Switching Gears To Freedom
Eleutheria! Eleutheria is the Greek, word for freedom. When Paul penned this word it spoke volumes to the churches in Galatia. He was writing to people that came from a past of being abused by the province of Rome, but who recently have been given the golden opportunity to be set free spiritually. The Galatians were being enticed by a Jewish Christian Sect called the Judaizers who were adding duties to the faith-based gospel Paul originally preached. A commentator by the name of John Philips states that when the Galatians heard the term, ¡§for freedom,¡¨ they would flash back to the way the Greek gods secured freedom for slaves. The process for a god to purchase a slave was that the slave would have to supply the money and since the slave did not have any legal standing, he would not be able to purchase himself so his master would pay the set amount to the temple treasury on the slave¡¦s behalf. The temple administrators would then execute a document bearing the words, ¡§for freedom.¡¨ This would then give the god full ownership of the slave, so now the slave was free and nobody could ever enslave him again.
This is the same way with Jesus; He paid the price for our freedom and has given believers access to a similar document found in Paul¡¦s letter to the Galatians, chapter 5, verse 1:
¡§It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.¡¨
The main idea of this passage is two fold.
True freedom is gained by faith in Christ, and maintained by the ability to stand firm for the gospel at all times. Putting our complete faith in Christ for our salvation is mandatory to experience the freedom God has made available to the world.
(Firstly) True Freedom is found in Christ alone!
The Galatians were at the thresh hold of believing another gospel, a gospel that was adding to God¡¦s equation for salvation. By adding to the gospel, the Judaizers were trying to put confidence in their own efforts. This contradicted Paul’s message, which stated that salvation, was solely by faith in Christ alone.
In essence, Paul was trying to convey the truth that freedom in Christ is not found in what you can do, but in whom you believe. Believing in the Judaizers gospel would switch the individual¡¦s focus to their works, instead of the work of Christ. Faith based freedom, has only one condition, to have faith in Christ for your salvation. Placing our faith in Christ initiates our freedom, but it is experienced in our daily relationship with God.
Like the Galatians who received Christ¡¦s freedom began to compromise the truth for a lie. To counter compromise, we must protect our freedom by maintaining a commitment to standing firm for the gospel at all times.
(Secondly) True Freedom calls believers to stand firm in Christ!
Because of what God has done by making freedom available to those who put their faith in Christ. This gives us the opportunity and power to do what we must do as believers so that we protect our freedom. Protecting our freedom can only be possible by gaining a deeper understanding of truth.
Paul was ultimately challenging the Galatians to keep standing firm in their freedom on a daily basis. Like Paul, we have to be freedom fighters, when any type of compromise is brought against the truth of the gospel. Jesus stood firm on the cross to make freedom available to the world, how much more should we stand firm in our daily lives to make freedom a reality to the people around us?
What would be worth it to you, to compromise your freedom in Christ? The Galatians were willing to compromise their freedom by adding the law to their salvation. Just like the Galatians, our freedom can also be in jeopardy, if we do not maintain our commitment to the truth. Freedom is found in Christ and truth about Christ is found in the Bible. Not being consistent in our devotion times will limit our knowledge of the truth. This will then place us in a self-imposed prison where our lack of knowledge becomes a bondage to our spiritual maturity.
In conclusion, when Paul commanded the Galatians to stand firm, he had the Judaizers in mind. Today we are in a different battle, but with similar consequences. The Galatians were trying to put confidence in themselves by adding to their salvation, and today a lot of Christians are convicted of a similar crime, a crime of not giving God top priority in their daily lives. The reasons might have changed to why one must stand firm, but the command, to stand firm, lives forever. Today, we must develop consistent, deep intimate relationships with God. This is where true freedom is cultivated and where a solid foundation is built to stand on, so that error has no chance in robbing us of our freedom. Today is the day to be set free from this type of bondage; today is the day to reaffirm your commitment to the truth of God¡¦s word. Would you switch gears to freedom with me?
**********(BELOW IS MY MANUSCRIPT)************
INVESTIGATION
I. Literary Features of the Passage and Book
Genre
What is the literary form of book and passage? (Narrative, Parable, Poetry, History, Epistle (Letter), etc.) Describe the significance in regards to proper interpretation.
Stein states that the dominant literary form in the New Testament is the epistle or letter style. He says, a letter is technically less literary and is a more personal form of communication that tends to address a specific situation or problem and builds on an established relationship. He also states that an epistle is more artistic in form and is intended as a self-explanatory treatise to a wider public (Stein 169). Using Stein¡¦s guidelines, the book of Galatians can be noted as being more of a letter than an epistle. Due to the fact that Paul had been to the churches in Galatia previously and had built relationships with them, but Paul was writing to more than one church, which makes the recipients a wider body.
Letters had a certain structure, but the author was not enslaved to the form (Stein 171). This statement shows to be true about Paul because in the letter to the Galatians, Paul leaves out a word of thanksgiving and/or a prayer and then right away reveals his anger and frustration because of the problems occurring in the church, which is very significant to the audience.
Scholar¡¦s battle with the age-old question, is the book of Galatians a letter or an epistle? A scholar by the name of Deissmann states after comparing actual papyrus letters to Paul¡¦s letters in the New Testament he believes that Paul¡¦s letters, ¡§should not be treated as classical epistles or theological tractates, but ordinary letters usually written in haste to address some specific situation or problem that had come to Paul¡¦s attention¡¨ (George 61).
Taking all this information into consideration and putting aside any preconceived notions, I would have to conclude that the book of Galatians is more of a letter style, but definitely has major characteristics of an epistle. Placing the book of Galatians in the category of a letter helps me to understand the significance of its content to the audience. Because of the nature of Paul¡¦s rebuke, one can come to the conclusion that he had already established a respectable reputation among the Galatians so that he knows his words would not be wasted but received in order to salvage the fruit of his ministry. Even though Paul was hard on the Galatians, he showed deep concern and a pastoral¡¦s heart for their souls so that they would listen to his correction, and apply it to their lives.
Key features of Book (Be detailed)
q Key features of the book: (What is book noted for?)
The book of Galatians is noted for the forceful rebuke Paul begins the letter with, which is uncommon in Paul¡¦s array of letters. In the first five verses of this letter, which is the opening greeting, Paul begins to answer two main charges that were brought towards him and his preaching. The first is that he was not an authentic apostle, and secondly was that the Gospel that he preached must be supplemented and supported by Jewish law (Eason 441).
The letter to the Galatians is well known for its underling issue called the Judaizing controversy. After Paul converted a large amount of Gentiles to faith in Christ in the region of Galatia, other missionaries surfaced after he left and began preaching that in order to be saved one must believe in Christ and follow the Jewish laws, the most important laws these individuals stressed was the circumsion laws (Ehrman 245).
The Judaizers were labeled as a sect of Jewish Christians who were not willing to accept that salvation was achieved by faith alone. They continued to insist that Christians must come to God through Judaism. So in order for a Gentile to become a Christian, he or she must become a Jewish Proselyte and hold to the Jewish law (Halley 609). ¡§They made it their business to visit and unsettle and trouble Gentile Churches. They were simply determined to stamp Christ with the Jewish trademark¡¨ (Halley 609).
The fall of Jerusalem in A.D. 70 brought to an end the effort to Judaize the Gentile churches. This ¡§severed all relation 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¡¨ (Halley 609).
