The Galatians were Paul's listeners, not in order to observe the fulfillment of the law, abolished by the passion of the Cross, but in order to believe in the Trinity Itself and preach the new Gospel. But here came some of the Jews themselves, who did not want to turn them (the Galatians) away from the Gospel proclaimed to them by Paul, but to add to it the fulfillment of the Old Testament by them, and to bring them, freed by grace, again into subjection to the yoke of slavery. And since they boasted in the name of Simon (Peter), who had the preeminence among the apostles of the circumcision, Paul begins to write against them, saying thus:
(Art. 1-6). Paul the Apostle is not from people - understand not from Simon and not through Simon - but through Jesus Christ, who revealed himself to me on the way to Damascus (Acts 9: 1), and through God the Father, who raised Him from the dead in order to announce the resurrection To all his heretics who denied His resurrection, to the churches of Galatia; both those who were shaken (in the faith), and those who remained firm, that is, from (among) the Jews. Grace to you and peace from God our Father, who called you to sonship, and from our Lord Jesus Christ, and not through our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for our sins, in order to deliver us from the present evil age, that is, from the evils that are being committed. in this age, according to the will of God our Father, to reveal the grace of the Father and the Son revealed in the world.
(Art. 6-15). I am surprised that you are moving on so quickly—not from me, but from Him who called you through me, to His grace, in order to move on to another gospel. And although I thought that it was about the preaching of Simon, however, this is not something else, since the term of the law in which this was announced has ended. There is no other, or another Christ, or another truth. But people, according to their arbitrariness, want to seduce [Greek. and sir.: “transform” or “pervert the gospel of Christ”] you from the gospel of Christ. If you see miracles with them or are captivated by their assurances about themselves that they are the disciples of Simon - even if I myself came to you with a different Gospel, or an Angel, who, of course, cannot descend, but if he descended for that to add or diminish against what I betrayed you - let it be anathema. By accepting circumcision do not flatter the preachers of circumcision. After all, if I had pleased priests who did not teach me, then I would no longer be Christ's servant, as you now see me. So, I did not receive the gospel that I preached to you from people, as your new teachers, that is, your zealous seducers, but the revelation that came to me converted me from my former life in Judaism. After all, you have heard that I persecuted the Church of God excessively, destroying and devastating, and how I succeeded in Judaism more than many of my peers in the works of the law.
(Art. 15-24). But when God, Who chose from my mother's womb, was pleased that instead of a persecutor I become persecuted in the Church of Christ and a herald of Christ, not among the Jews, but among the Gentiles, then I did not go to Jerusalem to the Apostles and did not go where I did not send me, but departed to Arabia and to Damascus pagan. Then, after three years, he came to Jerusalem - not to learn the Gospel from Peter, but to see Peter, and stayed with him for fifteen days (cf. Acts 9:26). He told me nothing new, and I came to the countries of Syria and Cilicia (cf.: Acts 15:41). I was not even familiar with the churches that are in Christ from circumcision, for I did not travel there after the revelation. But they only had a rumor that the one who once persecuted us, now, having come, preaches the faith, which he once despised and devastated. And in me (for my sake) they glorified God for the wonderful renewal that He did in me.
(Art. 1-8). Then after fourteen years I again went to Jerusalem, not without a command (from above), but by revelation, in order to announce to them in the presence of Titus the gospel, which I preached among the Gentiles, since for the sake of the revelation that sent me, I carefully feared that I did not labor in vain in this sermon. But even Titus, who was from the Gentiles, and not from us, did not receive circumcision in Jerusalem, as the false brothers insisted, who wanted to plunge our freedom, which we have in Christ, into the slavery of the law - by which we did not humiliate ourselves even for a short time. obedience, that is, the fulfillment of the law, so that you also be our imitators and do not yield, so that the truth of the gospel that we preached to you may be firm with you. But those who proudly think of themselves that they are (compose, mean) something (cf. Gal. 6:3) due to the fact that they keep the old with the new, as they were with this opinion, - no care for I don't have about them; for God does not accept the face of people, that is, those who think of themselves that they please Him by keeping the law and the circumcision of Abraham. It was they who rebelled against me when they saw that I was faithful to the gospel among the uncircumcised Gentiles, just as Peter was faithful to those who were subjected to him through the gospel of circumcision. For He who assisted Peter in the apostleship of circumcision, that is, to teach the circumcised through this, sent me to teach the Gentiles - without this.
(Art. 9-14). When they recognized (the grace given to me) Peter and James and John - the chief of the apostles, who were indeed pillars of the churches, they did not diminish anything and added nothing to what they had revealed to them regarding my preaching among the Gentiles, but the hand ( right) gave consent to me and Barnabas, so that we preach among the Gentiles, as we were commanded, and they - among the circumcised, as they were commanded. They only commanded us to take care of the poor among the Gentiles, which we really did. But we also cared for the poor who were in Jerusalem. I tried to do this because the enemies of the Cross did not care at all to make up for the lack of those Gentiles beloved by Christ. But in order that you may know that if the apostles themselves came to the Gentiles, they would begin to proclaim the same sermon that I proclaim, I will tell you this: when Cephas came to Antioch, the very head of the apostles and the foundation (?) of the Church [reading arouses suspicion by Catholic religious connotation; Considering the thought expressed in 1 Cor. 3:11 and Matt. 16:18, perhaps instead of “foundation” one should read a stone], I dared (then) to reprove him, not because he himself deserved to be rebuked, but because he was accused by the circumcised who walked with him. For before the circumcision came to him from Jacob, the brother of our Lord, he ate together with the Gentiles and from the food of the Gentiles; when they came, he began to make a distinction, that is, not indifferently, but with distinction, fearing for the circumcised, who were among the Gentiles, lest, having believed in Christ, they would not return again to the sons of their people, as if alienated from Christ. And he (Peter) did not do this alone, but also the Jews who became disciples in Antioch, who had not been hypocritical before, like Simon, but they also began to be hypocritical [Vulg.: consenserunt; Sir. (Walt.): se submiserant; hypocrites (glor.); in Ephraim: decimabant, that is, “they gave tithes”, “they made ten”, like the Pharisees, they were Pharisees, hypocrites, distinguishing between petty different kinds of food] together with Simon. Thus, even Barnabas, who was from the Gentiles, was forced for the sake of Simon to distinguish between the types of food of the Jews. But when I saw that they were not going straight to the truth of the Gospel, since they were both Gentiles and Jews, followers of both Christ and the law - and Simon was afraid to say anything to them so as not to tempt them - then I said to Peter, not in private, but in front of everyone, for he himself was not unsteady in anything, but for the sake of the unsteady, he was necessarily compelled to do this. So, to his face, I said to the circumcised: if you, being a Jew, lived in a pagan way yesterday, then how do you force today, not by word, but by deed, the Gentiles to Judaize?
(Art. 15-21). But we Jews by nature, experienced in the law, have learned that a person is not justified by the works of the law, but only through the faith of Jesus Christ, and therefore we left the law and believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified from faith (by faith), and not from works (works) of the law, because from the law (law) no one can be justified, since he cannot fulfill it. If we, seeking justification (to be justified) in Christ, turn out to be sinners ourselves, since some precepts of the law are not fulfilled, then was Jesus Christ a minister of sin, since He abolished the commandments that condemned those who violated them? Yes, it won't. After all (for) if that which I have destroyed (and have done so) until now, from this day and then again I create this, then in this way I present myself as a transgressor of the commandment, for I return to the observance of that which I did not completely destroy. But I have died to all the commandments of the law, that God may live. How is it? So that I no longer live as before, according to the law, but by the faith of the Son of God I live. I do not reject the grace of God, which is given to me through the Cross; for if righteousness is through the law, as you say, then Christ died in vain.
(Art. 1-10). After having convinced them about the event in Antioch, he returns to censure and exhortation of the Galatians, saying: O foolish Galatians, inclined to all doctrines! Who charmed you? After all, you have previously shown success in learning the Gospel, and now you want to backtrack? for behold, before your eyes it is written [Greek: "He was foreordained to be crucified"] both in the New and in the Old (Testament) about Christ Jesus as having endured crucifixion, for the ancient Scripture, which you love, testifies that He must be crucified . Now this is all I want to know from you: did you receive the Spirit from the works of the law, which now cause you to be circumcised, from prophecies and tongues, and the interpretation of tongues, or from hearing (by listening to instructions) the faith that we preached to you? For if you were cast aside for not keeping the ordinances of the law, how could you now be made worthy of the gifts of the Spirit? But if you were perfect, then see how foolish you (are) in that when the Jews left the law and passed on to this New (Gospel), you, having begun in the Spirit, that is, the Gospel, now, thanks to the law, want to finish in the flesh? And if this is so, then the tribulations that you endured for the sake of the promise of Christ, you endured in vain. But tell me: who gave you the Spirit and performed in you the powers (miracles) of the same Spirit: did He (God) perform the works of the law, which man does not do, or from the hearing of faith? But if you or your teachers think that faith is less than works, then behold, Abraham (received the promise) not because he did the works (of the law), but because he believed in God, it was imputed to him in righteousness. Do you understand from this that believers like Abraham are called sons of Abraham? Foresaw, that is, from the very days of Abraham, Scripture indicated that from faith (by faith) God will justify the Gentiles [sir. Sch. (Walt.): “For God foreknew that from faith he would justify the Gentiles”], when he said to him: all nations will be blessed in you (Genesis 12:3). So those who believe are blessed with faithful Abraham. For all who are from the works of the law (the essence) are under a curse, for it is written: Cursed, he says, is every person who does not abide in everything that is written in the book of the law to fulfill this (cf.: Deut. 27:26).
(Art. 10-29). It is clear that no one is justified by the law itself, since there is no one of the righteous, greater or lesser, who would not be a transgressor of the law and would not be subject to the curse of the law; for, he says, the righteous will live by faith (cf. Hab. 2:4). The law, however, does not give life by faith, but he who does this (the commandments of the law) will live by this (cf. Lev. 18:5). Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, for having come (on earth), he endured the curse for us: Cursed, it is said, is everyone who hangs on a tree (cf. Deut. 21:23). Now that the blessing of Abraham through the gospel of Christ has reached the Gentiles, why are you not hastening to joyfully accept the blessing of the Spirit promised to Abraham through the faith that first justified Abraham? - He gives an example in his speech that just as a testament approved is not canceled, and no other decree is added in excess of what is laid down in it, so the promise was spoken to Abraham, not to him and to his many seeds, the offspring of Keturah and Ishmael, - but to himself and his seed (one), who is Christ. Therefore, this promise, which, like a testament, was confirmed with God from the very days of Abraham, the law, which was after four hundred and thirty years, cannot cancel and make the promise ineffective. For if, as your new teachers assert, inheritance is according to the law, then it is no longer according to the promise, as God Himself said. But we know that God gave Abraham through a promise, and not through a law, which was laid down for the sake of criminals, so that by his ordinances he could prepare people before the time, that is, until the seed came, which was promised in the presence of a host of angels by the hand of an intermediary. But the mediation of the Angels was not in one person; But the God who was among them and gave this promise, was One, who does not change. Therefore, the law is not against the promises to Abraham, for if a law were given that could give life, the promise would be annulled. But the Scripture placed the doers of the law under sin, so that the promise of the faith of Jesus Christ would be given not to those who do (the works of the law), but to those who believe. However, the law was not completely useless, but was for us a guardian from sins thanks to its prohibitions and punishments. They were imprisoned - understand that they are kept for the faith that was prepared for revelation to us. So, the law was our schoolmaster, because we, tamed and humbled, are led to faith in Christ, which justifies us. But when faith has come, we are no longer with the schoolmaster, that is, under the law, for we are all sons of God through the faith of Jesus Christ, and not former slaves, oppressed under the yoke of the law. All those who have been baptized into Christ and believe that they have put on Christ have not only been freed from the curse of the law, but have assumed, as it were, a different form, although they have remained the same in nature. And so, after forgiveness in baptism, there is no longer an arrogant Jew, nor an outcast Gentile, nor a weak servant, nor a proud master, nor a man in his power and a woman in his subjection - for you are all one in Christ Jesus. But if you belong to Christ, who is from Abraham, then you are Abraham's seed, having become heirs of the promise.
(Art. 1-6). He gave another example to clarify the idea. While the heir of a child, he is no different from a slave, although he is the master of everything. But subject to guardians and stewards until the time appointed by the father. So also we, when we were children, that is, while the world was a child under the unstable order of the law, then, as it were, we were enslaved to the principles of the world. And when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, who was born of a virgin, as Isaiah said (Isaiah 7:14), and obeyed the law, that he might redeem the children under the law, that they might receive adoption. And in order to make it clear that you (are) sons, God sent the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out through you, as through sons, daily: Our Father, who art in heaven; hallowed be thy name (Matt. 6:9; Luke 11:2).
(Art. 8-11). But then, when you did not know God, you served idols, which by their nature are not gods. But now you have come to know God, but rather, God Himself has come to know you [Russian: having received knowledge from God] according to your deeds and has chosen you for Himself a holy people; (why) how do you again turn to the insignificant and feeble principles of the law and, although their time has already ended, do you want to submit to the yoke of slavery? You observe days and months and years, as the people of Israel observed. I fear for you, lest you stoop to the point of converting to Judaism, and that our labors were not in vain when we labored with you.
(Art. 12-20). Be like me now without these (works of the law), because I, like you, observed these precepts. You did not offend (me) in any way that could prompt me to change my attitude towards you. I know that because of the infirmity of my flesh, I proclaimed the gospel to you before: either in the weakness of my members, or in the temptation of my enemies. This same temptation, which, he writes, I imagined in myself, you did not despise, but as an angel who is devoid of suffering, you accepted me in the very suffering. Therefore, to such people, which, if it were possible, your eyes would pluck out and give to me - would I really begin to teach you lies mixed with truth? Also, I am not your enemy, but I entrusted you with all the truth, confirmed you in all the truth when I preached to you. But those who hate you because you received the Spirit without keeping the law want to force you to turn to them and compete with them, being circumcised along with those who hate you because you have received what they do not have. It is good if someone competes not in things that are harmful, but in things that are good and useful. Again I am tormented by the birth of you until then, when Christ is formed in you, that is, until Christ dwells in you. I would like to be with you and change my voice to confirm you with another teaching, for I am surprised at such a quick change in yours.
(Art. 21-31). Do you not see in Abraham himself that he had two sons? Who was born of a slave woman, according to the flesh, for he was not according to the promise, like Isaac, the son of the free (cf.: Gen. ch. 16, 17,21). But these were images of two testaments. One - with the people of Judah, according to the law in slavery giving birth in the likeness of that Hagar; for Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia. She serves as a likeness of this Jerusalem, since it is in enslavement and, together with its children, is a slave to the Romans. Jerusalem which is above is free (is), like Sarah, and above all authorities and principalities. He is our mother, the Holy Church, which we profess. We did not invent this doctrine, for Isaiah foretold about it: Rejoice, barren barren woman (cf. Isaiah 54:1), because many children of the barren Church appeared, more than Israel, who had a husband. But you, brethren, according to Isaac, are the promises of the children. But just as Ishmael offended (persecuted) Isaac (Gen. 21:9), so we now endure persecution from them. And as he said to him (Abraham): cast out the slave (maid) and her son, so that the son of the slave (maid) with the son of the free woman (Genesis 21:10) will not inherit - so they also separated, so as not to be their heirs with you . So, we are not slaves because of the freedom that we received through Christ.
(Art. 1-6). Let us stand firm in Christ, and again let us not be subjected to the yoke of the bondage of the law. Here I am, Paul, who knows this more than you, I tell you that if you are circumcised, as they tell you, then in this and for this Christ will not be of any use to you. Moreover, after all, anyone who allows circumcision must then fulfill the whole law: keep his Sabbaths, celebrate his feasts, eat his unleavened bread and the lamb and bitter herbs. And if you do this, then you are left without Christ, who want to be justified by this law. If you want to be justified by your deeds according to the law, then you have fallen away from the grace that has been accomplished with you, as with all pagans. But (for) we, by the spirit of the faith that we have received, expect the hope of justification, which is given by this faith: for in Christ Jesus neither circumcision has any power, nor uncircumcision, but faith, which overcomes through love [Greek: "working through love" , or "active", becoming active, effective, carried out or done in deed], through our faith in our Lord and our mutual love for each other.
(Art. 7-12). You went well in what I indicated; who stopped you and seduced you to fall away from the truth that I betrayed you? For what you believed (before comes) from the One who called you, and this conviction, the opposite of the former, is from the one who deceived you and stopped you now; or: Your conviction is from God, from whom is the calling of all the Gentiles. Like leaven (yeast), any teaching: in whom it is invested, the mind of him, like dough, leavens with itself. But I hope [so glor., but Russian: sure about you] on (about) you in the Lord, that you don’t think of anything else than what I betrayed you. And the one who confuses the truth that I have sown in you, he alone will bear the judgment that will come upon him who offends his neighbor (Matt. 18:6). But if I had preached circumcision (continued to preach), of course, I would not have been persecuted by the Jews themselves. Consequently, the temptation of the Cross is abolished, that is, (we see) the humiliation of the Cross, which we preach, through circumcision, which they preach. Oh, if only those who revolted you were completely removed for our jealousy!
(Art. 13-15). But you, brethren, were called to freedom, so do not turn to the law. And let your freedom not be in the impulse (wishes) of the flesh, but in love [Vulg. Klim, adds: "Spirit", like a certain. Greek, Italian, Gothic, Coptic, and other translations] slave to each other, and not to alien teachings. After all, the law, to which you resort to the fulfillment of many of its decrees, is fulfilled in few deeds, namely: you will love your neighbor as yourself (cf. Lev. 19:18. Matt. 22:39. Mk. 12:31. Rom. 13:8-9). But if you hate and bite one another, then not only do you not keep the law, but you are cut off from one another.
(Art. 16-26). But I say: by the spirit, by the deeds of the spirit, go, and do not do the lusts of your flesh: for the flesh desires that which is not the will (desire) of the spirit, but the spirit desires that which serves to curb the flesh. Since these two sides of a human being are opposite (oppose) each other, then not only do not do (all) what you want, but do what the spirit that lives in you desires. But if you are led by the Spirit, then you are not under the law. The deeds of the flesh are known when its law governs, what are their essence: fornications, uncleanness, and other things, about which I spoke while I was with you, and now in my absence I am writing to you that such (deeds) who perform the kingdom of God will not inherit. The fruit of the spirit is love and peace and so on. On such (deeds) there is no law, since it is not written in the law to do them, but according to our free will, we willingly decide to do this. Who are the essence of Christ, they crucified their flesh with all the lusts of the flesh, which I have indicated. Let us live according to the spirit and follow it through our good deeds. Let us not be conceited, challenging each other to keep the law of the Old Testament.
(Art. 1-10). And if, by unforeseeability, a person falls into some kind of sin, then those who, thanks to their spiritual deeds, are far from sinning, let them instruct such a person in the spirit of meekness, but let them beware lest in this case the vice of pride, which they have barely conquered, prevails - so that and they themselves, being free from the sin into which their neighbors fell, were not subjected to the temptation of vanity. When one bears burdens on another, then (thus) the law will be fulfilled. And not when someone imagines (himself) to be something (cf. Gal. 2:6). But let us test ourselves and our deeds to see if they are from God, and then (in this way) we will only have praise in ourselves, and not in another, that is, not in the deeds of another. Each one will carry his own (own) burden, and let him not boast of the burden of others that he bears. Let the inexperienced agree with the experienced in everything good, that is, let the student imitate in everything good his teacher who teaches him. Do not think that there is no Judgment, and do not decide on sin, God does not allow anyone to be mocked: inasmuch as he sows the deeds of the flesh in the flesh, he reaps corruption, and it is his self-interest that is corruption, and in the spirit of the deeds of the spirit he sows, from the very his deeds, he reaps the life of eternal resurrection. And while doing good, let us not lose heart and let us not weaken in constancy, for the time will come, far from inertia, and we will reap forever without any residue. Let us do good to each other, but mainly to our own by faith, that is, to the saints who were in Jerusalem, and to the comrades of those who were among the Gentiles and who joyfully endured the plunder of their property.
(Art. 11-16). Look in what letters I have written to you with my hand about circumcision. But those who desire to flatter and boast in the flesh, that is, circumcision, they force you to be circumcised, in order to boast of your circumcision, saying thus: Behold, we circumcise those whom Paul taught not to be circumcised. But let there be no praise for me, if not only by the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, in it let my praise be, for through it the world is crucified to me, and I am crucified with suffering and persecution in the sight of the world. Verily, in Christ Jesus neither circumcision can do anything, nor uncircumcision, but only that man is a new creation. And those who firmly hold this rule of grace (gracious) will have peace on them, whether they be pagans or God's Israelites.
(Art. 17). However, because of the rule of circumcision, no one gives me any trouble, because instead of circumcision, which is performed on one member and which the circumcised boast about, I bear the suffering of our Lord Jesus Christ in my whole body.
(Art. 18). The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ is with you all, and therefore seek no justification from the law.
Notes
30. Vulg.: per infirmitatem caruis; glory: for the weakness of the flesh; Russian: in weakness (inaccurate); Sir. (Walt.): due to the disease (weakness) of my flesh (Castelli Lex. 1800-1801; Brockelm. 165. a). This refers to some kind of infirmity of the flesh or disease that detained the apostle in Galatia and served as an occasion for the first gospel among the Galatians (Acts 16:6 and 18:23). Ethiopian: quando infirma erat facultas mea; Arabic: dum camis morbo laborarem; Gothic: per imbecillitatem carnis. Disease here also means Victorine (Migne. Seria lat. t. VIII. col. 1159). But Chrysostom, Theodore of Monsuest, Eusebius of Emess, Theodoret of Cyrus, John of Damascus, Photius, Ecumenius, Theophylact, Augustine, Ambrosiast, Pelagius, Jerome, Primazius, and others refer to the persecution of enemies
31. Thus it is interpreted in the spiritual and moral sense, but Chrysostom, Theodoret, Augustine, Jerome, and others refer this verse to bodily blessings (the maintenance of teachers); cf.: 1 Cor. 9:4-14. 2 Cor. 11:7. Flp. 4:10–14. 1 Tim. 5:17, etc., as well as the epistle of Barnabas (probably referring to the apocryphal epistle of the apostle Barnabas, not contained in the New Testament) (19:8, 9). Const. Apostle. VII; 12, 4 and VII; 9
32. (Vulg. and Sir. Walt.) - “signs” that were punctured or burned out on the body of slaves, hence the scars, scars and traces of the torments that he, as a servant of Christ, endured for his Lord (2 Corinthians 11:23). Vulg. leaves the Greek word; Goth. translation: notas; Ethiopian: dolorem.
Introduction.
Even though Galatians is one of Paul's relatively short letters, it is considered one of the most significant in its meaning and the role it played. Because both Romans and Galatians teach justification by faith, some theologians regard Romans as a follow-up to Galatians and refer to the latter as a "short epistle to the Romans."
As in 2 Corinthians, Paul eloquently defends his apostolate here and summarizes all that he taught. In particular, the Epistle to the Galatians clearly and unequivocally speaks of justification by faith, and it is on this basis that the defense of Christian freedom against any form of legalism is built. The division between Christianity and Judaism took place at an early stage in the existence of the Church, and the Epistle to the Galatians certainly helped to clarify the nature of this division.
And centuries later, it played such an important role in the Reformation movement that it was called "the cornerstone of the Protestant Reformation." And this is because the Reformers first and foremost spoke of salvation by grace through faith alone; this was the main theme of their sermons. Luther attached particular importance to the Epistle to the Galatians and called him his constant companion, close to him no less than his wife. He often preached on the subject of this book, and his "Commentaries on the Epistle to the Galatians" were very popular among the common people.
And today the impact on the minds of this little message continues. It may well be called the "Great Charter of Christian Freedom", proclaiming to the modern generation that salvation from the punishment for sin and from the power of sin is not achieved by works, but is given by the grace of God, through faith in Christ.
Author.
The author of the letter twice identifies himself as Paul: in the salutation (1:1) and in the course of the letter (5:2). Much of the first two chapters are autobiographical and fit well with the account of Paul's life and ministry in the Acts of the Apostles. From a theological point of view, the epistle is fully consistent with what Paul taught in his other epistles, such as the Epistle to the Romans.
To whom it is addressed.
The letter to the Galatians was written "to the churches of Galatia" (1:2). Most likely, these were the southern regions of Galatia, which included the cities of Antioch, Iconium, Lystra and Derbe, that is, the cities where the apostle had previously visited during his first missionary journey (Acts 13-14).
