April
April 1
Chapter 2, Verse 12, con’t, “For before certain men came from James, he was eating with the Gentiles; but when they came he drew back and separated himself, fearing the circumcision party.”
ἐλθεῖν τινας ἀπὸ Ἰακώβου, elthein tinas apo Iakōbou, “came certain ones from James.” The first question is, what did James have to do with this situation? These “certain ones,” meaning an identifiable group (2 or more), came apo, “from” James. At least they reported they were from James (they could have been lying) and Paul believed they were. One must consider that since Antioch is some 300 miles north of Jerusalem, requiring a 15 day trip on foot, someone had a keen interest in what was going on in Antioch, something that must have been reported to the Jerusalem leaders that caused concern. It is a little bit puzzling that James would consider dining and fellowship habits in Antioch cause for concern except for the fact of his deep Jewish, separatist heritage and the ongoing presence of the judiazers. These factors could have put him in the position where he deemed it necessary to check on the church’s conduct, especially since Peter was involved We must remember that some church people are looking for issues and even when there are none they will create one. Troublemakers are just that, troublemakers; and they have a way of pulling good leaders into bad situations. Beware.
April 2
Chapter 2, Verse 12, con’t, “For before certain men came from James, he was eating with the Gentiles; but when they came he drew back and separated himself, fearing the circumcision party.”
μετὰ τῶν ἐθνῶν συνήσθιεν, meta tōn ethnōn synēsthien, “with the Gentiles he was eating.” On the surface, there is nothing super spiritual about this. συνεσθίω, sunesthio, which combines syn/syn = together with, plus esthio = to eat, simply means to eat with someone, to share a meal. The implication is fellowship and is often used in the context of unity and shared beliefs. The use of the imperfect verb form indicates repetition. Peter was joining the Gentiles regularly for meals and fellowship. It was or had become his regular practice to commune with them. We know this practice was not new to Peter from his interaction with Cornelius in Acts 10. God used visions in both their lives to bring them together and Peter knew this Gentile man and his family were people of faith. When Peter arrived at his home, he said, “You yourselves know how unlawful it is for a Jew to associate with or to visit anyone of another nation, but God has shown me that I should not call any person common or unclean. So when I was sent for, I came without objection. I ask then why you sent for me” (Acts 10:28-29). Then, in verses 34-35, he added, “Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him.” The profound preacher of Pentecost, now among Gentiles, presented the gospel to those in attendance, both Jew and Greek. The result, “While Peter was still saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word. And the believers from among the circumcised who had come with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out even on the Gentiles” (Acts 10:44-45). When the truth of the gospel is presented to those who are lost, we should expect to see some come to faith in Christ.
April 3
Chapter 2, Verse 12, con’t, “For before certain men came from James, he was eating with the Gentiles; but when they came he drew back and separated himself, fearing the circumcision party.”
ὅτε δὲ ἦλθον, ὑπέστελλεν καὶ ἀφώριζεν ἑαυτόν, hote de ēlthon hypestellen kai aphōrizen heauton, “when however they came, he was drawing back and was separating himself.” Some other translations, including the New American Standard Bible, render part of this, “he began to withdraw,” as in he was at first satisfied with his surroundings and then found himself uncomfortable. In this phrase we have in focus “they” and “he” and what he did. ὑποστέλλω, hupostelló, from hupo = under or underneath, and stello = to set or to place, meaning to withdraw or withhold. In the Greek world, he concept of hupostello, in the military, meant to retreat from battle to prevent being overwhelmed by an enemy. In the New Testament, it is generally used to describe “holding back,” possibly due to fear or reluctance. ἀφορίζω, aphorizó, from apo = from, and horizo = to set boundaries, here means he, Peter, removed himself from the fellowship he otherwise enjoyed. Why? They! Who were they? In today’s jargon, the would be influencers. They, in this case a group of men, were not necessarily qualified to make the decisions they made, but they held sway over a large number of followers. In today’s society, these so-called influencers pop up seemingly out of nowhere (although they always have a plan to get their name and face before the public eye) with questionable qualifications and expertise, and because they look good and speak well, people follow. It seems to me that is what the devil did in Eden. People have allowed themselves to be duped since the beginning. Do not be one of those people.
April 4
Chapter 2, Verse 12, con’t, “For before certain men came from James, he was eating with the Gentiles; but when they came he drew back and separated himself, fearing the circumcision party.”