Hendricksen states that Paul¡¦s main concern was that the Galatians should not lose their hold on the one true gospel. There is significance in Paul¡¦s use of the word gospel because all together he used the word, as either a noun or as a component element of a verb, thirteen times. Paul also reaffirms the essence of the gospel by saying, ¡§A man is not justified by works of the law but only through faith in Jesus Christ¡¨ (Gal 2:16). Hendricksen says, the theme of Galatians is, ¡§The Gospel of Justification by Faith apart from Law Works Defended against Its Detractors¡¨ (22).
q Date and location (note any significance of dating):
Eason states that the letter to the Galatians was written after A.D. 50 and the meeting of the Council in Jerusalem. The reason behind this date is that in Galatians 1:11 to 2:10, Paul speaks about himself in the past tense. He mentioned his conversion, his three years in Arabia, and his fourteen years in Jerusalem. Together this is a seventeen year time period that would place him from the time of his conversion in A.D. 35 to two years after the council at Jerusalem, which took place in A.D. 50. Also, Luke mentions three visits to the Galatians and not one time does he state that Paul had any kind of trouble with the churches or the Judaizing teachers with in them. In Acts 16: 4, Luke states, ¡§As they went on their way through the cities, they delivered to them for observance the decisions which had been reached by the apostles and the elders who were at Jerusalem.¡¨ This scripture is pretty clear that there was no inclination of trouble among the Galatians like we see in the letter Paul latter wrote to them. The author concludes that the writing of Galatians occurred some time in the latter part of Paul¡¦s second missionary journey or maybe during his third journey (Eason 440). In Acts 18:23, it is clear that Paul makes his third and last trip to these churches, which is at the beginning of his third journey that took place somewhere between A.D. 54-58. There was no mention of any problems that was worthy of Luke recording it in his narrative. The author feels that it is safe to say that the problems the Galatians experienced occurred afterwards; perhaps it could have been when Paul was in Ephesus (Eason 440).
Halley states that Paul, somewhere between A.D. 45-48 founded the Galatian churches. As Paul was setting out for his second missionary journey, he revisited the churches about A.D. 50 and again, as he was beginning his third missionary, which was about A.D. 54. The date that is commonly accepted for the writing of this book is A.D. 57, which is at the end of Paul¡¦s third missionary journey, while he was in Ephesus or Macedonia or Corinth, which was right before he wrote the book of Romans (Halley 608). Some claim that Paul wrote the book in A.D. 49 from Antioch. This would have been soon after Paul¡¦s first return from Galatia and right before the Jerusalem Council of A.D. 50. The location in which the letter was sent to was in the central district of Asia Minor. To the north was Bithynia and Paphlagonia, to the south was Cappadocia and Phrygia, to the east was Pontus and Cappadocia and to the west was Phrygia and Bithynia (Eadie xiii).
Hendricksen states that the book was written after the Jerusalem Council because it describes Paul¡¦s relation to the other leaders at that significant meeting. In Galatians 2:1, Paul mentions a journey to Jerusalem, which correspond to the meeting that is mentioned in Acts 15: 1-4. The author states it was also written after the two prior trips to South Galatia, which can be researched in Acts 13 and 14 and the second trip in Acts 15 and 16. He then says the letter could not of not been written to long after his second journey because Paul mentions in the letter, how quickly they are moving away from God who called them (Gal 4:13). ¡§It may well have been written, therefore, on the second missionary journey, at Corinth, before the arrival of Timothy and Silas¡¨ (Hendricksen 15). Taking all this into consideration, this could place the writing of this book near the middle of the period A.D. 50-53, which is the second missionary journey, just before the writing of 1 Thessalonians (Hendricksen 15).
q To whom was the book written (Attended Audience) (s):
Paul addressed the letter to ¡§the churches of Galatia¡¨ in 1:2. It is noted that before the Roman conquests, Galatia was a region in the north-central portion of Asia Minor, which today is known as the country of Turkey. The region was populated, but the people were spread out among the region, so eventually Rome connected the area with an even greater population in the south. This region included the cities of Lystra, Derbe, Iconium, and Pisidian Antioch. This whole region was called Galatia by the Romans, even though the name had earlier been used to refer to just the northern portion (Ehrman 245).
The churches were not made up entirely of Gentiles, but also Jewish people, because Paul identifies himself with them by saying ¡§we Jews by nature¡¨ (2:15), ¡§redeemed us from the course of the law¡¨ (3:13), and ¡§we were kept under the law¡¨ (3:23). Also, there were heathen believers that Paul had to preach to in order to explain to them that circumcision is useless (4: 8-12). When Paul makes reference to the Old Testament through out the book this tells readers that the audience was partly Jewish because Gentiles were not proficient in Old Testament law (Eadie xxxiii).
The history behind the Galatians is that they were from a culture where they derived from a people group called the Gauls or Kelts, which is said to be birth sometime around 278 B.C. It is recorded that the Gauls invaded and ravaged Greece, Macedonia, and Thrace in which they then crossed over to Asia Minor. The king of Bithynia, Nicomedes, invited the Gauls to migrate over so there is some clarification in why they destroyed those cities. They were associated with three tribes who were called Galli, which means Gauls. Also, Gauls is another word for warriors (Hendricksen 5).
Hendricksen said that the age-old controversy of whom Paul meant when he said the churches in Galatians has been concluded with the following information. Paul was addressing churches in North Galatia. The author uses the account in Acts where Luke lists the cities in the North and he says if it is true for Luke, then why should it not hold true for Paul? Also, one of the big problems was circumsion, which tells us that the majority of the audience was Gentile because the Jews were circumcised and even were called the circumsion. The churches that were established on the southern part of the Roman Province of Galatia were both Jews and Gentiles. In the book of Acts, it says in Antioch of Pisdia there were many Jews (13:43). Taken those facts into consideration, and the way Paul was addressing those who were trying to become one of the circumsion, the author concluded that the audience Paul was addressing when he said to the churches of Galatia were the churches up north, not south (Hendricksen 8-9).
The background of the Galatians was of Celtic descent. Their temperament was attracted to novelty so when Paul came the first time preaching the gospel this was something unique and new to these people they were attracted easily. Paul¡¦s testimony and the freshness of the gospel aroused the people and persuaded them to believe in Jesus to some degree (Eadie xxxiii).
One of the primary religions that were practiced in the area where the churches of Galatia were planted was the Phrygian religion. It was known as demonstrative nature worship, both sensuous and startling. This cult was orgiastic, which meant that it used wild music and dances that were led by Corybantes. This practice included impurities and abominations, though it might have aspects of mystical and secret teachings. The head god or the mother of gods that the cult worshipped was called Rhea or Cybele. Rhea supposedly fell from heaven and then her name changed and she was called Agdistes. A magnificent statue and temple was built to honor her (Eadie xxxv).
