1. powerpoint presentation designed by claro ruiz vicente http://clarovicente.weebly.com Adult Bible Study Guide Oct Nov Dec 2011 Adult Bible Study Guide Oct Nov Dec 2011

2. Adult Sabbath School Bible Study Guide An Appeal Dear User…. This PowerPoint Show is freely shared to all who may find it beneficial. While intended primarily for personal use, some find it useful for teaching the lesson in church. There are those, however, who add illustrations, change background, adjust font size, etc. While their intention may be good, this is not right. Slide #1 says “designed by claro ruiz vicente.” For honest Christians, it is not necessary for another’s creation to be copyrighted in order to be respected. P LEASE U SE A S I S.

3. Carl P. Cosaert Principal Contributor

4. The Gospel in Galatians Contents 1 Paul: Apostle to the GentilesBackground 2 Paul’s Authority and Gospel1; 5:12 3 The Unity of the Gospel2:1-14 4 Justification by Faith Alone2:15-21 5 Old Testament Faith3:1-14 6 The Priority of the Promise3:15-20 7 The Road to Faith3:21-25 8 From Slaves to Heirs3:26-4:20 9 Paul’s Pastoral Appeal4:12-20 10 The Two Covenants4:21-31 11 Freedom in Christ5:1-15 12 Living by the Spirit5:16-25 13 The Gospel and the Church6:1-10 14 Boasting in the Cross6:11-18

5. The Gospel in Galatians Our Goal {167} T o reflect on our own understanding of the gospel. Allow God’s Spirit to spark a spiritual revival in our hearts as we rediscover what God has done for us in Christ.

6. The Gospel in Galatians Lesson 3, October 15 The Gospel in Galatians Lesson 3, October 15 The Unity of the Gospel

7. Key Text Philippians 2:2 ESV C omplete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind.”

8. The Unity of the Gospel Initial Words {193} I n Galatians 2:1–14, we find the apostle doing all in his power to maintain the unity of the apostolic circle in the midst of attempts by some believers to destroy it. But as important as that unity was to Paul, he refused to allow the truth of the gospel to be compromised in order to achieve it.

9. The Unity of the Gospel Quick Look 1. The Importance of Unity (1 Corinthians 1:10) 2. Unity in Diversity (Galatians 2:9) 3. Hypocrisy Destroys Unity (Galatians 2:11-13)

10. The Unity of the Gospel 1. The Importance of Unity 1 Corinthians 1:10 NKJV N ow I plead to you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.”

11. 1. The Importance of Unity Paul and the Apostles {194} T he false teachers in Galatia claimed that Paul’s gospel was not in harmony with what Peter and the other apostles taught. Paul, they were saying, was a renegade. In response to this charge, Paul recounts a trip he made to Jerusalem at least fourteen years after his conversion.

12. 1. The Importance of Unity Paul and the Apostles {194} Maintaining apostolic unity was vital, since a division between Paul’s Gentile mission and the mother church in Jerusalem would have had disastrous consequences. attack on the church itself The accusation that his message was different was not only an attack on Paul but also an attack on the unity of the apostles, and on the church itself.

13. With no fellowship between the Gentile and Jewish Christians, then “Christ would be divided, and all the energy which Paul had devoted, and hoped to devote, to the evangelizing of the Gentile world would be frustrated.”—F F Bruce The Epistle to the Galatians 1. The Importance of Unity Paul and the Apostles {194}

14. 1. The Importance of Unity Circumcision Issue {196} ancient epigram: circumcised men do not descend into gehenna [hell]. What Paul objected to was the insistence that Gentiles had to submit to circumcision. The false teachers said: “ ‘Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved’ ”(Acts 15:1, NKJV). The issue, then, was not really about circumcision but about salvation.

15. The Unity of the Gospel 2. Unity in Diversity Galatians 2:9 NKJV W hen James, Cephas, and John…perceived the grace that had been given to me, they gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised.”

16. 2. Unity in Diversity Same Gospel {198} T he apostles acknowledged that God had called Paul to preach the gospel to the Gentiles, just as He had called Peter to preach to the Jews. In both cases, the gospel was the same, but the way it was presented depended on the people the apostles were trying to reach.

17. Implicit in this verse “is the important recognition that one and the same formula is bound to be heard differently and to have different force in different social and cultural contexts…. It is precisely this oneness which is the basis of Christian unity, precisely as unity in diversity.” —James D G Dunn The Epistle to the Galatians 106. 2. Unity in Diversity Same Gospel {198}

18. Galatians 2:11-13 NLT B ut when Peter came to Antioch, I had to oppose him publicly…. When he first arrived, he ate with the Gentile Christians…. But afterward, when some Jewish friends of James came, Peter wouldn’t eat with the Gentiles anymore because he was The Unity of the Gospel 3. Hypocrisy Destroys Unity

19. afraid of what these legalists would say. Then the other Jewish Christians followed Peter’s hypocrisy, and even Barnabas was influenced to join them in their hypocrisy.” 3. Hypocrisy Destroys Unity Galatians 2:11-13 NLT

20. 3. Hypocrisy Destroys Unity Confrontation in Antioch {200} T he issue was about table fellowship with Gentiles. Because many Jews saw Gentiles as unclean, it was a practice among some to avoid social contact with Gentiles as much as possible. Although Peter knew better, he was so afraid of offending his own countrymen that he reverted to his old ways.

21. 3. Hypocrisy Destroys Unity Confrontation in Antioch {200} hypocrisy Paul called Peter’s actions exactly what they were: the Greek word he used in Galatians 2:13 is hypocrisy. Even Barnabas, he said, was “carried away with their hypocrisy” (NKJV). Why is it so easy to be a hypocrite? Isn’t it, perhaps, that we tend to blind ourselves to our own faults while looking for faults in others?

22. 3. Hypocrisy Destroys Unity Paul’s Concern {202} The issue was “the truth of the gospel.” That is, it wasn’t just an issue of fellowship or dining practices. Peter’s actions, in a real sense, compromised the whole message of the gospel.

23. 3. Hypocrisy Destroys Unity Paul’s Concern {202} From Paul’s perspective, Peter’s behavior implied that the Gentile Christians were second-rate believers at best, and he believed that Peter’s actions would place strong pressure upon the Gentiles to conform if they wanted to experience full fellowship.

24. The Unity of the Gospel Final Words {204} T he more responsibilities placed upon the human agent, the higher his position to dictate and control, the more mischief he is sure to do in perverting minds and hearts if he does not carefully follow the way of the Lord.”—EGW The SDA Bible Commentary 6:1108.