Introduction to the Book of Galatians

This will be a verse by verse study of Galatians which we pray will be of assistance to all.

Now with our sharing under the leading of the Holy Spirit, we've had the assistance of many fine and learned men such as the following: Watchman Nee, Andrew Murray, William Law, Les Feldick, James Fowler, Robert Hoekstra, Major Ian Thomas, F J Huegel and a host of others. We were lead to these writers because they all share a common thread of revelation. That being the purpose and perfect Will of God the Father which Paul the Apostle to the Gentiles had received from the mouth of the risen Lord, the secret that God had hidden within Him from before the foundation of the world. This secret or mystery we have been sharing as it is the foundation or ancient path which Jeremiah the Prophet in chapter 6 verses 16-19 spoke of:
Thus said the LORD, “Stand in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and you shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein. Also I set watchmen over you, saying, Hearken to the sound of the trumpet. But they said, We will not hearken. Therefore hear, you nations, and know, O congregation, what is among them. Hear, O earth: behold, I will bring evil upon this people (the people who refuses to hear His voice), the fruit of their thoughts, because they have not hearkened to my words, nor to my law, but rejected it.” 

Now in verse 16 there's hidden “the old paths...the good way” and this relates all the way back to Genesis chapters 1-3 for in them is the path found which led man in bondage to death and sin. The secret is the taking of this path backward if you will or in reverse. Where Adam fell into death (separation from God) and sin (rebellion, lawlessness and the self will of Satan's nature); we through Christ reverse this evil. How Genesis 3:15 tells us, God placed in all of us a seed of His Divine nature (spiritual life) or image and likeness of God the Son. The seed that Mary received, the sperma of God, the Word made flesh, when visited by the angel and given the message that she was the chosen vessel. As a virgin and of the house of Judah and King David's heir in accord of the promise. When she said, “Behold the hand maiden of the Lord, be it to me according to thy Word O Lord” At that moment the Holy Spirit impregnated her with the Living Word. This proved her willingness to do God's Will and it is in like manner that we are to submit also. Remember also the words of Jesus when He said the He came only to do the will of His Father. He also said that it was His delight to do the Fathers Will.  (paraphrased)

A special thanks to Les Feldick as his outline was the foundation of this writing, freely we have receives and freely we give. Now from here we'll move into the study:
 
Now if we look at a map of what was known as Asia Minor, we see the area leading up to the Book of Galatians. As you see, we have the Mediterranean Sea coast, and down here, of course, would be the city of Jerusalem, the Jordan valley, the Sea of Galilee, and the Dead Sea. Now as we turn the corner of the Mediterranean Sea, and go under the underbelly of what is today Turkey, right down through the middle of Turkey is what was called Galatia. The city to whom this letter of Galatians is written. Now, at the western end of Turkey we have the ancient city of Ephesus, to whom the letter of the Ephesians is written, and the churches in that area. Then across the Aegean Sea up here is where Philippi was, and Thessalonica, and Berea, and all the way down to Athens. Then across to Corinth, and across the Adrian Sea is Italy and Rome.

Now as we study the Book of Galatians we're going to be dealing with Paul's letter to those people in this very area where he covered his first missionary journey. Antioch of Pisida, Lystra and Derbe. Remember Paul was stoned at Lystra, and after they had spent some time over here at the eastern end of Galatia, they retraced their steps and went back to Antioch. 

Now this letter of Galatians which is only six chapters. We need to point out that Paul was under such duress to get this letter written as quickly as possible that he didn't even wait for some kind of secretary to take dictation - but rather he laboriously printed it in large block letters because of his poor eye sight. There was such an intense need to get this letter up to those Galatian assemblies who were being bombarded by the Judaizers, and come under their attack to come under the Levitical Law of Moses. Which God had added to the Ten Commandments as a corral or tutor to keep the Hebrews in check or in line, which became a burden which no on could carry. The administration of the whole system of legalism had only one out come, death. as it had no wiggle room for repentance or forgiveness of sin committed under its administration. The thought of that just exercised the apostle to the point that he had to sit down and get this letter up to those congregations before it would be too late.

You see this little letter is so appropriate today because we're under the same kind of a bombardment. We're finding that most people hate Paul's doctrines of Grace. Well we've never put it quite that strongly, but we do know that most people don't like them. Because we see most people want to do something to it. They want to feel that somehow they have merited the favor of God. But remember that God will never have any of that. He says, "Either you believe what I've finished or it will profit you nothing!" This is what runs contrary to human thought. So what we're going to see now in these little six chapters of Galatians is this constant warning by the apostle that we're not under the Levitical Law and its administration, but rather Grace. Don't let these people pervert the Gospel by adding something to it. He writes and says much the same things in the Hebrew Epistle. Fore when we first are redeemed we come into the first covenant's administration in order for the Holy Spirit to work His works in us. By revealing our need of salvation in the power of the resurrection and entry into the New Covenant through death. Death being the penalty of both the command and the finished works of the Law.


Now time-wise Galatians was written probably a couple of years before the Corinthian letters. Also remember the Books that Paul wrote are not in the order in which he wrote them. But also remember they are in the exact order that the Holy Spirit wanted them. Paul's letters have always been in this exact order as we have them today. They are not in the chronological order that they were written as Thessalonians was written first then possibly the Epistle of Hebrews and then Galatians, Romans, Corinthians, then the epistles of Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, then First and Second Timothy and Titus.

The whole theme of this letter is to convince the Galatians and us that we are not under the Levitical Law, or the Law given to Moses as contained in the statues and ordinances, that we're under Grace and Grace alone. We have to pass through the training of the Law to realized our need for more of God's presence in us, in order to comply with the requirements of the Law. This Law when activated by God's divine illumination on our inward parts and His writing it on our mind become a joy and a Love to abide in them.


Galatians 1:1
"Paul, an apostle, (not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead;)"

Now, of what does Paul immediately remind his followers? The authority of his apostleship. He always comes at that first, that he had the absolute authority to proclaim the Truth that he's proclaiming, and it had nothing to do with men appointing him. It's interesting, that back in Acts chapter 13 (when Paul and Barnabas left to go on that 1st missionary journey), how careful the Scripture was to point out that it wasn't the Jerusalem Church (the assembly of Hebrew believers) that sent them, but rather the Holy Spirit. 

Acts 13:2-4
"As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, `Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them.' 3. And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away. 4. So they, being sent forth by the Holy Ghost, departed unto Seleucia, and from thence they sailed to Cyprus."   So the Holy Spirit sent them, not the Church at Antioch. And it's the same way here. Paul makes it plain that he did not come into this role of apostleship because maybe the Twelve ordained him, or some other group ordained him or taught him or set him down. No way did that happen. He comes on the scene by the miraculous laying of this apostleship on him by the Lord Christ Jesus. Now verse 2: