the message of the gospel? (vv. 15-16)
(3) Dying to sin with Christ (vv. 17-21)
a. Why is Peter’s action not compatible with having been justified in Christ? (vv. 17-18)
b. What is the relationship between having “died to the Law” (v. 19) and having been “crucified with Christ” (v. 20)
c. For whom do we now live and how? (vv. 20-21)
d. What might be the motivation for Paul to live for Christ? (v. 20b)
e. How has Peter’s action nullified Christ’s work of atonement? (v. 21)
(4) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
“If I rebuild what I destroyed, then I really would be a lawbreaker. For through the law I died to the law so that I might live for God.” (Gal. 2:18-19)
On the surface, Paul’s direct and open confrontation against Peter seemed a bit harsh, after all Peter was basically the “chief apostle” at the time. But it was exactly because of who Peter was that Paul had no choice but to confront him in the open. In fact, Peter’s action had already influenced Barnabas to follow his hypocrisy.
However, it is more than hypocrisy that is at stake, it is the whole gospel, “for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing” (2:21).
Paul, in particular, had been imprisoned by the Law of Moses for the longest time, thinking that righteousness could only be gained by strict observance of the law. As Christ revealed Himself to him directly (1:12, 16), and as he learned that the only way to salvation is “not by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ” (2:16), he has gained complete freedom in Christ from the law. Why would a prisoner who has been freed seek to go back to his prison?
Therefore, as Peter sought to comply with Jewish traditions in not associating with Gentiles, Paul would not have any of this nonsense and “opposed him to this face” (2:11). But Paul’s complete forsaking of the law is more than theological. It is true that his strong theological message can be coined as “Grace + anything cancels out Grace!” (Fee), but his motive for living out a crucified life with Christ is because “He loved me and gave Himself for me” (2:20).
Are you living out a crucified life with Christ? What is your motive?
After His defense of his apostleship, Paul now confronts the Galatians about their continuous reliance on the Law of Moses
3:1-5—The Work of the Holy Spirit
(1) 3:4 alludes to the suffering of the Galatian believers: For what have the first-century believers suffered?
(2) By what did they receive the Holy Spirit in the first place?
(3) What is the goal of believers after conversion?
(4) How should we achieve our goal (of sanctification)?
a. By our own effort? or
b. By the Holy Spirit?
(5) Is Paul justified in calling the Galatians fools? Why or why not?
3:6-9—The Example of Abraham’s Faith
(6) When did God credit Abraham with righteousness? (v. 6: Gen. 16:1-6)
(7) When did Abraham and his family observe circumcision? (see Gen. 17:9ff)
(8) What does the implication of this promise “All nations will be blessed through you (Abraham)” have to do with the justification of the Gentiles? (Gen. 12:3; 18:18; 22:18)
(9) How do Gentiles become the children of Abraham? (vv. 7, 9)
3:10-14—The Law Cannot Justify
(10) Since the Law of Moses does say that “The man who does these things (i.e. the Law) will live by them” (v. 12; Lev. 18:5), why then does Paul say that “all who rely on observing the law are under a curse”? (v. 10; Deut. 27:26; Jas. 2:10)
(11) How did Christ take the curse of law from us? (v. 13; Deut. 21:23)
(12) How can we receive His redemption and the promised Holy Spirit? (vv. 11b, 14b; Hab. 2:4)
3:15-25—The Covenant and the Law (Note that the following discussion by Paul is based on God’s promise to Abraham and his “seed” in Gen. 12:7; 13:15; 24:7.)
(13) Why does Paul have to point out that the promises were spoken to Abraham’s seed ("seed" is singular)? (v. 16)
(14) When was the Law of Moses introduced? (v. 17)
(15) If a human covenant cannot be set aside (v. 15), can the Law set aside God’s covenant?
(16) The purpose of the Law of Moses (vv. 19-25)
a. Why was the Law “added”? (v. 19)
b. Before the coming of the seed, what was the condition of the whole world (including us)? (vv. 22, 23)
c. Now that the seed, Christ, has come, what has happened to the promise? (vv. 22b, 25)
d. What, therefore, is the function of the law? (vv. 24, 25: Note the original Greek words in both verses are that of guardianship of a child.)
e. In what way is Christ the “mediator” of the Law? (v. 20)
3:26-29—More than Abraham’s Children
(17) Why are we who believe “sons of God”? (vv. 26-27)
(18) Why is there no more difference between Jews and Gentiles in Christ? (vv. 28-29)
(19) What is the message to you today? How may you apply it to your life?
