The Apostle Paul had spent a good deal of time in Galatia, "strengthening all the disciples" there (Acts 18:23). With such interest in them, he must have been quite concerned to see them slipping away from the true teachings of Christianity.
Usually, when Paul wrote to other Christians, he would start with several words of encouragement and blessing. This is startlingly absent in his letter to the Galatians. He is very direct and stern in his comments about their sudden departure to "another gospel" and the false teachers that were troubling them (Galatians 1:6).
The teachers that were perverting the gospel have been called "Judaizers," since they tried to convince people that Jewish practices such as circumcision and keeping the law of Moses were necessary for Christians, too. These teachers had been influencing the Galatians quite strongly. Paul had already experienced this from others: "false brethren ... who came in by stealth to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage" (2:4).
The Galatian ethnic group had overrun the area some time before, and their descendants, the Gauls, did the same in France. They would be considered "barbarians." Emphasizing the law might seem like a good thing for such people, but that's only a human way to tame the flesh (our self-centered desires), not the Christian way.
There is liberty in Christ, and we cannot impose anything else on true Christianity. Trying to keep the law appeals to us, because it implies that we can still do something good ourselves to earn God's favor. We have self-confidence, like the people of Israel who said, "All that the Lord has spoken we will do" (Exodus 19:8).
The outcome of those works will be pride. Paul emphasized that Christians are crucified with Christ and can live for God only through faith in Him (2:20). This takes away our natural attempts to please God and focuses our lives on the Lord instead.
It's true that God sees all Christians as "crucified with Christ." But the emphasis is that I am crucified with Christ. Each one has to learn by experience to say this knowingly and personally.
The law was good and even God-given. But now the death of Christ has met the standard of God's righteousness (2:21). Therefore, the moral features of righteousness that should be seen in the Christian do not have their source in the Christian.
It's not our works that matter. It's not man's influence or even angels that matter (1:9-10). It's not myself that matters. It's Christ, the Holy Spirit, and the life of faith that matter to God and should matter to believers.
Christian living is based on the same principle as salvation itself. Crucifixion is a brutal, final death. If I don't accept the helplessness of crucifixion, I will not have the opportunity to display the life of Christ through my own life.
Paul had evidently made a clear presentation of Jesus Christ's crucifixion to the Galatians (3:1). This letter, along with 1 Corinthians, emphasizes His crucifixion more than any other New Testament epistle. Although the crucifixion of the Lord is not by itself the full teaching of the gospel, yet a clear understanding of such a death is essential to the right view of Christianity. If Jesus Christ was crucified in weakness, what Christian would expect that personal strength could accomplish something for God?
At Jesus' crucifixion, the nation of Israel cried, "Away with Him!" (John 19:15). If we are crucified with Christ, we need to have the same attitude about ourselves. As Paul said in another letter, "I die daily" (1 Corinthians 15:31).
Notice that this faith (2:20) is the faith of the Son of God. Paul wanted to see Christ formed in the believers (4:19). Connected with this, we should remember how all that Christ did was controlled by the Spirit of God. This is the same way Christians should be controlled. Paul reminded the Galatians that the Holy Spirit was still the only One who could lead them to please God (3:2-5).
This is freedom (5:1)! If there is a sense of duty or bondage in our Christian beliefs, it is not from God. We are sons of God, with all the freedom implied in that relationship (Galatians 4); and we have free access into God's own presence (compare the fear of Israel at Mt. Sinai, Exodus 20:18-19).
The false teachers emphasized ritual circumcision as a way to please God and show Christian maturity. Christians today sometimes emphasize traditions or other things we're accustomed to doing as a way to please God. We might hear, "Do this and you will be a better Christian." But these things should not be lumped in with Christianity in ways that make them seem like actual doctrine. This will cause us to fall from grace (5:4).
Like the Galatians, we know people who influence us. We must be clear that they are only doing so in the right direction.
What is this liberty? It is absolute freedom to live according to the Spirit of God. This is not an opportunity for our selfish flesh to satisfy itself and then claim "liberty" (5:13). The Lord Jesus Himself always did and said exactly what the Father gave Him to do and say, and He lived in total liberty as an example to us.
Faith, love, and service should go together (5:6, 13). If instead we use Christian liberty for our own ends, we will "bite and devour" other Christians. This will lead to a fleshly response from others, so that we ourselves will be consumed (5:15).
The Word of God should be guiding our consciences in order to keep us on the right path.
Second Bible study: Works of the flesh and fruit of the Spirit
Galatians 5:16-26
First study: Galatians 2, 3, 5 | Third study: Galatians 6 Top
The activity of the Holy Spirit in the life of the Christian is central. We begin in the Spirit when we are first saved (3:3). Then, the Christian life involves living in the Spirit, walking in the Spirit, and being led by the Spirit (5:16, 18, 25). Meanwhile, our fleshly desires actively oppose the Holy Spirit, and this section of Galatians highlights that contrast.
Walking in the Spirit implies:
- focusing on Christ, which is always the desire of the Holy Spirit.
- following the Word of God, which the Holy Spirit never contradicts.
- step-by-step dependence on the Holy Spirit as a rule of life.
If we are led by the Spirit in these ways, we will not carry out the desires of the flesh, because the Spirit leads us in completely the opposite direction (5:16). Further, we will not need a set of laws that tell us how to do the right thing, either (5:18).
