Galatians Introduction
Paul and Barnabus established Galatian churches
Paul writes to the churches of Galatia in what may be the first written book of the New Testament, composed between 49 and 51 AD. Galatia was the name of a Roman province in what is now the central part of modern Turkey, including areas also known as Phrygia and Lycaonia. The ancient city of Ancyra was in Galatia and is now the capital city of Turkey, Ankara. The peoples of Galatia had migrated east for several centuries from Gaul (France).
The churches addressed by Paul in this letter were founded by him and Barnabas during their First Missionary Journey as recorded in Acts 13:14-14:23, and included Pisidian Antioch, Iconium, Lystra, and Derbe. Paul’s eventual assistant and friend, Timothy, came from Lystra.
Issues between Jewish and non-Jewish believers
Paul and Barnabus’ time in Antioch gave them much experience with a mixture of Jewish and non-Jewish believers. After they had been set aside and anointed for mission, they spent a short time in Northern Syria, Cyprus, and Cilicia before they arrived in Galatia (central Turkey). Repeated in Galatia, they preached in synagogues to the Jews. In most cases, long-time Jews resisted the Good News, and it was the non-Jewish background converts to Judaism or those who were not even Jewish converts who were glad to receive the Good News. This happened first in Antioch (of Pisidia), then Iconium, and finally Lystra, and Derbe. The persecution by the Jews was so great that in Lystra they actually stoned Paul and left him for dead, except that the prayers of his companions raised him back up.
As new churches added Gentiles to the total body of believers, the leaders of the “mother church” in Jerusalem had to address the differences in background and behavior between Jewish and non-Jewish believers. The simplest way to do so was to require non-Jews to become Jews. However, Paul and Barnabus had already learned in Antioch that following the Law and Jewish tradition was actually an obstacle to walking in faith.
Judaizers required non-Jewish believers to become Jewish
By the time Paul and Barnabus had returned from the First Missionary Journey to Antioch, both Antioch and the new churches in Galatia were in danger of being controlled by the “Judaizers”. That is the chief reason Paul had to write the letter to the Galatians.
Around this time, Peter came from Jerusalem to visit Antioch and see for himself how the Jewish and non-Jewish Christians mixed together. Peter had already had the experience himself of seeing the non-Jews received the word of God and the Holy Spirit, so at first he embraced living among the non-Jews during his visit to Antioch. But when other Jewish believers came from Jerusalem and complained that they would have to disobey the Law to eat with non-Jews, Peter caved in to their sensibilities. This is what led Paul to confront Peter. Paul perceived that the heart of the Good News was that it was through faith in Jesus alone that made a Christian, and that adding anything, especially the Law, hindered faith.
These things did not begin to be resolved until the Council of Jerusalem, which was convened for that purpose, some time after Paul’s letter to the Galatians was delivered. At that council, though there was much discord, it was actually Peter’s words, after apparently absorbing Paul’s rebuke in Antioch, that helped swing the council to the decision to not require non-Jewish believers to become Jews. Non-Jewish believers though were encouraged to not eat meat with blood in it and to observe moral laws. A letter was written by James on behalf of the Council and given to Paul summarizing this decision, so it could be read at churches he visited or established.
Paul’s themes in the letter
Nearly all of what Paul writes in this letter follows a single theme - that God has provided a single means for being accounted righteous before God – our faith in Jesus his son, the Anointed One. We trust that, through his death and resurrection, he took away my guilt for sin, removed my separation from God, put to death my old self with its desires, and brought me his own life and the Holy Spirit living on my inside. Anything I try to add to my faith in Jesus to prove my righteousness actually brings bondage.
The subtle and effective argument of the enemy of the Good News, described by Paul in the Galatians, is that any other law, custom, regulation, or observance can and should be retained, in addition to belief in Jesus. The contention of many of the Jewish believers is that since Jesus and his original followers were all Jewish, then to follow Jesus, all believers should become Jewish. They would argue, that even if non-Jews could be legitimate followers of Jesus and not be required to follow all Jewish laws and customs, at least it would be beneficial for them in solidarity with those born Jewish to become circumcised.
Paul’s primary argument countering their reasoning is that no Jewish observance ever made the Jews righteous. Only by accepting Jesus’ sacrifice on behalf of all mankind could any person be made righteous before God. In fact, to seek righteousness through following your own efforts and observing Law or custom is to come out from accepting Jesus as “the Way, the Truth, and the Life”.
Timing of events in Galatians and Acts
Scholars have had difficulty with the timing and alignment of events described in Acts and Galatians. The issues have to do with understanding the correspondence between events described in the Book of Acts and in Galatians. The following timeline seems to make the most sense:
34 AD Paul's conversion Galatians 1:15-16 Acts 9:1-6
37 AD Paul 1st visit to Peter&James Galatians 1:18-19 Acts 9:1-6
46 AD Antioch Church established (Syria) Acts 11:19-26​
47 AD Paul/Barnabus meet with Peter/James Galatians 2:1-10 Acts 11:27
47-48 AD Paul/Barnabus plant Galatian churches Acts 13:14-14:28
48 AD Peter visits Antioch. Peter confronts him Galatians 2:11-14
48 AD Paul writes Letter to Galatians
49 AD Paul attends Jerusalem Council Acts 15:1-29
49-51 AD Paul's visits Galatian churches 2nd time Acts 16:1-16
52-57 AD Paul visits Galatian church 3rd time Acts 18:23
Galatians Guide to the Transcommentary
This is a little bit more than a translation and a bit less than a full commentary. It serves a similar function to the Amplified Bible, though that work’s purpose was to provide a complete sense of the meaning of the words used by the writers of scripture. This work has a somewhat different purpose:
-
To convey as close as possible the actual meaning of the sentences as they would have been understood at the time they were originally spoken or written. To accomplish this for twenty-first century Americans, dynamic equivalent words and sayings have been used at a sentence level. An attempt has been made to preserve intended wordplay and irony from the original author.
