Trent Goeckner (The grass was moving in the wind and behind it, layers I’ve never quite seen before. Colors, shapes, and depth just kept revealing themselves the further back you looked!
A Study of Paul’s Letter to the Galatians
Author: Stephen Weller
41 Lessons
35,492 words, 188 minutes read time
Page Index
Introduction to Galatians
Bible Project – Paul’s Letter to the Galatians
Context of Galatians
Galatians was written by the apostle Paul the Apostle to churches in the region of Galatia after false teachers had begun influencing believers with a different message about salvation. These teachers, often called Judaizers, claimed that faith in Jesus Christ alone was not enough for salvation and that Gentile believers also needed to follow parts of the Mosaic Law, especially circumcision, in order to be fully accepted by God. Paul wrote the letter with urgency and strong emotion because the truth of the gospel was being distorted.
The central issue in Galatians is the defense of justification by faith alone. Paul explains that salvation comes through the grace of God and faith in Jesus Christ, not through human effort or obedience to the Law. He reminds the Galatian believers that they received the Holy Spirit by faith, not by works, and warns them that returning to legalism would place them back under bondage. Paul strongly defends both his apostolic authority and the gospel he preached, showing that his message came directly from Jesus Christ and agreed with the other apostles.
The letter also emphasizes the purpose of the Law in God’s plan. Paul teaches that the Law revealed sin and served as a tutor leading people to Christ, but believers are no longer under its condemnation because Christ fulfilled the Law through His death and resurrection. Through faith, both Jews and Gentiles become children of Abraham and heirs of God’s promises.
Another major theme in Galatians is Christian freedom. Paul explains that believers have been set free from the curse and bondage of sin, but this freedom is not permission to live selfishly. Instead, Christians are called to walk in the Spirit, producing spiritual fruit such as love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. The contrast between the works of the flesh and the fruit of the Spirit becomes a practical application of the gospel in daily life.
Galatians is one of Paul’s strongest defenses of the gospel of grace and remains foundational for understanding salvation, liberty in Christ, and life in the Spirit. Key verses such as Galatians 2:20, 3:11, 5:1, and 5:22–23 summarize the message that believers are justified by faith, crucified with Christ, called to freedom, and empowered by the Holy Spirit to live for God.
Major Themes in Galatians
1. Justification by Faith
One of the central themes of Galatians is that people are declared righteous before God through faith in Jesus Christ and not through works of the Law. Paul strongly opposes the teaching that Gentile believers must keep the Mosaic Law in order to be saved. Salvation is presented as a gift of God’s grace received through faith alone in Christ alone. Paul emphasizes that no human effort can earn acceptance before God because righteousness comes through the finished work of Jesus Christ.
Key Verses:
Galatians 2:16; Galatians 2:21; Galatians 3:11; Galatians 3:24
2. Freedom in Christ
Galatians teaches that believers have been set free from the bondage of sin, legalism, and the condemning power of the Law through Jesus Christ. Christian freedom is not freedom to live sinfully, but freedom to live for God through the Spirit. Paul encourages believers to stand firmly in the liberty Christ provides and to resist returning to spiritual slavery.
Key Verses:
Galatians 5:1; Galatians 5:13; Galatians 2:4; Galatians 4:31
3. The Sufficiency of Christ
Paul presents Christ as fully sufficient for salvation and spiritual life. Nothing needs to be added to the gospel of grace. Circumcision, ceremonial laws, and human traditions cannot complete what Christ has already accomplished. To add human works to salvation is to distort the gospel itself.
Key Verses:
Galatians 1:6-9; Galatians 2:20; Galatians 3:1-3; Galatians 6:14
4. The Gospel of Grace
The letter repeatedly emphasizes the grace of God as the foundation of salvation and Christian living. Paul contrasts grace with legalism and warns that abandoning grace for law-keeping leads to spiritual confusion and bondage. Grace is shown as God’s unearned favor given through Jesus Christ.
Key Verses:
Galatians 1:3-4; Galatians 2:21; Galatians 5:4; Galatians 6:18
5. The Role and Purpose of the Law
Galatians explains that the Law was never intended to save people. Instead, it revealed sin and acted as a guardian leading people to Christ. Once faith in Christ has come, believers are no longer under the Law as a means of justification. Paul clarifies the temporary and preparatory purpose of the Law in God’s redemptive plan.
Key Verses:
Galatians 3:19; Galatians 3:23-25; Galatians 4:1-7; Galatians 5:18
6. Life in the Spirit
Paul teaches that the Christian life is empowered by the Holy Spirit rather than by human effort. Believers are called to walk by the Spirit, be led by the Spirit, and bear spiritual fruit. The Spirit produces transformation that the Law could never accomplish externally.
Key Verses:
Galatians 5:16; Galatians 5:22-23; Galatians 5:25; Galatians 6:8
7. The Conflict Between Flesh and Spirit
Galatians describes the ongoing struggle between the sinful nature and the Spirit of God within believers. The works of the flesh lead to destruction, while the fruit of the Spirit reflects the character of Christ. Paul urges believers to reject sinful desires and pursue spiritual maturity.
Key Verses:
Galatians 5:17; Galatians 5:19-21; Galatians 5:22-24
8. Unity of Believers in Christ
Paul emphasizes that all believers are united in Christ regardless of ethnicity, social status, or gender. Jews and Gentiles alike become children of God through faith. The gospel creates a new spiritual family centered in Christ rather than cultural distinctions.
Key Verses:
Galatians 3:26-29; Galatians 4:4-7; Galatians 6:10
9. Sonship and Inheritance
Believers are described as sons and heirs of God through faith in Christ. Through Jesus, believers receive adoption into God’s family and the full rights of inheritance. Paul contrasts the condition of slavery under the Law with the privileges of sonship through grace.
Key Verses:
Galatians 3:26; Galatians 4:4-7; Galatians 4:31
10. The Cross as the Center of the Christian Life
Paul glorifies only in the cross of Christ. The cross is presented as the basis of salvation, the death of the old sinful life, and the believer’s new relationship with God. Through the cross, the world is crucified to the believer and the believer to the world.
Key Verses:
Galatians 2:20; Galatians 5:24; Galatians 6:14-15
Galatians 1 – The True Gospel, Not from Man
Chapter 1 Index
Chapter Introduction
Galatians 1 opens with Paul’s urgent defense of the true gospel and his God‑given authority as an apostle. He confronts the crisis in the Galatian churches head‑on, warning them that they are turning from the grace of Christ to a distorted message that cannot save. By recounting his dramatic calling and independence from human influence, Paul establishes the seriousness of the issue and sets the stage for a passionate appeal to return to the pure, Christ‑centered gospel.
Bible Lessons
1.1 Galatians 1:1-5, Introduction
1:1 Paul, an apostle—not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead— 2 and all the brothers who are with me. To the churches of Galatia: 3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, 4 who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, 5 to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen. (Galatians 1:1 – 5 ESV)
This letter begins with the name “Paul” which has been widely accepted by scholars down through the ages as the author of the letter to the Galatians. The date of the letter is in question but because Galatians 2:1 – 10 seems to be talking about the Council in Jerusalem, which probably occurred in A.D. 48/49, it is assumed the letter would have been written sometime after that. A plausible date would thus be sometime around A.D. 48.
With the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, came the age of a new covenant as described in Galatians 3:23 – 26 ESV: 23 “Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed. 24 So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. 25 But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, 26 for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith.” The transition from following the outward ceremonies of the Mosaic law to faith in Jesus Christ was not easy for those raised and schooled under Judaism. However, the acceptance of the heart of the gospel was necessary for salvation, which was justification by faith alone and not by obedience to the law. This is seen in Galatians 2:16 ESV: “yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.” There was also the transition from our work of obedience to living under the guidance and power of the Spirit, which is covered in chapters 5 and 6).
The purpose of this letter to the Galatians was to resolve a crisis that was brought into the church by false teachers who taught that to be saved one must be circumcised. This condition of circumcision became an issue we looked at in Acts 15 and was finally resolved in a meeting in the Jerusalem church to not be a requirement. In Acts 18, the time when Galatians was written, there were still some who believed circumcision was required. This letter to the Galatians addresses this issue.
Paul describes himself as an apostle, “not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead.” Paul, at the time called Saul, “journeyed toward Damascus to take those also who were there and bring them in bonds to Jerusalem to be punished” when suddenly, 6 “about noon a great light from heaven suddenly shone around me. 7 And I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’ 8 And I answered, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ And he said to me, ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting.’” (Acts 22:5 – 8 ESV). This was the starting point of Saul becoming the apostle Paul. It came as a direct result of God choosing Paul as the one to take the gospel to the Gentiles.
1.2 Galatians 1:1-5, Grace and Peace
1:1 Paul, an apostle—not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead— 2 and all the brothers who are with me. To the churches of Galatia: 3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, 4 who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, 5 to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen. (Galatians 1:1 – 5 ESV)
In the previous lesson the letter from Paul to the Galatians was introduced. In this lesson we will cover the remainder of Paul’s greeting to the Galatians.
Paul also mentions in the greeting all the brothers who were with him, and they together agree with the gospel Paul proclaims. We will soon realize the Galatians were in the process of accepting a false gospel that required a form of work on the part of those believing to obtain salvation.
The letter is to the churches of Galatia, implying the possibility that the need of circumcision for salvation had infected all the churches there. To those churches, Paul extends grace and peace to the believers from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. This is a common practice of Paul to wish grace and peace to those he writes to. Grace refers to God’s unmerited favor. The word “peace” used in the Bible conveys more than peace from conflict and turmoil, but includes the notion of a positive blessing, especially in terms of a right relationship with God. This is seen in Numbers 6:24 – 26 ESV: 24 “The Lord bless you and keep you; 25 the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; 26 the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.”
The gospel has its source in Jesus Christ, who came to be our Passover Lamb and take our sin upon him as he hung nailed to a cross, and then dying in our place he purchased our salvation and delivered us from the curse of the law (Galatians 3:13), from bondage to sin (Romans 6:14), and from the present evil age. 23 “Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed. 24 So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. 25 But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, 26 for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith” (Galatians 3:23 – 26 ESV).
This evil age is the state of the world apart from Jesus Christ until he returns. As the evil of spiritual darkness grows around us, we may suffer but 3 “According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, 5 who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials” (1 Peter 1:3 – 6 ESV). Those of the world do not have this living hope, nor do they have the benefits of spiritual life. In the end they will go to eternal destruction, but we to eternal life to be with God. This deliverance is according to the will of our God and Father, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16 ESV).
God created humans after his image (Genesis 1:27) and put before them a test of obedience, which they failed. Now dead in their sin, God made provision for their salvation and chose Israel and the church to make him and the way of salvation known. Through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, God redeemed his people by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8 – 9) for his praise and glory. He then calls believers to declare his majesty in the world (Matthew 28:19 – 20).
1.3 Galatians 1:6-10, The Gospel of Christ
1:6 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— 7 not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. 9 As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed.
10 For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ. (Galatians 1:6 – 10 ESV)
In the previous lesson we finished Paul’s greeting to the churches in Galatia. In this lesson we find Paul astonished by how quickly believers in Galatia are turning to a different gospel away from the grace of Christ. There is not a different gospel, only the one brought by Jesus Christ and validated by his death and resurrection. Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6 ESV). Jesus is the only way to the Father!
There were some, as there are today, who cause trouble for the church in trying to distort the gospel of Jesus Christ. It seems that Paul had presented the gospel to those in Galatia at an earlier time and now after just a short time the grace of Christ has been supplemented with works necessary to obtain salvation. The true gospel is 8 “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Ephesians 2:8 – 9 ESV). Through false teaching, the Galatians are beginning to believe grace alone is not sufficient for salvation. Paul refers to this as a different gospel.
There were visiting preachers coming out of Judaism, who were trying to persuade the Galatians that they should require circumcision and obedience to the whole law as a means of justification before God. This condition of circumcision became an issue we looked at in Acts 15 and was finally resolved in a meeting in the Jerusalem church to not be a requirement. In Acts 18, the time when the letter to the Galatians was written, there were still some who believed circumcision was required and was causing problems for believers in Galatia by distorting the gospel.
The gospel that Jesus died on the cross for cannot be changed and still be the gospel. Jesus paid the full price for our salvation and presents it to us as a gift. Anyone who says otherwise will face God’s judgment. Paul says, “even if an angel from heaven should peach a different gospel, let him be accursed.” An example of this today is found in the Mormon church which embraces a religion supposedly given to them by an angel which teaches a gospel different from justification by faith alone in the substitutionary death of Christ. If anyone preaches or teaches a gospel contrary to the one Jesus Christ died for let him be accursed.
This brings us to verse 10 which is a transition to the next topic in his letter. In this verse Paul presents two totally different goals: pleasing man or pleasing God. Is the gospel being presented man’s gospel or is it God’s gospel? It must be one or the other, as it cannot be both. God’s gospel is given as a gift as the price was fully paid by Jesus on the cross. Man’s gospel includes some form of work which implies that God’s grace is not sufficient.