Place and time of writing.
The epistle was written from Syrian Antioch about the year 48, shortly before the Council of Jerusalem (Acts ch. 15). Paul and Barnabas returned to Antioch at the end of their first missionary journey. There they were visited by the apostle Peter, who came from Jerusalem, had fellowship with them; there he stopped eating with the Gentile Christians and was publicly rebuked by Paul for his unseemly conduct.
Meanwhile, the churches of South Galatia were infiltrated by legalistic false teachers who denied Paul's apostolic authority and taught that circumcision was necessary for salvation. Responding quickly and decisively to Peter's behavior and to the danger of the Galatian believers slipping into positions of legalism, Paul wrote this stern letter - before going to the council in Jerusalem.
Purpose of writing.
The Jews who infiltrated the Galatian churches not only discredited Paul, but preached a false gospel. So Paul was faced with the need to defend both his apostolate and his teaching, to which he devotes the first two chapters of the Epistle. In this autobiographical section, he convincingly shows that both were the result of a revelation he received from the resurrected Christ.
In chapters 3 and 4 the apostle defended the truth of the doctrine of grace, that is, of justification by faith alone. In conclusion, to show that Christian freedom does not sanction permissiveness, in chapters 5 and 6 the apostle teaches that Christians must live by the power of the Holy Spirit, and that when they do so, it is not the works of the flesh that manifest themselves in their lives, but the fruits of the Holy Spirit.
The letter to the Galatians was written to provide help in a dangerous situation. Its purpose was to keep the first Christians from returning to the Mosaic law, in order to return them to the sphere of grace and faith. It contains an assertion, imbued with conviction and strong feeling, that salvation is not by works, but by faith, and today this position is as relevant and true as when it was first formulated.
Book plan:
I. Introduction (1:1-10)
A. Greeting (1:1-5)
B. Reproof (1:6-10)
II. Autobiographical part: Paul's defense of his apostolate (1:11 - 2:21)
A. He was independent of the other apostles (1:11-24)
1. Paul's gospel was the result of revelation (1:11-12)
2. Events leading up to Paul's conversion (1:13-14)
3. Events during his conversion (1:15-16a)
4. Events after conversion (1:16b-24)
B. Recognition of Paul as an apostle (2:1-10)
C. Paul's denunciation of the recognized head of the apostles (2:11-21)
III. Doctrinal: Establishing Justification by Faith (Chapters 3-4)
A. Defense of Doctrine (Chapter 3)
1. Based on the experience of the Galatians themselves (3:1-5)
2. By the example of Abraham (3:6-9)
3. Based on the final operation of the law (3:10-12)
4. Based on what Christ did (3:13-14)
5. Based on the constancy of the factor of faith (3:15-18)
6. Based on the purpose of the law (3:19-25)
7. Based on the present position of believers (3:26-29)
B. Evidence of Doctrine by Examples (Chapter 4)
1. The example of being under the law (4:1-7)
2. Personal request (4:8-20)
A. A call not to turn to legalism (4:8-11)
b. Please do not forget their former attitude towards him (4:12-16)
V. A call to remember Paul's attitude towards them (4:17-20)
3. Biblical evidence (4:21-31)
A. Historical facts (4:21-23)
b. Explanation of allegory (4:24-27)
V. Applying this allegory to them personally (4:28-31)
IV. Practical: Protecting Christian Liberty (5:1 - 6:10)
A. Life not under the law (5:1-12)
1. Turning to the law is inconsistent with the operation of grace (5:1-2)
2. Turning to the law makes a person a debtor (5:3)
3. Turning to the Law Leads to Falling From Grace (5:4-6)
4. Turning to the Law Hinders Spiritual Growth (5:7-10)
5. Appeal to the law terminates the operation of the Cross (5:11-12)
B. Living out of permissiveness (5:13-15)
C. Living in the Spirit (5:16-26)
1. The promise of victory over sin (5:16-18)
2. What hinders the victory over sin (5:19-21)
3. What gives strength to overcome sin (5:22-23)
4. What provides victory over sin (5:24-26)
D. A life of service (6:1-10)
1. Attitude towards the sinning Christian (6:1)
2. Attitude towards the burden-bearing Christian (6:2-5)
3. Attitude towards pastor-teachers (6:6-9)
4. Attitude towards all people (6:10)
V. Conclusion (6:11-18)
A. Paul's Autograph (6:11)
B. Paul's Opponents (6:12-13)
C. What does Paul "boast" about (6:14-16)
G. Paul's blessing (6:17-18)
Many people who speak English, like many French, are of Celtic origin, that is, Scottish, Irish, Welsh, Breton. These ethnic groups will be especially interested to know that one of Paul's early letters was written to their ancestors ("Galatia", "Celt" and "Gaul" are cognates).
Around 278 BC e. a large number of these European Gauls migrated to the territory of today's Turkey.
The boundaries of their residence were determined, and the state received the name "Galatia". Many believe that Celtic traits are found, for example, in the fickleness of the Galatians (eg, in Acts 13 and Gal. 3:1).
Be that as it may, the Epistle to the Galatians has a special significance in early Christianity. Although it is often seen as the "first draft" of Romans (because it similarly speaks of the gospel of grace, Abraham, the law, etc.), Galatians is a relentless, passionate effort to save Christianity from becoming just a messianic sect. legal Judaism. We do not know how the Galatians themselves reacted to it, but the gospel of grace, regardless of the works of the law, triumphed, and the Christian faith continued to spread throughout the world.
During the Reformation, the book of Galatians was so important to Luther that he called the book "my Kethe" (as he affectionately called his wife).
His "Commentary on Galatians" influenced not only scientists, but also ordinary people; this book is still being published and studied.
II. Authorship
That the Epistle to the Galatians was written by Paul has never been seriously disputed. Polycarp, Ignatius, Justin Martyr, Origen, Irenaeus, Tertullian, and Clement of Alexandria cite it as being by Paul. So it is mentioned in the canon of Muratori; perhaps due to its strong anti-Jewish pathos, it occupies the first place in Marcion's Apostolicon. That's why external evidence very much.
Internal evidence in favor of Paul's authorship begins with personal references in 1.1 and 5.2, and towards the end (6.11) he remarks that he wrote the letter "with his own hand." (In the original Greek - "capital letters". In this connection, it is often assumed that the apostle may have suffered from an eye disease. This is confirmed, in particular, by the fact that the Galatians "would have torn out eyes own" for Paul.) Many historical notes agree with Acts. The debate about circumcision and whether Paul was a true apostle was hot in the 1950s and 60s, but soon fell out of hot debate.
III. Time of writing
The dating of the Epistle depends on the exact meaning of the words "churches of Galatia" and "Galatians". If this refers to the southern part of Asia Minor, then an earlier date is likely, even before the Council of Jerusalem. If the northern part is meant, then this requires the establishment of a later date.
Geographically the term "Galatia" was used to refer to the northern part, and politically- to designate the southern, Roman province of Galatia.
The North Galatian theory was generally accepted in the 1800s and is still largely supported by German scholars. There is no evidence that Paul ever ministered to the Galatians in this region, but this certainly does not rule out the possibility.
The South Galatian theory has been widely accepted in Great Britain and North America, especially since it was popularized by Sir William Ramsay. Luke devotes much space in Acts to describing Paul's missionary work in these parts (Antioch of Pisidia, Iconium, Lystra, and Derbe), and therefore it seems possible that the apostle wrote to those who were converted. Since Paul preached the gospel in southern Galatia during his first missionary journey and then visited it a second time, the Epistle to the Galatians can be dated earlier.
If the letter was written before Jerusalem council recorded in Acts 15 (AD 49), it becomes clear why the issue of circumcision was still so relevant. Theodor Zahn, a leading conservative German scholar, believes that Galatians was written from Corinth on a second missionary journey. If so, then this Epistle is the earliest of all written by Paul.
If the southern theory is correct, the Epistle may have been written between 50 and 53 or a little later.
If, as we believe, the northern theory is correct, then Paul wrote the letter to the Galatians before the Jerusalem council, where the decision was made on the issue of circumcision of Gentile Christians, and the book can be dated to 48 AD.
IV. Purpose of writing and topic
During his early missionary journeys, the apostle Paul visited Asia Minor, preaching the glorious message of salvation by faith in Christ alone. Many of his listeners were saved, new churches sprang up, some of them in Galatia. The inhabitants of Galatia were known as restless, warlike and fickle people.
After Paul left these parts, false teachers appeared in the church, bringing with them false doctrines. They taught that salvation is achieved by faith in Christ plus the execution of the law. Their preaching mixed Christianity and Judaism, law and grace, Christ and Moses. In addition, they tried to turn the Galatians away from Paul, saying that he was not a real apostle of the Lord, and therefore his preaching could not be relied upon. They tried to destroy faith in the preaching by undermining the credibility of the preacher. Their crafty advice influenced many Galatian Christians.
What grief, what disappointment must have filled Paul's heart when such news from Galatia reached him! Was his labors among these people in vain? Can Christians be saved from these Judaic legalistic teachings? Paul was very alarmed, and this prompted him to act quickly and decisively. He took a pen and wrote an indignant letter to his beloved children in the faith. In it, he says that true salvation from beginning to end is given by grace, it cannot be earned by the observance of the laws in whole or in part. Good works are not a condition of salvation, but its fruit. The Christian is dead to the law; he leads a holy life, not by his own efforts, but by the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit of God.
Plan
A. Purpose of Paul's letter (1:1-10)
B. Paul defends his message and ministry (1:11-2:10)
II. ON DOCTRINE: PAUL DEFENDS JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH (3:1 - 5:1)
D. Children and sons (4:1-16)
E. Slavery or freedom (4:17-5:1)
III. ON PRACTICAL APPLICATION: PAUL DEFENDS CHRISTIAN FREEDOM OF THE SPIRIT (5:2 - 6:18)
D. Conclusion (6:11-18)
Chapter 1
I. On the Personal: Paul Defends His Authority (Ch. 1-2)
A. Purpose of Paul's letter (1:1-10)
1,1 At the beginning Paul insists that his apostolic calling is divine. It's not from humans. and not was handed down by God through some person. Paul directly elected Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised Him from the dead. A person who is called by God alone and is responsible to God alone is free to preach the message of God without fear of men. Therefore, the apostle was independent from the twelve apostles and from other people both in his preaching and in his ministry.
In this verse the divinity of Christ is both affirmed and implied. It is confirmed in the expression "not through a man, but by Jesus Christ."
It is implied in the way Paul puts together Jesus Christ And God the Father mentioning them as equals to each other. Then about God the Father it says that he raised Christ from the dead.
Paul had every reason to remind the Galatians of this. The resurrection proves that God is fully satisfied with what Christ has done for our salvation. Apparently, the Galatians were not entirely satisfied with the work that the Savior did, because they tried to add to it their own efforts in keeping the law.
Unlike the twelve apostles whom the Lord Jesus called during His ministry on earth, Paul was called insurgent Christ. And subsequently, the resurrection always formed an important part of Paul's preaching.
1,2 The apostle unites himself with all those who are with him brethren. These brethren join the call, imploring the Galatians to hold on to the truth of the gospel. In this Message the churches of Galatia conscious restraint, lack of cordiality is manifested. Typically, Paul refers to believers as "the churches of God," "the saints," or "the faithful in Christ Jesus." He had a habit of thanking Christians or praising them for their virtues. He often called individuals by their first names. But there is none of that here. The seriousness of the error committed by the Galatian churches made him behave severely and coldly towards them.
1,3 Grace and Peace- two great words in the gospel. Grace is the undeserved favor that God shows to ungodly sinners. She doesn't ask people do something, but says that did God, and invites people to receive salvation for free. Scofield says, "Instead of looking for good people she can approve of, grace looks for the damned, the guilty, the voiceless and the helpless, whom she can save, sanctify and glorify."
World is the result of grace. When the sinner accepts the Savior, he receives world with God blessing. He is comforted by the knowledge that his sins have been paid for, that all his sins have been forgiven, and that he will never be condemned.
But grace is not only saves, She and stores. And we need more than just a blessing peace with God but also a blessing peace of God. It is these blessings that Paul desires for the Galatians when he begins his letter. Of course, the Galatians understood that the law could not provide these benefits. The law brings a curse to those who violate its precepts. He never brought peace to any soul.
1,4 Paul then reminds his readers of the incredible cost of their salvation. Pay attention to the words: Our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins.
If He gave himself in order to settle the matter of sin, it is not necessary and impossible for us to add anything to such a matter, or to help atone for our sins by keeping the law. Christ is the only Savior, and He is sufficient. Christ died to deliver us from this present evil age. By this is meant not only the moral and political corruption of this age, but also a religious world that confuses rituals and ceremonies with faith in Christ. Therefore, it was very timely to remind the Galatians that they were returning to the very system from which Christ had saved them by His death! The redemption made by Christ has happened according to the will of our God and Father. Thus, honor is given to the One to whom it belongs. It is not the insignificant efforts of man that are worthy of it, but the sovereign will of God. Thus Paul emphasizes that Christ is the way of salvation given by God, and there is no other way. Verse 4 should be a reminder that God's concern is not to improve the world or make it comfortable for man, but to save people from it. Our priorities must match His priorities.
1,5 According to the gospel of grace, all glory man's salvation belongs to God the Father and Jesus Christ. Keeping the law, a person cannot share this glory as a partner in salvation.
Every phrase in these five verses is full of meaning, in a few words much truth is expressed. Here Paul briefly outlines the two main themes to which the entire epistle will be devoted: his apostolic authority And his gospel of the grace of God. He is ready to speak directly to the Galatians about these problems.
1,6-7 Paul immediately takes issue with the Galatians' willingness to accept error. He is amazed at how suddenly they renounced the gospel truth, and severely condemns their act: they left God for the sake of a false gospel. God called them the grace of Christ; now they were subjecting themselves to the curse of the law. They accepted the true gospel, but then left it for other gospel, which was not good news at all. It was just a distorted message, a mixture of law and grace.
1,8-9 Paul twice pronounces the severe curse of God on anyone who evangelizes not. God has only one message for doomed sinners: He offers salvation by grace by faith, quite apart from keeping the law. Those who preach any other way of salvation are surely doomed. How dangerous it is to preach a message that leads souls to eternal destruction!
Paul is intolerant of such false teachers, and so should we. John Stott warns:
"We must not allow ourselves to be blinded, as many are blinded, neither by a person, nor by gifts, nor by a teacher in the church. They may come to us with the greatest dignity, authority, learning. They may be bishops or archbishops, university professors, or even themselves Pope. But if they do not bring the gospel preached by the apostles and recorded in the New Testament, they must be rejected. We judge them by the gospel, not the gospel by them. As Dr. Alan Cole said, "it is not the identity of the messenger that gives the message's validity, and the essence of the message gives validity to the messenger."(John Stott, Only One Way: The Message of Galatians, pp. 27-28.)
Notice what Paul says "Angel from Heaven" not an angel of God. Angel from the sky supposedly could bring false news, but an angel from God - no. Language cannot convey the uniqueness of the gospel more clearly. This the only one way of salvation. A person's own efforts or achievements do not count. Only the Gospel offers salvation not for money, not for some price. The law puts a curse on those who cannot fulfill him, while the gospel puts a curse on those who try to change his.
1,10 Perhaps Paul is remembering here that his enemies accused him of changing the message to please his hearers, so he is essentially asking, "In insisting that there is only one gospel, am I trying to please people or God?" It's clear he's not trying please people because they hate the assumption that there is only one way to heaven. If Paul had changed his message to please people, he would not be a slave of Christ; in fact, he would have incurred the wrath of God.
B. Paul defends his message and ministry (1:11 - 2:10)
A moment's reflection will confirm this. In Paul's gospel, God is everything and man is nothing. No man can invent such a salvation!
Paul took it from another person, learned to him Not from books. He accepted it through direct revelation Himself Jesus Christ.
1,13-14 Secondly, Paul could not include the Jewish law in his gospel, not because he himself did not know Judaism. By birth and upbringing, he was impregnated with the law.
By his own choice, he became a notorious persecutor Churches.
In passionate jealousy paternal traditions he surpassed many other Jews of his day. Therefore, one cannot attribute to ignorance of the law its gospel of salvation by faith, independently of the law. Why then did Paul exclude the law from his preaching? Why did his evangelism contradict his personal history, his natural inclinations, and his religious development in general?
Simply because it was not the result of his own thinking - it was given to him directly from God.
1,15-17 Third, the first few years of Paul's ministry were spent outside the influence of others. apostles. Here he shows that he does not depend on others for his gospel. After applying, he did not take advice with people who are leaders did not go to Jerusalem, where were the others apostles.
Instead, he went to Arabia and then returned to Damascus. He was determined to bypass Jerusalem, not because he did not respect the apostle brothers, but rather because the resurrected Lord Himself had entrusted him with a unique ministry among the Gentiles (2:8). Therefore, there was no need for people to commission him to preach the gospel and serve. He was independent of any of the people.
Some expressions in these verses deserve careful study. Notice the expression in verse 15: God who chose me from my mother's womb. Paul understood that God had singled him out for a special purpose even before he was born. He adds that God called him by His grace, implying conversion on the road to Damascus.
If at that moment he had received what he deserved, he would have been cast into hell. But Christ, in His miraculous mercy, saved him and sent him to preach the faith he was trying to destroy.
In verse 16, Paul shows that God intended open in him His Son. God's purpose is revealed before us: He called us to open in us His Son, that we may represent the Lord Jesus to the world.
He reveals Christ to our hearts (v. 16) in order to reveal Christ to others through us (v. 16-23) and through this to glorify God (v. 24).
Paul was given a special assignment to preach Christ among the Gentiles.
In verse 17 he says that went to Arabia. Every servant of the Lord needs time for solitude and reflection. Moses was given forty years in the wilderness. David was alone with God when he was tending sheep in the hills of Judah.
1,18-20 Fourth, when Paul finally visited Jerusalem, he met only with Peter And Jacob. Apart from this, he was relatively little known to the churches of Judea (1:21-24).
Wanting to more convincingly show his independence from the other apostles, Paul recalls that he did not visit Jerusalem, at least three years after your appeal. He went there to meet Peter,- paid a personal, not an official visit (Acts 9:26-29). [The Greek text says "Kifa"("Peter" in Aramaic).] While there, he also met James, brother of the Lord. He stayed with Peter only fifteen days- hardly enough for a course of study! Moreover, the text shows that he felt himself on an equal footing with these servants of the Lord.
1,21-24 After that he spent a lot of time in countries of Syria and Cilicia- so many that churches in Judea did not know him personally. They knew only one thing: the former cruel persecutor of Christianity had now become a Christian himself and preached Christ to others.
Therefore they glorified God for what He did in Paul's life. (Do other people praise God for the changes in our lives?)
Chapter 2
2,1 Fifth, during Paul's later visit to Jerusalem, the apostles agreed that his gospel was divine (2:1-10). Since the church was founded in Jerusalem and the apostles made this city to some extent their headquarters, then, of course, the Christians there considered their church to be the "mother church". Thus, Paul had to challenge the accusations that he was somehow inferior to the Jerusalem apostles, because he was not one of them. He responds with a detailed account of his last visit. Jerusalem. We don't know if it's gone fourteen years old from the time of his conversion or from the time of his first visit to Jerusalem.
However, we know that he received a revelation from Christ to go there. with Barnabas working with him, and Titus, a Gentile who was converted through the ministry of Paul. The Jews insisted that Titus be circumcised in order to be completely saved. The apostle Paul did not yield to them, realizing that the truth of the gospel was under threat. (Later, when Paul himself circumcised Timothy, no important principles were involved. See Acts 16:3.)
E. F. Keeven says:
“Paul saw that circumcision for justification was not the innocent, insignificant ritual that a thoughtless person might consider it to be. To be circumcised was to seek justification in keeping the law and thus deny the very foundation of grace.”(E. F. Kevan, The Keswick Week 1955, p. 29.)
2,2 When Paul got to Jerusalem, he offered there, and especially to the most famous, the gospel, which he preached pagans, isn't it in vain he is ascetic or moved up.
Why did Paul say especially with spiritual leaders and not with the whole congregation? Did he want them to approve of his gospel in case he was preaching something false? Of course not! This is contrary to everything the apostle said. He insists that his message is given to him through divine revelation. He has no doubt that the doctrine he preaches is true. The real explanation must be sought elsewhere. Talking to the leaders at first required simple courtesy. It was also desirable that the leaders first be convinced of the truth of Paul's gospel. If they had any questions or concerns, Paul wanted to answer them privately. Then he could speak before the church, fully supported by the other apostles. When dealing with a large group of people, there is always the danger that it will be overwhelmed by an emotional outburst. Therefore, Paul wanted to first present his gospel especially in an atmosphere free from possible mass hysteria. If Paul had acted differently, a serious dispute could have arisen, dividing the church into Jews and Gentiles. Then Paul's journey to Jerusalem would have been in vain. Here's what he means when he says: "... Is it not in vain that I strive, or did I strive?"
2,3 In general, the issue of law enforcement came to the fore in the case of Titus. Will the Jerusalem church accept this converted Gentile into their community, or will it insist that he first circumcised?[Circumcision is a minor surgical operation performed on men. When God commanded Abraham and his descendants to do it, it was meant to be the sign of His covenant with them: He would be their God and they would be His people (Gen. 17:1-11). It was not just a physical sign, but also a spiritual symbol. Abraham was circumcised as a sign of his trust in God (Rom. 4:11). The Jews soon forgot about spiritual meaning of circumcision and performed it only as a ceremony. Thus, the ritual lost its meaning for God. Circumcision is no longer commanded in the NT, because now God gives grace equally to Gentiles and Jews. Early in church history, a group of believing Jews insisted that circumcision was necessary for salvation. That is why this grouping was known as "the circumcised" (Gal. 2:12).]
After considerable discussion and debate, the apostles decided that circumcision was not necessary for salvation. Paul won an amazing victory. (A fairly complete account of this meeting can be found in Acts 15. It should be carefully studied.)
2,4 The main reason for Paul's visit to Jerusalem becomes clear if we connect the beginning of verse 2 with the beginning of verse 4: crept in false brothers who secretly came ... " A similar situation had previously taken place in Antioch (Acts 15:1-2). Some Jewish teachers from Jerusalem, pretending to be Christians, somehow covertly infiltrated the Antiochian church and taught that circumcision was necessary for salvation.
2,5 Paul and Barnabas actively opposed them. Wishing to settle the matter, Paul, Barnabas and others went to Jerusalem to seek the opinion of the apostles and elders there.
2,6 Those who were considered leaders in Jerusalem not assigned to him like an apostle nothing more, nothing was added to his message. This is worth paying attention to. In the previous chapter, Paul emphasized that his contact with the other apostles was kept to a minimum. Now that he had actually consulted with them, they recognized that he preached the same message as they did. This is very important! The Jewish leaders agreed that there was no flaw in his gospel. Although Paul was independent of them and none of them taught him, yet he preached the same gospel as they did. (Paul does not mean to downplay the other apostles, he simply states that whatever they ever were- and they were the companions of the Lord Jesus in His earthly ministry - this does not give them any supreme right to give him their assessment. God does not perceive the personality of a person when it comes to such external differences.)
2,7-8 The apostles in Jerusalem understood that Paul, through undeserved mercy, was commissioned to bring the Good News uncircumcised(Gentiles), just as Peter was sent to the Jews. Both of them preached the same gospel, but for the most part to different nations.
2,9-10 Even Jacob, Keefa(Peter) and John, apparently pillars churches, knowing what God did through Paul, filed to him and Barnabas the hand of fellowship to preach the gospel pagans. This was not an official ordination, but an expression of their love and interest in Paul's work. They made only one suggestion: that Paul and Barnabas remember the poor Paul and tried to be accurate.
C. Paul reproaches Peter (2:11-21)
2,11 Paul gives the sixth and final answer to the attackers on his apostleship and says that he was forced to condemn the apostle petra, whom many Jewish Christians considered the chief among the apostles. (This passage effectively refutes the notion that Peter was the infallible leader of the church.)
2,12 When Peter first came to Antioch, he ate with the pagans, making full use of their Christian freedom. According to Jewish tradition, he was not allowed to do this. A little later, a group of people came from Antioch to Jerusalem from Jacob. They claimed to represent Jacob, but he later denied this (Acts 15:24). Most likely they were Jewish Christians who still clung to keeping the law. When they arrived, Peter stopped communicating with the Gentiles, fearing that word of his behavior would reach the legalistic group in Jerusalem. In doing so, he denied one of the greatest truths of the gospel: that all believers are one in Christ Jesus and national differences should not affect fellowship. Findlay says: "By refusing to eat with the uncircumcised, he tacitly affirmed that they, although they believed in Christ, were still 'filthy and unclean' to him, that the observance of the rites of the Mosaic law conferred greater holiness than justification by faith."