“Are you so foolish? After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh?” (Gal. 3:3)
I believe most Christians understand that salvation is certainly by grace through faith alone as Paul makes it plain in Ephesians 2:8-9: “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.”
However, when it comes to the journey of faith after conversion, i.e. the pursuit of sanctification, many Christians are still trying to achieve this goal by their own effort. I was like this for a long period of time after my conversion. I was trying to use the discipline of daily devotion, continual painful struggles with sins, especially lusts, and all kinds of abstinence to achieve sanctification. These efforts, in themselves, are in fact good and helpful, but since I was trying hard by my own effort, I had become miserable and depressed and I felt more like a loser not a conqueror most of the time. Gradually, God showed me these things:
Daily devotion or any kind of prayer and meditative discipline is never a means to sanctification. It is meant to draw us close to the Lord and cultivate our love relationship with Him. We draw close to Him daily; we are willing to spend hours in solitude for the sake of loving Him, not for attaining any spiritual status or benefits.
Our struggle with sin is a reflection of our life in the Spirit. As we walk in the light of the Spirit who dwells within us, we cannot help but be shown all kinds of darkness and sins in our life. The lack of peace that comes from grieving the Spirit will compel us to come before Christ to confess and receive complete forgiveness over and over again (1 Jn. 1:9). But, the overcoming of such sins is still by the power of the Spirit and not by our own effort. The overcoming power of the Spirit will come as we are gradually transformed more and more into Christ’s likeness.
Our
resolve to stay away from any temptation is made out of our prudence not to
allow Satan to have any foothold in our lives (Eph. 4:27)—not out of reluctance or a sense of loss, but
out of a loving desire to please the One who loves us so much and had given
Himself for us (Gal. 2:20).
Such a life in the Spirit is one of joy and not misery; one of victory and not defeat.
In the last chapter, Paul was using the analogy of guardianship (in the original language) to explain the purpose and function of the Law of Moses (3:23-25), and now he further elaborates on this analogy:
4:1-7—The Law is the Guardian
(1) What is the role of the Law as the guardian? (v. 2)
(2) Who were we under the Law? (v. 1)
(3) What kind of slave were we? (v. 3)
(4) When did our status change? (vv. 4-5)
(5) What role does the Holy Spirit play in our attaining the status of sonship? (v. 6)
(6) As sons, what are we heirs to? (v. 7; 3:29)
4:8-11—Slaves No More
(7) To whom were we formerly slaves? (v. 8)
(8) The opposite of slaves should be children, and yet Paul says we now know God, or rather are known by God. (v. 9)
a. What is meant by “knowing God”?
b. What is meant by being “known by God”?
(9) Slaves of another kind: (vv. 9b-11)
a. Why does Paul call the observing of special days etc. weak and miserable principles?
b. Why does Paul call such observance slavery?
4:12-20—Paul’s Appeal
(10) What does Paul ask the Galatians to become? Why? (v. 12)
(11) Based on what does Paul make his passionate appeal? (vv. 13-15; note that we are not sure what illness is Paul talking about)
(12) What seems to have changed? Why? (vv. 16-17)
(13) How does Paul liken his pain to? (vv. 19-20)
(14) What is the most important message to you and how may you apply it to your life?
“But now that you know God — or rather are known by God…” (Gal. 4:9)
We understand that the word “know” in the Bible carries a much deeper meaning than the secular use of this word.
To know, in the secular sense, refers to the attaining of knowledge in the rational sense. But in the Bible, in addition to the gaining of objective knowledge, to know is necessarily also having an experiential and subjective knowledge. Without these aspects, there is no genuine knowledge.
Genesis 4:1 is a case in point. The Bible says, “Adam knew his wife Eve and she became pregnant and gave birth to Cain.” NIV correctly translates that “Adam laid with his wife…”. This is the true meaning of knowing in the Bible—an intimate encounter that leads to genuine knowledge of the other person.
As a result, when Paul says that when we by faith in Jesus Christ have become the sons of God (3:26), we now “know God” (4:9). It is not just an objective knowledge we gain “about” God, but we have come to have a “personal encounter” with Him and thus have established a relationship with Him—He is our Abba Father (4:6).
