Book of Galatians - Ch. 1, Vs. 1-10 (07/02/2000)

This morning we begin the study of the book of Galatians. Greg showed me in his records where we have studied this, or at least

I have taught it. I don't remember just where, probably here in 98, 99, and now again in 2000, but that's all right.

We open with some foundation, beginning remarks.

I consider this to be the argument of Paul as explained in this book. Paul had a running argument, seems like, throughout all of his

Christian life with the rest of the Jews, and he takes this opportunity at the very beginning of this letter to set the tone of the letter.

He explains the truth of the Christian religion, as well as the incapability of the old

Mosaic law. He has three or four points.

The first one, that he immediately, after his conversion, without any conference with any of the other apostles, began to preach the pure doctrines of Christianity.

Now you say, well, so what? It simply means that he got his information someplace other than from the apostles.

He also is going to point out that no rite, or I .T

.E., or ceremonies of the Jewish law could avail anything in the justification of a sinner.

We'll also learn that it is absurd for a son of God to become slaves to the

Mosaic law. The people to whom he is writing were the people of Galatia.

They were Gauls, G -A -U -L -S. They were a

Celtic tribe from the same stock which inhabited France. We learn from history that in the fourth century

B .C. they invaded the Roman Empire and sacked Rome. They were a warlike people, and most of us have descended from those people, which explains the argumentative attitude that we have.

The word apostle, as Paul looks at it, in the highest sense, not by man in any human sense now, all the other apostles were called by our

Lord before he was resurrected. Paul received his call from the resurrected

Jesus. The true minister does not rest his authority upon human ordination.

He is neither sent nor authorized by man, the true minister.

He is commissioned by God. He is sent by Jesus the

Christ. Jesus is the head of his own church.

He is ordained by God, who gives the resurrection power to the true minister.

The true minister claims no authority over other people. They are his brethren, equally privileged in Christ, equally honored in Christ.

The service and worship of God is the very end of our creation.

That is the reason for all of it. The perfection of it is the glory of heaven, and its purity and spirituality are the chief ornaments of earth.

First verse. Paul, an apostle, not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the

Father, who raised him from the dead. It should read, raised him out from among the dead.

Paul sets the stage immediately for his authority. Very, very important that whoever, to whomever you are listening, that they not only speak with authority, but you have the feeling that they are authorized to say what they're saying.

He makes it very clear that the truth that he taught was revealed to him by the risen

Lord himself. He did not confer with the other apostles or with any other man.

He says, since he has learned it not from any man, that alone proved that he was an authentic messenger of our

Lord, and I would agree with him. Verse two, and all of the brethren which are with me unto the churches of Galatia.

Now you can put your own town's name in there if you want to, because in reality, that's to whom he is speaking is us.

Now the all of the brethren, Roger, I think refers to not any private members of a church, but those that were with him to assist him, and he needed assistance even though he doesn't mention it very often.

Third, grace be to you and peace from God the

Father and from our Lord Jesus Christ. Let me ask you, Brother David, which always comes first, grace or peace?

Grace. Without grace you can never have peace. If you have grace, peace is available.

One must be in the Lord, in the Father, before they can experience grace, and they must have the grace before they can have peace, as we just said.

All right, looking now at this church, these people don't expect to find any words of commendation, because there are none.

This congregation was being deprived of the power of the Holy Spirit, and it was being deprived by wrong teaching of wrong men in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Men who did not study, now we'll bring it up to date, were in Galatians.

Men who did not study because they thought they did not need to study, and the reason they thought that,

Joy, was because they'd been to the SWB, Southwest Baptist Theological.

Therefore, they knew far more than any other people, and because of that, they drifted away from the truth.

I care not how much of the truth you know. You really know, unless you keep affirming it in your mind, going over and over and studying, you'll begin to drift away unknowingly.

Verse 4, who gave himself, talking about Jesus, gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our

Father. Now, I would like for you to help me a little bit this morning on verse 4.

Every time I point at you, I want all of you together to say this, according to the will of God.

You got it? All right. Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God, our

Father. Do you get it? Everything is according to the will of God.