φοβούμενος τοὺς ἐκ περιτομῆς, phoboumenos tous ek peritomēs, “being afraid of the circumcision.” Peter “drew back” and “separated himself” from fellowship with Gentile believers because he was. . .afraid. Everyone deals with fear at some level. And not to be too hard on Peter–but this is not his first time to face fear and fail in Scripture. At the Lord’s Supper, Jesus told Peter what would happen, his denial. Peter swore, “If I must did with you, I will not deny you.” And then in Mark 14:66-72, Peter denied Jesus three times. And when he realized what he had done, out of fear, “he broke down and wept” (vs. 72). His fear here in Galatians was, without a doubt, a response to those termed judaizers, very influential Jews who wanted to impose the the Old Testament Law upon God’s grace in Jesus Christ. Paul had already rebuked them (Galatians 2:5). This would be a sad story but for the future. At the end of his second epistle, some 12 years after the event here in Galatians, he would write, “Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these, be diligent to be found by him without spot or blemish, and at peace. And count the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you according to the wisdom given him, as he does in all his letters when he speaks in them of these matters. There are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures. You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, take care that you are not carried away with the error of lawless people and lose your own stability. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen” (2 Peter 3:14-18). Peter, himself, was still growing in grace and standing strong for the gospel. He also wrote, “Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good. For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God. Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor” (1 Peter 3:13-17). Honor, love, and fear of God are all emphatic commands. And most powerful of all, in light of what happened here, he wrote, “Now who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good? But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God’s will, than for doing evil” (1 Peter 3:13-17). While the Bible does not tell us how Peter died, the most widely accepted account is that he was crucified upside down (upside down was his request so as not to appear as an equal of Christ) by Nero, emperor of Rome. At the end, he was strong and courageous. So should we be.
April 5
Chapter 2, Verse 13, “And the rest of the Jews acted hypocritically along with him, so that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy.”
καὶ συνυπεκρίθησαν αὐτῷ καὶ οἱ λοιποὶ Ἰουδαῖοι, kai synypekrithēsan autō kai hoi loipoi Ioudaioi, “And acted hypocritically with him also the rest of [the] Jews.” Peter was the “de facto” leader of the Jerusalem church contingent of Chrisitians in this scene. So this could be considered a case of “follow the leader.” Except Peter was not leading; he was cowering. This long Greek verb, συνυποκρίνομαι, sunupokrinomai, combines sun = with or together, and hypokrinomai = to pretend; hence, to play a part with. It means to act from one motive when one’s conduct is activated by another. In this case, Peter and the other Jews in attendance knew the Gentiles were Christians believers. But because of pressure (real or imagined) from those who arrived, they acted like the Gentiles were not Christians at all by removing themselves from he close fellowship they were having. It was not out of loyalty to the Law of Moses they did this but, rather, out of fear of the judaizers. When I was a kid and my dad would catch me being fearful, he would say, “Boy, grow a backbone.” That was his way of say face your fears. Just like God told Joshua to be strong and courageous, so should we who are believers be because God is with us and he will never forsake us or leave us to fend for ourselves.
April 6
Chapter 2, Verse 13, con’t, “And the rest of the Jews acted hypocritically along with him, so that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy.”
ὥστε καὶ Βαρνάβας συναπήχθη αὐτῶν τῇ ὑποκρίσει, hōste kai Barnabas synapēchthē autōn tē hypokrisei, “so that even Barnabas was carried away of them by the hypocrisy.” “Carried away,” a form of συναπάγω, sunapagó, combines syn/sun = together, and apago = to lead or to carry away. Here, it means to be moved to act along with others by an outside influence. It is like being carried away by a flood. You are no active in it, merely caught up in it. “Hypocrisy,” ὑπόκρισις, hupokrisis, was used in Greek culture to refer to acting on stage, often wearing a mask, pretending. Over time, it developed into the idea of pretense, insincerity, or deceit. This must have been very difficult for Paul to see. Barnabas, a Levite from Cyprus, who was also a leader in the Jerusalem church, was one of Paul’s closest friends and traveling companions. It was Barnabas who defended Paul before he Jerusalem council (Acts 9) and preached alongside him (Acts 13-15). Here in Antioch, where he was the first pastor, Barnabas allowed his emotions to overwhelm his convictions. We must be careful not to let “every wind of doctrine” (Ephesians 4:14) carry us away like a flood from the truth of God’s word.
April 7
Chapter 2, Verse 14, “But when I saw that their conduct was not in step with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas before them all, “If you, though a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you force the Gentiles to live like Jews?””
Ἀλλ’ ὅτε εἶδον, All’ hote eidon, “But when I saw.” ἀλλά, alla, is a forceful conjunction denoting contrast or exception. It is like Paul saw the immediate need to “butt in.” εἶδον, eidon, from the primary verb ὁράω, horaó, means to see or perceive both in the physical sense of seeing with the eyes and the metaphorical sense of perceiving with the mind. Here, it is both as Paul could not believe what he saw happening and his spiritual sensitivity kicked in because he perceived this was no small matter–the veracity of the gospel message was at stake. When we who are in Christ see something happening that we know is wrong and the Holy Spirit prompts us, it is always time to involve ourselves (butt in), especially when the truth of the Bible in challenged. I am reminded of Jude 1:3, over and over, “Dear friends, I had been eagerly planning to write to you about the salvation we all share. But now I find that I must write about something else, urging you to defend the faith that God has entrusted once for all time to his holy people” [New Living Translation].
