Power of God, Part 2

 Hey Everyone.

We will continue our examination of Romans 1:16-17.  In my previous post we looked at the first two of four clauses in these verses and today we will ook at the other two.  Here is a reminder of the passage: 

16  I am not ashamed of the Gospel, for it is the power of God for the salvation of all of those who have faith, first to the Jews, and then to the Greeks, 17 for in the Gospel the righteousness of God has been revealed to the faithful from the beginning to the end, for as it is written, “The righteous will live by faith.”

We have seen how discusses the how he was not ashamed of the Gospel, because the Gospel is the power of God for salvation.  Here is our look at the other two:  

“In the Gospel the righteousness of God has been revealed to the faithful.”

Romans was actually written before any of the Gospels had been written, so when Paul talks about the gospel, what is he referring to?  He is talking about the ‘good news’ message of Jesus, the Cross and God’s grace.  Now, we have just seen in verse 16 that this message is the power of God for the salvation of those who have faith.  The clause that we are examining now elaborates on this power.  It tells us that God’s righteousness has been revealed, where it is revealed and to whom it has been revealed.  

So, we see that this gospel message reveals God’s righteousness.  The question becomes then, “What does Paul mean by “the righteousness of God’? Some possibilities (Moo, 70-71.): 

• Righteousness as an attribute of God.  
• Righteousness as a status God gives to the faithful.  
• Righteousness as an activity of God. 

Two of these possibilities involve who God is and what He does, while the other possibility involves what God confers upon His people, He makes us righteous. Any of these, or all of these could be what Paul means here.  All of these can be revealed in the message of God’s grace. The context, “it is the power of God for salvation”, could apply to all three. We don't really have to choose one.  All three work and have a valid meaning. The important part of this is that this righteousness is revealed to the faithful.  

Paul has been battling against works-oriented righteousness.  The message of the gospel is grace through faith, not obedience.  It is our faith, not works, that allows us to see God’s righteousness. 

In the Greek Paul uses the phrase  ἐκ πίστεως  εἰς πίστιν  (ek pisteōs eis pistin).  A literal translation would be ‘out of faith into faith.”  John Harvey explains that the two prepositions indicate a starting point and an ending point. Like ‘first to last,’ or ‘beginning to end.” (Harvey, 30.) We should to our faith throughout our Christian walk. 

“It is written, ‘The righteous will live by faith.’”

Paul supports his statement about the gospel revealing the righteousness of God by quoting Habakkuk 2:4.  In Habakkuk, it is God who says this to Habakkuk, teaching the prophet that it is indeed God who is in control, and if you trust Him, you are considered righteous. Habakkuk learned to trust God even when the crops fail and there are no cattle in the stalls.  (Hab. 3:17-18.)  

Paul had quoted from Habakkuk 2:4 in Galatians, as well. In Gal. 3:10-11, he says, “For those who base their righteousness on works of the Law are under a curse.  It is written, “Those who fail to obey all that is written in the book of the law are under a curse.” 11 It is obvious that the Law does not make anyone righteous before God, instead, “the righteous will live by faith.” (Harvey, 30-31.) 

Paul is making the point in Galatians that righteousness before God is not based on our performance or obedience.  In fact, trusting in our own obedience is a curse.  Obedience does not make us righteous, faith does.

Here, in Romans, Paul is saying that if we are faithful, we will see God’s righteousness, and that our righteousness has always been based on faith, from the beginning to the end. Thomas Schreiner says, “Like Abraham, the people of God are summoned to trust in Yahweh when circumstances aspire against such trust. Thus the fundamental call of Habakkuk is to trust in the Lord.”  (Schreiner, 80-81.) As he did in Galatians, Paul is presenting a message that a right relationship with God is gained through faith and not through obedience to the law. 

Here is a quick summation of Romans 1:16-17:

• Paul takes ‘pride’ in the Gospel, as he says he is unashamed of it.  (v. 16a) 
• The reason for Paul’s ‘pride’ in the Gospel is that it ‘contains or mediates’ the power of God for our salvation for all who believe.  (v. 16b.) 
• The Gospel brings salvation because in it we can see the righteousness of God. A righteousness based on faith. (v. 17a.)
• Finally, the connection between righteous and faith is backed up with scripture, as Paul quotes Hab. 2:4.  (v. 17b.)

       John Harvey, Exegetical Guide to the Greek: Romans, B&H Academic, Brentwood, Tennesssee, 2017. 

        Thomas Scheiner, Romans, Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament, Grand Rapids, Michigan. Baker Academic. 1998. 

Power of God

Greetings everyone. 

Today, we will start examining Romans 1:16-17, a passage that Douglas Moo calls in his commnetary on Romans, "The Theme of the Letter."  (Moo, 63.)  Here is my translation:

16  I am not ashamed of the Gospel, for it is the power of God for the salvation of all of those who have faith, first to the Jews, and then to the Greeks, 17 for in the Gospel the righteousness of God has been revealed to the faithful from the beginning to the end, for as it is written, “The righteous will live by faith.”

As we move forward we will see whether or not this idea that gospel of Jesus as the power of salvation for those who believe is the theme of Romans.  Moo goes on to explain that these two verses contains 4 clauses that build on the those come before.  (Moo, 63-64.)  We will look at two of  those clauses today, and two in my next post.  

“I am not ashamed of the gospel” 

Paul declares that he is not ashamed of the Gospel. This clause reminds us of Mark 8:38, where Jesus says, “If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.” 

Back in verse 15, Paul has just said, “I am eager to proclaim the good news to those of you in Rome.”  He follows in verse 16 with a statement that he is not ashamed of gospel.  It is his ambition to spread the gospel everywhere.  Also, he is not ashamed as he understands the power of the Good News.  It is God’s power for our salvation.  

The Greek here that is translated as ‘ashamed’ is ἐπαισχύνομαι (epaischunomai). The Lexicon defines this word as ‘to experience a painful feeling or sense of loss of status because of some particular event or activity.”  Paul does not fear losing status or anything else because of his association with the Gospel of Jesus.  He does not fear such things because he understands its value, it is the power of God for our salvation.  

We don't want to ashamed of the gospel, either. A good way to avoid being ashamed of the Gospel is to remember what the gospel does.  It brings salvation to those who believe. 

“For it is the power of God for salvation for all of those who believe.” 

Δύναμις Θεοῦ (dynamis Theou) - The power of God. Paul declares that the gospel, or good news of Jesus Christ, is the power of God.  Thomas Schreiner says this about the ‘power of God’: “The Δύναμις Θεοῦ in the gospel signifies the effective and transforming power that accompanies the preaching of the gospel.  God’s power is expressed in the proclamation of Jesus as risen Lord.” (Schreiner, 64.)

More to the point the  Δύναμις Θεοῦ is the power of God for a specific purpose.  It brings slavation to those who believe.  So there are two things in play here:  God’s power and our faith.

Note: Like Galatians, the book of Romans preaches a gospel of salvation by faith, and not works.  Paul does not say, “for it is the power of God for salvation for all who obey.”

John Stott, in connecting these two phrases makes the point, “In the long run, only because we have experienced its saving power in our own lives.  Has God reconciled us to himself through Christ, forgiven our sins, made us his children, put his Spirit in us, begun to transform us and introduced us into his new community?  Then how can we be ashamed of his gospel?” (Stott, 44-45.) 

It is important to remember that salvation comes entirely due to God’s power and not any of our own.  As much as I want to be saved, be righteous or be transformed into the likeness of Jesus, I remain powerless to do any of these things on my own.  He is the one with the power, and my role is to trust Him.    

      Douglas Moo,  The Epistle to the Romans, Eerdman's Publishing Company, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1996
       Thomas Schreiner, Romans, Baker Academic, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1998.
       John Stott, The Message of Romans, InterVarsity Press. Downers Grove, Illinois, 1994. 

Mutually Encouraged

 Greeting everyone.  

We continue to look at Romans, as Paul greets the church:

8 First of all, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, as your faith is being talked about all over the world. 9 I serve God in my spirit as I proclaim the gospel of his son. He is my witness of how I am constantly making mention of you. 10 I am always in prayer for you, asking that possibly, at last, I may succeed in coming to you, according to God’s will. 
11 I am eager to see you, so that I may give you some spiritual gift to strengthen you. 12  This is so that we can be mutually encouraged by one another’s faith.  13 I do not want you to be unaware , brothers and sisters, that I frequently planned to come to you, but so far I have been prevented from doing so. This has happened so that I may see fruit among you, just as I have among other nations. 
14 I am one who is under obligation to both Greek and non-Greek, to the wise and the foolish, 
15 Therefore, I am eager to proclaim the good news to those of you in Rome.

According to Douglas Moo, in Greek letters, it was fairly common to include an expression of thanks, and a petition to the gods on behalf of the reader.  (Moo, 56.) Paul adopts this custom here in verses 8-10:

He expresses his gratitude for them and their faith.  Even though he has no connection to them, unlike most of the people and churches Paul writes to, he begins his letter expressing his gratitude for them. Apparently they have shown themselves to be very faithful.  In verse 8, he says that “your faith is being proclaimed throughout the world. 

