Galatians Part 12: Conclusion—6:17-18 and Summary

IV. Conclusion—6:17-18

6:17—From now on let no one cause trouble for me, for I bear on my body the brand-marks of Jesus—Paul is actually confident when he tells the Galatians that they should henceforth not cause him anymore trouble of the kind that erupted among them. He already bears the marks of Christ as the cost he paid to bring the gospel to the Galatians. Paul experienced many sufferings, some to the point of death, for the sake of the gospel; and, this should be proof enough for the Galatians that he is genuine with them and that his gospel is genuine. “But I, brethren, if I still preach circumcision, why am I still persecuted? Then the stumbling block of the cross has been abolished.” (5:11)

Image courtesy Frank Moore Photography

6:18—The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brethren. Amen—Apart from the “amen” (“let it be”) at the end of this epistle, Paul’s last word to the Galatians is “brothers.” It points to two things. First, Paul still counts them as Christians and that they have not yet apostatised by rejecting the gospel of grace for the Law. Second, he ends by showing them affection. Paul wants them to know that it was because of his concern and love for them that he wrote such a strong worded letter.

“[Paul’s] prayer is not only that God may bestow upon them his grace in large measure, but that they may have a proper feeling of it in their hearts. Then only is it truly enjoyed by us, when it comes to our spirit. We ought therefore to entreat that God would prepare in our souls a habitation for his grace.”¹

Galatians Part 11: Paul defends the gospel (f)—2:15-6:16

C. Attitudes under the gospel—6:1-16

1. Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought—6:1-5

6:1—BRETHREN, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted—Those who claim to walk by the Spirit—the spiritual—should restore those who are caught up in sin. If we learn of someone in sin, what do we do? Should we overlook it on account of love? “Restore,” from the Greek katartidzō (καταρτιζω), means to mend, restore to a former condition or repair. This word was also used as a medical term for the setting of broken bones or resetting a dislocated limb. The one who has fallen must be set straight. Do we first have to wait until we have gained the right to speak into another Christian’s life of sin. No! When Paul starts this verse with “brethren” he also points to the fact that as Christians we are in a family. We immediately have the right as brothers and sisters to correct each other. A spiritual Christian will step in to restore a fallen sibling, yet with the right attitude.

So, how are we to go about it? Paul gives us the answer. We are to do it “in a spirit of gentleness.” We are not to correct others with self-righteous attitudes in which we want to show off our own righteousness. That will put us in the same class as the Judaizers. It will simply show our own reliance on the law and our own merit before God. However, if we are really spiritual, we will attempt to restore a fallen sibling “in a spirit of gentleness.” When we look back at the fruit of the Spirit (5:22), we see that love is at the head of the aspects of the spiritual fruit, and rightly so, since Paul also said, “But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love.” (1 Cor 13:13) Our “gentleness” must be guided by “the love of God [which] has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” (Rom 5:5)

Paul gives us a reason for the attitude we should have in restoring other Christians from sin. “So that you too will not be tempted.” Paul recognises that as human beings we are frail. None of us is immune to temptation and should therefore be on the lookout against such temptation.

Galatians Part 10: Paul defends the gospel (e)—2:15-6:16

B. Called to freedom—5:13-26

One of Paul’s central themes is that of freedom (2:4; 4:26, 31; 5:1). He did not define it practically before this point in his epistle, so now he moves toward defining what he means by freedom for Christians.

Image courtesy of Worshipping Christian

1. Do not let freedom lead to the desires of the flesh—5:13-15

5:13—For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another—Paul’s mention here of freedom is very similar to that in 5:1, but now he warns them not to allow this freedom to become an excuse for sinful behaviour. The opposite of legalism is antinomianism, the idea that since we are not under the Law that we are not under any law and can therefore live like we want, yet will be saved anyhow. Paul answered this question in Rom 6:15, “What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? May it never be!” This shows a misunderstanding of grace. Paul also asked, “WHAT shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase?” Paul’s very obvious answer to this question is “no!”

Just because we are no longer under the Mosaic legislation does not mean that we have no law at all! “For when the priesthood is changed, of necessity there takes place a change of law also.” (Heb 7:12) The fact remains, we are not without law at all. We are under a new law. The law of Christ, based on grace. Under this law we do not work for our salvation by the things we do. We are saved by grace through faith. However, under this new law “He who began a good work in [us] will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.” (Phil 1:6) God is at work in our lives to sanctify us. Our walk with Christ WILL lead to a holier life as we are being sanctified by Him!

Galatians Part 9: Paul defends the gospel (d)—2:15-6:16

IV. Paul defends the gospel—2:15-6:16 continued...

False teachers can look like the flock!

10. Paul expresses concern about the false teachers among them—4:12-20

4:12—I beg of you, brethren, become as I am, for I also have become as you are—Paul is exhorting the Galatians to become as he is, that is, free from the Law and its bondage. When Paul says that he has become as they are, he means that “to those who are without law, [he became] as without law, though not being without the law of God but under the law of Christ, so that I might win those who are without law.” (1 Cor 9:21) Paul simply wants them to know that he never insisted that they first become Jews to be Christians. Christianity is apart from being a Jew.

