Galatians Introduction.

Galatians.  L.H. Brough.

           

Introduction.

           

This Epistle indicates clearly that Jesus Christ is the object of faith.  In this great Epistle the Gospel is defended and vindicated against Judaisers.  The Epistle is roughly divided into three sections:

Chapters 1-2.    Forms the first section, Paul here defends the Gospel from his personal experience.

Chapters 3-4.   Paul in these two chapters vindicates the Gospel from the Scriptures.  His discussion also turns on, who are the children of Abraham.

Chapters 5-6.   The practical application of the Gospel is vindicated by its moral and social fruit.

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Chapters 1:1-10.   Paul first of all addresses the Galatians. Then in verses 6-10 he announces his theme.  His theme is the Gospel and he is confident that there is only one Gospel. Nothing could be added to this Gospel.  No amendments could be made.  The revelation that God gave in Christ Jesus was final and complete.    Paul tells how unlikely it was that he should come to believe the Gospel.   

           

(1)   Paul's Conversion was not through man in any way.  His conversion was unusual, unique.  He had received it by the revelation of Jesus Christ.

           

(2)  His former life in Judaism. 

(a)  He had advanced in their ancestral religion above his contemporaries. 

(b) He became an outrageous persecutor of the Church.

           

(3)   His conversion and commission occurred at the same time in his experience. (Commission to preach the Gospel). His opponents wished to declare that he was not an apostle of the same standing as the twelve, but that his apostleship was derived.  Paul denies this.  He had been called to be an apostle independent of men.  Once he was a persecutor, now he is the preacher.

(a)   He had not received his apostleship from men.

(b)  The Apostles affirmed the reality of his commission.

           

(4)  Paul proved his authority and apostleship in the manner he withstood Peter.  The manner in which he was approved by the leaders of Jerusalem.  They gave him the right hand of fellowship.  They recognised that Paul had an apostleship to the uncircumcision.  They had refused to make the question of circumcision an issue.

           

The Jewish Christians insisted that the Gentiles be circumcised.  The rest of the Jews also adopted Peter's attitude and even Barnabas was carried away by their insincerity.  Paul reproved Peter for thinking that Gentiles should live as the Jews.  This would make Christianity a Jewish sect.  To become a Christian is not to become a Jew.  Many missionaries have made the mistake to imagine that the African or Asiatic must become European.

           

Paul takes him to the theme of justification by faith.  No man can be justified by the law.  Both Jews and Gentiles are justified on the principle of faith in Jesus Christ.  This is the one ground of their acceptance before God.  And he whom God receives we have no right to reject.  What God hath cleansed, call not common or unclean.   It is on the principle of faith that a man is justified before God.  Are you more holy than God, that you cannot accept those whom he accepts?

           

Today we have the heresy of Exclusivism.  A people who are obsessed with their own importance.  A people who write off the full implications of the great apostolic teaching that a man is justified by faith in Jesus Christ.  This is the ground of our fellowship whether expressed at the Lord's supper or at a common meal.  Those who cannot eat together have no real fellowship.  To eat together and in common is symbolic of our fellowship.

           

Under the evil influence of the Judaizers the Gospel would become legal, ceremonial, national and racial. In this epistle Paul insists upon the integrity of the Gospel and that there is but one Gospel and he makes his defence against certain men who would corrupt the Gospel of Christ.

           

1.   This Epistle develops that great Biblical principle that faith is the only way to God.

2.   This Epistle refutes the moralist who imagines that can live out the Christian life without          Christ.

3.   The Epistle concerns our standing with God.  It sets out the basis of our relationship with God.

4.   It overthrows Catholicism which mixes faith and works, and confounds vital Christian living with ritualism.

5.   It chokes Seventh Day Adventism.  

6.   It blows to pieces Pentecostalism.

7.  It tears to further threads, the remnants of Exclusive Brethrenism.

8.   Corrects extreme Dispensationalism.

           

Unity.  

The unity of Jew and Gentile in the Church.  Is a unity based on justification by faith.  A unity that expresses itself in a family.  The argument of the Doctrinal section of the Epistle turns on the question, "who are the seed of Abraham?  Who are the true people of God?  Is circumcision a necessary mark of the people of God?"

           

In establishing the principle that all who have faith in Jesus Christ are the people of God, every human distinction is abolished.  Circumcision extenuated the distinction between gender.  Now a woman in her own personal relationship to Jesus Christ forms part of the people of God.  We want diversity but not divisiveness.  The Epistle concerns our relationship to God.  It has to do with what is basic to religious experience.  Not only so, but this Epistle provides the answer to many heresies.

