Galatians

Galatians – Greg Donovan

Literary Style and Beauty:  Macrostructure

            I suggest that the arrangement of this letter is straightforward, with three sets or kinds of arguments to support Paul’s concern.

 

Large Outline

1.  Prologue (1:1-5)

            A.  Paul’s greeting (1:1-3)

            B.  Paul’s praise to Jesus Christ and to God (1:4-5)

• Note:  no thanksgiving for the Galatians, though he loves them fervently.

 

(Body of Letter)

Three Arguments for Salvation by Faith Alone

2.  Argument from experience (1:6-2:21)

            A.  Rebuke to Galatians and anathema on false teachers (1:6-10)[1]

            B.  Paul’s conversion (1:11-24; key verses 1:11-12)

            C.  Paul’s later relations with Jerusalem church leaders (2:1-10)

            D.  Paul’s rebuke of Peter (2:11-21)

• Note the coda in vv.20-21, which is also a key summary and leads into the theological argument.

 

3.  Argument from theology (3:1-5:1)

            A.  Rebuke to Galatians (3:1-5; parallel with 2.A)

            B.  Abraham justified by faith alone (3:6-9)[2]

            C.  Who is under the curse?  (3:10-14)

• Answer:  those who seek to be justified by works of the Law.[3]

D. Does Law annul promise?  (3:15-18)

• Answer:  NO!  Also, Christ as the seed of Abraham, v.16.

E.  So, what is the purpose of the Law?  (3:19-29)

• Answer:  It is a tutor to lead to faith in Christ, v.24.[4]

 

F.  Under-age children or grown sons (4:1-11)

• Coming of Christ as the key turning point in covenantal history, vv.4-5.[5]

G.  A personal appeal for the Galatians to follow Paul as previously (4:12-20)

• This is a digression from his theological argument before his last point.

H.  Symbolism of two sons of Abraham (4:21-5:1; conclusion & summary 4:31-5:1)

• Arguments from Scripture about “the flesh” vs. “the promise” and “the Spirit”

 

4.  Argument from results  (5:2-6:17)

            A.  Rebuke to Galatians:  For the last time, everything or nothing! (5:2-12; 2.A & 3.A)

• Note a key to true spirituality in vv.5-6

B.  The flesh vs. the Spirit (5:13-26)

• Natural results vs. spiritual results; fruit of the Spirit, vv.22-23
• Note a key to true spirituality in v.24; cf. 2:20; 6:14

C.  Proofs of true spirituality (6:1-17)

            (1) How you restore an offender and help the weak (6:1-5)

            (2) How you share and do good (6:6-10; principle of sowing & reaping)

            (3)  A final personal appeal (6:11-17)

• Note a key to true spirituality, v.15; cf. 5:6

(End of body of letter)

 

5.  Conclusion (6:18):  benediction (a very short ending!)

 

Author and Purpose

            Paul wrote this letter (1:1; 6:11!) to deal in the strongest terms with the most serious problem of the early church!  “The churches of Galatia” to which Paul writes (1:2) had been founded by Paul (1:8; 4:12-20) and were made up mostly of Gentiles.  A short time before this letter was written, some Jewish false teachers had entered into the churches and were teaching that Gentile believers in Christ must become Jews in order to be true Christians.  This was the same major problem dealt with by the Jerusalem Council (Acts 15):  “unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved (Acts 15:1; cf. v.5 & v.24![6]).  So the Galatians were in danger of departing from the true Gospel (Gal. 1:6-12) and of falling from grace (!) (5:4) because of these Judaizers.

            The Judaizers made a very direct attack on justification by faith alone in Christ alone.  Paul was always very consistent that adding any “works of the Law”[7] in the realm of justification would be “another Gospel” and so would be “anathema”[8] to the true Gospel.  Paul was so consistent that he even rebuked Peter when Peter was inconsistent (and “even Barnabas” too!  2:13).[9]  So, in the course of this severe, rebuking letter,[10] Paul highlights some of the great, distinctive things about the Christian life.[11]  As with the Corinthians, Paul becomes very emotional when he sees his spiritual children in danger (eternal danger!).  All this should make this letter very precious to us.

 

Commentary:  Applications of the Supremacy of Christ[12]

 

1.  Justification by Faith

            It is clear from the Outline and the Purpose of Galatians that justification by faith alone is the essence of the message of this letter.  This doctrine relates to the beauty of the Lord in that it stresses “salvation is of the Lord”: in other words, the Lord saves His people, and the Work of Christ alone is what His people trust to save them.  Thus the death and resurrection of Christ are magnified because that Work alone is necessary and sufficient, and “human works” or “human effort” add nothing to it.  Paul is zealous for this truth as he is in Romans.  The “argument from theology” turns on this.[13]

 

2.  The Right Gospel

            Considering Paul’s anathema on any other “Gospel” but his own (1:8-9), it is vital to know what the true Gospel is, particularly its extent in terms of content.  Thus when teaching I will discuss the difference between saying, “the Reformed faith is the Gospel,” and saying, “the Reformed faith is the most consistent expression of the Gospel,” since whatever would change the Gospel into “another Gospel” would be under the anathema.  Other examples of discerning what is the true Gospel include J. Gresham Machen against Christian Liberalism and Cornelius Van Til against Barth’s teaching.  Be careful about who your enemies are, and who may just be your “less consistent” friends.  Inquire: ponder further the implications for interacting with Christians of other denominations.