The audience Paul addressed was considered a branch of the Gaul¡¦s who separated themselves from the main migration of their people. They were a group of people that originally came from the north of the Black Sea, which migrated westward into Macedonia and Greece, and eventually as far west as what is now France. The Gaul¡¦s who spilt off the main migration settled in central Asia Minor in the early part of the 3rd century B.C. Another name for them was, Galatai, which is where we get the name the Galatians (Eason 438). The Galatians were known as impulsive and easily changeable due to the fact that they were ready to worship Paul and Barnabas as gods one moment, and the next moment they were ready to stone them (Eason 438).
q Key verse of book:
After determining that the whole book revolves around the idea of Christian liberty the key verse would have to be Galatians 5:1. It states,¡¨ It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery¡¨ (NIV). One scholar notes, ¡§If Galatians is the Magna Carta of Christian liberty, then Galatians 5:1 has reason to be considered one of the key verses of the epistle (letter)¡¨ (George 352). The reason this verse is key to the book is that the first part is an assertion, ¡§For freedom . . . Christ has set us free,¡¨ and then a command that is based upon the assertion, which states, ¡§Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery¡¨ (Gal 5:1).
One scholar states that Galatians 5:1 is the center of the book (Williams 132). It is the turning point of the book. The first 4 chapters elude to the problems, them the key verse Gal 5:1 joins the second part of the book, chapters 5-6, where Paul delivers practical applications to help prevent the problems with the Judaizers from increasing. The first part of the book hinges on Gal 5:1, which leads right into the second part of the book.
II. Essential History of the Passage & Book - Perspective- be detailed
q What is the history that surrounds the book and passage?
First, the history that was taking place, which evoked Paul to write this letter, came down to an issue that was labeled as the Judaizing Controversy. After reading many sources, there are several different explanations that have been thrown around in scholarly circles, the first being the Tubingen School. This school states that there was a drastic opposition by two factions who completely took the apostles out of context. The first group was being led by extreme followers of Paul and Apollos, who emphasized the Christian mission to the Gentiles and the second group was being led by extreme followers of Peter and James, which ¡§stressed the priority of Jerusalem and the continuing validity of the Jewish law for Christian believers.¡¨ This view states that those who followed the Pauline party began to advance and become more and more radical with its separation from Judaism that it was ultimately absorbed into Gnosticism. On the other hand, those who followed the Petrine party became more and more narrow minded, which led to it gradually evolving into such an extremist group of Jewish-Christians who pushed, both faith in Jesus and law practice in order to be saved (George 51-52). George states that Paul¡¦s opponents in Galatia who stirred up this trouble were representatives of the leaders of the Jerusalem church who were the root of the problem. The individuals who came to the churches in Galatia to convert the Christians to other practices could have been ¡§spiritual first cousins, if not the identical twins, of those ¡¥men . . . from James¡¦ who had earlier disturbed the church in Antioch, leading to Paul¡¦s famous confrontation with Peter because Peter did not want to eat with the Gentiles¡¨ (Gal 2:11-14). Scholars state that these men had infiltrated the churches of Galatia preaching a message contrary to Paul¡¦s doctrine of grace and denying his apostolic authority (George 52).
A man named J.H. Ropes calls another school of thought the Two-Front Theory created by two scholars, one by the name of German W. Lutgert, and the other. These men state that the history around the problems the churches in Galatia were facing was because Paul was simultaneously fighting against two groups rather than one. On the one hand, the battle was with legalists who came into the Galatian camp preaching their message of justification by faith plus circumsion. On the other hand, Paul had libertines with in the churches that misinterpreted Paul¡¦s message of freedom by converting Christian liberty to a license to sin. That is where Paul tells them not to use their freedom as ¡§an opportunity for the flesh¡¨ (Gal 5:13). These two scholars state that Paul had to take on a dual distortion of the message of the gospel that he preached to the churches in Galatia. The first group Paul addressed was the Judaizing group who belittled the character of Christ¡¦s death and resurrection from the promoting of the Jewish laws as a means to obtain salvation. The other group was ¡§a pneumatic group of spiritual enthusiasts whose charismatic and antinomian excess scandalized the church and called into question the efficacy of the gospel.¡¨ They defend this view with Paul¡¦s aggressiveness to address the legalists (Judaizers) in chapters 1-4 with his strong emphasis on justification by faith. Then in chapters 5-6, he changed topics to address the libertines that took Christina liberty for granted (George 52-53).
The history that surrounds this passage begins with Paul¡¦s declaration to the churches in Galatia that ¡§It is for freedom that Christ set you free¡¨ (Gal 5:1a). One of the problems that caused Paul to say these words was that the new Christians did not know what to do with their new Christ-won freedom. Some were abusing their freedom and using it as a license to sin. Others so quickly forgot that Christianity was not a solo act, so Paul had to remind them to bear each other¡¦s burdens (Gal. 6: 2). A question that all scholars define is, what did Paul mean by freedom in this passage? When Paul used the word freedom in this context he meant that Christian liberty is to be grounded in the believer¡¦s relationship with Jesus and with the community of faith. ¡§Out side of Jesus Christ, human existence is characterized as bondage¡Xbondage to the law, bondage to the evil elements dominating the world, bondage to sin, the flesh, and the devil.¡¨ Through the blood shed on Calvary, freedom has taken over and defeated the slaveholders of this world and has made it possible to have freedom from all the bondages the author describes. At the moment, when the Galatians received the Spirit of God, they also received the gift of freedom, which is one reason Paul did not mention it when he listed the fruits of the Spirit because it is automatic at new birth (George 354-355).
q What cultural issues and/or customs help you better understand the passage?
One cultural discrepancy I found that the members of the churches in Galatia had to face was an integration of Jews and Gentiles. In the Galatian region, there was a group of people who were called God Fearers or Gentiles. They were seriously minded pagans who found no interest in the cults of those days but were attracted to the beliefs and practices of the Jews who were among them. These God Fearers were attracted to a faith that believed in one God by high standards, which were proclaimed in the synagogues where they were invited and scene as passionate worshippers. The Jews had conversion in their minds, but here is where cultural differences came into play. The God Fearers or Gentiles for the most part were not willing to make a commitment to becoming a Jew because they had to submit to the all the Jewish laws, including circumsion, abstaining from prohibited food, and avoidance of social contact with their Gentile neighbors. Avoiding their neighbors would mean to separate from family, friends, and the rest of the community, which was a huge turn off from changing cultures. Also, to the average citizen in the Roman Empire were trained by the Greeks to appreciate the beauty of the human body. This also caused conflict between cultures because the law of circumsion to the God Fearers was barbaric and was viewed as a mutilation to the body (Neil 7-8).
Context of the Passage- be detailed
q Describe the context (What has happened, is happening, and will happen):
To answer the question, what has happened? I will begin with Paul¡¦s second missionary journey where he made a stop by the Galatian churches, which is found in Acts 15 and 16. The book of Galatians must not have been written too long after his second journey because Paul mentions in the letter how quickly the churches are moving away from God who called them by his grace (Gal 1:6). After Paul left, a new set of missionaries came in preaching what Paul called a different gospel. This different gospel has diminished the work of Christ and has added to Paul¡¦s message of salvation by requiring new converts to follow the Jewish laws also, like circumsion. These people who preached this heresy were called Judaizers. This group was a sect of Jewish Christians that began to handicap Paul¡¦s fruit of ministry. Paul was furious with them because number one, they were belittling his apostleship and secondly, they were leading people astray from the freedom that is found and experienced through Christ.
