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Galatians Chapter Three (2) Superiority of the gospel Faith or Observance of the Law ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 1) What did Paul call the Galatians, what did Paul say they have been, before their very eyes, how was Jesus Christ clearly portrayed to them, what was the one thing Paul said he would like to learn from them, and after being with the Spirit, how did they try to attain their goal?
________________________________________________________________________________ The Galatian believers had become fascinated
by the false teachers' arguments, almost as though they had been bewitched.
Magic was common in Paul's day (Acts 8:9-11; 13:6,7). Magicians used both
optical illusions and Satan's power to perform miracles, and people were drawn
into the magician's mysterious rites without recognizing their dangerous source. 2) What choices did Paul ask the Galatians about God giving them his Spirit and worked miracles among them?
________________________________________________________________________________ The Galatians knew that they had received the
Holy Spirit when they believed, not when they obeyed the law. People still feel
insecure in their faith, because faith alone seems to easy. People still try to
get closer to God by following rules. While certain disciplines (Bible study,
prayer) and service may help us grow, they must not take the place of the Holy
Spirit in us or become ends in themselves. By asking these questions, Paul hoped
to get the Galatians to focus again on Christ as the foundation of their faith. 3) Because Abraham believed God, how was his belief credited to him, who are children of Abraham, what did the Scriptures foresee, what was announced in advance to Abraham, who did God say will be blessed through Abraham, who are the ones who are blessed along with Abraham, and what is Abraham called?
________________________________________________________________________________ The main argument of the Judaizers was that Gentiles had to become Jews in order to become Christians. Paul exposed the flaw in this argument by showing that real children of Abraham are those who have faith, not those who keep the law. Abraham himself was saved by his faith (Genesis 15:6). All believers in every age and from every nation share Abraham's blessing. This is a comforting promise to us, a great heritage for us, and a solid foundation for living. 4) Why are those who rely on observing the law under a curse, and for what reason is no one justified before God by the law?
________________________________________________________________________________ Paul quoted Deuteronomy 27:26 to prove that,
contrary to what the Judaizers claimed, the law cannot justify and save-it can
only condemn. Breaking even one commandment brings a person under condemnation.
And because everyone has broken the commandments, everyone stands condemned. The
law can do nothing to reverse the condemnation (Romans 3:20-24). But Christ took
the curse of the law upon himself when he hung on the cross. He did this so we
wouldn't have to bear our own punishment. The only condition is that we accept
Christ's death on our behalf as the means to be saved (Colossians 1:20-23). 5) What is the law not based on, how did Christ redeem us from the curse of the law, what is written, why did Jesus redeem us, and how might we receive the promise of the Spirit?
________________________________________________________________________________ If these principles are true and if they
support the topic sentence of verse 10, then the condition of humankind under
law is obviously hopeless. If there is to be hope, it must come from a different
direction entirely. Abruptly, therefore, Paul introduces the work of Christ
through which the curse of the law has been exhausted and in whom all who
believe find salvation. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Law and the Promise What Is The Law? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Part of the Jewish law included those laws found in the Old Testament. When Paul says that non-Jews (Gentiles) are no longer bound by these laws, he is not saying that the Old Testament laws do not apply to us today. He is saying certain types of laws may not apply to us. In the Old Testament there were three categories of laws: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Ceremonial law: Civil law: Moral law: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 6) What can no one set aside or add to, who were the promises spoken to, what does Paul say the Scripture did not say, what does "and to your seed" mean, and what does not set aside the covenant previously established by God and thus do away with the promise?
________________________________________________________________________________ God kept his promise to Abraham (Genesis 17:7,8)-he has not revoked it, though thousands of years have passed. He saved Abraham through his faith, and he blessed the world through Abraham by sending the Messiah as one of Abraham's descendants. Circumstances may change, but God remains constant and does not break his promises. He has promised to forgive our sins through Jesus Christ, and we can be sure that he will do so. 7) If the inheritance depends on the law, then what does it no longer depend on, and how did God, by his grace, give the promise to Abraham?
________________________________________________________________________________ The law has two functions. On the positive
side, it reveals the nature and will of God and shows people how to live. On the
negative side, it points out people's sins and shows them that it is impossible
to please God by trying to obey all his laws completely. God's promise to
Abraham dealt with Abraham's faith; the law focuses on actions. 8) Why was the law added, how was the law put into effect, what does a mediator not represent, and who does Paul say is one?
________________________________________________________________________________ When God gave his promise to Abraham, he did it by himself alone, without angels or Moses as mediators. Although it is not mentioned in Exodus, Jews believed that the Ten Commandments had been given to Moses by angels (Stephen referred to this in his speech, see Acts 7:38, 53). Paul was showing the superiority of salvation and growth by faith over trying to be saved by keeping the Jewish laws. Christ is the best and only way given by God for us to come to him (1Timothy 2:5). 9) Is the law, therefore, opposed to the promises of God, if a law had been given that could impart life, then what would certainly have come by the law, and for what reason does Scripture declare the whole world is a prisoner of sin?
________________________________________________________________________________ Before faith in Christ delivered us, we were imprisoned by sin, beaten down by past mistakes, and choked by desires that we knew were wrong. God knew we were sin's prisoners, but he provided a way of escape-faith in Jesus Christ. Without Christ, everyone is held in sin's grasp, and only those who place their faith in Christ ever get out of it. Look to Christ-he is reaching out to set you free. 10) Before this faith came, how were we held prisoners, how long were we locked up as prisoners, why was the law put in charge, how might we be justified, and now that faith has come, what are we no longer under?
________________________________________________________________________________ "The supervision of the law" is like the supervision given by a tutor to a young child. We no longer need that kind of supervision. The law teaches us the need for salvation; God's grace gives us that salvation. The Old Testament still applies today. In it, God reveals his nature, his will for humanity, his moral laws, and his guidelines for living. But we cannot be saved by keeping that law; we must trust in Christ. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Sons of God ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 11) How have we become sons of God, who has clothed themselves with Christ, why did Paul say there is neither Jew or Gentile, slave nor free, male nor female, and if you belong to Christ, what did Paul say you are?
________________________________________________________________________________ In Roman society, a youth coming of age laid
aside the robe of childhood and put on a new toga. This represented his move
into adult citizenship with full rights and responsibilities. Paul combined this
cultural understanding with the concept of baptism. By becoming Christians and
being baptized, the Galatian believers were becoming spiritually grown up and
ready to take on the privileges and responsibilities of the more mature. Paul
was saying that they had laid aside the old clothes of the law, and were putting
on Christ's new robe of righteousness (see 2 Corinthians 5:21; Ephesians
4:23,24). ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Answers Galatians Chapter Three ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 1) Foolish...bewitched...as crucified...Did you
receive the Spirit by observing the law, or by believing what you heard?...by
human standards ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Taken from The NIV Life Application Study Bible, Zondervan Publishers |