Galatians – Page 3

Church and class

If we are all one in Christ Jesus, then this should mean a break down of all the social barriers in society when we come together as God’s people. We often focus on race and gender issues but also significant in churches is the matter of class. When we look at Galatians 3:28-29, we see… Continue reading Church and class

Paul. Galatians and the end of slavery

In Galatians 3:28, Paul writes: 28 There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise. One of the major themes in Galatians is that Christ sets us free from slavery so… Continue reading Paul. Galatians and the end of slavery

The Redemption of Moses

AS Moses stood facing the Red Sea and God told him to stretch out his staff over the water, how did he know that he could trust God at that point? I want to suggest that it was in part because he’d sort of been there already before. He was about to take the people… Continue reading The Redemption of Moses

Redemption

One of the great events of the Old Testament, in fact perhaps the greatest event in the history of God’s people was their deliverance from slavery in Egypt. About 400 years earlier, a man called Joseph had been sold by his brothers as a slave to passing traders. They in turn sold him on to… Continue reading Redemption

Assurance and Security

One of the blessings that we become heirs of in Christ is assurance. Assurance is the certain confidence that you have been forgiven of your sin and have eternal life. Combine that with security and we have the idea that a believer can know both that their sins are forgiven and that they will never… Continue reading Assurance and Security

Abraham’s heirs

Galatians 3 finishes by describing the church, Jews and Gentiles alike as “Abraham’s heirs”. This is an important principle that we find in Romans 9-11 as well. The Jews saw themselves as God’s chosen people because they could trace their ethnic lineage back to Abraham, the recipient of the Covenant. They saw themselves as heirs… Continue reading Abraham’s heirs

What does the Law do?

Paul insists that the Law is unable to make us right with God. He also insists that the original promises to God’s people were about faith and not Law. Does this mean that Law and Faith or Law and Grace are in competition? A look at the text Read Galatians 3:23-29 So, does the Law… Continue reading What does the Law do?

Binding

Crucial to Paul’s argument in Galatians is that God does not change his promises or go back on his word. The idea that Gentiles can be admitted to the covenant is not a novel one or plan B but has always been God’s purpose. A look at the text (read Galatians 3:15-18) Covenants are binding… Continue reading Binding

The curse

When the people of Israel came out of Egypt, God gave them The Law in the wilderness at Sinai. Then, before they were about to go into Canaan, Moses in effect set before them a choice between curse and blessings. This choice was to be enacted in a covenant ceremony. The people were to pass… Continue reading The curse

Father Abraham had many sons

In Galatians 3:6, Paul has taken us back to the example of Abraham, the ancestor of God’s people, to whom, through whom and in whom God’s covenant with his people was made. He has demonstrated, as he will again when he writes to the Christians in Rome that Abraham was justified by faith. In other… Continue reading Father Abraham had many sons