A Commentary on the Book of Galatians

De: James Thomas Lee Jr

Narrado por: Virtual Voice

This letter to the local churches in Galatia is probably Paul's second letter to some of the churches that he had established. His first letter was to the church at Thessalonica. To the Thessalonians, he was much more pleasant because he had just gotten a positive report from Timothy about their good spiritual progress. But in this letter to the Galatians, he was very much less positive because he had been told that they had returned to the Law of Moses and were telling the Gentile Christians that they had to be circumcised. So in dealing with the key issues of true biblical salvation, Paul got into some soteriological issues with this letter. He will also do the same in his letters to the Corinthian Christians and the Christians in Rome. So those are his soteriological epistles.

In Galatians chapter two, Barnabas and he went to the Jerusalem council of 50 AD to argue whether or not Gentile Christians had to be circumcised. After winning that discussion, the two of them returned to Antioch where Paul publicly rebuked Peter for sending a conflicting message to the Galatian church over how he acted to Jewish visitors to the city. It may be that Peter's inconsistent behavior led to the need for Paul to even write this letter to the Galatians. So that point will be brought out in that part of the discussion. Then in Galatians chapter three, he shared the difference between the literal and the spiritual children of Abraham. After that, in Galatians chapter four, he presented a contrast between a covenant of bondage, which always leads to the person dying lost, and a covenant of being free in Christ, which always leads the person to eternal life with the Lord Jesus. That is how he had hoped to help the Galatians understand that freedom in Christ Jesus is better than bondage under the law.

Next, after explaining the faith of Abraham that led to his salvation long before he was circumcised and after talking about the children of Abraham and after sharing the allegory that shows unsaved humanity in bondage coming to Jesus and being set free, Paul told the Galatians in Galatians chapter five that being circumcised or not being circumcised really did not matter. In fact, when talking about true biblical salvation, circumcision as a requirement was just like comparing apples and oranges. He implied that one has nothing to do with the other. He then ended the chapter by talking about the nine-character traits that are evidence in a person's life of the indwelling Holy Spirit. At the end of Galatians chapter five and in all of Galatians chapter six, he dealt with sanctification and how to live a sanctified life.

Now, however, there is one important note to make before ending this introduction with respect to the organization of this text. Something that the reader might find useful is boxes throughout that show the different passages that are referenced at the times and in the places where they are being referenced. That way, he or she will not have to jump all over the place or get into or out of the scriptures to locate a particular reference. Hopefully that inclusion will help the reader in trying to understand the various events and to also put them into their right and proper context. So it is hoped that that will make this book easier to read and that the Lord will receive the praise, honor, and glory that He truly deserves.