To be a servant of Christ, one must present God’s gospel. Man’s gospel is “a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death” (Proverbs 14:12 ESV). Let us be sure we embrace the correct gospel as it will determine where we will spend eternity.
1.4 Galatians 1:11-17, Paul’s Conversion
1:11 For I would have you know, brothers, that the gospel that was preached by me is not man’s gospel. 12 For I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ. 13 For you have heard of my former life in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God violently and tried to destroy it. 14 And I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my people, so extremely zealous was I for the traditions of my fathers. 15 But when he who had set me apart before I was born, and who called me by his grace, 16 was pleased to reveal his Son to me, in order that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with anyone; 17 nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me, but I went away into Arabia, and returned again to Damascus. (Galatians 1:11 – 17 ESV)
In the previous lesson Paul made it clear that there was only one true gospel and those in Galatia were not embracing it. With this lesson we begin a new section in which Paul speaks of being called by God.
The true gospel that Paul is proclaiming is not man’s gospel; it is not of human origin. Paul explains that he did not receive it or learn it from any human source, instead he received it by revelation of Jesus Christ on the road to Damascus and during the time spent in Arabia. Paul, who was then Saul, was still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, had letters to the synagogues in Damascus containing instructions to identify those who were believers so they could be brought back to Jerusalem and imprisoned. As Paul approached Damascus a bright light suddenly shown from heaven, and falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” And he said, “Who are you, Lord?” And he said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. Rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.” God chose Paul to be a chosen instrument of the Lord Jesus Christ to take the good news of the gospel to the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel. (See Acts 9:1 – 19a; 22:3 – 21; 26:12 – 23). The good news is about being saved by grace through faith and not by our works. Salvation is a gift from God (Ephesians 2:8 – 9).
Paul then reminds them of his former life in Judaism, how he was advancing in Judaism beyond many of his age and was extremely zealous for the traditions of his fathers. This led him to persecute the church of God violently to destroy it. In 1 Corinthians 15:9 Paul points out that he was unworthy to be called an apostle because he persecuted the church. In 1 Timothy 1:13, he describes himself as formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, an insolent opponent of the church, who received mercy because he acted ignorantly in unbelief.
Before Paul was even born, God had set him apart to be called by his grace by revealing his Son to him on the way to Damascus. Paul was chosen to preach Jesus Christ among the Gentiles, but before he did, God sent him to Arabia to prepare him and then brought him back to Damascus where he stayed for several years.
God is sovereign and determines the course of history as he chooses those who will be his and assigns them work to do. Saul, who persecuted the church, was chosen by God to build the church among the Gentiles. God chose me, an arrogant proud teen, and changed my life to serve him in several ministries. I never dreamed I would teach Bible in China for several years and now write Bible lessons of the books of the New Testament. The gospel of Jesus Christ is life changing and is the one Paul wants the Galatians to embrace.
1.5 Galatians 1:18-24, The Beginning of Paul’s Ministry
1:18 Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to visit Cephas and remained with him fifteen days. 19 But I saw none of the other apostles except James the Lord’s brother. 20 (In what I am writing to you, before God, I do not lie!) 21 Then I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia. 22 And I was still unknown in person to the churches of Judea that are in Christ. 23 They only were hearing it said, “He who used to persecute us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy.” 24 And they glorified God because of me. (Galatians 1:18 – 24 ESV)
In the previous lesson Paul explains how he received the gospel through a revelation of Jesus Christ and was instructed to proclaim it among the Gentiles. In this lesson we will learn how Paul’s ministry began to take shape.
As we ended the previous lesson, Paul was in Arabia, where he spent three years before returning to Damascus. Looking at Acts 9 we find the conversion of Paul (then Saul) in verse 1 through 19. In verses 19a through 25, Paul proclaims Jesus in the synagogues in Damascus, saying, “He is the Son of God.” After many days had passed the Jews plotted to kill him but the plot became known and he escaped.
Acts 9:26 finds Paul in Jerusalem. This material in Galatians fills in the gap between Acts 9:25 and 26. Paul left Damascus and went to Arabia for three years before returning (Galatians 1:17). After returning to Damascus Paul went up (in elevation, not up north but down south) to Jerusalem to visit Cephas, known as Peter, and remained with him for fifteen days. It was difficult for Paul to meet the apostles because of their fear of him, but Barnabas comes to the rescue (Acts 9:27). Besides seeing Peter, Paul also met with James the Lord’s brother, not one of the original disciples.
After spending time with Peter and James, Paul said he went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia. Going back to Acts 9, we read: 26 “And when he had come to Jerusalem, he attempted to join the disciples. And they were all afraid of him, for they did not believe that he was a disciple. 27 But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles and declared to them how on the road he had seen the Lord, who spoke to him, and how at Damascus he had preached boldly in the name of Jesus. 28 So he went in and out among them at Jerusalem, preaching boldly in the name of the Lord. 29 And he spoke and disputed against the Hellenists. But they were seeking to kill him. 30 And when the brothers learned this, they brought him down to Caesarea and sent him off to Tarsus. (Acts 9:26 – 30 ESV). Being sent off to Tarsus would correspond to going into the regions of Syria and Cilicia in Galatians 1:21. Syria is to the north of Judea and Galilee, and Cilicia is to the north and west.
Paul is still not that well known to believers in churches in Judea because he has not spent time with them. They have only heard it said, “He who used to persecute us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy.” Hearing that Paul is no longer persecuting the church brings relief to believers and they now glorify God for the new direction of his life.
Chapter Questions
1. Why does Paul begin Galatians by emphasizing that he is “an apostle; not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ”?
Paul immediately establishes the divine origin of his apostleship because false teachers were attempting to undermine his authority. They suggested that Paul’s message was incomplete or inferior to the teachings coming from Jerusalem. By declaring that his calling came directly from Jesus Christ and God the Father, Paul shows that the gospel he preached was not invented by human reasoning or tradition. His authority rested in God’s appointment, not human approval. This opening also reminds believers that the truth of the gospel does not depend on popularity, religious status, or human institutions. God Himself is the source of salvation and truth.
2. What does Paul mean when he says that Christ “gave Himself for our sins”?
Paul summarizes the heart of the gospel in this statement. Jesus willingly sacrificed Himself on the cross to deal with humanity’s sin problem. Sin separates people from God and brings judgment, but Christ took upon Himself the punishment sinners deserved. His death was substitutionary—He died in the place of sinners so they could receive forgiveness and reconciliation with God. Paul also emphasizes that this act was according to the will of God the Father, showing that salvation was part of God’s eternal plan. The gospel is therefore centered on grace, not human effort.
3. Why was Paul so shocked that the Galatians were turning to “a different gospel”?
Paul was astonished because the Galatians were abandoning the message of salvation by grace through faith in Christ alone. False teachers had persuaded them that faith in Jesus was not enough and that they also needed to follow parts of the Mosaic Law, especially circumcision. Paul explains that adding human works to the gospel actually distorts it completely. A gospel based partly on grace and partly on works is no longer the true gospel. His strong reaction reveals how serious doctrinal error is. The purity of the gospel must be protected because eternal salvation is at stake.
4. Why does Paul pronounce a curse on anyone who preaches another gospel?
Paul declares that anyone, even an angel from heaven, who preaches a different gospel is “accursed.” This strong language demonstrates the absolute importance of preserving the truth of salvation. The gospel is God’s revealed message, not something humans may alter according to preference or culture. False gospels mislead people away from Christ and place them back under bondage and condemnation. Paul’s warning teaches believers to evaluate every teaching carefully according to Scripture. Truth must never be compromised for acceptance or popularity.
5. What does Galatians 1 teach about seeking approval from God rather than people?
Paul states that he was not trying to please people because a servant of Christ cannot make human approval the highest goal. Before his conversion, Paul had zealously pursued approval within Judaism and persecuted Christians. After encountering Christ, his priorities changed completely. He became willing to suffer rejection, persecution, and hardship for the sake of truth. This teaches believers that faithfulness to God often requires courage to stand against cultural pressure, religious opposition, or public opinion. Pleasing God must come before pleasing others.
6. How does Paul describe his life before knowing Christ?
Paul explains that he formerly lived in Judaism and intensely persecuted the church of God. He was extremely zealous for Jewish traditions and advanced beyond many of his contemporaries. His testimony highlights the depth of his transformation. The same man who tried to destroy the church became one of its greatest missionaries. This demonstrates the power of God’s grace to completely change a person’s heart and direction. No one is beyond the reach of God’s saving power.
7. What is significant about Paul saying that God “set me apart before I was born”?
Paul recognizes that God had a sovereign purpose for his life long before his conversion. Even while Paul was persecuting Christians, God’s plan for him was already established. This reveals God’s sovereignty and grace in salvation and calling. Paul did not earn his apostleship or deserve mercy; God chose him according to divine purpose. This truth encourages believers that God works according to His eternal plan and can redeem even the most unlikely people for His glory.
8. Why did Paul emphasize that he did not immediately consult with others after his conversion?
Paul explains that after Christ revealed Himself to him, he did not immediately seek instruction from the apostles in Jerusalem. Instead, he spent time in Arabia and later returned to Damascus. He shares this detail to show that the gospel he preached came directly from divine revelation, not from human teachers. Although Paul later had fellowship with the apostles, his message originated from Christ Himself. This strengthens his defense that the gospel of grace is God’s truth and not merely a human tradition.
9. What can believers learn from Paul’s visit with Peter and James in Jerusalem?
After several years, Paul visited Jerusalem and spent time with Peter while also seeing James, the Lord’s brother. This visit demonstrated unity among the apostles. Although Paul’s gospel came directly from Christ, it agreed fully with the message preached by the other apostles. The early church was united in proclaiming salvation through Jesus Christ alone. Believers today can learn the importance of maintaining unity around biblical truth while recognizing different ministries and callings within the body of Christ.
10. Why were the churches amazed by Paul’s transformation?
The churches in Judea had heard that the man who once persecuted Christians was now preaching the faith he previously tried to destroy. This dramatic change caused them to glorify God. Paul’s conversion became evidence of God’s grace and power. His life testified that salvation is not merely external religion but true transformation through Christ. Believers today can also recognize that changed lives bring glory to God and serve as powerful witnesses to the reality of the gospel.
11. What major theme is introduced in Galatians 1 that continues throughout the letter?
One major theme introduced in this chapter is the defense of the true gospel of grace. Paul consistently argues throughout the letter that salvation comes by faith in Christ alone and not by works of the Law. Galatians 1 establishes the divine authority of both Paul’s apostleship and his message. The chapter also introduces the conflict between grace and legalism, which becomes central throughout the epistle. Paul calls believers to stand firmly in the freedom found in Christ.
12. How does Galatians 1 encourage believers today?
Galatians 1 encourages believers to remain faithful to the true gospel and not be led astray by false teaching. It reminds Christians that salvation is entirely based on God’s grace through Jesus Christ. The chapter also encourages believers who feel unworthy or broken because Paul’s life demonstrates God’s power to forgive and transform. Finally, it challenges Christians to seek God’s approval above human praise and to stand courageously for biblical truth even when facing opposition.
Chapter 2 – Justified by Faith, Not by Works
Chapter 2 Index
Chapter Introduction
Galatians 2 continues Paul’s defense of the true gospel by recounting a pivotal moment in his ministry: his visit to Jerusalem to confirm that the message he preached among the Gentiles was fully aligned with the other apostles. The chapter highlights the unity of the gospel, the danger of hypocrisy, and the boldness required to protect the truth of justification by faith. Paul’s confrontation with Peter becomes a vivid illustration that the gospel cannot be compromised, setting the stage for his clearest explanation of salvation by grace alone.
Bible Lessons
2:1 Then after fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus along with me. 2 I went up because of a revelation and set before them (though privately before those who seemed influential) the gospel that I proclaim among the Gentiles, in order to make sure I was not running or had not run in vain. 3 But even Titus, who was with me, was not forced to be circumcised, though he was a Greek. 4 Yet because of false brothers secretly brought in—who slipped in to spy out our freedom that we have in Christ Jesus, so that they might bring us into slavery— 5 to them we did not yield in submission even for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel might be preserved for you. (Galatians 2:1 – 5 ESV)
With the previous lesson we completed our study of Paul’s call by God to serve him. With this lesson we begin our study of Paul again in Jerusalem after being away for fourteen years.
The question among scholars is when did the fourteen years starts. Did it start fourteen years after the three years mentioned in Galatians 1:18 or was it fourteen years after his conversion on the road to Damascus? Does the “then” that starts both 1:18 and 2:1 reference the same starting point or two different points? The same starting points is held by the majority as the most probable. If that is the case, then Paul’s visit to Jerusalem would coincide with the decision the disciples made about a relief gift in Acts 11:29 – 30 and not the time of the Jerusalem council in Acts 15.
When Paul went to Jerusalem, he took Barnabas and Titus, and went under the Spirit’s encouragement and presented the gospel he preached among the Gentiles, in a private meeting with influential or prominent persons, which would be the leaders of the Jerusalem church and probably included Peter, James, and John as noted in 2:9. He presented the gospel to them as a test to be sure they approved it, to be sure he was not running or had not run in vain.
