April 9-Galatians-Free Indeed

Happy Monday to you. How was your week end? As I’ve been packing books the last couple of weeks, I’ve found five or six books on Galatians. At about book five I decided maybe I should take a look at Galatians again and see if there was something in this special book for me. Do you want to read it with me? 


This book was written 48-53AD, and scholars are uncertain exactly who the original recipients were. Galatia was a Roman Province in Central Asia Minor. Paul insisted that this letter is not of human origin but rather of divine revelation. Paul spends a great deal of time speaking to Judaizers, the Jewish Christians who believed that a number of the ceremonial practices of the Old Testament were still binding on the New Testament Church. This issue dogged Paul and he tried to explain the idea of freedom in Christ. 

“This letter is from Paul, an apostle. I was not appointed by any group of people or any human authority, but by Jesus Christ himself and by God the Father, who raised Jesus from the dead.‭‭” Galatians‬ ‭1:1

Paul begins the letter by solidifying his authority. And then, the divine right by which Jesus has to grant authority. 

“Jesus gave his life for our sins, just as God our Father planned, in order to rescue us from this evil world in which we live.” Galatians‬ ‭1:4

Paul was surprised that already this church had forgotten the teachings and were drifting off in what he was referring to as a twisting of the gospel. We sure don’t have to look far to see that around us—how the gospel gets twisted or mis-stated, or simply just much of it left out. 

“I am shocked that you are turning away so soon from God, who called you to himself through the loving mercy of Christ. You are following a different way that pretends to be the Good News but is not the Good News at all. You are being fooled by those who deliberately twist the truth concerning Christ.” Galatians‬ ‭1:6-7

I love that this first chapter ends with this verse about Paul himself—the one who tried to destroy this faith is now preaching it! 

“All they knew was that people were saying, “The one who used to persecute us is now preaching the very faith he tried to destroy!””

‭‭Galatians‬ ‭1:23‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Paul then proceeds to his main argument—whosoever is granted membership in this new worldwide family (not just the Jews) by faith in the Messiah, not by keeping the Torah, the Jewish law. (The rest of this little book is really good!) 

Messiah, Jehovah, Prince of Peace thank you for being our Savior and our Redeemer. You are the Holy one of Israel. Thank you for what you do for us each day and for being our Alpha our Omega. We praise you this day. Amen and amen. 

Love you dear one,

Pam

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