The significance of Galatians
Until now, I've never realized how important the book of Galatians was. This is what Paul Dunnet says about it, author of An Outline of New Testament Survey (the text material I am reading for my New Testament Survey class I'm taking as part of my training with Crusade).
Basically, if we didn't have this New Testament epistle, the whole issue of Law vs. Grace would not be settled, along with the question of, can a Gentile sinner come to saving faith in Christ Jesus without first becoming a Jew and observing all the Jewish laws and customs?
What Paul tells the Galatian church in this letter is that it is only Christ's righteousness that we can depend on, and this through faith.
Basically, what the book of Galatians tells me is that Chris Wu and other non-Jewish people CAN receive salvation in Christ. It affirms Paul's calling and authority as an apostle of Christ and that his calling is specifically from God and not from men. He explains that there is no other gospel except the one preached to the Galatian church. And if there is anyone else, even an angel, that preaches another gospel other than the one he has given to them, he says, "let him be accursed." (Gal. 1:9) Serious stuff!
This validates Paul's ministry to the Gentiles and is basically the reason why I can believe and receive salvation in Christ. If it were not possible purely by accepting Jesus Christ's grace, we'd still be dead in our transgressions! Again, it is by grace and not by the law.
And continuing with the topic of Law vs. Grace, shortly after Galatians was written, the Jerusalem council took place, as recorded in Acts 15, where Paul and Barnabas went to join the elders and the other apostles in Jerusalem to answer the question about being circumcised in the custom of Moses.
It was from this meeting that they declared it is not necessary for Gentile believers to keep the law of Moses, but that they should
Afterwards, the council sent out a letter to Antioch that went with Paul, Barnabas and other men from among them, Judas and Silas. The letter was to encourage the Gentile believers in exactly what was quoted before and to let them know they did not need to observe this law in order to be saved in Christ Jesus. It's no wonder why Paul wrote the letter of Galatians to the church. There had been many among them who sought to destroy their faith and put them under the law again.
As Paul says in the first chapter,
It's just amazing to see scripture come alive in a whole new different way when you study it like this. Wow...just things you never would've known unless you really study it. It has made the Word come alive and for me to realize these aren't just principles I'm reading. These are principles born out of real-life situations and real people the Apostle Paul had to deal with. Here we are in the 21st century with the luxury of reading his personal letters and reaping the personal benefits of that for the building up of our own spiritual lives!!!
May you all be encouraged to dig deeper into the Word and grasp all the riches God's Word has for you. May we apply it to our lives, making the effort to daily change, and make Christ our ultimate end and only endeavor. Lastly,
No letter of the New Testament outranks Galatians in historical and theological importance.Wow. Furthermore:
Although it is brief, it has, from the time of writing, held a vital place in the life of the Church.
Three reasons for its prominence have been suggested:
1) historically, it gives an early account of the nascent Christian Church;
2) Theologically, Galatians is the main key showing Paul's interpretation of the Christian message;
3) Religiously, the book retains abiding value as the Christian declaration of true spiritual liberty.
Basically, if we didn't have this New Testament epistle, the whole issue of Law vs. Grace would not be settled, along with the question of, can a Gentile sinner come to saving faith in Christ Jesus without first becoming a Jew and observing all the Jewish laws and customs?
What Paul tells the Galatian church in this letter is that it is only Christ's righteousness that we can depend on, and this through faith.
For if justification were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose. -Gal. 2:21
Basically, what the book of Galatians tells me is that Chris Wu and other non-Jewish people CAN receive salvation in Christ. It affirms Paul's calling and authority as an apostle of Christ and that his calling is specifically from God and not from men. He explains that there is no other gospel except the one preached to the Galatian church. And if there is anyone else, even an angel, that preaches another gospel other than the one he has given to them, he says, "let him be accursed." (Gal. 1:9) Serious stuff!
This validates Paul's ministry to the Gentiles and is basically the reason why I can believe and receive salvation in Christ. If it were not possible purely by accepting Jesus Christ's grace, we'd still be dead in our transgressions! Again, it is by grace and not by the law.
And continuing with the topic of Law vs. Grace, shortly after Galatians was written, the Jerusalem council took place, as recorded in Acts 15, where Paul and Barnabas went to join the elders and the other apostles in Jerusalem to answer the question about being circumcised in the custom of Moses.
It was from this meeting that they declared it is not necessary for Gentile believers to keep the law of Moses, but that they should
abstain from the things polluted by idols, and from sexual immorality, and from what has been strangled, and from blood. -Acts 15:20
Afterwards, the council sent out a letter to Antioch that went with Paul, Barnabas and other men from among them, Judas and Silas. The letter was to encourage the Gentile believers in exactly what was quoted before and to let them know they did not need to observe this law in order to be saved in Christ Jesus. It's no wonder why Paul wrote the letter of Galatians to the church. There had been many among them who sought to destroy their faith and put them under the law again.
As Paul says in the first chapter,
I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel -Gal. 1:6They were starting to listen to these deceivers and turning towards another gospel-one that Paul did not preach to them.
It's just amazing to see scripture come alive in a whole new different way when you study it like this. Wow...just things you never would've known unless you really study it. It has made the Word come alive and for me to realize these aren't just principles I'm reading. These are principles born out of real-life situations and real people the Apostle Paul had to deal with. Here we are in the 21st century with the luxury of reading his personal letters and reaping the personal benefits of that for the building up of our own spiritual lives!!!
May you all be encouraged to dig deeper into the Word and grasp all the riches God's Word has for you. May we apply it to our lives, making the effort to daily change, and make Christ our ultimate end and only endeavor. Lastly,
Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.
This entry was posted by Christopher Wu, on
Wednesday, May 04, 2005.
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