Everything that he did, everything that he thought, every prayer he ever uttered, was to please the

Father. Should we do less? Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of our

Father, God, our Father. The word present, Debbie, what's that mean?

Just the word present. At this time, right now. So, at this present time, means something right now.

At this present moment, you're all seated there. Then the phrase, this present evil world.

Now, I want you to stay with me, because this might be a little different than most teachers give you.

Maybe not, I don't know. Now, we know that the law was not evil, right?

Roger, was the law evil? No, but when it's compared to the divine law, it appears to be evil.

Now, that's stretching your imagination, perhaps, but there is so much difference between the law and the divine law, that the, the old mosaic law would appear on the other side of the scale.

The absolute law of Christ. Now, the word worlds, cannot mean nature or the earth and all that is in it.

Neither does it mean from wicked world, wicked men. Now, let me say that again.

The word world, that deliver us from this present evil world.

The word world, cannot mean all of created nature, or the earth, or all that is in it, including wicked men.

The former, meaning created nature, created world, we will need as long as we live.

So, we're not going to be delivered from it, yet. The latter, from wicked men, we cannot avoid wicked men.

Indeed, they are those who, when converted, form the church of Christ.

And by the successive conversion of sinners, or the elect, is the church maintained here on earth.

So, we've looked at what it does not mean, let's look at what it does mean. And you have to keep in mind,

Paul's main argument now, that the law cannot save anyone.

Therefore, since Paul is going to explain why these false teachers are leading them wrong, in telling them that they must keep the law, then this present evil world, actually the word for world is aeon, which means age.

So, from this present evil age, or the age of the law, is what is meant.

So that he will deliver us from this age of trying to keep the law.

You follow me? This was the main question at that time.

And it still is, to some extent, even in our world, that you have to do certain things.

So, I'm taking the same position that Paul took. He means the

Jews, and their overwhelming desire to make everybody keep the law, and all of their system of carnal ordinances, statutes, judgments by which they could live, or that they could not live.

Go back to the book of Ezekiel, please, to the 20th chapter. Debbie, would you read verse 25?

Okay, they could not keep the law.

They tried, some of them really tried, but let's remember now that the truly saved people of that time kept the law the very best possible, and they offered their sacrifices, brought them when they were supposed to, because it was by that that they maintained their salvation.

The word translated evil really should be translated laborious or oppressive.

So, from this oppressive age of the law,

Paul takes the occasion again to inform them that it is the will and counsel of God that circumcision should cease, and all of the other ritual parts of the mosaic economy, and that it was for this express purpose that Jesus the

Christ gave himself a sacrifice for our sins. It had pointed out to the sinfulness of sin.

That's what the law did. Without the law, Brother Fred, we would not know sin.

It had showed forth the guilt of sin and its numerous sacrifices, but the common sense, even to the zealots themselves of that law, they would have to agree that it was impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sin.

Even they would have to agree to that. A higher atonement was necessary, and when

God provided that, all of his shadows and representations necessarily ceased, because he replaced it all in himself.

Verse 5, closing out about Jesus, to whom be glory forever and ever and ever.

Amen. Let him have the glory to whom alone it is due, and that's to Christ, for having delivered us from the present oppressive age of the law, and from all bondage to mosaic rites and ceremonies.

Verse 6, now he gets a little more direct. He says,

I marvel. I just marvel. John, what's the word marvel mean to you?

I'm just amazed that you are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel.

Paul could not understand, and I rather thank for some dedicated preachers today and teachers that cannot understand how you could be so fully understanding and believing the teachings of Christ, and then when we're left alone, we begin to listen to everybody else.

And everybody else hasn't heard what you have. He said, I'm just amazed at how soon you have forgotten from him that called you into the grace of Christ.

Who was it that called these people directly? Who? Well, it was really

Paul that did the audible call to them.

He said, I cannot understand how you've drifted away from what I taught you. Removed here is past, and it's passive.

It's done by somebody else. They have been removed. Sin has no better subject upon which to work than the human heart.

David, can sin work on anything except the human heart? No. Can sin make you do something?

David? All right.

That's what I meant by heart. All right.

But it has to start where? Your heart and your mind. And you then produce the actions.