April 8
Chapter 2, Verse 14, con’t, “But when I saw that their conduct was not in step with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas before them all, “If you, though a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you force the Gentiles to live like Jews?””
ὅτι οὐκ ὀρθοποδοῦσιν πρὸς τὴν ἀλήθειαν τοῦ εὐαγγελίου, hoto ouk orthopodousin pros tēn alētheian tou euangeliou, “That not they are walking uprightly according to the truth of the gospel.” They were not “walking uprightly.” ὀρθοποδέω, orthopodeó, is an interesting verb that only occurs here in the New Testament. The words ὀρθός, orthos, = straight or upright and, ποδός, podos, = foot are combined to mean “I walk in a straight course.” So, Peter and the other Jews were not “straight walking.” The clear implication is that they were veering from the truth by their actions (conduct). The idiom “actions speak louder than words” fits here. This simply means that what someone does in their daily walk of life is a more reliable indicator of their true intentions and character than what they say. It goes right along with being “two-faced” or “talking out of both sides of your mouth.” This goes back to the hypocrisy of verse 13. When does this character flaw generally appear? It shows up when someone is afraid–either of someone they otherwise oppose or when they are caught in a lie. Proverbs 16:1-3 says, “The plans of the heart belong to man, but the answer of the tongue is from the Lord. All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the spirit. Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established.” And Colossians 3:23-25 tells us, “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ. For the wrongdoer will be paid back for the wrong he has done, and there is no partiality.” If we focus on the truth of the Bible and serving God in Spirit and Truth (John 4:24), we are not likely to make this mistake in our own lives.
April 9
Chapter 2, Verse 14, con’t, “But when I saw that their conduct was not in step with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas before them all, “If you, though a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you force the Gentiles to live like Jews?””
The Amplified Bible renders this phrase, “If you, being a Jew, live [as you have been living] like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how is it that you are [now virtually] forcing the Gentiles to live like Jews [if they want to eat with you]?” “If,” here, is a fulfilled condition and could be translated “since.” “Being,” ὑπάρχω, huparchó, = to exist, to be, or to possess. In this context, it conveys the idea “being a Jew to begin with.” Paul was forcefully portraying the obvious–Peter and his cohorts (like Paul) were born and bred Jews with all the ceremonial and legal trappings that came with being under the Law. But now, having been set free from all that by the grace of God, they felt at ease eating and fellowshipping with Gentile believers–until–“certain men” showed up and spoiled the party. This is a perfect example of peer pressure. Peer pressure is the influence exerted by one’s peers or social group encouraging and sometimes forcing people to adopt certain behaviors, attitudes, or values so as to fit in or gain acceptance. In this setting, the fear of being ostracized or ridiculed by peers is exactly what produced the abhorrent behavior displayed by Peter et al. This same Peter would later write, “And remember that the heavenly Father to whom you pray has no favorites. He will judge or reward you according to what you do. So you must live in reverent fear of him during your time here as “temporary residents.” (1 Peter 1:17) [New Living Translation] We must be careful to do what is right and treat everyone with honor and respect.
April 10
Chapter 2, Verse 14, “But when I saw that their conduct was not in step with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas before them all, “If you, though a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you force the Gentiles to live like Jews?””
EXCURSUS — Perceptions
Many year ago, I preached a sermon entitled, “Perception Are So, Even When They Are Not.” It was true then, it is true now. Perception, in the context of the human mind, is the process by which we interpret and make sense of the world around us, influenced by factors like past experiences, attention, and expectations, leading to subjective and potentially biased rationalization. In other words, things (our reality) are the way we see them, whether they are or not. This has been problematic for human since the very beginning. In Genesis 2, when God placed Adam in the Garden of Eden, he told him, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die” (Genesis 2:16-17). Soon afterward, after God gave Eve as Adams helpmate, the serpent [the personal agent of sin] showed up. Genesis 3:1-5, “Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’” But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
SUBJECTIVITY wrecked the perfect peace in Eden. Eve, with the help of the serpent, wrongly interpreted God’s command. Not only that, she made a MORAL JUDGMENT based on a half-truth, a lie.
Worse than that, she drew Adam, who was supposed to be in charge, into her FALSE REALITY and the result was catastrophic. Sin entered the world (Romans 5:12).
Perceptions always matter and since the perception of our minds determine our reality–at least in our own minds, we must be careful to build our perceptions on the truth. Here is what Paul told Timothy after reminding him that it is Jesus alone who saves, “Remind them of these things, and charge them before God not to quarrel about words, which does no good, but only ruins the hearers. Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth. But avoid irreverent babble, for it will lead people into more and more ungodliness, and their talk will spread like gangrene.”