Since the issue concerned the need to be circumcised for salvation, Paul uses Titus, who was with Paul and who was a Greek, to represent all Greeks. Titus was not forced to be circumcised and other Greeks should not be forced to be either, and yet they were coming to salvation. But there were these false brothers who were secretly brought in to spy on the freedom believers had in Christ Jesus, to make them slaves again to the law.
Against those false teachers, Paul took a strong stand and did not yield in submission for even a moment, for if he had yielded, Gentiles such as the Galatians would not have been brought to the true gospel.
We will take a break here and have two short lessons rather than one awfully long lesson. We will cover verses 6 through 10 in the next lesson.
2.2 Galatians 2:6-10, Peter and Paul
2:6 And from those who seemed to be influential (what they were makes no difference to me; God shows no partiality)—those, I say, who seemed influential added nothing to me. 7 On the contrary, when they saw that I had been entrusted with the gospel to the uncircumcised, just as Peter had been entrusted with the gospel to the circumcised 8 (for he who worked through Peter for his apostolic ministry to the circumcised worked also through me for mine to the Gentiles), 9 and when James and Cephas and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given to me, they gave the right hand of fellowship to Barnabas and me, that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised. 10 Only, they asked us to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do. (Galatians 2:6 – 10 ESV)
In the previous lesson we covered verses 1 through 5 which introduced the problem of circumcision of Gentiles. In the lesson we will cover the remaining verses of the section.
Paul then comments on the leadership of the Jerusalem church, saying they added nothing to the message Paul was presenting. These leaders understood that Paul had been entrusted to present the gospel to the uncircumcised, just as Peter had to the circumcised. God had chosen both Paul and Peter and that Paul was in no way inferior to Peter. Both were assigned by God to present the gospel; Peter was assigned to the circumcised Jews and Paul to the uncircumcised Gentiles.
As a validation of Paul’s ministry, James, Peter, and John, who understood that Paul had received grace to evangelize the uncircumcised Gentiles, gave the right hand of fellowship to Barnabas and him and sent them off to the Gentiles while they ministered to the circumcised. This giving the right hand of fellowship was important because it puts Paul on an equal footing with the other apostles in Jerusalem. It also shows that neither Paul nor the Jerusalem apostles had to change their gospel message.
While verses 7 through 9 indicate that Peter and Paul were equal as apostles, they also showed they had a different focus of ministry. While there was a division of labor between Peter and Paul, verse 10 suggest an area of overlap, which pertained to the poor.
“The poor” in this context probably refers to poor Christians in Jerusalem who were Jewish. Verse 10 indicates that Paul was eager to care for them. In Romans 15:25 – 26, Paul mentions him going to Jerusalem to bring aid to the saints that he had collected from believers in Macedonia and Achaia. In 1 Corinthians 16:1 – 3, we find Paul collecting gifts from the churches of Galatia and Corinth for those in Jerusalem. In 2 Corinthians 8 – 9, Paul emphasizes the importance of giving.
This combination of Paul preaching and collecting for the poor is in accord to a broader principle demonstrated throughout Scripture. Jesus demonstrated this principle when he combined his teaching with healing the sick and casting out demons. James points out the importance of faith being accompanied with works: 14 “What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? 17 So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.” (James 2:14 – 17 ESV).
The gospel is more than just words to listen to. It is words we are to obey in meeting the needs of others and in advancing the kingdom of God.
2.3 Galatians 2:11-14, Peter’s Sin of Hypocrisy
2:11 But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. 12 For before certain men came from James, he was eating with the Gentiles; but when they came, he drew back and separated himself, fearing the circumcision party. 13 And the rest of the Jews acted hypocritically along with him, so that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy. 14 But when I saw that their conduct was not in step with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas before them all, “If you, though a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you force the Gentiles to live like Jews?” (Galatians 2:11 – 14 ESV)
In the previous lesson we covered Paul’s acceptance as an apostle equal to Peter but with a different focus of ministry. Peter would work with the circumcised Jew while Paul’s focus would be with the uncircumcised Gentile. In this lesson an issue develops in Antioch that causes Paul to oppose Peter.
Antioch mentioned here was a city in Syria, not Antioch in Pisidia and was Paul’s missionary base for a few years. Cephas, known as Peter, was eating meals and fellowshipping with the Gentiles until a circumcision party sent by James from Jerusalem arrived. It seems that the party felt it was wrong to eat with Gentiles and so they ate apart from them. Seeing this, Peter, fearing their judgment, drew back and separated himself from the Gentiles also. Noticing what Peter did, caused other Jews to do the same thing, even drawing Barnabas into their act of hypocrisy.
This separation by Peter and others from the Gentiles drew attention to the possible importance of such things as dietary laws, circumcision, and holidays and festivals, and brings to the surface again the question of their importance in salvation. This separation based on Jewish tradition would suggest to the Gentile believer that they were inferior to a Jewish believer.
This behavior did not go unnoticed by Paul and realizing that they were not behaving consistently with the truth of the gospel (saved by grace through faith), he in front of everyone said to Peter, “If you, though a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you force the Gentiles to live like Jews?” This was a public sin of hypocrisy that Peter had committed, and it needed to be rebuked before the people who were affected by the sin.
“If you, though a Jew” indicates that Peter was born of Jewish parents, raised in the Jewish religion, and was obliged to observe the laws that were given to them. However, we know from Acts 10:9 – 33 that Peter had a vision from God instructing him that it was ok to eat foods that were previously considered unclean and to eat them with Gentiles. Having received this from God, Peter went to Caesarea with the Gentile men to that had come for him and shared the good news with those assembled there and ate with them. There in Caesarea, at the home of Cornelius, Peter lived like a Gentile and not like a Jew because of God’s approval.
With the arrival of the circumcision party from Jerusalem, Peter lacked the conviction to remain with the Gentiles and drew back to the Jews. That move would suggest to the Gentiles that they were inferior to Jewish believers and if they wanted to have fellowship with him, they would have to come and eat as the Jews did who observed their food laws. If Peter felt the need to draw back to those who were Jewish, then how could he expect the Gentile to feel comfortable living as a Jew? In that day it was difficult for the Jew to let go of tradition and be free in Jesus Christ. Peter was apparently still struggling with this and Paul pointed out to him the hurt he could cause in the church if he did not behave as God had instructed him in the vision at Joppa.
2.4 Galatians 2:15-16, Faith in Jesus Christ
2:15 We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners; 16 yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified. (Galatians 2:15 – 16 ESV)
In the previous lesson we saw Peter withdraw from fellowship with the Gentiles when the circumcision party arrived from Jerusalem. This act demonstrated Peter’s partiality towards Jewish tradition, suggesting that Gentile Christians were inferior to Jewish Christians. Paul, seeing this hypocrisy, rebukes Peter publicly to establish unity between the two groups of believers. In this lesson, Paul continues to strengthen this unity by addressing the idea of being justified by faith.
Paul begins by pointing out the background of the two groups. There are those who are Jews by birth and all others who are described as Gentiles. Those in both groups begin life as sinners, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23 ESV). 8 “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 10 If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us” (1 John 1:8, 10 ESV).
To be justified is to be made acceptable, or in biblical terms, to be counted righteous or declared righteous by God. If a person began life in a sinless condition and continued to perfectly obey all of God’s perfect moral standards, that person could be justified or declared righteous based on their own merits. Paul makes it clear in Romans 1 – 2 that it is impossible for anyone to live a perfect life because we are born spiritually dead and thus have a propensity to sin.
Since it is impossible to live a sinless life we cannot be justified by the works of the law, and so without God’s help, our justification is impossible. 4 “But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved” (Ephesians 2:4 – 5 ESV). If we do “not work but believe in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness” (Romans 4:5 ESV). The “him who justifies” is Jesus Christ. He began life in a sinless condition and lived a perfect life, so he did not have to die for his sin but could take our sin and die as our Passover Lamb in our place, redeeming us from the curse of the law and justifying us before God.
The death of Jesus covered our debt for our sin and rising from the dead provided assurance of our future resurrection. The resurrection of Jesus Christ is essential because without it we have no assurance of our resurrection and may still be dead in our sin (1 Corinthians 15:17). Because of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, we have been set free from the penalty of the law (redeemed) and made acceptable (justified) before God. Because of his mercy extended through Jesus Christ, he is now able to extend grace to us. 8 “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” (Ephesians 2:8 – 9 ESV).
It does not matter if you are Jew or Gentile, the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ provides salvation for all who have faith in Jesus Christ and in what he accomplished on the cross.
2.5 Galatians 2:17-19, Does Justification by Faith Lead to Sin?
2:17 But if, in our endeavor to be justified in Christ, we too were found to be sinners, is Christ then a servant of sin? Certainly not! 18 For if I rebuild what I tore down, I prove myself to be a transgressor. 19 For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God. (Galatians 2:17 – 19 ESV)
In the previous lesson we considered the topic of being justified by faith. In this lesson we will continue with that topic and see if it might lead one to sin.
Some commentators say that verse 17 is not clear with the sense of the verse being somewhat obscure. It seems that some have difficulty with the doctrine of Justification by faith, believing that it leads to licentiousness. The implication is that it does not teach the necessity to observe the law to have acceptance with God, but pronounces a person justified and accepted who is a violator of the law. In other words, one’s acceptance does not depend on moral character. Those who object say justification by faith releases one from the obligation of law and that it teaches that one may be saved even though he or she does not conform to the law.
If you seek to be justified by faith without obeying the law is it not possible that you might continue to embrace sin and not live lives of holiness and righteousness? Will it not follow that Jesus Christ is the cause of your sin because he introduced the doctrine of justification and is thus responsible for a system that allows you to sin? Is not the gospel therefore responsible for introducing a system of belief that frees one from the restraint of the law, and thus introduces universal licentiousness? To these questions, Paul will insist that the gospel has no such tendency.
If in our endeavor to be justified in Christ, we are found to be sinners, is Christ then a servant of sin and to be blamed? Paul says, “Certainly not!” and will show why Christ is not to blame. When under the law did it prevent us from sin or did it simply point out our sin, thus condemning us? Paul said by presenting the gospel, he tore down the law. If he were to go back under the law, it would only prove him to be a transgressor. The law has no power to save us, only to show us that we are sinners. The law shows the need of a source of salvation. Understanding this we are to die to the law so that we might live to God.
The law reveals our sin, and the wages of sin is death. It is the law that pronounces the sentence of death on our old way of life. By dying to the law, one no longer lives trying to gain justification by obeying the law as it no longer can place a demand on us. By dying to the law frees one to live to something else, that we might live to God.
2.6 Galatians 2:20-21, I Have Been Crucified with Christ
2:20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. 21 I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose. (Galatians 2:20 – 21 ESV)
In the previous lesson we looked at an objection to the doctrine of Justification by faith, saying that it led to licentiousness. However, the law has no power to restrain us, only to show that we are transgressors. The law cannot save us; it can only point out our need of salvation. We ended that lesson showing the importance of dying to the law so that we might live to that which or to the one who can save us. In this lesson we will learn that the one who can help us is the person of Jesus Christ.
If we are justified by faith, how do we then live-in victory over sin? It begins with death. When Jesus died, all who believe died with him, and so we can say that we have been crucified with Jesus Christ. All that we were before we trusted Christ, with all our sinful goals and proud, self-exalting desires, came to an end. That death began a time when our own personal interests and goals no longer direct our lives. It is a time when we study his word and seek the mind of Christ. It is a time when we pray for God’s will, ways, and thoughts to become ours. That death begins a time when we turn our life over to Jesus Christ, who lives in us through the Spirit, and as a result, the life we now live in the flesh, we live by faith in the Son of God. The Spirit now directs and impowers all that we do. As we trust Jesus Christ, the Spirit then works in and through us to give spiritual effectiveness to all that we do. Jesus Christ loved each one of us, and for the joy that was set before him he endured the cross, despising the shame (Hebrews 12:2) so that he could live in us. His crucifixion was a personal expression of his love for us.
Paul is not nullifying the grace of God but is looking back to verse 18 and imagining that the law was back in force again as a means by which he was trying to earn justification. If that were the case, then Jesus Christ died for no purpose because people could earn their own justification by their obedience. But Paul has already made it clear that no one can obey the law perfectly and thus no one can earn their justification. Thus, the only way a person can be justified is by the substitutionary, atoning death of the Son of God. He is the only one who ever lived a sinless life and can die to cover the sins of others. In so doing, God can offer salvation as a gift to those humbly and thankfully accept Jesus Christ as the only way of salvation.
Chapter Questions
1. Why did Paul go to Jerusalem, and what was the purpose of his meeting with the leaders there?
Paul explains that he went to Jerusalem in response to a revelation from God. He met privately with the recognized leaders of the church to make sure that the gospel he preached among the Gentiles was fully understood and affirmed. The issue at stake was whether Gentile believers had to follow Jewish ceremonial laws, especially circumcision, in order to be saved. Paul presented the message of salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, and the leaders recognized that God had entrusted Paul with ministry to the Gentiles just as Peter had been entrusted with ministry to the Jews. This meeting protected the unity of the church and confirmed that salvation comes through Christ alone, not through the works of the Law.