-
We have attempted to clarify ideas, references, and thought sequences that would have been clear to first century audiences but are not clear to modern audiences because of differences in culture, customs, language, or degree of familiarity with Old Testament scriptures and Messianic prophecies. The phrasing of the translation itself aims at that clarity, but we have also added words, phrases, and sentences to the narrative for improved understanding. All such additions are in brackets []. This allows the reader to have the explanatory additions when reading but also insulate these additions from the translated scripture – indeed, with a little effort they can be skipped entirely when reading aloud.
-
Color codes for different types of additional material are intended to further aid understanding:
- Green is used for words added to descriptive narrative because they are implied or as commentary to explain the context.
- References to scriptures are shown in gold.
-
As in many translations and editions, we have added headings in bold to help understand when a new theme is introduced by the author.
-
The author frequently refers to "Christ" or to "Jesus Christ". We have employed the words “the Anointed One” rather than "Christ", since that is the meaning of “Christ”. We wanted to avoid the sense of "Christ" as Jesus’ surname, yet still recognize it as a well-known title.
-
We have also added study questions at the end of each chapter to help you think more thoroughly about the meaning and application of the author’s writing.
We will have succeeded in this translation if you the reader find that you can read this work of scripture with greater comprehension and enjoyment than ever before. Please let us know if you find the various supplementary materials helpful. or too distracting, or if you have any other suggestions about how to improve this approach to translation.
Richard Tittle, pneuma9@gmail.com
Galatians Chapter 1
Greetings
1 [From] Paul, an apostle, [sent] neither from men nor by men but by Jesus the Anointed One and God the Father, who raised him [Jesus] from the dead. [I am not a representative of any church nor was my commission from men but rather from the founder of our faith, God himself, who stopped me on the road to Damascus and gave me my orders which I have followed ever since. So my message to you also has the authority of God behind it.] 2 And also [from] those brothers [in the Anointed One] who are with me [as I am writing]. To the assemblies of believers [churches] in Galatia. [Paul and Barnabas planted churches in the cities of Pisidian Antioch, Iconium, Lystra, and Derbe, all in the province of Galatia, around AD 47 on Paul’s First Missionary Journey, as described in Acts Chapters 13-14.]
3 [I pray for] grace and peace to you from God the Father and our Lord Jesus the Anointed One, 4 who gave himself for our sins that he might deliver us from this present worldwide evil, fulfilling the will of our God and Father, 5 glory for ever and ever. Amen.
Faith in Jesus is the only “Good News”
6 I am amazed that so soon you have turned from him that called you into the free gift of the Anointed One, to a different Good News. 7 [Of course,] there is no other [Good News]. Instead, there are some [people] who are troubling you and are perverting the Good News of the Anointed One.
[People had come to the churches in Galatia, representing the church leaders in Jerusalem, teaching that Christians must observe the Law, essentially “become Jews”, to follow Jesus. This negated the true “good news” that accepting Jesus as savior and lord brought salvation from the penalty of sin.]
8 But even if we [Paul or his team] or [even] an angel from heaven announces to you a message of Good News other than what you received [that brought you faith by believing in Jesus], let them be cursed! 9 I’ve said it once, now let me say it again, if anyone announces to you any other message of Good News other than what you received, let him be cursed! [Paul is so vehement about this because if our faith is in anything other than Jesus and his dying for us, we are not even born again!]
Paul’s doctrine came from God not man
10 Am I now trying to gain approval from people, or God? If it were my goal to please people, I wouldn’t [choose to] be a servant of the Anointed One[, which leads to many trials]! 11 But I assure you, brothers, that the Good News I have preached is not according to men. 12 I didn’t receive it from men nor was I taught it [from any book], but I received it [directly] from Jesus, the Anointed One.
13 For you have heard about my past behavior in [my practice of] the Jewish religion – how, beyond anyone else, I persecuted the [Christian] church of God to destroy it. 14 And I advanced in the Jewish religion above many of my peers among my own people as I zealously pursued the traditions of my ancestors. 15 But it pleased God who, from my mother’s womb, had set me apart and called me by his grace 16 to reveal his Son in me that I might preach the good news about Him among the non-Jewish peoples.
Paul’s first meeting with the apostles in Jerusalem
[When Jesus first revealed himself to me and my call to serve him (around the year AD 35),] I didn’t immediately consult flesh and blood[, followers of Jesus who might have advised me]. 17 Nor did I go up to Jerusalem to them who were apostles before me, but instead I departed to Arabia [to spend time alone with the Lord] and later returned to Damascus [where the Lord first appeared to me]. 18 Then, three years [after Paul’s conversion, or AD 38], I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter and remained with him fifteen days[, an opportunity to compare what Paul directly heard from God with the experience of a disciple who knew Jesus well]. 19 But I didn’t see any of the other apostles besides James, the Lord’s brother[, who became the leader of the church in Jerusalem].