 

3.  The Beauty of Jesus Christ

            Examples of the beauty of Jesus Christ in this letter: 

            (1)  Incarnation:

(a)  seed of Abraham (3:16; crucial for “covenant theology and NT fulfillment of

       OT promises);

(b)  born of a woman (implies virgin birth!); born under the Law (so He could

 fulfill it:  “Thy love has met Thy law’s demands”![14])(4:4; leads into redemption, v.5);

(c)  NT “goal” of His incarnation:  to express His life in believers (4:19; very  

       interesting expression, cf. 2:20).

            (2) Death:

                        (a)  “gave Himself” (1:4: note results, cf. 2:20);

                        (b)  “key verse” of letter: 2:20 (Inquire:  analyze the parts of this verse and relate

        it to the “old creature/new creature/ aspect of the Christian life and other

        aspects of the  Christian life);

(c)  Christ “died needlessly” if righteousness could be attained by keeping the

       Law (2:21; Inquire: why is that?  Relate to Jesus in Gethsemane);

(d)  dies under the curse of the Law and became a curse (3:13; very interesting

       use of OT text; cf. 2 Cor. 5:21);

(e)  once He is human, He can “redeem” (4:5, following v.4, see above);[15]

(f)  Paul boasts “in the cross” (6:14);

(g)  NT “goal” of His crucifixion (interesting parallel to (1)(c) above!): to express

       His death in believers, that is, they die to sin and to themselves (their old

       nature) (2:20, again!; 5:24; 6:14).

            (3) Resurrection:

                        (a)  Christ lives in me (2:20, again!);

                        (b)  concept:  all that is said about the Spirit depends upon the resurrection of

       Christ, because the risen Christ sends the Spirit.  Is the resurrection not

       emphasized much in Galatians?

Inquire:  find more on these aspects of Jesus Christ.  Are there parallels/confirmations in other letters of Paul or other parts of the NT?  Does this letter have some distinctive emphases?

 

4.  The Beauty of the Holy Spirit

            Examples of the teaching and beauty of the Holy Spirit in this letter:

            (1)  how do believers receive the Holy Spirit?  (3:2, 5, etc.);

            (2)  Abraham’s blessing applies to the Gentiles and the essence of the blessing is the

       Spirit (3:14);

(3)  God the Father sends the Spirit of His Son into hearts of believers (4:6-7, note

        Trinity!);

(4)  Isaac was born of the Spirit/of the promise, in contrast to Hagar’s son, and

       represents the NT believers who are truly free and truly heirs (4:28-29 and context).

Inquire:  Find more on the Spirit in this letter (I left a lot for you this time!) and meditate upon it so you will be more aware of the Spirit in your life (it should not be said that the Reformed neglect the Spirit!).

 

5.  The Word of God

            Sometimes in Scripture there is a “personification” of “Scripture,” and there are some examples of that in Galatians.  In 3:8, “Scripture” “foresees” what God will do, to include the Gentiles in justification by faith, and “Scripture” “preached the Gospel” to Abraham.  This shows how Scripture is the Word of God, that is, what it says, God says, and how closely Scripture is identified with God (though, of course, it is not God).

 

6.  The OT in the NT

            Paul’s use of the Old Testament is sometimes not “literal” but “redemptive-historical,” meaning that he sees OT particulars as representative or symbolic of larger truths which span history.  For example, Paul believes in Adam as a literal, historical individual, but in Romans 5 uses him as “representative head” of the human race, whose act of disobedience has consequences which span history.  (Note that Christ is literal and representative, too.)  In Galatians 4:21-31, Paul uses the two sons of Abraham (who were literal, historical figures, of course) as representative of two peoples with two destinies, applied to all ages of history.  Isaiah 54:1 and Genesis 21:10, 12 are used for truths much broader than their original contexts.  Inquire:  Ponder the meaning of this example and its application for understanding the NT’s manner of interpreting the OT.  Are there other NT examples of this?

 

7.  Flesh vs. Spirit

            Compare the passage on the flesh vs. the Spirit (5:13-26) with Rom. 7-8.  Inquire:  what teaching is the same?  What emphases are different?  Ponder the “fruit of the Spirit” in detail.

8.  Proofs of True Spirituality

            The “proofs of true spirituality” are very important (6:1-17; compare with 5:6 and 6:15), especially since they contrast with the Judaizers’ points!  Inquire:  Combine with imperatives concerning Christian conduct in other letters:  what is the overall picture of the Christian life?  There is a “law of Christ” (6:2), but it is so “new” compared to the OT.

 

Scholarly Footnotes

1.  It is debated whether this letter was addressed to the churches of north or of south Galatia.  This makes a difference in the chronology of the letters and missionary journeys of Paul.  Explore this further in Machen’s New Testament: An Introduction to Its Literature and History (1976).

 

2.  Some think there are clues in this letter which favor understanding “poor eyesight” as Paul’s “thorn in the flesh”:  4:14-15; 6:11 (remembering Acts 9:3 [= 26:13!], 9:8, 18).

 

 

 

SOLI DEO GLORIA