2. Why was Titus important in Paul’s argument about salvation?
Titus was a Greek believer who had not been circumcised. Paul brought him to Jerusalem as a living example of a Gentile who had truly received salvation through faith in Christ apart from the Law of Moses. False teachers wanted Titus to be circumcised in order to be accepted, but Paul refused to yield because doing so would have suggested that faith in Christ was not enough for salvation. Titus demonstrated that God accepts believers on the basis of faith, not ethnicity, ritual, or human effort. His case became an important defense of Christian liberty and the truth of the gospel.
3. What does Paul mean when he speaks about “false brothers secretly brought in”?
Paul refers to individuals who claimed to be believers but were attempting to undermine the freedom Christians have in Christ. They wanted Gentile believers to come under the bondage of the Mosaic Law, teaching that obedience to ceremonial requirements was necessary for salvation. Paul viewed this as a direct attack on the gospel because it shifted trust away from Christ’s finished work and back onto human performance. These false teachers threatened the unity and spiritual freedom of the church. Paul’s strong response shows how essential it is to preserve the purity of the gospel message.
4. What did James, Peter, and John recognize about Paul’s ministry?
The leaders of the Jerusalem church recognized that God’s grace was at work in Paul and that he had been specifically called to preach to the Gentiles. They saw that the same God who empowered Peter to minister to the Jews was empowering Paul to minister to non-Jews. As a sign of fellowship and unity, they extended to Paul and Barnabas the “right hand of fellowship.” This demonstrated that there was not one gospel for Jews and another for Gentiles, but one gospel for all people through Jesus Christ.
5. Why did Paul confront Peter in Antioch?
Paul confronted Peter because Peter’s behavior contradicted the truth of the gospel. Initially, Peter freely ate with Gentile believers, showing unity in Christ. However, when certain Jewish believers arrived, Peter withdrew from the Gentiles out of fear of criticism. This action implied that Gentile Christians were spiritually inferior unless they followed Jewish customs. Paul rebuked Peter publicly because his actions were influencing others and damaging the unity of the church. Paul understood that even respected leaders must be corrected when they compromise gospel truth.
6. What lesson does Peter’s behavior teach believers today?
Peter’s actions show that even mature believers can struggle with fear, pressure, and inconsistency. Although Peter understood the gospel intellectually, his behavior temporarily contradicted it. This teaches believers that spiritual maturity requires not only right belief but also faithful practice. Christians must resist the temptation to compromise truth in order to gain acceptance from others. The passage also reminds believers that accountability within the church is necessary and that correction should aim to protect the truth and restore unity.
7. What does Galatians 2 teach about justification?
Galatians 2 clearly teaches that justification comes through faith in Jesus Christ and not by works of the Law. To be justified means to be declared righteous before God. Paul emphasizes that no person can earn salvation through obedience to the Law because all people are sinners. Only through trusting in Christ’s death and resurrection can a person be forgiven and accepted by God. This truth is central to Christianity because it places salvation entirely on God’s grace rather than human effort.
8. Why does Paul say that if righteousness came through the Law, then Christ died for no purpose?
Paul explains that if people could become righteous by obeying the Law, then Jesus’ sacrificial death would have been unnecessary. Christ died because humanity could not save itself. The Law revealed sin but could not remove guilt or transform the heart. Jesus fulfilled what the Law could never accomplish by bearing sin and providing salvation through grace. Paul’s statement emphasizes the sufficiency of Christ’s work on the cross and the futility of trying to earn salvation through human effort.
9. What does Paul mean when he says, “I have been crucified with Christ”?
Paul describes the believer’s union with Christ. Spiritually, the believer’s old sinful life has died with Christ, and a new life has begun through Him. This means the Christian is no longer controlled by the old identity centered on self and sin. Instead, Christ lives within the believer, guiding and transforming them. The Christian life is now lived by faith in the Son of God, depending daily on His grace and power. This verse highlights both the believer’s new identity and ongoing relationship with Christ.
10. How does Galatians 2 encourage believers to live by faith?
Galatians 2 teaches that the Christian life begins and continues through faith in Jesus Christ. Believers are not saved by grace and then expected to live by human effort. Instead, they depend on Christ daily for strength, righteousness, and transformation. Faith means trusting in what Christ has accomplished rather than relying on personal achievement. This produces humility, gratitude, freedom, and obedience motivated by love rather than fear. Paul’s teaching encourages believers to rest confidently in God’s grace while living faithfully for Christ.
11. What major themes are emphasized in Galatians 2?
Several important themes appear throughout the chapter:
- Justification by faith alone
- Christian freedom in Christ
- Unity between Jewish and Gentile believers
- Defending the truth of the gospel
- Courage in confronting compromise
- Salvation by grace rather than works
- The believer’s union with Christ
- Living the Christian life through faith
These themes reveal the heart of the gospel and the importance of preserving its truth in both doctrine and practice.
12. How does Galatians 2 point believers to Jesus Christ?
Galatians 2 points continually to Jesus as the complete source of salvation and spiritual life. Christ’s death provides forgiveness, His resurrection gives new life, and faith in Him brings justification before God. The chapter shows that human effort cannot save, transform, or unite people with God. Only Christ can accomplish these things. Paul’s testimony demonstrates that the believer’s identity, righteousness, and hope are all found in Jesus alone.
Chapter 3 – Faith and the Promise of Abraham
Chapter Lesson Index
- Chapter Introduction
- Bible Lessons
- 3.1 Galatians 3:1-6, Five Questions of Interrogation
- 3.2 Galatians 3:5-9, Faith Produces Righteousness
- 3.3 Galatians 3:10-14, Redeemed from the Curse of the Law
- 3.4 Galatians 3:15-18, Law and Promise
- 3.5 Galatians 3:19-20, Why Was the Law Needed?
- 3.6 Galatians 3:21-22, The Law Cannot Give Life
- 3.7 Galatians 3:23-26, The Law Was Our Guardian
- 3.8 Galatians 3:26-27, Put on Christ
- 3.9 Galatians 3:28-29, One in Jesus Christ
- Chapter Questions
Chapter Introduction
Galatians 3 shifts the letter into a direct, theological appeal as Paul challenges the Galatians to remember how they first received the Spirit—not by works of the law, but by believing the gospel. He contrasts the futility of relying on the law with the blessing that comes through faith, using Abraham as the prime example of God’s saving promise. The chapter builds toward a sweeping conclusion: in Christ, believers are no longer defined by the law but are united as God’s children through faith.
Bible Lessons
3.1 Galatians 3:1-6, Five Questions of Interrogation
3:1 O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified. 2 Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith? 3 Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? 4 Did you suffer so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain? 5 Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law, or by hearing with faith— 6 just as Abraham “believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”? (Galatians 3:1 – 6 ESV)
In the previous lesson it was concluded that no one can earn their own justification. There is only one way and that is by faith in the substitutionary, atoning death of the Son of God. He is the only one who ever lived a sinless life and thus can die to cover the sins of others. Based on what Paul has said, one must decide if justification is by faith or by works of the law. That is the focus of this lesson.
In helping the Galatians understand what they are doing, Paul asks them five questions: (1) Who has bewitched you, (2) How did you receive the Spirit, (3) Are you so foolish, (4) Did you suffer many things in vain, and (5) Are miracles by works of the law or by hearing with faith?
(1) Who has bewitched you? Using language of pagan magic, Paul points out that false teachers are misleading them (bewitching them) with their teaching and drawing them away from the fact that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified. The Galatians did not actually see Jesus Christ being crucified but the gospel was so clearly presented to them it was as if they were there.
(2) How did you receive the Spirit? Paul wants them to think back to when they became believers and received the Holy Spirit. Was the Spirit received by you by works of the law or by hearing with faith? Clearly, the law did not provide the Spirit by their works but was provided by God by grace through faith. The Spirit comes after saving faith, at the beginning of the Christian life, to sanctify and to empower the believer in ministry.
(3) Are you foolish? If Christian life began by God giving them the Spirit, why would he not continue to supply their needs in spiritual growth? “For those whom [God] foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son” (Romans 8:29 ESV). In Colossians 2:18 – 19 (ESV), Paul says, 18 “Let no one disqualify you, insisting on asceticism and worship of angels, going on in detail about visions, puffed up without reason by his sensuous mind, 19 and not holding fast to the Head, from whom the whole body, nourished and knit together through its joints and ligaments, grows with a growth that is from God.” When it is God who provides the growth, how did they expect to accomplish that growth through the flesh?
(4) Did you suffer many things in vain? These Galatians had and were suffering from persecution, not because of Jewish rites, but because they had embraced the gospel. If they were willing to suffer for the gospel in the beginning, why are they now willing to turn away and return to former Jewish things? We will consider this in greater depth when we study 1 Corinthians as our next book of study.
(5) Are miracles by works of the law or by hearing with faith? When we studied the gospels and the Acts, we encountered numerous miracles. In thinking about those miracles was it the works of the law that produced them or was it by hearing with faith? Again, and again, Jesus asked those he was going to heal if they believed. It is God who causes one to be born again and delivers us from the bondage of sin. It is God who provides the Spirit at the time of spiritual birth. It is the Spirit of God that produces spiritual growth throughout life. The Christian life starts by hearing with faith and it continues to grow day after day through faith.
3.2 Galatians 3:5-9, Faith Produces Righteousness
3:5 Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law, or by hearing with faith— 6 just as Abraham “believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”?
3:7 Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham. 8 And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “In you shall all the nations be blessed.” 9 So then, those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith. (Galatians 3:5 – 9 ESV)
In the previous lesson, Paul asked the Galatians five questions to help them realize they were turning away from the gospel they once embraced. In this lesson we will look at the gospel in the Old Testament using Abraham as an example.
We covered verse 5 in the previous lesson but is included here to provide context for verse 6. In verse 5 the question was asked if miracles were done by the works of the law or by hearing with faith. The law can produce nothing. It simply exposes our sin. On the other hand, faith releases the power of God to perform miracles. In verse 6, that faith was counted in Abraham’s life as righteousness.
In verses 6 through 9, Paul issues a second appeal for the Galatians to consider. He wants to direct their attention to Abraham, an Old Testament patriarch and show them the Importance of faith in his life.
God had promised Abraham that he would have a child, but time had passed and now he was old and still had no child. Abraham points this out to God and God takes him outside to look toward the heavens and see the stars. God asked if he could count them and then told Abraham that his offspring would be in number as the stars. “And he believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness” (Genesis 15:6 ESV). His faith was counted to him as righteousness, not the works of the law.
Who are these offspring of Abraham? They are those of faith who are born again, who make up Abraham’s spiritual family, and their count is as the count of the stars. Those who believe and obey God are the ones who are righteous.
God waited until Abraham was too old to father children and then from his dead body (sexually) God caused him to father a son. In this way Abraham becomes a living Old Testament prophecy of the gospel. 4 “But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved.” (Ephesians 2:4 – 5 ESV). Abraham fathered a son in old age by grace through faith and we are born again while dead in our sin by grace through faith. That is the gospel in both testaments.
Abraham was not an Israelite, but a pagan and God preached the gospel to him, saying, “In you shall all the nations (Gentiles) be blessed.” The nations shall be blessed by hearing the gospel and then responding with faith to obtain righteousness. Thus, those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith. Those who are thus blessed are you and me who believe.
3.3 Galatians 3:10-14, Redeemed from the Curse of the Law
3:10 For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.” 11 Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for “The righteous shall live by faith.” 12 But the law is not of faith, rather “The one who does them shall live by them.” 13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree”— 14 so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith. (Galatians 3:10 – 14 ESV)
In the previous lesson we looked at the faith of Abraham that was counted to him as righteousness. In this lesson we will cover the fact that the righteous must live by faith.
In the previous lesson, in verse 7, we covered “those of faith who are the sons of Abraham.” Paul now directs our attention to those who rely on works of the law and states that they who do are under its curse. That person is cursed because he or she cannot “abide by all things written in the Book of the Law and do them.”
Back in Galatians 2:18, Paul spoke of going back to the law and if he did it would simply show him to be a transgressor. This is true for anyone who is still attached to the law and tries to live by it; they are cursed as transgressors because they fail to obey it. Abraham, who turned from the law to live by faith was delivered from its curse and blessed with righteousness. (The law has not been formally given yet.) It does not require much investigation to realize that humans fall short of what God demands. Paul makes this clear in Romans 1:18 – 3:20 and then summarizes it in Romans 3:23 ESV: “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” and as a result are under the curse.
The law condemns us as transgressors and brings us under its curse but those of faith receive righteousness. It is therefore “evident that no one is justified before God by the law,” for, as Habakkuk says, “The righteous shall live by faith” (Habakkuk 2:4 ESV).
Paul then directs their attention to Leviticus 18:5 and points out that the people of Israel were to follow his rules and keep his statutes and walk in them, but they found they could not because the law is not of faith but requires the work of perfect obedience. To live under the law requires one to live by them in complete obedience.
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16 ESV). The Son of God came and took on a body of human flesh through a virgin birth and lived a sinless life as Jesus. He was nailed to a cross as our Passover Lamb to take our sin and die in our place redeeming us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us.
