Review of Galatians 1-2

Galatians 3

• Old Covenant vs. New Covenant
• Old Covenant teachings are still being taught as required today by various groups.
• I Corinthians 10:11
• Romans 15:4
• Romans 3:28-31
• Hebrews 8:13
• I John 3:21-24
• John 6:20

Introduction

• Ephesians 4:4-6

Do I believe in a religious tradition simply because it’s a tradition?

• II Thessalonians 2:15
• Traditions can be either good or bad – we must go back to God’s word.
• Mark 7:1-8
• II John 1:9

Do I carry stuff over from the Old Covenant?

• Jeremiah 31:31-34
• Galatians 3:24-25
• The Old Covenant is no longer in effect.
• Hebrews 8:6-13 – The Old Covenant is obsolete.
• Hebrews 10:9-10
• Hebrews 10:1

Do I just believe what my family believes?

• Matthew 10:32-38 – Jesus must be our priority, even if it disrupts family relationships.
• Galatians 1:13-14; I Timothy 1:15 – Paul followed the traditions, but it made him the chief of sinners!

Do I just go along with the experts?

• Who decides who the experts are?
• Matthew 16:6-12 – Beware of the teaching of the experts!
• Matthew 23:1-3, 15
• Acts 4:1-3, 17-18 – The “experts” tried to stop the apostles!
• Acts 5:34

Do I just follow whatever is popular?

• John 6:60-66 – Jesus was not getting good reviews.
• If you’re going with popular opinion, you’ll be against Jesus.
• Matthew 7:13-14

Do I just believe what seems right to me?

• Proverbs 14:12
• Jeremiah 10:23
• Acts 23:1; 26:9 – Paul was doing what seemed right to him.

Why SHOULD I believe something?

• John 17:17
• John 12:48-50
• Can you find these in the Bible?
  • Saved by faith only
  • Once saved, always saved
  • Homosexuality is acceptable
  • Infant baptism
  • Praying to Mary
  • Having an ordained clergy class
  • God’s people can divide into denominations
  • Holy Spirit “irresistible grace”
  • Etc.
• Because I can find it in the Bible!

I Corinthians 4

I Corinthians 4:1-6 – Paul is just a servant.

• I Corinthians 4:4 – It is the Lord who judges! Don’t look to human wisdom.
• I Corinthians 4:6 – These principles apply to all of us. Do not go beyond what is written. Regarding arrogance, compare I Corinthians 4:18, 19; 5:6.

I Corinthians 4:7-13 – Paul’s condition, contrasted with the Corinthians.

• I Corinthians 4:8 – Paul is using irony and sarcasm here to point out their arrogance. Compare Revelation 3:17-18
• See Philippians 3:4-7.
• I Corinthians 4:11-13 – Paul completely refutes the “health and wealth gospel” that is popular today. Being a Christian doesn’t mean everything will suddenly be easy for you. It might be the opposite!

I Corinthians 4:14-21 – Paul admonishes as a father.

• I Corinthians 4:16 – Can we teach someone the gospel and also say, “Be just like me?” That should be our goal!

Words translated as “gossip” in the NASB NT

• Diabolos [1228] – I Timothy 3:11; II Timothy 3:3; Titus 2:3 – devil, malicious gossip, slanderer
  • “a common term for ‘devil’ found in about forty contexts”
• Psithyristes [5588] – Romans 1:29
  • Gossips, whisperers
  • “A whisperer, a secret slanderer” (Zodhiates)
  • We should not applaud those who practice gossip.
• Psithyrismos [5587] – II Corinthians 12:20
  • Gossip, whisperings
  • “A whispering, particularly of slander and detraction, hurtful gossip” (Zodhiates)
• Phlyaros [5397] – I Timothy 5:13
  • Gossips, tattlers
  • “A tattler, an idle or trifling talker, one who boils over with impertinent talk” (Zodhiates)

But lets realize that not ALL personal or negative communication is gossip.