The words we use and the actions we take can shape another persons reality, their perception of the world around them. Be careful what you say and do, especially around children. The truth of God’s word is more important than your opinion.
April 11
Chapter 2, Verse 15, “We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners;”
Ἡμεῖς, φύσει Ἰουδαῖοι, Hēmeis physei Ioudaioi, “We, by birth Jews.” The “we” [emphatic] Paul is referring to is believing Jews, those saved by grace through faith in Christ. “By birth,” φύσις, phusis, derived from φύω, phuo, = “to bring forth” or “to produce,” simply means inherent nature, the essence of someone or something over which they have no control. Paul could have said, “As Jews, we were born this way.” They were born into a religious culture that required them to follow the Law of Moses and all the commands, restrictions, and instructions found in the Torah. For them, Torah denoted both the written word, that is, the first five books of the Old Testament, and the Oral Torah. The Oral Torah consisted of interpretations and amplifications handed down generation to generation from the rabbinic tradition. In this, many if not most, Jews ignore or deny the New Testament and its clear connection to the Hebrew Bible. In Paul’s time, Jews simply did not want anything to do with Gentiles. Concerning this, Paul wrote to the Romans, “Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved. For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. For, being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes” (Romans 10:1-4). All people of all traditions stand guilty of sin before God and need Jesus as Savior and Lord.
April 12
Chapter 2, Verse 15, “We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners;”
καὶ οὐκ ἐξ ἐθνῶν Ἁμαρτωλοί, kai ouk ex ethnōn Hamartōloi, “and not of [the] Gentile sinners.” The noun ἔθνος, ethnos, = nation or people (from which we have the English term ethnic). While it can refer to any race or nation, in the Jewish mind it referred to anyone who was non-Jewish and therefore heathen, or Gentile. ἁμαρτωλός, hamartólos, = sinner, from ἁμαρτάνω, hamartanō, = “to miss the mark.” Paul was not suggesting that sin for Gentiles was different than sin for Jews. He knew all people are sinners (Romans 3:9-10, 23), so he was likely using the term to point out the conceit of the Jews; i.e., they had the Law and Gentiles did not, as if that was some advantage. In fact, the Law of Moses more clearly showed their own guilt. The real problem here was Jewish tradition. No one, including Paul, ever suggested that Jewish believers give up circumcision or their dietary standards. He simply argued that not having those things in their lives did not make Gentile believers somehow “less than.” Romans 10:12-13 makes this clear, “For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”” The LORD is God over everyone and is might to save all who come to him in faith through Jesus Christ.
April 13
Chapter 2, Verse 16, “yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.””
εἰδότες δὲ, eidotes de, “knowing nevertheless.” It is clear that Paul’s intent here is, “In spite of all the Jewish tradition and false teaching by those (judaizers) who want to impose the Law of Moses on the grace of God in salvation. . .we know.” εἴδω, eidó, = to see, to know, to perceive, and to be aware. It means to know by perception and is not conditional but certain. Here, it is plural, indicating this absolute truth was known and accepted beyond any doubt by Paul, Peter, Barnabas, and all the Jewish believers. They had lived under and by works of the Law for their entire lives until they learned that system could not save them from their sin. Their works had not made them righteous before God. Before concluding his letter to Titus, Paul wrote, “For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life” (Titus 3:3-7). Only in Christ can anyone find forgiveness of sin and hope that is life eternal.
April 14
Chapter 2, Verse 16, con’t, “yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.””
οὐ δικαιοῦται ἄνθρωπος ἐξ ἔργων νόμου, ou dikaioutai anthrōpos ex ergōn nomou, “not is justified a man by works of law.” The first thing we must clearly understand in this phrase is “a person” or “a man” is representative of all people, regardless of national origin–all Jews, all Gentiles, everyone is included. The Law of Moses and it attending rules, regulations, and rituals was not given to save anyone from sin. First, no person could or can perfectly keep God’s law. Second, what the Law did was show the Jews the depth of their sin and their utter inability to be righteous before holy God. Not even the Levitical priesthood with all their sacrifices could make the descendants of Abraham a holy people. The once-a-year sacrifice, Yom Kippur, celebrated by the high priest on behalf of the people, only offered temporary atonement–until the next year. Observance of Yom Kippur was a foreshadowing of Christ’s sacrifice at Calvary, the one-time ransom for the sin of humanity, Jew and Gentile alike. It established a new covenant, with God providing forgiveness and reconciliation, and guaranteeing eternal life to all who accept Jesus as Savior and Lord.
April 15
Chapter 2, Verse 16, con’t, “yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.””