A Christian should always be led by the Spirit. This is not a special truth for Spirit-led activity in, say, meetings of a Christian assembly. It is a daily truth, and if we are led by the Spirit, we simply keep in step with Him in any situation.
The flesh causes us to struggle against the Spirit, so that we do not do the things we wish to do as Christians. Actually, the list of practices in verses 19-21 are the things we would wish to do naturally! If not for the Spirit of God, we would do these things.
These are violent, repulsive displays of the flesh. The flesh can also be attractively religious. Both aspects are related, as we can see in the case of Cain and Abel (Genesis 4). Cain showed his "religious flesh" when he wanted to bring God his own type of offering. When that was not accepted, it led to "violent flesh" as Cain murdered his brother. Whether religious or violent, our flesh is still the same depraved source.
If someone habitually practices the things listed here in Galatians, we would correctly wonder if that person is even a Christian. "Those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God" (5:21). God's rights have nothing to do with these types of behavior.
These are works, the energy of the flesh. They refer to startling behavior, such as:
- "fornication," which also includes our word "pornography"
- "idolatry," which displaces Christ in any way (compare 1 John 5:21)
- "sorcery" or "witchcraft", which includes the idea of drug use as well
- "drunkenness," which is completely incompatible with the Spirit of God (Ephesians 5:18)
In addition to these clearly distasteful things, problems such as "schools of opinion" and "strifes" are listed right alongside the others. Contending for truth cannot be done in those attitudes.
By contrast, the Holy Spirit works internally to produce fruit. These qualities display Christ's own character, and they transgress no law. Compare verses 18 and 23: We don't need a law in order to be led by the Spirit, and yet the fruit of the Spirit automatically produces the moral qualities that more than fulfill the law.
The believer has crucified the flesh (5:24). This is a unique expression, and it shows how completely we should be done with our self-guided passions and desires.
The question is whether we are living up to the standards of Christian life: "If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit" (5:25).
Third Bible study: John 15:1-16
Galatians 6:1-18
First study: Galatians 2, 3, 5 | Second study: Galatians 5 Top
Galatians 5:22-23 show the fruit of the Spirit in its character. Chapter 6 helps to describe this fruit in action.
The first matter deals with a Christian who has committed a fault or trespass. Some translations say, "If even a man is taken in some fault," implying in a beautiful way that such behavior is not expected, and yet there is a provision for what to do if it would occur.
"You who are spiritual" should undertake restoration. There is a readiness to help, because it is expected that there will be those who are spiritual and are willing to help. It's "you" in the plural form, suggesting that we should not proudly think of ourselves as sufficient to help all alone. And there is meekness in each heart, knowing that we are capable of the same error ourselves.
If we think too highly of ourselves, we will not make progress for God. The one helping with restoration needs to depend on the Spirit of God, while the erring one has to admit his need for restoration.
Paul gave us a good example in Galatians 2. Peter had to be corrected publically, and Paul did it. He showed spirituality and meekness, yet he was clear and direct in his conversation with Peter.
Restoration is not always accomplished through quick results. But even if it isn't quickly forthcoming, the restoring helper takes the long-term view.
There are different situations that might need to be addressed. The person here in Galatians was "overtaken" in a sinful action. Different action would be needed if someone is consistently practicing a certain course of behavior.
The next verses address the concept of bearing one another's burdens, which fulfills the "law of Christ" (6:2). The good Samaritan (Luke 10) helped bear the burdens of the beaten man. The law of Christ is an even higher law than loving our neighbors as ourselves (5:14), because His commandment is to love one another as He loved us (John 13:34; 15:12).
Those points do not negate personal responsibility. We still have our own loads to bear (6:5). This word "load" is related to a merchant ship's daily cargo. We are responsible for certain things ourselves and should not expect others to carry those loads for us. For example, 2 Thessalonians 3:10 says we should not eat if we don't work.
There is also personal responsibility in sowing and reaping, planting and harvesting (6:7-8). God is not mocked, and if I realize that God's government is based on the principles of sowing and reaping, I will be more careful in how I behave before God and towards others.
Principles of sowing and reaping:
- It takes time. You do not reap immediately, either for bad or good.
- You will reap the same type of produce as was planted.
- You will reap more than you planted.
What we want to sow is the seed of "doing good," which will yield a good harvest of everlasting life in due season (6:8-10).
Reaping eternal life seems to suggest that good works done for Christ will come out in all their fulness later. Yet there is also a sense of the enjoyment of eternal life now, as we reap those results already in this life.
Our relationships matter. Paul had written to the Galatians in a true spirit of brotherly love, which they had displayed previously (4:15). Perhaps poor eyesight caused him to write with "large letters," as some translations give the phrase in 6:11. The false teachers had no such spirit, but wanted to claim the Galatians as trophies for themselves. Those who act that way with us do not have the interests of Christ at heart.
The world is crucified to me; I should be finished with it as a believer. Further, the world should be able to see us for what we are---Christ's own people---and thus have no use for us, either (6:14). This clear line of division between us and the world comes as we glory in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, knowing all that it meant for Him and means for us today.
Paul always carried a spiritual display of the marks, or the "stigmata," of the Lord Jesus (6:17). You would not actually see these marks, but from the way he lived it was clear that his life measured up to being "crucified with Christ," which is where our studies began (2:20).
"The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit" (6:18). The singular word "spirit" makes it a personal appeal. How will each of us receive the words of the Lord through this letter to the Galatians?
Recordings of a portion of the conference are available through Bible Ministry Recordings.