“You ran well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth?”
You ran well.
When the Galatians became Christians, they ran with the principle of grace. They did not walk, they ran with grace. The Greek indicates that it was their pattern to go with grace. The word “well” indicates that their running in grace was honourable […]
Archive for April, 2000
“This persuasion does not come from Him who calls you”
This persuasion
“This persuasion” is legalism. Legalism did not come from God.
does not come from Him who calls you
God is not the author of legalism for He is the author of grace. Salvation is God’s work and it is a work of grace. God called the […]
“A little leaven leavens the whole lump”
A little leaven leavens the whole lump
A little leaven [yeast, for example] kneads the whole lump [of dough]. “Leaven” is an agent that produces fermentation. Leaven transforms the substance of something such as sour dough when it is in a high state of fermentation–in the making of bread, for […]
“I have confidence in you, in the Lord, that you will have no other mind; but he who troubles you shall bear his judgment, whoever he is”
I have confidence in you,
Paul has confidence in the Galatian believers that they would not fall from the grace principle into legalism.
in the Lord,
Paul’s confidence lies […]
“And I, brethren, if I still preach circumcision, why do I still suffer persecution? Then the offense of the cross has ceased”
In this verse Paul answers the charge that he preached circumcision, which was inconsistent with his doctrine of grace alone.
And I, brethren, if I still preach circumcision,
Evidently the legalists represented Paul as still […]
“I could wish that those who trouble you would even cut themselves off!”
I could wish that those who trouble you would even cut themselves off
The words “could wish” indicate something that probably cannot be done. Paul wishes that they would castrate themselves! He does not think that there is a very high likelihood they will […]
“For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another”
For you, brethren,
It is clear that Paul directs his arguments toward the Christian – “brethren.” There is a contrast in the Greek between the Galatians and the legalists who were […]
“For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another”
only do not use liberty
There is a special warning for those who exercise Christian liberty – do not let liberty become license for sin. Paul does not espouse that the […]
“For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another”
but through love serve
The purpose of liberty is to serve one another in love. This is no unrestrained liberty in Christianity. Neither is liberty legalism. Legalism looks like biblical Christianity […]
“For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’”
For
Paul now gives the reason for the command of verse 13 to love one another.
all the law
The phase “all the law” is different from the “whole law” in 5:3 where all separate precepts sum […]