Wednesday in the Word with Krisan Marotta Krisan Marotta

Paul encourages his listeners to invest their lives in truth. We reap what we sow. If we seek teachers who flatter and entertain us, that is what we will harvest. God is not mocked. He knows what we seek.







Review







Chapter 1: Paul introduced two of his three key themes: 1) his apostolic authority and 2) the gospel of justification by faith alone. Paul claimed you can recognize the true gospel by its substance (grace based on the cross of Jesus Christ); its source (divine revelation).







Chapter 2: Paul argued he learned the gospel through revelation from Jesus Christ. He reviewed his biography to prove that he had no chance to learn the gospel from the other human beings. Yet the other apostles confirmed he preached the same gospel.







Chapter 3-4: Paul gives five persuasive arguments for justification by faith alone.







Chapter 5: Paul encouraged them to stand firm in the gospel and then gave a series of four exhortations.







In this final section from 5:13 to the end, Paul gives a series of four exhortations, closing with his final thoughts in 6:11-18.









* Galatians 5:13-24—Paul exhorts them not to use freedom as an excuse to indulge in sin.







* Galatians 5:25-6:5—Paul exhorts them to humility and loving others.







* Galatians 6:6-8—Paul exhorts them to invest in the truth.







* Galatians 6:9-10—Paul exhorts them to pursue doing what is good.









Passage







6Let the one who is taught the word share all good things with the one who teaches. 7Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. 8For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. 9And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. 10So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.  - Galatians 6:6-10









* Galatians 6:6 is not an exhortation to support teachers financially. That doesn't fit the context.







* My rough translation of Galatians 6:6: The one who is taught the gospel that consists in all good things is to hold those good things in common with the one who teaches the gospel. 







* Galatians 6:6-7 work together: Embrace the gospel when a good teacher teaches it to you and do not be deceived by a false gospel.







* Paul encourages listeners is embrace the gospel no matter who teaches it, and not to be deceived by false teachers. 







* Everyone needs to understand what the Bible says well enough to recognize when someone teaches something contrary to it.







* If I seek teachers who plant truth, that is what I will harvest in my life.







* If I seek teachers who entertain me and make me feel good about myself but fail to teach the truth, then that is what I will harvest. 







* False teachers eventually give themselves away. Their lifestyle will reveal that they are not running toward God. 







* The telltale sign is false teacher teaches they sow and reap the works of the flesh. They tell us what our sinful selves want to hear and that will eventually bring strife and discord in the church.







* Let us not lose heart in pursuing that with is morally beautiful. In due time, if we don’t give up, we will reap the harvest of eternal life.

As he closes the letter, Paul explains how the fact that we all believe the same gospel translates into our lives as a community. First, he urges us to stop competing with our teammates. Then Paul explains how to respond when someone stumbles on this metaphorical race to glory.







Review







Chapter 1: Paul introduced two of his three key themes: 1) his apostolic authority and 2) the gospel of justification by faith alone. Paul claimed you can recognize the true gospel by its substance (grace based on the cross of Jesus Christ); its source (divine revelation).







Chapter 2: Paul argued he learned the gospel through revelation from Jesus Christ. He reviewed his biography to prove that he had no chance to learn the gospel from the other human beings. Yet the other apostles confirmed he preached the same gospel.







Chapter 3-4: Paul gives five persuasive arguments for justification by faith alone.







Chapter 5: Paul encouraged them to stand firm in the gospel and then gave a series of exhortations.







In this final section from 5:13 to the end, Paul gives a series of exhortations, closing with his final thoughts in 6:11-18.









* Galatians 5:13-24—Paul exhorts them not to use freedom as an excuse to indulge in sin.







* Galatians 5:25-6:5—Paul exhorts them to humility and loving others.







* Galatians 6:6-8—Paul exhorts them to invest in the truth.







* Galatians 6:9-10—Paul exhorts them to pursue doing what is good.









Passage







25If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. 26Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another. 6:1Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. 2Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. 3For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. 4But let each one test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor. 5For each will have to bear his own load.  - Galatians 5:25-6:5









* We easily fall into competition over who keeps the Law best. But if we know we'll find life because of the sanctifying work of the Spirit, we're free to treat each other as fellow-heirs.







* Paul uses a verb refers to an army marching together in unison. As a community, we should see ourselves as on the same team rather than competing for the Father's favor.







* Since we embrace the same gospel, as a community we should walk in agreement, having the same values and goals because we all listen to the same Spirit. 







* If someone is out of step or caught in transgression, we approach them from a position of unassuming humility.







