Paul & The Gospel Series

Disclaimer Please note that all my sermons come from the Lord. But I get my info from many sources from my library and other sources. I do not claim all material as my originality. I don’t quote all sources but I give credit to the Lord who is the author of all sermons. “All originality and no plagiarism makes for dull preaching" Charles Spurgeon

PAUL AND THE GOSPEL

Galatians 1:1–2:21

Introduction

We learn something about Paul’s life in this epistle not reported elsewhere in the New Testament (e.g. 1:17-24). We also see how the Galatian churches faced a challenge to the gospel. The principles in these chapters are relevant for all time.

I. Perverting the Gospel (1:6-10).

A. Even in the earliest days of Christianity, false teaching was apparent. Paul did not overlook it, pretending it did not exist; neither did he minimize it, saying it does not matter.

B. The Judaizers were teaching that a Gentile had to undergo circumcision, becoming a Jew before he could be a Christian. This was not the gospel that Paul and his colleagues had preached, but rather a perverted gospel.

C. The truth, as he explained later (2:15-21), is that all people—Jews or Gentiles—are saved by faith in Christ, not by obeying the Mosaic law.

II. Presenting the Gospel (1:11-2:10).

A. Paul’s message was revealed by Jesus. In these autobiographical lines, the apostle explains that the source of his gospel was not from any man, but a direct revelation from the Christ whom he met on the Damascus road (see Acts 22:1-16).

B. Paul’s message was confirmed by the apostles (2:1-10) as they accepted Paul and encouraged him in his ministry to the Gentiles.

III. Protecting the Gospel (2:11-21).

A. The gospel needs to be defended (2:11-16). Paul confronted even his close friends Peter and Barnabas when they were in error. The gospel demands that all people bring their doctrine into harmony with it, regardless of popular opinion.

B. The gospel needs also to be demonstrated (2:17-21). Godly living is the mark of a believer. Galatians 2:20 provides a wonderful goal for each Christian. The attacks of the ungodly are silenced by righteous living (1 Peter 2:15).

Illustrations

Costly Mistakes

A teenager worked as a florist’s delivery boy. One day he had two arrangements to deliver—one to a church for the dedication of a new building; the other to a funeral home. He got confused and took each to the wrong location. The florist received a call from an angry minister. “We’ve got a basket of flowers in the front of our new sanctuary that says, ‘Rest in Peace.”’ The florist replied, “You think you’ve got problems! Somewhere in this town there is a casket with flowers beside it that say, ‘Good luck in your new location.”’ Some mistakes are more serious than others, but perverting the gospel is the biggest mistake of all.

Branded for Christ

On the open range in the West, ranchers have long branded their cattle to show ownership, setting them apart. A brand permits instant identification. Satan has placed the universal brand of sin on man. We might think of it as the letter “I.” “I will do things my way, not Gods.” When we accept Jesus, He changes our brand by marking through it, and it becomes a cross. Paul bore the brand of Jesus (Galatians 6:17). He described his sufferings for the Lord (2 Corinthians 11:23-28). As we live for Him, we may suffer, but this only shows that we have been crucified with Christ (Galatians 2:20). Lafayette was struck on his foot by a musketball at Germantown. He later said, “I prize this wound as among my most valued possessions.