WHAT WERE THE FORCES UNDERMINING THE APOSTLE PAUL'S GROUPS?
Paul's letter to the Galatian congregations is a response to those who were poisoning the gospel message. To understand this epistle one must understand the attackers. The Judaizing party came behind Paul's missionary work in a stealthy fashion after he left each town. They inserted teachers –– probably experienced Pharisees –– who undermined Paul's reputation and his gospel message which focused on grace and faith in Christ. In contrast, their focus was on using the law in an over regulatory, erroneous manner in addition to the more restrictive rules of the Pharisees own making. They were working on bringing these gentiles into a Pharisaical and extreme type of worship. Paul first defends his Apostleship:
Galatians 1:11-12, “But I make known to you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man. 12 For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came through the revelation of Jesus Christ.” (NKJV)
Paul explains that all the church leadership, which was Jewish, agreed that circumcision was not necessary for gentiles; the Judaizers were being dishonest and stealthy. An exception was made for gentiles.
Galatians 2:3-4, “Yet not even Titus who was with me, being a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised. 4 And this occurred because of false brethren secretly brought in (who came in by stealth to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage).”
One of the goals of these ultra-conservative Jews was to limit of the number of gentiles that would join the church. If circumcision was required, most gentiles would retire! They feared that the majority of converts would soon become gentiles. It was a form of ethnic bias.
Galatians 2:5, “…to whom we did not yield submission even for an hour, that the truth of the gospel might continue with you.”
Galatians 4:17-18, “They zealously court you, but for no good; yes, they want to exclude you, that you may be zealous for them. 18 But it is good to be zealous in a good thing always, and not only when I am present with you.”
A believer cannot fully understand the New Testament writings of the Apostle Paul without understanding the Judaizers challenge to Paul's dynamic work. During the conference of church leaders in Jerusalem on the issue of requiring gentiles to be circumcised in Acts 15, even the reasonable Pharisee believers agreed in the end it was not necessary based on the Old Testament. In spite of this, the Judaizing party continued to insist on it. Those gentiles who got the operation became so self-righteous. Note what Jesus said:
Matthew 23:15, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel land and sea to win one proselyte, and when he is won, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves.”
Understanding the proper use of the law is essential and most worldly clerics are deceived.
MATURE, FREE OBEDIENCE, VERSUS RELIGIOUS ENSLAVEMENT
Paul explains to the Galatian believers that relying on the law, as the extremists pushed, was misguided. We must put our focus on Christ's help and His grace.
Galatians 2:16-17, “…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. 17 But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is Christ therefore a minister of sin? Certainly not!”
The law does not justify or pardon us from past or current infractions. The law defines right and wrong. All of us need grace, period! But what does he says about using grace as a license to break the law and sin? “GOD FORBID.” NO ONE is righteous enough to keep the law so perfectly as to earn his own salvation.
Galatians 3:3-7, “Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh?… 5 Therefore He who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you, does He do it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?…7 Therefore know that only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham.”
The true worship of God goes all the way back in history to Abraham who was blessed by God (while uncircumcised) and is the father of all of us, gentile and Jew.
Verses 8-10, “And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed. 9 So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham.10 For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse; for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do them.’”
It is easy to misunderstand Paul. He realized it and clarified accordingly:
Galatians 3:21, “Is the law then against the promises of God? Certainly not! For if there had been a law given which could have given life, truly righteousness would have been by the law.”
Schoolmasters and tutors are a good guide for youth and instruct them in how to obey by themselves later in a mature, free manner.
Galatians 3:24-25, “Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. 25 But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.”
The Apostle to the gentiles makes one of the most far reaching statements of his time:
Galatians 3:28-29, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you are Christ then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.”
He is so far ahead of his time –– but it is another proof of the wisdom and eternal truths of the Bible. Paul tells them that they should not be religious slaves like worshipers in Jerusalem were, but free and mature individuals who no longer need a tutor or governess to enforce obedience. The locus of control will now be internal. Note that we are no longer under the tutor, but are now true sons of God.
Galatians 4:1-2, “Now I say that the heir, as long as he is a child, does not differ at all from a slave, though he is master of all, 2 but is under guardians and stewards until the time appointed by the father.”
Galatians 4:7-8, “Therefore you areno longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ. 8 But then, indeed, when you did not know God, you served those which by nature are not gods.”
IS THE LAW OF GOD GOOD AND HAS IT BEEN REPLACED BY GRACE ?
The answer to this question is clearly, “God's Law is good.” Many assert that faith and grace have replaced the Laws of God. What did Paul say directly REGARDING THESE ISSUES?
Romans 3:30-31, “Since there is one God who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith. 31 Do we then make void the law through faith? Certainly not! On the contrary, we establish the law.”
Romans 6:1-2, “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?”
Some say, because we are not under the law but grace we don't have to obey God's law. Paul says “Certainly not!”
The letter to these churches is about resisting the poisonous gospel of the Judaizers and using the law and grace properly. The two work together. If there is no law, you do not need grace. We must have the grace given by Jesus but never use it as a license to sin.
ISSUES:
WHAT IS WRONG WITH THE DOCTRINE OF 'GRACE ALONE' ?