* In this metaphorical race, it doesn't matter who crosses the finish line first. God will ensure we all cross the finish line. If someone else stumbles, it's not a chance for us to get ahead.







* Sin creates a metaphorical burden or "backpack" that we have to carry. If someone else stumbles, we carry their metaphorical backpack by forgiving, speaking truth and exercising patience.







* In doing that, we fulfill the instruction Jesus gave us that we love God and love one another. 







* If we think we’ve got this problem with sin under control, or that we’d never fall the way our brother or sister fell, we’re fooling ourselves.

Paul argues we don't need the Law to keep us from pursuing sin. We have something better. We have the Spirit of God teaching us to pursue goodness.

Episode website: https://www.wednesdayintheword.com/galatians13/

In the final chapters, he develops his third major theme, which is the freedom the gospel brings. Because the gospel solves our two biggest problems, it brings freedom from the law and freedom from slavery to sin.







Review







Chapter 1: Paul introduced two of his key themes: 1) his apostolic authority and 2) the gospel of justification by faith alone. Paul claimed you can recognize the true gospel by its substance (grace based on the cross of Jesus Christ); its source (divine revelation).







Chapter 2: Paul argued he learned the gospel through revelation from Jesus Christ. He reviewed his biography to prove that he had no chance to learn the gospel from the other human beings. Yet the other apostles confirmed he preached the same gospel.







Chapter 3-4: Paul gives five persuasive arguments for justification by faith alone.







Passage







1For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. 2Look: I, Paul, say to you that if you accept circumcision, Christ will be of no advantage to you. 3I testify again to every man who accepts circumcision that he is obligated to keep the whole law. 4You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace. 5For through the Spirit, by faith, we ourselves eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness. 6For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love.  - Galatians 5:1-6









* The main point of this section is Galatians 5:1. The gospel of justification by faith leads to freedom from sin and freedom from slavery to the law. Therefore, stand firm or hold fast to the gospel and don’t return to the yoke of slavery.







* Paul uses term circumcision in Galatians 5:2-3 as shorthand for the historical fact that these Gentiles deciding to practice the Jewish religion in order to complete or finish their salvation.







* This is not like getting a tattoo. If you choose to follow the teaching of the Judaizers, and get circumcised and begin keeping the Law, then the Messiah is of no benefit to you. If you accept one part of the Law, you accept all the Law and you are bound to it. You cannot choose which laws to keep. You are now obligated to keep them all.







* If you seek to be justified through the law that alienates you from the Messiah, in contrast to those who seek justification by faith (Galatians 5:5).







* Once you come to faith, it doesn’t matter if prior to that time you lived like a Jew or not. We all come to Christ the same way.









7You were running well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth? 8This persuasion is not from him who calls you. 9A little leaven leavens the whole lump. 10I have confidence in the Lord that you will take no other view, and the one who is troubling you will bear the penalty, whoever he is. 11But if I, brothers, still preach circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? In that case the offense of the cross has been removed. 12I wish those who unsettle you would emasculate themselves!  - Galatians 5:7-12









* Paul uses the image of a runner running a race. The runner was doing well and making good time, but now someone else started running in his lane, trying to make him fall.







* Leaven is a metaphor for something contagious, just as a little yeast permeates the entire lump of dough. A little law-keeping negates the whole gospel. 







* Paul expresses his confidence in God. If God has truly called them,

In the story of Abraham, we find two sons, two wives, two covenants, two mountains, and two cities. So we have only two options. One option leads to eternal life in the kingdom of God. The other leads to destruction.







Review







Chapter 1: Paul introduced the two of his main themes: 1) his apostolic authority and, 2) the gospel of justification by faith alone. Paul claimed you can recognize the true gospel by its substance (grace based on the cross of Jesus Christ); its source (divine revelation).







Chapter 2: Paul argued that the gospel he preaches is not man-made, but he received it through revelation from Jesus Christ. He reviewed his biography to prove that he had no chance to learn the gospel from the other human beings. Yet the other apostles confirmed he preached the same gospel.







Chapter 3-4: Paul gives five persuasive arguments for justification by faith alone.









* Galatians 3:2-5—First, Paul argues from experience. Did you receive the Spirit because you got your act together and finally started keeping the law? Or because you heard the gospel—that Jesus died in your place — and believed it? You received the Spirit because you have faith.











* Galatians 3:6-14—Second, Paul argues Scripture confirms our experience. The Scripture teaches Abraham believed and God counted it to him as righteousness. From the beginning, righteousness came through faith and God promised He would bless all those who have faith like Abraham. Those who fail to keep the law are cursed and Jesus took the curse for us, so that we might be saved through faith.