The Greek verb δικαιόω, dikaioó, used three times in this verse, is applied to point out the stark difference between law an grace. Justified means declared righteous, acquitted, as in forgiveness of a crime (sin). Paul declared over and over that works of the Law cannot justify anyone. Human works are good, but useless for salvation. In the New Testament, justification refers to God’s act of declaring a sinner righteous by faith in Jesus Christ (faith alone in Christ alone). It is a legal, or forensic, declaration, as if a judge were to acquit a defendant, meaning God no longer holds their sin against them. God’s justification is a free gift from God; it cannot be earned. Jesus’ death and resurrection are the basis for God’s declaration of righteousness. And while justification does involve God imputing Christ’s righteousness to believers, it is the declaration itself that makes one righteous–the judge’s decision alone. Paul makes this plain in Romans 3:21-26, “But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.” None of us are good enough on our own, by our own works, to get to heaven. We must end our quest to make ourselves good enough and turn to Christ. He, alone, is mighty to save.
April 16
Chapter 2, Verse 16, con’t, “yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.””
EXCURSUS — The Truth About Justification
In Galatians 2:16, Paul presented the clearest argument for God-ordained, life-giving justification in the entire New Testament, using contrast and comparison. Three major truths emerge here as he made the same argument in slightly different ways.
1- The General Truth — “yet we know that A PERSON is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ” Romans 9:30-32, “What shall we say, then? That Gentiles who did not pursue righteousness have attained it, that is, a righteousness that is by faith; but that Israel who pursued a law that would lead to righteousness did not succeed in reaching that law. Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as if it were based on works.” Gaining God’s righteousness only occurs through justification (God’s declaration) by faith.
2- The Personal Truth — “so WE ALSO have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law” Romans 5:6-11, “For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.” God only justifies those who accept his Son who gave his life for sin and defeated death.
3- The Universal Truth — “because by works of the law NO ONE will be justified” James 2:8-13, “If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well. But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it. For he who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. So speak and so act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty. For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.” No person have ever kept the Law perfectly (except for Jesus). Therefore, the Law cannot justify a person before God.
Jesus warned the people who attempt to gain heaven in any way other than faith in him. Matthew 7:21-23, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.”
April 17
Chapter 2, Verse 17, “But if, in our endeavor to be justified in Christ, we too were found to be sinners, is Christ then a servant of sin? Certainly not!”
At the beginning of chapter 2, fourteen years after his first visit to Jerusalem, Paul was, without exception, gladly received by the apostles, all of whom were Jews. His message of salvation in Christ alone by faith alone was accepted and commended. Then, when Paul returned to Antioch and Peter came to visit with other Jewish believers, the fellowship of Gentiles and Jews was going well until “certain men” (apparently judaizers) showed up and brought fear upon Peter, et al. In verses 15 and 16, Paul again defended his position concerning faith in Christ as the only way of salvation. In verse 17, he throws a rhetorical curve ball, so to speak. He could have easily put it this way, “Okay, if the judaizers are right . . .” Think about that. If the false teaching judaizers were right. . .Jesus set us all up for sin because he, himself, called upon Paul to take this message to Gentiles–and Jews. So, if the law-demanding false teachers were correct, Paul, me, you, and everyone who has trusted in Christ as Savior and Lord are still lost sinners because we did not add elements of the Law to our profession of faith. Sola gratia, salvation by grace alone, is the core theological principle in true Christian theology, emphasizing that salvation is a free gift from God, not earned through human effort of works. This same Paul wrote, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called “the uncircumcision” by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands— remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility” (Ephesians 2:8-16).
April 18
Chapter 2, Verse 17, con’t, “But if, in our endeavor to be justified in Christ, we too were found to be sinners, is Christ then a servant of sin? Certainly not!”
ἆρα Χριστὸς ἁμαρτίας διάκονος ? μὴ γένοιτο !, ara Christo hamartias diakonos? mē genoito!, “[is] then Christ of sin a minister? Never may it be! The whole argument goes back to the same group that Paul faced in Acts 9:20-25 and Peter faced in Acts 11:1-2. The circumcision party, judaizers, Christ deniers, charged that Jesus endorsed and advocated sin by causing the Jews to abandon the Law as the means of justification before God. In their minds, doing this lowered him to the “level” of a Gentile–those they referred to as dogs. Did this position anger Paul? Of course it did, and rightfully so. The were accusing Jesus of being a “minister of sin.” In their confusion and denial of Jesus as the only means of justification before God, and the only purveyor of grace to mankind, they were accusing the sinless Son of God, the lamb slain before the foundation of the world, of being a liar and, himself, a sinner. The true corruption and immoral conduct here was adhering to the Law for justification. Paul’s repudiation was swift and on point. And as Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to the priestly religious crowd in Acts 4:8-12, “Rulers of the people and elders, if we are being examined today concerning a good deed done to a crippled man, by what means this man has been healed, let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by him this man is standing before you well. This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
April 19
Chapter 2, Verse 18, “For if I rebuild what I tore down, I prove myself to be a transgressor.”