What an amazing thing to have someone say about you, that faith is being talked about all over. To have someone with the apostolic authority that Paul carried must have been encouraging indeed.  Paul follows this thought up in verse 9, stating that he always mentions them, and God would verify that, as his witness.  It is as though he is saying, “everyone is talking about your faith, particularly me,”  Paul is undoubtedly speaking in hyperbole, undoubtedly not everyone is talking about them, but, as Moo points out, the church in Rome, the seat of Roman power, is not bowing a knee to Caesar, but only to Jesus Christ.  They would at various points in time, face tremendous persecution for this, and their faith would encourage those who hear of it. (Moo, 57.) 

In verse 9, Paul tells them that “I serve God in my spirit.”  There is much talk about what that particular phrase means.  The explanation that makes the most sense to me is that when Paul talks about serving God in his spirit, he is referring to the deepest part of himself.  In other words, Paul is simply saying that he serves God with whole-hearted devotion. Then, as he serves God in his spirit, he proclaims the good news of Jesus. His bold proclamation of Jesus as God’s son springs out of whole-hearted devotion. 

Paul frequently prays for those in Rome.  Part of his frequent and constant prayer for the Roman church is that he will soon be able to see them.  He expresses a little later on that he has long desired to do this, but to this point has been prevented from doing so.  

In verse 11, Paul expresses that his motive behind wanting to see them so badly is so that he can give them some kind of spiritual gift to encourage and strengthen them, but that there also may be a mutual benefit It is not clear what spiritual gift Paul desires to give to the Romans, only that the gift would in some way strengthen them.  To me, it makes sense that he would want to lay his hands on them and give them some kind of miraculous gift, as it seems that no apostles were connected to the church in Rome.  

In verse 12, Paul continues his talk of being eager to see them, this time stating that they would be mutually encouraged.  He has something for them, (spiritual gift), but he would also receive something from them, encouragement, of course, but likely something more.  Perhaps, he seeks financial support to go to Spain. (Romans 15:24)  

To this point, Paul has already stated that he prays for them a lot and talks about them a lot. Now, in verse 13, he states that he has wanted to come see them, but so far, has been prevented from doing so.  

He doesn’t explain how he has been prevented. He does add that he wants to come to Rome to see fruit among, just like he has everywhere else. He has an obligation to preach the gospel to all and so he is all the more eager to preach it among those in Rome.    

Although Paul did not start the church in Rome, his missionary zeal is such that he still desires to go there for the purpose of spreading the gospel.  Since the church was already in place, he had dual objectives.  He can spread the gospel while strengthening and encouraging the church. Paul has an obligation to share the good news with everyone, whether Jew or Gentile,  wise or foolish.  This obligation that he feels makes all the more eager to join them in Rome, so that he can spread the good news there.

Good News, Part 2

Hey everyone. 

We will continue to look at Paul's initial greeting in the letter to the Romans.  Here are verses 4-7:

4  The Spirit of holiness has designated him, in power, as the Son of God, through his resurrection from the dead. He is Jesus Christ, our Lord, 5 through whom we have received grace and apostleship, for the purpose of calling all nations to an obedient faith in His name, 6 and through Jesus Christ, you too, have been called.  

7 To all of those in Rome, loved by God and called to be His holy ones:  Grace and peace to you, from God, our Father, and from the Lord, Jesus Christ. 

In my previous post we looked at verse 2, and how the Son of God was promised to us and became flesh. Verse 4 tells us a few more things about this Son of the Promise. In verse 4 and 5 we see this about the Son:

• The Holy Spirit designated Jesus as the Son of God.
• This designation was made with power through the resurrection of the dead.
• The Son, identified as Jesus, is Lord.
• It is through Jesus that we receive grace.
• It is through Jesus that we receive apostleship.

(This doesn’t mean that we all, like Paul, were given the title Apostle, but we have been sent to the world, to call it to an obedient faith in Jesus. The word ἀποστολὴν (apostolēn), according to the Lexicon, means “the office of a special emissary.” So, while Paul bore a special title, we are all emissaries of the Gospel.)  

Our grace and apostleship has a purpose. That purpose is the calling of all nations to an obedient faith in Jesus. To be sure, God has given us His grace to be enjoyed, but also to be shared. Some thoughts about verse 5:

• It is a call to take the good news to all the nations. Πᾶσιν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν (pasin tois ethnesin) all of the nations. Jesus made the same call in Matthew 28:18. His gospel, or good news is for everyone, and is to be taken to everyone.
• It is a call to obedient faith. We have this idea that faith is merely belief. It isn’t. Real faith involves obedience. Consider the men and women of faith discussed in Hebrews 11. All of them are considered faithful because of their obedience, not merely a belief in God’s existence.

Douglas Moo explains it like this, “In light of this, we understand the words "obedience" and "faith" to be mutually interpreting: obedience always involves faith, and faith always involves obedience.” Moo, 52.)

Gordon Ferguson explains how throughout Galatians and Romans, Paul rejects salvation by works in favor of salvation by faith. He says in regard to obedience, “ There is one kind of obedience that belongs to faith, and another type that belongs to legalistic works. The apostle’s rejection is never to be interpreted as a rejection of obedience.” (Ferguson, 23.)

In verse 6, Paul adds that it is through Jesus, that they, too, have been called. This statement comes within the context of calling all nations to an obedient faith in Jesus. This includes his readers in Rome. (Us, too, of course.)

The introduction concludes with a statement about those Paul is writing to: the church in Rome. He describes them as those “loved by God and called to be His holy ones.” Again, we see a couple things that puts in about his audience. They are 1) loved by God, and 2) called to be holy.

Finally, as Paul does in most of his letters, he offers his readers Χάρις καὶ εἰρήνη (charis kai eirēnē).or Grace and peace. Grace and peace is something we all want, and it comes within the context of the Lordship of Jesus Christ.

Good News

Greetings everyone.

Today we start a journey through Paul's letter to the Romans.  I have heard it said many times that, "If you get Romans, then God gets you."  Well, let's get Romans.  Today we will look at the first three verses:  Here is my translation: 

1 Paul, a servant of Jesus, the Messiah, called as an apostle, and set apart to proclaim the good news of God. 2 This good news was promised long ago by his prophets, in the Holy Scriptures, 3 concerning His son, who became flesh, a descendant of David. 

In verses 1-7, we see what is something of a standard greeting, in that time, for a letter.  The sender identifies himself, then identifies the addressee, and offers them a greeting.  Paul certainly identifies himself by name, but then quickly declares himself to be a servant of Jesus and His gospel.  Most of the first 6 verses, in which Paul identifies himself, are really about Jesus, where Paul finds his identity. 

Paul says three things about himself: 

1. He is a servant (or slave) of Jesus.  According to the Lexicon, the Greek word δοῦλος (doulos) means slave (involuntary servitude), but it also states “or those to whom total allegiance is pledged.”  Paul has not been enslaved by Jesus.  His service to Jesus is completely voluntary, and it comes with total allegiance to Jesus.
2. He was called to be an apostle.  As in Galatians, Paul establishes his apostolic credentials.  Paul has been given some authority as an apostle. He was κλητὸς (klētos) - “called” to his apostolic position by Jesus.  We know from what The Lord said to Ananias in Acts 9:15 that Saul (Paul) was called specifically to be sent to the Gentiles. Paul was to be the Lord’s “chosen instrument,” as an apostle to the Gentiles. John R. W. Stott points out an interesting dichotomy that Paul shows us here.  He is a slave, or servant, a position of great humility, and at the same time, an Apostle, a position of great authority in the church.  (Stott, 31.)
3. He was set apart to proclaim the good news of God. - εὐαγγέλιον (euangelion) is a noun meaning ‘good news’ or ‘gospel.’ The word εὐαγγέλιον in its verb form, it means 'to announce or proclaim the good news.'  We know that Paul was set aside specifically for this reason, to proclaim the gospel of Jesus to the Gentiles.  Paul has told us in other places, like Gal 1:1,11, that Jesus called him, specifically and gave him authority and the gospel of grace that was to preach among the Gentiles. 

In verse 1, Paul has already told us something about this ‘good news’ or gospel.  It is of God. Thomas Schreiner points out that this means that the gospel is from God, but also about God.  (Schreiner, 41.)  

Stott says this about the good news of God, “ This is still the first and most basic conviction that underlies all authentic evangelism. What we have to share with others is neither a collection of human speculations, nor one more religion to add to the rest, not religion at all.  It is rather the gospel of God, God’s own good news for the lost world.  Without this conviction, evangelism is emptied of its content purpose and drive.”  (Stott,  32-33.)

So far, Paul has this gospel, or good news, that is from God and is about God, and with it comes an obligation to share this good news.  

Continuing on, in verses 2 and 3, Paul begins telling us more about the gospel, or good news.  He says two more things about the good news: 

1. The prophets promised this 'good news' in the Scriptures, long ago. The idea that the gospel of Jesus was promised in the Old Testament, affirms that the gospel that he is preaching is not something of his own creation. (If you read Galatians, Paul spent considerable time in Galatians establishing that the gospel he was teaching had come directly from Jesus, not from himself.) 
2. The promise concerns God’s son, (whom he identifies as Jesus in verse 4). This son became flesh, which certainly implies that the son did not start out as flesh, but rather as something else. The son is also identified as a descendant of David.  

So what do we make of this good news:  So far, we can see that God had planned long before to send His Son to the earth in the flesh, and had made promises about this through His prophets in the Old Testament.  It is not the whole picture yet, but it is good news. 

The New Creation

 Greetings everyone.

This post will close this study of Galatians .  If you, reader, are interested, I plan to study out and examine Romans next. Anyway, here is my translation of the last four verses of Paul's letter to the Galatians. (Gal. 6:15-18):

15 As for circumcision, neither circumcision nor uncircumcision account for anything.  What really matters is a new creation.  16 For those who walk according to this rule will have peace and mercy, and so will the Israel of God. 

17 Moving forward, let no one create problems for me, since I carry the marks of Jesus on my body. 

18 May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, my brothers and sisters. Amen. 

In 6:15 Paul repeats an idea that he stated in 5:6 “ neither circumcision nor uncircumcision, has the power to do anything.”  In 5:6, he follows with, “Instead, real power comes from faith, at work through love.”  In Galatians 6;5, he follows with, “ what matters is the new creation.” 

What does Paul mean by 'new creation'? As we embrace Christ we are a new creation.  The old has gone and it has been replaced by something new.  These new selves have their lives Christ (Col. 3:4) and Christ lives in them (Gal. 2:20) by the Holy Spirit.  It is a new life created by God’s grace.  In His grace we by faith, which is at work through love. (Gal. 5:6) 

Paul’s overarching message has been that this new creation has come to by God’s grace, not through strict adherence to the Law.  The work of our new self, (and our salvation, for that matter), has been done by God and not by us. Those who walk according to this rule will have peace and mercy.  Paul uses the word Κανόνι (kanoni), which means ‘rule.’ It is an interesting word choice, as he has been battling teachings of the rule-keepers throughout the letter.    

So, what is the rule that we are to walk by that will bring us peace and mercy?  Based on the context, it would seem that the peace and mercy bringing rule is to be a new creation.  Get rid of the old self, and be created in the image of Christ, filled with the Spirit and full of love and faith, and living in gratitude for His grace. Thomas Schreiner says, “The rule he has in mind is the preeminence of the new creation, which leads to the conclusion that both circumcision and uncircumcision are irrelevant.”  (Schreiner, 380.) 

Paul uses the word to mean ‘obey’ here.  He used the Greek word, Στοιχήσουσιν (stoichēsousin), a participle of the word στοιχέω (stoicheo), which means ‘to walk.’ He could have used ὑπακούετε (hypakouete), which means, ‘you obey’, but he didn’t.  He chose a word that brings with a greater sense of relationship, rather than commandment. 

Paul has recently used  another form of στοιχέω (stoicheo) in 5:25 to tell us to keep in step with the Spirit.  Schriener links these two verses to say, “Those who keep in step with Spirit also keep in step with the new creation.”  (Schreiner, 380.)  The conclusion, then, is that as we stay in step with God’s Holy Spirit, we walk according to the rule of being a new creation. 

In verse 17 Paul says, “Moving forward, let no one create problems for me.”  It is like there is a time stamp here. He uses the word λοιποῦ (loipou), which means “from now on.” From this moment on, Paul would like to put this circumcision question to rest.  He is basically saying to the Galatians, “Now that you are a new creation, quit bothering me with this stuff about the old creation with its rules and regulations.”  

Paul follows that with an explanation for why they should stop bothering him about the whole circumcision question, “since I carry the marks of Jesus on my body.” Paul, born a Jew, had carried  the ‘marks’ of circumcision since infancy, but has been saying throughout the letter that marks are now meaningless.  The only marks that matter now are the marks that he bore because of Jesus.  

Paul undoubtedly carried numerous scars from being persecuted in his service to Jesus.  His opponents did not carry such marks, as they tempered their message in such a way as to avoid persecution.  Paul certainly counted those scars as of greater value than his circumcision.

Paul concludes his letter as he began it, with grace.  In 6:18, he says, “may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.”  Paul includes in his final words the word ‘our’.  Jesus was his Lord, but also theirs.  In spite of the whole circumcision argument, Paul still considers them Christians. 

His second-to-last word, right before he says ‘Amen,’ is ἀδελφοί (adelphoi), translated here as ‘brothers and sisters.  Again, in spite of the whole Law and circumcision argument, Paul still considers them brothers and sisters and all part of the family of God.  

He began the letter being sharply critical, but toward the end moves into a hopeful posture, certain that once they really understood the value of faith and grace, and the complete lack of value contained in obedience to the Law and legalistic righteousness, that they would choose the better path, the superior gospel, God’s grace. Let's make sure that we are following the better path, as well. 

Big Letters

Welcome back.

We have been looking at Galatians 6, and today we will start a look at Paul's concluding staements.  He wraps up this letter to the Galatians in verses 11-18.  We will look at the first half of that today.  Here is Galatians 6:11-14:

11 See what big letters I am writing to you with my own hand.  12 Those who desire to look good in the flesh, are compelling you to be circumcised, just so that they are not persecuted for the Cross of Christ. 13 Not even those men who want you to be circumcised are actually able to keep the Law. They want you to be circumcised so that they can boast about your flesh. 14   As for me, may I never boast about anything except the Cross of our Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom the world has been crucified to me, as I have been crucified to the world.  

As he begins his closing remarks, Paul establishes that he is now writing in  his own hand.  Scholars tend to think that up to this point Paul has dictated this letter to someone else.  Now, at the end he handwrites his conclusion.  

In his conclusion, now in his own handwriting, he takes one last shot at convincing the Galatians that they have no need of circumcision.  He refers to his detractors as ‘those who desire to look good in the flesh.”  He has spent a fair amount of time denouncing the flesh, and here, at the end, he is connecting those men to the flesh.  

The Greek Paul usus εὐπροσωπῆσαι (euprosōpēsai) means to make a good showing.  In simple terms, it means good + face.  Paul would know, as a former Pharisee, these men are like the Pharisees, they want to make a good showing.  He goes on to say that they do not want to be persecuted for the Cross of Christ.  It appears that they want to be Christians but without upsetting those of their former faith.  Paul is unconcerned about that. These men are the ones that are compelling the Galatians to be circumcised. They have been telling them that circumcision is necessary for salvation, and trying to force the Law on them.  

Paul makes some quick criticisms of his opponents in verse 12-13, establishing some less-than-flattering motives behind their teachings: 

• As previously mentioned, they are doing this to avoid persecution. 
• They are trying to bind the Law on them, but these men themselves are actually unable to keep the Law.  
• They are really only doing this to make themselves look good.  They want to be able to boast about what they have done in Galatia, how they came in after Paul and set the record on circumcision straight. 

Paul’s discussion of their inability to keep the Law fits with his message in Galatians.  No one, save Jesus Christ, has the ability to fully keep the Law.  Here is a reminder of some of the things he said: 

• Gal. 3:10 - “For those who base their righteousness on works of the Law are under a curse.”
• Gal. 5:3-4 - “I bear witness once again, that every one of you that submits to circumcision becomes under obligation to keep the entirety of the law. 4 Those of you who are intent on being made righteous through law-keeping, set Christ aside, and you lose out on grace.”

Paul has held this argument throughout his letter to the Galatians.  We are either saved by fully keeping the Law, or we are saved by God’s mercy and grace.  But, since it is impossible to keep the Law, we are much better off within the system of grace.  Even those pushing the Law here, cannot keep it. 

In verse 13 Paul talks about how his opponents were wanting to boast in the flesh about how they got the Galatians to submit to circumcision.  Paul compares such boasting with himself in verse 14, stating that the only thing he wants to boast about is the Cross of Christ.  

This stands in stark contrast to his detractors. While his opponents would boast of their accomplishments among the Galatians, seeking to look good among fellow Jews, Paul boasted in the Cross.  Later, he would write that he would boast about his weaknesses because God’s grace was sufficient for him.  (2 Cor. 12:9) Paul is not looking to lift himself up, only Jesus and His grace.

As Paul talked about his boasting in the Cross, he adds, “through whom the world has been crucified to me, as I have been crucified to the world.” This phrase calls us back to Gal. 2:20, “I have been crucified with Christ.  I no longer live, but now Christ lives in me. The life that I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who has loved me and given himself up for me.” 

Paul reminds them that they are crucified with Christ to the world.  Christ lives in them now.  The world is also crucified to them.  Fleshly things like working to please other people should be crucified too.  

Douglas Moo points out that to the modern reader, a statement about boasting in the Cross may not be that unusual, but to 1st Century readers this would be shocking, as crucifixions were known to be “violent and shameful deaths.”  (Moo, 395.)  

Paul’s thread throughout has been that circumcision counts for nothing, and God’s grace given to us through Cross is what matters.  Think about it.  It is the Cross, not the knife, that saves us.  How can the removal of a piece of flesh, usually done during a person’s infancy, matter in comparison to the Cross of Jesus Christ? It can't. It doesn't. 

Be Good, Do Good, God Bless

Hey everyone.

Josh Allen, when he accepted his NFL MVP award, famously said "Be good. Do good.  God bless. Go Bills."  (Famous in Buffalo anyway.)  I borrowed three quarters of Josh Allen's quote for the title of this post, as Paul talks about 'doing what is good' in today's thoughts from Galatians. 

Anyway, we continue our examination of Galatians 6, now looking at verses 9-10.  Here is my translation:  

9 We should never grow tired of doing what is good, because at the proper time, we will reap a harvest, if we don’t give up.  10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, particularly the household of the faithful. 