* Galatians 3:15-22—Third, Paul appeals to common sense. Paul argued God made a promise to Abraham, but the Law which came later was a deal. And the deal does not nullify the promise.











* Galatians 3:22-4:11—Paul explains why God gave the Law. “Why the Law then?” The law teaches us we are sinful and we need a savior. But having learned that lesson, we should graduate from law-keeping to the maturity of faith.











* Galatians 4:12-20—Fourth, Paul appeals to the Galatians to return to the true gospel on the basis of his deep affection and his demonstrated concern for them.









Historical Background







21Tell me, you who desire to be under the law, do you not listen to the law? 22For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by a slave woman and one by a free woman. 23But the son of the slave was born according to the flesh, while the son of the free woman was born through promise. - Galatians 4:21-23









* God promised to make Abraham a great nation, to give Abraham’s descendants the land of Canaan and bless all nations of the earth through Abraham. The Jews thought they were part of God’s chosen people because of this covenant.







* John the Baptist (Matthew 3:7-10), Jesus (John 8:31-42) and Paul (Galatians 3) taught that the true children of Abraham are not those physically descended from him, but those who share his faith.







* Paul illustrated that same point with Abraham's two sons. Both sons had the same father, but only one who had faith inherited the promise.  







* Paul addresses this passage to people who want to be under the Law as a means to justification.







* Hagar was a slave and her son Ishmael was born into slavery (Genesis 16).







* Sarah, Abraham’s wife, was a free woman, and her son Isaac was free. Isaac was Abraham's heir (Genesis 17-18).







* This story clarifies that not every physical child of Abr...

In his fourth argument, Paul appeals to the Galatians to return to the true gospel based on his deep affection and concern for them.







Review







Chapter 1: Paul introduced the two of his key themes: 1) his apostolic authority and, 2) the gospel of justification by faith alone. Paul claimed you can recognize the true gospel by its substance (grace based on the cross of Jesus Christ); its source (divine revelation).







Chapter 2: Paul argued he received the gospel through revelation from Jesus Christ. He reviewed his biography to prove that he had no chance to learn the gospel from the other human beings. Yet the other apostles confirmed he preached the same gospel.







Three Arguments







Paul gives five persuasive arguments justification by faith alone.







Galatians 3:2-5—First, Paul argues from experience. Did you receive the Spirit because you got your act together and finally started keeping the law? Or because you heard the gospel — that Jesus died in your place — and believed it? You received the Spirit because you have faith.







Galatians 3:6-14—Second, Paul argues Scripture confirms our experience. Scripture teaches Abraham believed and God counted it to him as righteousness. From the beginning, righteousness came through faith and God promised to bless all those who have faith, like Abraham.







Galatians 3:15-22—Third, Paul appeals to common sense. Paul argued God made a promise to Abraham, but the Law which came later was a deal. And the deal does not nullify the promise.







Galatians 3:22-4:11—Paul explains why God gave the Law. “Why the Law then?” The law teaches us we are sinful and we need a savior. But having learned that lesson, we should graduate from law-keeping to the maturity of faith.







The Galatians' attitude toward Paul







Galatians 4:12-16—Paul reminds the Galatians of their attitude toward him. He contrasts how they viewed him when he first met them with how they view him now.







12Brothers, I entreat you, become as I am, for I also have become as you are. You did me no wrong. 13You know it was because of a bodily ailment that I preached the gospel to you at first, 14and though my condition was a trial to you, you did not scorn or despise me, but received me as an angel of God, as Christ Jesus. 15What then has become of your blessedness? For I testify to you that, if possible, you would have gouged out your eyes and given them to me. 16Have I then become your enemy by telling you the truth? — Galatians 4:12-16









* When he was with them, Paul abandoned his Jewish upbringing and Pharisaical lifestyle. He lived as a Gentile as far as possible in order to teach and save them. They treated him with respect and accepted him without animosity.







* Paul suffered some kind of sickness when he was with them. Perhaps he contracted malaria on his way there. Perhaps he's referring to his return visit after his beating at Lystra.







* Since they showed him so much respect before, despite his physical afflictions, shouldn't they pay him the same respect now?









Paul's attitude toward the Galatians







Galatians 4:17-20—Paul reminds the Galatians of his attitude toward them. He contrasts his attitude toward them with the attitude of the false teachers.







17They make much of you, but for no good purpose. They want to shut you out, that you may make much of them. 18It is always good to be made much of for a good purpose, and not only when I am present with you, 19my little children,