2,13 Peter's example was followed by others, including Barnabas, co-worker of Paul, highly valued by him. Realizing the seriousness of this act, Paul boldly accused Peter of hypocrisy. Paul's rebuke is found in verses 14-21. (Punctuation, including quotation marks, is editorial. Some interpreters end the quotation here and treat verses 15-21 as given by Paul later explanation what he said to Peter.)
2,14 As a Christian, Peter knew that God no longer recognizes national differences; he lived like a Gentile, ate their food, etc. But by his recent refusal to eat with the Gentiles, Peter assumed that observance of Jewish laws and traditions was necessary for holiness and that Gentile believers must live like a Jew.
2,15 Paul seems to be using irony here. Does Peter's behavior betray his longstanding belief in superiority? Jews and contemptible position pagans? Peter should know this better, because before the conversion of the Gentile Cornelius, God taught Peter not to call anyone filthy and unclean (Acts 10 and 11:1-18).
2,16 Converted Jews knew that works of law salvation is not achieved. The law condemned to death those who could not fully obey it. Thus, everyone was cursed because everyone violated his sacred precepts. The Savior is here presented as the only true object of faith. Paul reminds Peter that "and we Jews came to the conclusion that salvation is given faith in Jesus Christ, A not by the works of the law. What is the point of Peter bringing the Gentiles under the law? The law told people what to do, but did not give them the strength to do it. The Law was given to convict sin, not to save.
2,17 Paul, Peter, and others sought justification in Christ and nothing more. However, Peter's actions in Antioch would seem to show that he was not fully justified and had to return under the rule of the law in order for his salvation to be fully accomplished. If so, then Christ is not a perfect Savior and He alone is not enough.
If we go to Him for the forgiveness of our sins, and then turn somewhere else, then is Christ the servant of sin and does not keep His promises? If, having declared that we rely on justification in Christ, we then return to the law (which can only condemn us as sinners), are we acting like Christians? Can we hope that Christ will approve such actions that, in fact, turn Him into minister of sin? Paul angrily replies: "No way!"
2,18 Peter abandoned the entire system of law for the sake of faith in Christ. He refused to recognize any difference between Jews and Gentiles as far as God's favor is concerned.
Now, refusing to eat with the pagans, he creates again that once destroyed. By doing so, he makes himself a criminal. Either he was wrong in leaving the law for the sake of Christ, or he is wrong now in leaving Christ for the sake of the law!
2,19 The punishment for breaking the law is death. I am a sinner, I have broken the law. That's why he sentenced me to death. But Christ paid the price for breaking the law by dying in my place. Therefore, when Christ died, I also died. He died to the law in the sense that he met all its requirements of righteousness, so I died in Christ for the law.
Christian died to the law; he is no longer associated with it. Does this mean that a believer can now break the Ten Commandments whenever he wants? No, he lives a holy life not out of fear of the law, but out of love for the One who died for him. Christians who want to be under the law because it defines a pattern of behavior do not realize that they are thereby exposing themselves to its curse. Moreover, they cannot keep the law in only one thing and not be responsible for its full observance. The only way for us to live for God is to die to the law. The law will never produce a holy life, nor did God intend it to. The path to holiness He has identified is explained in verse 20.
2,20 The believer is identified with Christ in His death. Not only He was crucified on Golgotha, but I crucified in Him. This means that in the eyes of God I died as a sinner. This means that as a person who tries to achieve or earn salvation by his own efforts, I have died. This means that as a child of Adam, as a person condemned by law, I have died. My old, unregenerate, vicious self was crucified; it no longer has power over my daily life.
The believer does not cease to live as a person, as an individual. But the one who died in the eyes of God cannot remain the same as the living one. And it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me.
The Savior did not die for me so that I would continue to live as I want. He died for me to live His life in me from now on. Now I live in the human body faith in the Son of God. Faith means trust, the ability to rely on someone. A Christian in his life constantly relies on Christ, yielding to Him, allowing Him to live His life in him.
Thus, the rule of the believer's life is Christ, not the law. It's not about effort, it's about trust. He lives a holy life, not out of fear of punishment, but out of love for Son of God who loved his and who gave himself up for him.
Have you been able to commit your life to the Lord Jesus, praying that His life be manifested in your body?
2,21 Grace of God is His unconditional gift of salvation. When a person tries to earn this gift, he thereby deprives it of meaning.
If a person deserves it or earns it, it is no longer by grace. Paul's last argument is very impressive. If Peter could win God's favor by keeping the law according to Jewish custom, then Christ died in vain; He literally threw away His life. Christ died because otherwise man could not obtain righteousness, even by keeping the law.
Klau says:
“The greatest of all heresies, which corrodes the churches, infects the doctrine with madness and makes human hearts puffed up with pride, is salvation by works. “I believe,” writes John Ruskin, “that the root of every schism, every heresy from which the Christian Church has suffered, - in an effort to earn salvation, not to receive it. Often preaching is so ineffective because it encourages people to work for God instead of seeing how God has worked for them."(W. M. Clow, The Cross in the Christian Experience, p. 114.)
Chapter 3
II. On Doctrine: Paul Defends Justification by Faith (3:1 - 5:1)
A. The Great Truth of the Gospel (3:1-9)
3,1 The actions of the Galatians showed a lack of understanding and sanity. To turn from grace to law means be seduced or let yourself be bewitched. It means allowing yourself to be lulled by a magic spell and recklessly mistaking a lie for the truth. In Paul's question "Who deceived you?" the pronoun "who" is not in the plural, but in the singular (Greek. tis. In Greek, the word "Who" the singular and plural forms are different, and the plural answer here cannot follow from the text.) Perhaps this suggests that the devil was the author of this false doctrine. Paul himself preached to the Galatians Jesus Christ crucified emphasizing that the cross was to forever free them from the curse and dependence on the law. How could they return to the law and thus reject the cross? Has the truth not really taken possession of them?
3,2 The answer to one question will settle the whole matter. Let them go back to the time of their conversion - to the time when the Holy Spirit took up residence in their bodies. How are they received the Spirit? Works or faith? Clearly, by faith. Nobody has ever received the Spirit through fulfillment law.
3,3 If they couldn't get salvation by works, could they expect to grow in holiness or Christian maturity without the law? If it took strength to save them Spirit could they complete the process with their fleshly efforts?
3,4 When the Galatians first trusted in Christ, they were severely persecuted, perhaps in part by zealous Jews who hated the Good News of grace.
Were these sufferings useless? Returning to the law, were they not thereby saying that their persecutors were ultimately right? Oh, if only without use! Paul expresses the unfading hope that they will return to the Good News, for which suffered a lot.
3,5 It is not entirely clear who is being referred to in verse 5—God, Paul, or someone else who served the Galatians at the time the letter was written. Ultimately, the verse speaks of God, since only He can give a Holy Spirit.
However, an additional meaning is also possible - the verse can speak of a Christian minister as an instrument with which God fulfills His will.
This view of Christian service is very sublime. Someone has said, "Any genuine Christian ministry conveys the Holy Spirit to others; in essence, it dispenses the Spirit."
If the apostle speaks of himself, he most likely thinks of the miracles that accompanied his preaching and the conversion of the Galatians to Christ (Heb. 2:4). However, the tense of the verb does not indicate events in the past, but what is happening at the time of writing the letter. Paul seems to be talking about the miraculous gift that the Holy Spirit gives to believers after their conversion, as described in 1 Corinthians 12:8-11.
Does this work through the works of the law, or through instruction in the faith? The answer is: through instruction in faith. The Holy Spirit takes up residence in the believer and then does His work in him, and this can never be achieved, never deserved, it is always given by grace according to faith. Thus, the Galatians must have known from their own experience that blessing comes through faith and not through keeping the law.
As a second proof, Paul is using the same Scriptures that the false teachers used to show the need for circumcision! What does the OT really say?
3,6 Paul showed that God's relationship with the Galatians was entirely based on faith. Here he shows that in Old Testament times people were saved in the same way. In verse 5 the question was asked, "Does this work by the works of the law, or by training in the faith?" The answer was given: "Through instruction in faith."
Related to this answer is the beginning of verse 6: So Abraham... He was justified the same way, by faith.
It is possible that the Jewish teachers spoke of Abraham as their hero and example, basing their arguments in favor of the need for circumcision on his experience (Gen. 17:24-26). If so, Paul will fight them in their own field. How was Abraham saved? Abraham believed God. He did not do any meritorious deeds. He just believed God.
No achievements are associated with this; in fact, it is foolish for a person not to believe God. Trusting God is the only thing a person can do for salvation, and it does not give him any reason to boast. It is not a "good deed" that requires human effort. There is no room for flesh. What could be more sensible than a creature's trust in its Creator, or a child's trust in its Father?
Justification is God's decision by which He declares righteous all who believe in Him. God can justly deal with sinners because Christ died on the cross of Calvary in place of all sinners, paying for their sins. Justification does not mean that God makes the believer himself righteous and sinless. He considers him righteous on the basis of what the Savior has done. To the sinner who trusts in Him, God gives righteousness, and righteousness makes him worthy of heaven. God expects him to live righteously in gratitude for what the Lord has done for him. It is important to note here that justification has nothing to do with keeping the law. It is entirely based on the principle of faith.
3,7 No doubt the Jewish teachers argued that the Galatians had to be circumcised in order to become true sons of Abraham. Paul refutes this. True sons of Abraham- these are not born Jews and did not convert to Judaism. These are those who are saved by faith. In Romans 4:10-11, Paul shows that Abraham is still called righteous. before that how was cropped. In other words, he was acquitted while still in paganism.
3,8 The OT is portrayed as a prophet who looks to the future and sees that God will justify the Gentiles, like the Jews faith. The Scriptures not only foresaw the blessing pagans By faith, but, in fact, it was announced to Abraham in Genesis 12:3: "...and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed."
When we first read this Genesis quotation, it is difficult for us to see how Paul found such meaning in it.
Yet the Holy Spirit who wrote this verse in the OT knew that it contained the gospel of salvation by faith for all nations. Since Paul wrote under the inspiration of the same Holy Spirit, he was able to explain to us the underlying meaning of the verse: in you- means together with Abraham, just like Abraham. All nations- Gentiles as well as Jews. be blessed- will be saved.
How was Abraham saved? Faith. How will the nations be saved? Just like Abraham, by faith. Moreover, they will be saved as Gentiles, not through conversion to Judaism.
3,9 So, according to the Jewish Scriptures, believers in God justified with faithful Abraham.
B. Law versus Promise (3:10-18)
3,10 On the basis of Holy Scripture, Paul shows that the law does not grant or bless at all - it can only curse. This verse does not say "all those who break the law," but "all who are established in the works of the law" that is, all who seek to win the favor of God by keeping the law. They are under oath(curse), that is, sentenced to death. For it is written(Deut. 27:26):
"Cursed is everyone who does not constantly fulfill..." It is not enough to keep the law day, month or year. It needs to be fulfilled constantly. Obedience must be complete. It is not enough to keep only the Ten Commandments. It is necessary to fulfill all six hundred plus laws written in the five books of Moses!
3,11 Paul again refutes false teachers based on the OT. He quotes the prophet Habakkuk to show that God has always justified people by faith not by law. The righteous will live by faith, in other words, those who are recognized as righteous by faith and not by works will have eternal life. Those who are justified by faith will live.
3,12 The law does not ask people to believe. He does not even invite them to try to keep the commandments. It requires strict, complete, and perfect obedience, as the book of Leviticus clearly teaches. This principle is the opposite of faith. The law says: "Do and live." Faith says: "Believe and live." Here Paul proves that a righteous person will live by faith. man under law does not live by faith. Therefore he does not righteous before God. When Paul says: "Whoever fulfills it, he will live by him", he asserts a theoretical axiom or ideal, but one that cannot be attained.
3,13 To redeem means to redeem, or free by paying a cost. Oath of the law or the curse of the law is death, the punishment for breaking the commandments. Christ freed those under the law from the wages of death required by the law. (Surely using the pronoun "us", Paul speaks primarily of believing Jews, even though they were representatives of the entire human race.)
Sinddilan Jones says:
"The Galatians believed that Christ had only half redeemed them and that they must redeem the rest themselves by being circumcised and performing other Jewish rites and ceremonies. Hence their willingness to allow false teachers to confuse them by confusing Christianity and Judaism. Paul says here (according to the Welsh translation) "Christ has completely redeemed us."(J. Cynddylan Jones, Studies in the Gospel According to St. john, p. 113.)
Christ redeemed people, dying for them, enduring the terrible wrath of God because of their sins. The curse fell on Him as the One who replaced man. He Himself did not become a sinner, but the sins of mankind fell upon Him.
Christ redeemed the people from the curse of the law not by keeping the Ten Commandments exactly during His earthly life. Scripture does not teach that His absolute fulfillment of the law is credited to us. No, He delivered people from the law by enduring its terrible curse in death. Without His death there could be no salvation. According to the law, when convicted criminals were hung on a tree, it was a sign that they were under God's curse (Deut. 21:23). In this passage, the Holy Spirit sees a prediction of how the Savior would die, cursed instead of His creatures. He was hung between heaven and earth as unworthy of either. His death on the cross is spoken of as hanging on the tree(Acts 5:30; 1 Pet. 2:24).
3,14 God promised to bless Abraham, and through him the whole world. Blessing of Abraham is actually salvation by grace by faith. But first, sin had to be paid for with death, as God requires. And the Lord Jesus was cursed so that God could extend grace to both Jews and Gentiles.
Now in Christ (descendant of Abraham) the nations have been blessed.
God's promise to Abraham in Genesis 12:3 does not mention the Holy Spirit. But here Paul tells us, by the inspiration of God, that the gift of the Holy Spirit was part of the unconditional covenant of salvation that God made with Abraham. He was there in the bud. The Holy Spirit could not come while the law was in the way. Before the Spirit could be given, Christ had to die and rise in glory (John 16:7).
Paul's reasoning in this part can be summarized as follows: In Genesis 12:3 God promised to bless all the families of the earth in Abraham. This promise of salvation included not only Jews but also Gentiles. In Genesis 22:18 God also promised, "And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed." He said "in seed" in the singular, not the plural. God spoke of one Man, the Lord Jesus Christ, who was a direct descendant of Abraham (Luke 3:34). In other words, God promised to bless all nations - both Gentiles and Jews - through Christ. The promise was unconditional, requiring neither good works nor obedience to the law. This simple promise had to be accepted by faith alone.
The law given to Israel 430 years later could neither add conditions nor alter the promise in any way. To do so would be unjust even in human affairs, and in divine affairs simply unthinkable.
Therefore, we can conclude that God's promise of blessing to the Gentiles is carried out through Christ by faith, and not by keeping the law.
3,15 In human affairs, when will(testament) is signed and sealed, no one would think of changing the document or adding something to it. If you can't change even a human testament, then surely you can't change God's will!
3,16 Undoubtedly, the Jews argued that although the promises to Abraham and his seed (the people of Israel) were originally given by faith, yet the same people of Israel subsequently came under the rule of the law. Therefore, the Galatians, although originally saved by faith, must now keep the Ten Commandments.
Paul answers: promises were given Abraham and his Seed(in the singular). "Seed" can sometimes mean many, and yet here it means the One, namely Christ. (We ourselves would probably never be able to see this meaning in the OT, but the Spirit of God enlightens us.)
3,17 God gave Abraham an unconditional promise; it did not depend on his works. God simply agreed to give Abraham the Seed (of Christ). Although Abraham had no children, he believed God, thus believing in the coming of Christ, and was justified. The advent of the law four hundred and thirty years later could not affect promise salvation. The law could neither cancel the promise nor add any conditions to it. Perhaps the Jews assumed that a law that appeared 430 years after the promise could annul it.
"No way!" Paul is essentially saying, "The promise was like a testament, it was sealed by death (the covenant sacrifice, Gen. 15:7-11; see also Heb. 9:15-22). It cannot be revoked."
Four hundred and thirty years are calculated from the time when God established the Abrahamic covenant with Jacob, when he was about to enter Egypt (Gen. 46:1-4), and last until the moment the law appeared (approximately three months after the exodus).
3,18 Inheritance must be either by faith or by works. It cannot be both together. Scripture clearly states that the inheritance was given to Abraham by promise without any conditions. The same is true with salvation. It is offered as a gift without any conditions. Any thought that in order to receive it you need to do something is excluded.
C. Purpose of the Law (3:19-29)
3,19 What is the law for? If, as Paul argued, the law does not annul the promise made by God to Abraham and does not add conditions to it, then what is the law for? The law is designed to reveal the true nature of sin: it is a crime. There was sin even before the law, but man did not consider it a crime until the law appeared. A crime is a violation of a known law.
The law was given to a sinful people. They could never achieve righteousness by doing it because they did not have the power to obey it.
The law was designed to show people what hopeless sinners they are and to encourage them to cry out to God, asking them to be saved by grace. God's covenant with Abraham was an unconditional promise of blessing; the law only led to damnation.
The law showed how unworthy people were of the gift of unconditional blessing. If a person is rewarded with a blessing, then only by God's grace.
Seed is Christ. Therefore, the law was given as a temporary measure until the coming of Christ. Through Him the blessing promised to Abraham was to come. An agreement between two parties is intermediary. The law involved two contracting parties - God and Israel. Moses acted as mediator (Deut. 5:5). Angels were the messengers of God who delivered the Law to Moses (Deut. 33:2; Ps. 67:18; Acts 7:53; Heb. 2:2).
The mediation of Moses and the angels shows how great is the distance between God and His people, unable to bear God's presence.
3,20 If there were only one contracting party and would make a promise without any conditions, and would not demand anything from the other party, then did not have would need intermediary. The fact that the law required a mediator indicates that a person needs to keep his side of the agreement. This was the weakness of the law: it called to obedience those who did not have the strength to do so. When God made a promise to Abraham, He was the only contracting party. And this is the power of the promise: everything depended on God, and nothing depended on man. There was no middleman, because there was no need for a middleman. (Although this argument seems to contradict what is said next about Christ as the Mediator of the New Covenant (Heb. 9:15), the word "intermediary" used in these two places in different senses. Moses mediated only that he received the law from God and delivered it to Israel. He was the representative of the people. Christ is the Mediator of the New Testament in a much higher sense. Before God could justly bestow the blessings of this covenant, the Lord Jesus had to die. In the same way, as soon as death sets in motion the last will and testament of a person, so the New Testament must be sealed by His Blood. He had to give himself up as a ransom for all (1 Tim. 2:6). Christ not only guarantees the blessings of the covenant to His people, but also sustains His covenant people in a world that opposes them. He does this as High Priest and Advocate, and this is also part of His mediation.)
3,21 Did you push law to the side promises taking their place? No way! If a law could be given to enable sinners to achieve the perfection that God requires, then, of course, salvation would depend on keeping the laws. God would not send his beloved Son to die for sinners if he could achieve the same result at a lesser cost. But the law had a lot time and more people to show that he cannot save sinners. In this sense he was "weakened in the flesh" (Rom. 8:3). All the law could do was to show the people their hopeless situation and make it clear that salvation could only be a gift of God's grace.
3,22 The OT showed that all people are sinners, including those under the law. Thus, it was necessary to convince a person of his sinfulness in order to the promise was given to believers salvation by faith in Jesus Christ. The keywords of verse 22 are "faith", "given" and "believers". There is no mention of "doing" or "keeping the laws".
3,23 Faith here is the Christian faith. It refers to an age that was heralded by the death, burial, resurrection and ascension of the Lord Jesus and the preaching of the gospel on the day of Pentecost. Before that, the Jews were in custody as if in a dungeon or under supervision. The requirements of the law surrounded them like a wall, and since they could not fulfill them, only the way of salvation remained for them. faith. The people under the law were thus imprisoned until the gospel proclaimed the glorious news of deliverance from the bondage of the law.
3,24 Law portrayed as the guardian and leader of the children, or as schoolmaster.(Greek word payagogos(from which Russian words originated teacher, pedagogy) literally means "teacher". Such a person, usually a slave, had to accompany the child to school and home from school. Sometimes he taught.) This emphasizes the idea of teaching; the lessons of the law dealt with the holiness of God, the sinfulness of man, and the need for redemption.
The verse teaches that the law was the guardian of the Jews until the advent of Christ or before the commencement of His open ministry. In a sense, the law preserved the people of Israel as a separate nation through rules regarding marriage, property, food, etc. When "faith" came, it was first proclaimed to this people, miraculously preserved and guarded through the ages.
Justification by faith was promised on the basis of Christ's redemption.
3,25 Law is schoolmaster, but ever since the Christian came faith, believing jews no longer under by law. Especially the pagans, such as the Galatians, who never and were not under the guidance of a teacher! Verse 24 teaches that man not justified by law; verse 25 - what the law is not the rule of life for the one who is justified.
3,25 Note that here the pronoun changes from "we" to "You". By referring to the Jews as "us," Paul indicated that they were kept under the law until the coming of Christ. The law preserved them as a distinct people to whom justification by faith could be preached. When they were justified, then they were freed from the law and their special distinction as Jews disappeared. Pronoun "You" from this verse to the end of the chapter includes both saved Jews and saved Gentiles. Such people - all sons of God by faith in Christ Jesus.
3,27 Union with Christ, which is at the time of conversion, is confessed in water baptism. Baptism does not make a person a member of Christ or an heir to the Kingdom of God. This is a public identification with Christ, and Paul speaks of it as putting on Christ. Just as a soldier declares his involvement in the army by putting on a soldier's uniform, so the believer declares that he belongs to Christ by accepting water baptism. By this action, he publicly expresses submission to the leadership and authority of Christ. He clearly shows that he is the son of God.
Of course, the apostle Not suggests that water baptism unites a person to Christ. This would be a blatant repudiation of his basic position: salvation is by faith alone.
The believer's baptism also means the burial of the flesh and its efforts to achieve righteousness. The believer announces the end of the old life and the beginning of a new one. In water baptism, the Galatians confessed that they died with Christ and were buried with Him. Just as Christ died to the law, they also died and therefore should no longer desire to return to it as a rule of life. Just as Christ destroyed the differences between Jews and Gentiles by His death, so they died to all national differences. They clothed in Christ in the sense that they now live a completely new life - the life of Christ.
3,28 The law distinguished these nations. For example, Deuteronomy 7:6 and 14:1-2 insist on a distinction between Jews and Gentiles. In his morning prayer, the Jew thanked God that He had not made him a pagan, a slave, or a woman. In Christ Jesus these differences disappear in the sense that God will accept everyone. A Jew is not preferred to a Gentile, a free man is not favored more than a slave, and a man is no more privileged than a woman. They are all on the same level because they are - in Christ Jesus.
This verse cannot be invested with a meaning that is not in it. In everyday life (not to mention public service in the church) God holds difference between a man and a woman. The NT contains instructions for both, and also addresses slaves and masters separately. But as far as God's blessing is concerned, all these differences are irrelevant. The main thing is to be in Christ Jesus.(This refers to our position in heaven, not on earth.) Before God, a believing Jew is in no way superior to a converted Gentile! Govett says, "All differences established by law are buried in the common grave provided by God." Therefore, it is foolish for Christians to seek greater holiness by establishing distinctions already destroyed by Christ.
3,29 The Galatians were mistaken in thinking that they could become Abraham's seed if they kept the law. Paul points to something else. Abraham's seed is Christ; the promises made to Abraham are fulfilled in Christ. When sinners believe in Him, they become one with Him. Thus they become Abraham's seed and inherit all of God's blessings.
Chapter 4
D. Children and sons (4:1-16)
4,1-2 It speaks of a wealthy father who intends to hand over the management of his fortune to his son when he reaches adulthood. However, as long as the heir in childhood, his status is no different from the status slave. He is constantly told to do this and not to do that. He has housekeepers, managing his property, and trustees, taking care of himself. Thus, although the inheritance is certainly his, he does not take possession of it until he grows up.
4,3 So was the position of the Jews under the law. They were in childhood the law commanded them just as it commanded slaves. They were enslaved to the material principles of the world, that is, the basic principles of the Jewish religion. The ceremonies and rituals of Judaism were instituted for those who did not know God the Father as He was revealed in Christ. You can draw a parallel with a child who learns to spell by playing blocks or recognizing objects from pictures. The law was full of shadows and images, appealing to the spiritual senses through physical and external senses. An example of this is circumcision. Judaism was physical, outward and temporary; Christianity is spiritual, internal and permanent. These external manifestations were a form of enslavement for those who were in childhood.