Paul continues his agricultural analogy (sowing and reaping) that he startined in verse 7, in verse 9.  He syas, “We should never grow tired of doing what is good, because at the proper time, we will reap a harvest, if we don’t give up.” Even though our salvation is not based upon the good that we do, we should still strive to do what is good.  Paul encourages the Galatians to continue to do good even when they are not seeing the benefit.  The harvest will come.  

God has a proper time planned out for the harvest. His ‘proper time’ usually comes later than what we consider to be the ‘proper time.’ This often makes us question God's timing, (or at least that has been my experience.)  But, God knows what he is doing.  As we wait for the 'proper time' we must continue to do what is good.  The harvest will come after the sowing period, sometimes long after.  

If we connect verse 9 to verse 8, as we are talking about a harvest, we can see that continually sowing to the Spirit will lead to a harvest of the fruits of the Spirit, if we do not give up.  

What happens if we do give up?  We don’t see the harvest. Following Jesus is a long game, and sometimes the growth seems to be only incremental, but God does give the harvest if we keep moving forward.

Perhaps Paul is adding this in because there is concern that there would be some who misunderstand Paul’s teachings, and say, “Well, if my salvation is based solely on grace, then I don’t have to do anything.”  In chapter 5, as he was talking about freedom in Christ, he added, in verse 13, that they are not to use their freedom to indulge in the flesh.   He wants to deal with both extremes, the legalistic path, where we work for everything, and the libertine path, where anything and everything is ok. 

Verse 10 begins with Ἄρα οὖν (ara ouv) “So, therefore.” Paul has just stated that  we should never give up on doing good, and will, at the proper time, reap a harvest, “therefore” we should do good to everyone.  

The clause here that ends this thought is that we should do good, especially to the household of the faithful.  This is good and true.  We should take care of each other as a body of believers. That is one of the benefits of being in the body of Christ, the church, we carry each other's burdens.(Galatians 6:2.)

  

We don’t want to lose sight of Paul’s call to be a help to everyone.  The world is full of people in need, and they generally need our help and not our judgment.  The good that we do is to be “as we have opportunity,”  When an opportunity to do good presents itself, we should do it, and again, that good-doing applies to everyone, not just those that might be easier to serve.  

Douglas Moo points out that Paul is using faith as the delineation of a new spiritual family, “the household of the faithful.” He goes on to say, “he has argued throughout Galatians, faith (in Christ) is the fundamental and transforming mark of God’s new covenant people.” (Moo, 389.)  We are set apart as the family of God based on our faith in Jesus. So, let us do good to each other and we will see how God blesses it. 

          Douglas Moo, Galatians, Grand Rapids, Michigan, Baker Academic, 2013. 

Sowing

Greetings everyone. 

As we continue our expolration of Galatians 6, we will look at verses 7 and 8 today. Using an agricultural analogy, Paul compares life devoted to the flesh with life devoted to the Spirit. Here is what he says: 

7 Don’t be fooled.  God will not be ridiculed.  Each person will harvest what they plant.  8 Those who sow according to their own flesh, will, from that flesh, harvest destruction. On the other hand, those who sow to the Spirit, will by the Spirit, harvest life neverending. 

Paul returns to the discussion of the works of the flesh as compared to the fruits of the Spirit. He starts this comparison by saying “Don’t be fooled.  God will not be ridiculed.”  So, whatever Paul is about to talk about, we run the risk of fooling ourselves and ridiculing God.  I would not want to do either. 

Paul uses the Greek word Μυκτηρίζεται (mykterizetai) which is often translated “to be mocked.” The root word Μυκτήρ (mykter) means nose.  So μυκτηρίζεται literally means ‘to turn one’s nose up at.”  It can also be translated as ‘ridicule’ or ‘treat with contempt.’  God is not going to be ridiculed.  We fool ourselves if we think that we can ridicule God. 

Back to the agricultural analogy, Paul’s next statement is, “Each person will harvest what they plant.”  This is often translated as “A man reaps what he sows,” but this phrase has become so commonplace that I fear that we can miss its meaning.  Farmers don’t sow wheat and harvest beans.  We will harvest what we plant, or sow.  

Paul spent considerable time talking about the flesh vs. The Spirit in chapter 5.  We return to that comparison here in verse 8. We can sow to the flesh, or sow to the Spirit.  Each one harvests something different.  Those who sow to the flesh will ultimately harvest destruction, while those who sow to the Spirit will reap life neverending.

In his comparison Paul uses the word ἑαυτοῦ (heautou) meaning ‘his own’ in reference to the flesh.  We sow to our own flesh. (Even as disciples of Jesus, we are not free from the desires of our own flesh.) On the other side of the comparison, that word ἑαυτοῦ (heautou) is not there.  We do not sow to our own spirit, but to the Holy Spirit.   

Douglas Moo says this, “The contrast between the Spirit and the flesh is central to Paul’s presentation of the Christian life.  The Spirit has taken control of believers (5:18), both enabling and compelling them to an obedience not possible before.” (Moo, 385.) 

We cannot think that we can constantly sow to the flesh and yet reap the rewards of sowing to the Spirit, growing in the fruits of the Spirit and ultimately eternal life.  God will not be ridiculed.  We reap the benefits of the Holy Spirit by sowing to the Spirit.  

Many translations add the word “to please”  or “to satisfy” in verse 8.  “Sowing to please the flesh”, or “Sowing to please the Spirit.” This makes a lot of sense and helps to flesh out Paul’s meaning.  No pun intended.  

David deSilva says in his book on Galatians that the Greek word that we often translate “to sow” σπείρων (speirōn) is a present participle , those who sow, suggesting ‘habitual action, not sporadic deviations.’  (deSilva, 136.)  What does this mean?  We should ask ourselves, “What is my habit, is it sowing to the flesh, or sowing to the Spirit?” 

While sowing here refers to actions of our lives, the ‘reaping’ makes reference to consequences of what we have sown.  

The consequences of sowing to the flesh: φθοράν,(phthoran) possible meanings: deterioration, corruption, depravity, destruction. 

The consequences of sowing to the Spirit: ζωὴν αἰώνιον. (zōēn aiōnion)  ζωὴν means “life.”   αἰώνιον means “without end, eternal.” 

Those are the choices, corruption and destruction, or life neverending. Based on the consequneces that each come with, it seems that the obvious choice would be to sow to the Spirit.  

          David deSilva, Galatians: A Handbook on the Greek Text, Waco, Texas, Baylor University Press, 2014. 
            Douglas Moo, Galatians, Grand Rapids, Michigan, Baker Academic, 2013. 

What to Brag About

Hey.

We continue our examination of Galatians 6 today, looking at vrses 3-6:

3 If anyone thinks himself to be really something, while actually being nothing special, he deceives himself. 4 Each of you should examine your own work, so that then you can make boasts to yourself, without comparing yourself to other people.  5 So, each of you will carry your own burden.  
6 Those being taught should share all good things with their teacher.   

In verse 3, Paul says, “If anyone thinks himself to be really something, while actually being nothing special, he deceives himself.” Here, we are called to humility.  We must not think more highly of ourselves than we should.  We deceive ourselves if we do.  

So, Galatians 6:3 is a warning to the prideful.  We can start to think that we are really something special.  Paul warns against such thinking. We truly will never be more than hopeless sinners, in need of Jesus - a work in progress.  When we start to think of ourselves as something more than that, we become arrogant and are led astray.  

An inportant part of what Paul is saying here is that when we think of ourselves more highly than we should, we become self-deceived.  David Benner writes, “The human capacity for self-deception is astounding.  This is taught by Scripture (Jer. 17:9) and confirmed by psychology. Some people are highly skilled in deceiving others.  However, their duplicity pales in comparison with the endlessly creative ways in which each and every one of us deceives our self. (Benner, 58.)  

It is very easy for us to deceive ourselves and think of ourselves more highly than we should.  Better that we constantly see ourselves as flawed sinners who are still, nevertheless, deeply loved by God.  If we can hold on to that viewpoint, we will be able to help others. 

It might seem like a disconnect between this verse and one preceding, about carrying one another's burdens.  What does this have to do with carrying someone else’s burdens?  However, the connection is there.  In carrying one another’s burdens there should be no burden that is beneath us.  That would be true humility. (If we think more highly of ourselves than we should, when we are striving to carry another’s burdens, the temptation will be there to be judgmental.)

After being told that we are to keep a proper perspective on ourselves, Paul tells us next that we should take the time to examine our own work. Note that he doesn’t tell us to examine each other’s work.  In fact, we are to look at what we have done without making comparisons to others.  It is not a contest.  We are to look at ourselves and strive to get better each day. 

Paul says in the Greek,”τότε εἰς ἑαυτὸν μόνον τὸ καύχημα ἕξει” (tote eis heauton monon to kauchēma hexei). A word-for-word translation would be “then as to himself alone the something to boast about he will have.” 

Obviously the Greek doesn’t flow the same way that English does.  So what does this mean? It seems thaat the words ἑαυτὸν μόνον, or himself alone, are important here.  We are to examine ourselves, but not so that we can brag about how awesome we are, and any boasting that we may do goes to ourselves alone. 

