0 Points

Add Reply New Topic

<< Previous Topic Next Topic >>

Paul's Epistle to the Galatians

Author

Comment

Sid2

#61

[-]

Posts: 42000

Dec 9 10 7:41 AM

Inner Guard

Remove this ad

No one reading Galatians carefully can come away with the impression that any apostle, including Peter, is superior to the apostle Paul. For he claimed to get his revelation independent of the other apostles (Gal. 1:12; 2:2) and to be on the same level as Peter (2:8), and he even used his revelation to rebuke Peter (2:11-14).

More. . .

I would rather be honestly blunt than diplomatically untruthful.

Edited 1 time by Sid2 Dec 10 10 7:57 AM.

Reply Quote

Gods Trombone

#62

[-]

Posts: 7595

Dec 10 10 7:45 AM

NMOCM wrote:
When Paul talks about the Law, he means Mosaic Law (of which he was a respected scholar) not the commandments of Christ to the Apostles.

All of Paul's writings are the words of Christ; spoken by the resurrected, ascended and glorified Lord from heaven. Most importantly, the words Christ spoke to Paul are directly to us, as well as for us, not for the Jews of Israel as were Jesus' words to the disciples while He walked the earth and ministered to Israel ONLY.

Reply Quote

Sid2

#63

[-]

Posts: 42000

Dec 12 10 5:28 AM

Inner Guard

In Galatians, Paul declares that 'by observing the Law no one will be justified...for if righteousness could be gained through the Law, Christ died for nothing.' The apostle could not have been more aggravated: 'You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you?...All who rely on observing the Law are under a curse...Clearly no one is justified before God by the Law, because 'The righteous will live by faith.'

The Law is not based on faith; on the contrary.' In Rome, one is justified by faith and obedience, but for Paul, justification by faith is contrary to justification by obedience. For the next several chapters, Paul labors this contradiction. 'So that Law was put in charge to lead us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith,' he declares in 3:24.

After having been freed from the bondage of legalism, 'How is it that you are turning back to those weak and miserable principles?' he wonders in astonishment. 'You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen from grace.'

I would rather be honestly blunt than diplomatically untruthful.

Reply Quote

Sid2

#64

[-]

Posts: 42000

Dec 13 10 4:19 PM

Inner Guard

The Apostle Paul saw the compromises of this truth by the legalists in the Galatian churches as a major threat to the gospel of Christ . He accused them of deserting Christ for another gospel and twice repeated the warning that anyone who preaches a contrary gospel is accursed (Gal.1:6-9).

Paul made very clear that law/works neither justify us before God nor matures us in the Christian life. Paul feared that he had labored over the Galatians in vain because of their legalistic reversion to mere observances (4:9-11).

He told the legalists that they had cut themselves off from Christ and had moved outside of the pale of His grace (5:4).

More. . .

I would rather be honestly blunt than diplomatically untruthful.

Reply Quote

Sid2

#65

[-]

Posts: 42000

Jan 6 11 1:24 PM

Inner Guard

Paul did go to visit the apostles in Jerusalem three years after his conversion, but this
was only after he had begun preaching the gospel. Furthermore, he only saw Peter and
James on that visit, and he was only there for a period of fifteen days. It is easy to see
that he is downplaying the significance of this visit. He did not go to Jerusalem to
receive instruction or approval from the other apostles.

Clearly, he could not have received his gospel from the apostles in Jerusalem. He preached the same gospel that they did, but his authority as an apostle was not derived from their apostolic authority. He was not a “sub-apostle,” but a full-fledged one. He was, as he said at the start of this letter, “an apostle – not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father.”

More. . .

I would rather be honestly blunt than diplomatically untruthful.

Reply Quote

Gods Trombone

#66

[-]

Posts: 7595

Jan 8 11 6:33 AM

Remove this ad

Clearly, he could not have received his gospel from the apostles in Jerusalem. He preached the same gospel that they did, but his authority as an apostle was not derived from their apostolic authority. He was not a “sub-apostle,” but a full-fledged one. He was, as he said at the start of this letter, “an apostle – not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father.”

