GALATIONS

GALATIANS ~ THE BOOK OF CHRISTIAN LIBERTY ~

This Epistle derives its name from the foolish Galatians to whom Paul
was writing (1:1,2; 3:1). Paul visited the churches of Galatia on each of his three missionary journeys. He and Timothy both preached the gospel to the Galatians (Acts 16:6). Galatia derived its name from the Gauls. These Gauls were fickle, as revealed by Paul in Acts 13 and 14. One day they wanted to make Paul a god, the next day they wanted to stone him. They were not content with the grace of God, they wanted to confuse grace with works. Paul said they were foolish because they wanted to mingle law with faith as the ground for justification, and because they insisted that a justified believer was made perfect by keeping the law.

GALATIA: Region of Paul's First Missionary Journey. Its borders at times varied. It included the cities of Iconium, Lystra, Derbe, and probably Pisidian Antioch.
Galatians were a branch of Gauls, originally from north of the Black Sea, split off from the main migration westward to France, and settled in Asia Minor, 3rd century B. C.

Paul had founded these Galatian Churches about A.D. 45-48. He had re-visited them, as he was setting out on his Second Journey about
A.D. 50 (Acts 16: 1-6); and again, as he was starting on his Third journey, about A. D. 54 (Acts 18:23).
The commonly accepted traditional date of the writing of this Epistle is about A. D. 57, at the close of Paul's Third Missionary Journey, while he was in Ephesus, or Macedonia, or Corinth, shortly before he wrote the Epistle to the Romans.
Some think it more probably was written about A. D. 49, from Antioch, soon after Paul's first return from Galatia, before the Jerusalem Council of A. D. 50, whose Letter stating that Circumcision was Not Necessary was carried without delay to the Galatian Churches (Acts 15: 1-16; 4); for, if written after that it seems like Paul would have referred to the Jerusalem Letter. But "first" (4:13), favors the later date.

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JUDAIZERS

The Judaizers were a sect of Jewish Christians who, not willing to accept the teaching of the Apostles on the question (Acts 15), continued to insist that Christians must come to God through Judaism, that a Gentile, in order to be a Christian, must become a Jewish Proselyte, and keep the Jewish Law.
They made it their business to visit and unsettle and trouble Gentile Churches. They were simply determined to stamp Christ with the Jewish Trademark.
Against this Paul stood adamant. Had the observance of the Law been imposed on Gentile converts Paul's whole lifework would have been wrecked.
The expansion of Christianity from a Jewish sect into a World Religion was Paul's consuming passion, in pursuit of which he broke every hindering tie, and strained every faculty of mind and body for upwards of thirty years.
The effort to Judaize the Gentile Churches was brought to an end by the Fall of Jerusalem, A. D. 70, which severed all relations between Judaism and Christianity. Up to this time Christianity was regarded as a Sect or Branch of Judaism. But from then on Jews and Christians were apart. A small sect of Jewish Christians, the Ebionites, remained, in decreasing numbers, for two centuries, hardly recognized by the general Church, and regarded as Apostates by their own race.
Circumcision was the name of the initiatory physical rite of Judaism.
If a male, not born a Jew, wished to become a Jewish Proselyte, law of the Jews' in some respects, as a foreigner may become a citizen of our country.

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Chapter 1: Paul's Gospel Direct from God

To discredit Paul in the eyes of the Galatians the Judaizers, it seems, were saying that Paul was not an original Apostle, and that he derived his teaching from the Twelve. This may supply the background for his passionate vindication of himself as an independent Apostle. He got his Gospel direct from God, and there is no other Gospel.
Arabia (17). There is no mention of this in the account in Acts. The three years (18), includes the time he was in Damascus and in Arabia (Acts (:23). According to Jewish usage of reckoning part years at the beginning and end of a period as years the three years may have been only one full year and parts of two years. Arabia is the desert country east of Palestine, extending southeastward from Damascus. Paul was so stunned by the stroke from heaven, and the instant realization that his whole life had been wrong that he felt he had better think it over and sought solitude to get himself reconstructed. It was in Arabia that some of his revelations came (16).

In Chapter 2 Paul writes of his trip to Jerusalem ( 1-10). He had waited for three years after his conversion before he returned to Jerusalem, where he had laid waste in the church. He took Titus, one of his Gentile converts, along as a test case, as to the question of Gentile circumcision. He stood his ground, and won the complete endorsement of the other Apostles.

In the last chapter of Galatians (6:16-18 ~And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God. From henceforth let no man trouble me; for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus. Brethren, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.) Paul summarized the Gospel which he preached. Aroused by the Judaizers (Jewish Christians) who insisted that the gentile converts to Christianity abide by certain Old Testament rites, especially circumcision. Paul pointedly proclaims the basic principle that man is saved through faith in Jesus Christ.

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THE JOURNEY CONTINUES

There were pioneers of olden days,
Who spread the gospel on their way.
Building churches to spread the news,
That Christianity had new views.

Paul took Titus, Barnabas aided,
Cornelius was among the ones who stated.
The Jewish laws did not pertain,
Totally on what Christians attain.

The traditions of old were up to the test,
And Paul was teaching the way he knew best.
All did not agree and brought ill will,
But He continued to preach it still.

His message also to the churches instilled,
The Christians have to be in God's will.
Two many leaders, and too few to follow.
Was the problem then and from that we borrow.

The Church is not the building, mortar and stone,
The foundation cannot stand on that alone.
Christians need unity and one accord,
To stay in the direct will of our Lord.

Written by Shirley Barr
October 8, 2005
References used: KJV BIBLE, HALLEY's BIBLE HANDBOOK
and WORLD'S BIBLE HANDBOOK all copyrights observed

MUSIC; 'MY REDEEMER LIVES'
Sequenced by Bob Bennett
Permission given by Douglas Sands Midis