4,4 The fullness of time refers to the time appointed by Heavenly Father, the time when the heirs will come of age (see v. 2).
This verse contains in a few words the greatest statement concerning the divine and human nature of the Savior. He is the eternal Son of God; and yet he was born from a wife. If Jesus were only a man, there would be no reason to say that He was born from a wife. How else can a person be born? This expression, applied to our Lord, testifies to the uniqueness of His Person and His birth.
Born into this world as an Israelite, He is therefore obeyed the law. As the Son of God, Jesus would never have been under the law; because he installed it. But in His overflowing grace He Himself obeyed established by him law, to magnify him in Your life and bear his curse in Your death.
4,5 The law demanded from those who could not fulfill it, payment - payment by death. Before God could make men His sons, that price had to be paid. Therefore, the Lord Jesus, having come into the world as a Man belonging to the Jewish people, paid the price required by the law. He is God, and therefore the price of His death is infinitely high, that is, sufficient to pay for any number of sinners. He is a Man, and therefore could die instead of a man. Govett says, "Christ, by nature the Son of God, became the Son of Man, that we, by nature, sons of men, might become sons of God. An amazing exchange!"
As long as people were slaves, they could not become sons. Christ freed them from the bondage of the law so that they could be adopted. Pay attention to the difference between the words "become child God's" and "become son God's" (cf. Rom. 8:14-16). The believer is born into the family of God as child- child, child (see John 1:12).
Here the emphasis is on the very fact of the divine birth, and not on the privileges and responsibilities of being a son. The believer is accepted into the family as son- adopt. Every Christian becomes a son immediately and is introduced into his proper inheritance. Thus, the instructions to Christians contained in the NT do not suggest that the saints are in infancy. They are addressed as sons who have reached maturity.
Adoption in Roman culture differed from modern. In our minds, adopting is taking someone else's child to become our own. But in the NT, to adopt means to place believers in the position of adult sons, endowing them with all the privileges and all the responsibilities of such a position.
4,6 In order to be sons God understood all the greatness of this situation, on the day of Pentecost God sent saint spirit, for him to dwell in them. The Spirit gives the saints the awareness of their sonship, which enables them to address God as the Father.
"Abba, Father!"- a well-known form of address in which two words are combined - Aramaic and Greek, denoting "father". No slave could address the head of the family in this way; only members of the family used this word, and it meant love and trust. Note the appearance in this verse of all the Persons of the Trinity - Spirit, Son And father- in that order.
4,7 Believer no longer a slave; he is no longer under the law. Now he - son God's. Since Christ, as God's Son, is the heir of all the riches of God, the Christian - heir of God through (Jesus) Christ.(The Greek text simply says "heir through God".) Everything that God has belongs to him - belongs by faith.
In rabbinical schools in Israel today, a student is not allowed to read the Song of Songs of Solomon or Ezekiel 1 until he is forty years old. The Song of Solomon is considered too sexually explicit for the young mind, and chapter 1 of Ezekiel contains a description of the glory of a holy God. The Talmud relates that when a man under the age of forty began to read Ezekiel 1, fire came out of the pages and consumed him. What does it say? About the fact that the by-law is not considered a man up to forty years old. (well known bar mitzvah at the age of thirteen only makes a Jewish boy into a "son of the covenant" - such is the meaning of this term - and therefore makes him responsible for keeping the law.) Until the age of forty, an orthodox man is considered a junior.
Not so with believers under grace. The moment they are saved, they come into possession of the entire inheritance. They are treated as adult, mature sons and daughters, and the entire Bible is theirs to read, enjoy, and obey.
In the light of these truths, Harrison's admonition seems very appropriate:
"Child of His love, everything belongs to you. He tells you about it in 1 Corinthians 3:22-23, so that you can realize what riches they are, how much they are beyond your understanding and imagination. Think about the Universe. Whose is it, if not His and yours? So live like a king!"(Norman B. Harrison, His Side Versus Our Side, p. 71.)
4,8 The Galatians once served idols. Before their conversion, they were pagans and worshiped stone and wooden idols - false gods. Now they were returning to slavery again, although in a different way - the slavery of the law.
4,9 How could they explain their behavior? They knew God, or if they did not know Him deeply and from their own experience, then at least received knowledge from Him, that is, were saved. Yet they turned from His power and riches (which they inherited) to weak and poor material principles, to things related to the law, such as circumcision, holy days, and abstaining from certain foods. They again enslaved himself to that which can neither save nor enrich them, but can only impoverish.
Paul defines the law and its ceremonies as the weak and the poor. God's laws were fine in their time and place, but they were clearly a hindrance when they were trying to replace the Lord Jesus. Turning from Christ to the law is idolatry.
4,10-11 The Galatians followed the Jewish calendar with its Sabbaths, holidays, and from time to time of the year. Paul expresses fear for those who call themselves Christians, but at the same time seeks to gain the favor of God by keeping the law. Even unregenerate people can keep days, months, times and years. Some feel a deep satisfaction that they can do something in their own strength to earn the approval of God. But this implies that the person has some power and therefore, to a certain extent, they do not need a Savior.
If Paul could write this to the Galatians, what would he write to those who profess to be Christians but are trying to achieve holiness by keeping the law? Would he not condemn the traditions brought to Christianity from Judaism: ordination through the laying on of human hands, special vestments for priests, Sabbath observance, sacred places, candles, holy water, and the like?
4,12 The Galatians seem to have forgotten how grateful they were to Paul when he first preached the Good News to them. Yet despite their mistakes and his fears for them, Paul addresses them "brethren". Paul was an under-law Jew. But in Christ he was freed from the law. Therefore he says: "Be like me- free from the law and living no longer under its power. "The pagan Galatians were never under the power of the law, they were not under it now. Thus, the apostle says: "I became, how are you. I, a Jew, now enjoy that freedom from the law that you Gentiles have always had."
You haven't offended me in any way. It is not entirely clear what Paul meant here. Perhaps he says he didn't feel personally offended by the way they treated him. The fact that they turned from him to false teachers was not so much a blow to him personally, but to the truth of God, and therefore a blow to themselves.
4,13 For the first time Paul preached the gospel them in the weakness of the flesh.(Several theories have been put forward to explain Paul's "infirmity". Some kind of eye disease, one of those that are widespread in the Middle East, is the most suitable version. Malaria, migraine, epilepsy and other diseases have also been suggested.)
God often uses weak, contemptible, wretched instruments to do His work, so that the glory belongs to Him and not to man.
4,14 Paul's illness was temptation for him and for those who listened to him. However, the Galatians did not reject the apostle because of his appearance or speech. On the contrary, they accepted it, like an angel of God that is, as a messenger sent by God, and even How Himself Jesus Christ. Because he represented the Lord, they received him as they would have received the Lord (Matt. 10:40). They accepted Paul's preaching as the very Word of God. This should serve as a lesson to all Christians in how to deal with the messengers of the Lord. When we give them a warm welcome, we give the Lord the same welcome (Luke 10:16).
4,15 When they heard the Good News for the first time, they realized what bliss it brought to their souls. They were so grateful that, if it were possible, they would give your eyes Paul (this may indicate that Paul's "thorn in the flesh" was an eye disease). But where is that feeling of gratitude now? Unfortunately, it has evaporated like the morning dew.
4,16 Why did their attitude towards Paul change so much? He still preached the same message, zealously fighting for the truth Gospels. If it made him theirs enemy then their situation was really dangerous.
E. Slavery or freedom (4.17 - 5.1)
4,17 The false teachers were not motivated by Paul: they wanted to be followed, while he wanted the spiritual well-being of the Galatians (4:17-20). The false teachers tried hard to win the love of the Galatians, but they were insincere. They wanted to excommunicate their. The Jews wanted to separate the Galatians from the apostle Paul and other teachers. They wanted to acquire followers and, in order to achieve this, they tried to form a sect. Stott warns: "When Christianity is made a slave to rules and regulations, the victims inevitably submit, falling under the heel of their teachers, as was the case in the Middle Ages." (Stott, Galatians, p. 116.)
4,18 In essence, Paul is saying, "I don't mind others taking care of you even when I'm not with you, as long as they do it with a pure mind and for good affairs".
4,19 Calling the Galatians theirs children, Paul reminds them that it was he who led them to Christ. He is again subjected to labor pains because of them, this time not for their salvation, but in order to depicted Christ. Christlikeness is the ultimate goal that God sets before His people (Eph. 4:13; Col. 1:28).
4,20 This verse may mean that Paul is puzzled by the real situation of the Galatians. Their deviation from the truth left him at a loss. He would like to be able change voice your own, or change your tone, and make it clear to them what they are guilty of. Perhaps he was concerned about how they would react to his message. He would have preferred to speak to them in person. Then he could express himself better by changing the tone of his vote. If they had taken his censure, he might have spoken softly. If they were hostile and rebellious, he might be strict. Now he was puzzled; he could not predict what their reaction would be.
Because the Jewish teachers exalted Abraham and insisted that believers should follow his example and be circumcised, Paul turns to the history of the house of Abraham to show that legalism is slavery and should not be confused with grace.
God promised Abraham that he would have a son, even though both Abraham and Sarah were, quite frankly, too old to have children. Abraham believed God and was justified by this (Genesis 15:1-6). Sarah, expecting the promised son, lost faith and suggested that Abraham have a child from her slave Hagar. Abraham followed her advice and Ishmael was born. This was not the heir promised by God, but the son of Abraham's impatience, lust and lack of trust (Genesis 16).
Then, when Abraham was a hundred years old, the child of promise, Isaac, was born. It is clear that his birth was a miracle; it was made possible only by the power and authority of God (Genesis 21:1-5).
At the traditional feast on the occasion of Isaac's weaning, Sarah saw that Ishmael was mocking her son. Therefore, she ordered Abraham to drive Ishmael and his mother out of the house, saying: "... the son of this bondwoman will not inherit with my son Isaac" (Genesis 21:8-11). This is the story that formed the basis of the arguments given by the apostle.
4,21 Word "law" in this verse is used in two different senses. The first refers to the law as a means of achieving holiness, and the second to the Old Testament books of the law (from Genesis to Deuteronomy), especially the book of Genesis. Paul says: "Tell me you who want win the favor of God by keeping the law: don't you listen books law?"
4,22-23 Two sons are Ishmael and Isaac. Slave is Hagar, free- Sarah. Ishmael was born as a result of Abraham's planned intervention. Isaac was given to Abraham by promise God's.
4,24 In this story there is an allegory; its meaning is deeper than it seems at first glance. The real meaning of events is not stated clearly, it is implied. Thus, the true story of Isaac and Ishmael represents a deep spiritual truth, which Paul explains here.
Two women present two testaments: Hagar is the covenant of law, and Sarah is the covenant of grace. The law was given to Mount Sinai. Oddly enough, the word "Hagar" in Arabic means "stone, rock", and the Arabs also called Mount Sinai "Stone".
4,25 The law given at Sinai gave birth to slavery; thus, Hagar, the slave girl, is a type of the law. Hagar symbolizes Jerusalem, the capital of the Jewish people and the center of the unsaved Israelites who were still striving to achieve righteousness by keeping the law. They with their children, with your followers in slavery. That Paul associates the unbelieving Israelites with Hagar and not with Sarah, with Ishmael and not with Isaac, is a very caustic characterization.
4,26 The capital of those who are justified by faith is the heavenly Jerusalem. He - mother of all believers, both Jews and Gentiles.
4,27 This quote from Isaiah 54:1 is a prediction that there will be more children in the heavenly city than in earthly Jerusalem. Sarah was a very long time barren. Hagar is here having a husband. In what sense are we to understand the subsequent triumph of Sarah, or the heavenly Jerusalem? The answer is that children promises - all those (both Gentiles and Jews) who come to God by faith - much more, than the children of Hagar who are under the law.
4,28 True believers are born not according to the will of man and not according to the flesh, but from God. What matters is not the natural origin, but the miraculous Divine birth through faith in the Lord Jesus.
4,29 Ishmael mocked Isaac, and it has always been the case that those born after the flesh persecuted those born after the Spirit.
For example, let us remember the sufferings of our Lord and the apostle Paul at the hands of unsaved people. It may seem like a common insult to us that Ishmael mocked Isaac, but it is recorded in Scripture and Paul sees it as a principle still in effect - hostility flesh And Spirit.
4,30 Let the Galatians turn to Scripture- then they will hear this verdict. Law and grace must not be confused; it is impossible to inherit the blessing of God on the basis of human achievement or carnal effort.
4,31 Those who put their trust in Christ are not bound to the law as a means to gain divine favor. They are the children of a free mother and inherit her social position.
Chapter 5
5,1 The last verse of chapter 4 describes the position of the believer: he is free. The first verse of chapter 5 refers to the practice: he should live as a free man. The difference between law and grace is very well illustrated here. The law would say, "If you earn your freedom, you will be free." But grace says, "You have been set free at the greatest cost of Christ's death. In gratitude to Him, you must stand in the freedom you gave to you Christ". The law commands, but does not give power. Grace provides for the requirements of the law, and then, by the power of the Holy Spirit, empowers a person to live as befits his station and rewards him for doing so.
As C. G. Mackintosh says, “The law demands power from the one who does not have it, and curses him if he cannot exercise it. The Good News gives power to the one who does not have it, and blesses him in the manifestation of this power.” . (C. H. Mackintosh, Genesis to Deuteronomy, pp. 232-233.)
"John, let's run," - the law ordered me,
But he did not give me arms or legs.
The Good News gave me much more -
She suggested fly. And gave me two wings.
III. On Practical Application: Paul Defends Christian Freedom of the Spirit (5:2 - 6:18)
A. The Danger of Legalism (5:2-15)
5,2 Legalism renders Christ useless. The Jews insisted on the need for Gentile believers to be circumcised in order to be saved. Paul, speaking with all the authority of an apostle, insists that if circumcision is relied upon, there will be no no use for Christ. Jack Hunter says:
“In the situation with the Galatians, Paul did not consider circumcision as a surgical operation or simply a religious rite. It symbolized a system of salvation by good works. It proclaimed the gospel of human effort outside of Divine grace. In it, the law supplanted grace, and Moses replaced Christ, for adding to Christ means take away from Christ. Christ augmented is Christ repressed; Christ is the only Savior, unique and exclusive. Circumcision would mean cutting off from Christ."(Jack Hunter, What the Bible Teaches, Galatians - Philemon, p. 78.)
5,3 Legalism requires people to do the whole law. Those under the law cannot accept easy commandments and reject all others. If a person tries to please God by being circumcised, then by doing so he takes upon himself the obligation fulfill the whole law. Thus, a person is either completely under the law, or completely free from the law. Of course, if he is completely under the law, then Christ means nothing to him. The Lord Jesus is not only the Savior perfect, but also the only one. In this verse, Paul is not talking about those who may have been circumcised in the past, but only those who can undergo this ritual as necessary for complete justification, those who add to God's favor the obligation to keep the law.
5,4 Legalism forces to leave Christ as their only hope for righteousness. This verse has been the subject of much discussion. Many different interpretations have been proposed, but they can all be grouped into the following three broad groups:
We do not consider this interpretation sound for two good reasons. First, the verse does not speak of the saved who have sinned. In fact, it says nothing about sinning at all. This verse speaks rather of those who live morally, decently, and rightly, and thereby hope to be saved. Thus this passage is a boomerang to those who use it to prove the doctrine of apostasy. They teach that a Christian must keep the law, lead a perfect life, and abstain from sin in every way in order to maintain salvation. However, Scripture insists that anyone who seeks justification in the works of the law or their own efforts, fallen from grace.
Secondly, this interpretation contradicts the general, consistent testimony of the NT that every true believer in the Lord Jesus Christ is saved forever, that not one of Christ's sheep will ever perish, that salvation depends entirely on the completed work of the Savior, and not on the feeble efforts of man. (John 3:16-36; 5:24; 6:47; 10:28).
2. The second interpretation of the verse is that it refers to those who were originally saved by faith in the Lord Jesus, but then submitted themselves to the law in order to maintain their salvation or achieve holiness. In this case, falling from grace is, as Philippe Moreau said, "turning away from the way God perfects his saints by the works of the Spirit done in them, and trying to achieve this by observing the outward rituals and ceremonies that carnal people can observe as well as saints of God."
This view is unscriptural, first, because this verse is not talking about Christians seeking holiness or sanctification, but rather the unsaved who are trying to achieve excuses compliance with the law. Pay attention to the words "you who justify yourselves by the law." And secondly, such an explanation of the verse implies the possibility of a subsequent alienation of the saved from Christ, and this does not correspond to the correct view of the grace of God.
3. The third interpretation is this: Paul is talking about people who may call themselves Christians but are not actually saved. They try to justify themselves by keeping the law. The apostle tells them that they cannot have two saviors; they must choose either Christ or the law. If they choose the law, they refuse Christ as their only hope for righteousness; They fallen from grace. This is clearly expressed by Hogg and Vine:
"For a man, Christ must be either everything or nothing; He does not accept limited trust or half fidelity. A man justified by the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ is a Christian; a man who seeks justification in the works of the law is not."(C.F. Hogg and W.E. Vine, Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Galatians, p. 241.)
5,5 The apostle shows that the hope of the true believer is very different from the hope of the lawyer. The Christian Expects Hope righteousness. He hopes that someday the Lord will come and then he will receive a glorified body and will no longer sin. Note that this does not say that the Christian hopes for righteousness; he is already right before God through the Lord Jesus Christ (2 Cor 5:21). But he is waiting for the moment when he will be completely righteous in himself. He hopes to achieve this not by some of his deeds, but by spirit And faith. The Holy Spirit will do all this, and the Christian simply looks to God with faith that He will fulfill the promise. On the contrary, the lawyer hopes to earn righteousness by his own labors, the observance of the law, and the observance of religious rules. This hope is in vain, because righteousness cannot be achieved in this way.
Notice that when referring to true Christians, Paul uses the pronoun in this verse "We", whereas in verse 4 he uses the pronoun "you" to refer to those who seek justification by the works of the law.
5,6 Legalism does not have no strength. If a person stays in Christ Jesus(meaning he is a Christian) circumcision won't make it better uncircumcision won't make it worse. God is looking for believers faith working by love. Faith- this is when a person completely relies on God. Faith not inactive, it manifests itself in selfless service to God and people. The driving force behind this service is Love. Thus, faith works by love; she is motivated Love, not the law. In Scripture, one can repeatedly see the truth that God is not interested in rituals, but in a truly godly life.
5,7 Legalism - disobedience truth. The Galatians started their Christian life well, but someone stopped their. This was done by the Jews, the lawyers, the false apostles. Accepting their erroneous teachings, the saints disobeyed truth God's.
5,9 Legalism leads to more and more evil. Leaven in Scripture - a symbol of evil. Here it refers to the evil doctrine of the Jews. It is natural for sourdough, or yeast, to act on all food that comes into contact with it. This is said here to show that small mistake will inevitably lead to more. Evil is never static. It must defend its lies by piling up more lies. Legalism is like garlic - no matter how much it is, you will always feel it. If a few people in a church hold a false doctrine, they will have more and more followers unless they are severely condemned.
5,10 Legalism brings condemnation to those who teach it. Paul was confident that the Galatians would reject false doctrine. His confidence was in the Lord. This may mean that the Lord gave Paul confidence in this matter. Or, knowing the Lord as he did, there could be no doubt that the Great Shepherd would return His lost sheep to the right path, perhaps even with the help of the Epistle that Paul wrote to them. As for the false teachers themselves, God will punish them. It is dangerous to teach false doctrine and thus destroy the church (1 Cor. 3:17).
For example, teaching that drunkenness is permissible is much worse than drinking oneself, because a false teacher breeds many of his own kind.
5,11 Legalism destroys the lure of the cross. Here Paul is responding to the absurd charge that even he at times preached the necessity of circumcision. Its still driven Jews. This persecution would immediately cease if he began to preach circumcision, because that would mean he stopped preaching cross. Cross - temptation for a person. He offends or discourages a person because he tells him that there is nothing he can do on his own to merit salvation. The cross does not give place to the flesh and its efforts.
He proclaims the end of human affairs. If Paul were to engage in the preaching of works, beginning with circumcision, he would thereby erase the whole meaning of the cross.
5,12 The desire of the apostle that troublemakers have been removed(in one of the translations - castrated themselves, or cut themselves off), can be understood literally. He wants them to castrate themselves. They used the knife so zealously in circumcising others; now let this knife make them eunuchs. But it is probably better to understand the words in their figurative sense; in other words, Paul wants all false teachers to be completely separated from the Galatians.
The gospel of grace has always been accused of allowing people to live the life they want. People say: "If salvation is only by faith, then subsequently the behavior of a person is uncontrollable." But the apostle immediately points out that Christian freedom does not at all give permission to sin.
The standard for the believer is the life of the Lord Jesus, and love for Christ makes him hate sin and love holiness.
Perhaps Paul especially needed to warn his readers against the abuse of freedom. When people have been held back by the law for a while and then given freedom, there is always the danger of going from the extreme of slavery to the extreme of neglect.
A proper balance is the freedom that lies between law and permissiveness. The Christian is free from the law, but not lawless.
5,13 Christian Liberty does not permit sin, rather it encourages loving service. Love is seen as the driving force of all Christian conduct, whereas under the law such force is the fear of punishment.
Findlay says: "Slaves of love are truly free people."
Christian freedom - in Christ Jesus(2.4) and this precludes any possible thought that it could mean freedom to sin. We must never turn our freedom into a basis for action. to please the flesh. Just as an advancing army will try to gain a beachhead from which it can further seize territory, so the flesh will use the slightest permission to expand its sphere of influence.
How should our freedom be expressed? And this is: "Let you get into the habit of being slaves to each other."
A. T. Pierson says:
"True freedom is only in obedience to proper restrictions. The river is free to flow only between the banks: without them it will only overflow into a muddy stagnant pond. The planets, if they were not ruled by law, would only destroy themselves and the universe. The same law that like a fence, keeps us inside, keeps others out, the restrictions that govern our freedom also secure and protect it. Not control, but right control and joyful obedience, that is what makes a man free."(Arthur T. Pierson, no further data available.)
5,14 At first it seems strange that Paul introduces here law after emphasizing throughout the Epistle that believers are no longer under the law. He does not invite his readers to return to the rule of law; he shows that what the law required but could not produce comes about as a result of Christian freedom.
5,15 Legalism invariably leads to strife, and this seems to have been the case in Galatia. How strange! These people wanted to be under the law. The law required them to love their neighbors. Yet the exact opposite happened. They bit and ate each other. This behavior is generated by the flesh, which the law appeals to and tries to restrain.
B. Power for holiness (5:16-25)
5,16 The believer must act according to the spirit not according to the flesh. walk in the spirit- to let Him do as He sees fit. It means to remain in union with Him. It means making decisions in the light of His holiness. It means being transformed into Christ, because the Spirit's ministry is to draw the believer to the Lord Jesus. When we're this way act in spirit we treat our flesh, or life for its own sake, as if it no longer exists. We cannot be filled with Christ and sin at the same time.
Scofield says:
"The problem of the Christian life is that while the Christian lives in this world, he is, so to speak, two trees: the old tree of flesh and the new tree of the Divine nature, grafted in by the new birth; and the problem is how to make the old tree barren and make the new bear fruit. The problem is solved when they walk in the Spirit."(C. I. Scofield, In Many Pulpits with Dr. C. I. Scofield, p. 234.)
5,17 Spirit And flesh are in constant conflict. God could strip believers of their fleshly nature at the time of conversion, but He chose not to. Why? He wanted them to have a constant reminder of their own weakness; that they continue to rely on Christ, their Priest and Advocate; so that they would ceaselessly praise the One who saved such insignificant creatures. Instead of depriving us of our old nature, God gives us His Holy Spirit to dwell in us. The Spirit of God and our flesh are constantly at war and will continue to be at war until we are taken home to heaven. In this conflict, the believer must yield to the Spirit.
5,18 Those who are led by the Spirit not under the law. This verse can be understood in two ways. First, those who spirited are all Christians. Therefore, none of the Christians not under the law; they do not rely on their own efforts. Secondly, be led by the spirit means to rise above the flesh and be filled with the Lord. When we are filled with Him, we do not think about the law or the flesh. The Spirit of God does not lead people to look to the law as a means of justification. No, He points them to the resurrected Christ as the only basis on which God can accept us.
