Thank you for the well written article. We invite you to listen through this in-depth textual study of Paul’s epistle which extolls the liberty we have through faith in Jesus Christ. The first edition appeared as Explorations in Exegetical Method. 2: 20. Most ofthe people who lived in Galatia were *Gentiles. Very well done. Paul said it many, many times: Galatians 2:16 “know that a person is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. Martin Luther. Indeed I, Paul, say to you that if you become circumcised, Christ will profit you nothing. ... Malick received a Masters of Theology in Bible Exposition, with honors, from Dallas Theological Seminary in 1984. Paul saw grace being trampled under foot by the Galatians and to a certain extent, this is happening today in many Christian circles. I knew that Christ died for me and all of mankind…..that by His sacrifice alone could I receive the “life that is truly life”. I wish I had included it now. You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace. Practical Application: One of the main themes of the book of Galatians is found in 3:11: “The righteous shall live by faith.” We must stand firm in this truth. How to Discover Your Gifts of the Holy Spirit, Making Disappointments God’s Appointments. The epistle of Galatians was written to the churches scattered throughout Galatia (a portion of modern Turkey). Another way that Paul mentioned was that Christ’s work is the only work that can save a person and no person’s own work can ever save them since our best efforts are like filthy rags before a holy God. For example, Gal 5:1-6 says “Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage. We'll send you an email with steps on how to reset your password. And it was appointed through angels by the hand of a mediator “. 22-23. See all formats and editions Hide other formats and editions. This is a hard decision for me to make since there are so many great verses in this book by Paul. Ice Dragon: Legend of the Blue Daisies – Movie Review, Phoenix Wilder And The Great Elephant Adventure – Movie Review, The Boxcar Children: Surprise Island – Movie Review. Please come back again soon. This is unfortunate, since his works contain priceless gems of information that are found nowhere except in the ancient writings of the Jews. Introduction to Galatians AUTHOR: The apostle Paul (Gal 1:1; 5:2). The best Galatians commentaries are listed below. True saving faith is serving faith. The Occasion of the Epistle. See? Key Verses, Well done brother. 25 Encouraging Bible Verses About Strength, Words of Encouragement: 30 Uplifting Quotes, 10 Encouraging Bible Verses When You Need Them. Read that somewhere a few years ago. In this book, Charles Cousar offers a fascinating commentary on the book of Galatians.Interpretation: A Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching is a distinctive resource for those who interpret the Bible in the church. He did his graduate work at Moody Theological Seminary. Greetings (1:1-5) REBUKE SECTION (1:6--4:11) Rebuke for Desertion (1:6-10) Paul's Autobiography (1:11--2:21) Thesis Statement (1:11-12) Conversion and Call (1:13-17) Paul's First Visit with Peter in Jerusalem (1:18-24) He preached in the same church as C. H. Spurgeon over one hundred years earlier. Hello Francis. We are not saved by works but by faith alone but that faith is not alone for our faith produces works. Is the book of Galatians considered a historical narrative or wisdom literature? This list of commentaries is intended to help the reader understand and apply Paul’s message in the book of Galatians. Blessings deb. The contrasts established by Paul provide a convenient structure for the exposition of Galatians. Galatians. exodus tells us Moses met with God on the mountain, God wrote the 10 commandments with His finger . I will like an explanation on gal 5 verse 4. Faith without works is dead! Against such things there is no law.”. Galatians 3:19 “purpose the law serves . There is also the fact that Paul stresses that Christian liberty is not a license to sin or to live as they choose. What is Backsliding and How Can You Avoid It? This was the unanimous view of the early church, and even those modern critics who challenge the authorship of many of the New Testament books concede that Galatians is truly Pauline. Thanks I appreciate your time and thoughts. Commentary on Galatians. The Epistle to the Galatians, often shortened to Galatians, is the ninth book of the New Testament.It is a letter from Paul the Apostle to a number of Early Christian communities in Galatia.Scholars have suggested that this is either the Roman province of Galatia in southern Anatolia, or a large region defined by an ethnic group of Celtic people in central Anatolia. His argument is cryptic and enigmatic: A mediator, however, does not represent just one party; but God is one (v. 20). “I marvel that you are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel” (Galatians 1:6). My favorite Bible verse from the book of Galatians is, Galatians 5:22-23 “ But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Salem Media Group. Commentary on Galatians 3:1-5 (Read Galatians 3:1-5) Several things made the folly of the Galatian Christians worse. Commentaries on Galatians. When one begins to practice a true love to all, in order to glorify Christ in heaven, then he can know what real liberty in Christ means. young. Galatians 3:11 emphasizes by faith. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let them be under God’s curse!”, Galatians 2:16 “know that a person is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. Great comment sir. Dear Pastor Jack, New Testament commentary: Exposition of Galatians Hardcover – January 1, 1968 by William Hendriksen (Author) 5.0 out of 5 stars 9 ratings. Against such things there is no law.”, Galatians 6:1-2 “Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. And I testify again to every man who becomes circumcised that he is a debtor to keep the whole law. Copyright © 2021, Bible Study Tools. Summary, Jack Wellman is a father and grandfather and a Christian author and pastor of Heritage Evangelical Free Church in Udall, KS & also a Prison Minister. Did the people spoken of in Galations 5:4 lose their salvation? Thank you Margaret. Paul knew the Galatian Christians should imitate his liberty. Works are not a way to salvation…they are a result of it. If it is works, Paul tells them clearly that they’ve fallen from grace. Martin Luther's Commentary on Galatians New Testament. Paul, an apostle (not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised Him from the dead), and all the brethren who are with me, To the churches of Galatia. The letter to the Galatians begins by giving credit to Paul, an apostle of Jesus, as the author. References to the agency of angels in the giving of the law can be found in the Greek version of Deuteronomy 33:2 and Psalm 68:17. This involves love, joy, peace, faith, etc. Abraham’s faith was a saving faith. 5. But Paul’s real emphasis was that salvation is not works oriented and that the Galatians liberty … (Galatians 5:22–23). They were perverting the gospel so badly that Paul addresses the problems of trying to gain salvation through works in several different areas: The first thing Paul did was to vindicate the doctrine of justification by faith in Christ alone. The cities in Acts 14:21 are in Galatia. Thanks Jack for your great articles. In chapter 2, Paul described his visit to the Jerusalem Council of Acts 15 (see note on 2:1), so he must have written Galatians after that event. I pray it does. But Paul’s real emphasis was that salvation is not works oriented and that the Galatians liberty should not be used as an excuse to continue in sin. In Galatians, Paul is defending the gospel from those who would add law to justification by faith. Please do come back. Even so, Paul still reminded the church that salvation is not from any works of the law but from Christ’s own redemptive work. John Gill's Exposition of the Bible /. In 2003, he earned his Juris Doctorate, magna cum laude, from Capital University Law School, where he … He strongly disputed the claim that freedom from God's punishment of sin could be purchased with money. Galatians. The Law was intended to be the schoolmaster and disciplinarian until Christ could justify us by His sacrifice and by faith. Dearest Brother Jack, Another way was to remind them of Abraham’s example of faith and not of works of the Law. Paul was so concerned that the Galatians were already turning from grace to works so soon after he had planted that church; that it was turning into another gospel (1:6). Bible Verses, Quotes, Christian Answers, Songs and More. This is NOT talking about a person or a people (a local church actually at Galatia) losing their salvation but becoming estranged or like alienating Christ because they want to add works to their salvation which will not help. The main purpose of the Book of Galatians is to vindicate Paul’s call by God and the Gospel of Grace. In fact, Paul stated very clearly that he had had so little contact with the apostles at Jerusalem, that for a seventeen year period, he went to Jerusalem only once and then he only saw the apostle Peter for fifteen days and James for a brief time (Galatians 1:18–19). It’s all about Jesus, that precious, lovely, Son of God. The consultation had the twofold merit of definiteness and brevity. All Rights Reserved. The outline which highlights the element of contrast suggests one approach to presenting the message of Galatians. Paul’s purpose for writing the book of Galatians, scholars believe around A.D. 49, was to reveal that Paul’s apostleship was from Jesus Christ and not from men. Paul asks them if salvation is by grace or by works? It is one of the most important writings of Paul in establishing the importance of Grace compared to the Law. So what do we have with the Book of Galatians? The curse was borne by Christ instead of believers or in place of the believers. I have a question I would like to see what your thoughts are on it. James is saying that this shows the genuineness of our faith. I just cant understand cause its a thin line between not striving to sin with faith of grace and not purposely sinning. "And what is that?" “Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.” Galatians 5:1. Please return again and I thank you so much. The book of Galatians is a Pauline Epistle (letter from Paul). of Please enter your email address associated with your Salem All-Pass account, then click Continue. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but faith working through love.”. Paul visited the region againin A… Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.”, Galatians 6:7-8 “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. Done! Besides the Law brought a curse upon any who could not keep it and no human could ever keep it perfectly. Having grown up in the Catholic tradition, I believed that my works played a role in my salvation. I would like to make a point at where you stated that “believer’s are not saved by works”…Oookay, so if that statement is true then does James 2:17-21 mean absolutely nothing? This epistle has been called the Christian’s “Declaration of Independence” and so it is! Abraham’s faith came before the Law was established. For we through the Spirit eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness by faith. That freedom involves no keeping of Old Covenant Sabbaths, holydays, circumcision, new moons, sacrifices, tithing, clean and unclean laws of purity, etc. I’m confused. Furthermore in this introductory section George gives a great detailed outline of the book of Galatians, which an exegetical preacher can use as a outline to preach from as well as a great excursus on the themes shown in the book of Galatians. Its teaching was a first step in securing a religious emancipation for God’s people from the domination of man. He preached in the same church as C. H. Spurgeon over one hundred years earlier. Nothing I did or could’ve done would make me right before God . Thank you Debbie for your comment and question. Abraham had saving faith long before any Mosaic Law ever existed. They had the doctrine of the cross preached, and the Lord's supper administered among them, in both which Christ crucified, and the nature of … In Acts, readers learn that Paul was a … I understand: ” that we are Gods workmanship created in Christ Jesus to do good works that He had planned for us to do.” I believe it is both, but more doctrine than a historical narrative. The verse you pick is certainly outstanding. Paul was upset with the Galatians. Galatians 1:6-9  “I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you to live in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— which is really no gospel at all. Please share with me the views on this issue. By this Paul does not mean that the law was given by angels rather than by God. Even the Holy Spirit came as a free gift to the church at Galatia. Galatians 1. … Literally, this sentence reads, “But a mediator is not one, but God is one.” A contrast is being made between the plurality of participants in a process of mediation and the oneness of God. The curse of the Law brought death but Christ became a curse for our sake. Hello Sylvia. I just love your words where you said that you live by faith in the Son of God and telling me to “keep writing about Him (Jesus).” I thank God for you ma’am, for such godly, wise, and loving women of faith like you. The Galatians started out with the right understanding of the gospel, because Paul led them into the right understanding. When we reached this relationship, being clothed in Christ, we had the full standing of being justified before the Father and we were then incorporated into His family. Planned and written specifically for teaching and preaching needs, this critically acclaimed biblical commentary is a major contribution to scholarship and ministry. The Law would never be permanent since it was intended to serve the people only until the Promised Messiah (the Seed) would come. Paul was free in Jesus, and he wanted them to know the same freedom. In Romans, the emphasis is upon the fact that man apart from the Law is justified before God. Yet most people today have never heard of John Gill. God bless you Mrs. Meltebarger and please do come back to visit us again soon. No mention of angels bringing the law. A great analogy is that people have the right to drive if they have a license, however this license does not give the driver the right to indiscriminately break the traffic laws. I viewed grace as a commodity …..I could get more if I did more….less if I did less. With regard to the commentary … what is the really message of paul for the book of Galatians.. thanks Jack…. Great suggestion and so I just did add Galatians 5:22-23. What an admission on Paul’s part! The preparation of this edition of Luther's Commentary on Galatians was first suggested to me by Mr. P. J. Zondervan, of the firm of publishers, in March, 1937. Should Christians be Using Foul Language? Thank you sir for your comment. Thank you so much. But Paul argues that the giving of the law through a series of intermediaries, angels and Moses, actually demonstrates the inferiority of the law. James Rosscup writes that "Much of the heart-pulse of Luther’s stand for justification by faith appears here, as he distinguishes between the rigors of keeping the law in a false bid to gain