Gospel Freedom in Galatians
Background: What was the key issue in the early church? Race. Culture. Issues that are still with us today. The church at its inception on Pentecost was essentially 100% Jewish and the Apostles and the church in Jerusalem seemed content to keep it that way. Then God called a Pharisee named Saul to salvation and set him aside as an Apostle to the Gentiles. Over the next 30 years, the church became primarily Gentile with a Jewish minority, and many Jews fought it.
Galatians was Paul's first letter, written at the end of his first missionary journey when Gentiles began to come to Christ in droves. A group, sometimes called Judaizers and sometimes the circumcision party, opposed the inclusion of Gentiles in the church. If they were to be part of the church, they needed to become Jewish - follow the law and Jewish rituals. Paul fought them tooth and nail his entire ministry. The gospel was for the whole world.
Galatians is a powerful argument for a gospel free from the works of the law.
As often as time allows, the reader is encouraged to read the entire book - it will not take more than a few minutes. Each day we will work our way through the book passage by passage.
Today's Reading: Galatians 1-6 Focus Passage - Galatians 5:7-12
You were running well. Who prevented you from being persuaded regarding the truth? 8 This persuasion does not come from the one who calls you. 9 A little leaven leavens the whole batch of dough. 10 I myself am persuaded in the Lord you will not accept any other view. But whoever it is that is confusing you will pay the penalty. 11 Now brothers and sisters, if I still preach circumcision, why am I still persecuted? In that case the offense of the cross has been abolished. 12 I wish those who are disturbing you might also let themselves be mutilated!
Through the Bible Readings: Ezekiel 33-34, Hebrews 5:11–6:20, Psalm 120, Proverbs 27:24–27
If you wish to read through the Bible in a year, follow these readings.
Devotional: Paul Said What?
Today's devotional is brought to you by Paul the potty-mouth.
Well, that may be a bit harsh, but verse 12 in our reading today is a play on words that is a bit, well, vivid and harsh. He is speaking in verse 11 against those who demand that Christians practice circumcision. The Greek word for circumcision is peritome, which means, literally, to cut around. The reader can figure out what "cut around" means! He is frustrated with those who keep pushing Jewish ritual as a means of salvation instead of simply trusting Christ, and he wishes, in verse 12, that they would be mutilated. The word he uses there is apokopto, which means, "to cut off" or "to cut away." Paul isn't playing games here. A paraphrase might be (and I apologize in advance), "If you are so concerned about cutting around, just cut it off."
If that offends you, that is exactly what Paul intended! He was being intentionally incendiary because he did not want people playing games with the precious truth of salvation by grace through faith. They had been running a good race, step by step in the grace of God, but then someone pushed them off the course.
Paul used another vivid, but less offensive metaphor in verse 9. We too often tolerate those who lead people astray, who put stumbling blocks in the paths of believers or cause them to turn aside from the grace of God to other things. Paul would not tolerate false teaching because he knew that a little leaven would work its way through a whole lump of dough. Leaven is yeast. You don't need much - just a little will affect an entire loaf. It permeates and spreads. Evil is like that in a family, in a church.
The wheel well on my truck is rusting out completely now. A few years back I noticed a small speck of rust on it, but I did nothing - just let it be. That speck of rust began to spread and pretty soon it had eaten all the way through. Now, there's not much I can do about it. I didn't deal with it when it was a small problem, so now my truck is rusting out.
That is way that false teachers are in a church. If we allow them to stay among us, spreading their evil teachings, they will tear the church apart and prevent it from honoring God. This is why Paul was so harsh. He used strong language to shock the Galatians and make them pay attention. This was no minor doctrinal difference! The Gospel was at stake and the future of the church hung in the balance. People that would lead them astray from Christ - he would deal strongly with them!
We must deal decisively with false teaching in the church of Jesus Christ to prevent the church from rusting out!
Father, help me to be faithful to you and to the church you founded through your Son.
Think and Pray:
Are you more shocked by Paul's harsh words or by the presence of false teaching and false teachers in the church?
Do you tend to tolerate sin and false teaching?
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