5,19-21 Earlier we mentioned that the law calls upon the efforts of the flesh. Which affairs produced by fallen human nature? They known everyone. Adultery This is marital infidelity. (Greek text issues "adultery". Word "fornication"(porneia) is often translated as sexual immorality that includes adultery. However, it is unlikely that Paul would have forgotten to specifically list this widespread sin of adultery in the list of carnal vices.)
Fornication- Illicit sexual intercourse. Impurity- moral evil, sensuality. lewdness- Shameless behavior, not recognizing restrictions. Idolatry- not only the worship of idols, but also the immorality that accompanies the service of demons. Magic- this is witchcraft; the Greek word of the original is associated with medicines ( pharmaceuticals).
Since medicines (and drugs) were used in witchcraft, the word came to mean communicating with evil spirits or using magic spells. This can also be understood as superstition, bad omens, etc. enmity, or hatred are strong evil feelings towards people. Quarreling- disagreement, quarrels, squabbles. Envy, or jealousy, discontent caused by someone else's success or prosperity; distrust, suspicion. Anger- these are violent explosions of temperament or passions. In some texts, in particular in the Good News, selfishness is also mentioned here - a selfish desire to be the best, even at the expense of others. strife And disagreements is a division caused by disagreement. heresy- these are sects formed by people who persist in their opinion. Murders- Unlawful killing of others. (In Greek text released "murder"(phonoi). Since this word is very similar to the previous one ( phthonoi, "envy"), it could easily fall out during rewriting.)
Drunkenness- Constant use of strong drinks. outrage- loose gatherings for entertainment, which are often accompanied by drunkenness.
Paul warns his readers, as he did before, that those who do so will not inherit the kingdom of God. It does not say that the drunkard cannot be saved; it says here that those whose life characterized these above traits are not saved. (See note on 1 Corinthians 6:9.)
Why did Paul write this to the Christian churches? The reason is that not all who claim to be saved are true children of God. Thus, throughout the NT, the Holy Spirit combines the presentation of the most amazing spiritual truths with the most serious warnings to those who pretend to profess the name of Christ.
5,22-23 What matters is that the apostle distinguishes affairs flesh and the fruit of the spirit. Deeds are the result of human energy. Fetus but it grows when the branch is on the vine (John 15:5). They are as different from each other as a factory and a garden. Please note that the word "fetus" is singular, not plural. The Holy Spirit grows only one fetus- likeness to Christ. All the virtues listed here describe the life of a child of God. Dr. C. I. Scofield pointed out that each of them is unusual for the human heart as such.
Love is what God is and what we should be. It is beautifully described in 1 Corinthians 13 and manifested in its entirety on the cross of Calvary. Joy- contentment and satisfaction with God and what He does.
Christ showed this in Heb. John 4:34. World can include both the peace of God and harmonious relationships among Christians. To see what peace was in the soul of the Redeemer, read Ev. from Luke 8:22-25. longsuffering- this is patience in sorrows, troubles and persecutions. The greatest example of patience is found in Heb. from Luke 23:34. goodness- it is softness; perhaps it is best explained by the Lord's attitude toward small children (Mark 10:14). Mercy- kindness to others. We can see mercy in action if we read Ev. from Luke 10:30-35. Faith can mean trust in God, confidence in our fellow Christians, fidelity or dependability. Probably the latter was meant here. Meekness speaks of the need to take a low place, as Jesus did when he washed the feet of his disciples (John 13:1-17). Abstinence literally means keeping oneself to oneself, especially with regard to sex. Our life must be disciplined. Lust, passions, desires, temperament must be controlled. We must practice moderation. Samuel Chadwick points out:
"If you write in newspaper language, this place will look like this: the fruit of the Spirit is an affectionate, loving attitude; a radiant spirit and a cheerful disposition; a calm mind and mild manners; patience in provoking circumstances and with people who experience it; empathy and the ability to tactfully help; generosity in judgment and beneficence from the heart faithfulness and dependability in all circumstances humility that makes one forget oneself while being happy for others self-mastery and self-control in all situations is the finishing touch of perfection Combine the above with 1 Corinthians 13 - how amazing it is! "(Samuel Chadwick, cited in James A. Stewart, Pastures of Tender Grass, p. 253.)
Paul ends this list with a mysterious comment: "There is no law against them." Of course not! These virtues are pleasing to God, useful to others, and good for ourselves. But how is this fruit produced? By human effort? Not at all. It appears when a Christian lives in fellowship with the Lord. When people look with love at the Savior and consecrate themselves to Him, obey Him in their daily lives, the Holy Spirit works an amazing miracle. He transforms them into the likeness of Christ. Seeing Him, they become like Him (2 Cor. 3:18). As the branch receives life and nourishment from the vine, so the believer in Christ receives strength from the true Vine and thus can live a fruitful life for God.
5,24 Those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh. The tense of the verb indicates that it has already happened in the past. (Aorist estaurosan indicates a completed action, not a still ongoing result.) This actually happened at the time of our conversion. When we repented, in a sense, we crucified on the cross the old, vicious, corrupt nature with all its attachments and desires. We firmly decided that we would no longer serve our fallen nature, that it would no longer take over us. Of course, throughout life, this solution must be constantly updated. We must keep the flesh in the place of death all the time.
5,25 "If" here means "because". Because the works of the Holy spirit, created in us, we inherit eternal life, let us by the power of the same Spirit live a new life. The law will never give life, it was never meant to be the Christian's guide to life.
C. Practical exhortations (5.26 - 6.10)
5,26 This verse speaks of three feelings to be avoided.
1. Vanity - let's not boast literally, to hold on to a false or empty self-conceit. God does not want Christians to be conceited braggarts; it does not correspond to the fact that they are sinners saved by grace. People living under the law often take pride in their meager accomplishments and scoff at those who don't measure up to their standards, and legal Christians often speak disparagingly of other Christians who don't have the same list of things they condemn.
2. Provoking - annoy each other. To provoke another, to challenge him - whether he corresponds to our private views - is to refuse a Spirit-filled life. Without putting yourself in the place of another person, you will never know his problems and temptations.
3. Envy - envy each other. Here envy is the sin of wanting what belongs to another, to which we have no right. Envy keeps someone else's great success, talents, property or good looks from sleeping. People who have little talent or weak character are prone to envy. They envy those who seem to be more successful in keeping the law. These qualities are alien to grace. A true believer should value others more than himself. Those who keep the law want false glory. True greatness is to serve inconspicuously and to work inconspicuously.
Chapter 6
6,1 There is a fine point here about how Christians should treat sinning believers. Of course, this is in sharp contradiction to the law, which called for condemnation of the criminal. Fall into what sin- it is rather to commit a sin once, and not to sin constantly. This person should be dealt with. spiritual Christians. A carnal Christian with a hard, cold attitude can do more harm than good. And the sinner will hardly accept admonition from one who himself does not have fellowship with the Lord. This verse raises an interesting question. If a person is truly spiritual, does he admit it? After all, truly spiritual people understand their shortcomings best of all. Who, then, will be engaged in restoration, if this work classifies a person as spiritual? Wouldn't that be indicative of a lack of modesty? The answer is this: a truly spiritual person will never boast of his condition. His heart, the soft heart of a shepherd, will inspire in him the desire to restore the sinner. He will not act in a spirit of pride and superiority, but in a spirit of meekness, remembering that he too can be tempted.
6,2 Bremen are failures, temptations and trials. Instead of standing at a distance and criticizing, we should take the side of the brother who is in trouble or grief and help in any way we can.
Law of Christ includes all the commandments of the Lord Jesus that He gave to His people in the NT. It can be summarized in one commandment: "... love one another" (John 13:34; 15:12). We do it when we carry each other's burdens. Law of Christ not at all like the law of Moses. He promised life for obedience, but did not give any power to be obedient and could only obey under pain of punishment. Law of Christ on the contrary, they are loving instructions to those who already have life. Believers are given the ability to carry out its precepts by the power of the Holy Spirit, and they are moved by love for Christ.
6,3 We are all made of the same dust. Seeing how our brother sins, we must remember that we ourselves could have been in his place. For a Christian, a superiority complex is self-deception. Of course, we should never think that it is beneath our dignity to bear the burdens of others.
6,4 It seems to be a warning against the habit of comparing yourself to others and finding reasons to be satisfied. The apostle points out that on the day of the Judgment of Christ, each of us will be asked personally and will not be compared with others. Therefore, we must pay attention to ourselves in order to rejoice. to your business, not failure others.
6,5 In verse 2, Paul teaches that we are to share in one another's sorrows, sufferings, and problems in this present life. In verse 5, the main idea is that each of us will have to bear your burden responsibility before the Judgment Seat of Christ.
6,6 Believers are responsible for supporting their Christian teachers. Share all good things means to share material things with them and support them with prayer and pious interest.
6,7 Although many may overlook our neglect of God's servants, He sees this and brings forth a corresponding harvest. We will reap what we have sown, but in greater quantities. When the farmer will sow wheat, he also reaps wheat - sometimes thirty, sometimes sixty or a hundred times more than he sowed. Scofield remarks that "the Spirit here speaks not to the sinners of their sins, but to the saints of their baseness."
It is, of course, true in a broader sense that "those who plow wickedness and sow evil reap it" (Job 4:8) and that those who "sow the wind...reap the whirlwind" (Hos. 8:7). Historian J. E. Froud noted, “History can be said to clearly repeat one and only one lesson: the world is somehow built on moral foundations, and in the end, good things happen well, and bad things happen badly.” (J. A. Froude, no more complete data available.)
6,8 While it is generally true that we reap what we have sown, it is worth noting that this reminder follows an exhortation to Christian giving. In this regard, it can be seen that the into your flesh means spending money on yourself, for your pleasure and convenience. Sowing in spirit is the use of money in the interests of God.
Those who do the first reap already here on earth a harvest of disappointment and loss, for as they grow older they learn that the flesh for whose pleasures they lived decays and dies. And in the age to come they lose their eternal reward. And those who sow in the spirit, from the spirit reap eternal life. The Bible speaks of eternal life in two senses: 1) it is something that every believer already has (John 3:36). 2) This is what the believer will receive at the end of his earthly life (Rom. 6:22). Sowers in spirit enjoying eternal life now and here in a way that other Christians do not. They, too, will reap the rewards of faithfulness when they come to their heavenly home.
6,9 Lest anyone give up, Paul reminds his readers that there will certainly be a reward, though not immediately. A wheat field is not reaped a day after sowing. It is the same in the spiritual realm: rewards will surely follow the right sowing - in my time.
6,10 Yours by faith are all saved, regardless of differences in denominations or divisions. Our kindness should not be limited to the circle of believers, but in relation to them it should be manifested in a special way.
Our goal should not be negative- do less damage positive- do more of good. John Wesley said it succinctly: "Do as much good as you can, in every way you can, to all the people you can, all the time you can."
D. Conclusion (6:11-18)
6,11 See how much I have written to you with my own hand.(In the translation of the Good News and others, "Look how large I am writing this letter to you with my own hand.") Instead of dictating to the assistant, as he usually did, Paul wrote the letter himself. The large letters in which he wrote may indicate the depth of feelings with which he struggled with the lawyers, and how serious he considered the error of the Jews. Or it could mean that Paul had poor eyesight, as many believe based on this and other passages. We believe that this point of view is correct.
6,12 Judaists wanted boast according to the flesh, gathering large groups of followers. They could do this by insisting on circumcision. People are often quite willing to perform rituals and ceremonies, unless they are required to change their habits. Today it is a common thing to organize a large church community by lowering the requirements. Paul sees through the insincerity of these false teachers and accuses them of trying to avoid persecution. for the cross of Christ.
6,13 The Jews were not particularly interested in the observance law. In fact, they were looking for an easy way to convert others so that they could brag long list of followers. Boyce says, "It was an attempt to convince others of what was in itself untenable; for even the circumcised could not keep the law."
6,14 For Paul, the reason for boasting was not human flesh, but cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. On this cross the world died to Paul, and Paul died to the world. When a person is saved, the world says goodbye to him, and he says goodbye to the world. He's messed up in terms of peace, because he is no longer interested in fleeting worldly pleasures; world for him has lost its attraction, because he has found the One who fully satisfies. Findlay says: "He cannot believe in the world, he cannot be proud of it, he cannot honor it any more.
The world is stripped of its glory and power and can no longer charm or control it." Thus, cross is the great barrier, the dividing line between the world and the child of God.
6,15 Although at first glance it may not seem so, this verse is one of the most important passages in the entire epistle that sets forth Christian truth.
Circumcision It is the outward observance of a rule, a ritual. The Jewish teachers made everything dependent on the performance of this rite. Circumcision was the foundation of Judaism. Paul sweeps it away with a stroke of the pen: circumcision- nothing. Ritual, Judaism, legalism mean nothing. Then Paul adds: "nor uncircumcision." There are those who are proud of themselves because they did not participate in the ritual. Their whole church service is a rebellion against the rites. There is no value in this either.
Really important to God new creature. He wants to see a transformed life. Findlay writes: "True Christianity is that which turns the bad into good, which changes the slaves of sin into sons of God." All people are in one of two states. Born into the world, they are sinful, helpless and condemned. All their efforts to save themselves or to help God save them by trying to do good and be good are futile and do not change them. new creature, or new creation, is headed by the resurrected Christ and includes all who have been redeemed from sin and received new life in Him. Since the new creation is all in Christ from beginning to end, it excludes any possibility of gaining the favor of God by being good yourself or doing good. Holy living comes not when a person performs rituals, but when he submits to Christ and allows Him to live His life in the believer. new creature- this is not an improvement on the old or an addition to it, but something completely different.
6,16 About what rule Paul says here? This is the new creation rule. He invokes a double blessing peace and mercy on those who judge the doctrine by answering the question, "Is this part of the new creation?" and who deny everything that is not. And the Israel of God. Many people think that this refers to the Church. However Israel of God are those Jews by birth who accepted the Lord Jesus as the Messiah. Those who lived under the law had neither peace nor grace, but both became part of them in the new creation.
6,17 Paul, once a slave of the law, was released from bondage by the Lord Jesus. Paul is now a servant of the Lord of his own free will. Just as the slaves bore the mark of their master on their bodies, so did Paul on the body of the plague of the Lord Jesus. What is this ulcers? These are scars from wounds inflicted by the hands of his persecutors. Here he says, "Don't let anyone try to lay claim to me. Don't talk to me about the brand of circumcision, which means slavery to the law. I'm branded by my new Master, Jesus Christ."
6,18 Soon the apostle will lay down his pen. But before that, he must finish the letter by adding one word. What will that word be? GRACE- a word that is so characteristic of his gospel. Grace, not the law. With this theme he began (1,3), and he ends with it. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brethren. Amen.
Legalism
To conclude the study of the book of Galatians, we can conclude that Paul inflicted such a crushing defeat on the teachers of legalism that this issue will never again bother the Church. But history and experience prove otherwise. Legalism has become such an important part of Christianity that most people think it was legal from the start.
Yes, the lawyers are still with us. What else can you call those who profess to be a minister of Christ and teach, for example, that confirmation, baptism, or church membership are necessary for salvation; that the law is the rule of life for the believer; that faith saves us, but works keep salvation? What is this if not Judaism, brought into Christianity, when we are required to accept a human-appointed priesthood with its distinctive robes, buildings built on the model of the temple, with their carved altars and complex rituals, and a church calendar with Lenten period, holidays and fasts?
Isn't it the Galatian heresy that believers are warned that they must keep the Sabbath if they want to be ultimately saved? Today's preachers of legalism make monstrous attacks on those who profess to believe in Christ, and therefore every believer must be warned of their doctrine and instructed how to respond to them.
Sabbath prophets usually begin by preaching salvation by faith in Jesus Christ. They use their favorite gospel hymns to lure the uninformed, and they seem to attach great importance to the Scriptures.
But soon they subject their followers to the law of Moses, emphasizing in particular the commandment of the Sabbath (Saturday is the seventh day).
How dare they do this in light of Paul's clear teaching that the Christian is dead to the law? How can they get around what is clearly stated in Galatians? The answer is that they distinguish between the moral law and the ceremonial. The moral law is the Ten Commandments. The ceremonial law is other regulations given by God, such as rules regarding unclean food, leprosy, offerings to God, etc.
The moral law, they say, has never been repealed. It is an expression of the eternal truth of God. To engage in idolatry, to commit murder or adultery is always against the law of God. However, Christ put an end to the ceremonial law. Therefore, they conclude, when Paul teaches that the Christian is dead to the law, he is talking about the ceremonial law, not the Ten Commandments.
Because the moral law is still in effect, Christians must honor it, they insist. This means that they must keep the Sabbath and must not do any work on that day. They claim that one of the popes of the Roman Catholic Church ordered that the day of celebration be changed from Saturday to Sunday, which was a gross violation of Scripture.
These arguments sound very sensible and attractive. However, they have one wonderful feature that condemns them: they are completely contrary to the Word of God! Pay attention to this:
1. In 2 Corinthians 3:7-11, the Ten Commandments are clearly stated to be transient to the believer in Christ. In verse 7 the law is called "the service of deadly letters inscribed on stones." It can only mean moral, not ceremonial law. Only the Ten Commandments were written in stone with the finger of God (Ex. 31:18). In verse 11 we read that the ministry of death, though glorious, is transitory. It's hard to find anything more decisive. The Sabbath cannot claim dominion over Christians.
2. No Gentile has ever been told to keep the Sabbath. The law was given only to the Jews (Ex. 31:13). Although God Himself rested on the seventh day, He did not command anyone to do so until He gave the law to the children of Israel.
3. Christians switched from celebrating the Sabbath to celebrating Sunday (in some countries this is the first, not the seventh day of the week) not by decree of any pope.
We have set aside the Lord's day for worship and service because the Lord Jesus rose from the dead on that day as proof that the work of redemption was completed (John 20:1).
In addition, on this day the first followers of Christ gathered to break bread in remembrance of the death of the Lord (Acts 20:7), and it was this day that God indicated to Christians so that they would put aside a part of what the Lord endowed them with (1 Cor. 16:1-2). Further, the Holy Spirit was also sent from heaven to earth on the first day of the week.
Christians do not "observe" the day of the Lord as a means to achieve holiness or for fear of punishment. They separate this day by lovingly dedicating it to the One who gave Himself for them.
4. Paul does not distinguish between moral and ceremonial laws. Rather, he insists that the law is one and the same, and that cursed are those who try to achieve righteousness by means of it, and at the same time cannot fulfill it completely.
5. Nine of the Ten Commandments are repeated in the NT as moral instructions to the children of God. They are concerned with what is invariably right or wrong. The only commandment that is issued is the law of the Sabbath. Keeping a day off is not right or wrong in and of itself. Christians are not instructed to keep the Sabbath. Rather, Scripture clearly states that a Christian can't be condemned because he does not keep it (Col. 2:16).
6. In the OT, non-observance of the Sabbath was punished by death (Ex. 35:2). But those who insist that believers must keep the Sabbath today do not punish those who break this law. In this way, they dishonor the law and undermine its authority by not insisting on the implementation of its requirements. In essence, they are saying, "This is the law of God and you must keep it, but if you break it, it's okay."
7. Christ, not the law, is the rule of life for the believer. We must live like He does. This standard is higher than the legal one. The Holy Spirit empowers us to live holy lives. We want to live holy lives because we love Christ. The righteousness required by the law is fulfilled by those who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit (Rom. 8:4).
Thus, the teaching that the believer must keep the Sabbath day is in direct contradiction to Scripture and is simply "another gospel" that God curses (Gal. 1:7-9).
May God give everyone the wisdom to recognize the evil teaching of legalism, in whatever form it may appear! Let us never seek justification and sanctification in ceremonies or human effort, but in every need let us rely entirely on the Lord Jesus Christ. Let us always remember that legalism is an insult to God, because it replaces Reality with a shadow, Christ with rituals.
Bibliography
Cole, Alan. The Epistle of Paul to the Galatians. Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1965.
Eadie, John. Commentary on the Epistle of Paul to the Galatians. Edinburgh: T. and T. Clark, 1884.
Harrison, Norman B. His Side Versus Our Side. Minneapolis: The Harrison Service, 1940.
Hogg, C. F. and W. E. Vine. Epistle to the Galatians. Glasgow: Pickering and Inglis, 1922.
Ironside, Harry A. Expository Messages on the Epistle to the Galatians. New York: Loizeaux Brothers, 1941.
Kelly, William. Lectures on the Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Galatians. London: G. Morrish, n. d.
Lightfoot, J.B. The Epistle of St. Paul to the Galatians. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1962.
Mackintosh, C.H. Genesis to Deuteronomy. Neptune, N.J.: Loizeaux Bros.
Stott, John R. Only One Way: The Message of the Galatians. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1968.
The Apostle Paul, in his address to the Galatians, denounced the false teachers who tried in every possible way to undermine his authority in the eyes of the newly converted Galatian Christians. He also gave his reasoning about the Old and New Testaments, about the foundations of Christian morality.
This message is somewhat different in character from other gospel texts and is more reminiscent of censure. However, it is this approach that in some cases helps to understand what can and cannot be done.
Readers of the message
Researchers have not yet fully figured out exactly who was supposed to read the letter written by Paul.
- Some historians tend to believe that Galatia was a country in the center of Asia Minor, where Gallic tribes settled two hundred years before the birth of Christ.
- Others argue that by Galatia one should understand the whole Roman province under the same name.
Holy Apostle Paul
The first version looks more correct. It is known that during his first trip to Galatia, the apostle Paul fell ill and stayed there longer than he originally planned. During this period, he managed to establish churches there and successfully preach the gospel. The second time, when he came to the Galatians, Paul noted their tendency to follow the law of Moses, since the Jews also settled in this territory and in every possible way contributed to the conversion of the local population to Judaism.
Important! For their adherence to Judaism as a false doctrine, Paul denounced the Galatians.
Reason and purpose of writing a letter
When Paul left Galatia, the churches were actively invaded by Judaizers. They proclaimed to the inhabitants of Galatia the need to keep the law of Moses, because only in this way they will have access to eternal bliss after death. According to them, Paul did not give them the complete gospel teaching. But it is interesting that the Jews did not force certain provisions of the Mosaic Law to be fulfilled. The most important thing was circumcision and observance of Jewish holidays.
The authority of Paul as an apostle was actively discredited. The false teachers accused him of not having been chosen by the Lord Jesus Christ himself and never having seen him. All the best that is in his teaching is from the first apostles called by Christ, everything else is just a fruit of his own imagination. There were convictions that Paul was able to deceive his listeners and was simply looking for popularity.
Paul's gospel was in a very bad position. The Galatians were ready to fully accept the Jewish doctrine and celebrate their holidays. Then the apostle Paul decides to write his epistle. Galatia turns into an arena in which the fate of a young religion was decided.
Important! In this epistle, Paul stands as a fighter for his idea, he proves to the Galatians that for those converted to Christianity there is no need to observe the provisions of the Mosaic law - they already become heirs of the Promised Kingdom.
Time and place of writing
Regarding the time of writing the epistle to the Galatians, we can conclude that this was done at the turn of 54-55. His third trip to these parts ended with a stay in Ephesus from 54 to 56.
The Epistle to the Galatians lays down the truths that must be observed regardless of age and origin
As the gospel texts testify, he was struck by the speed with which the Galatian population went over to the side of Paul's opponents. Consequently, he could not refer to them after many years. It was necessary to act as soon as possible.
Dividing the message by content
The Epistle of the Apostle can be divided into several structural parts.
- The first is the preface, in which he welcomes and outlines the main topics that should be discussed.
- Then comes the defensive part, where Paul denounces the false accusations against him and responds to the most unfair attacks.
- In the doctrinal part, he gives his thoughts and conclusions about the Old and New Testaments, as well as the law of Moses.
- Paul deals with questions of Christian morality and its foundations in the moralizing part.
- It concludes with apostolic instructions and blessings.
Authorship of the Epistle to the Galatians
There has never been any doubt among scholars about the authenticity of the authorship of the Apostle Paul himself. But as for the time of writing the epistle to the Galatians, then there are still disputes. One side believes that the text was written in the year 48 in Antioch and is the first epistle of Paul, the other is of the opinion that the epistle appeared around the year 56 in Ephesus.
In the analysis of the Epistle to the Galatians, one can find reproaches and instructions to the followers of Christ
Be that as it may, the main goal pursued by the author was to convey to the new Christian communities the principle of equality before God of former pagans and believing Jews. After all, the main thing is faith.
