Introduction To Galatians Series

Intro to Galatians (Galatians 1:1-24)

The Galatian churches included those in the cities of Lystra, Iconium, Antioch of Pisidia, and Derbe which were established on Paul’s first missionary journey and revisited on his subsequent missionary trips.

The six chapters of this epistle are divided into three main sections of Paul’s teaching.

Chapters 1 & 2 are personal in nature and deal with Paul’s authority.

Chapters 3 & 4 are doctrinal in nature and deal with justification by faith.

Chapters 5 & 6, are practical in nature and deal with the application of the doctrine of justification.

I. Personal: Paul’s Authority (Gal. 1:1-2:21).

A. Paul’s Announcement of His Gospel (1:1-5).

1. His Ministry (1-2).

> Did not originate from men or by men.

> It centered on and around Jesus Christ.

> Although not one of the original twelve, he was called to be an apostle by Jesus Christ on the road to Damascus.

> He founded the very churches to whom he was writing.

2. His Message (3-4).

> The Person of the Gospel: "our Lord Jesus Christ..."

> The Price of the Gospel: "gave himself for our sins..."

> The Purpose of the Gospel: "that he might deliver us..."

3. His Motive (5).

> "To whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen."

> The false teachers, both then and now, seek their own glory.

> The Judaizers were not interested in reaching the lost, but in stealing converts.

B. Paul’s Astonishment at Their Removal (1:6-10).

1. They were deserting the Grace of God (6-7a).

> Paul was astonished because it was happening so soon.

> That they would already be looking fr "another".

> "Another" different from the first, not "another" of the same kind.

> They were being "troubled" by false teachers, and yet receiving them.

2. They were believing a perverted Gospel (7b).

> "Pervert" means to twist or turn the meaning to cause misdirection.

> The Judaizers were twisting the Gospel message and adding to it the bondage of the Law of Moses.

3. Paul condemns those who would pervert the Gospel (8-10).

> "...let him be accursed"; Paul repeats this condemnation.

> (v. 10) the test of a man’s ministry is not popularity, or miraculous signs and wonders, but his faithfulness to the Word of God!

C. Paul’s Defense of His Ministry (1:11-24).

1. He received his Gospel personally from Christ (11-14).

> Paul saw the risen Christ and received his commission and message directly from Him.

> This qualified him to be an apostle.

> The only explanation of the radical change that took place in Paul’s life was Jesus Christ!

2. He received his Gospel apart from the other Apostles (15-17).

> Paul was not taught by men, but by God.

> He was not part of the Jerusalem group, but was instructed by the Lord Himself in Arabia.

> He received acknowledgment for his Gospel from the churches (18-24).

> He was acquainted with Peter and James, but none of the others.

> He did not seek the approval of the Jerusalem church.

> He was unknown to the Judean churches, but they glorified God when they heard about his glorious conversion.

D. Paul’s Approval by the Apostles (2:1-10).

1. The Private Consultation (1-2).

> This takes place fourteen years after Paul’s initial visit with Peter and James.

> Paul and Barnabas had been ministering the gospel to the Gentiles.

> When they returned to Antioch, they found that the Jewish legalists, Judaizers, had brought their false teachings into the church at Antioch and were creating great confusion.

> (Acts 15:1-5) Paul was concerned over the future of the gospel among the Gentiles, that it be not destroyed by these false teachings.

2. The Public Convocation (3-5).

> (Acts 15:6-12) Several witnesses presented the case for the Gospel of Grace

1) Peter reminded the group of the events surrounding the saving of Cornelius.

2) Paul and Barnabas related what God had done on their missionary journey among the Gentiles.

> Titus was a ’test’ case.

1) He was a Gentile Christian who had never submitted to circumcision.

2) According to the Judaizers, Titus wasn’t saved!

3) For him to submit to their demands would mean bondage, rather than liberty.

4) It would have meant obedience to a lie, rather than to the truth of the Gospel.

3. The Personal Confirmation (6-10).

> Paul was not looking for some sort of personal recognition, but wanted them to recognize the "grace of God".

> This they did in Acts 15:13-21.

> Not only did they approve Paul’s Gospel, but they en- couraged Paul in his ministry.

> They also publicly recognized that God had assigned different areas of ministry to different men.

E. Paul’s Defense of the Gospel with Peter (2:11-21).

1. Peter’s Relapse (11-13).