The Epistle to the Galatians
The
heart of Galatians revolves around the role of Mosaic Law for Christians. Since
God gave the Law at Mount Sinai, His people have been trying to draw closer to
Him through obedience. How has this changed through the Cross? Paul writes to
the Galatians to reinforce the importance of salvation through faith alone,
while acknowledging the reality that a life surrendered to Christ will display
the fruit of righteousness.
Galatians 5:1 (NIV)
“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.”
“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.”
Day One
Read: Introduction to Galatians, if your
Bible has one
The
Epistle to the Galatians was written by the Apostle Paul to a group of
churches. Galatia was a region in the Roman Empire that can be found in modern-day
Turkey. At this point in church history, most believers had Jewish backgrounds.
However, the Galatians were Gentile converts to Christianity, making this
letter particularly relatable to Christians today.
The
heart of this letter revolves around the role of Mosaic Law in the Christian
life. Since God gave the Law at Mount Sinai, His people have been trying to
draw closer to Him through obedience. How has this changed through the Cross? Paul
writes to the Galatians to reinforce the importance of salvation through faith
alone, while acknowledging the reality that a life surrendered to Christ will
display the fruit of righteousness.
Throughout
Galatians, we will see Paul exercising his spiritual gift of teaching. From explanations
of how the Law leads us to Christ (chapter 3), to insight into well-known Old
Testament stories (chapter 4), to details about what the new life in Christ
should look like (chapters 5-6), the Epistle to the Galatians has much insight
for the Church. However, the fact that this letter was ever written displays
that Paul combined his spiritual gifts with a deep love for God’s people. Paul
could have said, “I’ve taught them the Gospel once and they’ve chosen to
forsake it,” and washed his hands of the Galatians. However, he knew Christ’s
love for the churches in Galatia and therefore worked to guide them back to the
right path. We can see in Galatians that Paul was not merely a gifted scholar
and teacher; he was one who loved others deeply and served God faithfully.
Prayer and Journaling
1. What
role do you think the Law of Moses plays in the lives of Christians today?
Write down your thoughts and questions about this topic in your journal. Ask
the Holy Spirit to guide you as you study Galatians. Pray that he will open
your heart to truth about the tension between faith and works in Christianity.
2. Paul
diligently used his spiritual gifts with servanthearted love. Ask God to show
you how He has gifted you. For example, maybe you are gifted in ministering to
children, intercession, hospitality or evangelism. Ask Him to show you how you
can grow in using this gift in a spirit of faithful love.
3. Pray
for leaders today. Pray that, like Paul, they would diligently exercise their
gifts in a spirit of servanthearted love. Pray that they would measure their
success not by worldly standards, but by Christ’s standards. Pray these things
for your Church leadership; local, provincial and federal politicians; teachers
and school administrators; parents; business owners; and any other leaders that
come to mind.