To imply that Christ revealed to Paul the same gospel as he had given the 12 can be quite misleading. Christ revealed an entirely new and different "good news" to Paul which had never before been revealed to men.
Romans 16:25 Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began,

Reply Quote

Sid2

#67

[-]

Posts: 42000

May 4 11 3:34 PM

Inner Guard

Grace Institute: The Pauline Epistles: Galatians: Introduction

Galatians

Survey of the New Testament:
The Pauline Epistles

Winter 2006

[Previous: Introduction]

Paul Defends His Apostleship ( 1:11-2:21 )

The false teachers coming to Galatia said that they had been sent by the church in Jerusalem . In contrast, Paul did not have the backing of the apostles in Jerusalem . Therefore, Paul's teaching was not credentialed by the top church leaders. Paul defends his apostolic authority by showing that his calling came directly from God and not from the church in Jerusalem .

The Origin of Paul's Apostleship ( 1:11 -16)

Paul begins his defense by recounting his heritage. He used to be a devout Jew persecuting the church ( 1:13 ) and zealously defending Jewish traditions ( 1:14 ). Therefore his teaching was not a result of his upbringing nor was it due to an ignorance of the Jewish Law. Instead his teaching came directly from God who called him to this work from the time before he was born ( 1:15 ). His authority was from God, not from any human ( 1:16 ).

The Impossibility of Human Origin for Paul's Mission ( 1:17-2:14 )

If the church in Jerusalem had ordained him, then the church in Jerusalem could also revoke his credentials (as was being argued by Paul's opponents). However, if his calling was from God and not the church in Jerusalem , then the Jerusalem church did not have authority to rebuke him for his teaching. Therefore, Paul establishes his divine ordination by demonstrating that it was impossible for the church in Jerusalem to commission him because he had only visited Jerusalem twice since his conversion.

More . . .

I would rather be honestly blunt than diplomatically untruthful.

Reply Quote

Sid2

#68

[-]

Posts: 42000

Oct 13 11 5:41 PM

Inner Guard

In order for the Body of Christ to grasp the spiritual significance of the whole Epistle to the Galatians, it is helpful to remember that Galatians was written during the Acts period after the fall of Israel as recorded in Acts 7. This period is Scripturally designated as "the diminishing of them" [Israel]-Romans 11:11-13. When Israel, her provisions, and imperatives were being diminished God had commissioned unto two different kinds of Apostles, two different kinds of Gospels!

One Gospel of a different kind (Greek--the heteros Gospel...Galatians 1:6) as the good news of the Circumcision, which was comprised of Bible truth for the circumcised Nation called Israel, and entrusted to Peter and the Eleven, i.e. the provision of the New Testament including circumcision and Law works (Jeremiah 31:31-34; Matthew 26:27-29; 5:17-19).

The other kind (Greek--the allos gospel...Galatians 1:7) as the good news of the Uncircumcision committed to Paul's trust, also known as the Gospel of the Grace of God (1 Corinthians 1:17; 9:17; 1 Timothy 1:11; Acts 20:24).

Today in this present Dispensation of Grace, the Gospel of the Circumcision that Peter labored under has temporarily been put into abeyance by God [the diminishing of Israel from Acts 7 to the end of Acts 28] so that the present Word of Truth may bring to fullness the working of God amongst the heathen nations or UNCIRCUMCISED via this new Gospel of the Uncircumcision. This is a Grace, Faith, Spirit System of operation. In this new system there is no racial, religious, economical or national benefit with or from God in being circumcised or Law keeping (Eph.1:3).

The foundation with its super-structure that reaches into the heavenly places has been laid and built by Paul. It consists of the Sound Doctrines that Paul alone received by direct revelation of Jesus Christ according to the Mystery (Galatians 1:11,12; Ephesians 3:1-4). Paul is the Apostle of Jesus Christ to/of the Gentiles, with the Gospel of the Uncircumcision, according to the will and commandment of God (Galatians 1:1; Titus 1:1-3; Romans 1:5). His ministry and 13 Epistles manifest the Gospel of the Grace of God which reveals Jesus Christ according to the revelation of the Mystery.

By teaching the same Sound Doctrine that Paul taught, we shall be found by Christ to be faithful stewards at the Judgment Seat of Christ (2 Timothy 2:2; 3:14; 4:7-8; Romans 14:10-12; 1 Corinthians 3:10-15).

Only Paul's Gospel is God's message for the saving of the eternal soul during this present Dispensation!

More. . .

I would rather be honestly blunt than diplomatically untruthful.

Reply Quote

Sid2

#69

[-]

Posts: 42000

Nov 7 11 8:39 AM

Inner Guard

The gospel that Paul had preached to the Galatians was the good news of God's grace in Jesus Christ. It was a liberating message that emphasized God's action in accord with His divine character, taking the initiative to do everything necessary on man's behalf to restore mankind to God's created functional intent. All of man's attempts to reach God, appease God, and perform in a manner pleasing to God the essence of religion throughout the history of man were now passé and unnecessary.