• II Timothy 4:14-15
• I Corinthians 1:10-11
• Galatians 2:11-14
• III John 1:9-10

Definition of gossip

• “The sharing of personal or negative information about someone else, either true or false, without righteous intent.”

Questions to ask myself before talking about someone

What’s my goal?

• John 4:35

Should I say something now?

• James 1:19
• Proverbs 11:13; 17:19; 26:20

If the roles were reversed, would I want someone saying this about me?

• Matthew 7:12

Am I telling the right people?

• Proverbs 16:28

Galatians 2, continued

Galatians 2:10

• How does verse 10 (remembering the poor) belong in the discussion?
• A condition of accepting Gentiles into the church?
  • How would one know?
  • When would one be accepted?
• Was there any indication that it was not being done?
  • On the contrary – Acts 11:28-30
• Why has Paul included this note?
  • Did it change Paul’s behavior or the Gentiles’ behavior?
• Conspicuous for what it is not
  • Not a burden from Old Law
  • Not condition of acceptance
  • Not a commandment to Gentiles
  • “Take care,” “Drive safe!”
  • Paul states he was already eager to do this
  • James, Peter, John not exercising authority over him
  • Paul on equal footing as apostle

Galatians 2:11-14

• Don’t know when
• Prior to writing Galatians
  • After the events of Acts 15
• How bad did Peter’s conduct appear? Condemnable
• Withdrew from Gentiles with whom he previously socialized
  • Who were Christians
  • Members at Antioch
• What power did “certain men” have over him?
  • Nothing said
  • No negative example
  • Presence altered Peter’s behavior
• What makes this hypocrisy?
  • Acts 10:34
  • Acts 11:2-3
• What was Peter afraid of?
  • Party of the circumcision
  • Why?
  • Remove their approval of him?
  • Whose favor was he seeking?
  • Galatians 1:10
  • Matthew 10:28
  • Matthew 18:6
• The effect of Peter’s hypocrisy
  • Even the son of encouragement was led astray into hypocrisy
• Paul not leads the reader into the heart of the problem in verse 14
• What was Peter doing with regards to the truth of the gospel?
  • Made them not walk uprightly
  • In effect, teaching another gospel
  • What had Paul said about that (Galatians 1:8-9)?
• Done before all, rebuked before all
  • Correct and appropriate
    • Acting contrary to the gospel
    • Carrying away others into same hypocrisy
  • How many followed Peter’s wrong path?
  • Open versus private rebuke

Galatians 2:15-17

• Part of Paul’s rebuke to Peter, or written only to Galatians?
  • “May it never be!” seen ten times in Romans in writing
  • Two other times here in Galatians
  • More likely written rather than spoken
• Our justification must be by faith in Christ Jesus
  • Can’t come from works of law
• Our obedient faith in Christ admits
  • We’ve sinned
  • Can’t be saved by works of law
• Our only appeal to justification is to Jesus
  • Subsequent return to law, no justification from sin
  • Would Jesus, then, be a minister of sin?
    • May it never be!

Galatians 2:18-21

• Peter tore down
  • Rule of Law of Moses over his life – couldn’t justify
  • Departed the Law for Jesus – only source of justification
  • Justification by faith, not by the law
  • Took an even standing with Gentiles, who received the same justification
• He built back up
  • Returned to isolation from Gentiles
  • Returned to vestiges of the Law
  • Dividied the church at Antioch
  • Put a burden on Gentile Christians
    • Had to take on Law of Moses to have Peter’s approval
    • Took them back to a non-justifying law
• The law itself took the law away
  • By Christ fulfilling it – Matthew 5:17
  • Life in Christ and death to the Law – Romans 7:4-6
• Christ living in us means
  • We no longer guide ourselves, but are led by Christ
  • Live by faith in Christ, not by works of Law
  • Jesus gave Himself toward that end – for our justification by faith
  • It was because of his loving kindness toward us
• What if the law could justify?
  • It would nullify God’s grace
  • It would bring to nothing the sacrifice of the Son of God
    • It would not be needed