1. powerpoint presentation designed by claro ruiz vicente http://clarovicente.weebly.com Adult Bible Study Guide Oct Nov Dec 2011 Adult Bible Study Guide Oct Nov Dec 2011

2. Adult Sabbath School Bible Study Guide An Appeal Dear User…. This PowerPoint Show is freely shared to all who may find it beneficial. While intended primarily for personal use, some find it useful for teaching the lesson in church. There are those, however, who add illustrations, change background, adjust font size, etc. While their intention may be good, this is not right. Slide #1 says “designed by claro ruiz vicente.” For honest Christians, it is not necessary for another’s creation to be copyrighted in order to be respected. P LEASE U SE A S I S.

3. Carl P. Cosaert Principal Contributor

4. The Gospel in Galatians Contents 1 Paul: Apostle to the GentilesBackground 2 Paul’s Authority and Gospel1; 5:12 3 The Unity of the Gospel2:1-14 4 Justification by Faith Alone2:15-21 5 Old Testament Faith3:1-14 6 The Priority of the Promise3:15-20 7 The Road to Faith3:21-25 8 From Slaves to Heirs3:26-4:20 9 Paul’s Pastoral Appeal4:12-20 10 The Two Covenants4:21-31 11 Freedom in Christ5:1-15 12 Living by the Spirit5:16-25 13 The Gospel and the Church6:1-10 14 Boasting in the Cross6:11-18

5. The Gospel in Galatians Our Goal {167} T o reflect on our own understanding of the gospel. Allow God’s Spirit to spark a spiritual revival in our hearts as we rediscover what God has done for us in Christ.

6. The Gospel in Galatians Lesson 6, November 5 The Gospel in Galatians Lesson 6, November 5 The Priority of the Promise

7. Key Text Galatians 3:18 ESV F or if the inheritance comes by the law, it no longer comes by promise; but God gave it to Abraham by a promise.”

8. The Priority of the Promise Initial Words {229} P aul directs our attention to the relationship between God’s promise to Abraham and the law given to Israel 430 years later. How should the relationship between the two be understood, and what implications does that have for the preaching of the gospel?

9. The Priority of the Promise Quick Look 1. The Purpose of the Law (Galatians 3:19a) 2. The Duration of the Law (Galatians 3:19) 3. The Inferiority of the Law (Galatians 3:19b, 20)

10. Galatians 3:19a NKJV W hat purpose then does the law serve? It was added because of transgressions, till the Seed should come to whom the promise was made….” The Priority of the Promise 1. The Purpose of the Law

11. Law and Faith {230} W hy did God gave the law to Israel about four centuries after Abraham? Did not the giving of the law nullify any previous arrangement? The giving of the law through Moses cannot simply nullify God’s previous covenant with Abraham. God’s covenant is a promise, and by no means is God a promise-breaker.

12. 1. The Purpose of the Law Faith and Law {232} It is not the works of the law but faith that is the defining mark of the believer (Gal. 3:7). This repeated negation of the works of the law raises the question, “Does the law have absolutely no value, then? Did God do away with the law?”

13. 1. The Purpose of the Law Faith and Law {232} “The plan of justification by faith reveals God’s regard for His law in demanding and providing the atoning sacrifice. If justification by faith abolishes law, then there was need for the atoning death of Christ to release the sinner from his sins, and thus restore him to peace with God.” —The SDA Bible Commentary 6:510.

14. 1. The Purpose of the Law A Magnifying Glass {234} is it the ceremonial law? Some, believing that the word until in verse 19 (ESV) indicates that this law was only temporary, have thought the passage must refer to the ceremonial law, since the purpose of that law was fulfilled at the cross and thus came to an end. Paul appears to have the moral law primarily in mind.

15. 1. The Purpose of the Law A Magnifying Glass {234} The law had been in existence long before Sinai. The law was given to Israel for an entirely different purpose. It was to redirect the people back to God and the grace He offers all who come to Him by faith. The law reveals to us our sinful condition and our need of God’s grace.

16. 1. The Purpose of the Law A Magnifying Glass {234} While the ceremonial laws pointed to the Messiah and emphasized holiness and the need of a Savior, it is the moral law, with its “Thou shall nots,” that reveals sin, that shows us that sin is not just a part of our natural condition but is a violation of God’s law. “The law acts as a magnifying glass.”

17. The Priority of the Promise 2. The Duration of the Law Galatians 3:19 ESV W hy then the law? It was added because of transgressions, until the offspring should come to whom the promise had been made, and it was put in place through angels by an intermediary.

18. 2. The Duration of the Law “Until” {236} Many have understood this text to mean that the law given at Mount Sinai was temporary. It entered 430 years after Abraham and ended when Christ came. The mistake readers often make with this passage is to assume that the word until always implies a limited duration of time. This is not the case.

19. 2. The Duration of the Law “Until” {236} The role of the law did not end with the coming of Christ. What Paul is saying is that the coming of Christ marks a decisive turning point in human history. Christ can do what the law could never do—provide a true remedy for sin, that is, justify sinners and, by His Spirit, fulfill His law in them.

20. The Priority of the Promise 3. The Inferiority of the Law Galatians 3:19b, 20 Msg I t was arranged by angelic messengers through a middleman, Moses. But if there is a middleman… then the people are not dealing directly with God, are they? But the original promise is the direct blessing of God, received by faith.”

21. 3. The Inferiority of the Law The Promise is Superior {238} T he law is subsidiary to the promise, because it was mediated through angels and Moses. The connection of angels to the giving of the law is not mentioned in Exodus, but it is found in several other places in Scripture (Deut. 33:2; Acts 7:38, 53; Heb. 2:2).

22. 3. The Inferiority of the Law The Promise is Superior {238} As majestic as the giving of the law was on Sinai, with countless angels in attendance, and as important as Moses was as the lawgiver, the giving of the law was indirect.

23. 3. The Inferiority of the Law The Promise is Superior {238} In stark contrast, God’s promise was made directly to Abraham (and, therefore, to all believers), for there was no need for a mediator. In the end, however important the law, it is no substitute for the promise of salvation through grace by faith.

24. The Priority of the Promise Final Words {240} T he law of God, spoken in awful grandeur from Sinai, is the utterance of condemnation to the sinner. It is the province of the law to condemn, but there is in it no power to pardon or to redeem.”—EGW The SDA Bible Commentary 6:1094.