NT3 UNIT2: Galatians 1&2

TWO MAIN THREADS OF THE EPISTLE

1. Defence of Paul’s apostolic authority

2. Doctrine of grace

Paul’s MinistryAD 33 Resurrection and Ascension of Jesus

AD 47 First Missionary Journey: Cyprus, Galatia

AD 49 Second Missionary Journey: Macedonia and Greece

AD 53 Third Missionary Journey: Asia and Macedonia

AD 57 Imprisonment in Caesarea

AD 60 Journey to Rome, First Imprisonment

AD 65 Second imprisonment, execution

Rembrandt: Paul in Prison

Where is Galatia ?1: Majority opinion: South Galatia: the cities (Antioch, Iconium, Lystra, Derbe) that Paul visited on his first missionary journey => Letter written 48AD from Syrian Antioch

2: Another possibility: North Galatia: the area Paul passed by on his second missionary journey (Acts 16:6,7) => Letter would have been written much later than 48 AD

Paul's Timeline: Comparing Acts and GalatiansApprox Date ACTS GALATIANS

AD 33-34 Acts 9:6 Paul's Conversion Gal 1:15 Paul's Conversion

Gal 1:17 Arabia 3 years

AD 37 Acts 9:26 Paul sees apostles in Jerusalem Gal 1:18 Paul sees Peter and JamesHellenists try to kill him in Jerusalem, 15 daysPaul sent to Tarsus

Acts 10 Peter preaches to CorneliusThe Holy Spirit descend on gentileuncircumcised believers

Gal 1:21 Paul goes to Syria and Cilicia

Acts 11:19 Church still preaches to the Jews only

Acts 11:25 Barnabas brings Paul back to Antioch

AD 47 Acts 11: 30 Paul and Barnabas bring famine relief Gal 2:1 After 14 years Paul goes to Jerusalemto Jerusalem with Barnabas and Titus

Explains privately his Gentile gospel to the Apostles

Gal 2:9 James, Peter and John agree with PaulThey to the Jews, Paul to the GentilesCondition "Remember the poor"

Acts 12:25 Paul and Barnabas return to Antioch

AD 48 Acts 13 - 14 Paul's First Missionary Journeyeturn to Antioch

AD 48 Acts 15:1 Circumcision party come from Gal 2:11-14 Paul confronts Peter's hypocrisy inJerusalem to Antioch: division Antioch

AD 48 Epistle to the Galatians ? Epistle to the Galatians ?

AD 49 Acts 15:1-21 Jerusalem Council, Acts 15:22-29 Decree: Gentiles do not need to be

circumcised

AD 50 Acts 16 => Paul's second missionary journeyPaul takes Decree to the churches inGalatia

Structure of Galatians

Chs 1 & 2: Paul’s credentials and authority, Refutation against the Judaisers

Chs 3 & 4: Grace through Faith vs the Law

Chs 5 & 6: Christian liberty: avoid the carnal life

Lystra

GALATIANS: OCCASION AND PURPOSE

• Paul astonished that they have turned so soon to another gospel Gal 1:16

• Galatian believers are mainly converts from paganism: Gal 4:8

• Paul counters the “trouble makers” who preach that unless the gentile believers are circumcised they cannot be saved– Gal 1:7, 5:7-12, 6:12-13– Cf Acts 15:1-5

• The Galatian believers now observing days, seasons etc Gal 4:10

• The Judaisers may have preached “Perfection” through the Law Gal 3:1-3

Modern “Konya” ie Iconium

Galatians: Paul Counters those who Undermine his Authority

• Paul explains in chapters 1 & 2 that he received the gospel message independently of the 12 Apostles: (ie it was not a case

of Paul perverting or subtracting from the doctrines of the 12)

• Paul explains in chapters 5 & 6 that the gospel of grace does not encourage people to do as they please: Gal 5:13-14

Altar at Pisidian Antioch

Opening Salutation: Ch 1:1-5

Vs 1: Paul asserts his direct commissionong from Christ “…not from men nor through men..”

Vs 3-5: Expanded salutation, giving the purpose of Christ’s death “…Grace…peace…who gave himself …that he might deliver us from…”

El Greco: St Paul

Paul’s Indignation: Ch 1:6-10

Turning away so soon

To a different gospel - a perversion

The gospel of grace is the norm for judging the faithfulness of angels and apostles !

A curse pronounced

Paul not a man pleaser

Rembrandt: The Apostle Paul

Differences between Paul’s Gospel and the Perverted Gospel

Paul’s Gospel

Justification by faith (saved by grace through faith)

Works an outcome of faith that show its reality “Fruit”

Circumcision - OT Law - not for the Gentiles

Start and continue by walking in the spirit

Perversion of Gospel

Justification by faith pus works (where is grace?)

