DAY 6 - GALATIANS

March 6, 2023

Galatians 2:1-5 (NLT)

Then fourteen years later I went back to Jerusalem again, this time with Barnabas; and Titus came along, too. I went there because God revealed to me that I should go. While I was there I met privately with those considered to be leaders of the church and shared with them the message I had been preaching to the Gentiles. I wanted to make sure that we were in agreement, for fear that all my efforts had been wasted and I was running the race for nothing. And they supported me and did not even demand that my companion Titus be circumcised, though he was a Gentile. Even that question came up only because of some so-called believers there—false ones, really—who were secretly brought in. They sneaked in to spy on us and take away the freedom we have in Christ Jesus. They wanted to enslave us and force us to follow their Jewish regulations. But we refused to give in to them for a single moment. We wanted to preserve the truth of the gospel message for you.

Thought:

When it came to issues of truth, Paul would not give in. He was fighting for freedom in Christ. The words “free” and “freedom” occur eleven times in Galatians. The first instance is in these verses. But what does “freedom in Christ” mean? Galatians 5:1 says, “Christ has truly set us free.” Believers are “truly free” to live for the things of God. Believers can live in freedom from the law, and they can live in freedom from the consequences and power of sin. Christ’s death on the cross freed us to become the people our Creator designed us to be - vessels of His love.

Another theme in these verses is unity. Paul was going to continue his mission, but here he sought the unity of Christ among the nations. So Paul brought the gospel and a real-live Gentile (Titus) before the Jerusalem apostles. How would they treat him? Would they demand that he be circumcised, or would they accept him as he was - as a brother in Christ? Today, so far removed from this situation, we find it difficult to understand the enormity of this event. This was a major point in the history of the Church. And the gospel prevailed! Titus was not forced to be circumcised because they all agreed Jesus Christ saved him by faith alone. It was not a mark on his body that justified; it was the marks on Jesus’ body that justified. It was the person and work of the Savior who made his people right with God.

Application:

1. Many Christ-followers acknowledge that Jesus has set them free, yet they find it difficult to experience freedom in their daily lives. Do you think you are experiencing true freedom in Christ?

2. Consider how Paul handled the strife in Galatians 2:1-5. What aspects of his fight for unity are worthy of imitation?

WEEK 2 OVERVIEW- GALATIANS

March 5 - March 11, 2023

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Galatians 2 Overview

Galatians chapter 2 continues Paul’s defense of his ministry and his message - the gospel of grace. In this chapter, he focuses not on the source of his message but on its content. God told Paul, through a revelation, to meet with the church leaders in Jerusalem to pursue unity about the message he was preaching to the Gentiles. The essence of Paul’s message to both Jews and Gentiles was that God’s salvation is offered to all people regardless of race, sex, nationality, wealth, social standing, education level, or anything else. Anyone can be forgiven by trusting in Christ. The gospel of grace puts everyone on the same level as one family in Christ.

In verses 1-10, Paul recounts an important meeting he had with the leaders of the Jerusalem church. The debate was between Paul and those who believed that Gentiles needed to live like Jewish Christians in order to be accepted by God. These Jewish Christians had been raised to think that circumcision, dietary laws, and more were essential to being right with God, and they hadn’t grasped the implications of the cross and the “freedom” that Jesus proclaimed. And then in verses 11-21, Paul has a face-to-face meeting with Peter (who had been swayed by the Judaizers) to call out his hypocrisy. The Judaizers’ chief slogan is found in Acts 15:1: “Unless you are circumcised, according to the custom taught by Moses, you cannot be saved.” Ever since Paul’s time, the enemies of grace have been trying to add something to the simple gospel of the grace of God. They tell us that a man is saved by faith in Christ plus something - good works, the Ten Commandments, baptism, showing up at church, religious ritual, or something else. Sometimes we even tell ourselves that it couldn’t be this simple - this free; there must be more required than just believing and trusting what Jesus has already done! But if more was, in fact, required, then Christ didn't need to die! It’s stated clearly in the last verse of Galatians 2:

I do not treat the grace of God as meaningless. For if keeping the law could make us right with God, then there was no need for Christ to die. Galatians 2:21

The bold confrontations in Galatians 2 were resolved as the leaders approved of Paul’s gospel and encouraged his ministry. They could add nothing to Paul’s message or ministry, and they dared not take anything away. There was agreement and unity: One gospel would be preached to Jews and Gentiles.

It’s interesting to note that the decisions made at these meetings had a great impact on the early church. Had Paul been unwilling to fight for freedom in Christ, the church in the first century might have become only a Jewish sect, preaching a mixture of law and grace. But because of Paul’s courage, the gospel was kept free from legalism, and it was carried to the Gentiles with great blessing.

In contrast to legalism, grace has no rules, code, or ritual. It is an invitation directly from the heart of God simply to believe and receive. Still today, we’re tempted to forget that our salvation isn’t a contract with God. “I do this for you, and you do this for me.” It’s a free gift offered by God and protected by God, and all we can do is receive it. Jesus gave His unconditional, completely abiding love to us. And that’s the basis of our relationship with him - not something he owes us or we owe him.

DAY 5 - GALATIANS

March 3, 2023

Galatians 1:13-21 (NLT)

You know what I was like when I followed the Jewish religion—how I violently persecuted God’s church. I did my best to destroy it. I was far ahead of my fellow Jews in my zeal for the traditions of my ancestors. But even before I was born, God chose me and called me by his marvelous grace. Then it pleased him to reveal his Son to me so that I would proclaim the Good News about Jesus to the Gentiles. When this happened, I did not rush out to consult with any human being. Nor did I go up to Jerusalem to consult with those who were apostles before I was. Instead, I went away into Arabia, and later I returned to the city of Damascus.Then three years later I went to Jerusalem to get to know Peter, and I stayed with him for fifteen days. The only other apostle I met at that time was James, the Lord’s brother. I declare before God that what I am writing to you is not a lie. After that visit I went north into the provinces of Syria and Cilicia.

Thought:

No matter how you look at it, the conversion of Paul was a spiritual miracle. It was humanly impossible for Rabbi Saul to become the apostle Paul apart from the miracle of God’s grace. By sharing his personal story of conversion, Paul is proving that his message (the gospel of grace - Christ-plus-nothing-else) is, in fact, straight from Jesus. In the light of Paul’s conduct, his conversion, and his contacts, how could anybody accuse him of borrowing or inventing either his message or his ministry? Certainly, he did receive his gospel by a revelation from Jesus Christ. Therefore, we must be careful what we do with this gospel - for it is not the invention of men, but the very truth of God!

Application:

1. What are some of the “unless you…” additions to the gospel you’ve struggled with?

2. Think about one or two things you learned from Galatians 1. Remember, it’s better to work on one specific area of life and do it well than to work on many and do poorly (or be so overwhelmed that you don’t start)! Write a prayer or simply pray one in silence, inviting God to work on your mind and heart in those areas. Be honest about your desires and fears.