What had happened in the region of Galatians
was that they had received teachers who preached that Jesus wasn't enough. Their message was that they also had to submit to Jewish circumcision and follow the Mosaic Laws to be saved.
was that they had received teachers who preached that Jesus wasn't enough. Their message was that they also had to submit to Jewish circumcision and follow the Mosaic Laws to be saved.
That wasn't the message that Apostle Paul preached and taught, and he addresses it in this letter. When people tried to discredit Paul's message, the most efficient way was to discredit the messenger, Paul himself. He also had to defend himself that his message comes from God (Gal 1:1, 11–12, 2 Pet 3:15–16, Acts 9:15, 13:1–3).
Paul's message is that Jesus is enough for salvation (Eph 2:8–9, Tit 3:5,
Gal 1:1, 3–4, John 1:12–13, 1 Pet 1:3–5, Rom 1:17). Adding something to faith in Jesus Christ provides a different gospel. It's the same as saying that what Jesus did on the cross at Calvary is not enough.
Paul's message is that Jesus is enough for salvation (Eph 2:8–9, Tit 3:5,
Gal 1:1, 3–4, John 1:12–13, 1 Pet 1:3–5, Rom 1:17). Adding something to faith in Jesus Christ provides a different gospel. It's the same as saying that what Jesus did on the cross at Calvary is not enough.
The true gospel (meaning "good news") that Paul preached was as follows:
The message that Jesus paid the penalty of our sin when he gave his life on the cross, and that all we need to do to have eternal life in Heaven is to believe and trust that his sacrifice is enough to save us. That's the essence of the gospel. To preach another gospel is to abandon God (Gal 1:6–9).
We can't be justified by following the Mosaic Laws which only give knowledge of sin (Rom 3:20). We can't add our own work to our salvation. We have all sinned
(Rom 3:23) and need the salvation that only Jesus can offer
(John 14:6, Gal 2:16, 21), see Salvation.
God made several covenants with Israel in the Old Testament.
A covenant is usually an agreement between two or more parties.
One covenant is the Abrahamic covenant. It means that God will bless those who bless Abraham and curse those who dishonor him, and in him all the peoples of the Earth will be blessed (Gen 12:3, 15:9–11, 17–20). The last part in bold is a prophecy about Christ who will bring salvation and who is an offspring of Abraham
(Gen 22:18, Gal 3:8, 16). The Abrahamic covenant is unique in that it was made with only one person (God) stating his side of the covenant. It was an unconditional covenant, meaning there was no way for Abraham to violate it.
Abraham believed the Lord, and it counted to him as righteousness
(Gen 15:6, Rom 4:3, Gal 3:6, James 2:23).
We shouldn't practice circumcision which is part of the Abrahamic covenant,
because Jesus death on the cross will then be of no advantage to us (Gal 5:2, 6:15).
We should be led by the Holy Spirit and not gratify the desires of the flesh
(Gal 5:16). It produces freedom (Gal 5:13, John 8:36). Freedom from the
Mosaic Laws. Freedom from condemnation (Rom 8:1). We should serve one another through love (Gal 5:13b), love our neighbor as ourselves (Gal 5:14, Rom 13:9b,
Mat 19:19b, 22:39, James 2:8), and even love our enemies (Mat 5:43–44). We are under the Law of Christ (1 Cor 9:20–21) and under the Law of the Spirit (Rom 8:2):
(Rom 3:23) and need the salvation that only Jesus can offer
(John 14:6, Gal 2:16, 21), see Salvation.
God made several covenants with Israel in the Old Testament.
A covenant is usually an agreement between two or more parties.
One covenant is the Abrahamic covenant. It means that God will bless those who bless Abraham and curse those who dishonor him, and in him all the peoples of the Earth will be blessed (Gen 12:3, 15:9–11, 17–20). The last part in bold is a prophecy about Christ who will bring salvation and who is an offspring of Abraham
(Gen 22:18, Gal 3:8, 16). The Abrahamic covenant is unique in that it was made with only one person (God) stating his side of the covenant. It was an unconditional covenant, meaning there was no way for Abraham to violate it.