[Acts 1:21-24 describes the New Testament church’s definition of an apostle as one who had both traveled with Jesus throughout his ministry and seen him after the resurrection. By the time this letter was written, apparently the definition now included those to whom the resurrected Jesus had appeared and also had been given a leadership assignment. This would have included both Paul as well as Jesus’ stepbrother James (1 Corinthians 15:7-8).]
20 The things I am writing to you, I declare to you before God, contain no falsehood. [What Paul received from Jesus through direct revelation was validated by talking with Peter and James.] 21 After this [time with Peter and James,] I went [north out of Judea] into the regions of Syria [including the cities of Damascus and Antioch] and Cilicia [which included Paul’s birthplace of Tarsus in modern southwest Turkey]. 22 In fact, none of the assemblies in Judea[, where Paul preached next,] who followed the Anointed One, even recognized me. 23 All they knew was that the one who had persecuted them in the past was now preaching the faith he once sought to destroy, 24 and they praised God in me.
Discussion questions
1. What was the heart of the Good News that Paul taught the Galatian churches? Why was he so concerned that no one change or add to what he had taught them?
2. Why does it make any difference whether Paul received the doctrine he taught directly from Jesus himself or from the apostles in Jerusalem?
3. Would you have trusted Paul if you met him shortly after his conversion, based on his record of persecuting Christians. How often do you think similar stories have happened throughout history up to the present, since it is our job to pray for those who persecute us?
Galatians Chapter 2
Paul validates his teaching with the other apostles
[Paul is validating the legitimacy of his teaching of the good news by recounting his visits to the leaders of the church in Jerusalem. The first visit of Paul to Jerusalem is described in Galatians 1:18-19. Acts 11:19-30 describes how, nine years later, the church in Antioch was started and how Barnabas and Paul worked together to help grow the church there, which was a mixture of Jews and non-Jews.]
1 Then, fourteen years after [Paul’s conversion, therefore around AD 49], I again went up to Jerusalem, with Barnabas, and we brought Titus along with us [as a co-worker and an example of their fruitful work among the non-Jews]. [Paul measured the time of events from the most important point of his life - his conversion. This visit was about 1 year after the church in Antioch was established but before Paul and Barnabas left for the first missionary journey.] 2 The Lord had shown me to come and privately share with those who were known to be the leaders [Peter and John and James] the Good News I preach among the non-Jews, in case I had been proceeding in vain and my efforts had been wasted. [For Paul, the Good News was completely based on a person’s faith in Jesus’ death for their sins and never on their observance of written laws. Paul wanted to make sure that the members of the churches he founded would be accepted on equal terms with all other Christians.]
[Most likely this visit is the same visit where Paul and Barnabus brought the collection for the Jerusalem believers during the famine mentioned in Acts 11:19-30 and Acts 12:24-25, though it is surprising for him not to mention that purpose. Some commentators believe that this private visit with Peter and James was part of or just before the Jerusalem Council that was called to decide these issues but it seems unlikely that Paul in this letter would not have referred to the many leaders gathered there or the decisions that resulted from their council.]
Written Law not required for believers
3 But Titus, who accompanied me, was not compelled [as a result of the discussion with Peter and James] to be circumcised. [The issue of how non-Jewish believers would be indoctrinated into churches is apparently one of the things Paul was checking out with Peter and James and John. Titus was non-Jewish in background and, when he became a follower of Jesus, Paul and the church leaders in Antioch did not require him to be circumcised, since his faith had nothing to do with becoming a Jew. Later, as accounted in Acts 16:3, Paul did circumcise another convert, Timothy, who was half Jewish and would be ministering to Jews. Titus, a non-Jew, would be more readily accepted by non-Jews, and Timothy, a Jew would be more accepted by Jews.]
4 And even though[, prior to this trip to Jerusalem,] false brothers[, so-called Judaizers, , who believed Christians must become Jews,] had sneaked in among us [in Antioch] to observe our freedom in Jesus the Anointed One, so that they might bring us into bondage [to the Law], 5 we never gave in or submitted ourselves to them for even an hour, so that we could continue to bring the undiluted truth of the Good News to you [when we came to Galatia].
Paul validated as apostle to the non-Jews
6 But [when I visited them,] these well-known leaders had nothing to add to my [approach to sharing the] Good News [which did not require circumcision or any other Jewish traditions or observations of the Law]. Honestly, their reputation did not concern me, since God considers all people the same. 7 In fact, they were very aware that God had entrusted me with presenting the Good News to the uncircumcised [non-Jews] and to Peter the Good News for the circumcised [Jews]. 8 For the same one [God] who worked through Peter in his apostleship to those who are circumcised has worked through me to the uncircumcised.
9 And James, Kephas [Peter], and John, who were known as pillars [primary leaders], saw the grace that was given to me, and they gave us [Barnabas and I] the right hand of fellowship, [recognizing us as the ones] to go to the [non-Jewish] peoples as they would go to the circumcision [the Jews], 10 only [asking of us] that we would remember the poor, which was already our desire.
[Apparently, Peter and James did not realize or tell Paul it would be a major issue for non-Jewish believers to be accepted into the worldwide church without being circumcised. Perhaps the apostles underestimated the degree to which the Jewish Christians would see their Jewish traditions and observance of the Law to be essential elements of their Christian faith. Shortly after this Jerusalem meeting, Paul and Barnabus would depart from Antioch on their First Missionary Journey, founding churches in Cyprus and Galatia. These churches would be comprised of both Jewish and non-Jewish believers, just as was Antioch in Syria. Meanwhile, Christians in Jerusalem were primarily Jewish. Undoubtedly, the church in Jerusalem received reports from time to time on the newly founded churches. Peter was likely sent from Jerusalem to see how the ethnically mixed church of Antioch was doing.]