4:13—You have done me no wrong; [13] but you know that it was because of a bodily illness that I preached the gospel to you the first time—It was not really Paul’s intention to preach the gospel to the Galatians when he first travelled that way. We do not know exactly where in Galatia was when Paul became ill, since there is no historical information concerning his illness. What is clear is that Paul was in Galatia because of this illness.

This illness had to have been some eye problem since Paul writes that they would have plucked out their eye for him if they could have (v15). Even though Paul was ill at the time, they did not reject him and his message and as a result did him no wrong. Their attitude was opposite to that of the Jews who wanted to destroy him wherever he went.

Galatians Part 8: Paul defends the gospel (c)—2:15-6:16

IV. Paul defends the gospel—2:15-6:16 continued...

7. We are no longer in need of a tutor (Law)—3:23-29

3:23—But before faith came, we were kept in custody under the law, being shut up to the faith which was later to be revealed—The Greek of this verse gives us an idea of what Paul meant. The first four words of the Greek pro tou de elthein ten pistin (προ του δε ελθειν την πιστιν), simply mean "but before came." The question is before what came? The next two words in the Greek above make up "the faith." These words are translated as: "Now before this faith came" (ISV); "Before this faith came" (NIV); "But before the aforementioned faith came" (Wuest). The NASB, ASV, KJV and the RSV treat faith here as if without the article, making Paul’s words indefinite. However, Paul wanted to make a point by saying "before the faith" came. When he wrote these words he was pointing back to verse 22, to the words "that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe." Paul is referring to the faith here as personal faith in the historic Jesus that brings salvation.

The law, which is not based on faith, kept those under it in bondage as a jailer would, until the faith—the Christian faith—was revealed. The law could not bring salvation but only bondage, and it was not until Christ came that salvation from this bondage could be effected.

Galatians Part 7: Paul defends the gospel (b)—2:15-6:16

IV. Paul defends the gospel—2:15-6:16 continued...

4. Curse of the Law is broken by Christ—3:10-14

3:10—For as many as are of the works of the Law are under a curse; for it is written, CURSED IS EVERYONE WHO DOES NOT ABIDE BY ALL THINGS WRITTEN IN THE BOOK OF THE LAW, TO PERFORM THEM—Paul’s quote in this verse is from Dt 27:26. “[1] BRETHREN, my heart's desire and my prayer to God for them is for their salvation. [2] For I testify about them that they have a zeal for God, but not in accordance with knowledge. [3] For not knowing about God's righteousness and seeking to establish their own, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God. [4] For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes” (Rom 10:1-4) Israel attempted to be justified by the law—establishing their own righteousness—but in their attempt actually acquired the curse of the broken law. It is impossible for human beings to follow the law without breaking it at least once in a lifetime.

We are told that “whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.” (Js 2:10 NIV) If we live to be 70 years old and break the law once a day—no matter how tiny the sin—we have broken the law 25,550 times in our lifetimes! Even if we only commit one sin a week, we would have broken the law 3,640 times in our lifetimes! Does it seem at all possible to be righteous by the standards of the law? One sin in a lifetime is enough to have broken the law! This means that God’s curse is on the person who has sinned once.

Galatians Part 6: Paul defends the gospel (a)—2:15-6:16

IV. Paul defends the gospel—2:15-6:16 

A. Justification by faith above the Law—2:15-5:12
1. The works of the Law cannot justify the flesh—2:15-21

2:15—We are Jews by nature and not sinners from among the Gentiles—Paul is simply contrasting himself, Peter and the other Jewish Christian with the Gentiles. By nature Paul, Peter and the Jewish Christians were Jews, but  by nature the Gentiles were separated from the household of God. 

2:16—nevertheless knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus—This is now where we get into the heart of the gospel. Justification by faith. The word “justified” comes from the Greek dikaióo (δικαιοω). Justification is a technical term borrowed from the world of law. It means to declare someone righteous. Note that it does not mean to make someone righteous. When a judge made a judgement, he could not make the accused guilty; he could simply declare him guilty. In the same way, the judge could not make a man innocent; he could simply declare him innocent. In this way, when God justifies us, He does not make us righteous; He simply declares us righteous.

The great theologian, Louis Berkhof, defines justification as "a judicial act of God, in which He declares, on the basis of the righteousness of Jesus Christ, that all the claims of the law are satisfied with respect to the sinner." [emphasis supplied by Berkhof] It is unique in the application of the work of redemption in that it is a judicial act of God, a declaration respecting the sinner, and not an act or process of renewal, such as regeneration, conversion, and sanctification. While it has respect to the sinner, it does not change his inner life. It does not affect his condition, but his state, and in that respect differs from all the other principal parts of the order of salvation. It involves the forgiveness of sins, and restoration to divine favor.”¹

Galatians Part 5: Paul defends his apostleship - (b) (1:10-2:14)