           

Chapter 2.  We have suggested that both the 3 years and the 14 years date from Paul's conversion and we have suggested that the visit to Jerusalem recorded in this chapter is to be identified with the visit of Paul and Barnabas in Acts.11:30.  We have also suggested that Paul had a private interview with the apostles.  For Paul realised that it would be a handicap to his mission if the Apostles at Jerusalem became opposed to his mission.  And if he had continued in spite of the opposition from the Apostles, then the church would have been divided.  So it was important that he had a private interview with the Apostles at Jerusalem.

           

Chapter 3.  Paul sets out to establish that they who are of faith are the seed of Abraham.  The whole chapter turns on the question: "Who are the sons of Abraham?"  And one thing that stands out clear in this chapter: it is that justification - Sonship - the indwelling of the Spirit are inseparably linked together.  By tracing the message back to Abraham and by establishing that the Gospel was the fulfilment of promise.  Paul establishes the divine origin and authenticity of the gospel message.  The principle of faith makes possible the fulfilment of the promise to all nations, (that was made with Abraham).

How does Paul do this:-

a.  He sets out clearly the historical situation of the giving of the promise and shows that the law could in no way affect the promise.

b. Then he shows that both the promise and its fulfilment or realisation were on the principle of faith.

c. Then he shows how that Christ is the seed (and we think of him in terms of a collective person).

d. Then he shows how the indwelling of the Holy Spirit is the proof of sonship.

God is preaching the Gospel beforehand to Abraham, preached a Gospel that contained the essential Pauline elements.

1/  Faith.           2/  Righteousness or Justification.                     3/  Catholic - all nations.

4/  Blessing.      5/  Sonship and that by the quickening power of the Spirit.

Does this Epistle really establish the right of the individual over the community?  Or on the other hand are we to regard Justification as a social act?  Does not justification by faith establish a solidarity and a community among races and classes who were hostile to one another?  Was not the Epistle written to people who denied any unity or equality so that they could not eat together?  Has this epistle anything to contribute to the topic of Ecumenicalism?

           

Is it true that the church unless it is united cannot fulfil its mission to the world?   Or is it not probably true that unless it is united in its message, all external unity would be in vain?  This unity takes the form of a family, it is based on justification by faith in Christ, it is energised by the inward witness and fellowship of the Holy Spirit and it expresses itself in love to one another.  It has the characteristics of a family rather than an institution.

           

Why was the law a hindrance to the universalism of the Gospel?

a.  Men could only come under its curse, like fish imprisoned in the depths of the sea,  (3:10).

b.  The just live by faith and the law is not of faith, (3:11,12). 

c.  Other reasons were:  It stood for nationalism.  It was burdened with such rites as Circumcision and Sabbath keeping.

           

What did Paul mean when he wrote of Christ having redeemed us from the curse of law?  Those under the Law were under the curse.   The curse is the opposite of blessing.  The curse not only expresses the judgment of the law but shows the dishonourable nature of the judgment. It was not pagans but Jews who were under the curse of the Law.  Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law. The curse that Christ bore is the same as that which was upon those under the Law.  The reference to the tree suggests that it was by his death he bore the curse.  In Israel a man was not cursed because he was hanged, but the hanging was a sign to demonstrate to all that he was cursed - Cole.

           

So Christ died and the cross or suspension on the tree indicated the curse he bore.  He as the voluntary victim became our representative and substitute.  In 3:13 the words for us mean "On our behalf."  The N.E.B. has "for our sakes."  Its opposite meaning is "Against someone."   It can only mean that as our representative he took our place.  Ridderbos points out that this preposition often has a substitutionary meaning in the papri. 

How does Paul go about to express the Superiority of the promise to the Law?

a.  He shows the Superiority of the promise to the Law by showing the different manner in which they were given.  The law was not directly given by God but was commanded by Angels in the hands of a mediator or Moses. The Jews spoke of the function of angels to glorify the giving of the Law.  But Paul sees in this a mark of the inferiority of Law.

b.  The promise was directly given by God.  And God is one.   He consulted with no one when he gave the promise to Abraham.  It was his own promise, (3:19,20).

I think it was Dodet who said that every great revival was associated either with the study to the Epistles of Romans, or that to the Galatians.

           

This Epistle in our Bibles is divided into six chapters and we could divide them into three groups of two chapters.  The first two chapters are autobiographical.  The next two chapters provide Biblical proof.  The final two chapters are practical.

           

Critical Problems. 

There are critical problems that a study of this Epistle provokes:

1/  Where were the Galatian Churches?

a.  Some critics have thought Galatia to be a land inhabited by Gauls, a Celtic race.  This is known as the Northern-Galatian Theory.

b.  It is usually agreed that by Galatia Paul means the Roman Province of Galatia, a much larger area.   This is known as the Southern-Galatian theory.  In Acts 13 and 14, we have an account of Paul and Barnabas evangelizing this area.

2/  Another much disputed issue is at what period in Paul's life was the Epistle written?  B.P.Lightfoot and many others thought during Paul's third missionary journey.  There is much to be said for this and in this case the visit to Jerusalem in chapter 2 of Galatians is to be identified with that of Acts 15. But quite a number of modern scholars including F.F.Bruce see no reason to identify the visit of Galatians 2 with that of Acts 15 and they point out that Galatians 2 would appear to be his second visit to Jerusalem after becoming a Christian, but Acts mentions two visits to Jerusalem before the Council of chapter 15.  There is much to be said for this view.  If it is true then Galatians will be the earliest of Paul's Epistles and was written at the close of the first Missionary Journey, either while Paul was still at Antioch in Syria or while on his way to the Council at Jerusalem which is presented in Acts 15.  Shall we leave this issue for the time being, as an "unsolved N.T. Problem".

           

Chapter 3:8 :  Justification implies individual liberty.   Justification involves social obligations.

Paul utilizes the fact that both the Hebrew (zera) Greek (sperm) words for seed are collective words.  Christ is a collative personality.  In him and to him would the promise be fulfilled.  And the blessing to be fulfilled was:- Justification - Sonship - Holy Spirit.

           

Rendall:  Points out that the emphatic `umeis' (Greek) before `Christon' in preference to 'Christou este', lays stress on the apparently wonderful transformation of men who have been aliens from the people of God into members of Christ.  So belonging to the seed of Abraham is not determined by Physical decent, but by faith.

REMNANTS OR ELEMENTS:

1/  Elements (of learning), fundamental principles.  Hebrews 5:12.  This meaning is possible in Galatians and Colossians N.E.B.  `Elementary ideas belonging to this world'.

2/ " Elemental spirits."  Burton and Goodspeed take it as meaning fundamental principles, that is, elementary forms of religion, Jewish and Gentile, have been superseded by the new revelation in Christ.  But others, Moffatt and R.S.V refer it to `elemental spirits'.  Stott notes that this meaning fits in well with 4:8 which reads that "We were in bondage to beings that by nature are no Gods". While 4:3 reads, "we were slaves to the elemental spirits of the universe". But Ridderbos rejects the meaning 'Elemental Spirits'.  He considers it unacceptable that Paul should write of angels as "The weak and beggarly elements".  He also does not think that Col.2:8,20 refers to angels.  But thinks that in Col.2:8 the phrase is used as synonymous with the "traditions of men".

OCCASION OF WRITING :

Galatians was plainly written to the converts of Paul, who were in imminent danger of adulterating the Gospel of Christian Freedom, which he had taught them, with elements of Jewish legalism.  Such legalistic elements as: Circumcision, observing Jewish calendar, and Jewish food laws.

           

Visiting Judaizers cast doubt upon Paul's status as an apostle and insisted that, in addition to the faith which they had in Christ, it was also necessary to be circumcised and conform in other aspects to the Jewish Law in order to obtain salvation.  Paul refutes this teaching and urges his converts to stand fast in their new found liberty and not place their necks again under the yoke of bondage.

           

Salutations.  The ground of liberty.                                 1:1-5

Occasion.     The challenge of liberty.                 1:6-9

The biographical argument:  An independent Revelation.

Independent of:  Human Relations.                                 1:10-17

Judean Churches.                                                          1:18-26

Judaizing Brethren.                                                        2: 1-10

Apostolic Pressure.                                                       2:11-18

Selfish Interest.                                                             2:19-21

           

The Theological Argument:  The failure of Legalism.

From :     Personal experience.                                      3: 1- 5 

Old Testament teaching.                                              3: 6-14

Priority of Promise.                                                       3:15-22

Superiority of mature faith.                                3:23-4:7

Danger of reaction.                                           4: 8-11

Contrast of motives.                                          4:12-20

Contrast of Bondage and liberty.                                   4:21-31 

The Practical Argument:  The Effect of Liberty

Introductory Statement.                                     5: 1

The Consequence of legalism.                           5: 2-12

The Definition of freedom.                                 5:13-15

Individual practice.                                            5:16-24

Social practice.                                                 5:26-6:10

Conclusion :   

The motive of liberty:  The Cross.                                   6:11-16

The price of liberty:    Suffering.                         6:17-.

The benediction of liberty.                                 6:18-.

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Stott :      The Message of Galatians.     (Trans). R.S.V.

Cole :       Galatians in the Tyndale Series.          A.V.

Ridderbos :  Galatians in New London Series.     A.S.V.

Hogg + Vine.                                                    R.V.

Guthrie :    In New Century Bible.                        R.S.V.

A.M.Hunter: Layman's Commentary.                   R.S.V.

Duncan :     In Moffatt's Commentary.                Moffatt.

W.Kelly :    Exposition on Galatians.                  His own.

Stamm :      In Interpreters Bible.                                    R.S.V.

For Greek Students, the best is Burton.             

H.D.McDonald: "Freedom in Faith".  A popular but useful work.