The authenticity of the message
Quotations from the gospel text to the Galatians were often used in subsequent centuries by other followers of Christianity.
From the middle of the 19th century, critics from the Barua school began to refute the authenticity of this message. Professor Steck, who published his own treatise on this subject, suggests that the polemic of this epistle has very much in common with the epistle to the Corinthians and Romans. According to him, it could have been written at a time when the struggle between Christianity and Judaism became especially acute, that is, at the beginning of the 2nd century.
Some scientists took the side of the professor, but still the majority did not agree with his views and arguments. First of all, because the reasons for the confrontation between the Jews and the Gospel of Paul could arise precisely at the stage of the emergence of churches from the Gentiles. In the second century, this would no longer make sense, since the conversion of the pagan population to the bosom of the church was completed.
Literature
- Ephraim the Sirin;
- Augustine;
- blessed Jerome;
- John Chrysostom;
- archim. Agafangel;
- archbishop Filaret;
- prof. I.I. Glubokovsky and others.
Interpretation and meaning of the message
Although Paul's message was addressed to a specific congregation and at a completely different time, as far as today's modernity is concerned, it applies to life outside of time. It illuminates all the truths that a believing Christian must observe, regardless of his origin and the era in which he lives. The epistle talks a lot about the process of circumcision, about the equality of believers and pagans before God.
Important! According to the apostle, salvation is possible only through strong faith and grace. Lawful deeds calm only the conscience, but not the soul.
Particular attention is paid to the issue of love for one's neighbor. The apostle also distinguished between the concepts of "fruit of the spirit" and "work of the flesh."
As for the meaning of the message, there are many points of view in this regard, which are based on personal nuances of the worldview. For the full understanding of the teachings of the Apostle Paul, you should familiarize yourself with other gospel texts.
Since the Galatians did not know the religious rules, they easily fell under the influence of the zealous guardians of these same rules - the Jews.
Important! The message expresses resistance to religious hypocrisy and Christianity, perceived as something due.
Paul expresses contempt for people who have created an appearance, but have not understood the essence of faith. He is doing his best to strengthen the faith of the Galatian Christians.
Apostle Paul's Epistle to the Galatians
Paul the Apostle, chosen not by men and not through man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised Him from the dead,
And all the brethren who are with me to the churches of Galatia:
Grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ,
who gave himself for our sins, to deliver us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father;
To Him be glory forever and ever. Amen.
Some people came to the Galatians and declared that Paul, they say, was not an apostle at all, and therefore there was no need to listen to him. They based their statement on the fact that he was not one of the Twelve, but, on the contrary, the most ferocious persecutor of the Church, and that he was not appointed by its leaders. Paul does not argue about this, but declares: he really owes his apostolate not to any mortal, but to the event on the road to Damascus, when he met Jesus Christ, and he received the apostolate and his task directly from God.
1. Paul was sure that God was speaking to him. They tell about a boy who decided to become a clergyman. When asked how he came to this decision, he replied that it happened after a service in the school chapel. When asked about the name of the preacher who made such an impression on him, he replied: "I do not know the name of the priest, but I know that God spoke to me that day." After all, a person cannot transform another into a priest. Only God can make this happen.
The essence of a Christian is not that he has gone through certain rituals and made certain vows, but that he has met Christ. An old Jewish priest named Abed-Tob said of his ministry: “Neither father nor mother put me in this place; the hand of the Almighty King entrusted it to me.”
2. Paul's ability to work and suffer in the field of God was determined by the assurance that God had given him this mission. He believed that every assignment or test that fell to him was sent down to him by God.
But not only people like Paul have to fulfill God's mission: God gives each person a certain task. This may be a mission that will become known to every person and fall into the annals of history, or perhaps his work will pass completely unnoticed, but both of them are entrusted to man by God.
Did not give high wisdom,
Didn't put in a lot of effort
And having an insignificant gift,
You are still needed for work,
Who will answer without being shy: "I am ready to serve, Lord."
God calls to a high goal:
Work for Him
Oh, let's go, so that we actually
Praise your God!
Let's work hard
Here or there, near, far;
Let everyone be inspired:
"I'm ready to send me!"
Many of the humblest deeds are a Divine mission. Part of it, as Robert Burns said:
A cozy hearth for children and spouses - The task and goal of a person in life.
God gave Paul the mission of evangelizing the world. The task of most of us may be limited to making happy a few neighbors in our narrow circle.
At the very beginning of his epistle, Paul sums up his wishes and prayers for believers in two remarkable words.
1. He wishes them grace. There are two main ideas in this word, and the first of them is the idea moral beauty. Greek word haris means grace in the theological sense, but it also means beauty and charm; and even in a theological context, he also has the idea of charm. The Christian life, with its inherent grace, is also a beautiful life. Too often we find kindness without charm, and charm without kindness. But when the spiritual disposition and charm are combined, then grace is manifested. Moreover, in the word grace is the idea undeserved generosity or a gift that man never deserved and could not deserve, and which God gave him in His magnanimous love. When Paul pleads for grace for his friends, he seems to be saying, "May the beauty of God's undeserved love be in you, that your life too may become beautiful."
2. He wishes them peace Paul was Jewish and must have been thinking about the Jewish word shalom, when he wrote the Greek word eirene. Shalom means more than the mere absence of worries and troubles.
It includes everything that serves the highest good; everything that strengthens the mind, will and heart. This is the feeling of God's love and care that keeps the heart calm even when the body is in torment.
And finally, Paul shows in one immense sentence the heart and accomplishments of Jesus Christ. “who gave himself. to save us.” a) The love of Christ is the love who gave herself and suffered, b) The love of Christ is love who won and accomplished. The tragedy in our lives is that our love often goes to waste, but the love of Christ is connected with an immeasurable power that nothing can turn away, and which can save its loved ones from the bonds of sin.
Galatians 1:6-10 Slave of Christ
I am surprised that you are so quickly moving from Him who called you by the grace of Christ to another gospel,
Which, however, is not otherwise, but only there are people who confuse you and want to turn the gospel of Christ
But even if we, or an angel from heaven, began to preach to you not what we preached to you, let him be anathema
As we said before, so now I say again whoever preaches to you not what you received, let him be anathema
Do I now seek favor from people, or from God? Do I try to please people? If I still pleased people, I would not be a slave of Christ
At the heart of this epistle is an important fact: Paul's good news is not a figment of the imagination. He believed with all his heart that man could not do anything by which he could earn the love of God; and therefore there is only one thing left for a man - in faith to surrender to His mercy. It remains for a person to accept with reverent gratitude what God offers him. What matters is not what we can do for ourselves, but what God has done for us.
Paul preached the gospel of the wonderful grace of God. After him came people who preached a Jewish version of Christianity. To please God, a person must be circumcised, and then devote himself to the fulfillment of all the norms and regulations of the law. Every time a person acts in accordance with the law, it is credited to him by God. They taught that a person needs to earn the love of God. Paul was convinced that this was impossible.
Opponents accused Paul of simplifying religion in order to ingratiate himself with the masses. Such an accusation completely perverted the truth, because if religion consists in the fulfillment of all norms and regulations, it, at least in theory, can satisfy its requirements, but Paul puts the Crucified Christ in the foreground and says: "This is how God loves you." Not law, A Love Christ embraces us. A man could more easily fulfill the requirements of the law, because they are narrowly and clearly formulated, but he can never fulfill the requirements of love, because if he gave his beloved the sun, moon and stars, he would still realize that the gift would be too small. But Paul's Jewish opponents emphasized only the fact that Paul had declared circumcision unnecessary, and the demands and norms of the Jewish law were no longer appropriate.
Paul denied that he tried to please people. He served not people, but God. He didn't care what people said or thought about him; God was his Lord. And here he makes an irrefutable argument. “If I still pleased people,” he says, I would not be a servant of Christ. At the same time, he meant the following: on the body of a slave, the name and brand of his master were burned with a red-hot iron; he himself, too, bore on his body the mark of his suffering as a servant of Christ. “If I still pleased people,” says Paul, “would I still have these scars on my body?” The scars and scars on his body were proof that he served Christ, and not the flattering whims of people.
John Gunter has a story about the first Russian communists. Many of them were imprisoned under tsarism, and traces of the suffering suffered were visible on them. But they were not at all ashamed of these distortions on the body; On the contrary, they were proud of them. We cannot doubt their sincere devotion to the cause of communism.
When people see our willingness to suffer for the faith we profess, they begin to believe that we really believe in it. If faith costs us nothing, no one will give it any value.
Galatians 1:11-17 Majesty of the right hand of the Lord
I declare to you, brethren, that the gospel which I have preached is not human,
For I also received it and learned not from a man, but through the revelation of Jesus Christ
You heard about my former way of life in Judaism, that I severely persecuted the Church of God and devastated it,
And I succeeded in Judaism more than many peers in my generation, being an immoderate zealot of my fatherly traditions
When God, who chose me from my mother's womb and called me by His grace, was pleased
To reveal His Son in me, so that I would proclaim His gospel to the Gentiles - I did not then consult with flesh and blood, And I did not go to Jerusalem to the Apostles who preceded me, but went to Arabia and again returned to Damascus.
Paul claimed that he received the gospel of Christ not second-hand, but directly from God. This was a very important statement and it had to be proven somehow. For proof, Paul pointed to himself—a bold enough move—and to the change that had taken place in him.
1. He was fanatical zealot of the law, and then the main inspirer of his life became grace. This man, who once passionately and perseveringly tried to earn God's favor, now cherished in humble faith what He lovingly bestowed. He stopped being proud of what he could do for himself, and began to praise what God had done for him.
2. He cruelly persecuted the Church of God. He devastated Church. The word used in the original means give it up for plunder. Previously, Paul tried to wipe the Church off the face of the earth, burn it to the ground, and now his only goal, for which he was ready to lay down his life, is to reveal the secret of the Church to the whole world.
Every result has a corresponding cause. If a person strives in one direction, and then suddenly turns and just as rapidly goes in the opposite direction; if he suddenly changes his values of life so much that his way of life becomes different, then an appropriate explanation is appropriate. For Paul, that explanation was the direct intervention of God. God put his hand on his shoulder and stopped him in the middle of his career. “Only God could do such a thing,” Paul said. It is also remarkable for him that he is not afraid to list all his shameful deeds in order to emphasize the power and authority of the Lord. Two things are important to Paul about this direct intervention of God.
1. It did not happen by accident, but was an integral part of the eternal plan of God. It is related how Alexander White delivered a sermon to his flock after his ordination. In it he said that from age to age, God prepared this man for this flock, and this flock for this man; and at that moment, by his design, they met.
God sends each person according to His purposes. His task may be great or small; it can become the property of the whole world, or be known only to a few people. Epictetus said: “Have the courage to turn to God saying: “Do with me from now on as you please. I am one with You; I am yours; I won't shy away from anything as long as You see fit. Lead me where You please; dress me in any clothes. Do You want me to hold office or stay away from it, to stay at home or run away, to be rich or poor? Whatever You do not prepare for me, I will defend You before people.” If the pagan philosopher could give himself so wholly to God, whom he only dimly knew, how much more must we give ourselves to Him.
2. Paul knew he was chosen for a mission. He imagined that he was chosen not for glory, but for service; not for a quiet life, but for struggle. For the most difficult campaigns, the commander selects his best fighters; The teacher assigns the most difficult tasks to the best students. Paul knew that he was saved for the ministry.
Galatians 1:18-24 The path of the chosen
Then, after three years, I went to Jerusalem to see Peter and stayed with him for fifteen days. I did not see any other of the Apostles except James, the brother of the Lord.
And in what I write to you, before God, I do not lie. After this I went to the countries of Syria and Cilicia.
I was not personally known to the Churches of Christ in Judea,
And as soon as they heard that the one who once persecuted them is now preaching the faith that he formerly destroyed,
And they glorified God for me.
If we consider this passage against the background of the previous one, we will immediately see what Paul did after the right hand of the Lord defeated him.
1. First he went to Arabia. He went there to be alone with himself. He had two reasons for this: first, he needed to be well aware of the grandiose event that had happened to him; second, he had to talk to God before he could talk to people. Few take the time to be alone with themselves and with God. And how can a person resist the temptations, tensions and stress of life if he has not realized and thought through the painful problems?
2. After that - to Damascus. It was just a bold move. When God stopped Paul, he was on his way to Damascus to destroy the Church, and all of Damascus knew about it. He returned to testify to people who knew better than anyone who he used to be.
Kipling's famous poem, The Mulholland Oath. Mulholland was a cattleman on the ship. During the storm that broke out, the bulls broke out of their stalls. Mulholland promised God that if He saved him from the horns and hooves of the bulls, then he would serve Him until the end of his days. When he reached the place unharmed, he intended to keep his word by deciding to preach the faith where no one knew him. But God said, "Go back to the ship and preach there my good news." God sent him back where he knew everyone and where everyone knew him. We are called to begin bearing witness for Christ and doing good at home.
3. Then - to Jerusalem. And again he risks his life. His former Jewish friends wanted his blood because they considered him a traitor. His former Christian victims may also reject him, for it is hard to believe that he is now a brother in Christ.
And Paul had the courage to face his past. We cannot escape our past by running away. We can free ourselves from it only by turning to it and overcoming it. And finally he went to Syria and Cilicia. There was his hometown of Tare. There he grew up. There were friends of his childhood and youth. And again he chose the hard way. There he will no doubt be looked upon as mad; they will meet him with irritation, and even ridicule. But Paul was ready for this too: let him be considered insane for the sake of Christ.
In these verses Paul sought to defend and prove the independence of his gospel: he received it not from the hands of a mortal, but from God; he consulted not with men, but with God. But as Paul wrote, he unconsciously showed himself to be a man who had the courage to testify to the change that had taken place in him and to preach the good news under the most difficult conditions.
Galatians 2:1-10 The man who did not want to live in awe
Then, after fourteen years, I again went to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus with me. And I walked according to revelation and offered there, and especially to the most famous, the gospel preached by me to the Gentiles, whether I was striving or striving in vain.
But they did not force Titus, who was with me, even though he was Greek, to be circumcised.
And to the false brethren who crept in, who secretly came to spy on our freedom, which we have in Christ Jesus, in order to enslave us,
We have not yielded or submitted for an hour, so that the truth of the gospel may be preserved among you.
And in being famous for something, whatever they have ever been, there is nothing special for me: God does not look at the face of a person. And the famous have laid nothing more on me;
On the contrary, when I saw that I was entrusted with the gospel for the uncircumcised, as Peter was for the circumcised,
For He who assisted Peter in the apostleship among the circumcised also assisted me among the Gentiles,
And having learned about the grace given to me, James and Cephas and John, revered as pillars, gave me and Barnabas the hand of fellowship, so that we could go to the Gentiles, and they to the circumcised,
Just so that we remember the beggars, which I tried to do exactly.
Paul proved the genuineness of the gospel he preached. Now he proves that this authenticity was not due to anarchy, and that his gospel is neither schismatic nor sectarian, but is the faith that was bestowed upon the Church.
After fourteen years of service, he again went to Jerusalem, taking with him Titus, a young Greek and a faithful servant. This visit could not be called simple and easy. Even in the exposition, Paul's excitement is felt: in it we find a certain unevenness of the Greek original, which cannot be completely conveyed. The fact is that Paul could not say only a part in order to deviate from his principles. But he could not say too much, lest he appear to be at odds with the leaders of the Church. As a result of this, his sentences are abrupt and seem not quite connected, thus conveying his excitement.
From the very beginning, the leaders of the Church approved of his position; but there were others who sought to tame his passionate spirit. There were those who, as we have seen, converted to Christianity, but continued to maintain that God could never give privileges to anyone other than Jews, and therefore, a person, before becoming a Christian, must be circumcised and make a commitment comply with the law in its entirety. The Jews, as they were called, seized on Titus like a touchstone. Different views came to light: the leaders of the Church apparently urged Paul, for the sake of peace in the Church, to yield on this issue. But Paul stood steadfast for Titus and for his principles. Paul learned that concessions in this matter lead to the bondage of the law and to the rejection of the freedom that Christ has redeemed for people. Ultimately, Paul's conviction won out. In principle, they came to the following agreement: the areas inhabited by non-Jews belong to the sphere of Paul's activity, and the areas inhabited by Jews belong to the sphere of activity of Peter and James. It should be noted that the problem was not to preach two different gospels; it was just that the same gospel had to be preached to people with different ways of thinking from each other, and with different, but in each case the most capable teachers.
Certain characteristics of Paul emerge from this.
1. He was a man who reckoned with authority. He didn't go his own way. He went and spoke to the leaders of the Church, although he also had distinctive convictions. An important and often ignored law of life says that no matter how right we ourselves may be, we will not achieve anything positive by being rude. It's good when determination and courtesy go hand in hand.
2. He was a man of strong convictions. He repeatedly reiterates the reputation enjoyed by the leaders and pillars of the Church. Paul respected them and was courteous to them; but he remained adamant. Respect is commendable, but mean is groveling, that creeping indulgence before those whom the world or the Church consider great. Paul sought to be pleasing not so much to people as to God.
3. He was a man who realized his special mission. He was confident that God had given him a task, and he could not let external adversaries or internal doubts prevent him from completing this task. A person who knows that God has entrusted him with an important task will find God's power to carry it out.
Galatians 2:11-13 Important Unity
When Peter came to Antioch, I confronted him personally, because he was reproached.
For, before the arrival of some from Jacob, he ate with the Gentiles; and when they came, he began to hide and withdraw, fearing the circumcised.
Other Jews were hypocrites with him, so that even Barnabas was carried away by their hypocrisy.
Not all difficulties were overcome. An important place in the life of the early Christian Church was occupied by a common meal called agape or a feast of love. At this feast, the whole community gathered for a common meal, to which everyone brought what they had. For many slaves, this may have been the only good meal of the week; moreover, this meal in a special way characterized the unity of the spirit in the union of the world of all Christians.
Such a meal seemed to be a very good custom. But let us remember the rules of the Jews about their exclusivity. They considered themselves "the chosen people", and therefore forbade to communicate with other peoples. "Generous and Merciful Lord" (Ps. 102:8).“But He is merciful only to Israel; He strikes terror into the rest of the nations.” "The nations are stubble and stubble that will be burned, or scattered to the wind like chaff." “If a man repents, God accepts him; but this only applies to Israel, and not to any other nation.” "Love all but hate the heretics." This exclusivity has grown into the everyday life of the Jews. An Orthodox Jew was forbidden to deal with a Gentile, not to receive Gentiles, and not to visit them.
And so an event of great importance took place in Antioch; could Jews sit side by side at a common meal under such conditions? Under the old law, this would have been impossible. Peter came to Antioch and at first also disregarded all the old prohibitions in the glory of the new faith and participated in the common meal of Jews and Gentiles. Then other Jews came from Jerusalem. They used the name of the apostle James, although, no doubt, their opinion did not reflect his point of view. And they rebuked Peter for so long that he ceased to share in the common meal with the Gentiles. Other Jews followed suit, and eventually even Barnabas followed suit. And after that, Paul, with all the passion of his nature, turned to them, because he clearly recognized certain deviations in this.
1. A church that respects class distinctions ceases to be Christian. In Christ there is no Jew or Gentile, free or slave, rich or poor: he is simply a sinner for whom Christ died. All who are adopted by the Father are brothers.
2. Paul saw that vigorous measures must be taken to counter the apparent bias. He didn't wait, he struck. Such apostasy is dangerous, especially since it was associated with the name of Peter. A noble name does not ennoble a low deed. Paul's wise leadership is an example of how a responsible person of strong convictions can prevent perversion from the true path before apostate ideas can take root.
Galatians 2:14-17 End of law
But when I saw that they did not directly act according to the truth of the Gospel, I said to Peter in front of everyone if you, being a Jew, live in a pagan way, and not in a Jewish way, then why do you force the Gentiles to live in a Jewish way?
We are Jews by nature, and not sinners from the Gentiles,
However, knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but only by faith in Jesus Christ, we also believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ, and not by the works of the law, for no flesh will be justified by the works of the law.
But if, while seeking justification in Christ, we ourselves turned out to be sinners, then is Christ really the minister of sin? No way!
Here they got to the heart of the matter, and Paul put the question squarely. It needed to be resolved immediately. The fact is that the decision made in Jerusalem was a compromise, and, like any compromise, it led to trouble. In essence, it said that the Jews would continue to observe circumcision and the requirements of the law, and the Gentiles were exempted from observing these norms. Clearly, it couldn't go on like this, because it had to lead to the creation of two denominations and two different classes in the Church. Speaking to Peter, Paul brought him the following: “You were at the same table with the pagans, you ate the same as they; therefore, you approved in principle of the view that there is no difference between a Jew and a Gentile. How can you now suddenly change your mind and demand that the Gentiles be circumcised and keep the law? Paul saw no logic in this.
Here it is appropriate to find out the meaning of one word. When a Jew used the word sinners in relation to the pagans, he did not think about their moral qualities, but about the observance of the law. So, for example, in A lion. eleven which animals can be eaten and which cannot. A person who ate a hare or pork broke the laws and became a sinner according to the law. Therefore, Peter would have answered Paul, "But if I eat with the Gentiles, and eat the same as they do, I become a sinner."
To this Paul responded with two arguments. First: “We have long been convinced that no observance of the law can justify a person before God. The grace of God alone can accomplish this, for a person is justified by faith in Jesus Christ, apart from the works of the law. Therefore, everything connected with the law is inappropriate for the salvation of the soul.” Secondly: “In your opinion, to forget everything connected with the law and rules means to become a sinner. But this is exactly what Jesus Christ taught you. He did not tell you to try to earn salvation by eating this animal and refusing another, but taught you to rely unconditionally on the mercy and grace of God. Can you now say that Jesus Christ taught you to sin?” Obviously, only one conclusion can be drawn - the old law has been completely abolished.
This had to happen, because it would be unfair for God to adopt the Gentiles by His mercy and grace, and the Jews through the fulfillment of the law. Paul saw only one way to save a person - the grace of God, and only one way - to surrender unconditionally to His grace.
There are two great temptations in the life of every Christian, and the more sincere the Christian, the more dangerous the temptations. The first of these is to strive to earn the love of God; and the second is to consider the little achievements he has made superior to those of his other brethren. But Christians who believe that they can earn the love of God by their deeds, and by their achievements rise above their fellows, are not true Christians.
Galatians 2:18-21 Crucified and resurrected life
For if I recreate what I destroyed, then I make myself a criminal.
By the law I died to the law that I might live to God. I crucified myself with Christ.
And it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. And as I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.
I do not reject the grace of God. And if justification is by law, then Christ died in vain.
Paul speaks from his great experience. Recreating the entire complex system of norms and rules of law would be tantamount to spiritual suicide. He declares that by the law he died to the law in order to live for God. By this he means that he tried in vain to keep the law, putting into it all the passion of his burning heart, in order to achieve justification before God. He really tried to fulfill all the provisions of the law. But all these attempts instilled in him only a feeling of deep disappointment, and the consciousness that in this way he would never be justified before God. And so he left this path, and, being a sinner, relied completely on God's grace. The law prompted him to turn to God. A return to the law would only arouse in him a new sense of estrangement from God. The change was so radical that, says Paul, he was crucified with Christ, and therefore the man he was before died; now it is not he who lives, but Christ in him.
“If I can get justified before God by diligently keeping the law, why then grace? If I can earn my own salvation, then why did Christ die?” Paul was quite sure of one thing—Jesus Christ had done for him what he could never have done for himself. Paul's experience was later experienced by Martin Luther. Luther was a model of obedience, the fulfillment of church rites of self-denial and self-torture. “If ever,” he said, “there was a person who could be saved by monasticism, then that person is me.” He went to Rome. Climb on my knees up the holy stairs Sancta rock, considered an act of great faith. And he tortured himself, desiring to deserve her; and there, suddenly, he heard a voice from heaven: "The righteous shall live by faith." Life in peace with God cannot be earned by such vain, endlessly self-defeating efforts. It can only be achieved if a person completely relies on the grace of God, as Jesus Christ showed it to people.
Having removed from us the law of enslavement, Christ shed his blood, that's what forgiveness is
Tortured, tormented, in ulcers He was,
Redeemed us once and for all.
When Paul believed in the Redeemer Jesus Christ, the light of His grace removed the darkness of the curse of the law.
Galatians 3:1-9 gift of grace
O foolish Galatians! who deceived you not to obey the truth, you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was predestined, as if crucified among you?
