Taught 5/18/2008
Galatians 1:1-10
Grace Alone!
Open your Bible to…
Gal. 5:1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.
Pray
Intro
√ Grace alone!
Paul’s letter to the churches in Galatia is one of his shortest epistles, but it is one of his most power letters!
In it we find Paul fighting against false teachers and the false doctrine they were promoting in the churches that he had established!
You’ll see by the tone of his letter that he is hot!
The reason that he’s angry is that the very foundation of the Christian faith was being attacked and the souls of people he loved were at stake!
The battle centered on the question…
“How is a person saved?”
According to the Apostle Paul a person is saved by Grace alone as expressed through faith in Jesus Christ.
But the false teachers claimed that to be saved a person would have to become Jewish by the rite of circumcision and the keeping of the whole Law!
Paul was an expert on the Mosaic Law and had tried to live by it but found no peace until he met Jesus who freed him from the bondage of the Law!
So, Paul writes this letter because he understands that to try and mix Law and Grace is not possible for it robs the Cross of it’s power…
…and exalts the works of Man over the all-sufficient sacrifice of Jesus.
Ap. Christians today still misunderstand Grace
That is, just as in Paul’s day the Church easily slides from Grace to one of two extremes…
Legalism
License
The Biblical understanding of Grace is that we have liberty in Christ, not legalism of license, thus our theme verse for Galatians…
“Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.” ~ Gal. 5:1
In our study of Galatians Paul deals with both extremes and gives us a practical model for us to walk in Grace.
Ex. Adventism, Armstrongism (Old World Wide Church of God), Shepherd’s chapel, etc.
They all find their supposed proof text in the Old Testament rather than the New.
Violating the foundational principle of Bible interpretation that says we should always interpret the Old through the New…
…through the Person of Jesus Christ who fulfilled the Law!
The common denominator in each of these false teachings is that they all try to make you more Jewish…
…rather than Christian.
In fact, you could subtitle the book of Galatians…
“Stop trying to be Jewish!”
Because we’re saved by Grace alone!
He Explained His Authority (vs. 1-5)
Gal. 1:1 Paul, an apostle (not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised Him from the dead),
Gal. 1:2 and all the brethren who are with me, to the churches of Galatia:
Gal. 1:3 Grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ,
Gal. 1:4 who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father,
Gal. 1:5 to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.
√ He explained his authority
Paul begins his letter by laying the foundation for his authority to speak into the lives of the Christians to whom he is writing.
It’s a sad testimony of how quickly and how far these Christians had strayed from the Truth.
That is, Paul was the one who first preached in these cities and through his work established the churches in Galatia ~ Antioch, Iconium, Lystra and Derbe (modern day Turkey).
He was their spiritual father!
Based upon his work and sacrifice they shouldn’t have needed a reminder that he had God-given authority to speak into their lives.
Unfortunately the false teachers who had come in behind Paul had done such a convincing job that the Christians in Galatia were confused about the validity of Paul’s authority.
So, he lays out 3 strong reasons that they should recognize his authority in their lives.
His ministry (vs. 1-2)
Paul begins by telling them that he was ordained by God…
“Paul, an apostle (not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised Him from the dead).” ~ vs. 1
The word “apostle” means…
“One who is sent with a commission”
While Jesus had many disciples (followers, or learners) the Gospels record that He appointed only 12 to be Apostles.
Judas of course fell from Grace and was then replaced by Matthias (ref. Acts 1).
The criteria used to select Judas’ replacement was that the man had to have been a disciple of Jesus and had seen Jesus after the Resurrection.
So, Paul was often attacked by the false teachers who claimed that he wasn’t a real apostle because he had not been a disciple of Jesus during His earthly ministry…
…nor when Jesus was seen after the Resurrection.
√ Paul was commissioned by God
So, Paul’s first line of defense is to remind the Christians there that he had in fact seen Jesus alive after the Resurrection…
…and that it was the Risen Lord, not any man, who called Paul to be an apostle.
Ex. Paul’s call to ministry
Jesus testified to Ananias…
“But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel.” ~ Acts 9:15
The Holy Spirit commissioned Paul to go to the Gentiles…
“As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, “Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” ~ Acts 13:2
Paul was also recognized by the leaders in Jerusalem as an apostle to the Gentiles…
“and when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that had been given to me, they gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised.” ~ Gal. 2:9
So, Paul’s point is that he did have God-given authority to speak and write as a representative of God because it was Jesus who called Paul to be an “A”postle, not a “B”postle.
His message (vs. 3-4)
Paul’s next point to prove his authority is to clarify the Gospel message that he preached…
…the same message proclaimed by Jesus Himself!
“Grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father,” ~ 3-4
That is, the essential Gospel message proclaimed by Jesus, Paul and all the Apostles is the Good News that…
…Jesus died for our sins!
That on the Cross Jesus paid the full price for all the sins of Mankind (1 John 2:2).
That through the death of Jesus those who trust in Him have their sins washed away and receive the perfect righteousness of Christ (Acts 26:18).
That through the substitutionary death of Jesus we gain eternal life and are made perfect in the Father’s eyes (John 1:19).
That in Christ we are set free from the bondage of the Law, which could not save us (Romans 8:2).
This was the very message that the false teachers attacked by proclaiming that you could not be saved unless you also kept and practiced the Law of Moses.
Ex. The Judaizers
We get a glimpse of this battle in the book of Acts where we find this question of what the Gospel is, and is not, at the heart of the conflict addressed by the very 1st Church Counsel.
Specifically the debate is over how a person is a saved, by Grace alone, or by Grace and Law?
That is, what is the authoritative God-given Gospel?
Note the conflict…
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.”
And…
Acts 15:5 But some of the sect of the Pharisees who believed rose up, saying, “It is necessary to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses.”
Acts 15:6 Now the apostles and elders came together to consider this matter.
These men and their disciples were the ones who were causing Paul so much grief by infecting the churches that he founded with their poisonous false doctrine.
It’s believed that Paul wrote his letter to the churches in Galatia before the counsel met in Jerusalem.
The point is that the Gospel of Grace that Paul preached was the authoritative message the Church leaders and the Holy Spirit confirmed…
…not the message of the Judaizers that tried to mix Law and Grace.
His motive (vs. 5)
Paul’s ministry and message were motivated by his sincere love for Jesus and his desire to please Him alone!
“to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.” ~ vs. 5
His point is that the false teachers weren’t seeking to bring glory to Jesus by converting lost people to Christ…
…they were seeking their own glory by trying to convert saints to their twisted doctrine.
Ex. It’s the same story today
You can always identify a false teacher by who it is that they’re serving.
Those who are true teachers and workers of God want to make disciples for Jesus.
Those who are false teachers and worse want to make disciples for themselves.
Paul’s point is that the Galatian Christians could discern his God-given authority by his pure motives.
Ap. A different gospel ~ Adventism
Watch out for any group that teaches or implies that you’re some how a second class citizen of the Kingdom because you…
Don’t belong to their church
Weren’t baptized their way
Don’t keep the Jewish dietary laws
Don’t worship on Saturday
You’ll know who they are because they don’t want to talk about Jesus and what He’s done in their life…
…instead they want to convert you to their interpretation of the Bible and the practice of their beliefs.
He Expressed His Anxiety (vs. 6-7)
Gal. 1:6 I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel,
Gal. 1:7 which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ.
√ He expressed his anxiety
Paul moves quickly to the main point of his letter, that is he was anxious for those he led to faith in Christ because they were turning away from Grace…
…to a different and perverted gospel!
Deserting and perverting!
They were in the process of abandoning the liberty they had in Christ for the bondage of legalism!
Deserting
In vs. 6 Paul writes…
“I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ”
Or, as the NASB translates it…
“I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him”
The word translated “Turning away” or “deserting” in the original Greek indicates that they were in the process of turning way, or deserting…
…not that they had fully abandoned the true Gospel of Christ.
Thus Paul’s hasty salutation!
That is, if you compare Galatians to Paul’s other letters you’ll find that his opening salutations are longer and more gracious.