To answer the question, what is happening? After Paul has heard the horrendous news about the Judaizers who were corrupting the minds of the Galatians, he writes this letter to the churches in Galatia. Because of what happened, he wants to salvage any believers that he can so in the letter he both reinforces his calling as an apostle of Jesus Christ and then spends a lot of time breaking down the duty of the law, stating that it has served its purpose and now it is time to depend on the promises of God, not man. In the first part of my passage Paul states, ¡§It is for freedom that Christ has set you free¡¨ (Gal 5:1a). Paul is letting them know that it is not about anything they did or could do to have freedom, but it is solely by having faith in Christ that God will provide them with their passport to heaven. Trying to integrate freedom and law does not equal faith that leads to freedom, but works that leads to dependence on self, which in turn leads to bondage. The second half of the passage states, ¡§Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery¡¨ (Gal 5:1b). In order for the Galatians to fight off the schemes of the Judaizers who were causing all these problems, Paul in the Greek language tells them by the device of a verbal imperative command to stand firm. In the original language, stand firm, means to persevere. In order to persevere, one must have to be under attack to some degree. When the original audience heard this word a Roman army would come to mind because when the Romans would mount up for battle, they would have their shields dug into the ground side by side locking with the man next to them and this position would make them stand firm and persevere against opposing armies. Because of what happened with the Judaizers coming in to attack the gospel, Paul commands them to stand firm for the truth, just as if they were in a physical war that could lead to physical death because the war that they are in, if defeated will lead to eternal spiritual death.
To answer the question, what will happen? From looking at the text, the wording Paul uses when he says, if you let yourselves be circumcised, this alludes to the fact that they have not participated in it yet, which has a huge possibility of potential for there future. Paul goes onto explain to the Galatians that they were ¡§called to be free. But do not use that freedom to indulge the sinful nature¡¨ (Gal 5:13). Being confined to the law glorifies the sinful nature, which is contrary to living by the Spirit and Paul says, ¡§The acts of the sinful nature are obvious,¡¨ then he lists 14 sinful acts in which do not inherit the kingdom of God (Gal 5:19). Then Paul uses the word, ¡§but,¡¨ and starts to explain the acts of the Spirit. These acts will produce fruit in your lives because ¡§Against such things there is no law¡¨ (Gal 5:22). Paul basically breaks down what will happen to them with two options, either they will live by the Spirit and produce the fruit of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control) or they will gratify the desires of the sinful nature that are obvious (sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, and orgies) in which will keep them out of the kingdom of God. Practicing the law will bring bondage, but living for Christ will bring freedom in all areas of their life as a Christian.
q What is the motivation for your passage? What was author seeking to communicate?
The motivation behind the Galatians 5:1 passage that Paul was trying to communicate to the churches in Galatia was the idea that Christ set them free, so that they did not have to be tangled up in the bondages the law brought upon a man. When Paul says, ¡§It is for freedom that Christ set you free¡¨ (Gal 5:1a). One-scholar states, ¡§This declaration of our freedom is both a statement of an accomplished fact and a goal to pursue¡¨ (Hansen 152). Paul was not using these words to start a war, but letting the Galatians know that there is nothing they could do to earn this freedom accept for them to believe in Jesus. The second part of the passage states that this gift of freedom must be defended. Paul charges them to stand firm in the freedom that Christ has given them so fight off the error that can corrupt the gospel if not defended properly and diligently. To sum the motivation of the passage up in a few words I would say, because of what Christ did on the cross to set us free, this freedom must be protected with the readiness of a solider that is in battle.
q What is the location of your passage in regards to context? Is your text in the beginning, middle or the end of an idea, discussion, etc.?
-My passage (Galatians 5:1) actually sits by itself. It is not connected to the previous verses in chapter four nor is it connected to the latter verses beginning with verse 2 in chapter 5. Below in the section where it calls for the syntax of the passage, Williams¡¦s states that Galatians 5:1 acts as a bridge between chapters 1-4 and 5-6. The main reason is because there are no particles or conjunction words that bind it with the preceding and the following verses (132). Although it is not connected by grammar, this passage does follow the theme of Christian liberty, because in the section that precedes Galatians 5:1 Paul wrote about Hagar and Sarah referring to them as bearing sons, which Paul says, one by the slave woman and one by the free woman¡¨ (Gal 4:22). After Paul finished his illustration of Isaac, the child of promise and Ishmael, the child of the slave woman, freedom must have been ringing loud and clear because he dives again into the subject with my passage and also to reiterate it in some of the latter verses in chapter 5. For instance Paul tells them that they were called to be free, so do not misuse your freedom (Gal 5:13). Taking all this into consideration, I would have to say that my passage is in the middle of a Paul¡¦s discussion on freedom from the law and then how do you apply this freedom to their lives.
q How does the context help you properly interpret the passage?
Understanding the context helps me properly interpret the passage because without understanding the whole Judaizing controversy I would be lost in the dark. Now that I totally understand that a Jewish Christian Sect called the Judaizers came into the Galatian churches after Paul preached to them the second time, which was around the conclusion of his second missionary journey, they began preaching that in order to obtain salvation, an individual had to have faith in Jesus and also abide by the Jewish laws. This stirred up a lot of tension because all Paul¡¦s ministry efforts were on the verge of dying. Paul then wrote this letter clarifying, first his authority as an apostle of Jesus Christ and the problems with believing in another gospel. Taking these facts into consideration, when interpreting my passage, I could see that freedom was heavy on Paul¡¦s heart for the Galatians to understand that believing in the gospel any other way then what he preached to them originally would place them in bondage. Paul stresses that it is for freedom that Christ has set them free, freedom from the heavy burden the law that places upon people who can never, no matter how hard they try, fulfill the requirements of it. Actually the harder they would try, the more in bondage they would feel, so Paul says because of what Christ did on the cross, you are set free from the burden of the law, but this freedom must be defended so that you will stand firm when false teachers try to persuade you otherwise. Paul wants them to know that there freedom is found in the faith they have in there Savior because if they add anything else to that equation, Christ is worthless to them because in doing so they are putting confidence in themselves and not the faith that sets a man or woman free from the strain of the law.
q Detailed verse-by-verse context: (Breakdown your passage) (Example Romans 12:2 needs Verse 1 for proper interpretation)
My passage is Galatians 5:1, which is one verse that sits alone, but is broken up into two sentences. The first part states, ¡§It is for freedom that Christ has set us free¡¨ (Gal 5:1a). In Pauline ethics, the first part of this verse has an indicative verb (freedom) and the second part of the verse has an imperative verb (stand firm), which is a common grammar device in his letters. Understanding this device is central in order to properly interpret this passage. The reason is that, freedom, is what God has done and this gives us the opportunity and the power to do, what we must do, which is to stand firm in the freedom that Christ has given us. The second part of the verse says, ¡§Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery¡¨ (Gal 5:1b). Paul is calling the Galatians to stand firm in the freedom Christ has given them, so that they do not fall into the bondages of the law. The purpose of the law was to point people to Christ, but now that Christ has come on the scene, the law is useless and faith in Christ is mandatory to have a relationship with God. A relationship that is built on a foundation of freedom, but this freedom is only found in one way and that is by faith, and this faith must be protected because if they do not stand firm, they may fall into bondage. This bondage will bring the gratification of the sinful nature in their life, not the producing of the fruit of the Spirit where freedom will ring the loudest as a witness to the world.
Words and Features of the Passage- be detail
q What is the important and unique syntax of the language? (Are the verbs passive or active, etc)?
