Galatians Lecture
Background
- Galatia settled by Celtic tribes
- Disturbing report - Itinerant preachers preaching the wrong message and swaying early believers
- Purpose of the Letter to Galatia - Defend Paul’s gospel of grace against people preaching about Mosaic laws
Critical Issues
- Judaizers - People that believed to be Christian you had to be Jewish first (follow Mosaic laws)
- Angry Letter - Paul uses a lot of hyperbolic language through anger
Themes: Paul Defends His Authority
- Attack of Rival Teachers
- Autobiography - He changed from a pharisee to a Christian
- Apostolic Authority - His authority does not come from the Apostles
- Gospel - All are relatively the same, including his
- Fallible Apostles - Peter refusing to eat with Gentile Christians
Themes: Grace and Law
- Preached - Justification by faith, not works * Works add nothing to our salvation
- God’s grace is for everyone * God’s grace is for more than the Jews * People do not have to follow Mosaic laws to be saved * “Spiritual descendants of Abraham” - Gentiles choosing to believe in God
- Time for the law is over, we live in a new age * There is no need to follow the law - because Jesus came, was crucified and gave forgiveness
- The new age is about freedom and spirit * People do not have to follow the law for a good life - The spirit leads to a good life
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