Most include some kind of commendation, or personal greeting to the church.
But not here!
Rather, Paul dispenses with the formal greeting so that he can get right to the point of his letter which indicates just how concerned he was with the spiritual welfare of these churches.
His first concern is that they were actually in the process of abandoning the Gospel of Grace and returning to the Law!
√ Implications of deserting Grace
So, you might wonder why was it such a big deal to the apostle Paul if a Christian wanted to practice the Law of Moses?
Surely it couldn’t hurt?
Can’t a person trust in Jesus and keep the Law?
Paul’s answer is a resounding “no!”
The rational for his answer is that the Christians faith, saving faith is based on a relationship with the Person of Jesus Christ!
That is, you and I don’t become Christians by agreeing to a set of doctrines, or living by some code of rules…
…we become a Christian by surrendering to Jesus and trusting in Him to save us!
Therefore you cannot mix Grace and works because the one excludes the other!
Remember, salvation is a gift of God’s Grace, purchased for us by Jesus’ sacrifice on the Cross…
…and not the reward for our good works!
So, Paul’s concern is that the Galatian Christians were turning from Grace to the Law and thereby deserting the God of Grace!
Perverting
The other sin that the Judaizers were guilty of is that they were perverting the Gospel.
That is, they claimed to be preaching the “Gospel” but in reality they were not because they added to message of the Cross the necessity of works.
There can’t be two “Gospel’s”, one proclaiming Grace and another preaching works!
That’s why Paul writes that it is a…
“different gospel” ~ vs. 6
And that these false teachers were…
“perverting the Gospel” ~ vs. 7
Literally to “pervert” the Gospel means…
“To turn around, or to change into an opposite character”
That is the Judaizers had turned the true Gospel around and taken it back to the Law…
…taking the Galatian Christians from liberty back to bondage!
Ap. A different gospel ~ Jehovah Witnesses
Proclaim that salvation is works based rather than grace alone.
They teach a different Jesus
A different Gospel
A different future promise
They are modern-day Judiaizers!
He Excommunicated His Adversaries (vs. 8-10)
Gal. 1:8 But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed.
Gal. 1:9 As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed.
Gal. 1:10 For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ.
√ He excommunicated his adversaries
Actually “excommunicated” is a much nicer word than Paul used here!
Rather, he pronounces a curse upon anyone…
…human, angel, or even himself, who would preach a different Gospel than Grace.
The word “accursed” in vs. 8 & 9 is the Greek word “anathema” which literally means…
“dedicated to destruction”
The idea the word communicates is drawn from the Old Testament where we find God ordering the complete destruction of some evil thing.
Ex. Idols destroyed by King Josiah
One of the great kings of Judah who purged Israel of idolatry.
Read the account and you’ll find that he tore down the altars of the false gods, removed the idols, burned them, ground the ashes to dust and then cast the dust on the graves!
That’s “anathema”!
The point is that Paul is very serious about the consequences of preaching a false gospel…
…to do so is to set oneself at odds with the God of Grace who will dedicate to destruction any who preaches a “different” gospel than His!
Ap. A different gospel ~ Mormonism
Anyone familiar with the history of Mormonism this is a frightening section of scripture.
For the foundation of Mormonism is that Joseph Smith the pioneer of the Mormon faith proclaimed that he was visited by an angel, Moroni…
…who introduced him to a different gospel, a different Jesus, and a different heaven!
A gospel in which salvation is not a free gift of God’s grace, rather it is grace plus works of obedience.
Close
√ Grace alone
The Gospel of Grace is the greatest news the world has ever heard!
It has the power to transform sinners into saints.
To wash us those who believe from every sin.
To make us fit for heaven.
While all of that is free to those who trust in Jesus, it was not without cost! As Paul exhorted the elders in Ephesus…
“Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.” ~ Acts 20:28
There’s no more price to pay, no other work to be done, Jesus did it all on the Cross and anyone who adds any other requirement to salvation insults the Grace of God!
Ap. Beware ~ legalism can creep into our lives as well!
Ex. Stuck on unleavened bread for communion