Hypocrisy of separating Jewish and non-Jewish believers
11 But after Peter came to Antioch [to see how the church here was doing], I had to confront him face-to-face because he deserved it [for his inconsistent and hypocritical behavior]. 12 Prior to certain people coming from James [who was the acknowledged leader of the church in Jerusalem], Peter ate with the non-Jews, but after they came, he withdrew and separated from the non-Jews, fearing those of the Circumcision [same as the "Judaizers", who believe you have to become Jewish to be a follower of Jesus]. 13 The other Jews [that had already been part of the church in Antioch] also joined him in his hypocrisy, to the point where even Barnabas [who had lived with Paul among the non-Jews] was persuaded to join them in this hypocrisy too. [Peter and Barnabus now separated themselves from the non-Jewish believers so they wouldn’t be seen by the Jews from Jerusalem violating the Law (Deuteronomy 7:1-6), even though this was inconsistent with their earlier behavior and belief.]
14 But when I saw that they were no longer walking straightforwardly in the truth of the Good News [which is that a believer’s righteousness came from their trust in Jesus only], I said to Peter in front of everyone, “If you, born Jewish, were [previously] living like a non-Jew [among the non-Jews] and not as a Jew, why are you [now] requiring the non-Jews to live as the Jews?”
[In fact it was Peter in Acts Chapters 10 and 11 who first had followed the Spirit’s command to go among the non-Jews who were ready to follow Jesus, without requiring them to become Jews. In Acts 11:16-18, Peter had convinced even the “Circumcision Party” in Jerusalem that the Good News of Jesus was true for non-Jews without their following the Law and Jewish customs, since the Holy Spirit had told him to regard the non-Jewish believers as holy and they received the Holy Spirit just as Jewish believers. Furthermore, when Peter first came to Antioch [Galatians 2:12], he lived in common with the non-Jews, neither requiring non-Jewish members of the church to observe Jewish customs and the Law nor conforming to the Law himself.]
[But when the representatives of James came, they had never lived among non-Jewish believers, and they felt they would be sinning to depart from the Law and Jewish customs. Peter may have felt that separating the Jews and non-Jews was the only way to keep the Jewish believers from compromising their values. However, the result was that it made the non-Jewish believers in Antioch feel they must become and act as Jews.]
[This contradicted the revelation of the Holy Spirit that redemption came only from faith in Jesus, not from following the Law or any other traditions. Paul confronted Peter on the basis that Peter was actually contradicting the truth that faith in Jesus was the only requirement for being a Christian. Paul is citing the earlier situation in Antioch to teach the Galatians this same truth.]
Faith in Jesus makes us righteous
15 [Even though] we were born Jewish and not among the non-Jewish “sinners” [so-called because they did not have the Law], 16 we know that it’s not by [trying to follow] the works of the Law that a man is made righteous [before God] but by trust [in the Good News] of Jesus the Anointed One. In this same way we too believed in the Anointed One, Jesus, so that we could be made righteous by trust in the Anointed One [who had given us his righteousness] and not by the works of the Law [our own righteousness]. For no flesh is made righteous by the works of the Law [Romans 3:20].
17 But, what if, in our seeking to be considered righteous through the Anointed One, we are found to be sinners [by breaking the “purity” Law that requires Jews to separate from non-Jews]. Would this mean the Anointed One “ministered” sin? No, just the opposite is true! 18 I would [indeed] be contributing to unrighteousness if I rebuild [the system of Law] which I just tore down [as my pathway to righteousness]. 19 In fact, [it was] because of [my failed attempts in the past to follow] the Law that I died to the Law[, no longer placing my efforts into following it], so I might [truly] live for God.
Jesus lives his life in me
20 I am crucified along with the Anointed One. [When Jesus died, I died too! He stopped my old life which was completely subject to my fleshly urges and temptations. And when he rose to life again, his resurrection also was mine, as soon as I rejected my old life and chose to trust him, Actually,] it’s not I who lives, but the Anointed One now lives in me [a Spirit-directed life]. And I [am able to] now live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me. 21 I am not going to miss out on the grace of God [which comes through faith]. If righteousness came from [our efforts to conform to] the Law, then the death of the Anointed One was of no value.
Discussion questions
1. Why do you think Paul and Barnabus brought Titus with them to meet Peter and James and John? Do you think they accomplished what they hoped? Do you think Paul was excited that he was accepted by the Jerusalem apostles?
2. How hard do you think it would have been for Peter and the other Jews to live among the non-Jewish believers in Antioch? Have you ever been on a mission trip and had trouble adapting to local customs and food? Why did Paul make such a big deal about the Jewish believers separating themselves from the non-Jewish?
3. What happens when people believe in Jesus that is so unique and precious? How is that different from following laws and traditions?
4. Why wasn’t Paul concerned at all about how mixing with the non-Jewish believers would cause them to violate purity laws? Why does Paul think it was good to die to the Law?
5. How do both we and Jesus share the life we live after we believe in Him? Why is that more precious than being considered a Jew?
