Part XLV on Galatians Study

Romans 5:12 “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world through one man, and death as the result of sin; so death spread upon all men, ( no one being able to stop it or to escape its power) for that all have sinned: 13 (To be sure) sin was in the world before ever the Law was given, but sin is not imputed (charged) when there is no law (to transgress). Nevertheless death reigned (held sway) from Adam to Moses (the Lawgiver), even over them that had not sinned (transgressed) after the similitude (a positive command) of Adam's transgression, who is the figure (type or prefigure) of him that was to come (the promised seed of woman, not coming about by the usual and normal way). 14 But not as the offense (held sway), so also is the free gift (the Holy Spirit). For if through the offense of one many be dead (through one mans falling away), much more (profusely did) the grace of God (His Grace is out of proportion to the fall of man, Graces power utterly destroys sin) , and the gift by grace (that comes), which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded (overflows the benefit) unto many.” (Amp) (1 Corinthians 15:56)


Now back to Galatians chapter 2. 


Galatians 2:17
"But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, (not by the Laws requirements but only through Christ) we ourselves also are found sinners (remember we're children of Adam) is therefore Christ the minister of sin? God forbid." And here's the basic reasoning in verse 18. Now this takes a little thinking we know it does. But think it through, and remember Paul's past no one else could ever come close to, but look what he says.


Galatians 2:18
"For if I build again the things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor,"  Now what's he saying? Here he's been a Law keeping Hebrew (within the corral of the statutes and ordinances), a great practitioner of Judaism. He thought the Law and the Temple and the Old Testament were the epitome of everything. But once he saw the Truth of the power of Grace and the Gospel of Christ how that He died, shed His blood, and rose from the dead then he could literally destroy everything of the old account. Now he says, "if I go back and put my converts back under the Law and command them to keep circumcision then I am rebuilding what I've torn down." Do we get that? Let's look at Colossians chapter 2 and nobody understood this better than the Apostle Paul (in Romans chapters 6 and 7 where he struggles within himself degrading the work of the cross, his flesh, the Law and sin as revealed in the statutes and ordinances and the Holy Spirits working). This is a graphic statement. Here he is speaking of the work of the Cross and the revealed power that Grace has to nullify all that had gone on before, before Grace was inaugurated.


Colossians 2:14
"Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, (the law of commandment, and especially the Mosaic Law's exercising that was being practiced at the time of Christ which was a degenerated 613 rules and regulations, all of it was blotted out) which was contrary to us, and (the Law was absolutely contrary to human nature. Everything in the Law, human nature says do it. So He) took it out of the way, nailing it to the cross;"
 

Now what does John reveal about the person of Jesus? In chapter 1 verses 14 and 17...


John 1:14 
"And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth."   and then verse 17


John 1:17
" For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ."   So then John by the Holy Spirit reveals to us the person of Christ Jesus and the nature of God that He personifies, not only God's tremendous Love but and His Grace and Truth. Jesus brought forward or made known God's image and likeness His every essence of all goodness and that goodness is revealed by His Love, Grace and Truth.


Now that's what Paul means then as we come back to Galatians chapter 2 that once he helped believing Hebrews like himself to see that that old economy had been totally done away with. It was nailed to our Savior's Cross! Now Paul says, if I come back and tell these converts that I was wrong, and now I've got to put them back under the Law then he says, "I'm building again that which I have destroyed." Isn't that beautiful, but Paul says, he couldn't do that. Paul could not go back on the revelations, the Light that the Lord had given him. Now let's move on to verse 19, and this is his whole reason for pressing on constantly throughout the Roman Empire with the Gospel of the Grace of God. Now we'll stop and look at Isaiah chapter 44 in verse 22:


Isaiah 44:22
“I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins: return unto me; for I have redeemed thee.” And now to Lamentations chapter 3 verse 44 to find the veil or cloud which separated man of sin from God's presence:


Lamentations 3:44
“Thou hast covered thyself with a cloud, that our prayer should not pass through.”


Now to Psalm chapter 97 and verse 2:


Psalm 97:2
“Clouds and darkness are round about him: righteousness and judgment are the habitation of his throne.”   So clouds and darkness surround the throne of God which is the smoke of sin and sins sacrifice as a stench in God's nostrils to God. For God took no pleasure in the offering of sacrifices nor the blood of animals in the place of mans sin, Hebrews chapter 10; Psalm 40:6. Now we have not touched Isaiah chapter 53, because the Hebrews don't know what to do with this chapter, it totally blows their rebellious spirit out of the water. Why? Because when understood in the Light of Truth and Grace, Grace is revealed. Back to Galatians chapter 2 and verse 19: