Galatians Week 7 -The Point: The foolish Galatians are now being confronted with the truth, that Salvation doesn’t come through the law but through belief (faith). Abraham is inserted as an illustration (which will be further explained through the next three weeks). -The Memory Verse (due today): Gal. 3:8 -The Assignment (due today): Explain in one paragraph what it is to be crucified with Christ, using this text and at least one cross-reference. In another paragraph describe how you have seen this theological truth lived out in your life The Assignment (due next week): On the top of a sheet of paper, explain what the Galatians’ theological problem was. Right below that, document two ideas about how people think they are getting to heaven. [This needs to be a report, not something you make up. This means that you need to interview at least two people outside of our church and see what they say. {Some good questions are: 1) Do you believe that there is a Heaven and a Hell? If they say “yes,” ask: 2) How do you believe a person can get there?} Also if any of these conversations can go farther into the gospel message take it there! ]

Galatians 3 Verse 1 “O foolish Galatians!” Foolish = 453, anoetos = –unintelligent, not understanding, not applying the mind -Vines and Strong’s The Galatians were being foolish, and Paul needed to confront this issue “head-on,” but he made his case for the gospel in the preceding two chapters before he levels this boom. –This might be a good lesson in confrontation. Who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth… –This is a question, but it is not really about who has bewitched them. –This is a question regarding why they allowed themselves to be bewitched.

Galatians 3 Verse 1 Bewitched = 940, baskaino = to malign or fascinate, to mislead by an evil eye. Vines says: Used figuratively to speak of leading into false doctrine. Paul then continues his question by speaking about what they have been bewitched from. –Christ crucified I Cor. 1:23 Paul is putting the Judaizers up against who they oppose. –It’s not Paul –It’s Jesus Christ (crucified) In a sense, Paul is asking them the question, “Are you going to obey the truth of Jesus Christ or a lie told to you by Jewish leaders?

Galatians 3 Verse 2 This verse deals with a straightforward question. In building his case, Paul asks some rhetorical questions of the Galatians. –Did you receive the Spirit of God by keeping the law, or by faith? The obvious answer is faith. This seems to be proof that many of the people Paul had in mind were true believers, having received the Holy Spirit. The implication of this question… –Why would you try to replace salvation (replacing the Holy Spirit’s presence in your life with a false belief that produces nothing but damnation?

Galatians 3 Verse 3 This verse deals with logic. Here’s another foolish (Anoetos) thought. –These people began their spiritual journey in the Spirit of God. –Can they now, of themselves, improve on that work of the Spirit? Here’s the truth that makes this so foolish… –Sinful flesh can never improve on the work of a perfect/holy God.

Galatians 3 Verse 4 This verse deals with the Galatians. Paul moves from logical theory questions into personal experience. The question asked by Paul is personal. Have you spent the last few years suffering for Christ only to abandon the truth? –If you believed in something enough to suffer for it… …why would you quit believing it for a lie? –This has just been taken to a personal level. There may have been many Galatians who at this point began to be persuaded back to the passion they once had for Christ. Paul ends this verse with a bold statement. –“If indeed it was in vain?” It seems that he is putting a little pressure on them by questioning if they ever were truly saved. –This is a delicate issue, but one Paul obviously thought was appropriate because of his relationship with them

Galatians 3 Verse 5 This verse deals with our supernatural God. What is the “therefore” there for? –It serves as a gathering point from verse one till now. Because of everything that has been said, Paul now makes another bold rhetorical statement in the form of a question. -One thing that the Judaizers and Paul agree on is that God is the supplier of the Holy Spirit and the one who works miracles. –Specifically he was talking about the miracles that the Galatians had seen Paul do among them: healing, tongues, and other wonders… Having covered that ground, he asks a question concerning God. –Does God work miracles through keeping the law or by hearing the gospel and placing your faith in it? This would help them to remember back to the days when all they had was the law and their Jewish traditions, and how there were no miracles. –The phrase “hearing of faith” –Faith = 4102, “pistis” = firm persuasion or a conviction based upon hearing

Galatians 3 Verse 6 This verse deals with faith. –Abraham, who the Jews consider their “father,” is used as an example to help Paul prove his point. –Abraham is a great example because once again this is an area of common ground that Paul and the Judaizers would agree upon (Abraham being their forefather). –Abraham is revered by the Jews as their forefather. –Abraham was a great illustration for Paul to use because he was alive before the law was even given! The phrase “Abraham believed God and it was counted unto him as righteousness” is used to show the answer to Paul’s question in verse 5. (see Gen. 15:6) –The obvious answer, with Paul using Abraham as his example, is: Faith

Galatians 3 Verse 7 What is this “therefore” there for? –Since Abraham’s faith is what was being highlighted, it points to the faith Abraham exercised. Paul then states that faith is what qualifies people as Abraham’s children. –This leaves out people who were Jews only keeping the law. This would have been a very shocking statement to a Jewish person. To tell them that they were not a son of Abraham was a huge blow!

Galatians 3 Verse 8 This verse deals with Old Testament prophecy. –Faith, made possible to the gentiles, was not an afterthought by God just because Israel didn’t do what He wanted them to. –Faith has always been the way to salvation, in the Old Testament and the New. Forward faith in Christ (by hearing of His coming) Rearward faith in Christ (by hearing of His coming) –God’s plan, all along, was that all the nations of the world would be blessed through Abraham’s seed. [See verse 16] –The Jews were the ones who added that a person needed to be a Jew to come to God. The truth is what a person needed to have faith in: The Messiah coming through the lineage of the Jews. It is because of Jesus that salvation has been made available to the entire world! Hallelujah!

Galatians 3 Verse 9 Paul seals this paragraph focused on faith by saying that those who are of faith “pistis” are blessed with believing Abraham. –This final statement is the “nail in the coffin” concerning the answer he has been given to the question in verse 5.

Galatians Week 7 Conclusions: Faith alone saves. This is a real struggle for Jewish people and for many people in our day as well, who are trying to earn what cannot be earned. Even though it seems to make sense that we should have to do something to earn salvation, it is a concept that is totally void of logic, as Paul has spelled out in this text.

Galatians Week 7 Challenges: 1) Make sure that you are not trying to earn salvation with God by trying to do or be something that would impress Him. There isn’t anything you can do to impress God. He only wishes for you to place your faith (through hearing) in Him. 2) Do you need to be persuaded to come back to the Lord and be passionate about Him once again (understanding you haven’t lost salvation but sacrificed the closeness of your relationship with God)? Think back to how God has worked so marvelously in your life and let those times of His grace, mercy and power bring you back to close fellowship with Him.