Within the context of saying that we must not think more highly of ourselves than we should, boasting of any kind, even to ourselves, seems out of place.  That is why it seems to me that Paul is talking about self-comparison.  For example, I might ask myself, “Am I growing spiritually?”  If I can answer positively, then I can boast a little to myself about that, without comparing myself to others.  

Douglas Moo makes an important point here.  Paul is talking about self-assessment, and at this point in his letter, we have to understand that our self-assessment needs to come within the context of God’s standard and His grace. (Moo, 380.) 

Also, Paul has just told us that in carrying each other’s burdens we fulfill the Law of Christ.  Coupling that with verse 4, we see that we please Christ when we love each other, not when we judge each other. 

Verse five seems to go against what Paul has just said.  He has just told them that they should carry one another’s burdens.  Now, in verse 5, he tells them that each one of them should carry their own burdens.  Why would he say such seemingly contradictory statements, back to back? 

We have a responsibility to do both.  We carry our own burdens, and help carry the burdens of others.  Paul has commanded others to help me carry my own burdens, but that does not absolve me from the weight of my own.  I can’t just say, “The church will take care of me,” and then expect it to.

 

In 6:6, Paul says, “Those being taught should share all good things with their teacher.”  According to Moo, there are two trains of thought about what Paul means here.  It is unclear whether the good things to be shared are to be spiritual or physical in nature.  (Moo, 383.)  Moo states that most scholars tend to hold with the latter, that students should materially support their teacher.  All three commentaries that I have been reading took the ‘material support’ view.  While I do support the idea of financial support for ministers and Bible teachers. 

I tend to take a different view here. The Greek words πᾶσιν ἀγαθοῖς. (pasin agathois) mean ‘all good things.”  First, I don’t think that it has to be mutually exclusive, material or spiritual.  “All good things” can include both.  However, if I had to choose, I would think that he is talking about the spiritual.  

          David Benner. The Gift of Being Yourself, Downers Grove, Illinois, InterVarsity Press, 2004. 

          Douglas Moo, Galatians, Grand Rapids, Michigan, Baker Academic, 2013. 

The Law of Christ

Hello everyone.

Today. we begin the final chapter of the book of Galatians.  We will examine the first two verses: 

1 Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught up in some sin, those among you who are spiritually minded, should restore that person in a spirit of humility.  But, guard yourself so that you are not also enticed to sin. 2 Carry one another’s burdens.  This way you will fulfill the law of Christ.

Paul again addresses the Galatians as ‘brothers and sisters.’  Perhaps it is a reminder that they were all family, and that Christianity is not a contest to see who can be the most devout. In the spirit of family, Paul instructs them to go to those among them that get caught up in a sin, and restore them back into the community. 

Paul gives two qualifications to those who do the restoring:

• They must be spiritual-minded.
• They must be humble, as the restoration is to take place in the spirit of humility.

Note: Πραΰτητος (prautatos) can be translate as gentleness or humility.  Both make a lot of sense here, but to me, humility is the better fit.  Thomas Schreiner says, “A gentle and humble spirit does not provoke one who has sinned but treats that person with dignity, and such gentleness is the fruit of the Spirit.” (Schreiner, 358.) 

Paul also gives the restorer a warning.  He, or she, must be careful thexplanations for the sin that the restorer must guard against:at they do not allow the situation to lead them into sin.  Douglas Moo offers three possible 

• Anger toward the offender. 
• Self-righteousness and pride.
• Being drawn into the same sin. 

To be honest, the first two easily go together in response to the sinner who seeks restoration. One who is self-righteous and prideful can easily come into a situation like this with great anger. So, it makes a lot of sense that Paul would urge them to go into a situation like humbly and gently. 

In verse 2, as Paul continues, he tells them to carry one another’s burdens.  Paul again is offering family, or community input.  The verb βαστάζετε, (bastazete) is an imperative, not a suggestion.  We, as the family of God, are to help each other.  

Is this related to verse 1 and the restoration of the sinner, or does this command apply across the whole community of believers?  The answer to that question is ‘yes.’  

Paul goes on to say that in carrying one another’s burdens, we fulfill the law of Christ.  What is the Law of Christ and how do we fulfill it? Based on the context, it seems that Paul is referring to love as the Law of Christ. Jesus is on record for having said that the loving God and loving people are the commands that all of the rest of the Law hangs.  Love is the most important thing.  

Paul has just commanded them to carry one another’s burdens.  Certainly, this is rooted in love.  In 1 Corinthians as Paul is about to define love for us, he first tells that love is the ‘most excellent way.” (1 Cor. 12:31.)  It seems that Paul is presenting love as the Law of Christ. 

Paul has spent considerable time in the letter explaining how and why the time of the Law of Moses has passed.  A new era has come, marked by grace, faith, freedom and love.   This era has a new law, the Law of Christ, a law based in love. We fulfill that new law when we take care of each other, and carry each other’s burdens. 

With this verse, some have suggested that carrying one another’s burdens may be connected to the previous verse, where those who are spiritual-minded are called upon to gently restore the sinner.  Is this the burden that we are to carry?  It certainly fits that we should help carry that burden, but certainly this falls within the realm of a universal call to all disciples to carry each other’s burdens. 

It is in building community and family, loving and helping each is what Paul is calling the fulfillment of the law of Christ. 

Spirit Vs. Flesh, Part 4

Greetings.

As we continue Paul's discussion of the Spirit vs. the flesh, we will be wrapping up chapter 5.  Here are verses 24-26: 

24 But those who are in Jesus, the Christ, have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.  25 If we live by the Spirit, we should therefore, keep in step with the Spirit.  26 Let us make sure that we don’t become conceited, provoking and envying one another. 

In verse 24, Paul says: “But those who are in Jesus, the Christ, have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.” Those who are in Christ no longer live according to the flesh.  The flesh has been crucified with Christ, and the Holy Spirit takes its  place. 

Paul has talked about this idea before.  Think about Gal. 2:20.   “I have been crucified with Christ.  I no longer live, but now Christ lives in me. The life that I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who has loved me and given himself up for me.”  This concept has been a consistent part of Paul’s message.  The old self, the flesh, it is now gone.  God’s Spirit resides in us now.  Our life is in Him, and we are his temples. He enables us to live differently.  What we failed to do under our own power, He has given us the ability to do, and the passions and desires of the flesh no longer have the same effect on us.  

Paul says that we have crucified the flesh with its desires, but we all know that the temptations of the flesh still come.  The important thing to remember here is that these desires no longer rule over us.  

Going back to verse 16: Paul has told us to ‘walk in the Spirit/’ and now in verse 25 he tells us that since we live by the Spirit, we should "keep in step with the Spirit."  We have all of Paul’s comparison of the works of the flesh and the fruits of the Spirit sandwiched between two statements about walking with the Holy Spirit. We choose to walk according to the Spirit or to live according to the flesh.  The flesh will continue to seek those things that satisfy it, while the Spirit offers self-control. 

These statements about walking in the Spirit should give the Galatians guidance. As they are striving to be obedient to the Law, the should ask whether what they are doing is really in step with what the Spirit is doing. He does add a conditional statement in verse 25.  “If we live by the Spirit.”  In other words, if you are going to live by the Law, then go live by the Law, but if you are going to live by the Holy Spirit, quit trying to keep in step with the Law. 

Moo sums up the discussion of the Holy Spirit really well.  (Moo, 371.) I am going to turn his lengthy summation into bullet points:

• The Spirit:
• Transforms the hearts of God’s people. (3:14)
• Produces in us the character traits that please Him (5:22-23a)
• Provides the power to inaugurate the Christian life. (3:3)
• And bring it to completion. (5:5) 
• Leads and guides believers (5:18)
• So, we really should walk by the Spirit. 

We close chapter 5 with a statement about behavior that is not consistent with walking with the Spirit.  “Let us make sure that we don’t become conceited, provoking and envying one another.”  Conceit, envy, provoking others,  those are really works of the flesh, as they damage the community of believers.  They are not in line with the Spirit, or His fruits, (love, peace, patience, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness, humility, goodness)  I speculate that Paul added this in here because this was going on among them.  It is certainly a reasonable assumption that the false teachers that had been influencing them were guilty of these things. 

For the Galatians and for us, Keeping in step with the Spirit is a better way to live.  

Spirit Vs. Flesh, Part 3

Hello everyone.

We will pick in verse 22 of Galatians 5, as Paul continues to show the contrast between life devoted to the flesh and life given by the Spirit.  Take a look at Galatians 5:22-23:

22 On the other hand, the fruits of the Spirit are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 humility and self-control. No law prohibits things such as these. 

Just like the works of the flesh, this, too, is not an exhaustive list. What is a fruit of the Spirit?  I think that it would be anything that the Spirit produces in us.  Wisdom, for example, seems like a fruit of the Spirit to me, but is not listed here.  In Ephesians 5:17 Paul tells us that God gives us the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, that we may know Him better.  So, wisdom and revelation (the ability to know God better) are fruits that the Spirit produces in us, as well. 

Anyway, Paul lists these nine fruits of the Spirit: Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, faithfulness, humility and self-control. 

Note: πραΰτης, (prautēs) is usually translated as gentleness.  I have translated it as humility. The Lexicon defines it as: "the quality of not being overly impressed by a sense of one’s self-importance: gentleness, humility, courtesy, considerateness, meekness." The word is translated as gentleness in some places in the New Testament, and humility in others, depending on context. I think either one fits this context.  