I only want to know this from you: did you receive the Spirit through the works of the law, or through instruction in the faith?
Are you so foolish that, having begun in the Spirit, you are now being completed in the flesh?
Have you suffered so much for nothing? Oh, if only without use!
He who gives you the Spirit and works wonders among you, does he do this through works of the law, or through instruction in the faith?
So Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness.
Know, then, that those who believe are the sons of Abraham.
And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, foreshadowed Abraham: "In you all generations will be blessed."
So believers are blessed with faithful Abraham.
And Paul gives yet another proof that it is faith, and not keeping the law, that justifies a person before God. In the early Christian Church, new believers often received the Holy Spirit by sight. In the first chapters of the book of the Acts of the Holy Apostles, we encounter this phenomenon. (cf. Acts 8:14-17; 10:44). They acquired a new life, the manifestation of which everyone could see. They and the Galatians were given the kind of experience that Paul spoke of, not because they kept the norms of the law (for at that time they had not yet heard of the law), but because they heard the good news of the love of God and responded to it with true faith. .
The easiest way to understand an idea is if it is embodied in a person. In other words, every great word should come true. And so Paul points to Abraham, who embodied faith in the thinking of the Jews. God made a covenant with him, promising that in it all the tribes of the earth would be blessed. (Gen. 12:3). He was specially chosen by God because he deserved His love. How did Abraham deserve the love of God? Not by the fulfillment of the norms and rules of the law, which did not yet exist at that time, but by the fact that he surrendered to God at the word in true faith.
And so the descendants of Abraham are promised the grace of God. The Jew relied on her, believing that a simple physical descent from Abraham puts him in a special, different from other nations, relationship with God. And Paul makes it clear that the truth of descent from Abraham is not determined by flesh and blood; the true descendant of Abraham is a man of faith.
Therefore, not those who seek to earn the love of God by careful fulfillment of the law will be the heirs of the promise given to Abraham, but believers of any nationality. The Galatians began by faith, much less they should have turned to the law and lost their inheritance.
This passage contains many Greek words of great historical significance. IN 3,1 Paul writes that Galatov seduced. The ancient Greeks were very afraid of the crafty sorcerer's eye. Private letters often ended with a sentence like this: "Most of all I pray that you are whole and safe from the evil eye, and successful in everything" (Milligan: Selected from the Greek Papyri, 14). In the same verse, Paul writes that “before the eyes destined was Jesus Christ, as if crucified among you.” Greek word prographein means putting up a poster. It was used in advertisements in which the father stated that he was no longer responsible for his son's debts, or in advertisements for a sale.
IN 3,3 Paul writes that "starting spirit, now graduate flesh?" It contains words denoting in Greek the beginning and end of the sacrifice. First word - enarchesfay, - denotes the sprinkling of grains of barley on the victim and around it - the beginning of the sacrifice; and the second word epitheliisfay - its completion. With these two words, Paul indicates that the life of a Christian should be a holy sacrifice to God.
IN 3, 5 Paul reminds the Galatians that God generously give them the Spirit. The root of this word comes from the Greek choregia. In ancient Greece, at great festivals, great playwrights like Euripides and Sophocles staged their plays. For this, choirs were needed, and it was expensive to train and prepare such a choir. Therefore, the patriotic Greeks generously assumed all the expenses for the preparation and training of the choir. And this gift was called choregia. Later, during periods of war, Greek patriots gave voluntary gifts to the state treasury and they were also called choregia. Even later, this word is used in papyri - in marriage contracts - to denote the funds that the husband provided to his wife as a token of love. With this word, Paul emphasized the magnanimity and generosity of God, proceeding from love, a weak reflection of which is the love of a citizen for his homeland and a husband for his wife.
Galatians 3:10-14 Curse of the law
And all who establish themselves in the works of the law are under an oath. For it is written: “Cursed is everyone who does not continually do everything that is written in the book of the law.”
And that no one is justified before God by the law, this is clear, because the righteous will live by faith.
And the law is not by faith; but whoever does it will live by it.
Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree,”
That the blessing of Abraham through Christ Jesus might extend to the Gentiles, that we might receive the promised Spirit by faith.
Paul tries to convince dissenters with his arguments. “Suppose,” he says, “that you are trying to earn the justification of God by agreeing to obey the rules of the law. Where it leads?" First, the person who decides to do this will stand or perish according to the law. Having chosen the law, he must live by fulfilling it. Secondly, no one has ever succeeded in this, no one in the future is able to comply with the requirements of the law. And finally, thirdly, if this is so, then he will be cursed, for the Scripture says that he will be “cursed who does not keep the words of this law” (Deut. 27:26). Therefore, whoever tries to establish justification before God by law will inevitably face a curse in the end.
But the Scripture says not only this: “Behold, an arrogant soul will not rest, but the righteous will live by his faith.” (Hab. 2:4). There is only one way to establish a right relationship with God, and therefore have peace, and that is faith. But the point is that the principles of law and the principles of faith are mutually exclusive; one cannot direct life along both at the same time: it is necessary to make a choice between them, and the only correct and logical choice is to leave the path of the law and take the path of faith, believing God at the word and trusting in His love.
But how do we know that this is so? We see the final guarantee of this in Jesus Christ. To bring this truth to us, He had to die on the Cross. And the Scripture says: “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree” (Deut. 21:23). And so, in order to free us from the curse of the law, Jesus Himself was cursed.
As fascinated as Paul was with his idea and the need to convince his readers, he never forgot at what cost did Christians receive the good news. He could never forget that we received peace, freedom, justification before God at the cost of the life and death of Jesus Christ. If Jesus Christ had not died to prove His great love, people would never have known that God is truly like this.
Galatians 3:15-18 The Unchanging Promise
Brethren! I say according to human reasoning: even a person who has approved a will, no one cancels or adds to it.
But promises were made to Abraham and to his seed. It is not said “and to descendants”, as if about many, but as about one: “and to your seed”, which is Christ.
I say that the covenant about Christ, previously confirmed by God, the law, which appeared after four hundred and thirty years, does not cancel so that the promise loses its validity.
For if the inheritance is according to the law, it is no longer according to the promise; but God gave it to Abraham by promise.
When we read passages like this and the one that follows, we must bear in mind that Paul was an educated rabbi, an expert in the scholastic methods of teaching in the academies of the Jewish rabbis. He used their arguments and methods of proof, because they were convincing in the eyes of the Jews, although it is sometimes difficult for us to understand them.
He is trying to show them the superiority of grace over law. Paul first shows that the promise is older than the law. When Abraham obeyed the call by faith, God gave him his great promise and fulfilled it. In other words, the promise of God was made directly dependent on faith. Before Moses, people did not have the law, this happened four hundred and thirty years after the promise to Abraham. But, Paul goes on to say, once the promise has been accepted, it can no longer be changed or added to. Therefore, the law given to people cannot change the original faith. It was by faith that Abraham established a true relationship with God, and to this day faith is the only possibility by which a person can be justified by God. The rabbis were very fond of the arguments that flowed from the interpretation of individual words of Scripture; on one word they could build a whole religious system. And Paul takes one word from the story of Abraham and builds his argument on it. As stated in Gen. 17, 7.8, God said to Abraham, “And I will establish my covenant between you and me, and between descendants yours after you,” and further on his inheritance: “And I will give you and descendants your land after you…” [Barkley uses seed instead of descendants]. Paul states that in Scripture seed(descendants) consumed singular, not plural number, and, therefore, the promise of God refers not to a huge mass of people, but to one single person. And this one person, in whom the promise of God will find its consummation, is Jesus Christ. Therefore, the path to peace with God is the path of faith that Abraham chose. And we must also go this way, turning our eyes by faith to Jesus Christ.
Paul comes back to this more than once. The most important thing in life is to establish a right relationship with God. As long as we are driven by a sense of fear of Him, there can be no question of peace. But how to establish this relationship with God? Should they be achieved by careful observance of the law, even by self-torture, constantly performing deeds and deeds and observing every smallest precept of the law? If we choose the law, we will always lose because our imperfection can never satisfy the perfection of God. But if we leave this senseless struggle and turn to God with all sins, His mercy will open His arms to us, and we will find peace with God, who is no longer our Judge, but the Father. Paul states that it was on this basis that God made His covenant between Himself and Abraham. And nothing that happened afterwards can change it, just as nothing can change an agreed and signed will.
Galatians 3:19-22 Prisoners under sin
What is the law for? It was given afterward, on account of transgressions, until the time of the coming of the seed to which the promise refers, and was given through angels, by the hand of an intermediary.
But there is no mediator with one, but God is one.
So the law is contrary to the promises of God? No way! For if a law had been given that could give life, then truly righteousness would have been from the law; But the Scriptures have closed all under sin, so that the promise might be given to those who believe by faith in Jesus Christ.
This is one of the most difficult passages ever written by Paul; it is so difficult that there are up to three hundred different interpretations of it! First of all, we must not forget that Paul still wants to show the superiority of grace and faith over the law. He makes four remarks about the law.
1. Why was it necessary to give a law at all? It is given after due to crimes. By this Paul means that where there is no law, there is no sin. A person cannot be convicted of a violation if he did not know that he was violating something. So the law had to give definition of sin. But although sin is defined in the law, it is powerless to heal sin. He, like a doctor, is a specialist in the definition of diseases, who, however, cannot cure the disease he has established.
2. The law was not given directly by God. According to Ref. 20 it was given to Moses by God Himself, but in the time of Paul the rabbis were so convinced of the absolute holiness and solitude of God that they considered it impossible for Him to communicate directly with people. So they invented the theory that the law was originally given to the angels and the angels passed it on to Moses (cf. Acts 7:53; Heb. 2:2). Paul uses the theory of his contemporary rabbis. The law was transmitted by God to people through intermediaries: first to the angels, and then, through another intermediary, to Moses. Compared with a promise given to Abraham directly by God, law not received first hand.
3. And now we come to an extremely difficult sentence: "But there is no mediator with one, but God is one." What did Paul mean by this? A contract based on law always binds two faces: the one who offers the contract and the one who accepts it. And it is valid as long as both sides respect it. This is the position of those who rely entirely on the law. Break the law and the whole contract is terminated. And the promise depends on one faces. Grace depends solely on the will of God: it is His promise. Man is powerless to do anything to change him. He may sin, but the love and grace of God are unchangeable. For Paul, the weakness of the law is that it depends on two persons: the legislator and the observant of the law; but the man rejected it. Grace, on the other hand, depends solely on God; man cannot change it. Surely it is better to depend on the grace of the eternal God than to rely on the hopeless attempts of helpless men.
4. Is the law of grace then opposed? Logically, Paul should have answered this question in the affirmative, but he answers in the negative. He says that Scripture has put everyone under sin. At the same time, he thinks about Deut. 27.26, where it says, "Cursed is he who does not keep the words of this law." In reality, this means every, for no one has ever been able or ever will be able to keep the law perfectly. What, then, is the meaning of the law? He must encourage every person to seek the grace of God, because he showed a person his helplessness. This thought Paul will develop further in the next chapter; here he only expresses it as a suggestion. Let man try to enter into a true relationship with God under the law. He will soon realize that he is unable to do this, and will be forced to accept that he has only one way out - to accept the amazing grace that Jesus Christ showed people.
Galatians 3:23-29 The coming of faith
But before the coming of faith, we were imprisoned under the guard of the law, until the time when it was necessary for faith to be revealed.
So the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith,
After the advent of faith, we are no longer under the guidance of a schoolmaster
For all of you are sons of God by faith in Christ Jesus; All of you who were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
But if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise
Paul is still thinking about the important role that the law played in God's purposes. Among the servants in the Greek house was also a servant-tutor - pedagogos. He was usually an old slave with a well-meaning character, who had lived a long life in the master's house. He was responsible for the moral state of the child and made sure that the child learned important character traits for a man. He had to accompany the child to school every day and bring him home. He did not have direct duties in teaching the child, but he had to deliver him unharmed to the school and hand him over to the teacher. This, says Paul, was approximately the function of the law. His task is to lead a person to Christ. The law could not bring a man into the presence of Christ, but it could bring him to where he could already come to Christ. The task of the law was to bring a person to Christ by showing him that he himself was completely incapable of keeping the law. But when a person is accepted by Christ, he no longer needs the law, because now his life depends not on the fulfillment of the law, but on grace. “All of you,” says Paul, “who were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.” We have two clear pictures. Baptism was a Jewish custom. A person who wanted to convert to Judaism had to go through three rituals. He had to be circumcised, offer a sacrifice and be baptized. Ritual ablution for cleansing from impurity and filth was a common thing in the life of the Jews (Lev. 11-15).
Jewish baptism took place in the following order: the person to be baptized cut off his hair and nails, and undressed; the baptismal font contained 480 liters of water, that is, about two barrels. Every part of the body had to be covered with water. A man confessed his faith in the presence of three people who were called godfathers. When he was in the water, passages from the law were read to him, words of encouragement were addressed to him, and he received a blessing. When he came out of the water, he was already a member of the Jewish community and professed Judaism. He accepted the Jewish faith through baptism.
In Christian baptism, people are clothed in Christ. The early Christians saw baptism as something through which they found a real union with Christ. It goes without saying that in the conditions of missionary activity, when people turned to Christ directly from a pagan state, adults were baptized, and for an adult this was such an experience that a child is generally incapable of. But just as realistically as a person who converted to the Jewish faith was joined to Judaism, so those who accepted the Christian faith were joined to Christ. (cf. Rom. 6:3 ff.; Col. 2:12). Baptism was not just an outward formal rite; it established a real union with Christ.
And Paul goes on to say that they put on Christ. This may be an indication of a custom that actually existed later. Before baptism, people dressed in clean white robes, symbolizing the new life they were entering. Just as the newly initiated put on new white robes, so his life was clothed in Christ.
And so in the early Christian Church there was no distinction between its members: they all became sons of God. IN 3,28 Paul says, “There is neither Jew nor Gentile; there is no slave nor free; there is no male or female." This is a very important idea. In the morning prayer that Paul must have said every morning in his pre-Christian life, the Jew thanks God that "You have not made me a heathen, a slave, or a woman." Paul took that prayer and changed it. All former distinctions have disappeared: for all who have clothed in Christ are equal.
IN 3,16 we have already seen that Paul interprets the promise made by God to Abraham as being fulfilled in Christ. If we are all one in Christ, we also inherit the promise—and this great privilege is obtained not by scrupulous observance of the law, but by faith in the free grace of God.
Only one thing can forever erase the sharp differences between man and man: when we all become debtors to the grace of God and we all put on Christ; then, and only then, are we all one. Not human strength, but only God's love can unite a divided world.
Galatians 4:1-7 Time of childhood
I will also say: the heir, while in childhood, is no different from a slave, although he is the master of everything: He is subject to trustees and stewards until the time appointed by the father.
So we, as long as we were in childhood, were enslaved to the material principles of the world,
But when the fullness of time came, God sent forth His Son (the Only Begotten), Who was born of a woman, obeyed the law,
To redeem those under the law, so that we may receive adoption.
And since you are sons, God has sent into your hearts the Spirit of His Son, crying out “Abba, Father!”
Therefore, you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through (Jesus) Christ
In the ancient world, the process of development towards maturity was more clearly defined than it is today.
1. In the Jewish world, on the first Sabbath, after turning twelve, the father took his son with him to the synagogue, where he was proclaimed "Son of the Law." After that, the father pronounced a blessing: "Blessed are You, Lord, who freed me from responsibility for this lad." The boy said a prayer in which he said: “O my God and the God of my fathers! On this solemn and sacred day that marks my transition from adolescence to youth and manhood, I humbly raise my eyes to You and declare sincerely and sincerely that from now on I will keep Your commandments, take upon myself and will be responsible for my actions towards to you". And that was a clear and important feature in the boy's life. We can say that almost in one day he became a man.
2. In Greece, the boy was brought up by his father from seven to eighteen years old. After that, he became efe-boy, which can be translated as cadet or military school student and two years was at the disposal of the state. Athens was divided into ten phratry, or clans. Before the boy became efe-boy, he was accepted into the family at a festival called Apatouria and during a ceremonial ceremony they cut off his long hair and sacrificed it to the gods. And again, the process of maturation was an important event in the life of a young man.
3. In Roman law, the age at which a boy became an adult was not firmly fixed, but usually it was between fourteen and seventeen years old. At a sacred family holiday called liberalia, the boy was filming pretex toga, a toga with a narrow purple ribbon along the edge of the hem and put on toga virilis, an ordinary toga worn by all adults. After that, friends and relatives took him to the forum and formally introduced him into public life. It was also, in essence, a religious rite. And again, in the life of a young man there was a certain day when he became a man. According to Roman custom, on the day when boys and girls came of age, the boy sacrificed his ball to the god Apollo, and the girl her doll, to show that they were done with children's amusements.
As long as the boy was a child in the eyes of the law, he could own a huge estate. But he could not make any legal decision; he was not the master of his life; everything was done and decided for him by others, and therefore, in practice, he had no more rights than a slave. But as soon as he reached the age of majority, he became the full owner of his inheritance.
So, Paul argues, we were given the law during the childhood of the world. But the law mediated only elementary knowledge. To convey this, Paul used the word stoichea. original word stoicheon meant a number of objects, for example, a line of warriors. Then it began to denote the alphabet, or any elementary knowledge.
In addition, it can also denote the elements that make up the universe, in particular, stars. The ancient world was obsessed with superstition in astrology. Many believed that the fate of a person is determined by the star under which he was born. People lived under the yoke of the stars and longed to be freed from it. Some scholars believe that Paul is here indicating that at some time the Galatians were very much superstitious about the sinister influence of the stars. But the whole passage seems to indicate that the word stoichea used in the sense of elementary knowledge.
Paul states that at the time when the Galatians—and therefore all men—were V stages of infancy, they suffered under the yoke of the law; but when the necessary prerequisites were created, Christ appeared and freed people from this tyranny. And people are no longer slaves of the law; they are adopted and come into their own. Childhood, which belonged to the law, must be overcome; the time has come for the freedom of mankind.
The proof that we are sons of God is the instinctive cry of the heart. In need and suffering, a person cries out to God: “Father!” Paul even uses the repetition: “Abba, Father!” Avva - father in Aramaic. This word was often on the lips of Jesus; its sound was so sacred that people carefully preserved it. And Paul believes that this instinctive cry of the human heart is the fruit of the Holy Spirit. If our hearts cry out to God in this way, then we know that we are sons and fully inherit His grace.
Thus, those who live according to the law are still children, and those who have known grace have become mature in the Christian faith.
Galatians 4:8-11 Progress in reverse
But then, not knowing God, you served gods who are not gods in essence;
Now, having known God, or rather, having received knowledge from God, why do you return again to weak and poor material principles and want to enslave yourself to them again?
Observe days, months, times and years. I fear for you that I have not labored with you in vain.
Paul is still preoccupied with the concept that the law is the elementary stage of religion, and that the mature man bases his life on God's grace. In the old days, when people did not know better, the law lived up to its purpose. But now people have come to know the true God and His grace. But by his own efforts man cannot know God. God, out of His mercy, Himself reveals himself to people. We can never find God if He hasn't already found us. And Paul asks, "Do you still want to return to that stage that you should have passed a long time ago?"
These elementary principles are a religion based on the observance of the law, which Paul calls weak and poor material principles, enslaving man. 1. Law infirm because she is powerless. The law can define sin; it can bring a person to the realization of sin; however, he is unable to give a person either the forgiveness of sins committed in the past, or the strength to gain victory over sin in the future. 2. Law poor compared to the dazzling brilliance of the grace of God. By its very nature, the law can solve only one situation. In every new situation a new law is needed; and the miracle of grace is that it poikilos, that is multicolored, varied. In other words, there is no situation in life that would not be within the reach of grace; it satisfies all requirements.
One of the features of the Jewish law was the observance of various holidays. In this passage, Paul mentions days - Saturdays months - new moons; Seasons - great annual feasts such as Passover, Pentecost, and the Feast of Tabernacles; And years - Sabbath year, that is, every seventh year. The disadvantage of a religion based on the observance of special dates is that it is almost inevitable that the days are then divided into sacred and profane; and the almost inevitable consequence of this is that the man who has carefully observed the holy days is apt to think that he has fulfilled all his obligations to God.
Although it was a legal religion, it was far from being a prophetic religion. Someone said that "in the language of the ancient Jews there was no word corresponding to the word religion in its modern meaning. All life, in their view, was the creation of God and developed in accordance with His law and under His guidance. They did not use the word that was called would be religion."
Jesus Christ came into the world not with the words: "I came to give them religion," but with the words: "I came that they may have life and have it abundantly." To reduce religion to certain days and times is to make it something external. For a true Christian, every day is God's day.
Paul feared that people who had once experienced the miracle of grace might slip back into the path of keeping the law, and that those who had once lived in Jesus Christ would allot only certain days to Him.
Galatians 4:12-20 call of love
I ask you, brethren, to be like me, because I am like you. You haven't offended me in any way.
Do you know that although in the weakness of the flesh I preached to you the gospel for the first time,
But you did not despise my temptation in my flesh and did not abhor it, but received me as an angel of God, as Christ Jesus.
How blessed you were! I testify of you that, if it were possible, you would pluck out your eyes and give them to me.
So, have I become your enemy by telling you the truth?
They are jealous of you uncleanly, but they want to excommunicate you so that you are jealous of them.
It is good to be jealous in good always, and not only in my presence with you.
My children, for whom I am again in the throes of birth, until Christ is formed in you!
Paul's appeal to the Galatians is not theological but personal. He reminds them that for their sake he himself became like a pagan. He broke with the traditions in which he was brought up and became the same as them; and he calls them not to become Jews, but to become like him.
Here we find a mention of Paul's "thorn in the flesh", which probably struck him as a result of illness. We dwell on it in more detail in the commentary on 2 Cor. 12, 7. They meant by him the persecutions from which he suffered, the temptations of the flesh, which he supposedly never overcame at all; his appearance, which the Corinthians considered contemptuous (2 Corinthians 10:10). According to the oldest theory, this meant terrible and debilitating headaches. There are two hints in this passage.
The Galatians would give him their eyes if they could. It has been suggested that Paul's eyes hurt from the blinding glare on the road to Damascus. Subsequently, his vision remained unclear and caused him pain.
The word translated in the Bible as "you did not despise my temptation" literally means "You didn't spit on me." In the ancient world, it was customary to spit at the sight of an epileptic in order to ward off an evil spirit, which, it was believed, moved into the patient; hence some suggest that Paul was an epileptic.
If it could be established when Paul arrived in Galatia, then it would be easier to determine the reason for his arrival. It is possible that in Acts. 13.13.14 it is described. But it raises some questions. Paul, Barnabas, and Mark arrived from Cyprus at Perga in Pamphylia, where Mark left them, and they went to Antioch in Pisidia, which was in the province of Galatia. Why didn't Paul preach in Pamphylia? It was a densely populated area. Why did he decide to go to Antioch in Pisidia? The road that led to the central plateau was one of the most difficult and dangerous roads of that time. Maybe that's why Mark returned home. Why, then, did Paul leave Pamphylia so suddenly? The reason could be that a malarial fever was rampant in Pamphylia and the coastal plain, and Paul fell ill with it. To get rid of her, the only way out was to visit the highlands of Galatia; that is why sick Paul appeared among the Galatians. And here he had repeated bouts of fever and debilitating headaches, which were compared with "a red-hot rod stuck in the head." Perhaps these debilitating headaches were the very sting in the flesh that tormented him when he first arrived in Galatia.
He speaks of those who are "impurely jealous of you" seeking favor; he meant those trying to convert them to the Jewish faith. If they had succeeded in their search, the Galatians would also have had to seek the favor of these people so that they would be allowed to be circumcised and enter the people of Israel. They sought the favor of the Galatians in order to subject them to their instructions and the norms of their law.
And at the very end, Paul uses a living metaphor. When the Galatians converted to Christ, he experienced torment, like a woman in labor; and now he must endure those torments again. Christ is in them, as it were in the embryo; he must give birth to them.
Every person is struck by the deep love that resonates in the last words. (small) my children - diminutives in Latin and Greek always convey deep love and tenderness. John often uses this expression, but Paul only here; his heart is full. It is important to note that Paul does not rebuke with harsh words, but yearns for his lost children. It was said of a well-known missionary and teacher that if she had to rebuke her students, she would do so by hugging them. The tone of love penetrates where caustic cavils never reach.
Galatians 4:21-5:1 Old history and new meaning
Tell me you who want to be under the law don't you listen to the law? For it is written, "Abraham had two sons, one by a servant and the other by a free woman."
