As we move into chapter 4, Paul's purpose has not changed. He is still arguing against the false teaching that Christians are required to observe the Jewish Law. His reason for arguing against this is simple: It is false and he wants to WIN back the Galatians to the gospel which he introduced them to...that Salvation is accomplished by God's grace through their faith in Him...not by keeping the elements of the Jewish Law.
In Gal 4:1-7, Paul notes that at the perfect time (Gal 4:4), Jesus came as a Jew so that He might win the Jews and set them free to experience the fullness of God that belongs to the Sons of God. Did Jesus' death also accomplish salvation for the Gentiles? YES. Paul is not arguing otherwise...rather, he is focusing on the fact that "if Judaism could save," then Jesus did not need to come as a Jew.
The logical conclusion one can draw from this is found in Gal 4:8-11. Why would anyone go back to "keeping" the Jewish Law...if Jesus came to set people free who were under it?
Gal 4:12-20, Paul reminds the Galatians that they loved the peace of God that they experienced when they accepted his teachings. Why would they think that the "lack of peace" they were feeling now was more God's will than the peace they had already experienced. Let me give an analogy.
Suppose you, as a parent, saved all year to buy your child the gift that they always wanted. When you present it, the child accepts it and enjoys it. A little later, the neighbor kid comes over and begins to convince your child that the invisible toy he has is way cooler than the one your child is playing with. Eventually, your child begins to "parrot" the neighbor kid's story. Your child shuns his toy and even begins to pretend he has an invisible toy too. He is not nearly as happy as he was when he played with the real toy...but has been "programmed" that the invisible toy must be better, since the neighbor said so. You as a parent, observe how downcast your child appears. You begin to remind your child how good it felt to play with the toy he once had. You tell him that the neighbor kid is just jealous because he doesn't have one. You remind him of how valuable the toy is and how much you love him...as demonstrated in giving the toy. Your goal...to get your child to go back and begin enjoying the real toy that once brough him great joy...and to reject the foolishness of the invisible toy...which cannot satisfy in the same way as the real toy. Paul is trying to accomplish the same thing.
Paul's final argument of this chapter is an allegorical comparison (Gal 4:24) of the Galatian's situation...with the sons of Abraham: Ishmael and Isaac (Gal 4:21-31). He says, (in essence) why would Isaac ever want to be Ishmael. Isaac was the son of promise...why would he ever want to be Ishmael. Both sons had the same father, but only one had the promise. Why would the child of promise ever be envious of the child who existed outside of the promise. Paul conclude this section by reminding the Galatian readers...Ishmael would not experience any of the blessings of Isaac. (The implication being that there was no equivalence betwen Judaism and Christianity. Only Christianity could and would satisfy.)
There is a tendency in all of us to think that we are missing "something." This makes us susceptible to whatever some clown is selling. We buy stuff off of the TV because we are convinced by the salesman that our lives are lacking without it. If we could "step back" and observe the reality of our situation and the offer OBJECTIVELY...we might come to different conclusions. This is why it is important to submit ourselves to the wisdom of community (church) and to the counsel of others. A good friend will help us see our blindspots. Paul is being a good friend (and preacher) to the Galatians. We all need well-grounded, articulate, and wise friends in our lives to help us see what is patently unclear to us without them.
Proverbs 6:23-24 is the takeaway today. God's Word (commandment) is the lamp. Teaching (application and explanation of the commandment) is the light. God's Word without application or explanation is simply a device which exists. The fulfilled purpose of God's Word is for it to be understood and applied. By doing so, we have a defense against the consistent "slipping away" toward the evil way and that which ensnares us. Understand...that to NOT resist evil is to slip into it by default. Being righteous requires intentional activity, a resistence to the allure of sin.
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3 comments:
so is it thought that none of the church of Galatia had accepted Christ as savior. They had accepted a part of the teaching while Paul had been there the first time but did not completely buy in on it?
It is important to have people holding you accountable, the hard part and the part that stinks is who? we pick people who are only part way honest with us as to not hurt our feelings or people who are only 'grounded' on the outside and not within. That is tough. But good word.
I know it probably doesn't sound like it but I think I might be closer to getting the book of Galations didn't think it was this complicated til I started trying to understand it. Reading it is easy, understanding... well not so much. :)
Amanda,
I think you are "getting it" just fine. Sure it is a book with a lot to consider. But who wants to read "kid's fairy tales" all of our lives. There is much to God that we have yet to consider...and much to get that we cannot fully grasp. However, with time and diligence, God will guide us into His truth.
It was not that "no one" in the churches in Galatia were saved. The main issue was that they were sliding away from the gospel by listening to guys tell them false things. They were told to add (insert your own religious activity pick here)to the "salvation by faith" concept. Believe (and be circumcised) and you will received the Holy Spirit. Trust God (and keep the Jewish feasts and dietary restrictions) and you will be saved. The point is not that all of them were unsaved...but that they had turned from believing the true gospel to embracing a false message of salvation. Paul is seeking to convince them to turn back. If the were unsaved, he would have dealt differently with them.
Your thinking is good. Keep it up! Thanks for the post.
Amanda, a bit of a mini testimony if I might. A great many of the disciplines Brother Chris mentions in his comments on Galatians I didn't do originally because I had some great revelation on being saved. I simply started doing them because I knew it was what God wanted me to do. Not so He would love me, not to try to please Him by my obedience, but simply because as I understood them, they were my duties to be performed as a Christian. Why? I started out with "Father knows best" or "Daddy said to do it" as my motivation if that makes any sense to you.
So, I read my Bible, because I knew enough to know He said it was what I was supposed to do. I tithed because He said I needed to. I went to church, prayed more, looked for ways to help my fellow men, etc. for the same reason. At first in fits and starts, but with increasing frequency as I went along.
Now, did I understand my Bible when I first started? No, it was just something I did, because He wanted me to. The first time I read through the New Testament, Psalms and Proverbs the biggest lesson I can remember learning was that there are whole bunch of cliche phrases in our culture that come from Scripture. Real holy and righteous lesson there, but I read it more and more and more.
Trying to clarify, trying to gain understanding, seeking. I had similar "results" with the other disciplines He commanded for Christians to do. I find that the more I do, the more I want to do and the greater is my gain.
Along the way, I've found a number of errors in my thinking and doing (and I'm sure there are more to come), but continuing to pursue Him, He led me away from them. The reason I've learned for doing what He says do, even when I don't understand why? Brother Chris said it well yesterday: Should Christians practice these disciplines? Yes, but not to be saved; rather, they are practiced because they unlock the key to experiencing the fullness of our Salvation. They naturally occur as a result of a relationship.
So keep it up, even if it is just reading. Pray for His help. You will notice the difference. I cannot tell you how you will notice, I can only say how He worked on me as He makes me fit for His purposes.
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