Galatians | Session 11 | 2:17-21

We continue in our study of the book of Galatians today where we see Paul continuing to argue that the believing Jews should not try to move back under the law from which they have been delivered by the gospel of grace, and we also look at the difference between the "faith of Christ" and "faith in Christ."

Verse 17: But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is therefore Christ the minister of sin? God forbid. The we in this verse is a reference to believing Jews. His point to Peter here is that he would be a sinner if he tried to get the Gentiles to do things under the law that are no longer required under grace. God forbid he says!

Verse 18: For if I build again the things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor. In other words, to put himself or others back under the law would make him a sinner and a false prophet. Again, the point here is that by bringing people who have been saved by grace back under the law would be in essence be rebuilding what Paul calls the middle wall of patrician in Ephesians 2:11-18 that was removed by. Make no mistake, the Devil is trying, and successful for the most part, at getting the church to put this wall back up. Every time we do it, the wall gets higher, e.g., Don't smoke, Don't chew, Don't date girls who do. One brick at time! 

Verse 19: For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God. What does he mean through the law am dead to the law? His point is that through grace he is now dead to the law, or, it could be that he is saying that the law killed him, but grace gave him life again. He wrote in 2 Timothy 1:10, But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel: 

Verse 20: I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. Just as Christ died because of the law, so did Paul, and now his life is the result of the faith of the Son that sent him to the cross in his stead. He is not saying that Christ's faith saved him, but that it provided the means of his salvation. In other words, our faith in his completed work on Calvary is what saves (cf. verse 16) and Christ's faith made our salvation possible. Other translations try to take this message away for some reason. Just look at how the NASB, NIV, NKJV, etc. translates it, and verse 16 for that matter. Personally, that is why I just stay with he KJV.    

Verse 21: I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain. What he means by not frustrating the grace of God would be to leave grace and return to the law. That frustrates grace! To frustrate means to put in place of, i.e., to put law in the place of grace.

Furthermore, he says that righteousness does not come by the law, at least not in this dispensation.

Just to clarify what Paul is saying here in verses 15-21, he is speaking to believing Jews and it will not make sense and will contradict other Scriptures to see it otherwise (verse 15). Some of these believing Jews wanted to place themselves back under the law (verses 18-19), but Paul tells them that is not possible for those who have been freed by grace to go back under the law because they are dead to it now in and through Christ (verse 20). Finally, he warns them to stop frustrating the grace of God in their attempt to do so (verse 21).

Galatians | Session 10 | 2:13-16

We continue in our study of the book of Galatians today where we see Paul confronting Peter for his blatant hypocrisy which also caused others to stumble and also reminding them that grace believers are justified by faith and not the works of the law.

Verse 13: And the other Jews dissembled likewise with him; insomuch that Barnabas also was carried away with their dissimulation. This means that Peter had other Jews who followed him in his hypocrisy. The NASB translates the verse, And the rest of the Jews joined him in hypocrisy, with the result that even Barnabas was carried away by their hypocrisy. 

Make no mistake, people are always watching us. Nothing is more destructive than hypocrisy. On that note, I would rather see a young person attend a blatantly heathen university than one that pretends to be Christian. Why? - Because it is always easier to fight when you know who your enemy is. 

Verse 14: But when I saw that they were not straightforward about the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas in the presence of all, "If you, being a Jew, live like the Gentiles and not like the Jews, how is it that you compel the Gentiles to live like Jews? The truth of the gospel was freedom from the Law. At issue here is that by their actions, they were trying to impose Law and kingdom teachings on the Gentile grace believers. Think about it, if the Jews lived like Gentiles, why would they tell Gentiles to live like them? Again, if they cannot live as Jews under the law, why would they tell others to do it? 

The same can be said of the church today. If we live like the world, why tell them to live like the church? Sadly, the church has become so relevant that it has become irrelevant on many levels. Most people are not opposed to God, just the church who is supposed to be representing Him.  

Verses 15-16: We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles, Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified. The phrase we are Jews by nature simply refers to those who were born Jews including Paul. As for the rest of we are the sinners from among the Gentiles. However, please understand that Paul is not saying that the Jews are not sinners as well. He said as much in Romans 3:23 when he said that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. 

It also must be understood that Paul here is not addressing all Jews but only those who know that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ. So the language makes it clear that he is addressing those Jews who had placed their faith in Christ and not the law. This would mean that they are grace believers. 

Again, he says that by the works of the law shall no flesh by justified. This has to be referring to the new dispensation of grace because under the old dispensation of law they were justified by the works of the law. Paul said in Romans 2:13, For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified. This verse is clearly not referring to this present dispensation of grace. Also, James 2:20-26 also says the exact opposite when he said, But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect? And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God. Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only. Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way? For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also. Why the seeming contradiction between the two? Different audiences. Paul was the apostle to the Gentiles and James was writing to the Jews who were still under the law. Sadly, most today mix the two and cause tremendous amounts of confusion to the Body of Christ.

Galatians | Session 23 | 5:1-15

In our study today we see Paul encouraging the Galatian believers to stand fast in the liberty that has been given to them by their simple faith in Christ's completed work on the cross. He also warns them to steer clear of those who were telling them that they needed to place themselves back under the works of the law, and that to do so, would forfeit grace.

Galatians | Session 22 | 4:19-31

In our study today Paul continues to make his arguments against the Judaizers who were attempting to lead the Galatian grace believers back into law. He does this by allegorically comparing Hagar and Sarah and Ishmael and Isaac. His conclusion is that they needed to cast out the legalists.

Galatians | Session 21 | 4:10-18

In todays study, Paul continues to plead with the Galatian believers to not be mislead by the Judaizers who were trying to alienate them from him and lead them to the bondage of the law. His desire was that the relationship that they had with him in the beginning be restored, and lets them know that he is not their enemy.