Works vs. Fruit.  In Paul’s comparison we see works, something that you do, compared to fruits, something that is produced in you by the Holy Spirit.   In one, it is my own flesh that is at work, and in the other, it is the Holy Spirit that is at work.  So, it is important to realize that I do not produce these things in me, The Holy Spirit does.  I mean, I can be a loving person and not believe in God, but The Spirit will produce more and greater love in me, than I can ever produce on my own. Thomas Schreiner explains it well. "Believers are not called upon to summon up the strength within them, for their new way of life is supernatural, stemming from the powerful work of the Holy Spirit.” (Schreiner, 348-349.) Plus, we understabd that obedience to the Law cannot produce these fruits in us.  In fact, it seems that no matter how hard I work to bear these fruits, I make little headway.  I am relatively powerless on my own.  Better that the Spirit works in me to produce His fruit. 

Just like the works of the flesh, I am not going to go through each word and explain, but do want to talk about the first one on the list: love. 1 John 4:8 tlees us that  'God is love.'  We know from John that God is not only a loving being, He is love.  If any one quality defines Him, it is love.  The first and foremost fruit of the Holy Spirit is love.  Many of the others, patience and kindness for example (1 Cor. 13:4), spring from love.

Continuing that thought.  In Col. 3:12-14 - Paul lists a number of attributes that God’s people possess, including compassion, humility, forgiveness and others, but ends with love, as it “binds them all together in perfect unity.”  Love seems to the centrpiece of the Fruits of the Holy Spirit.  As we are filled with the Holy Spirit, and produce His fruit, we become more like God, making more like love. 

Another thought on love: Jesus tells us that the whole of the Law rests on two commands to love.  (Matt. 22:40.) So, the real intent of the Law was to lead us toward love.  But we understand that the Law does not and cannot really lead us there, because you cannot legislate people’s hearts.  So, the Spirit enables us to fulfill the intent of Law, which is to love. 

A quick thought on self-control: It is interesting that Paul finishes this list with self-control, as he finishes the other with behaviors that are a result of a lack of self control (drunkenness and wild partying.) The Spirit leads to be self-controlled, not out of control.  

Paul discussion here on the fruits of the Holy Spirit is finished with the phrase, “No law prohibits things such as these.”  Paul has spent a major part of his letter to the Galatians talking about the Law.  I think that it is no coincidence that he adds this phrase here.  His point:  'If we are filled with the Spirit, we don’t really need the old law., because we will live a life full of these fruits and would give no one an opportunity to complain.'

Spirit Vs. Flesh, Pat 2

 Greetings.

In my post, we began an examination of Galatians 5: 16-26.  We see a comparison between the Spirit and the flesh, and we notice that they are in stark contrast to each other.  "The desires of the flesh are opposed to the Spirit and the Spirit is opposed to the desires of the flesh." (Gal. 5:17)  Today, we will look at what the flesh leads us toward. Here is Galatians 5:19-21: 

19 It is easy to see the works of the flesh.  These include: sexual immorality, moral corruption, indecency, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentiousness, jealousy, rage, selfish ambition, sowing discord, divisiveness, 21 envy, drunkenness, wild partying and other things like these.  I am warning you, just as I have warned already, that those who do such things, will not inherit the kingdom of God. 

At the beginning of verse 19, Paul tells us that the works of the flesh are Φανερὰ (phanera) - obvious, evident, easy to see. I like the way that Thomas Schreiner describes it: “Identifying the works of the flesh does not demand extraordinary spiritual discernment. (Schreiner, 345.) It’s true.  One does not have to be some kind of spiritual giant to know that certain things are wrong.   (Later, Paul does not say that the fruits of the Spirit are obvious, but the truth is, they are obvious, as well.)  

Galatians 5:19-21 is not intended to be the exhaustive list of sins.  Paul finishes with “and other things like these,” to let his readers know that there are other ‘obvious’ works of the flesh that he doesn’t call out by name here.  

I am not going to go through each one of these sins and define them and talk about them.  Paul has already told us that they are obvious works of the flesh.  Scholars will often group these works of the flesh, and I will use the groupings as presented by Douglas Moo, and talk briefly about the groupings. (Moo, 358.) 

Sexual sins: sexual immorality, moral corruption, indecency. The Roman world was pretty open regarding sex, much like our modern world is, so Paul is telling his readers that following Christ meant not viewing sexual matters in the way the surrounding society does.  It is obvious that some things are ‘of the flesh,’ and a follower of Jesus would avoid those things.   

Sins of pagan worship - idolatry, sorcery: Schreiner says, “The next two sins are grouped together because they both focus on the refusal to worship the one true God.  The fundamental sin in Pauline theology is the failure to praise and thank God for His goodness and to turn to worship of idols.” (Schreiner, 346.)  While some in the Galatian churches may have come out of a background in which they bowed down to idols, we do understand that idolatry involves anything that we place ahead of the one true God. 

Sins against the community: hatred, contentiousness, jealousy, rage, selfish ambition, sowing discord, divisiveness, envy. Jesus said that the second greatest command is to love your neighbor as yourself.  God’s community should be full of love, and these sins obviously betray that kind of community.  Our world looks like this, God’s people do not.  God’s people strive to build a community of love.  Note that a number of these words (contentiousness, discord, divisiveness) involve dividing the community in some way. On the other hand, God desires a community of love. 

Sins of excess and self-indulgence: drunkenness, wild partying. Shortly, self-control will be listed as one of the fruits of the Spirit.  These last two works of the flesh involve an absence of self-control.  

Paul concludes the list adding ‘and other things like these. Again, he has not given an exhaustive list, and he can’t list every possible sin out there.  So, there are other ‘works of the flesh’ that are just as obvious. 

What does Paul say about people whose lives are characterized by these ‘works of the flesh’?  They will not inherit the kingdom of God. This thought backs up something that Paul has just said in verse 13.  He said, “you were called to be free, but not free to indulge the flesh.”  Living by faith, and walking in freedom in Christ, and not being bound by the Law, must lead to righteous behavior and not the works of the flesh.  Schreiner says it like this:  “Righteousness by faith instead of works of law must not lead to a life of sin.  Those who are justified by God’s grace are also empowered by the Spirit to live in a new way.” (Schreiner, 348.) As people of the Spirit, not the flesh, let us embrace this new way. 

Spirit Vs. Flesh

Hey everyone. 

As we continue through Galatians 5, we see, beginning in verse 16, a comparison between the flesh and the Holy Spirit, and what each produces within us.  This comparison goes on through the end of the chapter. We will start today with a look at verses 16-18 and then a brief overview of what is to follow: 

16 Therefore, I’m telling you, walk in the Spirit, and then you will not be walking in a way that gratifies the desires of your flesh. 17 The desires of the flesh are opposed to the Spirit and the Spirit is opposed to the desires of the flesh.  They run counter to each other, keeping you from things that you desire to do. 18 But, if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law. 

Paul now, give us a few words on the Spirit.  In verse 16, he tells us “walk in the Spirit.”  The Greek word used here is Περιπατεῖτε (peripateite). It is an imperative, meaning 'to walk.'  So, we are commanded to walk in the Spirit.  Paul assures us that when we do walk in the Spirit, we will not walk in a way that gratifies our flesh. We are certainly going to walk in one way or the other. 

Moo says this regarding walking in the Spirit.  “The ‘walk’ of the believer is determined by the Spirit, who both directs and empowers Christian living.”  (Moo, 353.) As followers of Jesus, we must be open to the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and trust that He will empower us to follow those promptings.  

Although it isn't mentioned specifically in this passage, this separation of Spirit and flesh comes into view again here.  What is circumcision?  Is it not a separating of flesh?  It was being pushed onto the Galatians as a means of achieving righteousness.  Paul pushes back on that idea.  

Paul's message: Allowing yourself to be circumcised is not going to help you overcome the temptations of the flesh.  The Spirit, however, can.  So, walk in His way.  In verse 18, Paul adds that those who are led by the Spirit, are not bound by the Law. (We have a choice to follow the Spirit or to follow the Law. It will be one or the other. The Judaizing teachers were teaching some kind of Spirit/Law hybrid, that Paul is saying won't work.)  

Anyway, Paul continues with how the Spirit and the flesh are opposed to each other.  He makes that very clear in verse 17: The desires of the flesh are opposed to the Spirit and the Spirit is opposed to the desires of the flesh.”  We will be walking in one or the other, not both. You cannot do Spirit and flesh at the same time. 

We will examine them more thouroughly in subsequent posts, but here is a quick overview of what Paul has to say about Spirit and flesh.  In verse 19 through 23 Paul continues this comparison of the flesh and the Spirit, showing what they produce.  

On one side you have ἔργα τῆς σαρκός (erga tēs sarkos) - the works of the flesh, and on the other you have καρπὸς τοῦ Πνεύματός (kapros tou Pneumatos) - the fruit of the Spirit. Notice that one is a work and the other is a fruit.  We can produce work, but fruit is produced in us by means of the Holy Spirit at work in us.  

A couple of quick notes before closing: Paul tells us in verse 21, regarding the works of the flesh, that those who do these works will not inherit the kingdom of God.  Freedom in Christ is not a license to indulge our flesh, (v. 13) and live however we want.   

