Paul’s letter to the galatians

History, Theology, and Application

history: to where was galatians written?

• South Galatia - Roman province

• Visit on first missionary journey (Acts 13:14-14:22)

• write on first journey from Syrian Antioch

• 47-48 AD

history: to where was galatians written?

• Northern Galatia - Ethnic region

• Visits on second missionary journey (Acts 16:6; 18:23)

• Writes on third missionary journey

• 57-58 AD

history: When was Galatians written

• Read Galatians 2:1-10

• Is this the Jerusalem Council?

• Read Galatians 2:11–15

• Before or After the Jerusalem Council?

Theology: faith vs works

• Galatians 2:16 - . . . knowing that a person is not justified by the works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, even we believed on Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ, and not by the works of the law: because by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.

Traditional View of Judaism

• Judaism is a religion of legalism

• Goal is to acquire more merits than demerits

• No assurance of salvation

Contrasts

• works vs. grace

• law’s hard yoke vs. Spirit’s enablement

• toil vs. joy

• fear vs. confidence

Covenantal Nomism1. ELECTION: God chose Israel

•TORAH: God gave the law

1. IMPLICATIONS: •God promises to maintain the covenant•Israel needs to obey the covenant•STAYING IN NOT GETTING IN

1. ATONEMENT: If fail, there is atonement in the sacrificial system

1.SALVATION: All who are maintained in the covenant by obedience, atonement, and God’s mercy will be saved

Who Were the

Galatians?

did not know God

slaves to those which by nature are no gods (4:8)

What do we know about Gentile culture from the first-century Roman Empire?

What Was Paul’s

Gospel?

Paul brought it to them

to the Galatians 1:8, 3:1

under bodily illness 4:13

How did they receive

Paul and the Gospel

they received him as an angel of God, as Christ Jesus himself (4:14)

1:6

3:2, 3

3:4

3:5

4:9

5:7

What was the

problem?

Some “disturbers” came (1:7; 5:10)

The disturbers want the Galatians to seek them (4:17)

Law (4:21)

receive circumcision (5:2; 6:13)

How did the Galatians

respond?

being persuaded (1:6)

want to be under the law (4:21)

turn to elemental things, days, months, seasons, and years (4:10)

Paul is perplexed (4:20)

New Perspective on Paul

1.Paul worked from solution (Jesus) to plight (something is wrong with how I’ve been living my religion)

2.Paul’s problem is not works righteousness, but covenant boundary markers that exclude the Gentiles

3. Hence “works of the law” are not legalism but works which define Jews and exclude Gentiles: circumcision, sabbath and food laws

4. Paul’s primary question is not “How may I, a sinner, find a gracious God?” but “Who belongs to the company of the righteous, to God’s saved people?” (individual vs. communal)

The “Agitators” and Paul

• What are the agitators saying?

• work hard to earn salvation

• Gentiles are excluded

• What is Paul saying?

• grace not works

• everyone is included

• Gal 2:21: Variegated Nomism: a bit of both?

application

• Galatians 3:28 - Implications?

• Galatians 5:22–23 - Fruit of the Spirit