There was no need for religious conformity to traditions, or for obedience to law-based rules and regulations such as thou shalt... and thou shalt not... God has done everything that needed doing in the finished work (cf. Jn. 19:30), and by the provision of His presence in receptive mankind by the person of Jesus Christ and the power of the Spirit, God continues by His grace to enable and empower the Christian believer to manifest His character and minister to others. Such was the gospel of grace and liberty that Paul had preached to the Galatians, and such was the spiritual reality that formed the basis of their Christian community as a church.

So when Paul was informed that foreign infiltrators had influenced the young Galatian Christians to revert to the performance of religious legalism, he was so incensed that he was compelled to write and set things straight. In this confrontational letter he delineates the dichotomous difference between the gospel of Jesus Christ that he had introduced them to, and the religious trappings of behavioral bondage that these subversive intruders were trying to impose upon them. The epistle is necessarily theological as Paul defends the ontological essence of Christianity in Jesus Christ, but whereas the epistle to the Romans explains Christian theology in logical sequence, Galatians defends Christian theology in the polemic heat of the battle.

An underlying sub-theme of the epistle might be entitled, The Gospel versus Religion. Though Paul does not use the word religion in the text of the letter, it is obvious that the performance-based "works" that the new Galatian Christians are being asked to add to the pure and simple gospel of grace in Jesus Christ is indeed the essence of all religion. This comprehensive theme thus becomes the lens through which the various details of the letter must be interpreted.

More. . .

I would rather be honestly blunt than diplomatically untruthful.

Reply Quote

Sid2

#70

[-]

Posts: 42000

Nov 15 11 4:25 PM

Inner Guard

All of man’s attempts to reach God, appease God, and perform in a manner pleasing to God – the essence of religion throughout the history of man – were now passé and unnecessary. There was no need for religious conformity to traditions, or for obedience to law-based rules and regulations such as thou shalt... and thou shalt not...

God has done everything that needed doing in the finished work (cf. Jn. 19:30), and by the provision of His presence in receptive mankind by the person of Jesus Christ and the power of the Spirit, God continues by His grace to enable and empower the Christian believer to manifest His character and minister to others.

Such was the gospel of grace and liberty that Paul had preached to the Galatians, and such was the spiritual reality that formed the basis of their Christian community as a church

http://www.christinyou.net/pages/pdfs/GalatiansEbook.pdf

I would rather be honestly blunt than diplomatically untruthful.

Edited 1 time by Sid2 Nov 15 11 4:33 PM.

Reply Quote

Sid2

#71

[-]

Posts: 42000

Aug 24 12 6:21 AM

Inner Guard

Remove this ad

It should be pointed out that it is most likely that Paul was not in Antioch at the time the "men from James" came to town (that is, even if they were the direct motivators), and that these men were not around when Paul confronted Peter, and were not themselves the false brothers. Otherwise, it is likely that he would have known the names of these men (though keeping them anonymous may be a shaming device), and also confronted them in the assembly, and said or done something before others were led astray. Much of what is described clearly happened while Paul was in absentia.

In addition, we see also the reason why Paul has spent as much time as he has in Gal. 1-2 defending his apostleship. To confront Peter was a bold maneuver that would have led Peter to lose face if he did not respond to the challenge, unless Paul was indeed Peter's inferior, and could thereby ignore the challenge. As Malina notes in The New Testament World, only equals can play this game, and only those recognized as equals can play it. If Peter were Paul's superior, he had the power to ignore and even punish Paul for his impudence. (Paul could also do this if he was Peter's superior, but no one argues for that.)

Paul's recounting of his credentials and recognition by the Jerusalem church are not an ego trip, but within the context of an ancient honor-shame society (NOT what we have today) established his right to confront Peter on equal terms, and established the need for Peter to answer the challenge.

More. . .

When the people fear their government, there is tyranny. . .
When the government fears the people, there is liberty.
-- Thomas Jefferson

Reply Quote

<< Previous Topic Next Topic >>

Add Reply

Yuku free message boards

Paul's Epistle to the Galatians

Galatians

Survey of the New Testament:The Pauline Epistles

Winter 2006

Paul Defends His Apostleship ( 1:11-2:21 )

The Origin of Paul's Apostleship ( 1:11 -16)

The Impossibility of Human Origin for Paul's Mission ( 1:17-2:14 )

Survey of the New Testament:
The Pauline Epistles