However, Paul is quick to add that, “or rather (we) are known by God” (4:9). It is not that we do not know God, we do; but it is far more precious that we are known by God. It is one thing to claim that we know someone, and it is quite another for the other person to say that they know us. It is one thing for us to say that we know, say, Queen Elizabeth; it is quite another for the Queen to say, “Oh yes, I know him (or her)”. And for God to say that He knows us, it affirms not only that we do belong to Him, but also that our relationship with Him is no ordinary relationship, but a most intimate one—one that can be comparable to that described in Genesis 4:1. What a privilege! What a mystery!
4:21-31—Getting Rid of the Slave Woman—Paul now uses Hagar and Sarah and their respective sons as an illustration of the superiority of promise over the Law (see Gen. 21:8ff)
(1) How does Paul point out who Hagar and Sarah were respectively? (v. 22)
(2) What was the difference between the births of their sons respectively? (v. 23)
(3) What does Paul liken the birth of Hagar’s son to? (vv. 24-25)
(4) What does Paul liken Sarah and her son to? (vv. 26-28)
(5) What happened when Hagar’s son, Ishmael persecuted Sarah’s son Isaac? (vv. 29-30; see Gen. 21:8ff)
(6) What is the implication of this analogy to us? (v. 31)
5:1-6—Freedom in Christ—Paul goes on to speak about the exercise of our freedom in Christ
(7) What has Christ set us free from? (v. 1; see Rom. 6:6-7)
(8) Can this freedom be extended or applied to freedom from the slavery of the Law? Why or why not?
(9) What does the continued observance of circumcision signify? (v. 4a)
(10) What is the implication of such observance? (v. 3)
(11) What does such observance do to Christ’s redemptive work? (vv. 2, 4b)
(12) How do we gain righteousness through Christ? (vv. 5-6)
(13) Why is circumcision irrelevant in gaining righteousness?
(14) Why is faith necessarily expressed in love? What does it mean? (v. 6)
5:7-12—The Agitators
(15) What have the agitators done to the Galatian believers? (v. 7)
(16) How harmful is their persuasion? (vv. 8-9)
(17) How will God deal with them? (v. 10)
(18) Why does Paul refuse to preach circumcision anymore? (v. 11)
(19) What is the message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
“But what does Scripture say? ‘Get rid of the slave woman and her son, for the slave woman’s son will never share in the inheritance with the free woman’s son'.” (Gal. 4:30)
As Paul uses Hagar and Sarah as an analogy for the slavery under the Law, and the freedom under the promise (4:21ff), I cannot help but recall how I felt when I read their story in Genesis (chapters 16 and 21 in particular). I felt that it was so unfair to Hagar and Ishmael because they did not really have any choice. It was basically Abraham’s own doing, or rather, Sarah’s own doing.
However, as much as Sarah was the “free woman” and Isaac the “promised seed”, and Hagar and her son were driven out by Abraham, two things were made clear:
- Hagar and Ishmael, while driven out from the home of Abraham, had not been driven out of God’s presence. God saw them and heard their cry (Gen. 21:17). The fact that they could survive in the wilderness was a testimony of God’s miraculous and loving protection (Gen. 21:20).
- Just as we can all become Abraham’s seed and heirs of God’s promise to Abraham by faith (Gal. 3:29), both Hagar and Ishmael could inherit the same promise spiritually by faith. While we do not know what Hagar’s and Ishmael’s spiritual conditions were in this respect, we know for certain that many of their descendants have become Abraham’s seed and heirs to God’s promise as many Christians are of Arab descent and have put their trust in Jesus Christ in the last two thousand years. Indeed, “There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” (Gal. 3:28-29)
Throughout Paul’s affirmation that righteousness does not come through the observance of the Law, but through faith in Christ, he has repeatedly and prominently highlighted the role of the Holy Spirt in the process (3:2, 3, 5, 14; 4:6, 29; 5:5). Now, he urges the Galatian believers to live out the reality of their lives in the Spirit. Vv. 5:13-15 and 6:1-5 act as an “inclusio” with their emphasis on “each other”, sandwiching the section that contrasts the works of the flesh with the fruit of the Spirit. As a result, we shall first consider the “inclusio”.
5:13-15—“Each Other” (I)
(1) Since we have been credited with righteousness through our faith in Christ and are no longer under the slavery of the Law, how may such a wonderful truth be abused? (v. 13) Why?
