Galatians 3 September 24, 2015 1. Read 1 Timothy 3:14-15. What is the purpose of a pillar? Paul compares the Church to a pillar. What does the Church support? Read Isaiah 45:19. Who is the author of the truth? Why is it so important that a church and its members support truth in their words and their behavior? 2. What truth had the Galatians heard and believed on Paul s first visit to Galatia? Read Galatians 2:15-16. 3. Read Galatians 3:1-5. How would you describe Paul s feelings toward the Galatians in these verses? What words does he use to describe them in verse 1? What are the Galatians doing that has so infuriated Paul? Reread Galatians 3:2-4 along with Galatians 2:3-5. 4. What do we learn about the Holy Spirit in Galatians 3:1-5? Read Ephesians 1:13. How does one receive the Holy Spirit? What do the following verses tell us about the purpose of the Holy Spirit? John 14:26 John 16:7-8 John 16:13-15 1 Corinthians 2:10
Galatians 3 September 24, 2015 Page 2 5. Read Galatians 3:6-9. How was Abraham considered righteous? Read Genesis 15:6. Who would be included in the promise to Abraham according to Galatians 3:8? Read God s promise to Abraham in Genesis 12:1-3. Read Ephesians 2:8-9. How do we receive the blessing of salvation? Think about how long ago this truth that all are saved by faith was given to Abraham. How has your life been changed by this truth? 6. Read Galatians 3:10-14. According to the law, what was required of the Israelites to receive blessing from God? Read Exodus 19:5. What was required to cover the sin of disobedience under the law? Read Leviticus 1:3-4. Explain in your own words why one cannot be declared righteous under the law. 7. What is the definition of redeemed? Who is our redeemer? In what ways has Jesus Christ redeemed us? John 14:6 2 Corinthians 5:21 1 Peter 2:24 1 John 3:16 8. Read Galatians 3:15-22. Why is the promise superior to the law? 9. Read Deuteronomy 4:5-8 and list all the benefits of the law. How would you describe Israel s relationship with God in verse 7?
Galatians 3 September 24, 2015 Page 3 10. Read Galatians 3:23-29. What truth does Paul repeat in Galatians 3:2,5,7,8,9,11,14,22,23, 24,25,26? Considering the number of verses, how important was this truth to Paul? Before knowing Christ, did you ever believe salvation was received in some other way than by faith alone? Please share. 11. What is the opposite of true? If the truth is exaggerated, added to, redefined or slightly changed is it still true? Can you think of messages in our culture today that try to pull us away from truth? 12. Why was it so important for the churches in Galatia to live by the truth that all are saved by faith in Christ alone? 13. As a member of the Body of Christ, the pillar of truth, how do you distinguish between truth and lies that are disguised as truth? Read 2 Timothy 3:16-17. How do you stand firm in truth today? Read 1 Timothy 6:20-21; 2 John 8-9 and 1 Corinthians 16:13-14. Read John 8:31-34. How is knowing truth related to freedom? 14. What steps are you taking in your personal life to become more grounded in truth? How would you start a conversation with a fellow believer who has strayed from truth? Be specific. 15. Do you have a personal prayer request to share with your small group?
September 24, 2015 FREE & RICH IN CHRIST A study of Galatians The Truth, the Whole Truth & Nothing but the Truth TRUTH: The Galatians received the Holy Spirit by faith. 3:1-5 The Galatians were justified by hearing and believing truth. The Galatians were sanctified by the Holy Spirit. You received the Holy Spirit when you heard and the truth of the gospel. TRUTH: Justification by faith alone was prophesied to Abraham. 3:6-9 Abraham was considered righteous by faith. God promised Abraham that all would be saved through faith. The promise would be fulfilled through Abraham s seed. Your salvation was a part of God s. TRUTH: The law cannot save. 3:10-14 They were under a curse because no one could perfectly fulfill the law. Jesus redeemed us from the law and bondage to sin. Jesus died as a voluntary for you. TRUTH: The promise of faith alone is superior to the law. 3:15-29 The promise is given directly by God to Abraham. The promise gives life and freedom. All are heirs to the promise by faith alone. Why the law? *Reveals sin and man s need for a Savior *Guardian to protect from sin s dangers By faith, you are a of the family of God. Paul s bold defense of the truth teaches us to: Know what is true. Be bold in speaking truth. Love others back to truth. We must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it. Hebrews 2:1 Key: believed, divine plan, substitute, member
Free and Rich in Christ Galatians 3:1-29 September 24, 2015 Genesis 15:4b-6 Your very own son shall be your heir. And he brought him outside and said, Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them. Then he said to him, So shall your offspring be. And he believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness. Genesis 12:3 I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed. Genesis 22:2 He said Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains which I shall tell you. John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. NIV Habakkuk 2:4b The righteous shall live by faith. John 10:17-18 For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have the authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father. Mark 10:45 For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. Acts 7:37-38 This is the Moses who said to the Israelites, God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brothers. This is the one who was in the congregation in the wilderness with the angel who spoke to him at Mount Sinai, and with our fathers. He received living oracles to give to us. I Peter 3:12 For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and His ears are attentive to their prayer, NIV John 14:6 I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. Hebrews 5:14 But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil. Philippians 1:9-11 And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God. I John 4:18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. I Corinthians 16:13-14 Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love.