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NT Survey II

NT Survey II. Galatians. Paul’s Third Journey (Acts 18:23 – 21:17). 2 Corinthians written from Macedonia, after Paul receives report from Titus. 1 Corinthians written from Ephesus. Galatians & Romans written from Corinth (Acts 20:1-3). Introductory Matters for Galatians.

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NT Survey II

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  1. NT Survey II Galatians

  2. Paul’s Third Journey (Acts 18:23 – 21:17) 2 Corinthians written from Macedonia, after Paul receives report from Titus. 1 Corinthians written from Ephesus. Galatians & Romans written from Corinth (Acts 20:1-3).

  3. Introductory Matters for Galatians • Author: The Apostle Paul, written with his own hand (Gal 6:11). • Audience: This is a significant issue for this letter. Was Paul writing to North Galatia ( as a geographical region, which is the way Luke uses the term in Acts) or South Galatia (as a Roman province)? The arguments are stronger for South Galatia, particularly in light of Paul’s habit when describing churches founded by him to use the titles of the provinces in which they were situated (Macedonia, Achaia, Asia; see 1 Cor 16:1, 5, 15, 19). • Date: Either immediately after Paul’s first missionary journey in the late 40s AD (Benware and others), or on his third missionary journey during a 3 month stay in Corinth, in 55 or 56 AD. The latter coordinates better with the book of Acts. • Character of the book: Polemical; Paul is defending his ministry and his message against the attacks and influence of Judaizers. A classic letter on justification by faith.

  4. Galatians and the Character of Paul • This is a letter that reveals a great deal about the personal character of Paul, including his courage, his tenderness, his earnestness and sincerity, and his burning devotion to Christ and the Gospel. • It is markedly different in tone from Paul’s other letters: • The readers are never addressed as “saints in Christ.” • There is no praise for the readers, not even an expression of thanksgiving to God for them. • Yet there are expressions of tender affection for his readers.

  5. Occasion for the Epistle to the Galatians • The occasion for the Epistle was a response to outsiders who had come in and made definite inroads in these churches. Though unnamed, it is clear that these were Judaizers from Palestine. They created problems in regard to the relationship between Gentile Christians and the Mosaic Law by insisting that Gentiles needed to be circumcised in order to be saved. They held that the Law was a divine institution and could not be neglected. The Messiah was the Messiah of the Jews and anyone who wanted to enter his kingdom must become a Jew. So Paul responds to their three lines of teaching: • They undermined Paul’s apostleship, and he responds to this in chapters 1 and 2. • They elevated Judaism to the same level as Christianity. Paul defends against this teaching in chapters 3 and 4. • They insinuated that liberty means license. Paul defends against this attack in chapters 5 and 6.

  6. Some Comments about Paul’s Opponents • “We conclude, therefore, that Paul’s opponents were Jewish Christians – or, more accurately, Christian Jews – who came from the Jerusalem church to Paul’s churches in Galatia with a message stressing the need for Gentiles to be circumcised and to keep the rudiments of the cultic calendar, both for full acceptance by God and as a proper Christian lifestyle. Undoubtedly they presented their message as being theologically based and claimed to be only interested in Gentiles being fully integrated into the chosen people of Israel, and so full recipients of the blessings of the Abrahamic covenant. Probably, as well, they claimed not to be opposing Paul but to be completing his message, and so bringing the Galatian Christians to perfection” (Longenecker in WBC, p. xcv). • These Jewish Christians were also seeking to avoid persecution from non-believing Jews (Gal 6:12-13).

  7. Major Themes in Galatians • Attacks against Paul • Circumcision vs. Uncircumcision • The Gospel • The Cross/Crucify • Law • Flesh and Spirit • Justify/Righteousness • Grace

  8. Purpose Statement for Galatians • Paul declared and defended the Gospel of justification by faith, without any requirement to be subject to the Mosaic Law, and the implications of that Gospel for the Galatian believers.

  9. Survey of Galatians • Prologue (1:1-11) • Paul’s opening salutation and expression of amazement over the Galatians’ desertion of the gospel. • The Vindication of Paul’s Ministry and Gospel (1:12 – 2:21) • Responding to the influence of the Judaizers, Paul defends his apostolic authority and the source of His message as Christ Himself. • The Explanation of Paul’s Gospel (3:1 – 4:31) • Paul explains the Gospel of justification by faith which he personally held to and which he had taught the Galatians. • The Application of Paul’s Gospel (5:1 – 6:10) • The life of Christian liberty does not mean a life of lawlessness or license. Paul exhorts the Galatians to maintain their liberty in Christ (5:1), to beware of those who would seek to destroy that liberty (5:2-12), and to live their lives governed by love and guided by the Holy Spirit (5:13-25). Justification by faith leads to a life of right living. • Epilogue (6:11-18) • Paul’s contrast between himself and the “circumcisers;” benediction.

  10. Next Week: Romans

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