Thread: Studying trough the epistle to the Galatians
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Studying trough the epistle to the Galatians
Posted : 10 Nov, 2010 11:40 AM
Hello everyone:
Lets have a study through Galations:
I will post about 3-5 verses every few days and lets see what the Holy Spirit reveals to us.
I will be pasting the King James and Youngs Literal translations.
The K.J. will have the strongs numbers so people can look up the words.
Remember to read according to the context,and as to whether the text should be understood,literally,figureatively,
or spiritually.
Also is the Scripture a parable,allegory,Hebrew idiom,Hebrew poetry,Prophecy.
Is the language Hebrew,Greek or both.
Is the Sripture concerning the past,present or the future.
Please write what you understand the Lord is saying.
I hope everyone will be having a Blessed time.
Agape' and Charis:
St.George
Gal 1:1 Paul,G3972 an apostle,G652 (notG3756 ofG575 men,G444 neitherG3761 byG1223 man,G444 butG235 byG1223 JesusG2424 Christ,G5547 andG2532 GodG2316 the Father,G3962 who raisedG1453 himG846 fromG1537 the dead;)G3498
Gal 1:2 AndG2532 allG3956 theG3588 brethrenG80 which are withG4862 me,G1698 unto theG3588 churchesG1577 of Galatia:G1053
Gal 1:3 GraceG5485 be to youG5213 andG2532 peaceG1515 fromG575 GodG2316 the Father,G3962 andG2532 from ourG2257 LordG2962 JesusG2424 Christ,G5547
Gal 1:4 Who gaveG1325 himselfG1438 forG5228 ourG2257 sins,G266 thatG3704 he might deliverG1807 usG2248 fromG1537 this presentG1764 evilG4190 world,G165 accordingG2596 to theG3588 willG2307 of GodG2316 andG2532 ourG2257 Father:G3962
Gal 1:5 To whomG3739 be gloryG1391 for ever and ever.G1519 G165 G165 Amen.G281
Gal 1:1 Paul, an apostle--not from men, nor through man, but through Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who did raise him out of the dead--
Gal 1:2 and all the brethren with me, to the assemblies of Galatia:
Gal 1:3 Grace to you, and peace from God the Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ,
Gal 1:4 who did give himself for our sins, that he might deliver us out of the present evil age, according to the will of God even our Father,
Gal 1:5 to whom is the glory to the ages of the ages. Amen.
We as Christians sometimes wonder why things are not going well as we think they should, since after all we are" Christians". We forget we live in a "evil age".
But the funny thing is; although our deliverence is guaranteed and we all want to go to heaven, few want to go tonight!
Brother Trucker, I guess I say to much so I will turn it over to you for all the study part of it.
Brother two sparrows, you are so right!
Ever since God threw Satan to earth, he did it for a reason!
To prove it's God's way or the highway! It's part of the big picture God has for mankind. We can't live and function without him and we have to learn the hard ways with trouble in this world. But with the appoaching New heaven and New Earth everything will be different! Praise God!:applause:
The introduction of the gospel to the Apostle Paul�s letter to the Galatia the early Church!
1. (1-2) The writer and the readers.
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.
a. Paul wrote this book; his authorship of this magnificent letter is virtually unquestioned, even by more �liberal� scholars.
And what a magnificent letter this is! Galatians has been called the �Declaration of Independence of Christian liberty.� The great reformer Martin Luther especially loved this letter; he called Galatians his �Catherine von Bora,� because, he said, �I am married to it.� Leon Morris wrote, �Galatians is a passionate letter, the outpouring of the soul of a preacher on fire for his Lord and deeply committed to bringing his hearers to an understanding of what saving faith is.�
Many scholars believe that Galatians was written in the late 40�s or the early 50�s; an approximate date of 50 a.d. is often given. It seems that Paul wrote this letter before the Jerusalem Council mentioned in Acts 15, because although he mentions several trips to Jerusalem, he makes no mention of the council. Because the Jerusalem Council of Acts 15 dealt with the exact issues Paul writes about, it would seem strange if it had already happened, yet he made no mention of it. If it is true that Galatians was written around 50 ad, then Paul would have been a Christian for about 15 years, being converted on the road to Damascus around 35 ad.
b. Paul, an apostle: The emphasis on Paul�s apostolic credentials is important. Paul has strong words for these Galatians, and they must understand that he writes with authority, apostolic authority. Every one of us must answer the question, �What will I respect as an authority in my life?� Paul expected that Christians would respect his authority as an apostle of Jesus Christ.
�The word apostle as Paul uses it here does not merely refer to one who has a message to announce, but to an appointed representative with an official status who is provided with the credentials of his office.� (Wuest)
It is our duty to also respect Paul�s authority as an apostle. We do this by regarding this book as the Word of God, and taking it seriously to heart.
