So, what is the problem?
In
the last blog, I began looking at Paul’s letter to the Galatians stating that,
“Sinners are justified (and live out a godly life) by trusting in Jesus Christ
alone, not by keeping the law or by counting on good works.”[1]
I pointed out that Paul shared the message of faith, hope and revelation in
Jesus Christ with the Galatian church. So, what were the
problems that caused him to write a letter? Well, he dealt with three
fundamental issues.
The first issue mentioned by Paul was his right to
preach the message of freedom that was from God,
“This letter is from Paul, an apostle. I was not
appointed by any group of people or any human authority, but by Jesus
Christ himself and by God the Father, who raised Jesus from the dead” (Gal
1:1 NLT).
Paul wanted the Galatians to understand that the
gospel which he was preaching was from God, and Jesus Christ (Gal
1:11-17). He exaggerated the point to communicate that anyone preaching another
gospel would come under the divine curse (or anathema) (Gal 1:6-10). This argument ran all the way to
Gal 1:1-2:14.
Therefore, Paul claimed the right to be
God’s spokesperson with God’s message to the Galatian church. If Paul was God’s
chosen spokesperson, with God’s message, then it stands that he remains God’s
chosen spokesperson, with God’s message for today. In light of this, the
message of faith, hope and revelation in Jesus Christ still carries divine
authority that needs to be read, studied and obeyed. Where do you stand on the
matter?
Pause in His presence for a moment and
think this over. To be continued…
[1] Easley, Kendell H. Holman Quick Source: Guide
to Understanding the Bible. (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers,
2002), 291.
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