(2) Paul sums up the essence of the Law:
a. Since we are no longer under the Law, has the Law then been abolished? (see Jesus’ comment in Matt. 5:17-18)
b. How can loving one another sum up (the original word can also mean fulfill) the entire law? (see Matt. 22:37-40)
c. How does the church in Galatia act in opposition to this “sum” of the Law? (5:15)
6:1-5—“Each Other” (II)—How to love our neighbor as ourselves:
(3) Why does Paul seem to address these words to those “who are spiritual”? (v. 1)
(4) When someone in the church is caught in a sin, what normally do people in the church do?
(5) What does Paul ask us to do?
(6) In seeking to restore a wayward believer:
a. Why does Paul ask us to be gentle?
b. Why does Paul also warn us to be careful?
(7) In 5:14, Paul says that loving each other fulfills the “entire Law”; now in 6:2, what practical expression does he draw our attention to?
(8) In 6:3-6, Paul shows us our basic problem in mistreating each other:
a. Why do we tend to think too much of ourselves? How can we overcome this sin? (v. 4)
b. If we honestly test and examine ourselves, what “pride” can we take in ourselves?
c. If we often boast of someone (not out of humility, but out of envy), what’s wrong with us? What will this lead to?
(9) The “burdens” in v. 2 refer to very heavy loads; the “load” in v. 5 is like a traveler’s pack (Fung, p.291):
a. What kind of burden needs to be shared?
b. What kind of load do we need to carry on our own?
5:16-26—Works of the Flesh versus Fruit of the Spirit
(10) We know the conflict between our natural desires and those of the Spirit within us.
a. How can we overcome our flesh? (vv. 16, 18)
b. How then can we “live by the Spirit” and be “led by the Spirit”? (see Jn. 15:5)
(11) Works of the flesh (vv. 19-21): Paul highlights 15 vices that can be grouped into four categories.
a. Immoral works: sexual immorality, impurity, debauchery (or lewdness)
b. False gods: idolatry, witchcraft
c. Relational: hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition (or rivalries), dissensions, factions and envy
d. Lacking self-control: drunkenness, orgies
Since Paul is addressing believers, honestly examine yourself and highlight those to which you are most vulnerable.
(12) Fruit of the Spirit (vv. 22-25): These nine virtues can be grouped into three categories.
a. Why does Paul use the singular to refer to the “fruit” of the Spirit?
b. Since all nine virtues can be seen in the life of our Lord Jesus, let’s consider each by asking two questions:
- How does our Lord exhibit this virtue or character?
- How may I express it in my life?
Virtues Inherent in Christ:
- Love (Gal. 2:20)
- Joy (Jn. 16:24; 17:13)
- Peace (Jn. 14:27; 16:33)
Virtues Extended to Sinners:
- Patience (1 Tim. 1:16)
- Kindness (Lk. 6:35)
- Goodness (Matt. 5:45; 7:11)
Virtues In the Face of Trials:
- Faithfulness (Heb. 2:17; 2 Tim. 2:13)
- Gentleness or meekness (Matt. 11:29; Isa. 53:7)
- Self-control (Matt. 27:41-44)
(13) Paul ends this section with these questions:
a. Why does he say, “Against such things there is no law”? (v. 23) Is he insinuating that the Galatians are selective in their choice to obey the Law?
b. Why does he end by talking about “each other” again? (v. 26)
(14) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
“So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh…But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.” (Gal. 5:16, 18)
I am sure we all agree with the above statement by Paul in that if we walk by the Spirit and be led by Him, we will not fall into sin and we will bear the fruit of the Spirit as well. However, the big question is “How is this done?”?
The Lord Jesus has already provided the answer in John 15, especially in v.5:
“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”
And He goes on to add that we are also meant to remain in His “words” (v. 7) and His “love” (v. 9).
It does not take a genius to know that if we do not spend time with Him often, we cannot “remain” in Him, and the path to remain in Him is obviously through prayers and meditation over His words (Ps. 1:2-3). In other words, if we do not maintain a regular and meaningful devotional life, there is not a chance that we can bear the fruit of the Spirit which has to be an outflow of our intimate communion with Him.
What about remaining in His love?
