Galatians

Galatians 1:1-5

August 4, 2024 • Brent Stephens • Galatians 1:1–5

We are fascinated with the origins of things we love. Documentaries cover the history of a particular style of music. Or they tell us about the younger years of our heroes and how their formative experiences shaped their great accomplishments. Shows for “foodies” visit the restaurant that is the “original,” the first to serve a particular dish. In the first few verses of Galatians, Paul introduces one of the important themes of the letter: the origin of the gospel message. Paul contends that both the origin of the gospel and the origin of his apostleship are found in God alone.

Galatians 1:6-10

August 11, 2024 • Brent Stephens • Galatians 1:6–10

Most of the time, if you want to confront someone, you start with some good news first. A compliment or an affirmation of your relationship to them might precede the hard conversation. Paul often commends the churches he writes to for things he knows they are doing well. In Galatians, Paul moves directly from the brief reminder of the gospel message to the bad news: in listening to the message of the Judaizers, the Galatians have turned away from the gospel entirely! Paul responds with alarm to the spiritual threat that the Galatians don’t see, in the same way that we would if we saw a friend stepping out into oncoming traffic. No time for pleasantries!

Galatians 1:11-24

August 18, 2024 • Brent Stephens • Galatians 1:11–24

Men believe they know everything. God knows better. Jeremiah 10:14 reminds us that “Every man is stupid and without knowledge.” Paul, an incredibly learned man, would be seen as a sage among most of the Jewish population in the first century (Philippians 3:4-6; Acts 22:3), yet he denounces his own knowledge and ability when it comes to the gospel. The gospel is something far superior to anything man has ever produced. It takes a wise man to understand that truth.

Galatians 2:1-10 Part 1

August 25, 2024 • Brent Stephens • Galatians 2:1–10

False brothers exist (Galatians 2:4). Just because someone calls themselves a Christian does not necessarily mean they are. The Bible is full of false people. Almost every book of the New Testament has warnings against individuals who teach what is false. Jesus informs His followers about them (Matthew 7:14), Paul suffers because of them (1 Timothy 1:19-20; 2 Timothy 2:17; 4:14-26), John encourages those who were afflicted by them (1 John 1:26; 2 John 1:9-11), and Peter brings false teachers to the attention of the church (2 Peter 2:1-3). Part 1 of 2

Galatians 2:1-10 Part 2

September 1, 2024 • Brent Stephens • Galatians 2:1–10

False brothers exist (Galatians 2:4). Just because someone calls themselves a Christian does not necessarily mean they are. The Bible is full of false people. Almost every book of the New Testament has warnings against individuals who teach what is false. Jesus informs His followers about them (Matthew 7:14), Paul suffers because of them (1 Timothy 1:19-20; 2 Timothy 2:17; 4:14-26), John encourages those who were afflicted by them (1 John 1:26; 2 John 1:9-11), and Peter brings false teachers to the attention of the church (2 Peter 2:1-3). Part 2 of 2

Galatians 2:1-10 Part 3

September 8, 2024 • Brent Stephens • Galatians 2:1–10

Galatians 2:11-14

September 15, 2024 • Brent Stephens • Galatians 2:11–14

Can’t we all just get along? Let’s be honest: not many of us like confrontation. However, the gospel demands that we graciously confront other believers who are not walking in alignment with its message. Overcome by the fear of man, the Apostle Peter had to be confronted by Paul himself because of his behavior, which had severe implications for others and was incongruent with the gospel message. It’s not that Peter’s teaching of the gospel had erred, but his conduct contradicted what he knew to be true, and so he stood “condemned” (Galatians 2:11). This passage records for us one of the great conflicts in the New Testament. Here, two leading apostles square off in open conflict. This conflict was necessary to teach us not only about biblical confrontation but also about biblical justification.

Galatians 2:15-21

September 22, 2024 • Brent Stephens • Galatians 2:15–21

After recounting his confrontation with Peter, Paul continues to establish his defense of his gospel. In this section, Paul lays the logical and theological groundwork for his message, perhaps summarizing what he spoke to Peter during their confrontation. His message is clear: salvation is not based on what we have done but solely on what Christ has accomplished for us. Our sins have been nailed to the cross with Christ, and we have died with Him. This changes everything!

Galatians 3:1-9 Part 1

September 29, 2024 • Brent Stephens • Galatians 3:1–9

Paul has already warned the Galatians twice in chapter 1 that if anyone is preaching a gospel contrary to the one he preached, they are to be anathema, accursed, considered outside the faith that was once-and-for-all delivered to the saints. At the end of chapter 2, Paul begins to get a little more specific about the problem that these churches are dealing with: their doctrine of justification. At the end of Galatians 2:16, Paul said “by works of the law no one will be justified.”

Galatians 3:1-9 Part 2

October 6, 2024 • Brent Stephens • Galatians 3:1–9

Paul has already warned the Galatians twice in chapter 1 that if anyone is preaching a gospel contrary to the one he preached, they are to be anathema, accursed, considered outside the faith that was once-and-for-all delivered to the saints. At the end of chapter 2, Paul begins to get a little more specific about the problem that these churches are dealing with: their doctrine of justification. At the end of Galatians 2:16, Paul said “by works of the law no one will be justified.”

Galatians 3:5-14

October 13, 2024 • Brent Stephens • Galatians 3:5–14

Galatians 3:5-14 Part 2

October 20, 2024 • Brent Stephens • Galatians 3:5–14

Galatians 3:10-18

October 27, 2024 • Brent Stephens • Galatians 3:10–18

Galatians 3:15-29

November 3, 2024 • Jeremy Brannon • Galatians 3:15–29

Some sections of Scripture can be read more quickly and understood more easily than Galatians 3. Paul is traversing 2000 years of God’s covenant dealings with people, without breaking a sweat, so if you are trailing him, panting and out of shape, you are not alone! Here, Paul parries and counters arguments from the Judaizers while helping the Galatians to understand how much they have inherited by faith in Christ.

Galatians 4:1-7

November 10, 2024 • Daniel Pernell • Galatians 4:1–7

One of the lures of social media is the promise of being able to raise your social status among your fellow humans. The places you go, the things you know, and even what you eat can all be displayed for the sake of picking up more approval in the form of “likes, shares, and subscribes.” But the most important status change is the one that, as sinners, we cared least about: our status with God. Interestingly, it’s the one status that we have no control over changing! In this passage, Paul further explains how we have become “sons of God,” and why we should never want to go back to our old status of slavery.