Abraham believed the Lord, and it counted to him as righteousness
(Gen 15:6, Rom 4:3, Gal 3:6, James 2:23).
See also The Confidence of Abraham in The Book of Romans.
Another covenant is the Mosaic Covenant (referred to as the "Mosaic Laws"). It was made between God and the nation of Israel and promised blessing, safety, and prosperity in exchange for obedience to the precepts of the Mosaic Laws. It was a conditional covenant between God and the nation of Israel. It was only temporary
(Heb 9:9–10) and has never been a covenant between God and Christians
(see Jesus and the Law), only between God and the Jewish people.
The Mosaic Covenant contains Laws to follow and obey, but also animal sacrifices to be made once a year, where the blood of the animals is brought into the Most Holy Place in the temple as a Sin Offering (Heb 13:11). In these sacrifices there is a reminder of sin, for it's impossible for the blood of animals to take away the sins of men (Heb 10:3–4, 11). God forgave them when they confessed their sins and sacrificed the animals, but their sins weren't removed. The animal sacrifices must therefore be repeated every year. Their sins were set aside, meaning that the Jewish people weren't punished because of their sins (Rom 3:25b). An animal can't die in a man's place. These animal sacrifices point to a greater sacrifice that comes in Jesus Christ. Jesus who was without sin had to physically die for our sins, because a holy God can't leave our sins unpunished, see God's Attributes.
Jewish teachers told the Galatians that they had to keep all the covenants that God made with Israel in the Old Testament to become true Christians. This is a false teaching and not what Paul taught (Gal 5:4, Phil 3:7–9), see time 11:01–12:14 in
Bible Q & A With Pastor Paul - June 2023. All who have faith in Jesus are children of Abraham (Gal 3:8–9, 29). Not those who keep the Mosaic Laws (Gal 3:10–14).
This is also called the New Covenant (Jer 31:31–34, Heb 10:15–18). It was officially created by Jesus when he distributed bread and wine to the disciples as a reminder of him (Luk 22:20). The bread represents Jesus' body, and the wine his blood, which he released for us when he died on the cross (Gal 3:24–26, 28). The covenant was activated when Jesus died on the cross, see The Crucifixion of Jesus. The
New Cabinet came first to the Jews and then to the Gentiles (Jer 31:31,
Rom 1:16, 11:11b, 17–18, John 4:22). We can't merge the Mosaic Covenant and the New Cabinet, see The Parable of Putting New Wine into Old Wineskins, because the New Cabinet is a different cabinet compared to the Mosaic Covenant (Heb 8:6–7, 13,
Mat 9:16–17). Jesus sets aside the Mosaic Covenant to be replaced by the
New Cabinet (Heb 10:9b). We have been forgiven because Jesus gave his life
physically once and for all on the cross as a punishment for our sins
Another covenant is the Mosaic Covenant (referred to as the "Mosaic Laws"). It was made between God and the nation of Israel and promised blessing, safety, and prosperity in exchange for obedience to the precepts of the Mosaic Laws. It was a conditional covenant between God and the nation of Israel. It was only temporary
(Heb 9:9–10) and has never been a covenant between God and Christians
(see Jesus and the Law), only between God and the Jewish people.
The Mosaic Covenant contains Laws to follow and obey, but also animal sacrifices to be made once a year, where the blood of the animals is brought into the Most Holy Place in the temple as a Sin Offering (Heb 13:11). In these sacrifices there is a reminder of sin, for it's impossible for the blood of animals to take away the sins of men (Heb 10:3–4, 11). God forgave them when they confessed their sins and sacrificed the animals, but their sins weren't removed. The animal sacrifices must therefore be repeated every year. Their sins were set aside, meaning that the Jewish people weren't punished because of their sins (Rom 3:25b). An animal can't die in a man's place. These animal sacrifices point to a greater sacrifice that comes in Jesus Christ. Jesus who was without sin had to physically die for our sins, because a holy God can't leave our sins unpunished, see God's Attributes.
Jewish teachers told the Galatians that they had to keep all the covenants that God made with Israel in the Old Testament to become true Christians. This is a false teaching and not what Paul taught (Gal 5:4, Phil 3:7–9), see time 11:01–12:14 in
Bible Q & A With Pastor Paul - June 2023. All who have faith in Jesus are children of Abraham (Gal 3:8–9, 29). Not those who keep the Mosaic Laws (Gal 3:10–14).