εἰ γὰρ ἃ κατέλυσα, ταῦτα πάλιν οἰκοδομῶ, ei gar ha katelysa tauta palin oikodomō, “If for that I had torn down, these things again I build.” The verb καταλύω, kataluó, from kata = down, and luo = loosen or dissolve, in a literal sense means to destroy, dissolve, overthrow, or abolish. Metaphorically, it means to unyoke, as in unharnessing a horse from a wagon or plow–hence, to separate from something. the verb οἰκοδομέω, oikodomeó, from oikos = house, and domos = building or structure, literally means to build or construct, and as a metaphor means to edify. Both are used here in the latter sense. The legalism of some of the Jews, believing justification was possible by keeping the tenets of the Law, was (as is) a major stumbling block in the way of faith. Paul, being a Jew, knew exactly how they were thinking. So, he “tore down,” taught against their system with his whole heart. And he could have said, “How in the world can I rebuild a belief that leads people away from faith in Christ?” He wrote to the believers in Rome, “Likewise, my brothers, you also have died to the law through the body of Christ, so that you may belong to another, to him who has been raised from the dead, in order that we may bear fruit for God. For while we were living in the flesh, our sinful passions, aroused by the law, were at work in our members to bear fruit for death. But now we are released from the law, having died to that which held us captive, so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit and not in the old way of the written code” (Romans 7:4-6). No one is captive to a religious system that keeps them from Christ unless they choose to be a prisoner.
April 20
Chapter 2, Verse 18, con’t, “For if I rebuild what I tore down, I prove myself to be a transgressor.”
παραβάτην ἐμαυτὸν συνιστάνω, parabatēn emauton synistanō, “a transgressor myself I prove.” Essentially, Paul was stating that if he acted like Peter and the others who separated themselves from the Gentile believers when the legalists showed up, he would be no different than them–true hypocrites. παραβάτης, parabates, from para = beyond or contrary to, plus baino = to go, portrays a person who steps to one side and thus goes beyond what is allowed–steps across a line. Paul used transgressor instead of sinner because sinner refers to one who disregards the letter of the law while transgressor points to one who ignores the ethical spirit of the law. In other words, Peter was trying to obey the letter of the law even though he was living under grace. His action made him not only one who waffled with the truth, but one who was willfully ignoring the truth of the gospel to satisfy false teachers. Paul was not having any part of it and was calling it out. He was forcefully, openly, and definitively defending the truth. (See Jude 1:1-3). There comes a time in a believers life when he or she must stand up and speak out when someone misleads others regarding the truth of the gospel and what is takes for a person to be saved.
April 21
Chapter 2, Verse 19, “For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God.
ἐγὼ γὰρ διὰ νόμου νόμῳ ἀπέθανον, egō gar dia nomou nomō apethanon, “I for through [the] Law to [the] Law died.” This verse is all about death and the Law–not death of the Law, but death to the Law. The most important thing to remember is that neither Paul nor Jesus had any intention of destroying the tenets of the Law. Paul wrote, “But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction” (Romans 3:21-22), and “Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By a law of works? No, but by the law of faith. For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law. Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, since God is one—who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith. Do we then overthrow the law by this faith? By no means! On the contrary, we uphold the law” (Romans 3:27-31). And Jesus said, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them” (Matthew 5:17). The real issue is that the Law (the Ten Commandments), the traditions, and rituals were not bad, the just could not save anyone. ἀποθνῄσκω, apothnéskó, from apo = from or away, and thnesko = to die, literally means to die off, that is, to be removed from the presence of. Paul did not say he was dead to the law in the sense it had no effect upon his life. He still held to its ethical principles. When he said he had died to the Law, he meant he had ceased having any relation to it (as a means of justification) so that it no longer had any claim upon or control over his life. He had advanced past the legalism of the Law to the freedom he discovered in Christ.
April 22
Chapter 2, Verse 19, con’t, “For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God.
ἵνα Θεῷ ζήσω, hina Theō zēsō, “that to God I might live.” Here is one of the great antinomies of the Bible (antinomy = a fundamental and apparently unresolvable conflict or contradiction). Death brings forth life. Paul knew that the Law could no long have reign over his life because that law only serves death–keeping it is impossible. But he also knew that the death of Christ and his subsequent resurrection completely overpowered and defeated death for all who believe. hina, “so that,” shows purpose. Death had to happen that life might follow. zao, “might live,” a primary Greek verb, means simply “to live,” “to be alive.” It refers to natural physical life, life after death, and in this verse it refers to supernatural spiritual life. In John 11, when Jesus arrived at the home of Mary and Martha after the announcement of Lazarus’ death, he said to Martha, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die.” Everyone must face death in the course of life, but what follows is the life God has in store for all who are in Christ.