III. Paul defends his apostleship continued...

5. Paul’s second visit to Jerusalem—2:1-10 

2:1—Then after a period of fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem—Fourteen years later he went back up to Jerusalem. We cannot be absolutely certain whether the fourteen years followed his conversion or his previous visit to Jerusalem (1:18). However, it may be a reference to his previous visit to Jerusalem. First, Paul is busy demonstrating his independence from the apostles in Jerusalem. Thus he would be showing that it took fourteen years between visits. Second, the Greek construction differs between 1:18 and here. In 1:18 Paul writes epeita meta tria ete where it refers to his conversion whereas here in 2:1 he writes epeita dia dekatessaron eton. In 1:18 the direct translation is “then after three years” and in 2:1 it is “then through fourteen years.” I am sure that if Paul wanted both phrases so close to each other in his writing to mean the same he could have made it the same. Then both occurrences would have meant a dating from his conversion. Yet, in 2:1 he uses the word through to explain what he means. Since both phrases have visits to Jerusalem in mind, it is possible that Paul is referencing the first visit here and then showing that through another fourteen years he visited many other places and only then returned to Jerusalem.

Galatians Part 4: Paul defends his apostleship - (a) (1:10-2:14)

The apostle Paul, writing a letter.

III. Paul defends his apostleship—1:10-2:14 
A. God’s approval is supreme—1:10

1:10—For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men?—In Paul’s own defence he sets forth the idea that if he was a man-pleaser, he certainly would not have pronounced a curse on those who preach false gospels! Rather, in seeking the favour of God, for the sake of the gospel, he would pronounce such a curse on those who falsify the gospel. Paul is standing with Christ and not with man.

If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a bond-servant of Christ—Paul makes a statement that many of us should take to heart. If we adapt our gospel to please man, to accommodate sinners, to take the edge of the gospel so that it does not offend the wayward, then we have failed miserably as servants of Christ. In fact, when we have softened the gospel for the sake of man, then we are not servants of Christ. The gospel by nature offends people (Rom 9:33), since it shows them their utter helplessness in their own despicable sinful nature. It tells them that God’s wrath burns against them (Jn 3:36; Rom 1:18; 2:5; 9:22; Col 3:6) because of their sin and this flies against the thoughts of man of his own goodness.

The word “bond-servant” comes from doulos (δουλος), “slave…esp. of the relationship of men to God [whereby man is] owned by him body and soul.”¹ We are not mere servants of Christ but slaves to Him. A slave always seeks to please his Master and not anyone else.

Paul is making the point that since he was called directly by Christ to be His apostle and also since he is preaching the real gospel, there is no need for him to seek the approval of men, but rather that of God. 

Galatians Part 3: Reasons for writing (1:3-9)

II. Reasons for writing—1:3-9

A. Christ gave Himself for us—1:3-5

1:3—Grace to you—“Paul’s nearly standard formula of Christian blessing and greeting seems particularly appropriate at the start of this letter. Normally, Paul alters the traditional Greek greeting  (chairein) to the important Christian word 'grace' (charis; GK 5921).This is always striking, but it is  doubly striking here, inasmuch as it occurs in a letter to churches where the sufficiency of salvation by grace was being questioned and perhaps even denied.”¹

Our salvation is purely by grace. Paul uses the word “grace” more than any other New Testament  writer. It refers to an undeserved act of kindness. In his use of charis, Paul gave immense theological  significance to the fact that it refers to all that God has given us in Christ. In Paul’s mind we simply do  not have the ability to repay God for what He has done for us.

“[T]he word χαρις contains the idea of kindness which bestows upon one what he has not  deserved… χαρις is used of the merciful kindness by which God, exerting his holy influence upon souls, turns them to Christ, keeps, strengthens, increases then in Christian faith, knowledge, affection, and kindles them  to the exercise of the Christian virtues."² 

Galatians Part 2: Introduction (1:1-2)

I. Introduction—1:1-2

1:1—PAUL, an apostle—Paul starts the Galatian epistle with a simply declaration of his apostleship. The word apostle comes from the Greek apostolos (αποστολος). “In class. Gr. … and later …  [apostolos] is a naval expedition, prob. also its commander. … In the NT, [apostolos] can also mean delegate, envoy, messenger… out lit. uses [apostolos] predom. for the apostles, a group of highly honored believers, who had a special function.”¹

Since the Judaizers attacked Paul’s apostleship, he immediately makes known to his readers that he is an apostle. Read more about the relevance of apostles in today’s church in “Apostles.”

Paul does not waste time with niceties in the introduction of this epistle. Paul usually spends a bit more time in the prologues of his epistles. Yet, not with this one. He gets down to the issue at hand at the outset of this epistle. If the Judaizers want to attack him, then his authority is greater, since he was not sent by man. 

Galatians Part 1: Background and Outline

Rembrandt's "Apostle Paul"

Some time ago I did a study of Galatians and wrote my own notes on it. The notes are not in detail, but they are notes nonetheless!

I will be sharing those notes with you over several weeks on Mondays.

A.Galatians—Background

The author of the epistle of Galatians is the apostle Paul (1:1). No serious scholar questions the Pauline authorship of Galatians.

This epistle was directed at the “churches of Galatia.” (1:2). However, the epistle to the Galatians could have been written to one of two groups in the province of Galatia. There are two theories as to which Galatian group the letter was aimed at.