Works in order to be justified, or faith plus works

Circumcision OT Law necessary for the Gentiles

Start in the Spirit, continue in the “flesh”

Paul’Authority as an Apostle of ChristGal 1:11-17

1. Paul’s gospel and commission came directly from Jesus

2. Paul commissioned to preach the gospel to the Gentiles

3. Paul continued in fellowship with the Jerusalem Apostles

Paul on the Damascus Road

“Apostle” in the New Testament

• Meaning: Messenger, envoy, ambassador

•The Twelve in Acts: (Without Judas, with Matthias) Acts 1:26

•The Twelve Disciples in the gospels Matt 10:2-4

•Used of the Lord Jesus himself: Hebrews 3:1

• Paul, the Apostle to the gentiles (Rom 1:1, Gal 1:1)

• Barnabas, Silas (Acts 14:4, 14)

• James, the brother of the Lord Jesus (Gal 1:19)

• Andronicas and Junia (Romans 16:7)

Rembrandt: Christ revealing his glory to the disciples

Paul’s Commissioning: Gal 1:11-17• Vs 11&12: Paul received the gospel directly from Christ

on the Damascus Road (cf Acts 9:1-20)

• Vs 16: God revealed to him that Christ is the Son of God

• Vs 16 Christ’s Sonship central to Paul’s gospel (cf Rom 1:1-4, 9 and 2 Cor 4:5-6, and Gal 4:4-6)

• Vs 13-15: No human agency could have induced the change in Paul!

• Vs 15-16: Paul separated, (commissioned as an Apostle, anointed,) before his birth (cf Jeremiah 1:4-5, Isaiah 49:1-2)

• Vs 15 A work of grace: God revealed his Son to Paul and sent to the Gentiles (Acts 22:17-21) (Acts 26:15-18)

Michelangelo: The Conversion of St Paul

Paul the Apostle to the Gentiles

• Paul a debtor to both Greeks and Barbarians (Romans 1:13-15)

• Paul did not build on another’s foundation. (Romans 15:15-21)

• Paul to the Gentiles, Peter and the Jerusalem Apostles to the Jews (Gal 2:7-10)

• Paul remained concerned for the Jews (Rom 9:1-5)

• Paul often started his preaching in the synagogue and then moved to the gentiles (Acts 18:1-6)

The Man from Macedonia

Paul’s First Contact with the Jerusalem Apostles. Gal 1:18-24

• Straight after his conversion Paul preached in the synagogue (Acts 9:20-22)

• Gal 1:17: From Damascus Paul went to Arabia and then returned to Damascus

• Gal 1:18 After 3 years Paul went to Jerusalem, and visited Peter and James

• Corresponds to the account in Acts 9:23-30 - introduction by Barnabas

• Visit ended abruptly when the Hellenists (Grecian Jews), tried to kill him, Paul sent to Tarsus (Acts 9: 30) (Gal 1:21)

• Gal 1:22-24 The churches in Judea accepted Paul’s independent mission

Damascus Gate: Paul in Basket

Paul Acknowledged as Apostle to the Gentiles. Gal 2:1-10

• Gal 2:1-10. After 14 years Paul goes to Jerusalem with Barnabas and Titus

• Corresponding from Acts: Barnabas brings Paul to Antioch from Tarsus, and then they go to Jerusalem with famine relief (Acts 11:25-30, and Acts 12:25)

• This visit is after Cornelius• Paul explains his gospel privately to the “pillars”,

Peter, James and John (Seeks partnership)• Titus was not compelled to be circumcised• Vs 4: False brethren “spied out their liberty”• Right hand of fellowship with the “Pillars”, they to the

Jews and Paul to the Gentiles• Vs 6; Nothing added, Vs 10: Only condition

“Remember the poor” - (Rom 15:25-28)

Paul’s Defence of the Gospel in Antioch Gal 2:11-21

The Division: Sequence of Events: vs 11-16

1. Incident probably after Paul’s 1st Missionary Journey to Galatia

2. Peter eats with Gentiles in Antioch, then men come from James

3. Peter withdraws fellowship for fear of the circumcision party (Acts 15:1-5)

4. The other Jewish Christians follow suit

5. Paul opposes Peter publicly

6. Where is the division, who creates it?

7. Resolved at the Jerusalem Council 49 AD after Galatians was written (Acts 15:6-21)

Rembrandt: Two old men disputing as St Peter and St Paul

Gal 2:15-21 Bridge Passage (Position of Jewish Christians with respect to the Law)

• Vs 14-16: “We who are Jews by nature…..justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the Law

• Justification = counted righteous before God• Paul counts his Jewish pedigree and observances as

rubbish compared to Christ (Phil 3:4-11)• Vs 17: Peter and Paul, found living like the Gentiles,

are open to the charge of being “sinners against the law”

• Vs 17: Paul’s doctrine does not make Christ a “minister of sin” because Christ has introduced a new state of affairs: salvation for Jew and Gentile through faith in him (his death and resurrection).

• Vs 18: (Paradox The person who tries to rebuild the old system of the Law opposes the gospel and becomes himself a transgressor.(He can’t keep the Law, and he dismisses Christ’s achievement)

Paul’s Second Paradox Gal 2:19-21

• The Law cannot give life, can only judge and condemn, (Gal 3:21)

• Gal 2:19 Paul has died to the Law– ceased to have any relationship with it– It has no more claim or control over him– so that he can live to God

• This death to the Law is related to the death of Christ

• When Christ died the Law’s penalty was paid and his people were discharged from the law (Rom 7:6)

• Gal 2:20 “I have been crucified with Christ” it is no longer I who live but Christ who lives in me

• Gal 2:20 I now live by faith• Gal 2:21 Stark Contrast - if righteousness could

come through the Law then Christ died unnecessarily, God’s grace is nullified

Exercise

• Why does Paul quote the incident with Peter in Gal 2:11 ?