But whoever is of a servant is born according to the flesh; but whoever is from the free, he is according to the promise.
There is an allegory in this. These are two testaments: one from Mount Sinai, who gives birth into bondage, which is Hagar,
For Hagar means Mount Sinai in Arabia, and corresponds to the present Jerusalem, because he and his children are in bondage;
And the Jerusalem above is free: it is the mother of all of us.
For it is written: “Rejoice, barren, barren; exclaim and exclaim, not tormented by childbirth; because the one who is left has many more children than the one who has a husband.”
We, brethren, are the children of the promise according to Isaac.
But just as then he who was born after the flesh persecuted him who was born after the Spirit, so it is now.
What does Scripture say? "Cast out the servant and her son, for the son of the servant will not be heir with the son of the free."
So, brethren, we are not children of slaves, but of the free.
Therefore, stand in the freedom that Christ has given us, and do not again be subjected to the yoke of slavery.
In interpreting a passage such as this one, it must be remembered that for a devout and educated Jew, and especially for a rabbi, Scripture had more than one interpretation, and the literal meaning was often considered less important. For a Jewish rabbi, a passage of Scripture had four meanings: 1. Peshat - simple or literal meaning; 2. Rematz - suggestive meaning; 3. Derush - the value that is derived after careful study of the text; 4. Zod - allegorical meaning. The first four letters of these words - PRDZ - consonant words Paradise - paradise; and if someone managed to find all these four meanings - he was infinitely happy!
It should be emphasized that the most important allegorical interpretation. Therefore, it often happened that the rabbis took a simple historical episode from the Old Testament and put into it a meaning that can often seem simply unimaginable to us, but which sounded very convincing to the people of that time. Paul was an educated rabbi, and he took the story of Abraham, Sarah, Hagar, Ishmael and Isaac (Gen. chapters 16,17,21), which is an ordinary story and, using it allegorically, substantiated his point of view.
The story, in a few words, is this: Abraham and Sarah were already advanced in years, but Sarah had no children. She did what any woman at that time would have done in her place - she sent Abraham to come in to her slave Hagar so that she could give birth to children for Abraham in her place. Hagar had a son, Ishmael. In the meantime, God appeared to Abraham and promised that Sarah would have a son: this seemed so impossible to Abraham and Sarah that they could not even believe it. But the time came, and Isaac was born. In other words, Ishmael was born from the ordinary impulse of human flesh, while Isaac was born from the promise of God. Sarah was free, and Hagar was a slave. From the very beginning of her conception, she began to despise Sarah, because barrenness was considered a painful shame; the whole situation was fraught with trouble. Later, Sarah saw that Hagar's son Ishmael was mocking Isaac and said to Abraham: "cast out this slave woman and her son" (Gen. 21:10). Paul equates this with persecution, for God requires Hagar to be exiled so that the son of the bondwoman cannot share the inheritance with her freeborn son. And further Paul considers Arabia as a land of slaves in bondage, where the descendants of Hagar dwell.
Paul takes an old biblical story and interprets it allegorically. Hagar symbolizes the promises of the law concluded on Mount Sinai, which is located in Arabia, in the area where the descendants of Hagar live. Hagar herself was a slave and all the children born to her were slaves. The commandments, which are based on the law, turn people into slaves of the law. The child of Hagar is born according to the flesh; keeping the law is the best thing they could do. Sarah, on the other hand, symbolizes the new covenant in Jesus Christ. God established a new relationship with people not on the basis of law, but on grace. The child of Sarah was born free, and according to the promise of God, all the heirs of Isaac should be free. Just as once the child of the bondwoman persecuted the child of the free woman, so the children of the law persecuted the children of grace and promise. But just as the child of the slave was eventually expelled and disinherited, so in the future God will drive out from His presence those who keep the law and deprive them of the inheritance of grace.
Strange as this way of thinking may seem to us, there is an important truth in it. A person who accepts the law as the basis of his life degrades into a slave. And he who lives according to the principle of grace is free, because the principle of Christian behavior is: "Love God and do as you know." The power of love, not the bonds of the law, keeps us on the path of righteousness, because love is always stronger than the law.
Galatians 5:2-12 Personal relationships
Behold, I Paul say to you, if you are circumcised, you will not benefit from Christ.
I also testify to every person who is circumcised that he must fulfill the whole law.
You, who justify yourselves by the law, are left without Christ, have fallen away from grace,
But we wait and hope in the spirit for righteousness by faith;
For neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has power in Christ Jesus, but faith working through love.
You were walking well: who stopped you from obeying the truth? Such conviction is not from the One who calls you.
A small leaven leavens the whole dough.
I am sure of you in the Lord that you will not think otherwise; but the one who confuses you, whoever he is, will bear the condemnation.
Why are they persecuting me, brethren, if even now I preach circumcision? Then the lure of the cross would cease.
Oh, that those who revolted you were removed!
Paul considered grace and law to be mutually exclusive. The law makes the salvation of men dependent on their accomplishments; but the person who chooses grace unreservedly surrenders himself and his sins to the mercy of God. And Paul goes on to say that a person who has received circumcision, that is, who has accepted even one part of the law, must logically accept the whole law.
Suppose that someone has decided to take the citizenship of a state and carefully observes the procedure and regulations of this country regarding the acquisition of citizenship. But he cannot limit himself to this - he will have to do the same and All other orders and institutions of this country. Now, says Paul, the man who performed the rite of circumcision undertook to keep the whole law; circumcision was only an introduction to it; and once a person chose this path, he automatically turned away from grace, and for him Christ died in vain.
For Paul above all else was faith working through love. In other words, the essence of a Christian is not the law, but a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. The basis of the Christian faith is not a book, but a person; the driving force is not obedience to the law, but love for Christ.
The Galatians used to know this, but now they have turned back to the law. “A little leaven,” says Paul, “leaves the whole dough.” For the Jews, leaven almost always symbolized sinful influence. Paul means by this: "Your direction in the path of the law has not yet gone far, but you must root it out completely, otherwise it will destroy your whole faith."
And Paul ends the passage with a sharp statement. Galatia was not far from Phrygia, where people enthusiastically worshiped Cybella. Often her priests and devoted worshipers castrated themselves. Paul thus says the following: "If you begin by circumcision, you may end up like these pagan priests." This is a very sharp comparison, in which respectable society will raise its eyebrows in surprise; but to the Galatians, who knew the priests of Cybella well, it was completely clear and real.
Galatians 5:13-15 Christian freedom
You are called to freedom, brethren, if only freedom (your) is not an occasion to please the flesh, but serve one another with love.
For the whole law in one word is "Love thy neighbor as thyself"
But if you bite and eat one another, take heed that you are not consumed by one another.
From this passage Paul changes the subject. So far, the epistle has had a theological character, and from here it takes on a strong ethical connotation. Paul had a practical mind. Even if he has his thoughts in the clouds, he ends the message on a practical note. Theology has no meaning for him if it is not applicable to life. Paul's letter to the Romans is one of the world's largest theological treatises, and then, quite unexpectedly, in chapter 12 theology comes down to earth and Paul gives the most practical advice. Vincent Theiler once said, "The measure of a good theologian is his ability to write a good theological treatise." In other words, can he translate his lofty thoughts into words accessible to the understanding and execution of a simple person? Paul himself always brilliantly satisfies these requirements, and here he proves his reasoning by the bright light of everyday life.
Paul's theology has always been in danger. When he declared that the rule of law had come to an end and the age of grace had come, he could always be objected: “That means I can do whatever I please; all prohibitions are lifted and I can follow my desires everywhere. The law is no more, and grace guarantees my forgiveness anyway.” But two obligations Paul never forgot.
1. One of them he does not mention here, but it is always implied - commitment to God. If God loves us so, then the love of Christ will embrace us and keep us from sin. Man cannot sully the life that Jesus paid for with His life.
2. Commitment to our brethren. We are free, but our freedom obliges us to love our fellow men as ourselves.
The names of the different forms of government lead us to different thoughts. Monarchy- a one-man government, which was introduced at first to ensure greater efficiency, because management by commission is always besieged by shortcomings. Oligarchy - the rule of a few and can be justified by the fact that only a few are able to govern. aristocracy - the rule of the best, but who are they? Plutocracy - the rule of the rich and it is justified by the fact that the people who own the largest share of the property in the country should own it. Democracy - it is government by the people from the people, for the people. Christianity is the only true democracy, because in a Christian state everyone would think of his neighbor in the same way as of himself. Christian freedom is not self-will, for the unique reason that a Christian is not a person who has received freedom to sin, but one who has. by the grace of God, freedom don't sin.
And Paul adds a warning: "If you fail to live in harmony, you will make life impossible." Ultimately, selfishness does not elevate a person, but destroys him.
Galatians 5:16-21 vices
I say walk in the Spirit and you will not fulfill the desires of the flesh,
For the flesh desires what is contrary to the spirit, and the spirit what is contrary to the flesh - they oppose each other, so that you do not do what you would like.
If you are led by the Spirit, then you are not under the law.
The works of the flesh are known; they are adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
Idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, envy, anger, strife, divisions, (temptations), heresies,
Hatred, murder, drunkenness, outrageousness, and the like, I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do so will not inherit the Kingdom of God.
It seems that few people, except Paul, realized the really destructive effect of vices on a person. As one literary hero says:
How controversial is a person
I've been since birth
Spirit seeks God in heaven
The flesh yearns for pleasure
Paul attached great importance to the fact that Christian freedom does not give the right to indulge in the vices of the base part of human nature, but provides the opportunity to be a model in the Spirit. And Paul gives a list of vices. Every word he cites is a vivid picture.
Adultery and fornication. It is rightly said that Christianity introduced into the world a completely new virtue - chastity. Christianity entered a world in which sexual immorality was not only not condemned, but was considered an important part of normal life.
Impurity. Paul's Word akafarsia Interesting. It can mean pus in an unclean wound, an unpruned fruit tree, unsifted and uncleaned materials. The positive form of the word (kafaros - adjective with meaning clean) used in everyday life to characterize a house left in a clean and good condition. But it is especially impressive in designating the ritual purity of a person, allowing him to approach his gods. Impurity, therefore, deprives a person of the opportunity to approach God, stains a person's life and thereby isolates him from God.
Obscene. Word aselgepa translated as lewdness (Mark 7:22; 2 Cor. 12:21; Gal. 5:19); debauchery (Eph. 4:19; Jude 4; Rom. 13:13); and debauchery (2 Pet. 2:18) and means "readiness for every pleasure." A person prone to this knows no limits, and is ready for anything that capriciousness and dissolute impudence can inspire him. Flavius Josephus used this word to describe Jezebel when she built a temple to Baal in Jerusalem. The idea is that a person has gone so far in his desires that he no longer cares what people think or say about him.
Idolatry means the worship of idols made by the hands of men. It is a sin in which material things have taken the place of God.
Magic literally means drug use. It can mean both the beneficial use of them by doctors, and poisoning. It became specifically used in the use of medicines and potions for sorcery, widespread in the ancient world.
Enmity. In it, the point is that a person is especially hostile to his fellows; it is the exact opposite of Christian love for fellow human beings and for all people.
Argument. At first, this word was mainly used in connection with fighting for prizes. It can even be used in it in a positive sense, but most often it characterizes rivalry that has turned into an argument and scolding.
Envy. Greek word zelos had a good meaning at first, it meant competition, rivalry, zealous desire to achieve a high position, to be in the public eye. But over time, the word lost this meaning and acquired a new meaning - to desire what belongs to another, to appropriate what is not for us.
Anger. Paul uses the word for an outburst of anger; that is, not prolonged anger, but anger that flares up and then subsides.
Temptations, selfishness. This word has an interesting history. in Greek eritheia meant first the work of an employee (eriphos), and from this came the word payment. And then it began to mean collecting votes before elections to public office, as well as a person who aspires to it, but not for the sake of service, but for the benefit that he can derive from it.
Discord, disagreement. Literally translated, this discrepancy. After one of the victories won, the English admiral Nelson declared that he had the good fortune to command a detachment of brothers. disagreements it is characterized by a society in which opposite qualities appear, in which members diverge, instead of acting as a unity.
Heresy. This can be described as disagreement of a certain form. Our word heresy comes from the word hairesis, which was not initially negative. It comes from the root with the meaning choose, and they determined the followers of the philosophical school or other groups of people who had a common faith. The tragedy develops from the fact that people with different views often end up hating each other. It would be better to remain on friendly terms with a person, even if we disagree with him in our views.
Hatred. Word phthonos low word. Euripides called it "the most terrible disease of mankind." The essence of this word is that it characterizes not the desire of a person - whether noble or low - to possess what belongs to another, but a feeling of hatred for another already because he possesses it. A person does not even want to have so much as simply deprive him of another. The Stoics defined this feeling as "disappointment caused by the kindness of someone." One of the fathers of the early Christian Church, Vasily, described it as "regret for the happiness of a neighbor." This is not so much a feeling of jealousy as a state of embittered consciousness.
Drunkenness. In the ancient world, drunkenness was not a typical vice. The Greeks drank more wine than milk; even the children drank wine. But they diluted it with water in the proportion of three parts of water to two parts of wine. Both Greeks and Christians would brand drunkenness as a vice that turns a person into a beast.
Outrage. At the Greek word komos interesting story. Komos called a company of young people who saw off the winner of sports games after the end of the competition. They laughed, danced and sang songs of praise. But the same word denoted a group of revelers, worshipers of the god of wine Bacchus. The same word further defined a noisy drinking bout and then it means unbridled revelry, fun that degenerated into vice.
If we think about the meaning of these vices, we will see that life has changed little.
Galatians 5:22-26 Beautiful Virtues
The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, goodness, mercy, faith,
Meekness, abstinence. There is no law on those. But those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and lusts.
If we live by the spirit, then we must act according to the spirit.
Let's not be conceited, irritate each other, envy each other.
In previous verses, Paul gave a list of vices characteristic of the flesh, and now he continues with a list of good works that are the fruit of the Spirit. Let's look at each of them separately again.
Love. In the New Testament, the word love corresponds to the word agape. This word in classical Greek is not used just like that. There are four words in Greek that we translate as Love. 1. Eros - the love of a man for a woman. This love with passion. This word is not used in the New Testament. 2. Filia - that heartfelt love that we have for our near and dear people; it's a heartfelt feeling. 3. Storge rather means affection and is used to convey the feeling of love of parents and children. 4. Agape - the word used by Christians denotes unbreakable benevolence. This means that, no matter how a person treats us - insulting, offending or humiliating us - we will always wish him only good. Therefore this feeling comes as much from the mind as from the heart; it is as much the result of our will as of our feelings. It is a conscious effort that we can only make with God's help and never wishes anything but good even to those who wish us the worst.
Joy. Greek word hara characteristic in that it most often expresses joy, the source of which is a religious experience (cf. Ps. 29:12; Rom. 14:17; 15:13; Phil. 1:4-25). This is not the joy that a person receives from the blessings of life, even less is it the joy of victories over others in competition. It is a joy whose foundation is in God.
World. In modern Greek, this word eirene has two interesting implications. It conveys the tranquility that reigns in the country under the just and beneficent rule of a good emperor; but it has also been used to describe the good order that prevailed in a city or country. In the village there was an official called the guardian eyrens; guardian of public order. In the New Testament the word eirene commonly used as a synonym for Hebrew shalom and means not just the absence of anxieties and worries, but everything that serves the highest good of man. In the present context, this word denotes that calmness of the human heart, which results from the absolute consciousness that everything in the world is in the hands of God. It is interesting to note that Hara and Eirene became very common Christian names.
Patience is macrotumia. This is an important word. The author of the First Book of Maccabees (8:4) writes that the Romans, through long-suffering, "prudence and firmness" became the rulers of the world. By this he means the firmness and perseverance of the Romans, who never made peace with their enemy, even if they were defeated: it means confident patience. Strictly speaking, this word is not used to convey patience in relation to things or events, but only to people. Chrysostom (Chrysostom) defined it as the favor of a person who has the power and strength to take revenge, but does not do this; like a virtuous person, slow to anger. The most revealing is the fact that in the New Testament this word is usually used to characterize the relationship of God to people. (Rom. 2:4; 9:22; 1 Tim. 1:16; 1 Pet. 3:20). If God were a man, He would have destroyed this world long ago; but His patience forgives all our sins and will not deny us. In our dealings with our brethren and fellow citizens, we must be guided by the same loving, forgiving, and patient attitude that God has for us.
Grace and Mercy are closely related. Mercy chrestotes, usually also translated as kindness or generosity. This is a wonderful word. Plutarch believed that it was more significant than justice. Old wine is called khrestos, good, seasoned. The yoke of Jesus is named chrestos - light (Matt. 11:30), that is, it is not annoying. The general meaning of the word is generosity. Word agatosune, used by Paul to convey goodness, specific to the Bible and not used at all in everyday Greek (Rom. 15:14; Eph. 5:9; 2 Thess. 1:11). Goodness is the highest degree of generosity; it is defined as "virtue having all virtues". What is the difference between them? Agathosune may include reproach and punishment; chrestotes - just help. One English theologian says that Jesus showed agatosune, when He cleansed the Temple and drove out those who made a market out of it; but in relation to the sinner who anointed His feet, He showed chrestotes. A Christian needs such grace, which would be firm and merciful.
Faith. Word pistis commonly used in colloquial Greek in the sense credible. This word defines a person who can be relied upon.
Meekness. Praotes the most difficult to translate. In the New Testament, this word has three main meanings. 1. It means meek (Matt. 5,5; 11, 29; 21,5), that is submissive to the will of God. 2. It also means - obedient to teaching, not so proud as to refuse to learn (James 1:21). 3. Most often this word means attentive to others (1 Cor. 4:21; Cor. 10:1; Eph. 4:2). Aristotle defined praotes as a mean between extreme anger and complete non-anger, that is, a characteristic of a person who is always angry at the right time and never unreasonably. The meaning of this word is best seen from the fact that the adjective prause used in relation to a tamed and subordinate animal; the word thus conveys self-control and self-control, which only Christ can give to man.
Abstinence. Paul used the word enkrateia, which in Plato means self-control. A man with abstinence copes with his desires and passions, subordinating them to himself. This word describes an athlete who trains his body (1 Corinthians 9:25) and Christians who have become masters of their sexual desires (1 Cor. 7:9). In everyday Greek, this word characterizes the emperor, who does not allow his private interests to affect the government of the country. This virtue can so possess a person that he is worthy to become a servant of others.
Paul believed and was convinced by experience that a Christian died with Christ and was resurrected to a new and pure life, from which the vices of the flesh have been banished, and in which marvelous spiritual virtues are ripening.
Galatians 6:1-5 Burden bearers
Brethren! even if a person falls into some kind of sin, you spiritual ones correct him in the spirit of meekness, watching each one of yourselves so as not to be tempted.
Carry one another's burdens, and thus fulfill the law of Christ
For whoever thinks himself to be something, being nothing, deceives himself
Let each one try his own work, and then he will have praise only in himself, and not in another,
For each one will bear his own burden.
Paul already imagined the problems that arise in any Christian society. And the best people stumble. Word paraptoma, used by Paul does not mean a conscious sin, but an accidental mistake, like a person slipping on an icy road or a dangerous path. After all, people who decide to live according to the standards of the Christian life are in danger of judging the sins of others too harshly. This note of severity is inherent in many of the righteous. After all, a person cannot go to many good people and cry out his mistake or defeat, because they will remain cold and callous. But Paul points out that if a person stumbles and falls into some kind of sin, it is the duty of a true Christian to bring him back to the path of truth. For to correct Paul uses a verb that corresponds in meaning to the verb repair, remove any neoplasm from the human body surgically, or set a broken arm and leg. The meaning of this word is not to punish, but to heal. Correction does not mean a fine, but an amendment. And Paul goes on to say that when one sees a person fall into error, it is appropriate to say to oneself, "If it were not for the grace of God, the same thing would have happened to me."
In this text, Paul twice speaks of burden-bearing. One burden is placed on a person by accidents and changes in life; we take it and carry it in fulfillment of Christ's law to help everyone who has to bear such a burden. But there is also a burden that each person must bear for himself. And Paul uses here the word for a soldier's knapsack and a rolled-up overcoat. There are also obligations that no one can fulfill for us and tasks for which we are personally responsible.
Galatians 6:6-10 Continue like this!
He who is instructed by the word, share all good things with the instructor.
Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. What a man sows, that he will reap:
He who sows to his own flesh from the flesh will reap corruption; but he who sows to the Spirit from the Spirit will reap eternal life.
Doing good, let us not lose heart, for in due time we will reap, if we do not weaken.
So, as long as there is time, let us do good to all, but especially to our own by faith.
Paul becomes very practical.
And then Paul states an inexorable truth. He claims that life keeps the scales in balance. A person who becomes a slave to the lower carnal part of himself will ultimately reap one grief. But whoever does not deviate from the righteous path and does good deeds, God will reward him in the end.
Christianity has never taken a threat out of life. The ancient Greeks believed in Nemesis; they believed that a person who acted unfairly, Nemesis immediately begins to persecute and sooner or later will punish him. All Greek tragedies are written on the theme: "The criminal will be punished." We often forget this: Blessed is the truth that God can and does forgive sins; but even He is not able to blot out the consequences of the sin committed. A person who sins against his body will sooner or later pay for it with his health, even if God has forgiven him. If a person sins against his relatives, sooner or later he will cause them great grief, even if he is forgiven. One advocate of sobriety after a dissolute life said, warning others: "Scars remain." And the great Christian scientist Origen believed that even if all people were saved, the scars of sin would remain. We cannot deliberately speculate on God's forgiveness. There is a moral law in the universe. The person who violates it may be forgiven, but, nevertheless, the consequences are not without danger.
Concluding, Paul reminds his friends that the debt of generosity can be tiring, but a person who takes care of his future in advance and sows good will receive in due time in full.
Galatians 6:11-18 Final words
See how much I have written to you with my own hand.
Those who want to boast according to the flesh force you to be circumcised only in order not to be persecuted for the cross of Christ;
For even those who are circumcised do not keep the law, but want you to be circumcised in order to boast in your flesh.
But I do not want to boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world is crucified for me, and I for the world.
For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything, but a new creation.
To those who act according to this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and to the Israel of God. However, no one weighs me down, for I bear the marks of the Lord Jesus on my body.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brethren Amen.
Usually Paul added to a letter written under his dictation by a scribe only his own name; but his heart is so full of love and concern for the Galatians that he adds a whole paragraph more on his own behalf. “You see,” he says, “how much [in Barclay: in what capital letters] I have written you with my own hand.” The following three reasons may have contributed to this: 1. Paul could write this paragraph in capital letters, because he attached great importance to it, as if italicizing it. 2. He could write it in capital letters, because he had lost the habit of holding a pen in his hands, and could not write better. 3. Maybe Paul's eyes were weak, or he had a headache that dulled his vision, and that this sweeping handwriting characterizes a person who can hardly see anything.
Paul gets back to the point. Those who encourage the Galatians to be circumcised may have three reasons for this, a) It would save them from persecution. The Roman government recognized the Jewish religion and officially allowed it to be sent. Circumcision was irrefutable proof of the Jew, and some people might see it as a kind of security guarantee if persecution began. Circumcision would protect them both from the hatred of the Jews and from the persecution of the Roman law, b) Ultimately, by circumcision and keeping the law, they wanted to create an impression that would merit the approval of God. Paul was sure that no man can merit salvation by any of his own efforts. He again points to the Crucifixion, and urges them to stop trying to earn salvation and trust in the grace that loves them so much, c) Those who called the Galatians to be circumcised did not themselves keep the law. Nobody is able to do this. But they wanted to boast of the Galatians, who would thus be converted into Jews. They wanted to live in the light of the glory of their power over the people who turned them into slaves of their law. And Paul once more emphatically declares that neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything; what matters is only faith in Christ, which opens a new life for a person.
“I bear the marks of the Lord Jesus on my body,” says Paul. The owner often marked the slaves with his brand, which proved their belonging. Most likely, Paul meant the following: the traces of torture and suffering endured by him for the sake of Christ are the marks that prove that he is a servant of Christ. Ultimately, he refers not to his apostolic authority, which called the Galatians to follow his faith, but to the wounds that he received for the sake of Christ. Paul seemed to be saying, "My marks and scars that I bear on my body will be my testimony before the One who will reward me."
And after the storm, tension and passion that sound in the letter, peace of blessing reigns. Paul exhorted, rebuked and pleaded, but his last word GRACE, which alone had true meaning for him.