Williams states that although Gal 5:1 is connected thematically with what precedes and follows and also functions as a bridge between chapters 1-4 and 5-6, syntactically this verse stands in isolation. There is no particle or conjunction words that binds it to what precedes in chapter 4 and no particle or conjunction words in Gal 5:2 to connect it to verse 1 (Williams 132).
The Greek for the word, set free, is eleutheroo. When I parsed this verb I found out that it is an aorist active indicative verb that is 3rd person singular. The aorist tense is characterized by its action, which occurs at a specific time. The concept of the verb is considered without regard for past, present, or future time, but translating to English it is placed in the past tense. The active voice represents the subject as the doer or performer of the action and the indicative mood is a simple statement of fact. If an action really occurs or has occurred or will occur, it will be rendered in the indicative mood (blueletterbible.com). The word in the original language means to make free and to set at liberty from the dominion of sin. George states that the combination of an indicative verb (to be set free) followed by an imperative verb (stand firm) are a common device Paul used in his letters. Here the imperative verb (stand firm) does not contradict the indicative verb, but actually is a result of it (George 352). Also, Hansen states, ¡§What we must do (the imperative) is always based upon what God has already done (the indicative). Or to put it another way, what God has done gives us the opportunity and power to do what we must do (154). In essence, Paul is saying because Christ set you free, you have the power and authority to stand firm so that you do not get yourselves caught up in the bondages of the law. George goes on to say, ¡§The indicative of their Christ-won freedom secures the imperative of their Spirit-led obedience and victory¡¨ (353). Next, the Greek word for stand firm is stekete. The word parsed is present active imperative verb that is in the 2nd person plural form. It is very significant that this verb is an imperative because the imperative mood corresponds to the English imperative, and expresses a command to the hearer to perform a certain action by the order and authority of the one commanding. When Paul says stand firm it is not at all an invitation, but an absolute command requiring full obedience on the part of all hearers. The word means to persevere and persist and to keep one standing.
The Greek word for yoke is zugo. Parsing the word I learned that it is a dative masculine singular noun. The word, yoke, in the context refers to the bondage of the law.
ƒá ƒnImportant words and word studies? (How were those words used at that time and how should they be understood today?)
The Greek word for freedom is eleutheria. Eleutheria is in the dative case of advantage. Wuest states, ¡§The teaching is that Christ died on the cross to give us the advantage of having this liberty or freedom. The liberty consists of the Christians freedom from the law¡¨ (136). Not taking advantage to this freedom by subjecting oneself to the law is like a child in its minority under a parent or guardian. A child would not have any freedom to do what he or she wants. The child must move within a set of rules that act like boundaries. Being subjected to the law was a strenuous burden that could never be satisfied. ¡§Here were these Galatians Christians, free from the law, having been placed in the family of God as adult sons, indwelt by the Holy Spirit who would enable them to act out in their experience that maturity of Christian life in which they were placed, now putting on the straight jacket of the law, cramping their experience, stultifying their actions, depriving themselves of the power of the Holy Spirit. They were like adults putting themselves under rules made for children¡¨ (136). Christ¡¦s Freedom has the power to nullify even the toughest laws.
Philips states that when Paul used the word, free, in the context of the Galatian churches due to the fact they were previously heathen slaves, it had a negative connotation to it. ¡§Paul was writing to slaves. Rome¡¦s iron heel ground most men into the mud. Even as he penned these words, armor-clad Roman¡¦s clanked past his door. The harsh commands of a centurion could be heard above the tramp of marching men. Most of Paul¡¦s converts were slaves. If millions of people in those days shared one great, common desire, it was the desire to be free¡¨ (Phillips 142). When Paul uttered the word, free, the majority of the audience would picture the way that the Greeks secured freedom for a slave. ¡§A god supposedly purchased the manumitted slave. The slave provided the money, but, slaves had no legal standing, he could not purchase himself. So his master paid the appropriate amount into the temple treasury on the slave¡¦s behalf. A document bearing the words for freedom was executed. Then, because the slave was now the property of a god nobody could enslave him again¡¨ (Phillips 143). Now when Paul said the word, for freedom, it implies that the slave has been purchased and is the new property of the Son of God. This gives nobody the right to enslave the Galatians again.
Today, the word freedom in religious jargon could be understood along the lines of not being trapped or over powered by a whole bunch of unnecessary rules and guidelines. In our churches, Christians say with victory, we have freedom, but outsiders say with defeat you are slaves. They point to God¡¦s commandments and cannot see freedom in them. This passage speaks loudly that salvation is solely about faith, not rules. Freedom should be understood on the grounds of a life that is not burdened down by a whole bunch of rules and if you make a mistake, this freedom motivates the sinner to have a repentant heart. Freedom is only possible because of forgiveness and forgiveness is there to help those who have trouble living their freedom to its full potential.
When Paul used the word, stekete, translated to stand firm, he did not mean to simply stand, but with intensive force (Burton 271). The word for stand firm, in the time period of the Galatians ¡§would bring to mind the Roman way of waging war. When faced by wild undisciplined enemy hordes, the Romans simply locked their shields together, planted their feet firmly on the ground and presented to the charging enemy and iron wall of steel and resolution. That is the kind of stand that we must take against error. We must not yield a single point. Truth is truth; error is error. The two are at war. There must be no giving in on a single issue where error is involved (Phillips 143).
Today, to stand firm should be understood as a command to all who believe the gospel of truth. In essence, Paul was commanding the churches to keep standing firm in the faith that he preached to them, not to be so easily persuaded by any other so called truth, but to take hold of the grace they have received. In order to stand firm and not give into error, one must know what he or she believes so when that time comes and your faith is put to the test, you are able to stand up for the truth of the gospel.
The original meaning for the Greek word, yoke, meant a device that was put on draught cattle. ¡§In Paul¡¦s day one could often see oxen harnessed by a yoke to a heavily laden carts, straining to pull their burden up hill while being goaded with sharp sticks (Hansen 154). Metaphorically speaking the word yoke has been used to identify with the heaviness of the burden in obeying the law. ¡§The yoke of the law is a yoke of slavery, because it places us under the burden of commandments we cannot keep and under curses that we deserve for our obedience.¡¨ Gal 4:4 states that Jesus was born under the law in order to lift the heavy yoke of the law from our shoulders and for Him to take it upon His shoulders and then died under the curse of the law for all who have faith in Him (Gal 3:13). One scholarly website defined the word yoke as, ¡§of troublesome laws imposed on one, especially the Mosaic law, hence the name is so transferred to the commands of Christ as to contrast them with the commands of the Pharisees which were a veritable ’yoke’; yet even Christ’s commands must be submitted to, though easier to be kept.¡¨ Rob Bell, pastor of Mars Hill in Michigan, stated that the religious leaders that would groom men who were to become leaders as well had to obey a yoke. This yoke was a burdensome load of bylaws that were laws on top of laws, which made it next to impossible to satisfy.
Doctrinal/Theological Truths of the Passage- be detailed in discovering the truths, principles, lessons, teaching, Fallen Condition Focus (FCF pgs 40-44 Chapell), and redemptive context of the passage.