And they're evil because that's what you've decided they are. Him that called you, it seems as though Paul is meaning himself.

At least that's the way I take it. For he is the one that called them into the grace of God.

Now, he didn't save them. Don't misunderstand. But he's the one that was among them, talking to them and calling them verbally.

So he says, not only have you abandoned the calling, but they have now become estranged to you.

You cannot believe both sides of the equation. They who would have plucked you out, they who would have plucked out their own eyes for Paul, now consider him to be their enemy.

Verse seven. Now he's going back to the fact that it's so strange that you have listened to another gospel.

He says, which is not another. But there be some that trouble you and would pervert the gospel of Christ.

In verse six, Paul is quoting what they have been told. We know this because the word he uses for another is different from the word he uses here.

Two different words and both translated another. He says, you have been tricked into another gospel, which is not another gospel at all.

Instead of giving you peace, it troubles you. Gospel gives you peace. For it loads you down with the burdens from which the genuine gospel disengaged you.

The real gospel set you free. Now this false doctrine that you so gullibly suck up is just causing you all kinds of problems.

Is that not true? Is that not the way it always goes? Instead of giving you peace, it troubles you.

Instead of being useful and a supplement to the gospel of Christ, it perverts the gospel.

Where's Fred? Fred, what's the word pervert mean? Contrary, but more than contrary, it's directly opposed.

180 degrees opposite. Pervert. Who is it that operates on that theology of perverting?

The devil himself. Has he ever told you all of the truth?

If he did, he did it in such a way it didn't sound like the truth. You've gained nothing except loss and damage.

That's all you've gained. You've been told that this is the same gospel.

It is just another way of expressing it. How many have ever heard that? Well, I teach the same thing only

I just don't say it like he does. That's dangerous. Paul says, but I tell you it is not another gospel.

In fact, it is not even remotely the same in any aspect. And why can he say that?

All right. He's saying the reason I know it is not remotely the same is that there is no other at all.

And if anybody tries to convince you there's something else, they're lying. But though we, and he goes into that, but though we are an angel from heaven.

Now Roger, does it mean that angels preach? No. But though we are an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which you have, we have preached unto you.

Let him be accursed. So angels do not preach.

Why did he use, where is Clarence? Clarence, why did he use this statement?

But though we are an angel from heaven, preach some other gospel. That's right.

Not that angels preach, but that's taken to the ultimate. Let him be accursed.

Now let's look at this word, accursed. Greg, what does it mean to you? Accursed. Be what?

Be carrying a curse. Can you give me a definition without using the word?

All right. Okay. Can you think of an incident that has occurred in this country where a certain person claimed that angels preached to him?

Mormons. Can you tell us briefly that story about Joseph Smith?

She left out all the good parts.

Hey, what he actually found was not books, it was some plates that had the true gospel on it, or had additional gospel on it.

And David, do you remember how he, the rigmarole he had to go through in order to translate?

Who remembers? Roger, you remember? Okay. It was rose -colored glasses.

It was, that's the way it's written up. But more than that, did he do this out in the open?

Where was he? No, he took the plates to town or to his house or something, and he sat behind a set of drapes.

No one could see the plates or see him or see the glasses or the angel or anything.

He just claimed that they were there. And he dictated the new gospel.

Someone outside writing that down. Greg, have you ever read it? Any of it?

Well, that's right.

What'd she say? Sarah Cove.

How many have been to their present temple?

Anybody? Been to their present temple in Utah?

Well, we made a tour of it, but that's kind of beside the point. They believe in reincarnation.

They believe that if you're real good here, you'll come back better. And they have a whole lot more strange beliefs.

That may be true, I don't know.

Well, it's a crazy mixed up group of writings that tried to follow the

King James, and they used a lot of that, of the words, but a lot of it doesn't make any sense at all, grammatically or any other way.

So, we see the very same thing has occurred in maybe not all of our lifetimes, but in this country.

Paul says, leave them to the God who will show his displeasure against all corrupt, all who add, and all who take away from the word of his revelation.

You know, I don't know how the rest of you feel or not, but I guess it borders on not being my

Christianity when I want to see the judgment now. But I know deep within my heart that they will be judged and will have to answer.

But I can't be concerned, Roger, about them. I've got enough to answer for myself, and I know perhaps a little more than some of them, which makes it even heavier.

What he does mean is that he gave them the only truth, and if anyone or thing tries to tell them anything different, they're from the devil himself.

Unless a group of believers that meet together adhere to the blood -bought

Christianity, they are of Satan. Now, they may call their name something else, but accursed, we come down to this word accursed.

It literally means a person or thing doomed to destruction, and there is no recourse.

The Greek actually says, a curse, let him be. Let him be the curse himself, and put him out of the church.

Excommunicate him. Don't be afraid to do it. I think a lot of the church problems today have come about because of lack of church discipline.

Verse 9, and as we said before, so say I now again, if any man preach any other gospel unto you than that which ye have received, let him be accursed.

Anathema is the Greek word. Paul is very forceful about this point, just as any teacher should be.

Let me ask you, if I take a Model T, how many know what a Model T Ford is? Well, good.

If I take a Model T Ford and put a Model A emblem on it, put balloon tires on it, does it make it a

Model T? But it's still a Ford. It's trying to be something it isn't.

So be very careful, and the only way you can recognize the untruth is to know the truth.

One gallon of pure white paint and one drop of black, is it pure white anymore? You can't see it.

If the truth of God is taught 99 % true and 1 % error, is it 100 % true?

But it sounds so good. All truth is the same.

Just write that down someplace. All truth is the same. But all untruth has many, many explanations to it.

You cannot, no one has the license to teach

God's truth as you see it. I was accused of that once in a

Sunday school class, and the man knew

I didn't like it. The reason is, as you see it, does not make it true.

God in his sovereignty, in his providence, does and will reveal to his teachers the truth that is needed to be taught at any certain time to the right ones to be teaching it.

You believe that? Why are you here this morning? Is she the only one who knows why they're here?

Are you here because that's what God had ordained for you? Absolutely. Even though you are here because you want to.

But it was ordained that you be here. That's why you're here. But then on top of that, you wanted to be here.

No preacher or child of God has the right to not study.

The truth does not stand on man's judgment. It stands on God's sovereignty. One more verse.

For do I now persuade men or God? Or do I seek to please men?

For if I yet please men, I should not be the servant of Christ.

In other words, I cannot be both. I cannot please both man and God. One set of simple questions, and then we'll go through.

How far are we justified in attempting to please others? Are there some things that we're not to do?

Are we to ever show personal anger? Are we ever to show personal anger?

Personal anger. All right.

But what you're really displaying is the anger against the

Holy Word. And you agree with the Holy Word, and so it makes you angry, which is fine.

And it should. But don't get your personality in it. Keep the Word in it. Agreeing with, that's right, agreeing with God is what we should do.

What we must do. And it should make us very, very disturbed when somebody in leadership position is teaching something that's not true.

Must or can we be self -seekers in satisfying other people now?

Should we spend a lot of time and effort on some minor point? Now, some things that we can do.

Show self -respect due to the other person. Even in trying to please the other person, let's show respect.

And unless you understand his mind, you'll never be able to get in and change it. Exercise affection under God's grace.

Is that something we should do or not do? Treat the points of Christianity with tender care.

Is that good or bad? And we must stop.

He's going to certify us next week. All right, is there anything from anybody?

Any questions, statements? Were you all here this morning?

Other Gospels, other Gospels, like those, are they experiencing, not hearing, experiencing, hearing, not hearing other

Gospels? Absolutely. Add it on to, add it on to just the saddest things.

Oh, definitely. That's what we don't want. Because they go to something that is called church, the church building, and because they listen to words that are from a pulpit and by a man that calls himself preacher, then we're supposed to believe it.

That just cannot be. God will reveal the truth to you. He'll also show you what's not true.

Anything else? Then let's stand and be dismissed. Heavenly Father, we thank you for this brief time that we can be together, for your words that you have given us, and for the truth of this wonderful book as we get started in it.

Now, prepare the way ahead of each one of us in the coming services today, that it could all be for your pleasure and to add to the praise of your glory, in the name of Christ.