4 Profound Lessons from the Book of Galatians
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Galatians is a great book to study especially if you are struggling or dealing with traditions. I want to give you some information about the book and share with you four lessons from the book of Galatians. There are more than four, but these will help give you a taste of what is in the book.
Who Wrote Galatians?
The book of Galatians was written by the apostle Paul. Some scholars believe this was the first letter that was written by him. In the very beginning of the book, he gives what was for him a standard greeting:
Paul, an apostle—sent not from men nor by a man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead—and all the brothers and sisters with me,
To the churches in Galatia: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. –Galatians 1:1-3
The Galatian church was not just one church but a series of churches that were located somewhere in Asia Minor, which is modern-day Turkey. There are two different views as to where these churches were located. One view known as The North Galatian view suggests that this book was written to churches in north-central Asia Minor and that the book was written between A.D. 53 and 57 from Ephesus or Macedonia.
The other view which is what most scholars today favor is what is called the South Galatian Theory. The area of southern Galatia included the cities of Galatian Antioch, Iconium, Lystra, and Derbe. These churches were founded by Paul on his first missionary journey, which you can cross-reference in Acts 13-14 to see what happened when Paul visited these cities. It also seems like this letter was written soon after the churches established which puts the timing of him writing this letter probably around A.D. 50.
What Is Galatians About?
As with many of Paul’s letters he was usually addressing some issue that was happening in the church. One of the biggest problems in the Galatian church was a group known as the Judaizers. These people were confusing the young believers and trying to convince them of a gospel that was not really the gospel. The Judaizers were a group who taught that salvation would come by a combination of human effort and the grace of God.
They were teaching this new Galatian church that to be saved they had to first convert and obey the law of Moses, especially relating to circumcision, dietary restrictions, and honoring the Sabbath. Once they made this conversion only then could they be saved. This is one of the major themes that Paul addresses in this book.
4 Lessons from the Book of Galatians
1. There Is Only One Gospel
One of the problems the Galatian church faced was this group of Judaizers that was attempting to redefine or add something to the gospel. You need to know and be certain that the work Christ did on the cross is all-sufficient for your salvation. There is nothing else needed for your salvation. If anyone attempts to add anything to that then they are no longer preaching the gospel and if they are not preaching the true gospel, they are not preaching the gospel at all.
I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you to live in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel—which is really no gospel at all. Evidently, some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let them be under God’s curse! – Galatians 1:6-8
2. Don’t Be Afraid to Confront Leaders When They Are Wrong
But when Peter came to Antioch, I had to oppose him to his face, for what he did was very wrong. When he first arrived, he ate with the Gentile believers, who were not circumcised. But afterward, when some friends of James came, Peter wouldn’t eat with the Gentiles anymore. He was afraid of criticism from these people who insisted on the necessity of circumcision. As a result, other Jewish believers followed Peter’s hypocrisy, and even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy. –Galatians 2:11-13 (NLT)
So often we get intimidated by a person’s title or what they represent. Even Paul recognized Peter as a pillar of the church.
In fact, James, Peter, and John, who were known as pillars of the church, recognized the gift God had given me, and they accepted Barnabas and me as their co-workers. They encouraged us to keep preaching to the Gentiles, while they continued their work with the Jews. –Galatians 2:9 (NLT)
Yet despite who Peter was, Paul had no issue confronting him when he was wrong. You have the same right. You should never be intimidated by a person’s title, if they are wrong, they are wrong. It doesn’t matter if they are pastor, bishop, minister, evangelist, whatever the title don’t be afraid to confront those who are wrong according to Biblical standards. We must also be careful about how we put leaders on pedestals.
When we do, not only is it bad for them it is bad for us. The truth is we are all sinners saved by grace and we are all prone to make mistakes and be wrong. Pray that you are bold enough to confront a leader when they are wrong and pray that your leaders are humble enough to admit it.
3. You Cannot Live by the Law and by Faith at the Same Time
Oh, foolish Galatians! Who has cast an evil spell on you? For the meaning of Jesus Christ’s death was made as clear to you as if you had seen a picture of his death on the cross. Let me ask you this one question: Did you receive the Holy Spirit by obeying the law of Moses? Of course not! You received the Spirit because you believed the message you heard about Christ. How foolish can you be? After starting your new lives in the Spirit, why are you now trying to become perfect by your own human effort? –Galatians 3:1-3
The struggle of the Galatian church was the confusion caused by the Judaizers. One thing you must remember is that you cannot live by the law and by faith at the same time. They are opposites of each other. Your salvation is a work of grace through faith and your walk with God after that is a continuing work of grace through faith.
4. Your Traditions May Be Killing You
Before you Gentiles knew God, you were slaves to so-called gods that do not even exist. So now that you know God (or should I say, now that God knows you), why do you want to go back again and become slaves once more to the weak and useless spiritual principles of this world? --Galatians 4:8-9
If you are honest before you got saved, you were a slave to different things. Sometimes after you get saved you become a different type of slave. You shift your allegiance from slavery to sin to slavery to tradition. How many people are caught up in church traditions or other traditions and do things with no knowledge or understanding of why they do them? This was also one of the major lessons from Galatians, trying to set you free from earthly tradition.
If you are searching for freedom from the power of law and tradition, then Galatians is a great book to study. There are more lessons to learn but these four I shared with you are great ones to start with. One little tip. When you read these epistles, read them straight through from start to finish just to get the overall flow of the letter and then go back and do a more in-depth study of each chapter.
I had the privilege of doing a study on the book of Galatians, which is free for you to watch. If you are interested, I have included the link below. Whether you watch it or not know that God has set you free and you can live in the freedom no longer bound by any law or tradition.
Watch the study on the book of Galatians.
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