Read the rest of the series on the Book of Galatians. This article covers Galatians 1:10 - 2:10.
The doctrinal heart of this letter doesn’t begin until chapter 3. But first Paul has some personal business to address—his credentials. The Christians in Galatia know Paul. He’s the one who brought them the Good News, who taught them, mentored them. Sure, other teachers have probably done their part, but Paul is undeniably the dominating human force in their spiritual lives.
Read the rest of the series on the Book of Galatians. This article covers Galatians 1:1-9.
It’s frustrating to be misrepresented, especially if the stakes are high. There’s an urge to set the record straight, to protect folks who are being confused by the lies. It’s even more frustrating if text messages, phone calls, or video calls aren’t an option. That’s what’s happening with Paul, and this frustration produces perhaps the most sharply worded letter in the New Testament.
Read the rest of the series on the Book of Galatians. This article covers Galatians 6:12-18.
Paul has little new to stay—he’s shot his bolt, so to speak.1 All that remains is to press a few reminders and offer his informed assessment of the Judaizer’s motives.
See what large letters I use as I write to you with my own hand! (Galatians 6:11).
Henry Knox personifies the perennial American virtues of dependability and ingenuity.1 He was George Washington’s chief artillery commander during much of the Revolutionary War. Knox was nobody’s version of a dashing soldier. A 1784 portrait shows a chubby, round-faced man with at least two chins. His shoulders slope downward as if he’s slouching for the portrait—one can just imagine the belly that must be there, despite being over six feet tall.
In 1956 Humphrey Bogart starred in one of quirkier movies, a comedy titled We’re No Angels. The year is 1895, it’s Christmas morning, and Bogart and two others are convicts on Devil’s Island, the notorious French penal colony. They escape that awful place and make their way to a coastal city in French Guiana and plot their next move.
Training wheels are good … for a little while. I remember learning to ride a bike and being very grateful those training wheels would stop me from falling! I also remember the day my father removed the training wheels and the time came for me to ride a bike without them. They were temporary. They served their purpose, but now it was time to be done with them. So, I fell down a lot—but I learned to ride the bike.
This is part of a commentary series through the Book of Galatians. It began with Galatians 3:1-6. This series will progress until the book is finished, then circle back and cover ch. 1-2. This article covers Galatians 3:23-29.
Before the coming of this faith, we were held in custody under the law, locked up until the faith that was to come would be revealed.
Galatians 3:23
Read the rest of the series here.
Paul has spoken about the right way to understand the Mosaic Law. Now, he presses the point home with an analogy about Abraham.
Brothers and sisters, let me take an example from everyday life. Just as no one can set aside or add to a human covenant that has been duly established, so it is in this case (Galatians 3:15).
