Lesson 8
CHAPTER EIGHT
GALATIANS
OBJECTIVES:
Upon completion of this chapter you will be able to:
C Name the author of the book of Galatians.
C Identify to whom the book of Galatians was written.
C State the purpose for the book of Galatians.
C Write the Key Verse of the book of Galatians from memory.
C State the Life and Ministry Principle for the book of Galatians.
INTRODUCTION
AUTHOR: Paul
TO WHOM: Believers at Galatia.
PURPOSE: To correct false teaching of Jewish legalism in the Church. KEY VERSE: 5:1
LIFE AND MINISTRY PRINCIPLE: Jesus delivered us from law to liberty.
MAIN CHARACTERS: Paul, Peter, James, Cephas , John , Barnabas, Titus , Abraham
OUTLINE
I. Introduction: 1:1-5
A. From : Paul: 1:1
1. An apostle.
2. Not of men.
3. By Jesus Christ and God the Father.
B. To: The churches of Galatia: 1:2
C. Grace and peace from Jesus: 1:3-5
1. Who gave Himself for our sins: 1 :4
2. Who delivered us from the present evil world : 1:4
3. According to the will of God the Father: 1:4
4. To whom be glory for ever: 1:5
II. The rebuke: 1:6-10
A. Astonishment at the departure from the Gospel: 1:6
B. Statement of the departure to "another gospel" which is false: 1:6-7
C. The seriousness of the matter: No matter who preaches another gospel, they are
accursed : 1:8-9
D. Paul’s attitude towards the matter: 1:10
Part One: The Liberty Of The Gospel
A Personal Argument 1:11-2:21
I. How Paul received the Gospel: 1:11-24
A. The origin through revelation: 1:11-12
B. His conduct previous to receiving the Gospel: 1:13-14
1. Taught the Jewish religion: 1:13
2. Persecuted the Church of God: 1:13
3. Profited in the Jewish religion above his equals: 1:14
4. Was zealous of the Jewish tradition: 1:14
C. Description of the revelation received: 1:15-17
1. Source of the revelation: God: 1:15
2. Subject of the revelation: His Son: 1:16
3. Purpose of the revelation: That Paul might preach Him among the
heathen: 1:16
4. Response to the revelation: 1:16-17
a. He conferred not with flesh and blood: 1:16
b. He did not go to the apostles at Jerusalem: 1:17
c. He went to Arabia and Damascus: 1:17
D. Paul’s independence of the Jerusalem apostles: 1:18-20
l. His first visit to Jerusalem : 1 :1 8 – 2 0
a. The time of the visit: 1:18
b. The purpose of the visit: 1:18
c. The duration of the visit: 1:18
d. Contacts during the visit: 1:19-20
E. Paul’s subsequent absence from Jerusalem: 1:21-24
1. The place of his withdrawal: 1:21
2. The lack of acquaintance with the churches in Judea: 1:22
3. The response of the churches to reports about him: 1:23-24
II. How the Gospel received by Paul was confirmed by the apostles at Jerusalem: 2:1-10
A. The circumstances of its presentation to them : 2:1-2
1. The journey to Jerusalem: 2 :2
2. The presentation made by Paul at Jerusalem: 2:2
B. The result of Paul’s presentation of the Gospel to them: 2:3-10
1. His position as reflected in Titus: 2:3
2. His conflict with false brethren: 2:4-5
a. Their presence: 2 :4
b. Paul’s refusal to yield to their demands: 2:5
3. Approval by Jerusalem leaders of the Gospel received by Paul: 2:6-10
a. Their failure to add anything to his Gospel: 2:6
b. Their approval of his Gospel: 2:7-10
c. The basis of their approval: 2:7-9
d. The expression of their approval: 2:9
e. The one request made in their approval: 2:10
III. Paul’s rebuke of Peter for his yielding to legalistic pressure in Antioch: 2:11-21
A. Reason for the rebuke: 2:12
B. Effect of the inconsistent conduct of Peter: 2:13
C. Justification for giving the rebuke: 2: 14-21
l. Paul’s question to Peter: 2:14
2. Paul’s explanation of his doctrinal position: 2:15-21
a. Insufficiency of the law: 2:15-18
(1) We are justified by faith, not the law nor by works: 2:16
(2) If we rely on the law, we are transgressors: 2:17-18
b. The new life in Christ: 2:19-21
(1) The effect of the law led to the new life: 2:19
(2) The nature of the new life: 2:20
(3) The grace of God is nullified by law keeping: 2:21
Part Two: The Liberty Of The Gospel
A Doctrinal Argument 3:1-4:31
I. The doctrine of justification by faith: 3 :1-4:7
A. Justification by faith : 3 :1 – 1 4
1. Inconsistency of their conduct: 3:1-5
a. Turning from Christ: 3:1
b. Question about the start of their Christian life: 3 :2
c. A question about their method of perfection : 3:3
d. The question about their sufferings as believers: 3:4
e. The question about the basis of God’s work in them : 3:5