1. What does the text say?
2. What spiritual concern did the text address in its context?
3. What spiritual concerns do listeners share in common with those to whom the text was written?
q What are the primary theological truths that emerge from passage? (What does the passage teach about God?) (Theology)
One of the primary theological truths that speak loud through this text is concept that freedom is found in Christ. The question then is, what does Paul mean by the term freedom? Paul¡¦s use of the statement, ¡§It is for freedom that Christ has set us free,¡¨ says in essence that because of what Christ has accomplished by conquering the cross, He has fulfilled the law and made a new way for people to have a relationship with God that is built on a foundation of freedom and not law. This new way to have a relationship with God starts with a foundation of freedom, but maintained by the diligence of the believers who understands that their freedom must be protected. This freedom is achieved by having faith in Jesus. Another term for freedom is Christian liberty, which this passage speaks volume on. Contrary to Christian liberty was and is the bondages of following the law. To a Jewish man before the law and even during the time that the law was in effect, he probably would of said that the law was the grace of God, because this law was an opportunity to have a relationship with God. As time passed and the law became more of a hindrance then something to help people have a relationship with God, people realized that the harder they strived to keep the law, the more an emphasis was put on self and not God. When Christ came on the scene, the law had served its purpose and God birth a new way to have a relationship with Him, but this way was and is solely based on freedom. Through God¡¦s nature of progressively revealing his plan of salvation to men, He made it possible to be free and a slave to Him without the traditional burden that one would think of when he or she mentioned the word, slave. This new freedom was foreign to the Jewish people¡¦s way of thinking; it was an extraordinary concept that was ungraspable for them. Freedom from the law made it possible to develop a personal relationship with God like never before because this new way to develop a relationship with God was not based on works to attain salvation, but based on faith that frees a man¡¦s soul.
q How does the theology contained in your passage relate to the truth found elsewhere in Scripture?
The theology of Christian liberty in my passage screams loud through the rest of scripture. First, Paul made a comment in the book of Ephesians about this subject, where he said, ¡§For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith¡Xand this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God¡X not by works, so that no one can boast¡¨ (2:8-9). Again, Paul is teaching that your salvation cannot be based on anything you do initially, but it is all based on whom you have faith in because it is by God¡¦s grace that believers are able to have faith in Him. Verse nine hits the nail on the head, because here Paul is reiterating the point that was made in Galatians where this salvation cannot be based on anything a person does because people would be able to take credit for there salvation. The Galatians were on the threshold of believing another gospel, a gospel that was adding to God¡¦s equation for salvation. The Judaizers were trying to put confidence in the flesh by adding the law into the mix; when Jesus said salvation is solely about faith. In the book of Romans, Paul taught that the law aroused sinful passions, which ¡§bore fruit of death, but by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code¡¨ (Romans 6:5). Paul proves that the law brings death, so by adding the law to God¡¦s salvation plan would nullify Christ¡¦s resurrection and bring bondage to the soul who would endeavor to take this route. Being released from the law gives the believer freedom to cultivate a relationship with God by the means of the Spirit. Paul also teaches, ¡§where the Spirit of the Lord is there is freedom¡¨ (2 Corinthians 3:17b). This passage speaks to the heart of the matter of law and freedom, because in context Paul is discussing the differences between the times when Moses had to put a veil over his face due to the fact that God¡¦s glory was shining through but fading because the Israelites were not capable of experiencing the fullness of God¡¦s glory and the ministry of Christ where he takes the veil away so that believers can experience the full radiance of God¡¦s glory without any walls. Paul states, ¡§for the letter (law) kills, but the Spirit gives life¡¨ (2 Corinthians 3:6b). He goes on to say, if the ministry (law) that brought death came with glory, how much more is the ministry of the Spirit going to be even more glorious? The Spirit is our door into the freedom that Christ has made possible to those who have faith in Him. The whole concept of faith in Christ is that we as believers are to have faith in what Christ did for us, not we can do for ourselves. The bottom line is that the law brings bondage, but Christ brings freedom.
q What does the passage reveal concerning how we should, as believers or non-believers, live? (Doctrine)
The passage challenges believers to live a life that centers on the doctrine of Christian liberty. The doctrine of Christian liberty is essential to living a victorious life as a Christian. Paul says, ¡§It is for freedom that Christ set us free¡¨ (Gal 5:1a). This doctrine begins and ends with an expression of faith in Christ. One scholar said, ¡§Faith is the necessary condition of freedom¡¨ (Williams 133). Adding anything to what Christ did on the cross will nullify this doctrine and birth a bondage to the person that makes Christ worthless is his or her life. Living a life of freedom is only possible by the Spirit of God. Abiding by this doctrine, as a believer today is just as important as it was back in Paul¡¦s days as a missionary. Just like the Galatians, believers can jeopardize their freedom in Christ by switching gears from being faith oriented to works oriented. The doctrine rests on the principle that Christ does all the work in making salvation possible to those who simply put their faith in Him as Lord and Savior. Freedom is accomplished by what Christ did, not what the believer can do. Trying to incorporate any kind of works into the equation will nullify the freedom that Christ made possible by conquering the cross, which will then place that person on the performance track of life, where nothing pleases God. Balance is essential so that a believer¡¦s good works in which Paul said that we were created for, does not turn into bondage. Being work oriented to a degree can be a good thing, but when the works become the sole motivation in a person¡¦s salvation, bondage is around the corner. The doctrine gives believers the liberty to live a faith-based life, which takes the stress of performing off of the believer and places it on the Savior. When Christian liberty is maximized in a believer¡¦s life it will reflect what Jesus did on the cross for the sin of the world.
INSIGHTS LEARNED
q What are the most helpful insights gained through studying the passage?
Some of the most helpful insights I have learned from studying this passage were from the background check I did on the Galatians culture they were from. One thing I learned concerning the society that the Galatians were cultured in that has deepened my understanding of why the Galatians were so gullible to lay aside there new found freedom in Christ for a life of bondage. Research has taught me that the Galatians were of Celtic descent. This meant that there temperament was attracted to novelty and uniqueness so when Paul arrived on the missionary journeys preaching this new gospel, they were astonished. Putting together Paul¡¦s unbelievable testimony and the freshness of the gospel excited the Galatians so much that it was like a device that persuaded them to believe to some degree (Eadie xxxiii). Their faith was on the border of being superficial because when the Judaizers came preaching another gospel, Paul states, ¡§I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel¡¨ (Galatians 1:6). Once these new preachers of a different gospel began to teach the Galatians something contrary to what Paul originally preached, they were so easily influenced due to the laws intricate demands which when compared to Paul¡¦s simple message of faith was not intriguing anymore. The depth of the law looked arousing to the Galatians. (This is the perfect place for the statement, ¡§more is not better!¡¨) Because of their temperament, they were being led astray by error, when the truth of the gospel was still fresh in their hearts and minds. The Galatians were so easy to lay down their freedom when this new gospel was being presented to them because they did not stand firm for their faith. The key to protecting the truth of the gospel is to chew before you digest any teaching so that the believer is not influenced by heresy and stripped of the very thing that set them free. Letting the truth transform the life of a believer is what glues it to his or her soul so that when those false teachers (friends) preach error, the believer is prepared to discern and stand up for the truth.