April 23
Chapter 2, Verse 20, “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”
Χριστῷ συνεσταύρωμαι, Christō synestaurōmai, “Christ I have been crucified with.” NOTE: The UBS (United Bible Society) Greek text places the phrase Χριστῷ συνεσταύρωμαι at the end of verse 19 but most English translations place it at the beginning of verse 20. Either location is acceptable because this statement, a complete sentence, one of the most profound in all of Scripture, is a bridge, a straight, clear roadway between what was and what is. Jews had wrestled with the Law and sought justification through works for centuries. They somehow missed the real Messiah and then Jesus showed up. But since he was not the kind of savior they expected, they rejected him. But Paul had moved on. The Holy Spirit drew him to God and changed his understanding. He wrote to the Corinthians, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come” (2 Corinthians 5:17). The verb συσταυρόω, sustauroó, from sun = with, and stauroo, = to crucify, means “to crucify alongside.” The perfect tense used here in verse 20 makes the literal translation, “I have been and remain crucified.” This is how a person dies to the law–or any other religious system. You put it away and never return to it. You have been set free. Jesus said, “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed” (John 8:36). In Romans 6:5-11, Paul wrote, “For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.” The old nature has been put down by the power of the Spirit and a new man is raised up to walk by faith and not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7).
April 24
Chapter 2, Verse 20, con’t, “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”
ζῶ δὲ οὐκέτι ἐγώ; ζῇ δὲ ἐν ἐμοὶ Χριστός, zō de ouketi egō zē de en emoi Christos, “I live now no longer I; lies however in me Christos.” Paul was expressing a contrast, a change, and a continuation. The primary Greek verb ζάω, zao, means to live or to be alive. In the New Testament, it is used to describe our everyday walking around life, our spiritual life in Christ, and our gifted eternal life from God. In this verse, Paul spoke of “I” and “me” at least seven times and not once in a selfish way. The formerly egotistical Pharisee Paul was still alive, still breathing, but every breath resonated differently. He no longer lived for himself. He no longer depending upon the works of his own life to get close to God. Instead, his new life in Christ was a reflection of the One living in him. Instead of being bound by a set of rules (the Law), he had been set free by the grace of God to walk by faith while being obedient to God’s call. The contrast, change, and continuation for Paul and for all true believers can be summed up in this: my Christian life is not just me living for Christ because I am in Christ; it is Christ living through me for his own honor and glory.
April 25
Chapter 2, Verse 20, con’t, “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”
ὃ δὲ νῦν ζῶ ἐν σαρκί ἐν πίστει ζῶ τῇ τοῦ Υἱοῦ τοῦ Θεοῦ, ho de nyn zō en sarki en pistei zō tē tou Yiou tou Theou, “that which then now I live in [the] flesh through faith I live that from the Son of God.” The “that” Paul wrote about is clearly life. And while it is not implicit in this verse, he was certainly comparing his life now to his life before. His past life, in the flesh, was ruled by religious law, its traditions, mandates, and rituals. It was a life that could not be a peace with God. His new life, also in the flesh, was a life of faith in Christ. But here is a warning to us all. Even in Christ, we are all still in the flesh with all its baggage, memories, desires, and temptations. Indeed, the original disciples of Jesus faced a huge problem. As he walked to Gethsemane with Peter, James, and John, he asked them to “watch” with him. He simply meant to be vigilant, stay alert and awake–they went to sleep. When he returned and found them sleeping, he said, “Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Matthew 26:41). WE all are plagued with weakness in these bodies and minds of ours. This same Paul remind the Roman church, “For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing” (Romans 7:18-19). So we must live close to God with much prayer, spending time in the Word, and yielding to the power of the Spirit who helps us overcome the power of sin and the flesh.
April 26
Chapter 2, Verse 20, con’t, “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”
τοῦ ἀγαπήσαντός με καὶ παραδόντος ἑαυτὸν ὑπὲρ ἐμοῦ, tou agapēsantos me kai paradontos heauton hyper emou, “the [One] having loved me and having given up Himself for me.” Paul was definitely speaking about personal relationship. The verb ἀγαπάω, agapao, derived from ἀγάπη, agape (love), means “to love.” The form used here is indicative of Christ’s selfish, sacrificial, and unconditional love being offered by Paul’s sin. Revelation 13:8 calls Jesus “the Lamb slain before the foundation of the world (King James Version). Just as important is the verb παραδίδωμι, paradidomi, “to deliver,” “to hand over.” In the New Testament, it typically means to deliver or hand over something or someone to another person. Once again, the past tense is used to indicate Jesus planned to give himself up to be crucified before the world ever began. When we consider this phrase, looking at it from the past, it speaks to our salvation. When we view it from the present, it speaks to our sanctfication. And when we look to our future as believers, it addresses our deliverance. Thank God Jesus gave himself as a ransom for our sin.
April 27
Chapter 2, Verse 21, “I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose.”