Galatians Chapter 3
Belief in Jesus brought the Holy Spirit
1 Oh, foolish Galatians! Who has enchanted your minds so that you would lose your confidence in the truth [I presented you], when Jesus, the Anointed One, was so clearly set before your eyes as crucified? 2 I would like to understand from you – was it by the works of the Law [your human effort] that you received the Spirit or [was it] by believing what you heard? [When you believed in Jesus, the Spirit came. This was a supernatural process, not a natural one of the flesh.] 3 Are you so clueless that, having begun in the Spirit, you would [now] finish in the flesh [by succumbing to pressure and influence to become Jews]? 4 Have you suffered so much in vain [both from Jews and other people groups]? Or has it been in vain? [Haven’t you in fact held on to your belief in what Jesus has done for you even though you have been ridiculed and persecuted?]
5 So then, does he who provides you with the Spirit and works miracles among you, do it by the works of the Law? Or was it through believing what you heard, 6 just as Abraham believed God and it was accounted to him as righteousness. 7 Understand then that those with faith are the children of Abraham. 8 And the scripture [Genesis 12:3], foreseeing that God would make the non-Jews righteous through [their] faith, anticipating the future preaching of the good news, declared to Abraham that all nations would be blessed through him. 9 So then those with faith [in God] are blessed right along with Abraham.
The Law brings frustration not righteousness
10 For all who are of [those trying to achieve righteousness through] the works of the Law are under the curse, for it is written [Deuteronomy 28:15], “Everyone is cursed who does not continue to perform everything [according to what is] written in the Book of the Law”. 11 For it is clear from this that no one is made righteous through the Law in the sight of God for, “The righteous shall live by faith” [Habakkuk 2:4].
12 Yet the [works of the] Law are not [about] faith, but the one who is doing [the works of] the Law must live [his whole life] in [complete obedience to] them. 13 The Anointed One has rescued us from the curse of the Law, having been made a curse for our sake, [since] it is written [Deuteronomy 21:22-23], “Cursed is everyone that hangs on a tree”. [The Hebrew word “eitz” means, “tree, wood, plank, pole, gallows, or something fashioned out of wood”.]
[To be “under the curse” means “to be considered guilty and therefore subject to the penalty and the shame”. Paul makes it clear that those who claim righteousness under the Law couldn’t do so simply by possessing the Law, but must observe it in complete detail, or were guilty of it all. The “curse of the Law” was that all who were under the Law fell short and were therefore considered guilty. When Jesus came, never violating the Law and willingly representing before the Father’s eyes all men everywhere for all time, and willingly and blamelessly took the punishment of being hung on the cross, he fulfilled the curse – that is, the sentence and shame - for all our sins.]
[But to receive the benefit of Jesus’ redemption of us we must receive him as our Lord and Savior, accepting him as the one we allow to fully act in our place. This removes the curse from us, since he already bore it. As a result, we who follow Jesus, no longer are under the Law or its “curse”, but we are considered “in Jesus” and declared free of all judgment because of Jesus’ righteousness.]
14 Thus it was through faith in the Anointed One Jesus that the blessing of Abraham has come to the non-Jewish people, so we might receive the promise of the Spirit. [It is not by becoming Jewish or following the Law. You Galatians know this because when you put your faith in Jesus, the Holy Spirit came into you and filled you. That’s also how you know you have been made righteous in the eyes of God.]
Faith takes precedence over the Law even for Jews
15 Brothers, let me speak of a common human situation. Once a man has made a legal covenant [or last will and testament], no one can violate it or add to it. 16 Now, the promises were made [by God] to Abraham and his seed [Genesis 22:17-18]. [In the promise,] he [God] doesn’t say “seeds”, referring to “many”, but to “one”. And “his seed” refers to the Anointed One.
[This is an unusual declaration. It was well known to the Jews that Abraham would himself bless the nations (Genesis 12:2-3). It was also known that Abraham’s seed would bless the nations. Paul emphasizes the use of the singular form of the word for seed, “sperma”, even though it was typical for the singular form to imply all descendants. But, in reality it was not through all of Abraham’s descendants that the nations are blessed, but through specific branches of the family. In fact, it was clearly through the line of Isaac and not Ishmael, and then the line of Jacob and not Esau, that the promise of God was to be fulfilled. Paul is emphasizing that this is an unusual application of the singular, pointing to one person, Jesus, descended from Abraham, and through whom the blessing would come. And in fact, this was the only way the non-Jewish nations could receive the blessing – that is, through Jesus and belief in him.]
17 What I am saying is this: the covenant, which was made earlier [with Abraham], could not be canceled by the Law, which came 430 years later [through Moses], nor the promise be made void. 18 For if the inheritance [of Abraham] is from the Law, then it’s no longer from the promise, but [in fact] God gave it to him by a promise. [In the covenant with Abraham, God promised Abraham the land of Canaan, countless descendants, a blessed life, victory over his enemies, and the blessing of the whole world through a descendant of his. This is described in Genesis 12:2-3 and Genesis 22:17-18.]
The Law is a guardian and teacher
19 [Since righteousness was to be fulfilled through the covenant promise of God to Abraham,] the Law was then added because of [the need for God’s people to recognize] transgressions [of God’s righteous ways] until the coming of the seed [or descendant, that is, Jesus,] of the one [Abraham] to whom the promise was made.
It [the Law] was set forth by angels [as God’s messengers] through a mediator[, Moses]. [According to Psalms 68:17 and Deuteronomy 33:2, God is surrounded by myriads of holy angels. In Exodus 20:1, where God gives the Law to Moses, the word for God is Elohim, which is plural, and is used sometimes to represent the angels or gods, but here represents God, surrounded by his angels, who carry out his will. The angels give inspiration to humans to avoid temptation and, according to Hebrews 2:2, also enforce the penalties for violating God’s righteous ways.]