He also tells us in verse 23, regarding the Fruits of the Spirit, that there is no law against such things.  If we are filled with the Spirit and produce His fruit, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, faithfulness, humility and self-control, there is no need for a law, or more specifally, The Law. 

As we dig in to these next few verses over the next couple of posts, I think that you will agree that the way of the Spirit is superior to the way of the flesh. 

One Word Sums Up the Law

 Greetings.

In Galatians 5;1, Paul has told the Galatians that it was for freedom that Christ had set them free.  Then, after a shocking statement of hope that the legalists would emasculate themselves, Paul returns to this concpet of freedom in Christ.  Here are verses 13-15. 

13 Brothers and sisters, you were called to be free, not free to indulge the flesh, but rather free to serve one another in love.  14 For, the entirety of the Law is fulfilled in that one word.  “Love your neighbor as yourself.”  15 But if you are continually biting and devouring one another, watch out or you may just destroy each other. 

In verse 13, Paul goes back to where chapter 5 starts, freedom in Christ.  In verse 1 he says’ “it is for freedom that Christ has set us free. We should stand firm then, and never again submit ourselves to the yoke of slavery.”  Paul qualifies that freedom just a little bit in verse 13. 

Paulmust  know that there are some who will say, “I am free in Christ”, and use that as license for self-indulgence, thinking, “If I am free, then I do whatever I want.”  But, that is not what this freedom means.  We are not given our freedom, just to indulge ourselves. 

Paul uses the word σαρκί (sarki) here.  It means flesh.  Our freedom in Christ does not give us the freedom to indulge our flesh.  That is not what freedom in Christ means. Moo explains, “What freedom is emphatically not, either here or elsewhere in Scripture, is that autonomy, the ‘free to be and do whatever we want’ attitude, which governs much modern thinking.” (Moo, 343.) 

So, then, what are we free to do?  In the second part, Paul says that we are “free to serve one another through love.”  Moo continues, “The freedom that Christ has won for us (v.1) and to which we have been called by God (v.13) is a freedom to be what God originally made us to be…to live in loving, sacrificial service to one another.” (Moo,343.) 

An interesting note here:  The word that I have translated as ‘serve’ is from the Greek δουλεύετε (douleuete).  This word does not come from the Greek word for servant.  It comes from the Greek word for slave.  

We are to serve one another in love. (v.13)  That is how our freedom is to be used.  (This is certainly a better use of our freedom than self-indulgence.)  Then v. 14 offers this as a way of further explanation:  ‘The entirety of the Law is fulfilled in that one word.  “Love your neighbor as yourself.”’

Paul is saying that one word sums up the whole of the Law.  That word is ‘Love.”  

Now usually this is translated as ‘the Law is fulfilled in one command ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” But, Paul does not use the Greek word for command here, he uses the word for ‘word.’  Now, I understand why translators go with ‘command’ here, as ‘Love your neighbor as yourself’, is a command and is more than one word. I am not arguing with that translation.  However, I think that by using the Greek word λόγῳ (logō), Paul signifies the importance of that one word: Love. 

Already, here in chapter 5, he has already said that the only thing that matters or has power, is faith expressing itself through love.  

Later, when he lists off the fruits of the Spirit, the first one is love.  This is the attribute that sets God’s people apart.  Love is what drives everything. 

I love what Douglas Moo says about this:  “The reason it is important for believers to act as slaves toward one another in love is because love fulfills the law.”  (Moo, 345.)  

So, circumcision does not fulfill the law.  Love does.  Remembering verse 6, both circumcision and uncircumcision are meaningless without love.  It is the believer who loves who fulfills the law. 

So, circumcision does not fulfill the law.  Love does.  Remembering verse 6, both circumcision and uncircumcision are meaningless without love.  It is the believer who loves who fulfills the law. 

A later, Moo also says, “Paul’s wider concerns to assure the Galatians that their new life in Christ does indeed provide them with the direction (love) and the power (Spirit) that they need to live godly lives. Indeed, it is only with the coming of Christ and the gift of his Spirit that the ‘completion’ of the law has become possible.  But the completion does not take the form of obedience to the many commands of the law.  Rather, it happens as Christians love others - with a love possible only for those who are in Christ and according to the Spirit”  (Moo, 348.) 

Paul has just laid out the need for love more than once, in verses 6 and 14.  Now, in verse 15, he takes the conversation to the opposite extreme.  “But if you are continually biting and devouring one another, watch out or you may just destroy each other.”  Again we see two paths.  One path is faith at work through love, in which all will be built up.  The other path involves the opposite, where they are lnot oving toward each other.  Paul uses the figurative language of eating to express this.  Δάκνετε (daknete)” you bite” and κατεσθίετε (katasthiete) “you devour.” Many scholars believe that Paul is using the imagery of wild animals here.  Animals that would fight ferociously to the point of killing each other.  

Is this how they were treating each other?  It is hard to say, but certainly they were listening to some who were treating Paul this way.  Paul is issuing a clear warning.  Without loving relationships, people get destroyed.  

It is very easy to be critical of others. It is also very easy to hold on to a point so dogmatically that everyone who disagrees with you appears to you to be an idiot. This kind of ‘biting’ isn’t really helpful for anyone, and certainly has no place in God’s church.  

To conclude: Love is better. 

What Did He Say?

Hello.

As we continue on through chapter 5, we come to verses 11 and 12, which I have translated below.  Paul's frustration with his opponenets seems to boil over, and he bluntly says something that is quite surprising.

11 Brothers and sisters, if I still proclaim circumcision, why am I still being persecuted?  In that case, the offense of Cross is completely lost.  12 Oh, if only these agitators would just go ahead and castrate themselves. 

Paul’s meaning in verse 11 is not completely clear.  He asks, “if I still proclaim circumcision, why am I still being persecuted?”  At this point in his argument against circumcision as necessary for salvation, it seems an odd question.  By this point, he has made his stance perfectly clear.  

Some scholars believe that Paul asks this question here because some of his critics are claiming that Paul supports their position on circumcision.  This is possible.  He would be basically saying, “if I support their position, why are they so critical of me?” 

It is important to understand that Paul is not anti-circumcision.  We know that he had Timothy circumcised in Acts 16, but he also supported Titus refusal to be circumcised.  Paul’s problem with what the Galatians are buying into is that he can't support the teaching that circumcision is necessary for salvation.  This point, again, he has made abundantly clear.  Paul is not teaching the typical Jewish view on circumcision. Paul's view: neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has bearing on one’s standing with God. 

In the second part of verse 11, Paul responds to his own question with this statement: “In that case, the revulsion of the Cross is completely lost.”  What I have translated as ‘offense’ comes from the Greek word, σκάνδαλον (skandalon). The Lexicon’s best definition for the context here is: "that which causes offense or revulsion and results in opposition, disapproval or hostility: fault, stain, etc.”  

Paul’s point:  If the message becomes circumcision, then the all the Jesus endured, the torture and grotesqueness of the Cross has become meaningless.

Then, Paul lays his feelings about his detractors out completely in verse 12:  “Oh, that these agitators would just go ahead and castrate themselves.”  Here, he obviously refers to the Judaizing teachers as, Οἱ ἀναστατοῦντες (hoi anastatountes), 'those who are troubling you.'  This can be translated as troublemakers or agitators. 

Clearly in his next statement Paul is taking off the gloves.   Ὄφελον καὶ ἀποκόψονται (Ophelon kai apokopsontai) Basically, Paul is saying “I wish they would just go ahead and castrate themselves.”  The Greek word Ὄφελον can be translated as, “I wish” or “if only.”  

The Greek word ἀποκόψονται comes from the verb αποκοπτό (apokoptó). Strong’defines these words as: to amputate, mutilate or castrate.  So, Paul is expressing his disdain for these men and their insistence on circumcision, and takes their argument to the extreme, with these men completely emasculating themselves. 

David deSilva explains it this way: “The verb refers to cutting off significantly more than the foreskin, effectively wishing that those who were so eager to circumcise the Galatian converts would cut off their own members.” (deSilva, 113.)

Paul's words in verse 12 may seem extreme, but they are born out of a frustration that the Judaizing teachers, and now the Galatians, are missing the meaning of second part of verse 11. If we could somehow gain salvation through removing a piece of flesh, then the scandal and torture that Jesus endured on the Cross become meaningless, and Jesus endured it all for nothing. If Paul is right, then the Cross means everything, as our only means of salvation.   

A Little Leaven

 Greetings.

Today, we will continue our examination of Galatians 5.  We have just seen how circumcision and uncircumcision do not really matter.  What does matter, however, is faith, at work through love.  That is where we left off.  Paul continues in verses 7-10: 

7 You were running so well. Who is now keeping you from being obedient to the truth? 8 Such persuasion does not come from the One who calls you. 9 A little leaven ferments the whole batch. 10 However, when it comes to you, I am convinced, in the Lord, that you have no other mindset about this. But those who have been throwing you into confusion, whoever they are, will have to pay the penalty.

Paul tells the Galatian churches that they had started off really well, but now someone is holding them back from obeying the truth. We have seen similar statements before.  In Gal 3:1-5, asks them, “Who has cast a spell on you? Was it not before your own eyes that Jesus Christ was clearly proclaimed to be crucified?”  to remind them of those early days, when they were enjoying their freedom in Christ as brand new disciples.  