Those who rely on works of the law are under a curse (Galatians 3:10). The burden of that curse was lifted from us by Jesus Christ as he died on the cross making it possible for” the blessing of Abraham to come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith.” That promise was fulfilled at Pentecost (Acts 2:1 – 4).
3.4 Galatians 3:15-18, Law and Promise
3:15 To give a human example, brothers: even with a man-made covenant, no one annuls it or adds to it once it has been ratified. 16 Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring. It does not say, “And to offsprings,” referring to many, but referring to one, “And to your offspring,” who is Christ. 17 This is what I mean: the law, which came 430 years afterward, does not annul a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to make the promise void. 18 For if the inheritance comes by the law, it no longer comes by promise; but God gave it to Abraham by a promise. (Galatians 3:15 – 18 ESV)
In the previous lesson we saw that no one is justified before God by the law; one is justified only by faith. The one who lives by the law rather than by faith ends up being cursed because the law cannot save, but only show our transgression. Through the death of Jesus Christ, the curse of the law is lifted from them who live by faith, who receive the promise of the coming Spirit, who came at Pentecost. In this lesson Paul speaks of an age-old promise and a covenant.
Paul gives an everyday example of a man-made covenant or, as we would think today, a will. Once the will is drawn up and signed it is permanent as no one can change it. With the permanency of the covenant in mind, Paul draws their attention to the promises made to Abraham and to his offspring. Two such occasions are: “for all the land that you see I will give to you and to your offspring forever” (Genesis 13:15 ESV) and “And I will give to you and to your offspring after you the land of your sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession, and I will be their God” (Genesis 17:8 ESV). The land promised was for Abraham’s earthly offspring. Through faith people become sons of Abraham and they inherit the kingdom of God. Abraham’s physical offspring continue to the present but from both Jews and Gentiles through faith in Jesus Christ, we become sons of Abraham. The promise that was made to Abraham was fulfilled in one offspring, who is Jesus Christ the Son of God who took a body of flesh through a virgin birth to become the Son of Man: fully God and fully man.
Between the time of the promise and the coming of Jesus Christ the law appeared but it could not annul the covenant previously ratified by God; the promise made to Abraham. According to the promise, one becomes a son of Abraham through faith in Jesus Christ not by works of the law. The law cannot annul the promise and take the place of faith, it can only point out our transgression and an even greater need for Jesus Christ as our savior.
If the inheritance could come by law then it would not come by promise in Jesus Christ, Abraham’s offspring. For the Jew, their salvation was in keeping the law, and when Jesus came and claimed to fulfill the law by living a sinless life and then dying for our sin, they could not accept it and nailed him to a cross, fulfilling God’s plans for our salvation. That inheritance still waits for us according to Peter: 3 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, 5 who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.” (1 Peter 1:3 – 5 ESV).
Humans by nature gravitate to the law because of their pride of accomplishment, but the law cannot be kept providing one’s salvation. Only Jesus could keep the law and then die in our place to provide our salvation. Jesus taught this and Paul teaches this in several of his letters, and here in his letter to the Galatians, he struggles to convince them of this truth as he will do latter in his letters to the Corinthians.
As a side note, the 430 years appears to come from Exodus 12:40 ESV: “The time that the people of Israel lived in Egypt was 430 years.”
3.5 Galatians 3:19-20, Why Was the Law Needed?
3:19 Why then the law? It was added because of transgressions, until the offspring should come to whom the promise had been made, and it was put in place through angels by an intermediary. 20 Now an intermediary implies more than one, but God is one. (Galatians 3:19 – 20 ESV)
In the previous lesson, Paul argues that the appearance of the law did not annual the promise made to Abraham of an offspring through whom would come an exceedingly great number of spiritual sons, a promise that was fulfilled in the person of Jesus Christ. Again, it was pointed out that the law has no power to save, only to point out our transgressions. In this lesson, Paul raises the question: “Why then the law?”
If a promise was made by God to Abraham to be fulfilled in a single offspring in the person of Jesus Christ, providing for spiritual offspring referred to as sons of Abraham by faith, then why was the law needed? Paul said the law was added because of transgressions. Footnote for Galatians 3:19 (ESV Study Bible) gives four possible reasons: (1) “to provide a sacrificial system to deal temporarily with transgressions,” (2) “to teach people more clearly what God requires and thereby to restrain transgressions,” (3) “to show that transgressions violated an explicit written law,” or (4) “to reveal people’s sinfulness and need for a savior.” Since by works of the law no human can be justified; it can only provide the knowledge of sin (Romans 3:20). It seems, according to the context, that Paul had the fourth point in mind when he asked the question about the need of the law.
Paul says the law “was put in place through angels by an intermediary.” Some translations use “mediator” in place of “intermediary,” which does not convey the correct impression in modern English. If this is a reference to Moses, he certainly did not “mediate” between God and Israel but was an intermediary on God’s behalf. Moses was not working out a compromise between opposing parties but was instead God’s representative to his people.
The Lord came from Sinai with thousands of angels and shone forth from Mount Paran with flaming fire at his right hand, bringing the law to Moses (Deuteronomy 33:2). Moses was God’s intermediary, not mediator, in the gift of the law to Israel (Leviticus 26:46). The law was given through Moses, but grace came through Jesus Christ.
This law that was given was part of a temporary covenant and was intended to last only until Jesus came as the true offspring of Abraham. With Jesus came grace and so the law was no longer needed and therefore neither was circumcision since it was part of the Mosaic covenant.
In giving the law, God used Moses as an intermediary, but when Jesus Christ came, he did not need an intermediary because he was God in a body of flesh and could speak to us directly. The Father speaks through Jesus, his Son (John 12:49) but the Father and the Son are one.
3.6 Galatians 3:21-22, The Law Cannot Give Life
3:21 Is the law then contrary to the promises of God? Certainly not! For if a law had been given that could give life, then righteousness would indeed be by the law. 22 But the Scripture imprisoned everything under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. (Galatians 3:21 – 22 ESV)
In the previous lesson, Paul raised a question about the need of the law and then answered it. In this lesson we again look at the fundamental weakness of the law; its inability to give life.
Paul asked them a second question and answered it. He asks if the law was contrary to the promise God made to Abraham. Paul is asking this question to clearly show there is no such clashing or contradiction. The purpose of the law was to further the plan contemplated in the promise made to Abraham. It pointed out God’s requirements for holy living and sentenced a curse on anyone who could not keep it perfectly. It clearly showed us our sin, the wages of such being death, but was unable to provide life. The law made it clear that humans had no hope and pointed to the need of a solution, which was found in the promise of Jesus, the true offspring of Abraham.
The law is a standard that is to be kept and if it is not then there is a penalty inflicted. If the law that was given could somehow give life, then righteousness would indeed be by the law. “So, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good” (Romans 7:12 ESV), but 3 “God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.” (Romans 8:3 – 4 ESV).
The Scripture imprisoned, or locked up, everyone under sin. Since we cannot be justified by the law, we stand guilty and in need of a savior. The promise made to Abraham addresses this need in the person of Jesus Christ the Messiah. Man cannot earn his own righteousness. It must be given by God to those of faith. The law points out that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23), and the wages of that sin death, but the gift of God is eternal life in the Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 6:23).
As I wrote down the two Roman references I was reminded of the Roman’s road. Follow this link to the Roman’s road and prayer for salvation.
3.7 Galatians 3:23-26, The Law Was Our Guardian
3:23 Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed. 24 So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. 25 But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, 26 for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. (Galatians 3:23 – 26 ESV)
In the previous lesson, Paul pointed out that the law was not contrary to the promises of God to Abraham. The law imprisoned everyone under sin and its pending death sentence showing the need of a savior that was promised to Abraham. In this lesson we will look at conditions before faith came.
“Before faith came” is reference to the new covenant faith in Jesus Christ as seen in verse 22. Does that mean there was no saving faith before Jesus Christ came? How about before Abraham? How about before Noah? How about in the days of Adam? Abel showed faith and honored God with a blood sacrifice (Genesis 4:4), which looked ahead to the system of sacrifice in the Old Testament, which looked ahead to the blood of Jesus that was shed for our sin. Noah believed God and built the ark for the survival of himself and his family to preserve humanity. From the beginning God preserved a remanent of people who believed in him and obeyed him. Their faith counted as righteousness and connected them to salvation that would be provided by Jesus Christ.
The law held us captive under the death penalty of sin. It judged every person guilty (Romans 3:23). No matter what humans tried to do the law continued to show them their sin. “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death” (Proverbs 14:12 ESV). There is only one way to salvation, Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6 ESV). Not many choose the way by obeying Matthew 7:13 – 14 ESV: 13 “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. 14 For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.”
So, what was the purpose of the law? It was our guardian until Jesus Christ came to provide salvation. As a guardian, the law was in a sense a disciplinarian and a guide. There was a penalty for disobedience and thus it helped restrain us. The law made it clear that it can justify no one, only condemn, and points to Jesus Christ providing the means of being justified by faith. Now that Jesus Christ has come, we are no longer under the guardian of the law because through faith in Jesus Christ we have become God’s children and are now under his responsibility. 5 “And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? “My son do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. 6 For the Lord disciplines the one he loves and chastises every son whom he receives.”” (Hebrews 12:5 – 6 ESV).
The law showed me I was guilty of death because of my sin and that I had a need for a savior. I believed that Jesus Christ died as my Passover Lamb, taking my sin, redeeming me from the curse of the law and justifying me before the living God. Faith opened the door and I receive the gift of salvation, a gift that will last for an eternity!
3.8 Galatians 3:26-27, Put on Christ
3:26 for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. 27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. (Galatians 3:26 – 27 ESV)
In the previous lesson, Paul pointed out that the law was our guardian until Jesus Christ came to provide salvation, at which time we might be justified by faith. As children of God, we are now under his guidance. In this lesson we will look at what it means to be baptized into Christ.
Verses 23 through 29 makes up a paragraph in the ESV Bible but we divided it into three lessons. In the previous lesson, in verse 26, Paul pointed out the first of three things associated with faith in Jesus Christ. Those three things are: (1) we are sons of God, (2) we are baptized into Christ, and (3) we have put on Christ.
When we believe, we are born again and adopted into God’s family as a child of his. “See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so, we are . . . Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is” (1 John 3:1 – 2 ESV).
Looking at Romans 6:3 – 4 helps us understand the meaning of being baptized into Christ: 3 “Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.” (Romans 6:3 – 4 ESV). By faith we were crucified with Christ (Galatians 2:20) (“baptized into his death”), we were buried with him, and we were raised from the dead with him, to walk in newness of life because Christ lives in me. To be baptized into Christ is to be crucified with him, buried with him in death, and raised from the dead with him to have him live in us. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has died; behold, the new has come” (2 Corinthians 5:17).
In Romans 13:14, Paul says to “put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.” Isaiah describes our righteous deeds to be like filthy garments (Isaiah 64:6). He also said: “I will greatly rejoice in the Lord; my soul shall exult in my God, for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation; he has covered me with the robe of righteousness” (Isaiah 61:10 ESV). To put on Christ requires that we first be baptized into Christ to remove our filthy garment so that as we rise from the dead we put on the garment of salvation, the robe of righteousness, to walk in newness of life with Jesus Christ.
We are going to need one more lesson to finish this rich paragraph.
3.9 Galatians 3:28-29, One in Jesus Christ
3:28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise. (Galatians 3:28 – 29 ESV)
In the previous lesson we looked at three things Paul listed in verses 26 and 27. Those three things were: (1) we are sons of God, (2) we are baptized into Christ, and (3) we have put on Christ. In this lesson we will consider being one in Christ Jesus.
At the time Paul was writing this he referred to the people in his audience as Jews and Greeks. Today we would use “Gentile” in place of “Greek.” Paul speaks of this in Ephesians 2:11 – 22 but uses the term “Gentile” in place of Greek. He speaks of the Jew being near and the Gentile far off but in Jesus Christ they become one new man and become fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God.
To say there in neither slave nor free or no male and female does not imply there are no differences in how these groups should behave. In Ephesians 6:5 – 9 he speaks of relationships between bondservants and their masters. Paul speaks about how both should behave. In Ephesians 5:25 Paul instructs the husband to love his wife and in Ephesians 5:33 the wife is to respect her husband. Paul is not suggesting the elimination of distinctions and he is not endorsing the acceptability of same-sex marriage or homosexual relations as these are forbidden in Romans 1:26 – 27. Paul is here trying to correct wrong attitudes of superiority and inferiority by pointing out our oneness in Jesus Christ. Paul is not advocating the removal of distinctions between different groups but is promoting a unity or coming together into one body. “In the body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another” (Romans 12:4 – 5 ESV).
God made a promise to Abraham of an offspring from which would come a great multitude of people. That offspring was Jesus Christ and through faith in him one was born again and became a member of the kingdom of God. Together we are becoming a great multitude and are referred to in Galatians 3:29 as “Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise.” As a result, all people with all their differences who are born again are members of Abraham’s family, and hence they do not need to become circumcised to become part of God’s people, thus end of argument.