(3-5) Paul sends his apostolic greeting.
Grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.
a. Grace to you and peace: This is Paul�s familiar greeting, drawing from the traditional greetings in both Greek (grace) and Jewish (peace) cultures. Paul uses the exact phrase of verse three five other times in the New Testament.
i. �Grace is always first, peace always second. This is due to the fact that grace is the source of peace. Without grace there is and can be no peace, but when grace is ours, peace must of necessity follow.� (Lenski in his commentary on 1 Corinthians)
ii. Paul uses the word grace 100 times in his writings. Among all the other writers of the New Testament, it is only used 55 times. Paul was truly the apostle of grace.
iii. �These two terms, grace and peace, constitute Christianity.�
b. Who gave Himself for our sins: Paul wished grace and peace unto his readers from both God the Father and God the Son. Now, Paul will briefly expand on the work of God the Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. The first thing he says about Jesus is that He gave Himself for our sins. �Throughout the epistle Paul points the Galatians to the centrality of the cross. He cannot wait to make this plain, and we find a reference to it in his very first sentence.� (Morris)
i. Jesus gave. We know from John 3:16 that God the Father so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son. But the Father didn�t do the only giving. Jesus gave. Jesus is a loving, giving God, and a loving, giving Saviour.
ii. Jesus gave Himself. What did Jesus give? He gave the greatest thing anyone can give � Himself. Of course, one might debate if it was more a gift for the Father to give the Son (as in John 3:16), or if it was more of a gift for the Son to give Himself. But that is like discussing how many angels can dance on the head of a pin. Jesus gave the greatest gift He could; He gave himself. There is a sense in which we do not even begin to give until we give ourselves.
iii. Jesus gave Himself for our sins. This is why Jesus had to give Himself. Our sins had put us on a road to ruin and destruction. If God did not do something to save us, our sins would destroy us. So out of love, Jesus gave Himself for our sins! The love was always there; but there would never have been the need for Jesus to give Himself if our sins had not placed us in a terrible place.
iv. The word for in this passage clearly has the idea of substitution. Someone who wrote a letter for someone else could use this word to say he did it for that one. This meaning of the word translated for here is also clear from how it is used in passages like John 11:50 and 2 Corinthians 5:14.
vi. �These words, �who gave himself for our sins�, are very important. He wanted to tell the Galatians straight out that atonement for sins and perfect righteousness are not to be sought anywhere but in Christ . . . So glorious is this redemption that it should ravish us with wonder.� (Calvin)
c. Why did Jesus give Himself for our sins? That He might deliver us from this present evil age. In many ways, the Galatians were battle with and sometimes losing against this present evil age. They needed to know that Jesus had come to save them from this present evil age.
i. The particular word for evil denotes someone who is not content in being corrupt themselves; they also must corrupt others, and draw them into their same destruction.
ii. The idea behind the word deliver is not deliverance from the presence of something, but deliverance from the power of something. We will not be delivered from the presence of this present evil age until we go to be with Jesus. But we can be experience deliverance from the power of this present evil age right now.
d. According to the will of our God and Father, to whom be glory forever and ever: The purpose of this saving work is not primarily to benefit man (though that is part of the purpose). Instead, it is to glorify God the Father.
i. False doctrine was a real problem in the Galatian churches, and their false doctrines robbed God of some of the glory due to Him. By emphasizing the rightly recognized glory of God and His plan, Paul hopes to put them more on the right track.
B. The danger of a different gospel.
1. (6) Paul�s amazement.
I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel.
a. I marvel that you are turning away so soon: Paul seems amazed not so much that they are turning away (this might alarm him, but not amaze him), but that they are turning away so soon.
i. Missing here are the expressions of thanks or praise that Paul often wrote in the beginning of his letters. Romans 1:8-15, 1 Corinthians 1:4-9, Philippians 1:3-11, Colossians 1:3-8, and 1 Thessalonians 1:2-10 are each example of Paul giving thanks and praising the churches in his greeting. But not here. Paul gets right down to business, essentially saying �We need to talk.�
ii. �This is the sole instance where St. Paul omits to express his thanksgiving in addressing any church.� (Lightfoot)
b. They are turning away from a Person (from Him who called you) as they turn to a false idea (to a different gospel). To turn away from the true gospel is always to turn away from the Person of Jesus Christ.
i. From Him who called you in the grace of Christ also connects their turning away to a turning away from the principle of grace. However the Galatians were turning, it was away from the grace of God, not towards it.
Brother Trucker, I guess I say to much so I will turn it over to you for all the study part of it.
Brother two sparrows, you are so right!
Ever since God threw Satan to earth, he did it for a reason!