Οὐκ ἀθετῶ τὴν χάριν τοῦ Θεοῦ, Ouk athetō tēn charin tou Theou, “Not do I set aside the grace of God.” The New Living Translation renders this phrase, “I do not treat the grace of God as meaningless. The Amplified Bible takes it further, “[Therefore, I do not treat God’s gracious gift as something of minor importance and defeat its very purpose]; I do not set aside and invalidate and frustrate and nullify the grace (unmerited favor) of God.” From verse 15 onward, the great contrast between law and grace–and faith and works–is as different as night and day. They simply cannot mix and cannot work together. The verb ἀθετέω, atheteó, means to regard as nothing, to declare invalid, or to act as if something were annulled; that is, made ineffective, inoperative, or nonexistent. It can also mean to do away with what has already been established. In the Greek world it was used concerning grain that was rejected by an inspector because it was unfit for food. In essence, Paul was saying he could not put away or reject the grace of God as being ineffective–as compared to works of the law by man. He expressed this great truth to the Ephesian church, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” We are saved by grace so that we can do good works, not because of them.
April 28
Chapter 2, Verse 21, con’t, “I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose.“
εἰ γὰρ διὰ νόμου δικαιοσύνη ἄρα Χριστὸς δωρεὰν ἀπέθανεν, ei gar dia nomou dikaiosynē ara Christos dōrean apethanen, “if for through [the]Law righteousness [is] then Christ for naught died.” Paul’s argument is rational, reasonable, and logical. He used “for if” almost rhetorically because he had already debunked the “circumcision” party’s claims. He could have said, “If it were possible and I know it is not. . .” He could have added, “And Peter, you know it is not true as well.” Clearly, the doctrine of grace plus works is false, for if you add anything to grace you never know how much grace is necessary and how many works you have to do. Adding anything to faith alone in Christ alone makes grace cheap adn the death of Jesus superfluous and gratuitous–he was tortured for nothing! But that, of course, is not the case. The blessed Son of God gave himself freely and bore the burden of sin alone. He suffered an agonizing death and defeated the grave for the salvation of all who believe. No religion of works can save a lost soul; not church membership, not baptism; nothing but the blood of Jesus is sufficient. Acts 4:12, “And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
April 29
EXCURSUS — The Doctrine of Justification
Galatians 3 and 4 emphasize the doctrine of justification. In these two chapters, Paul gives a Scriptural defense of the Gospel. He does so by speaking directly to the Galatians themselves, using their lives of erratic spiritual behavior to commence his presentation of justification by faith alone. In this continuing theological argument, we discover how Paul showed the superiority of the Gospel over Judaism, faith over works (3:2), the spirit of the flesh (3:3), being justified over being controlled by the law (3:8, 11), being blessed or being cursed (3:9-10) and the superiority of the promise in Abraham over the command through Moses (3:12-14).
From the very beginning of Chapter 3, Paul let his readers know this was a personal address expressing strong emotion by the use of the interjection “O.” This Greek interjection, ὦ, ó, is almost always used to express strong emotion and in this case is a call for attention (Like “listen up.”). Here, Paul uses it to convey a sense of urgency to highlight the importance of the message being delivered. His greatest concern was that much of the spiritual conduct of the members of the Galatian fellowship did not line up with their public testimony, much like that of Peter and his friends who came to visit from Jerusalem.
The doctrine of justification is one of the foundational aspects of the Christian faith that we must get right, both in what we say and what we do. The world often calls believers hypocrites for this very reason–saying one thing and living something else. Our claims must match our words and deeds. Otherwise, we mislead–others and even ourselves. In Paul’s letter to Titus, he wrote, “Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people. For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life” (Titus 3:1-7).
GALATIANS CHAPTER THREE
April 30
Chapter 3, Verse 1, “O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified.
Ὦ ἀνόητοι Γαλάται, Ō anoētoi Galatai, “O foolish Galatians.” The in an expression of surprise mixed with outrage. ἀνόητος, anoétos, combines the negative particle a, “a,” meaning “not,” with νοέω, noeō, which means “to think” or “to understand.” In the New Testament, it is generally used to denote a lack of understanding or discernment. It can convey a sense of spiritual or moral foolishness, rather than just lack of intellect. It suggests willful ignorance, complete failure to apply real, godly wisdom in spiritual matters. The people of Galatia prided themselves for having left oriental mysticism in favor of Greek and Roman intellectual pursuits. And then Paul introduced them to the gospel message and they gladly embraced the truth of salvation by grace through faith. But something happened. They became foolish in their thinking–unwise–because they allow themselves to fall prey to false teaching even though they knew better. The had failed to perceive their error, not “using their heads.” Their lack of moral and spiritual judgement led them on a downward spiral to a place where they were denying the truth. This was not sheer ignorance, it was utter stupidity.
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