Chapter Questions
1. Why does Paul begin Galatians 3 by calling the Galatians “foolish”?
Paul begins strongly because the believers in Galatia were turning away from the truth of the gospel. They had originally trusted in Jesus Christ by faith, but false teachers convinced them that obedience to the Law of Moses, especially circumcision, was necessary for salvation. Paul was astonished that they would abandon the grace of God after clearly hearing the message of Christ crucified. His words are not meant simply as an insult but as a spiritual warning. They were acting without spiritual understanding because they were replacing faith with human effort. Paul wanted them to remember that salvation comes through Christ alone and not through religious works or legal performance. The chapter opens with urgency because the very heart of the gospel was under attack.
2. What does Paul mean when he asks whether they received the Spirit “by works of the law or by hearing with faith”?
Paul reminds the Galatians of their own conversion experience. When they first believed the gospel, they received the Holy Spirit not because they perfectly obeyed the Law but because they trusted in Jesus Christ. The Spirit’s presence among them proved that God accepted them through faith. Miracles, spiritual growth, and transformed lives came as the result of believing the message of Christ. Paul’s argument is simple and powerful: if God began His work in them through faith, why would they now think spiritual maturity comes through law-keeping? Salvation and sanctification both begin with dependence upon God’s grace rather than human achievement.
3. How does Abraham become an example of salvation by faith?
Paul points to Abraham because the false teachers highly respected him as the father of the Jewish people. In Genesis 15:6, Abraham “believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.” This happened before circumcision was given and before the Law of Moses existed. Abraham was declared righteous because he trusted God’s promise. Paul uses this to show that God’s plan of salvation has always been based on faith. Those who trust in Christ are considered the true spiritual children of Abraham because they share the same faith. The blessing promised to Abraham ultimately points forward to salvation through Jesus Christ.
4. What is the “gospel preached beforehand to Abraham”?
Paul explains that God announced the gospel in advance when He told Abraham, “In you shall all the nations be blessed.” This promise looked beyond Israel to the salvation of people from every nation through Jesus Christ. The gospel did not begin in the New Testament; it was part of God’s redemptive plan from the beginning. God promised that through Abraham’s descendant, the Messiah, the blessing of salvation would come to the world. Paul shows that the Old Testament itself points to justification by faith and the inclusion of Gentiles in God’s family.
5. Why does Paul say that those who rely on the Law are under a curse?
The Law requires complete and perfect obedience. Anyone who depends on the Law for righteousness must obey every command without failure. Since all people are sinners, no one can perfectly keep the Law. Therefore, relying on the Law brings condemnation rather than salvation. Paul quotes the Old Testament to prove that failure to obey God completely results in a curse. The Law reveals sin and exposes guilt, but it cannot save. Paul’s purpose is to show the impossibility of earning righteousness through human effort. Only Christ can free people from the curse caused by sin.
6. What does Paul mean when he says, “The righteous shall live by faith”?
Paul quotes Habakkuk 2:4 to show that true life with God comes through faith. Righteousness is not obtained through works but through trusting God. Faith means relying completely on God’s promise and provision rather than personal merit. This principle has always been true throughout Scripture. Those who belong to God live in continual dependence upon Him. Paul uses this verse to demonstrate that justification by faith is not a new teaching but the consistent message of God’s Word.
7. How did Christ redeem believers from the curse of the Law?
Paul explains that Jesus took the curse of sin upon Himself through His death on the cross. He quotes Deuteronomy, saying, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree.” Though Jesus was sinless, He willingly bore the judgment deserved by sinners. Through His sacrifice, believers are redeemed—purchased and set free—from condemnation. Christ took upon Himself the penalty that the Law demanded so that those who trust in Him could receive forgiveness, righteousness, and the promised Holy Spirit. The cross reveals both the seriousness of sin and the greatness of God’s grace.
8. Why does Paul emphasize God’s promise to Abraham rather than the Law given through Moses?
Paul explains that God’s covenant promise to Abraham came centuries before the Law was given. Since the promise was based on God’s grace and faithfulness, the later Law could not cancel or replace it. Salvation has always rested on God’s promise rather than human obedience. The inheritance comes through faith because it depends upon God’s grace. Paul wants the Galatians to understand that the Law was never intended to be the basis of salvation. God’s promise in Christ is greater and more permanent than the temporary role of the Law.
9. What was the purpose of the Law according to Galatians 3?
Paul says the Law was added “because of transgressions” until Christ came. The Law revealed God’s holiness and exposed human sinfulness. It acted like a mirror, showing people their guilt and need for salvation. The Law restrained evil and pointed forward to Christ, but it could not give spiritual life. Paul describes it as a guardian or tutor leading people to Christ. Its purpose was temporary and preparatory. Once Christ came and salvation through faith was revealed, believers were no longer under the Law as a system of condemnation and control.
10. What does Paul mean when he says the Law was a “guardian” until Christ came?
In the ancient world, a guardian supervised and disciplined a child until maturity. Paul uses this image to explain the Law’s temporary role in God’s plan. The Law guided Israel, revealed sin, and prepared people for the coming of Christ. It showed humanity’s inability to achieve righteousness on its own. Once Christ came, believers entered a new relationship with God through faith. They are no longer under the supervision of the Law as a means of attaining righteousness because they now belong to Christ.
11. What does it mean to be “sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus”?
Believers become children of God not through ancestry, works, or religious rituals, but through faith in Jesus Christ. Through salvation, believers are adopted into God’s family and receive a new identity. This relationship brings acceptance, inheritance, and fellowship with God. Paul emphasizes that faith unites believers to Christ, giving them full standing before God. Sonship is based on grace and applies equally to all who trust in Christ.
12. What does Paul mean by being “baptized into Christ” and “putting on Christ”?
Paul uses baptism as a picture of identification with Christ. Believers are united with Him in His death and resurrection and now belong to Him completely. To “put on Christ” means to take on a new identity shaped by His character and righteousness. Salvation changes not only a person’s standing before God but also their way of life. Christians are called to reflect Christ in their thoughts, attitudes, and actions because they now live in union with Him.
13. Why does Paul say there is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female in Christ?
Paul is emphasizing the unity and equality of believers in salvation. These distinctions still existed socially and culturally, but they no longer determined a person’s value or standing before God. All believers are equally saved by grace through faith in Christ. No group has greater spiritual privilege than another. The gospel breaks down barriers that divide humanity and creates one family united in Christ. Paul’s statement highlights the universal nature of salvation and the unity of the church.
14. How are believers considered Abraham’s offspring and heirs according to promise?
Paul concludes the chapter by explaining that those who belong to Christ are spiritually connected to Abraham. Believers become heirs of God’s promise because they share Abraham’s faith. The inheritance includes salvation, eternal life, the Holy Spirit, and participation in God’s kingdom. This inheritance does not come through ethnic descent or obedience to the Law but through union with Christ. Everyone who trusts in Jesus becomes part of God’s covenant family and receives the blessings promised long ago.
15. What are the main theological themes of Galatians 3?
The chapter emphasizes justification by faith, the insufficiency of the Law for salvation, the fulfillment of God’s promise in Christ, redemption through the cross, the role of the Law as a temporary guardian, and the unity of believers in Christ. Galatians 3 powerfully teaches that salvation is entirely a work of God’s grace received through faith. It points believers away from self-righteousness and toward complete trust in Jesus Christ as the only source of righteousness and eternal life.
Chapter 4 – From Slavery to Sonship
Chapter 4 Index
- Chapter Introduction
- Bible Lessons
- 4.1 Galatians 4:1-7, The Date Set by the Father
- 4.2 Galatians 4:8-11, Drawn Back to Former Things
- 4.3 Galatians 4:12-20, Paul’s Anguish Over the Galatians
- 4.4 Galatians 4:21-23, The Two Sons of Abraham
- 4.5 Galatians 4:24-27, Two Women and Two Covenants
- 4.6 Galatians 4:28-31, Children of the Free Woman
- Chapter Questions
Chapter Introduction
Galatians 4 deepens Paul’s appeal by contrasting life under the law with the freedom God gives through Christ. Using the imagery of heirs, guardians, and the powerful allegory of Hagar and Sarah, Paul shows that returning to the law is like choosing slavery over sonship. The chapter urges the Galatians to remember their identity as God’s adopted children; called to live in the liberty of the Spirit rather than the bondage of legalism.
Bible Lessons
4.1 Galatians 4:1-7, The Date Set by the Father
4:1 I mean that the heir, as long as he is a child, is no different from a slave, though he is the owner of everything, 2 but he is under guardians and managers until the date set by his father. 3 In the same way we also, when we were children, were enslaved to the elementary principles of the world. 4 But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. 6 And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” 7 So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God. (Galatians 4:1 – 7 ESV)
In the previous lesson, Paul showed that all believers with their differences are part of Abraham’s family and thus there was no need to become circumcised to become part of God’s people. In this lesson Paul writes about sons and heirs.
Paul says there are conditions to be met to receive an inheritance. A child, though he is the future owner of everything, is no different from a slave while he is still under guardians and managers because he has not reached the age of maturity set by his father. When that date comes and his father should die, then he would be able to inherit everything in the will.
Like the child before the set date, we were slaves under the law without any hope of an inheritance. Those today who are not born again are like children and are enslaved to the elementary principles of the world. Here in this passage those elementary principles were what the Galatians previously followed. For those who were Jews those principles would be Mosaic law and for those who were Gentile it would be the principles spelled out by their pagan religions. They were in their thinking and behavior living under a legalistic system that enslaved them.
When the fullness of time had come according to God’s sovereign will, “he gave his only Son, that whoever believed in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16 ESV). God’s Son was sent to the world and arrived as a man born of a virgin. A virgin birth was necessary for Jesus to be born without a sinful nature. He was born of a Jewish family and thus born under the law. Jesus came to fulfill the law by living a sinless life, thus qualifying him to take our sin and die in our place, redeeming us who were under the curse of the law. Being born again, we were sons of Abraham by faith and adopted by God as sons. Originally, God referred to Israel, who he adopted, as his son, and now he is extending this adoption to those born again, referring to us as his sons.
Those who are adopted as his sons receive the Holy Spirit and embrace God as our Father. We have reached the age set by the Father that we are no longer a slave, but a son and a rightful heir. 3 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you” (1 Peter 1:3 – 4 ESV).
An appropriate passage to close this lesson with is found at Romans 8:14 – 17 ESV: 14 “For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. 15 For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” 16 The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.”
4.2 Galatians 4:8-11, Drawn Back to Former Things
4:8 Formerly, when you did not know God, you were enslaved to those that by nature are not gods. 9 But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world, whose slaves you want to be once more? 10 You observe days and months and seasons and years! 11 I am afraid I may have labored over you in vain. (Galatians 4:8 – 11 ESV)
In the previous lesson, Paul gave some conditions required to receive an inheritance. We must complete our time under guardians and managers and reach a date of maturity set by God. In terms of physical birth, after conception under the growth provided by the mother’s body, the fetus grows through the gestation period to the date established for birth. It is my opinion that there is spiritual conception and a period of spiritual growth to the established date set by God for spiritual birth. Then, through faith we are born again and adopted into God’s family as sons and promised an inheritance. In this lesson Paul expresses his concern for the Galatians.
“Formerly” refers to the time before being born again when the Galatians did not know God. It was a time when they offered pagan sacrifices to demons associated with their idols. They were enslaved to those idols, who by nature are not gods. Demons seek something to live in. It could be a human (Matthew 8:28), an animal (Matthew 8:31) or an idol of some sort (Revelation 9:20).
The time came when the Galatians came to know God and to be known by God. In Matthew 7:23, Jesus declared to those who believed they were saved, saying, “I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.” Someone may say they know God but not be known by God because they have not been born again and adopted as a child into God’s family.
Paul has established that the Galatians have turned from their former ways and been born again and thus known by God. He then asks them why they want to turn back to the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world. “Do you want to become enslaved again?” he asks. Paul wants to know why they want to or think they should return to part of the ceremonial laws of the Mosaic covenant that relates to observing these religious days.
One of those days in question is the Jewish seventh-day Sabbath commandment, a day of importance to the Seventh-day Adventist today. Acts 20:7 and 1 Corinthians 16:2 speaks of the first day of the week as a time for believers to gather and worship. In Colossians 2:16 – 17, Paul speaks of the Sabbath as a shadow of that which is to come, which under the new covenant is the first day of the week. These past special days, months, seasons, and years were simply shadows of things that were to come that would take on new meaning as a result of Jesus Christ fulfilling the law with his perfect life and then death and resurrection. Paul informs them of his fear that maybe they are not known by God and thus his labor was in vain.
Once we turn from former things to follow Jesus, we are 22 “to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, 23 and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, 24 and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.” (Ephesians 4:22 – 24 ESV). We need to understand “that that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin” (Romans 6:6 ESV). Having “been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20 ESV). Let us not go back to former things but instead continue to grow in our relationship with Jesus Christ.