To prove it's God's way or the highway! It's part of the big picture God has for mankind. We can't live and function without him and we have to learn the hard ways with trouble in this world. But with the appoaching New heaven and New Earth everything will be different! Praise God!:applause:
The introduction of the gospel to the Apostle Paul�s letter to the Galatia the early Church!
1. (1-2) The writer and the readers.
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.
a. Paul wrote this book; his authorship of this magnificent letter is virtually unquestioned, even by more �liberal� scholars.
And what a magnificent letter this is! Galatians has been called the �Declaration of Independence of Christian liberty.� The great reformer Martin Luther especially loved this letter; he called Galatians his �Catherine von Bora,� because, he said, �I am married to it.� Leon Morris wrote, �Galatians is a passionate letter, the outpouring of the soul of a preacher on fire for his Lord and deeply committed to bringing his hearers to an understanding of what saving faith is.�
Many scholars believe that Galatians was written in the late 40�s or the early 50�s; an approximate date of 50 a.d. is often given. It seems that Paul wrote this letter before the Jerusalem Council mentioned in Acts 15, because although he mentions several trips to Jerusalem, he makes no mention of the council. Because the Jerusalem Council of Acts 15 dealt with the exact issues Paul writes about, it would seem strange if it had already happened, yet he made no mention of it. If it is true that Galatians was written around 50 ad, then Paul would have been a Christian for about 15 years, being converted on the road to Damascus around 35 ad.
b. Paul, an apostle: The emphasis on Paul�s apostolic credentials is important. Paul has strong words for these Galatians, and they must understand that he writes with authority, apostolic authority. Every one of us must answer the question, �What will I respect as an authority in my life?� Paul expected that Christians would respect his authority as an apostle of Jesus Christ.
�The word apostle as Paul uses it here does not merely refer to one who has a message to announce, but to an appointed representative with an official status who is provided with the credentials of his office.� (Wuest)
It is our duty to also respect Paul�s authority as an apostle. We do this by regarding this book as the Word of God, and taking it seriously to heart.
(3-5) Paul sends his apostolic greeting.
Grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.
a. Grace to you and peace: This is Paul�s familiar greeting, drawing from the traditional greetings in both Greek (grace) and Jewish (peace) cultures. Paul uses the exact phrase of verse three five other times in the New Testament.
i. �Grace is always first, peace always second. This is due to the fact that grace is the source of peace. Without grace there is and can be no peace, but when grace is ours, peace must of necessity follow.� (Lenski in his commentary on 1 Corinthians)
ii. Paul uses the word grace 100 times in his writings. Among all the other writers of the New Testament, it is only used 55 times. Paul was truly the apostle of grace.
iii. �These two terms, grace and peace, constitute Christianity.�
b. Who gave Himself for our sins: Paul wished grace and peace unto his readers from both God the Father and God the Son. Now, Paul will briefly expand on the work of God the Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. The first thing he says about Jesus is that He gave Himself for our sins. �Throughout the epistle Paul points the Galatians to the centrality of the cross. He cannot wait to make this plain, and we find a reference to it in his very first sentence.� (Morris)
i. Jesus gave. We know from John 3:16 that God the Father so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son. But the Father didn�t do the only giving. Jesus gave. Jesus is a loving, giving God, and a loving, giving Saviour.
ii. Jesus gave Himself. What did Jesus give? He gave the greatest thing anyone can give � Himself. Of course, one might debate if it was more a gift for the Father to give the Son (as in John 3:16), or if it was more of a gift for the Son to give Himself. But that is like discussing how many angels can dance on the head of a pin. Jesus gave the greatest gift He could; He gave himself. There is a sense in which we do not even begin to give until we give ourselves.
iii. Jesus gave Himself for our sins. This is why Jesus had to give Himself. Our sins had put us on a road to ruin and destruction. If God did not do something to save us, our sins would destroy us. So out of love, Jesus gave Himself for our sins! The love was always there; but there would never have been the need for Jesus to give Himself if our sins had not placed us in a terrible place.
iv. The word for in this passage clearly has the idea of substitution. Someone who wrote a letter for someone else could use this word to say he did it for that one. This meaning of the word translated for here is also clear from how it is used in passages like John 11:50 and 2 Corinthians 5:14.
vi. �These words, �who gave himself for our sins�, are very important. He wanted to tell the Galatians straight out that atonement for sins and perfect righteousness are not to be sought anywhere but in Christ . . . So glorious is this redemption that it should ravish us with wonder.� (Calvin)
c. Why did Jesus give Himself for our sins? That He might deliver us from this present evil age. In many ways, the Galatians were battle with and sometimes losing against this present evil age. They needed to know that Jesus had come to save them from this present evil age.
i. The particular word for evil denotes someone who is not content in being corrupt themselves; they also must corrupt others, and draw them into their same destruction.
ii. The idea behind the word deliver is not deliverance from the presence of something, but deliverance from the power of something. We will not be delivered from the presence of this present evil age until we go to be with Jesus. But we can be experience deliverance from the power of this present evil age right now.
d. According to the will of our God and Father, to whom be glory forever and ever: The purpose of this saving work is not primarily to benefit man (though that is part of the purpose). Instead, it is to glorify God the Father.
i. False doctrine was a real problem in the Galatian churches, and their false doctrines robbed God of some of the glory due to Him. By emphasizing the rightly recognized glory of God and His plan, Paul hopes to put them more on the right track.
