Galatians 1:10-12; 2:15-21 Page 989 in Pew Bibles For am I now trying to win the favor of people, or God? Or am I striving to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a slave of Christ. GALATIANS

Now I want you to know, brothers, that the gospel preached by me is not based on a human point of view. For I did not receive it from a human source and I was not taught it, but it came by a revelation from Jesus Christ. GALATIANS

Now skip down to Chapter 2… We are Jews by birth and not “Gentile sinners”; yet we know that no one is justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ. And we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no human being will be justified. GALATIANS

But if, while seeking to be justified by Christ, we ourselves are also found to be sinners, is Christ then a promoter of sin? Absolutely not! If I rebuild those things that I tore down, I show myself to be a lawbreaker. GALATIANS

For through the law I have died to the law, that I might live to God For through the law I have died to the law, that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ; and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. 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. GALATIANS

I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died for nothing. . > GALATIANS

GALATIANS

Agitators and Gospel Changers Disturbing the hearts and minds of believers, robbing them of peace To change the gospel: Christ plus something else > GALATIANS

Why Paul’s Writings Often Seem Egotistical Opponents: Trying to discredit him in order to discredit his message In order to defend his message, he sometimes had to address the accusations of the false teachers >

The Basic Question of Motive GALATIANS

Who Are You Trying to Impress? 1:10 “For am I now trying to win the favor of people, or God? Or am I striving to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a slave of Christ.” Pseudo-Christian Movements: Celebrity focused Peer pressure driven > GALATIANS

The Origin of the Gospel GALATIANS

GALATIANS Direct Revelation Vs. 11-12 “Now I want you to know, brothers, that the gospel preached by me is not based on a human point of view. For I did not receive it from a human source and I was not taught it, but it came by a revelation from Jesus Christ.” > GALATIANS

The Origin of the Gospel Five Exhibits of Evidence GALATIANS

Exhibit 1: Absence of Training by the Apostles 1:15-16 “But when God, who from my mother’s womb set me apart and called me by His grace, was pleased to reveal His Son in me, so that I could preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with anyone.” > GALATIANS

GALATIANS Quick Insight: 1:15-16 “God… was pleased to reveal His Son in me” “In me,” not “to me” John Stott: “…Essentially it was an inner illumination of his soul, God shining into his heart… this revelation was so inward and became so much a part of him, that he was able to make it known to others.” > GALATIANS

Exhibit 1: The Lack of Training by the Apostles 1:17-19 “I did not go up to Jerusalem to those who had become apostles before me; instead I went to Arabia and came back to Damascus. Then after three years I did go up to Jerusalem to get to know Cephas, and I stayed with him 15 days. But I didn’t see any of the other apostles except James, the Lord’s brother.” 2 > GALATIANS

Exhibit 2: Not Even the Jewish Church in Jerusalem Followed Those Rules 2:1-3 “Then after 14 years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus along also… But not even Titus who was with me, though he was a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised.” 3 > GALATIANS

Exhibit 3: Prior Experience With This Same Issue 2:4-5 “This issue arose because of false brothers smuggled in, who came in secretly to spy on our freedom that we have in Christ Jesus, in order to enslave us. But we did not yield in submission to these people for even an hour, so that the truth of the gospel would remain for you.” QI > GALATIANS

GALATIANS Quick Insight: 2:4 “False brothers smuggled in, who came in secretly to spy on our freedom that we have in Christ Jesus, in order to enslave us.” Their Identity: False brothers – not saved Their Arrival: Planted like foreign operatives into an enemy city … > GALATIANS

GALATIANS Quick Insight: 2:4 “…to spy on our freedom that we have in Christ Jesus, in order to enslave us.” Their Assignment: To gather evidence believers weren’t following Jewish law Their Ultimate Agenda: To force believers to follow Jewish law 4 > GALATIANS

Exhibit 4: Recognition by the Big 3 2:6-10 “But from those recognized as important… When James, Cephas, and John, recognized as pillars, acknowledged the grace that had been given to me, they gave the right hand of fellowship to me and Barnabas, agreeing that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised…” QI > GALATIANS

GALATIANS Quick Insight: 2:6 “…those recognized as important added nothing to me.” Curtis Vaughan: “…Paul learned nothing from the men of repute he didn’t already know and gained no authority from them he did not already possess.” Groupies & Fans: The mistake of thinking the victory of another is a victory for me 5 > GALATIANS

Exhibit 5: Authority to Rebuke Peter 2:11-13 “But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face because he stood condemned. For he used to eat with the Gentiles before certain men came from James. However, when they came, he withdrew and separated himself, because he feared those from the circumcision party. Then the rest of the Jews joined his hypocrisy, so that even Barnabas was carried away by their hypocrisy.” . > GALATIANS

The Basic Concept of the Gospel GALATIANS

The Non-Plan of Salvation 2:16 “We know that no one is justified by the works of the law… by the works of the law no human being will be justified.” > GALATIANS

Declared Right by Faith Alone 2:16 “We know that no one is justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ. And we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law…” Def > GALATIANS

Saving faith is when I throw myself completely on the mercy of God . >

A Common Misunderstanding of the Gospel GALATIANS

The Idea that Grace Leads to Sin 2:17 “But if, while seeking to be justified by Christ, we ourselves are also found to be sinners, is Christ then a promoter of sin? Absolutely not!” - > GALATIANS

The Life-Changing Dynamic of the Gospel GALATIANS

Alive to God 2:19-20 “For through the law I have died to the law, that I might live to God…” Died to the Law: Jesus, in a way that fulfilled the terms of the law, ended the law’s demands on the believer’s life Live to God: No longer separated from God and able to respond to God > GALATIANS

Christ in Me 2:19-20 “…I have been crucified with Christ; and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me...” > GALATIANS

GALATIANS Living by Faith 2:19-20 “…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.” . > GALATIANS

The Contradiction of Self-Trust and the Gospel GALATIANS

If We Can Be in Good Standing with God on the Basis of Our Own Record, Then What’s the Cross About? 2:21 “I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died for nothing.” . . GALATIANS

GALATIANS

Satan’s Two Main Strategies His first main design is to draw into sin. The second main design is to accuse, vex, and trouble the saint for sin. > William Gurnall

God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense 5 > GRACE