Jesus’ answer is also very simple, and that is to obey His command to “love each other as I have loved you” (Jn. 15:12). In other words, it is only through loving each other in Christ that we can remain in His love, because the source of our love necessarily comes from Him since it is He who loved us first (1 Jn. 4:19). Thus “if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us” (1 Jn. 4:12).
If we fail to love each other in Christ, we do not remain in Christ’s love; we do not live in the Spirit, no matter how much time we spend in prayers and meditations. This explains why Paul sandwiches the section on the “Fruit of the Spirit” by the two passages of 5:13-15 and 6:1-5—both passages deal with loving each other in Christ.
While Paul now ends his letter with what seems to be miscellaneous exhortations, the attack on circumcision is still unmistakable.
6:6—“Love Your Neighbor” (Cont.)
(1) While the pericope on loving each other seems to have concluded (in 6:5), what does Paul add in this respect as a last word? (v. 6)
(2) Why?
6:7-10—Reaping What We Sow
(3) In the previous chapter (5:19-21), what has Paul warned us about regarding the serious consequence of yielding to our sinful nature? (5:21)
(4) What does he now again warn us of in this respect? (6:7, 8a)
(5) In urging us to sow to please the Spirit (vv. 8b-10), Paul reminds us that we shall reap eternal life:
a. Isn’t that a fact for all true believers? (see Jn. 3:16; 6:47)
b. What does this reminder seek to do?
(6) Apart from eternal life, what might the harvest be that we will reap if we do not become weary in doing good? (v. 9; Lk. 6:35; Eph. 6:8; 1 Pet. 2:12)
(7) What might be the things that might cause us to be weary, especially when doing good to “those who belong to the family of believers”? (v. 10)
6:11-16—The Folly of Circumcision
(8) Paul’s letters are usually scribed by secretaries. Why does he choose to pen this letter by his own hand? (v. 11)
(9) While Paul wants to impress them with his own handwriting,
a. What do those “agitators” seek to do with their “good impression”? (v. 12a)
b. How do these false teachers avoid persecution for the cross of Christ by teaching circumcision? (v. 12b)
c. How does Paul point out the hypocrisy of these false teachers? (v. 13)
d. What kind of boasting can these false teachers make concerning the preaching of circumcision?
e. What is the only thing that Paul boasts about? Why? (v. 14)
f. As far as the Galatian believers are concerned, what should be the most important thing to them? (v. 15; see 2 Cor. 5:17)
6:16-18—Final Greetings
(10) This
final greeting is special for these reasons:
a. Paul extends it to those who follow this rule (rule is the English word for “Canon”). What is he referring to? Why does he call it a “rule”? (see the verse immediately preceding—v.15)
b. Why would he also address the “Israel of God”? Does it carry any special meaning in light of the main message in this letter?
(11) V. 17 indicates that Paul has been plagued by troubles:
a. Can you recall what he has been defending in this letter?
b. What are the “marks of Jesus” that he bears in his “body” that should stop people from attacking him? (v. 17; see 2 Cor. 11:23-30)
(12) As we come to the end of this very passionate letter, can you recall three things that have spoken to you most?
(13) How may you apply them to your life?
“Finally, let no one cause me trouble, for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus.” (Gal. 6:17)
Martin Luther once said of this letter to the Galatians: “The Epistle to the Galatians is my epistle; I have betrothed myself to it; it is my wife…” and Gordon Fee is right in saying that for both Paul and Luther, “the life or death of genuine Christianity rested on the full acceptance of the argument of this letter” (Fee, Lecture Notes).
Indeed, “a man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ…because by observing the law no one will be justified” (2:16). This is the crux of Paul’s argument in this epistle; this is the crux of the Reformation that took place 500 years ago.
However, I am deeply touched not so much by the passionate argument of Paul, but by his passionate love for Jesus which undoubtedly has “compelled” him (2 Cor. 5:14) to rebuke or even curse those “agitators” who are preaching a gospel of circumcision which is a “different gospel—which is really no gospel at all” (1:6-7). The harsher his words are, the more passionate I can feel his love for Christ is.
But this is not just a theological treatise, as important as it is for all times. Paul’s goal is also a practical one—that we may truly love one another in Christ as a church. As a result, he goes on to say that, “The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love” (5:6). In other words, Paul is saying that even if you 100% agree with my argument that “Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything; what counts is a new creation” (6:15), if you do not love one another genuinely, it is not a genuine faith; you are not a new creation!