4.3 Galatians 4:12-20, Paul’s Anguish Over the Galatians
4:12 Brothers, I entreat you, become as I am, for I also have become as you are. You did me no wrong. 13 You know it was because of a bodily ailment that I preached the gospel to you at first, 14 and though my condition was a trial to you, you did not scorn or despise me, but received me as an angel of God, as Christ Jesus. 15 What then has become of your blessedness? For I testify to you that, if possible, you would have gouged out your eyes and given them to me. 16 Have I then become your enemy by telling you the truth? 17 They make much of you, but for no good purpose. They want to shut you out, that you may make much of them. 18 It is always good to be made much of for a good purpose, and not only when I am present with you, 19 my little children, for whom I am again in the anguish of childbirth until Christ is formed in you! 20 I wish I could be present with you now and change my tone, for I am perplexed about you. (Galatians 4:12 – 20 ESV)
In the previous lesson, Paul began to express his concern for the Galatians over their desire to return to some of the former practice of the Mosaic covenant. In this lesson, Paul expresses to them how much he was suffering when he first preached the gospel to them. He did this because they meant so much to them.
Having expressed his concern, Paul now turns to encourage them. He “entreats” (ESV) or “begs” (NET) these brothers and sisters to become as he is, free from following Mosaic ceremonial regulations, and living by faith in Jesus Christ. Paul, who used to live under the law, has now become like the Gentiles in that he does not minister to them under Jewish law. He then assures them that they have done him no wrong which may relate to his physical condition mentioned in the next verse.
Apparently when Paul preached the gospel to them during his first visit, he had a bodily ailment that caused embarrassment for them and was a trial for them. Despite his condition, they did him no wrong by not scorning or despising him but showed mercy and received him as an angel of God, as though he were Jesus Christ himself. It is apparent that the condition he is referring to pertained to his eyes. It is possible that some permanent damage was done to them by the bright light on the road to Damascus or maybe it was some kind of infection. Paul reminds them that at the time, if possible, they would have gouged out their eyes and given them to him.
Having reminded them of how much receiving the gospel of salvation had blessed them and how much they appreciated him, he now wonders what has happened in their relationship with him. He wants to know if in some way he has become their enemy by telling them the truth about those false teachers who were trying to lead them astray for their own gain. Those false teachers flatter them only to receive flattery back in establishing a deceptive relationship with them. Their goal was to gather about them an exclusive club of people who would observe Jewish ceremonial laws and then shut out those did not agree with them. Their desire for exclusiveness was a desire for the Galatians to make much of them or to esteem them. Paul desires that they stay true to the gospel to be a good example for others. An excellent illustration of such a tribute is found in 1 Thessalonians 1:2 – 9.
It is always good, whether we are a believer or a church, to have a good testimony as an encouragement to others. Even though their testimony was somewhat tarnished, Paul still had deep emotions of anguish for them, because they as little children were not growing spiritually as they should. In fact, they were digressing back to the condition they were in before being born again.
Paul knows he is being severe in his reprimand and wishes he could be there in person and maybe change his tone but at a distance from them, he is perplexed about their reception of those false teachers and their willingness to follow them into sin and bondage again.
4.4 Galatians 4:21-23, The Two Sons of Abraham
4:21 Tell me, you who desire to be under the law, do you not listen to the law? 22 For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by a slave woman and one by a free woman. 23 But the son of the slave was born according to the flesh, while the son of the free woman was born through promise. (Galatians 4:21 – 23 ESV)
In the previous lesson, Paul expresses his agony to the Galatians over their acceptance of false teachers and their willingness to follow them into sin and bondage. In this lesson, Paul gives two examples to help them understand what they are doing. One example is of a slave woman, and the other is of a free woman.
Paul continues to press his point about the great difference between being free in the Lord and a slave to the law, sin, and false gods. To emphasize this difference, Paul goes back to Genesis 16 – 17 and 21 to draw from the narrative the examples of Sarai and Hagar, where Sarai represents a free woman and Hagar a slave woman.
Remember, in Galatians 3:16, God made a promise of a child that would begin a line of people to extend to the birth of Jesus Christ, from who would come a kingdom of born-again believers that would number as the stars of heaven. Time passed and no child was born to Sarai and they became concerned. Sarai suggested (Does that remind you of Eve?) they have a child from Hagar, a slave of theirs. Abraham listens to Sarai and agrees, resulting in Hagar getting pregnant and bearing Ishmael. This son was not the promised son and was born according to the will of the flesh. He would “be a wild donkey of a man, his hand against everyone and everyone’s hand against him, and he shall dwell over against all his kinsmen” (Genesis 16:12 ESV). His influence continued through his offspring and they stir up trouble in the Middle East today.
Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore Ishmael. 1 “When Abram was ninety-nine years old the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be blameless, 2 that I may make my covenant between me and you and may multiply you greatly.”” (Genesis 17:1 – 2 ESV). 15 “And God said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name. 16 I will bless her, and moreover, I will give you a son by her. I will bless her, and she shall become nations; kings of peoples shall come from her.”” (Genesis 17:15 – 16 ESV). This son would be the son of a free woman and would be according to promise.
With Abram and Sarai both considered dead in bearing children, Sarai becomes pregnant and gives birth to a son, named Isaac, when Abram was a hundred years old. In a sense, the promise child rises from the dead just as the promised child Jesus had a miraculous birth, died, and rose from the dead.
Hagar and her son Ishmael represent the law, and under the law people seek their salvation through works of the law and only find death from their sin. The law enslaves and does little to overcome the wicked behavior of sinful people. Sarai and her son Isaac represent life and freedom, with God providing deliverance from the curse of the law with his gift of salvation through faith in his Son, Jesus Christ. These two women and their sons represent two covenants and two views of salvation. Hagar and Ishmael represent the law and seek salvation through the works of the flesh. Sarai and Isaac represent grace and receive salvation as a gift from God. Which seems to be the best choice, work of the flesh or the gift of God? Then why do most chose the work of the flesh and refuse such a wonderful gift that God desires to give? If you are unsaved, what is your answer?
4.5 Galatians 4:24-27, Two Women and Two Covenants
4:24 Now this may be interpreted allegorically: these women are two covenants. One is from Mount Sinai, bearing children for slavery; she is Hagar. 25 Now Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia; she corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children. 26 But the Jerusalem above is free, and she is our mother. 27 For it is written, “Rejoice, O barren one who does not bear; break forth and cry aloud, you who are not in labor! For the children of the desolate one will be more than those of the one who has a husband.” (Galatians 4:24 – 27 ESV)
In the previous lesson, Paul introduces two women who give birth to sons. Hagar and Ishmael represent the law and seek salvation through the works of the flesh. Sarai and Isaac represent grace and receive salvation as a gift from God. These two women may be interpreted allegorically as two covenants. We will look at these two covenants in this lesson.
These are not the only two covenants in the Bible, but these were chosen to represent the condition of slaves and freemen. The comparison is between the Law of Moses and the freedom of the gospel. The two covenants that are referred to here are the one on Mount Sinai made with the Jews, and the other on Mount Zion made with the people of God in the gospel. The one made on Mount Sinai resembles the condition of bondage in which Hagar and her son were. The one made on Mount Zion with the people of God in the gospel resembles the condition of freedom in which Sarah and Isaac were experiencing.
The covenant from Mount Sinai tends to produce bondage or servitude in that the laws are stern and severe, and the observance of them is costly and leads to eternal death. Hagar represents Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to present Jerusalem where to this day it remains a stronghold in Israel according to the flesh. Today the Jews who have not turned to Jesus are still in bondage, and the city remains enslaved just as it was in the day of Isaiah.
The covenant made with the people of God in the gospel leads to freedom because Jesus Christ died and rose from the dead to fulfill the law and remove its hold on us, providing the gift of eternal life. Those who accept this gift of salvation belong to the Jerusalem that is free located in heaven. John said, “I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband” (Revelation 21:2 ESV). The location of the heavenly Jerusalem is said, in Hebrews 12:22, to be at Mount Zion.
The people of God of the old covenant, who failed to bless the world, were like a barren woman without children. Under the new covenant, the heavenly Jerusalem is described as “our mother” but in the sense that God’s people become the mother of a growing family as they carry out the great commission and make disciples. The Jerusalem of Isaiah’s day was not bearing children for God, but through Jesus Christ the day will come when there will be many.
Verse 27 is a quotation from Isaiah 54:1. The barren one refers to the old covenant people of God, who kept the revelation of God to themselves and did not bless the world, were like a barren woman, but under the new covenant, God’s people became the mother of a growing family. The barren one who does not bear may be the revived condition of Jerusalem, in which there were no children of God being born. Here in Galatians, it may refer to the persecuted condition of the early church. Jerusalem after the exile was desolate as opposed to Jerusalem at the time of prosperity under David and Solomon. In the typical application, Sarah, who had long been barren, as opposed to Hagar, whose marriage had been fruitful; in the anti-typical application, the new dispensation, Christianity, with its small beginnings, as opposed to the old dispensation, with its material possessions and privileges.
4.6 Galatians 4:28-31, Children of the Free Woman
4:28 Now you, brothers, like Isaac, are children of promise. 29 But just as at that time he who was born according to the flesh persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, so also it is now. 30 But what does the Scripture say? “Cast out the slave woman and her son, for the son of the slave woman shall not inherit with the son of the free woman.” 31 So, brothers, we are not children of the slave but of the free woman. (Galatians 4:28 – 31 ESV)
In the previous lesson Paul was describing two covenants using the illustrations of two women, one who is enslaved and the other who is free. In this lesson, Paul continues with his example and lead up to the question of whose children we are. Are we children of the slave or children of the free.
Paul now directs the attention of the Galatians back to Isaac the son of the free woman and tells them they are children of promise like him, whose birth was miraculous just like our spiritual birth is. It is not by human effort or will that we are born spiritually, it is act of God’s gracious and miraculous power (John 1:13).
The one born according to the flesh was Ishmael and in Genesis 21:9, Sarah saw him laughing, or making fun of, her son Isaac. It is assumed that this making fun of by the older brother grew into something more serious and became a form of persecution, which through the offspring of these two sons continues today, especially between Israel and the Arab nations. In the context of this section about law and grace (slave and free) this persecution was from the Jews who seek justification by human effort and was against those who trust God’s promise of justification by faith.
The quote contained in verse 30 is from Genesis 21 and is Sarah’s reaction to Ishmael making fun of Isaac. Sarah said to Abraham, “Cast out this slave woman with her son, for the son of this slave woman shall not be heir with my son Isaac” (Genesis 21:10 ESV). From the allegory Paul has established, the slave woman and her son, that are to be cast out, represent those who seek justification through their own efforts. Thus, those who teach justification by works today should not be allowed to remain and teach in a church that embraces justification by faith.
The offspring of Abraham, through Isaac, through Jesus Christ who according to God’s great mercy 3 “has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you” (1 Peter 1:3 – 4 ESV). This inheritance is not available to the offspring of the slave woman, or those who seek justification through works.
Paul then concludes that he and the Galatians are not children of the slave woman but of the free. The children of the free are those who through faith in Jesus Christ are born again, which includes us today who are believers. We who were enslaved under the law and condemned to die were rescued by Jesus Christ and provided with life that is eternal and beyond our comprehension.
Chapter Questions
1. Why does Paul compare the heir to a child under guardians in Galatians 4:1–7?
Paul explains that before faith in Christ fully revealed God’s redemptive plan, God’s people were like children who had not yet received the full rights of inheritance. An heir may legally own everything, yet while still a child he lives under supervision and restrictions. Paul uses this picture to describe life under the Law before Christ came. The Law guided, restrained, and prepared God’s people, but it was never meant to be the final condition of believers.
When Jesus came, everything changed. God sent His Son “born of a woman, born under the law” to redeem those under the Law and bring them into full sonship. Through Christ, believers are no longer spiritual slaves but adopted children of God. Paul emphasizes that believers now cry, “Abba, Father,” showing an intimate relationship with God through the Holy Spirit. The Christian life is therefore not based on fear and bondage but on sonship, inheritance, and relationship with the Father.
2. What does Paul mean when he says believers were once “enslaved to those that by nature are not gods” (Galatians 4:8)?
Paul reminds the Gentile believers of their former pagan lives before knowing Christ. They once worshiped idols and followed false religious systems that had no true divine power. These false gods controlled people through fear, superstition, and spiritual darkness.
Paul’s concern is that the Galatians were turning back toward another form of bondage by depending on legalistic observances for salvation. Even though Jewish legalism and pagan idolatry look different outwardly, both become forms of slavery when people trust in human systems rather than God’s grace. Paul warns that anything replacing complete trust in Christ becomes spiritual bondage. True freedom is found only through faith in Jesus Christ and life led by the Spirit.
3. Why was Paul troubled that the Galatians were observing “days and months and seasons and years” (Galatians 4:10)?
Paul was not condemning the keeping of special days in themselves. His concern was that the Galatians were beginning to believe these observances were necessary for salvation or spiritual acceptance before God. False teachers were persuading them that faith in Christ alone was insufficient and that obedience to ceremonial aspects of the Law was required.
This troubled Paul because it distorted the gospel of grace. Salvation comes through Christ’s finished work, not through religious performance. When believers trust ceremonies, rituals, or external practices as the basis of righteousness, they move away from dependence upon Christ. Paul feared that the Galatians were abandoning the freedom of grace and returning to spiritual slavery. His words remind believers that spiritual maturity flows from faith and obedience rooted in love, not from legalistic efforts to earn God’s favor.