20 Now, a mediator is not for one only [but between two parties], and God is only one. [The Law required a mediator since the people were afraid of God, and so the Law was fear-based. Furthermore, the Law was designed to instruct the Jews but the non-Jews did not even have the Law or Moses to receive it. On the other hand, the covenant-based promise was fulfilled by God himself when Jesus came, requiring no mediator, which makes it much stronger than the Law.]
21 Is the Law then counter to the promises of God? Of course not! For if there had been a law that had the power to give life, then becoming right with God could have come from [obedience to] the Law. 22 But the scripture has concluded that all are subject to sin, so that the promise [of freedom] through belief in Jesus the Anointed One might be given to [all] those who believe [- both the Jews who had the Law but couldn’t obey it and the non-Jews who did not even know the Law].
23 But prior to the coming of faith, we were all placed under the “protective custody” of the Law until the way of faith could be revealed. 24 So, the Law became our teacher until we could be made right with God through faith in the Anointed One.
Faith in Jesus makes us all alike
25 But once faith has come, we are no longer under a teacher. 26 For you are all the children of God through your faith in Jesus the Anointed One. 27 For as many of you as have been baptized into the Anointed One are clothed with the Anointed One. [When we confess our faith in Jesus, our next step is to be baptized “in the name of Jesus”, wherein we take on his character and life.]
28 There is [no longer] Jew nor Greek, nor slave nor free, nor male nor female, for you are all one in the Anointed One, Jesus. 29 And if you are [part of] the Anointed One, then you[, along with the Anointed One,] are Abraham’s seed and heirs according to the promise [Genesis 22:17-18, Galatians 3:16]. [To receive the eternal benefits of being a Christian, we don’t have to satisfy any other requirement than that we follow Jesus and accept the payment of his life in our place.]
Discussion questions
1. What are the things Paul mentions that come into the life of a believer because of belief in Jesus that don’t come through being a Jew or following the Law?
2. Can you explain the meaning of “the curse of the Law”? Why does believing in Jesus avoid the curse of the Law?
3. In what way did the promise made to Abraham get fulfilled through Jesus?
4. Why was it important for man to be taught by the Law? Why do we not need the Law any longer once we come to faith in Jesus?
Galatians Chapter 4
The Law brings bondage
1 [Now, back to those under the Law.] It’s like this – while the heir is a child, there’s no difference between him and a slave, even though he is lord [and owner by the promise of the will specifying his inheritance], 2 but he is under tutors and managers until the time appointed by the father. 3 That’s the way it was when we were children – we were in bondage to the most basic rules of the world [“don’t touch”, “don’t eat”].
4 But when the appointed time came, God sent his son, born out of a woman, subject to the Law, 5 to redeem those [the Jewish people] who were under the Law. [It was the plan of God that now was the perfect time for him to come into the world. Though he pre-existed as the second person of the Godhead, by the power of the third person of the Godhead he was placed as a male human inside a Jewish woman, who gave birth to him, thus fulfilling the promise he would be the seed of a woman and under the Law because of being born a Jew.]
Following Jesus makes us sons
[This] enabled us to receive adoption as sons [since Jesus was born human, lived as a brother of the rest of us, and willingly exchanged places with us (2 Corinthians 5:21), took our penalty of death (Colossians 2:14), and granted us the right to be children of God (John 1:12)]. 6 And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of his son into your hearts, crying out, “Abba [Hebrew for “Daddy”], Father!” 7 So you are no longer a slave [Galatians 4:1] but a son and, because you are a son, you are an heir of God through the Anointed One.
8 When you did not yet know the true God, you were a slave to those [idols you used to worship] who did not qualify to be [called] gods. 9 But now that you have come to know God, or, even better, are known to be under his authority [part of his family], why would you turn back again to such weak and beggarly basic rules [since the Law neither helps nor saves you]? It’s as if you desire to be in bondage again.
10 You are carefully observing days and months and times and years [prescribed by the Law, such as the Sabbath, the New Moon, Harvest, and the Jubilee]. 11 I fear that all my labors on your behalf [to free you from ritual in favor of relationship with God] have been in vain. 12 Brothers [and sisters], I plead with you to be as I am [free from allegiance to following Jewish Law and ritual] just as I became like you [living as a non-Jew]. [As you know, I am careful to be all things to all people since it’s not my daily ritual but my relationship with God that makes me righteous.]
Don’t resist the truth
But you have never offended me. 13 You remember when I preached the Good News to you in spite of a sickness in my body [apparently related to his eyes]. 14 And even through my trial in the flesh, you did not despise or reject me but rather you received me as a messenger of God, even [as though I was] the Anointed One, Jesus. 15 Where then is that grateful spirit you spoke about [toward me back then]? If possible, you would have plucked out your own eyes and given them to me. [Apparently, Paul was suffering from a physical problem that affected his eyes.]
16 Have I now become your enemy simply because I am telling you the truth? [You used to love me because I told you the truth.] 17 They [who are inviting you to become Jews] are paying close attention to you but not for your good. They want to keep you from me so that you will become close to them. 18 Let them show their interest in you all the time, not only when [they know] I am present with you.
19 My children, of whom again I [continue to] labor in childbirth until the Anointed One be [fully] formed in you, 20 I wish I could be present with you now, so I could change my tone, but I am not sure about you.
Choose the covenant that brings freedom
21 Tell me, you who want to be under the Law, do you hear what the Law says? 22 For it is written, Abraham had two sons, one by a slave woman [Genesis 16:3] and one by a free woman [Genesis 21:1-2]. 23 However, the one from the slave woman was born by the flesh [through human effort to obtain an heir] but the one from the free woman was through the promise [of God].
