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3 D E F I N D E F E N E D Apologists Martyrs 325 CHRISTIAN EMPIRE Creeds Nicea - Deity of Christ 381 C A N O N Constantinople - Trinity 451 INVASIONS - INFLUENCE Decline of Empire - Rise of Papacy Chalcedon - Hypostatic Union C H U R C H H I S T O R Y CRUSUADES (military monks) MONASTICISM (missionary monks) SCHOLASTICISM (intellectual monks) October 31, 1517 Martin Luther s 95 Theses NATIONALISM SCHISM REFORMATION DIVISION REVOLUTIONS MODERNISM REFORMED LUTHERAN Puritans R A D I C A L R E F O R M A T I O N (Anabaptists) ANGLICAN Pietists Conversion of Constantine Merger of Religion/Politics First Pope Recognized 540 R O M A N C A T H O L I C PROTESTANT Reformation 1517 Counter Reformation 1545 Council of Trent O R T H O D O X C H U R C H (Eastern, Greek, Russian) 1962 Vatican II Pentecost: Birth of Church Apostles Creed? Islam

4 October 31, October 31, 2017

5 The Five Solas of the Reformation Sola Scriptura (Scripture alone is our authority.) Sola Gratia (Grace alone is the source of salvation.) Sola Fide (Faith alone is the means of salvation.) Sola Christus (Christ alone is the object of our worship.) Sola Deo Gloria (God s Glory alone is the goal of our life.)

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7 Paul s Connection with the Galatian Churches 1. After his conversion Paul spends 3 years in Arabia & Damascus (Gal. 1:16-17). 2. Paul & Barnabas meet privately with Peter & James in Jerusalem (Gal. 1:18-24; Acts 9:26). 3. Paul & Barnabas bring a relief offering to Jerusalem (Acts 11:29-30) & stand for the gospel (Gal. 2:1-10). 4. Paul & Barnabas plant churches in Galatia on the first Missionary journey (Acts 13:13-14:20). 5. Paul and Barnabas re-visit the Galatian churches to strengthen & encourage them (Acts 14:21-28). 6. Antioch incident; Paul rebukes Peter (Gal. 2:11-14). 7. Judaizers began to teach that the law and circumcision are necessary for salvation (Acts 15:1). 8. Paul writes Galatians to defend the true gospel of grace. 9. The Jerusalem Council affirms Paul's position on justification by faith in Christ alone (Acts 15:2-35). Judaizer's Teachings 1. Attacks on Paul's authority and message (1:1-2:21). 2. The Law is essential for salvation (2:15-16; 3:1-5; 3:23-25). 3. Ritual observances are required for God's favor (4:10). 4. Circumcision is necessary for all Christians (5:2-3; 6:12-15). Galatians: Epistolary Prescript: Salutation and Greeting Background: Dueling Gospels? There is only one gospel and it is by grace through Christ! Personal Defense of Paul's Authority The Gospel of Grace = Free from the Law Doctrinal Defense of Justification by Faith Practical Defense of Christian Liberty 1:1-5 1:6-9 1:10 2:14 2: :1 4:31 5:1 6:10 6: :18 Introduction Body Conclusion Prescript Exordium Thesis: My message comes from Christ. (1:10-12) Defense: I am independent of others. (1:13-2:21) Independent of Human Teachers - I went away (1:13-17) Independent of Major Churches - I had one brief visit (1:18-24) Independent of Jerusalem Church Leaders - they added nothing (2:1-10) Independent of the Apostle Peter - I stood against him (2:11-14) Narratio Main Idea: Justification and life come through faith in Christ, not obedience to the law. Justification by Faith (2:15-16) Life in Christ (2:18-21) Propositio Thesis: The Gospel is of faith not law. (3:1-5) Defense: Scripture and Human Experience. (3:6-4:31) Biblical Defense (3:6-25) The Old Testament: Abraham was justified by faith. (3:6-14) The Covenants: The law does not replace the covenant of faith. (3:15-18) The Law: The law leads us to our need for faith in Christ. (3:19-25) Experiential Defense (3:26-4:31) Sonship: The law made us slaves; faith makes us sons. (3:26-4:7) Appeal: Paul's labor for them was to set them free in Christ. (4:8-20) Midrash: Faith and Law have always been incompatible. (4:21-31) Thesis: We are free in Christ. (5:1) Application: Live in freedom. (5:2-6:10) No More Bondage to the Law (5:2-12) No More Bondage to the Sinful Nature (5:13-15) Free to Live in the Spirit (5:16-26) Free to Serve Others (6:1-10) The Weak and Sinful (6:1-5) Teachers (6:6-9) All men, especially believers (6:10) Probatio When Paul heard that the Galatian churches were being persuaded to follow a different gospel that emphasized the law and circumcision, he wrote a passionate appeal defending his authority as an apostle to the Gentiles, demonstrating the superiority of the faith principle over the law, and delineating the practical application of living in the freedom of grace in order to call the church back to the true gospel of grace through faith in Christ alone. Summary: Paul s Signature and Final Appeal Peroratio Epistolary Postscript: Benediction of Grace Postscript Ken Wilson 2017