B. The danger of a different gospel.
1. (6) Paul�s amazement.
I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel.
a. I marvel that you are turning away so soon: Paul seems amazed not so much that they are turning away (this might alarm him, but not amaze him), but that they are turning away so soon.
i. Missing here are the expressions of thanks or praise that Paul often wrote in the beginning of his letters. Romans 1:8-15, 1 Corinthians 1:4-9, Philippians 1:3-11, Colossians 1:3-8, and 1 Thessalonians 1:2-10 are each example of Paul giving thanks and praising the churches in his greeting. But not here. Paul gets right down to business, essentially saying �We need to talk.�
ii. �This is the sole instance where St. Paul omits to express his thanksgiving in addressing any church.� (Lightfoot)
b. They are turning away from a Person (from Him who called you) as they turn to a false idea (to a different gospel). To turn away from the true gospel is always to turn away from the Person of Jesus Christ.
i. From Him who called you in the grace of Christ also connects their turning away to a turning away from the principle of grace. However the Galatians were turning, it was away from the grace of God, not towards it.
I think Paul points out he was not made a apostle by men because out of all the Apostles he is the only only one that did not hang out with Jesus during his ministry on the earth in the flesh.....you know what I mean?
From G1722 and G2476; to place on hand, that is, (reflexively) impend, (participle) be instant: - come, be at hand, present.
Evil:G4190
πονηρός
ponēros
pon-ay-ros'
From a derivative of G4192; hurtful, that is, evil (properly in effect or influence, and thus differing from G2556, which refers rather to essential character, as well as from G4550, which indicates degeneracy from original virtue); figuratively calamitous; also (passively) ill, that is, diseased; but especially (morally) culpable, that is, derelict, vicious, facinorous; neuter (singular) mischief, malice, or (plural) guilt; masculine (singular) the devil, or (plural) sinners: - bad, evil, grievous, harm, lewd, malicious, wicked (-ness). See also G4191.
World:G165
αἰών
aiōn
ahee-ohn'
From the same as G104; properly an age; by extension perpetuity (also past); by implication the world; specifically (Jewish) a Messianic period (present or future): - age, course, eternal, (for) ever (-more), [n-]ever, (beginning of the, while the) world (began, without end). Compare G5550.
(Grrr... This is the 2nd time I'm typing this because my browser froze on me the 1st time!)
I always find the opening/greeting of Paul's letters to be really interesting, not from a theological standpoint, but just in that they make me take pause and think about how I greet people... What are the first things out of my mouth when I see someone or when I send off an email or facebook message... Paul's greetings focus on who God is and on edifying the recipient of his words. I have a tendency to not greet people in that way. If I'm sending off an email or facebook message to someone, a lot of time it's all about me, from the beginning of the message. I can't even tell you all the amount of times I've started out a message with something similar to: "I'm so stressed out right now and I really need to vent." And then finally, near the END of the message, I'll say something like: "I'm so glad I have God to help me through this... and, oh, by the way, I hope you're doing great." So often, I approach my interactions in the complete opposite way of how Paul did.
The Greek word that's translated to deliver/rescue in verse 4 is the same word that used in Matthew when it talks about plucking or tearing your eye out if it causes you to stumble. I really appreciate the imagery there -- it really signifies a lifting out of a person from their circumstance. If an eye is torn out of a person, it's not longer a part of the person. In the same way, when we're delivered/rescued by God, we're not a part of the circumstance. So, while we live in an evil age, it's not part of our identity as believers or something that defines us. Someone's eyes are something you see the moment you face them, but when people face us as believer, the evil of the time that we're in shouldn't be that first thing see in us, since we've been set apart from that. And, when people think about all the bad stuff going on around us, they shouldn't see Christians as being part of that. This comes back to the idea of living up to what has already been attained. We have been set apart, but God doesn't force us to live that way.
A woman loved by God, abundant grace and peace be unto you through our Jesus who lavishes on us more than we deserve. From twosparrows also loved by God in our Jesus. I just wanted to say that was a great post and ask how it feels to be greeted with a 'proper bibical' greeting? Hoping to hear from you soon. :-)