The first question is, “who?”  “Who has cast a spell on you?” (Gal. 3) and “Who is now keeping you from being obedient to the truth?” (Gal. 5)  They all knew the answer.  So, a implied second question could be, “Why are listening to those guys?  They are trying to take you away from grace and truth, and bring you to a type of religion that God did not intend.”

Verse 8 backs up my implied question. “That kind of persuasion does not come from the One who calls you.”  Jesus has never used the strongarm tactics that these men are using. These men undoubtedly spoke from a place of impressive zeal, but does not mean that what they were saying was correct and true.  Their misguided zeal is actually hindering the Galatians from growing in their knowledge of God and taking away their freedom in Christ. 

Paul follows in verse 9, “A little leaven ferments the whole batch.”  According to Douglas Moo, this was a commonly used phrase that Paul uses in 1 Cor. 5:6, as well. In the Bible, leaven, sometimes translated as ‘yeast,’ usually, but not always, means something negative.  Jesus in Matthew 16, compared the teaching of the Pharisees to leaven and told his disciples to beware of it.  However, in Matthew 13:33, Jesus compares his kingdom to leaven, so, leaven is not necessarily bad, but here in Galatians 5, it is. 

What both Jesus and Paul are talking about is leaven ability to quietly work throughout the whole batch.  That can be good or bad depending on what is being created.  

Paul’s point, just like Jesus’s point in Matt. 16, is that the legalistic spirit of the Pharisees and these false teachers work quietly and in an insidious way that spoils everything.  The Pharisees had taken Judaism far from what God had intended, all while looking very righteous.  These Judaizing teachers were doing the same thing.  

Then, in verse 10, Paul shifts gears in what he is saying.  He expresses a confidence in the Galatians that we haven't seen too much of previously.  He says that he is convinced that they will have the correct mindset about all of this, and lays the responsibility of the false gospel squarely on those who brought it to them.  This confidence in them is a far cry from “Oh, you foolish Galatians," that we had seen ealier in chapter 3. After putting forth a vigorous argument against the false teachings, he is expressing confidence that they will ultimately do the right thing.  

Paul expresses confidence in the Galatians, but he is not so kind to those who have been stirring them up and leading astray.  Regarding them, he says that they, whoever they are, will “pay the penalty.” Well, we know who “they” are, and so did the Galatians.  They are the Judaizing teachers that have come in and presented a false gospel to the Galatians.  These men, according to Paul, will face punishment for their false teaching. Perhaps this is why James warned teachers in James 3:1.  Since, those who teach a law-based legalistic gospel will pay the penalty for it, we have to get this teaching of the gospel of grace right.  

What Really Matters

Hello everyone.

Today's post will be focused on Galatians 5:6, and what really matters.  Here is my translation: "For in Jesus, the Messiah, neither circumcision nor uncircumcision, has the power to do anything.  Instead, real power comes from faith, at work through love."

Paul explains in verse 6, that neither being circumcised nor remaining uncircumcised actually mean anything.  

In the Greek, Paul uses the phrase, τι ἰσχύει (ti ischuei). τι can have many meanings, but the one that fits the context here best is 'any.'   ἰσχύει means 'strength or power."  So, Paul saying that in Jesus neither of them have any real strength or power.  David deSilva explains that this phrase would indicate that neither option has the power to accomplish anything.  (deSilva, 107.) In other words, we are not made righteous by being circumcised, and we are not made righteous by not being circumcised.  Circumcision, (and uncircumcision) have no bearing on whether we are considered righteous or not.  

In Acts 16, Paul had Timothy circumcised.  But in Galatians 2, he mentions that Titus had declined to be circumcised, and Paul clearly supported Titus in this.  So, clearly Paul could clearly go either way on the subject. But, why have Timothy circumcised? 

To be sure, Paul did not have Timothy circumcised for the purpose of fulfilling any kind of righteousness. It was not a matter of salvation. Paul wanted to take Timothy along on his journey, and in order to relate to the Jews, Paul had him circumcised.  I would think that Timothy could have, like Titus, also declined, but he did not. 

Well, if circumcision has no real meaning or power, what does?  According to Paul, the only thing that has meaning or power is "faith, at work through love."

So, what I do (circumcision) does not matter, and what I do not do (uncircumcision) does not matter.  What does matter then?  Paul tells us that what really matters is whether or not I really trust God.  Do I have faith?  And is that faith expressing itself through love?  Love for God and love for others.  (After all, what are the two greatest commands?  Both are commands to love.) 

Thomas Schreiner makes an interesting point here.  He says, “Love, then, is not the basis of justification but the fruit of faith, the result of faith.”  (Schreiner, 317.)  We love because of our faith.  Later, we see that love is indeed a fruit of the Spirit.  The Spirit produces love in us, as we are faithful.  

        David daSilva, Galatians: A Handbook on the Greek Text, Baylor University Press, Waco, Texas, 2014. 
          Thomas Schreiner, Galatians, Zondervan Academic, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 2010.  

The Origins of Righteousness

Hey everyone.

We will continue our examination of Galatians 5, looking at verses 2-5.  In verse 1 we saw that Jesus has set us free, so then, we should never allow ourselves to be tied to yoke of slavery again.  Paul continues that thought: 

2 Let me be clear! I, Paul, am telling you that if you allow yourselves to be circumcised then Christ will be of no benefit to you. 3 I bear witness once again, that every one of you that submits to circumcision becomes under obligation to keep the entirety of the law. 4 Those of you who are intent on being made righteous through law-keeping, you set Christ aside, and you lose out on grace. 5 Instead, through the Spirit, by faith, we eagerly await the hope of righteousness.

In verse 2, Paul starts with the attention getter, Ἴδε (Ide), which is often translated as “behold.”  He wants to make sure that they understand what he is about to say, since we seldom say 'behold' and we see that is trying to grab their attention, I translated it as, “Let me be clear.”  He follows that with “I, Paul, am telling you.”  He is placing a strong emphasis on the statement that he is about to make.  He says, “if you allow yourselves to be circumcised then Christ will be of no benefit to you.”  

His point:  If they are somehow earning their salvation through works, then they are no longer saved through faith, and Christ has no value to them, because their own works, not Jesus, is saving them.  

That is why he continues in verse 3 that if they submit to circumcision, then they have to keep the whole law.  They have forfeited salvation by grace through faith, and are now trying to earn their salvation.  Paul understands that keeping the whole law as a means of salvation is impossible to do.  

Note:  There are things that we can have a difference of opinion on.  This is not one of them.  We are saved by grace through faith, not through any action that we might perform to somehow earn that salvation.  

A quick summary of what going on here: On one hand the Judaizing teachers were telling the Galatians that circumcision was necessary for salvation.  Paul was telling them that grace, not circumcision, was their means to salvation. So, to those who were considering going under the knife, Paul tells them that if they do this, then they become obligated to obey the whole law, not just circumcision.  If they choose to go with the old law and circumcision, then they must obey all of it perfectly.   

In verse 4, Paul continues his line of thinking.  If they continue down this path, submit to circumcision and choose to obey the old law, then, as they seek to be justified by the law, they separate themselves from Christ and they lose out on his grace.  Paul offers two warnings about what happens if they give in to these teachers and allow themselves to be circumcised: 

1st warning:  κατηργήθητε (katērgēthēte) has numerous different meanings, including “make powerless, invalidate, waste, abolish, wipe out and set aside.”  In my own translation, I went with “set aside.”  They would be choosing to set Christ and his grace aside. 

2nd warning. Ἐξεπέσατε (exepesate) - It is usually translated as 'fallen away.'  It also can have numerous different meanings, including “fall, drift off course, fail, weaken, lose.”  With the context here, “lose” seemed the most appropriate.  If the Galatians were going to rely on their obedience to the law, then they lose out on the grace of God. 

Back in Paul said in 3:10-11, “For those who base their righteousness on works of the Law are under a curse.  It is written, “Those who fail to obey all that is written in the book of the law are under a curse.” It is obvious that the Law does not make anyone righteous before God, instead, “the righteous will live by faith.” In those two verses he drew from OT passages (Deut. 27:26, and Hab. 2:4) to make his point that it is actually impossible for us to truly obey all of the law.  Paul has been making the point that the Law doesn’t make us righteous, but rather our righteousness comes from our faith.  

He has circled back to this in 5:4.  Those who are intent on basing their righteousness on obedience to the Law are under a curse because it is impossible to do, and now they have set Christ and grace aside.  

In verse 5 Paul gives us an alternative to obeying all of the law as mentioned in verse 4. Instead of gaining righteousness through keeping the law, we await the hope of righteousness through the Spirit and faith.  

In 5 the pronouns change.  He has been saying ‘you,’ but in verse 5 it becomes ‘we.’  ‘You have set Christ aside.’  ‘You lose out on grace.’ and then ‘we await the hope of righteousness.’  

Paul has repeatedly presented two different ways of thinking.  One is legalistic and self-reliant, and the other is grace-filled and God-reliant.  He has made very clear arguments that the second one is far better than the first, and while the Galatians have been busy flirting with the first option, Paul and those with him remain with the second, far superior option. 

So, we cannot make ourselves righteous.  Righteousness, according to verse 5 needs two things:  1) it comes through the Spirit, and 2) it comes through our faith.