8 The Biblical Covenants Noahic Abrahamic Mosaic Palestinian Davidic New

9 The law of Moses is not God s most important revelation; that revelation is God s promise to Abraham. This means the response demanded of Abraham is also more significant than the response demanded through Moses. That is, faith (Abraham s response) not works of the law is the foundation of our relationship to God. Scot McKnight

10 The Abrahamic Covenant The Lord had said to Abram, Go from your country, your people and your father s household to the land I will show you. I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you. The Mosaic Covenant You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself an image. You shall not misuse the name of the Lord. Remember the Sabbath. Honor your father and your mother. You shall not murder. You shall not commit adultery. You shall not steal. You shall not give false testimony. You shall not covet. Genesis 12:1-3 Exodus 20:3-17

11 Human Example: A signed contract is binding. Galatians 3:15

12 Even though the whole fabric of our society rests on people keeping their word, more and more we see the threads of that fabric wearing thin as broken promises lead to broken relationships and broken lives.... Only God can and will keep all His promises to His people. Nothing, not even our disobedience, can invalidate His unconditional promises. Chuck Swindoll

13 Example: Signed Contracts Brothers and sisters, I m using a human illustration. No one sets aside or makes additions to a human covenant that has been ratified. Galatians 3:15 (CSB)

14 Qal Wahomer: Lesser to Greater Here Paul employs a common Jewish practice of arguing from the lesser to the greater. The argument goes like this: If humans treat properly executed contracts with great respect, how much more will God honor His own contractural obligations. Chuck Swindoll

15 Example: Signed Contracts Signed contracts are binding. Signed contracts are unchangeable.

16 Divine Precision: The Old Testament points to Christ. Galatians 3:16

17 Precision: Pointing to Christ Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. He does not say and to seeds, as though referring to many, but referring to one, and to your seed, who is Christ. Galatians 3:16 (CSB)

18 In the rest of this verse, Paul s commentary shows that the phrase [and] to his seed is a quotation from Scripture. The phrase and to your seed occurs in Genesis 13:15; 17:8; and 24:7 (LXX); while the phrase to your seed is found in 12:7; 15:18; 22:18; and 24:7. Douglas Moo

19 Precision: Pointing to Christ The promise of the passages highlights grace. The precision of the passages highlights Christ.

20 Precision: Pointing to Christ So why does Paul connect Jesus to the promises made to Abraham here? He does so to emphasize that the age of fulfillment has arrived. The promises made to Abraham have become a reality in Jesus Christ. They always pointed to the one offspring, Christ Jesus. Tom Schreiner

21 Powerful Point: The law does not change God s promise to Abraham. Galatians 3:17-18

22 Point: The Promise Does Not Change My point is this: The law, which came 430 years later, does not invalidate a covenant previously established by God and thus cancel the promise. For if the inheritance is based on the law, it is no longer based on the promise; but God has graciously given it to Abraham through the promise. Galatians 3:17-18 (CSB)

23 Promise, by its very nature, involves a free and unconstrained decision to commit oneself or specific objects to another. It is this nature of promise that Paul highlights in order to show why the inheritance cannot be based on law. Douglas Moo

24 Point: The Promise Does Not Change Paul s fundamental argument here is the priority of the Abrahamic covenant. The Mosaic covenant was instituted after the covenant with Abraham, but it does not invalidate the terms of the covenant with Abraham. Tom Schreiner

25 So the main point that the apostle is trying to make is, there is an earlier unconditional covenant. It cannot be annulled by a later conditional one. The "I wills" cannot be overthrown by the "Thou shalt nots" of four hundred and thirty years later. The promise holds, and Christianity stands in the succession of Abraham and not of Moses. Believers in Christ in the church are called the sons of Abraham, but they are not called the sons of Moses. S. Lewis Johnson

26 God s dealings with Abraham and Moses were based on two different principles. To Abraham He gave a promise ( I will show you a land... I will bless you... Gen. 12:1-2). But to Moses He gave the law, summarized in the Ten Commandments. John Stott

27 Point: The Promise Does Not Change The law came after God s promise. The promise to bless through a person still stands. Becoming a child of God comes through Christ, not law.

28 In the promise to Abraham God said, I will... I will... I will.... But in the law of Moses God said, Thou shalt... thou shalt not.... The promise set forth the religion of God God s plan, God s grace, God s initiative. But the law sets forth a religion of man man s duty, man s works, man s responsibility. The promise (standing for the grace of God) had only to be believed. But the law (standing for the works of men) had to be obeyed. God s dealings with Abraham were in the category of promise, grace, and faith. But God s dealings with Moses were in the category of law, commandments, and works. John Stott

29 In other words, the Abrahamic covenant focuses on what God does for His people in saving them, while the Mosaic covenant accents human obedience. Tom Schreiner

30 Let us carefully remember the reason why, in comparing the promise with the law, the establishment of the one overturns the other. The reason is that the promise has respect to faith and the law to works. Faith receives what is freely given, but to works a reward is paid. And [Paul] immediately adds, God gave it to Abraham, not by requiring some sort of compensation on his part, but by the free promise; for if you view it as conditional, the word gave (κεχάρισται) would be utterly inapplicable. John Calvin

31 The Gospel Truth: God s promise and plan has always been to bless the world through the promise of Christ.