Another insight that I gained from studying this passage was the whole concept of Christian liberty. Freedom is the foundational principle that underlines the book of Galatians. Studying the Judaizing controversy was core to learning about what freedom really is and isn¡¦t. First, to experience true freedom, we must have faith in the one who made it all possible and that is Jesus Christ. Obtaining this freedom, keeps us away from the bondages that the law places upon a person, which takes one on a path that leads to death. The Galatians received true freedom, but when their freedom was put to the test with a teaching disguised as the very thing that is contrary to freedom, bondage, they were enticed to the point that Paul had to address the issue with concern in his heart for the Galatians by writing them this letter. In essence, Paul was trying to convey the truth that freedom in Christ is not found in what you can do, but in whom you believe in. Trying to find freedom in the law or good works is impossible because the both are based on the concept of having a performance track mentality. Basically, this means that believer¡¦s can switch gears in their salvation from being faith minded to works minded and lose focus on the very thing that set them free. When the law is practiced, it builds a false sense of pride because the man or woman says, look what I can do, and not look what God can do. People who have followed the law put confidence in their flesh and not in God. The law is a snare that nullifies what Christ has done on the cross for all of mankind. Faith in Christ brings the glory to God, not individuals and that is where the secret of freedom is found.
Another aspect of freedom that is so important is, now that you have received it by faith, what are you suppose to do with it? This is where the Galatians made their mistake. In the second half of the verse Paul commands them to stand firm for their freedom. Just like the Galatians, believers who do not put any effort in to protecting their freedom can result in abuse to the very Person that called them to be free. Paul then says, ¡§But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature.¡¨ Improper use of freedom is detrimental to the liberty of the believer¡¦s conscience, because in essence that is what, truly is being freed. Not having to submit to the law frees a believer¡¦s conscience so that they are not overpowered by the burden of failure and sin, which leads to the performance track that has the potential to entangle us. Protecting your freedom from the snare of the enemy is a huge step in living life to your full potential. True freedom rings through a believer¡¦s conscience, before he or she can hear it in their ears.
q What are the most important truths to relate on the passage in preaching?
One of the most important truths to communicate from this passage is the principle that true freedom is found through faith in Christ alone. Christ¡¦s death on the cross has paid for the sins of the world so that humans can experience and develop an intimate relationship with God through Jesus Christ, His Son. This concept was impossible before Christ because a relationship with God was kept by keeping the law. The law only brought bondage and sin to a believer¡¦s life so one of Jesus¡¦ purposes for coming was to bring salvation and freedom from the law. This freedom rests solely on the fact of what Christ did and not what man can do. To receive and experience the freedom that Christ sacrificed His life for, one must have faith in Jesus as Lord and Savior. Having faith brings freedom, but abiding by the law brings bondage. Paul states, ¡§It is for freedom that Christ set you free¡¨ (Gal 5:1). In context, Paul was talking about being free from the bondages of the law because of the Judaizers who were preaching that faith in Jesus and obedience to the law brings salvation. This was a message of error that had the possibility to bring bondage and sin upon anyone who dared to follow it. I cannot emphasize it enough, freedom is because of what Christ did and it is found in Christ by faith. Believing any other way nullifies His death on the cross and leads to a life of bondage and sin.
The next truth that I believe is important in this passage is a principle that goes hand and hand with my first truth. Due to the fact that true freedom is found through faith in Christ alone, Paul commands the Galatians to stand firm for this freedom. The word stand firm is a present tense verb, which means that it is an action that was come to completion, but still ongoing. Paul¡¦s charge to the Galatians is to keep standing firm in their freedom on a daily basis. To stand firm for freedom, one must have a keen sense of the concept of freedom, so that when it is brought to the test as it was with the Galatians freedom will result from freedom, not freedom switching into bondage.
ORGANIZATION
Write out a Clear Purpose Statement (one, crystal clear and concise sentence that states the theme of the text):
True freedom is gained by faith in Christ and maintained by the ability to stand firm in His truth at all times.
DOMINATING THEME: ¡§What¡¦s The Big Idea¡§
q How did you arrive at this conclusion?
I arrived at this conclusion by taking into consideration the problems that the audience of the book of Galatians were facing and then arriving at a solution to their problems, which I believe Paul states in the Galatians 5:1 passage. First, the problem was that the Galatians were buying into a teaching that added to the work of Christ. A Christian Jewish Sect called the Judaizers presented this new teaching. They taught that in order to be saved one must have faith in Christ and subject themselves to the Jewish laws. This would in turn nullify their faith and subject them to the bondages that the laws brought upon its followers. The problem was birth because they did not hold fast to the gospel that Paul preached to them, but let a set of rules seduce them to the point of laying aside their freedom to practice a set of laws that results in death. The solution, which is found Galatians 5:1, states, ¡§Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.¡¨ The key word is to stand firm. That was exactly the opposite of the behavior the Galatians portrayed when these false teachers arrived in their churches. The freedom that Christ gives to believers cost Jesus His life, this is a gift that should be protected. Paul is commanding the Galatians to stand firm, this means to persevere. In order to persevere, one must be tested to some degree. Paul is telling them in essence that there is going to be a level of maintenance in order to live a life of true freedom as a believer in Jesus Christ. Now, Paul is not contradicting himself here by saying that believers need to be work oriented in the keeping of their freedom. Not at all. Paul is stating that the Galatians, as well as believers today, need to be aware of their freedom so that they are on guard at all times and ready to stand firm so that when it is put to the test by others they will prevail and not subject themselves to somebody else¡¦s yoke of slavery.
INTEGRATING THOUGHTS: (outline of 2 to 4 points, sub points if needed)
1. True freedom is found in Christ alone!
a. Trying to achieve freedom by works will nullify the work of Christ.
b. Placing your faith in the law and not Christ will bring bondage to the freedom that Christ made possible to those who put there faith in him.
c. The Galatians were of Celtic descent, which was partly why they were on the edge of laying aside their freedom.
d. Because of what Christ did on the cross, believers can find freedom in their relationship with God. God made a way for people to have a relationship with Him that is based solely on faith not works.
2. True Freedom calls believers to stand firm in Christ!
a. In essence, Paul was telling the Galatians that there is going to be a level of maintenance in order to live a life of true freedom as a believer in Jesus Christ.
b. Freedom is so valuable that it costs Jesus¡¦ life. Receiving it by faith is free, but protecting it costs a lifetime commitment to the truth of the gospel.
c. Protecting our freedom can only be possible by gaining a deeper understanding of truth.
d. Freedom is found in Christ and truth about Christ is found in the Bible. Not being consistent in our devotion times will limit our knowledge of the truth, which will weaken our stand for truth.
MOTIVATING THRUST: Call to action
The work of Christ has opened the door for believers to experience true freedom, but whoever enters and places their faith in Him must protect this freedom by standing firm against those things that have the potential to lead them into bondage.
Placing your faith in Christ sets a believer free, but their diligence to live for the truth keeps them free.