standing and the freedom God gives through grace, leading to a … Legalism and grace do not mix. If they want to start keeping the Mosaic Law they would have to keep the whole Law which is associated with its curse if kept imperfectly. Commentary, These letters account for the greater portion of the New Testament. I would love you to read 1 John chapter 3 and see what I mean. Free eBook: Getting Through the Storms in Life. James 2:17-21 says if a man says he has faith then show me works to prove it. A gift cannot be earned! Faith plus law was the thrust of Judaism; Faith plus nothing was the answer of Paul. The truth is Paul was not interested in getting any approval of men in order to please men, even if it meant the “apostles before me” [those who were apostles before Paul in time] (Galatians 1:17). Is it too late to indicate my favourite pick this season is Gal. Certain Jewish groups were still trying to convert the Gentiles into the Jewish customs which were becoming points of agitation with Paul since Jesus Christ is the One and only way to salvation. Now works that honor Him and are for His glory are evident in my life. The Book of Acts is more of a historical narrative, written by Luke the Physician. We are not saved by works but FOR works. Yet most people today have never heard of John Gill. What a precious and lovely comment. I am glad that we are saved by faith and not by works and yes, we should have works that demonstrate we actually have faith. There are exegetical commentaries, scholarly and technical commentaries, as well as commentaries that are easy to understand. They went from one extreme; works based salvation, to another; using grace as a license to not worry about doing any good works at all. What James is talking about is that if there are no works, then there must be no true saving faith for truly those who are saved will naturally produce works. This summary of the book of Galatians provides information about the title, author(s), date of writing, chronology, theme, theology, outline, a brief overview, and the chapters of the Book of Galatians. Lets take an example where a man uses his friends item without informing his friend and he has the idea of taking back the item. If we are believers in Christ, God sees us as Abraham’s seed (3:29). Nice commentary sir. California - Do Not Sell My Personal Information. “God loves each of us as if there were only one of us"- Augustine, Copyright © 2010-2021 Telling Ministries LLC. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified.”, Galatians 3:7 “Understand, then, that those who have faith are children of Abraham.”, Galatians 3:29 “If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.”, Galatians 5:4 “You who are trying to be justified by the law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace.”, Galatians 5:22-23 “ But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. I appreciate your comment and visiting the website. A very good article and to the point.To be saved we have to have Faith in Jesus our Messiah.You are right in what you say but Faith in Jesus means a lot more than you are saying or not saying.There are many Testimonies in the Holy Gospel that truthfully state that Jesus is the Only Son of God,a Prince and an Heir to the Throne of God.This is the Faith you need for whoever believes in the Son also believes in the One who sent Him.Salvation is only obtained through the Son of God and if you do not believe in the Only Son of God you can not obtain Salvation.Believing in a Trinity Jesus,an Eternal Jesus etc is not believing in the True Gospel Jesus and the sooner you realise this the better for time is very short. Of course the most famous passage is in chapter five on the fruit of the Spirit. A study of the book of Galatians. In the larger context of Paul’s argument here, there is also the implied contrast between the promise given directly by God to Abraham and fulfilled in Christ, the seed of Abraham, and the law given through numerous intermediaries. Sitemap | Privacy Policy | Disclaimer | Advertise, 10 Great Wedding Bible Verses and Readings, Bible Verses About Marriage: 20 Great Scripture Quotes. Who Wrote the Book of Galatians? Paul designates the origin of the law in his statement that the law was put into effect through angels by a mediator (v. 19). “if righteousness could be gained by keeping the law Christ died for nothing.” Never, ever just take one verse out and make it stand alone. He had *preached the *good news about Jesus and many people becameChristians. God bless and thank you for visiting us and commenting. He kept reminding them that the works of the Law can not help sanctify a believer nor was it of any help toward their ongoing sanctification. Again I say, it is the Christian’s “Declaration of Independence” from the bondage of men and from outdated religious practices. No matter how foreign the concept of legalism to the Mosaic law is to us today, the key universal principles here are very practical. This works-based salvation was brought in by the traditional Jews who thought that the Galatians, largely Gentiles, should be circumcised and not base their salvation on Jesus Christ alone (2:3-5, 5:2, 6:12-15). Are you saying that works are the way to salvation? Thank you Jessica for your comment. They had become enamored by men, even with Christian leaders who resided in Jerusalem, and Paul had to correct their ways. Jack has written 1115 articles on What Christians Want To Know! We are not saved by works but for works and that is we are saved by faith alone but by a faith that does not end up alone but has works as proving fruit of our salvation. Paul, formerly named Saul, was not part of the original twelve disciples who followed Jesus during His earthly ministry. If people would apply the message of Galatians, and practice the fruits of the Spirit, they would finally begin to understand what true freedom is all about. The “newness of life produces works” is well put my friend. Greetings Pastor Jack! Another way Paul tried to make the Galatians understand this point was to understand the purpose of the Law. Then, for the next two chapters, Paul shows that he did not get his Gospel from any man, not even from the Christian apostles who were at Jerusalem. 2021 Edition Dr. Constable's Notes on Galatians 3 First, Acts 16:6 and 18:23 offer no support to the theory that Paul ever made a trip to the northern part of provincial Galatia. Saving faith is a provision of God and not of man. I embrace these works with gratitude and for His glory. { 27 comments… read them below or add one }. Cant one strive to be righteous even when the grace is abundant. An Introduction To The Book Of Galatians Related Media. Amen Mr. Jones. The Law was never intended to bring eternal life or an eternal promise in faith. Notify me of followup comments via e-mail, Previous post: 10 Great Wedding Bible Verses and Readings, Next post: Bible Verses About Marriage: 20 Great Scripture Quotes. Gal. We want you to help us publish some leading work of Luther's for the general American market. The presence of angels and the mediation of Moses in the giving of the law were understood by the Jewish people to signify the great glory of the law. CHRISTOCENTRIC COMMENTARY SERIES A COMMENTARY ON THE EPISTLE TO THE GALATIANS The Gospel versus Religion James A. Fowler Publishing P.O. I really appreciate you bringing this up because many have found these James’ verses perplexing and I should have included this in this article, so I apologize for that and I thank God for you Jessica for bringing this up. The book of Galatians is so deep and full it is hard to sum up in a few words. But some of them didn’t stay there like Paul did, and in that way, they should become like Paul. I love the Book of Galatians for it tells me that “I have been crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live, yet not I, but Christ who liveth in me. It was written by the Apostle Paul about 49 A.D. prior to the Jerusalem Council which had taken place in … We must stand firm in this truth. He is merely pointing to the well-known Jewish tradition that God gave the law through the agency of angels as well as by a mediator, namely Moses. He went to “headquarters” only once for a whole period of seventeen years, and yet he lived only about 400 miles north not much more than a ten-day trip away. All rights reserved. He must not have thought it was all that important for him to have remained away so long. . A list of the best commentaries on Galatians ranked by scholars, journal reviews, and site users. Agreed, works can only come into play once one is saved – before that it’s filty rags. I did not say we are not saved by works but by grace alone in faith alone in Jesus Christ alone. This study was conducted by Rick Harrington. How could I have ever overlooked those! Blessings. "I will, on one condition." The idea that human performance could help acquire salvation was shattered in the Old Testament and only served to condemn men and that throwing themselves upon the mercy of God in faith was the only means possible. Paul’s purpose for writing the book of Galatians, scholars believe around A.D. 49, was to reveal that Paul’s apostleship was from Jesus Christ and not from men. Amen Mark. Thanks for your encouraging writing! You must read all of that chapter and not just one verse. Dear pastor jack,,,paul demostrates that we are saved by god’s Grace an grace alone through Faith in Christ jesus,james explains that faith without works is dead,but as we should understand christ life is what we should demonstrates in our lives being Ambassador for him,to do righteousness which is the works of faith,, feeding the poor,visiting the sick,praying for the broken heartred ,be charitable,,an to bear the fruits of the spirit,,,just believing an showing our belief through faith,,if we say we have faith an dont demonstrate it ,then its jus belief ur left with,,,so let our yea be yea,,. Since the Galatians knew that they were not saved by works, they equated this freedom as a license to sin. His books are include: “Teaching Children The Gospel/How to Raise Godly Children,“ “Do Babies Go To Heaven?/Why Does God Allow Suffering?,“ "The Great Omission; Reaching the Lost for Christ," and “Blind Chance or Intelligent Design?, Empirical Methodologies & the Bible.".