24 For these two [women] are illustrations of the two covenants. The first, from Mount Sinai, concerning Hagar, represents birthing into bondage. 25 For Hagar is like Mount Sinai [where the Law was given in the first covenant] which is just like Jerusalem of today, in bondage [to the Law] along with her children [the Jewish people].
26 But [the other woman, Sarah, is like] the Jerusalem which is above [the New Jerusalem], free [from slavery to the Law] and mother of us all [both Jewish and non-Jewish followers of the Anointed One]. 27 For it is written [Isaiah 54:1], “Rejoice, barren woman, who have borne no child, break forth and exclaim, you who have never travailed [in the labor of childbirth], for the desolate woman now has more children [both Jewish and non-Jewish] than she who is with her husband.
28 Now, brothers [and sisters], we, like Isaac, are the children of promise. 29 But even now, just as in that time [Genesis 21:9], the one [Ishmael] that was born according to the flesh [through human effort], has persecuted the one [Isaac] born according to the Spirit. [In the current situation in Galatia, as well as the earlier situation Paul cites from Antioch, the Jewish believers, who follow the Law, which is based on human effort, persecute the followers of the Anointed One, who rely on faith, based on the Spirit, for their standing before God.]
30 But what does the scripture [Genesis 21:10] say?, “Cast out the slave woman and her son, for the son of the slave woman shall not be an heir along with the son of the free woman!” [The kingdom of heaven was to be obtained only through faith, not also through trying to follow the Law.] 31 So then, brothers [and sisters], we are not among the slave woman’s children, but rather among the free woman’s children. [Christians receive their inheritance including eternal life by their faith in Jesus not their adherence to the Law or by becoming Jewish.] 5:1 Stand then in the freedom for which the Anointed One has set us free, never again snared in the yoke of slavery.
Discussion questions
1. Jesus said that coming under the Law for a Christian is like returning to kindergarten. How much do we try to turn even the New Testament into a rulebook to judge behavior? What does freedom look like for a born again Christian?
2. What would you say is the difference between being a “son of the slave woman” and being a “son of the free woman”? What does it take to be among the “children of promise”?
Galatians Chapter 5
You can’t follow both the Law and Jesus
2 I, Paul, am telling you, if you become circumcised, the Anointed One will no longer benefit you [because you are choosing the Law rather than the Anointed One as the means for your righteousness]. 3 For it is my testimony to every man that is circumcised [since circumcision is part of the Law (Leviticus 12:3)] – that he is obligated to keep the entire Law [Deuteronomy 28:15]! 4 Whoever is [seeking to be] made righteous through the Law has been removed from the Anointed One – you are no longer under grace [receiving redemption from Jesus’ death in your place]. 5 [On the other hand,] we who by the Spirit [rely on] faith are waiting with eager expectancy for our hope of righteousness. 6 For in the Anointed One, Jesus, neither circumcision nor uncircumcision accomplishes anything, but it is our faith [in our savior] which works through [our experience of his] love.
Remain in the truth
7 You were proceeding well! Who interfered with your remaining faithful to the truth [that your righteousness comes only through your faith in the Anointed One]? 8 This influence didn’t come from the one who called you [originally]. 9 A little yeast ferments the whole lump [of dough]. [When you allowed a little influence from those who felt you needed to follow the Jewish traditions and laws, that idea soon spread.] 10 I have confidence in you that you will remain in the truth and not end up a different direction, but the one that troubled you, whoever he is, will be judged for it.
11 And brothers, if I am still preaching circumcision [as some have claimed], then why am I still being persecuted for the [teaching the doctrine of the] cross which is so offensive [to many]. [Prior to writing Galatians, Paul circumcised Timothy in Acts 16:1-5 so that Timothy, who had a Jewish mother and a non-Jewish father, would be more credible among the Jews, not because Paul was submitting to any demand by the Judaizers. In fact, Paul still taught that Jesus saved the world by submitting to the cross, which was much more offensive to the Jews than not being circumcised.] 12 I wish that those who have troubled you [with all this talk of circumcision] would mutilate themselves.
Freedom is for serving not criticizing
13 For you have been called to freedom [from slavery to the Law], brothers [and sisters], but not so you have the opportunity in your flesh [to do whatever you desire], but [rather] to serve one another in love. 14 For all the [purpose of the] Law is fulfilled in a single expression [from Leviticus 19:18 and repeated by Jesus in Matthew 22:39 and Mark 12:31], “Love your neighbor as yourself”. 15 But if you bite and devour one another, watch that you not destroy one another. [At its worst, striving to follow the Law leads to more and more points of contention, resulting to the opposite of its intention.]
The Spirit sets free from the flesh
16 This is what I am saying - walk in the Spirit and you will not carry out the desires of the flesh [human nature]. 17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh [human nature] – these [two] oppose one another. That’s why it’s so hard to carry out your good intentions. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law. [Rather, you are freely choosing to do what the Spirit shows you is beneficial, not that you are acting out of guilt that you might violate the legal code.]
19 Now, the works of the flesh [human nature] are obvious – adultery, sexual acts, impure thoughts, sexual suggestiveness, 20 idolatry, witchcraft, hostility, fighting, envy, rage, irritation, argumentativeness, division, speculation, 21 spitefulness, murder, drunkenness, riotousness, and the like [Matthew 15:19, Ephesians 5:3-5, Colossians 3:5]. I say again what I have before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of heaven. [Deciding to follow Jesus results both in our inheriting the kingdom of heaven and our receiving the Spirit, who helps us cease from works of the flesh. If we do not change, we haven’t truly decided to follow Jesus.]