PART 2 ( 3-4 pages minimum) Use these notes as the guide for preaching
FINALIZATION The Finishing Touches
Write out substance of message (clarifies and organize thoughts)
¡± Introduction - write out clearly (Tell them what you are going to tell them). Basically memorize for eye contact. (See Chapell Index)
¡§Switching Gears To Freedom¡¨
Eleutheria! Eleutheria is the Greek, word for freedom. When Paul penned this word it spoke volumes to the churches in Galatia. He was writing to people that came from a past of being abused by the province of Rome, but who recently have been given the golden opportunity to be set free spiritually. They were being enticed by a Jewish Christian Sect called the Judaizers who were adding duties to the faith-based gospel Paul had originally preached. The way Paul used the word freedom rang through their ears loud and clear to what his intentions were for the wording in this passage. A commentator by the name of John Philips states that when the Galatians heard the term, ¡§for freedom,¡¨ they would flash back to the way the Greek gods secured freedom for slaves. The process for a god to purchase a slave was that the slave would have to supply the money, but the catch was since the slave did not have any legal standing, he would not be able to purchase himself so his master would pay the set amount to the temple treasury on the slaves behalf. The temple administrators would then execute a document bearing the words, ¡§for freedom.¡¨ This would then give the god full ownership of the slave, so now the slave was free and nobody could ever enslave him again. This is the same way with Jesus; He paid the price for our freedom and has given believers access to a similar document that is found in Paul¡¦s letter to the Galatians, chapter 5, verse 1:
¡§It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.¡¨
¡± Exposition (Tell them) Explanations, Illustrations, Applications, Transitions (See Chapell Index)
The main idea in this passage is two fold. True freedom is gained by faith in Christ and maintained by the ability to stand firm for the gospel at all times. Putting our complete faith in Christ for our salvation is mandatory to experience the freedom God has made available to the world.
1). True Freedom is found in Christ alone!
The Galatians were at the thresh hold of believing another gospel, a gospel that was adding to God¡¦s equation for salvation. The Judaizers were trying to put confidence in the their own efforts by adding Jewish laws into the mix; when the gospel Paul preached previously stated that salvation is solely by faith in Christ alone. Why were the Galatians being so easily persuaded by the Judaizers teaching? In my research, I discovered that the Galatians were of Celtic descent. This meant that there temperament was attracted to novelty and uniqueness so when Paul arrived on his missionary journeys preaching the gospel, they were astonished because of its newness. Putting together Paul¡¦s unbelievable testimony and the freshness of the gospel this excited the Galatians so much that it was almost like they believed for all the wrong reasons. The Galatians received this true freedom, but when their freedom was put to the test by a teaching disguised as the very thing that was contrary to freedom, the law, they were placing their salvation in jeopardy.
In essence, Paul was trying to convey the truth that freedom in Christ is not found in what you can do, but in whom you believe. Believing in another gospel, which was what Paul labeled the Judaizers teaching of salvation would switch the focus of freedom to the works of the individual, instead on the work of Christ. Like the Galatians who received Christ¡¦s freedom, began to compromise the truth for a lie. To counter compromise, we must protect our freedom by maintaining a commitment to standing firm for the gospel at all times.
2). True Freedom calls believers to stand firm in Christ!
Because of what God has done by making freedom available to those who put there faith in Christ, this gives us the opportunity and power to do what we must do as believers in order for us to protect our freedom. Protecting our freedom is only possible by standing firm for the truth at all times.
The word, ¡§stand firm,¡¨ literally means to persevere and persist. It is an imperative command verb. It is not at all an invitation, but an absolute command requiring full obedience on the part of all hearers. Philips said, when the Galatians heard Paul use the Greek word for stand firm, it would bring to mind the Roman way of waging war. When faced by the enemy, the Romans simply would lock their shields together, plant their feet firmly on the ground and present to the charging enemy an iron wall of steel. That is the kind of stand that we must take against error. We must not yield to a single point. Truth is truth; error is error. The two are constantly at war with each other. There must be no giving in on a single issue where error is involved.
Paul¡¦s charge to the Galatians is to keep standing firm in their freedom on a daily basis. In order to stand firm for freedom, one must have a keen understanding of the concept of what it means to have faith in Christ, so that when it is brought to the test, as it was with the Galatians, freedom will result from freedom, not freedom switching into bondage. By not properly standing firm for freedom this privilege can be placed in jeopardy, and like the Galatians, one could lose their freedom and be subjected to a yoke of slavery, if not careful.
Paul was ultimately challenging the Galatians to keep standing firm in their freedom. Like Paul, we have to be freedom fighters when any type of compromise is brought against the truth of the gospel. Jesus stood firm on the cross to make freedom available to the world, how much more should we stand firm in our daily lives to make freedom a reality to the people around us?
What would be worth it to you, to compromise your freedom in Christ? The Galatians were willing to compromise their freedom by adding the law to their salvation. Like the Galatians, our freedom can also be in jeopardy, if we do not maintain our commitment to the truth. Freedom is found in Christ and truth about Christ is found in the Bible. If we are not consistent in our devotion times this will limit our knowledge of the truth. In our devotion life, if we have the habit of skipping days or stopping early, inevitably, we are not cheating God, but ourselves. This will then place us in a self-imposed prison where our lack of knowledge becomes a bondage to our spiritual maturity.
¡± Conclusion (Remind them what you have told them and bring them to a decision) Clarification, Exhortation, Invitation. (See Chapell Index)
In conclusion, the work of Christ has opened the door for believers to experience true freedom, but whoever enters and places their faith in Him must protect this freedom by standing firm for the truth and not subjecting themselves to bondages that can be birth from not living up to Christ¡¦s standards for freedom.
When Paul commanded the Galatians to stand firm, he had the Judaizers in mind. Today we are in a different battle, with similar consequences. The Galatians were trying to put confidence in themselves by adding to their salvation, and today a lot of believers are convicted of the same crime, a crime of not placing God as their top priority in their daily schedules. The reasons might have changed to why one must stand firm, but the command, to stand firm, lives forever. Today, we must develop consistent, deep intimate relationships with the Lord. The power to stand firm is developed and strengthened in our personal daily devotion times. That is where true freedom is cultivated and where a solid foundation is built to stand on, so that error has no chance in robbing us of our freedom. This gift of freedom must be defended at all times and at all cost. Today is the day to be set free from this type of bondage; today is the day to reaffirm your commitment to the truth of God¡¦s word. Would you switch gears to freedom with me?
Works Cited
Burton, Ernest. A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on The Epistles to the Galatians. Edinburgh: T&T Clark Ltd., 1980.
Eadie, John. Commentary on the Epistle of Paul to the Galatians. Minnesota, James and Klock Christian Publishing Company, 1977.
Eason, Lawrence. The New Bible Survey. Michigan, Zondervan Publishing House, 1963.
Ehrman, Bart. A Brief Introduction to the New Testament. New York, Oxford University Press, 2004.
George, Timothy. The American Commentary: Galatians. Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1994.
Halley, Henry. Halley¡¦s Bible Handbook. Michigan, Zondervan Publishing House, 1965.
Hanson, Walter. Galatians. Illinois: InterVarsity Press, 1994.
Hendricksen, William. New Testament Commentary. Michigan, Bake Book House, 1968.
Neil, William. The Cambridge Bible Commentary on the New English Bible: the Letter of Paul to the Galatians. London: Cambridge University Press, 1967.
Phillips, John. Exploring Galatians. Grand Rapids: Kregel Publications, 2004.
Skilton, John. Machen¡¦s Notes of Galatians. Philadelphia: Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Company, 1972.
Stein, Robert. A Basic Guide To Interpreting The Bible. Michigan: Baker Books, 1994.
Williams, Sam. Abingdon New Testament Commentaries: Galatians. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1997.