B. The example of Abraham’s justification: 3:6-9
1. The means of Abraham’s justification: 3 :6
2. The identity of the sons of Abraham : 3:7
3. The announcement to Abraham by God of justification through faith:
3:8
4. The heirs of the blessings of Abraham : 3:9
C. Deliverance from law and works through Jesus Christ: 3:10-14
1. The curse on those under law and works: 3:10
2. The inability of law and works to justify: 3:11-12
3. Deliverance from the curse through Jesus: 3:13-14
a. The means of deliverance from the curse: 3:13
b. The purpose in deliverance from the curse: 3:14
D. The limitations of the law and its relation to faith: 3:1 5-14 :7
1. The covenant of faith with Abraham: 3:15-18
a. The covenant was binding: 3:15
b. It was to Abraham and his seed: 3:16
c. The promise was not altered by the law: 3:17
d. The inheritance is not through the law but by promise: 3:18
2. The true place and purpose of the law: 3:19-29
a. The temporary nature of the law: 3:19-20
b. The inability of the law to produce life: 3:21-22
c. The law was an instrument to bring us to Christ: 3:23-29
E. The contrasts of law and faith: 4:1-7
1. The illustration of the position of an heir as a minor: 4:1-2
2. Application of the illustration to believers: 4:3-6
a. Bondage as minors: 4 :3
b. Free as sons: 4:4-6
3. The conclusion for the believer: 4:7
II. An appeal to the Galatian believers to drop their legalism: 4:8-31
A. Accepting Jewish legalism is a return to bondage: 4:8-11
1. Their past condition of bondage: 4:8
2. Their deliverance from bondage : 4:9
3. Legalism is returning to bondage: 4:9-10
4. Their actions cause concern to Paul: 4:11
B. The appeal from his relation to them: 4:12-20
1. An appeal for them to adopt Paul’s position: 4:12
2. A reminder of his past relation to them: 4:12-14
3. The change in their relation to him: 4:15-18
4. The travail he is experiencing for them: 4:19-20
C. The appeal from the two contrasted covenants, law and grace: 4:21-31
1. A question to those desiring to be under the law: 4:21
2. The story of Abraham’s two sons: 4:22-23
3. The interpretation of the story: 4:24-23
a. The two methods represent two covenants: 4:24
b. The description of the two covenants: 4:24-28
(l) One represents bondage: 4:24-25
(2) The other represents freedom: 4:26-28
c. The expulsion of the son of bondage: 4:29-30
d. Conclusion of the story: 4:31
Part Three: The Liberty Of The Gospel
Practical Application 5:1-6:18
I. The call to maintain Christian liberty: 5:1-12
A. The peril in circumcision: 5:2-6
1. It makes Christ useless to them: 5 :2
2. It makes them subject to the whole law: 5 :3
3. It severs them from Christ: 5:4
4. It is a fall from grace : 5:4
5. The proper Christian attitude: 5:5-6
B. The condemnation of the false teacher: 5:7-12
1. Their error: 5:7-8
2. Example of their teaching: 5:9
3. Condemnation of the one troubling them: 5:10-12
II. The life of Christian liberty: 5:13-6:10
A. The life is directed by love: 5:13-15
1. The believer is called to liberty: 5:13
2. The proper use of Christian liberty: 5:13
3. The fulfillment of the law through love: 5:14
4. The results of a lack of love: 5:15
B. It is a walk in the Spirit , not in the flesh : 5 : 1 6 -2 5
1. The command to walk in the Spirit: 5:16
2. The conflict between the Spirit and the flesh: 5:17-18
3. The contrast between products of the flesh and the Spirit: 5:19-23
a. The works of the flesh: 5:19-21
b. The fruit of the Spirit: 5: 22-23
4. The people living by the Spirit: 5:24-25
a. They have crucified the flesh: 5:24
b. They live and walk in the Spirit: 5:25
C. It is a life of mutual burden bearing: 5: 26-6:10
1. Bearing faults: 5:26 -6:5
a. The warning against wrong attitudes toward others: 5:26
b. The attitude of humility in restoring the fallen: 6 :1
c. The duty of mutual burden-bearing: 6 :2
d. The proper attitude towards self: 6:3-5
D. It is a life governed by basic principles : 6 :6 – 1 0
1. The principle of communication: 6:6
2. The principle of spiritual harvest: 6:7-8
3. The principle of well doing: 6:9-10
III. The conclusion:
A. Reference to his large letters: 6:11
B. Rebuke of his adversaries: 6:12-13
C. His confidence in the cross: 6:14-16
1. Glorying in the cross: 6:14
2. Crucifixion through the cross: 6:15
3. Blessings on those accepting this principle: 6:16
4. He bears the marks of the Lord in his own body: 6:17
IV. The benediction: 6:18