22 But the fruit of [living with the guidance of] the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 humility, self-control, and there is no law against these. [When we decide to give our lives to Jesus and then we follow the guidance of the Spirit, we live good lives without even trying to obey the written Law.]
24 And they that belong to the Anointed One have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. [We not only have allowed our old selves to die with the Anointed One as a result of our commitment to him (Galatians 2:19) but have actively nailed our sinful behavior that we hate to his cross.] 25 If we are to live in the Spirit, let us walk step-in-step with the Spirit [referring to him constantly and consistently to choose what the Spirit shows us instead of what the flesh desires].
Discussion questions
1. Why is it true that you can’t both follow Jesus and the Law at the same time?
2. How important would you say it is for apostolic leaders to continue to teach and encourage individual churches? What tends to happen if they don’t?
3. Paul gives one of the most complete lists here (Galatians 5:19-21) of behaviors which result from our natural desires and which take us away from God, as well as a list of fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5;22) operating in our life. How can we eliminate all of the fleshly works and receive the spiritual fruits?
Galatians Chapter 6
Choose humility and service to one another
5:26 Let us not become conceited, comparing ourselves to one another, jealous [of others].
1 Brothers, if someone is found in a sin, you who [think you] are spiritual, help restore the person, but at the same time consider yourself with a humble spirit or else you yourself might fall to temptation. 2 Bear each other’s burdens and in that way fulfill the law of the Anointed One. [While the written Law was used to separate and criticize, the way of love demonstrated by Jesus, is to share, help, and heal.]
3 For a man may think he’s something when he’s [really] nothing - he is deluding himself [that he is better than others]. 4 But let every man evaluate his own work [concerning whether he is showing love or “showing off”], and then he can be glad in himself [if he finds love toward others], rather than needing the approval of others. 5 For every man is accountable for how he carries out his own responsibilities.
6 [For instance,] those who receive instruction in the word should share his good things with the one who teaches him. [One of your responsibilities is to take care of those who instruct you how to live a life guided by the Spirit and the word, because there is nothing more valuable than understanding how God sees things.] 7 Don’t be fooled, God is not mocked. Whatever a man sows is what he will also reap. 8 For whoever sows to the flesh out of the flesh will reap destruction, and whoever sows to the Spirit out of the Spirit will reap eternal life.
9 Let us never tire of doing good, for at just the right time we will reap [from the good seed we have sown], if we don’t give up. 10 Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, let us do good to everyone, especially to the household of faith [followers of Jesus].
Trust Paul rather than the Judaizers
11 Notice what large letters I use as I write [this last part of my message to you] in my own handwriting. [This tells us Paul normally dictated his letters to a secretary. But sometimes he added to the end of a letter when the secretary was not available. Perhaps the large letters of his handwriting indicated nearsightedness.]
12 Those who are trying to push you into being circumcised want to look good on the outside [by conforming to the Law] so they can avoid suffering persecution for [trusting in] the cross of the Anointed One [as the basis for their righteousness]. 13 And those who are circumcised don’t even themselves [strictly] observe the Law. They just want you to comply by being circumcised so they can boast in [getting you to conform in] your flesh.
14 But as for me, God forbid that I should boast in anything other than the cross of our Lord Jesus, the Anointed One, by whom the world is crucified to me and I to the world. [The world has been eliminated as an interest to me, nor do I respond to it.] 15 But being circumcised or not makes no difference, only whether I have become a new creation in the Anointed One, Jesus. 16 And whoever lives according to this principle [of following Jesus], God’s peace and mercy on them, who also are God’s [true] Israel. [The Judaizers have been trying to turn believing Galatians into Jews, but it is those who believe in Jesus who are the true Israel (Romans 9:6-8)]
17 From now on, let no one oppose me, for I bear on my body the marks of the Lord Jesus. [Paul is likely referring to the scars on his body from beatings he has received in following Jesus. Circumcision is a mark on the flesh to show devotion to God, but Paul’s devotion has marked him as one to listen to as an authority. It is also possible that Paul experienced supernatural wounds corresponding to the wounds of Jesus, as others have in church history, such as St Francis.]
18 Dear brothers [and sisters], the grace of the Lord Jesus the Anointed One be with your spirits. Amen.
[Paul likely composed and sent this letter to the Galatian churches from Antioch in Syria shortly after Peter and the Judaizers from Jerusalem came to visit. Shortly after that the Jerusalem Council was convened to resolve the issues of what would be required of non-Jewish believers for them to be accepted in the churches. This is all described in Acts 15:1-33, including the conveying of decisions of the council back to Antioch. Shortly thereafter, Paul and Silas left on Paul’s Second Missionary Journey, as described in Acts 15:40.]
Discussion questions
1. Do you think the ways to approach older and younger men and women are pretty much the same as in Paul’s time? How would you instruct church members in how to treat each age group and gender?
2. Paul is careful in adding widows to the list of those being helped by the church. Do you feel this is justified. How would you modify his approach for your church?
3. How does your church honor its elders and teachers? Do you think they should be paid for their service?
4. How do you feel about the many Christian leaders who have harmed those under their care? Do you feel these “sin tendencies” could have been addressed if these leaders had been more thoroughly tested in their earlier ministry?