This is also called the New Covenant (Jer 31:31–34, Heb 10:15–18). It was officially created by Jesus when he distributed bread and wine to the disciples as a reminder of him (Luk 22:20). The bread represents Jesus' body, and the wine his blood, which he released for us when he died on the cross (Gal 3:24–26, 28). The covenant was activated when Jesus died on the cross, see The Crucifixion of Jesus. The
New Cabinet came first to the Jews and then to the Gentiles (Jer 31:31,
Rom 1:16, 11:11b, 17–18, John 4:22). We can't merge the Mosaic Covenant and the New Cabinet, see The Parable of Putting New Wine into Old Wineskins, because the New Cabinet is a different cabinet compared to the Mosaic Covenant (Heb 8:6–7, 13,
Mat 9:16–17). Jesus sets aside the Mosaic Covenant to be replaced by the
New Cabinet (Heb 10:9b). We have been forgiven because Jesus gave his life
physically once and for all on the cross as a punishment for our sins
(Heb 10:10, 12, 14, 18). As Christians, we basically keep the Mosaic Laws by believing in Jesus who fulfilled these Laws, even if we don't keep them ourselves
(Gal 4:4–5, John 6:28–29), see Jesus and the Law.
(Gal 4:4–5, John 6:28–29), see Jesus and the Law.
We shouldn't practice circumcision which is part of the Abrahamic covenant,
because Jesus death on the cross will then be of no advantage to us (Gal 5:2, 6:15).
There is a risk of being influenced by some false system, some unscriptural teaching, if one fails to study God's word.
We should be led by the Holy Spirit and not gratify the desires of the flesh
(Gal 5:16). It produces freedom (Gal 5:13, John 8:36). Freedom from the
Mosaic Laws. Freedom from condemnation (Rom 8:1). We should serve one another through love (Gal 5:13b), love our neighbor as ourselves (Gal 5:14, Rom 13:9b,
Mat 19:19b, 22:39, James 2:8), and even love our enemies (Mat 5:43–44). We are under the Law of Christ (1 Cor 9:20–21) and under the Law of the Spirit (Rom 8:2):
- The Law is now internal, within us (Jer 31:31, 33–34).
- God now gives us the desire and ability to obey him through the Holy Spirit (Phil 2:13). We should live according to the Holy Spirit (Rom 8:5–6).
- The Holy Spirit is the moral compass.
We are born with a sin nature. When we became Christians we received the
Holy Spirit who should lead us (Gal 5:18). But the sin nature is still within us.
There is a battle between the old sin nature (the flesh) and the new nature with the
Holy Spirit (Gal 5:16–17). We can still yield to the flesh, even though we shouldn't (Gal 6:7–8). The works of the flesh are evident, activities outside the will of God
(Gal 5:19–21a). If our whole aim is to live after the flesh, we won't inherit the kingdom of God (Gal 5:21b). If we then not repent, we're eternally lost
(1 Cor 6:9–11). The fruit of the Holy Spirit should be seen in our lives (Gal 5:22-23),
see The Book of James. The fruit comes automatically when we yield to the
Holy Spirit (Gal 5:24–26, Rom 6:1–4, 11), see Sanctification.
Holy Spirit who should lead us (Gal 5:18). But the sin nature is still within us.
There is a battle between the old sin nature (the flesh) and the new nature with the
Holy Spirit (Gal 5:16–17). We can still yield to the flesh, even though we shouldn't (Gal 6:7–8). The works of the flesh are evident, activities outside the will of God
(Gal 5:19–21a). If our whole aim is to live after the flesh, we won't inherit the kingdom of God (Gal 5:21b). If we then not repent, we're eternally lost
(1 Cor 6:9–11). The fruit of the Holy Spirit should be seen in our lives (Gal 5:22-23),
see The Book of James. The fruit comes automatically when we yield to the
Holy Spirit (Gal 5:24–26, Rom 6:1–4, 11), see Sanctification.
See also The New Testament of the Bible.