4. What does Paul reveal about his relationship with the Galatians in Galatians 4:12–20?
Paul speaks with deep personal affection and emotional honesty in this section. He reminds the Galatians that when he first preached to them, they welcomed him warmly despite his physical weakness or illness. They received him with love and honor because they recognized the truth of the gospel he proclaimed.
Now Paul is grieved because false teachers have turned their hearts away from him and from the true gospel. He asks whether he has become their enemy simply because he tells them the truth. Paul compares himself to a mother in labor, suffering again until Christ is fully formed in them. This powerful image shows the depth of his pastoral care. He was not merely defending doctrine; he was fighting for the spiritual well-being of people he deeply loved. Christian ministry involves truth, compassion, patience, and a willingness to suffer for the growth of others.
5. What is the meaning of Paul’s allegory of Hagar and Sarah in Galatians 4:21–31?
Paul uses the historical account of Abraham’s two sons to illustrate the difference between slavery under the Law and freedom through God’s promise. Hagar, the slave woman, represents Mount Sinai and the covenant associated with bondage under the Law. Ishmael, her son, was born according to human effort and natural means. Sarah, the free woman, represents the covenant of promise fulfilled through God’s miraculous power. Isaac was born through God’s promise, not human ability.
Paul applies this contrast spiritually. Those who rely on the Law for righteousness are like children of the slave woman, remaining in bondage. Those who trust in Christ are children of promise and belong to the heavenly Jerusalem. Just as Isaac was persecuted by Ishmael, believers may face opposition from those who reject grace. Paul’s message is clear: salvation is based on God’s promise fulfilled in Christ, not on human effort or legalistic obedience.
6. Why is the phrase “children of promise” important in Galatians 4:28?
Paul tells believers that they are “children of promise” like Isaac. This means their relationship with God exists because of God’s gracious initiative rather than human achievement. Isaac’s birth was impossible by natural means and occurred only because God fulfilled His promise to Abraham and Sarah.
Likewise, spiritual life comes through God’s grace and power, not through human works. Believers become God’s children through faith in Jesus Christ and the work of the Holy Spirit. This truth gives assurance because salvation rests upon God’s faithfulness rather than human performance. Christians live as heirs of God’s promises, enjoying freedom, acceptance, and inheritance through Christ.
7. How does Galatians 4 emphasize the difference between law and grace?
Throughout the chapter, Paul contrasts two spiritual conditions: slavery under the Law and freedom through grace in Christ. The Law had a temporary role in preparing people for Christ, but it could not give true spiritual freedom or eternal life. Grace, however, brings believers into a personal relationship with God as adopted sons and daughters.
Paul shows that legalism produces fear, bondage, and dependence upon human effort, while grace produces freedom, assurance, and intimacy with God. The chapter repeatedly emphasizes that salvation comes through God’s promise and Christ’s redeeming work rather than through human obedience to religious systems. Paul calls believers to stand firmly in the freedom Christ provides and to reject every attempt to add human works as a requirement for salvation.
8. What practical lessons can believers learn from Galatians 4 today?
Galatians 4 teaches believers to guard the purity of the gospel and to rest fully in God’s grace. Christians must resist the temptation to measure spirituality by outward religious performance rather than by faith and obedience flowing from love for Christ.
The chapter also reminds believers of their identity as God’s children. Christians are not spiritual slaves living in fear of rejection; they are adopted heirs with direct access to the Father through Jesus Christ. This relationship should produce confidence, gratitude, worship, and joyful obedience.
Finally, Galatians 4 teaches the importance of spiritual discernment. The Galatians were influenced by persuasive teachers who distorted the gospel. Believers today must carefully test every teaching against Scripture and remain anchored in the truth that salvation is by grace alone through faith in Christ alone.
Chapter 5 – Freedom in the Spirit, Not the Flesh
Chapter Introduction
Galatians 5 opens with a bold call to stand firm in the freedom Christ has secured. After dismantling the idea that the law can make anyone righteous, Paul turns to the practical outworking of grace—showing that true freedom is not the liberty to indulge the flesh but the power to live by the Spirit. The chapter contrasts two paths: one marked by the destructive works of the flesh, the other by the beautiful fruit the Spirit produces in a surrendered life. Here Paul invites believers to walk in step with the Spirit so that their lives reflect the character and freedom of Christ.
Chapter Lesson Index
- 5.1 Galatians 5:1-6, Is It Works or Grace for You
- 5.2 Galatians 5:7-15, Love Serves One Another
- 5.3 Galatians 5:16-17, Conflict Between Flesh and Spirit
- 5.4 Galatians 5:18, Benefit of Being Led by the Spirit
- 5.5 Galatians 5:19-21, Sexual Immorality, Impurity, Sensuality, Idolatry, Sorcery
- 5.6 Galatians 5:19-21, Enmity, Strife, Jealousy, Fits of Anger, and Rivalries
- 5.7 Galatians 5:19-21, Dissensions, Divisions, Envy, Drunkenness, and Orgies
- 5.8 Galatians 5:22-23, Love is the Fruit of the Spirit
- 5.9 Galatians 5:22-23, Joy, Peace, Patience, and Kindness
- 5.10 Galatians 5:22-23, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self-Control
- 5.11 Galatians 5:24-26, We Are to Live by the Spirit
Chapter Questions
Bible Lessons
Galatians 5 marks the turning point where Paul moves from defending the gospel to showing how it transforms daily life. He calls believers to stand firm in the freedom Christ provides, refusing to return to the bondage of the law. The chapter contrasts the destructive works of the flesh with the beautiful fruit produced by the Spirit, urging Christians to walk in step with the Spirit so that their lives reflect the character of Christ.
5.1 Galatians 5:1-6, Is It Works or Grace for You
5:1 For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.
5:2 Look: I, Paul, say to you that if you accept circumcision, Christ will be of no advantage to you. 3 I testify again to every man who accepts circumcision that he is obligated to keep the whole law. 4 You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace. 5 For through the Spirit, by faith, we ourselves eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness. 6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love. (Galatians 5:1 – 6 ESV)
In the previous lesson, Paul concluded his argument by saying, “we are not children of the slave but of the free woman.” The next verse, which begins chapter 5, should be considered part of his conclusion, for he said, “For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.”
When John wrote his letter to the church in Ephesus, he pointed out to them that they had abandoned the love they had at first. He then instructed them to “Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the works you did at first” (Revelation 2:5 ESV). Paul tells the Galatians to stand firm in what they had been taught and not submit again to a yoke of slavery. In both cases, believers began right but then deviated from doing the right thing. Today the western church has deviated so far from what the Scriptures teach that social activities are becoming more important than the gospel. When comparing the lives of believers with those in the world, one finds little difference today.
For the Galatians, their yoke of slavery centered on circumcision along with certain other aspects of the ceremonial laws of the Mosaic covenant. The tendency was to include a certain level of obedience to the law as a requirement of salvation and not from complete obedience to God’s moral standards. 8 “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” (Ephesians 2:8 – 9 ESV). To try to include works as a requirement for salvation nullifies God’s gift and makes Jesus Christ of no advantage to us. One cannot embrace slavery and freedom at the same time. It must be one or the other. You cannot serve two masters.
Paul says, if you are going to accept circumcision then you are obligated to keep the whole law and are thus severed from Christ. Remember, the law only condemns. It cannot produce life as it cannot cause one to be born again. Spiritual life cannot be earned. It is a gift from God through faith. The law requires work, but grace is a gift. Adding work nullifies grace. Work is to come after the gift to validate one’s faith.
For those who through the Spirit, by faith, are born again are seen through Jesus Christ as righteous. But living in sinful bodies reveals that we, in a practical sense, are not righteous but can only wait for the hope of righteous in the resurrection when we will receive our perfect bodies and our salvation is then complete. If we are in Christ Jesus, then circumcision along with certain other aspects of the ceremonial laws of the Mosaic covenant count for nothing. Paul is not opposed to these things, but all that is needed is faith to release God’s gift and then faith is a living and active thing that produces love.
5.2 Galatians 5:7-15, Love Serves One Another
5:7 You were running well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth? 8 This persuasion is not from him who calls you. 9 A little leaven leavens the whole lump. 10 I have confidence in the Lord that you will take no other view, and the one who is troubling you will bear the penalty, whoever he is. 11 But if I, brothers, still preach circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? In that case the offense of the cross has been removed. 12 I wish those who unsettle you would emasculate themselves!
5:13 For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. 14 For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 15 But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another. (Galatians 5:7 – 15 ESV)
In the previous lesson, Paul made it clear that our salvation is a gift from God which in nullified if we try to earn part of the gift. There are only two choices: the law and works leading to eternal death, and grace and its gift of eternal life. It is like salt water and fresh water. Add just a little salt water to the fresh and it is no longer fresh water. Add works to grace and it is no longer grace.
Believers at Galatia were doing well at first in obeying the truth but then something caused or influenced them to turn away from the truth. Whatever persuaded them was not from God who called them to salvation. What was the little leaven, the error they had adopted, that was causing this disobedience? Was there a false teacher who was drawing them back to rites and customs of the law? If so, Paul is confident in the Lord that they will return to the proper view of the gospel and whoever is troubling them will bear the penalty.
Paul then points out that if he were still preaching circumcision then the offense of the cross would be removed because human pride and human effort would return. Since Paul is being persecuted it implies, he is preaching the gospel of grace and not circumcision under the law.
Paul then expresses his wish concerning those who are causing the unsettling or doing the agitation, that they would emasculate or castrate themselves. This statement is rhetorical hyperbole on Paul’s part, expressed as biting sarcasm, obviously not meant to be taken literally, but does express the seriousness of the false teaching.
Verses 13 through 15 expresses the idea that serving one another in love fulfills the law and is referred to as the law of love. When Paul tells the Galatians the whole law in fulfilled in the command to “love your neighbor as yourself,” he implies that they as Christians have a moral obligation to follow the moral standards found in God’s law. That obedience does not produce justification but is a crucial part of the Christian life.
Under grace we are free from the burden of the law and with our sin covered by the death of Jesus Christ, we are free to serve one another through God’s love. That freedom came with a price and continue to come with a price. In John 16:33, Jesus said we may have peace in him, but in the world, we will have tribulation. Jesus was persecuted and died to provide this freedom. We have freedom in him, but we probably will experience persecution in the world, and if we do, we are to take heart because Jesus has overcome the world.
This freedom we have under grace is not a license to sin but to know God and to walk with God and to serve others. Under grace we are to love one another as we love ourselves but knowing that we live in bodies of sinful flesh it is easy to bite and devour one another with our words and behavior, so let us be on guard and walk-in love with the Lord and with one another. If we are not careful, we could end up consuming and not encouraging one another.
5.3 Galatians 5:16-17, Conflict Between Flesh and Spirit
5:16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. (Galatians 5:16 – 17 ESV)
In the previous lesson, Paul wanted to know what was drawing them away from the truth. Was there someone who was troubling them with false teaching that they should withdraw from? Paul admonishes them to not let anyone draw them back into enslavement under the law and away from freedom under grace. They are to use this freedom to serve one another in love and not as an opportunity for the flesh to sin. They are to love one another and be careful in what they say and how they behave towards one another that they not be consumed by one another. In this lesson we begin the topic of walking in the Spirit.
Under the law we are enslaved to its demands. Under grace we have freedom but with tension. That tension is between the desires of the flesh and the desires of the Spirit. One who walks by the Spirit will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 25 “If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another” (Galatians 5:25 – 26 ESV). “In order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, [we are to] walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit” (Romans 8:4 ESV). “But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires” (Romans 13:14 ESV). Remember what life was like before being born again when “we all . . . lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.” (Ephesians 2:3 ESV).
Christian life is a struggle as “the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh.” The desires of the flesh cause me to “see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members” (Romans 7:23 ESV). The flesh is influenced to sin, but “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20 ESV). The Spirit desires we be holy and righteous. The tension is between Satan and God, between evil and good, and we as believers are caught in that struggle. One seeks to destroy us and the other to grow us spiritually. How can we stand against this evil foe, seeking to devour us? We put on the whole armor of God (Ephesians 6:10 – 18).
The flesh and the Spirit are opposed to each other, to keep us from doing what we want to do. Once we are born again, we have “been set free from sin [to] become slaves of righteousness” (Romans 6:18 ESV). Our desire then is to do what the Spirit wants us to do but the flesh will continue to encourage us to not obey the Spirit. The tendency of the Galatians was to slip back and yield to the flesh, but Paul instructs up to press on with the Spirit.
5.4 Galatians 5:18, Benefit of Being Led by the Spirit
5:18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. (Galatians 5:18 ESV)
In the previous lesson, Paul introduced us to the struggle that exist in us between the desires of the flesh and the desires of the Spirit. In this lesson we will see that if we are led by the Spirit, then we ae not under the law.
To be led by someone means you are following that person to a particular location or to do something or to become something. The person doing the leading has an active, personal involvement in the person who is following. That involvement may include encouragement in various forms and maybe some discipline to correct some misdirection. This is the role of the Spirit in guiding Christians to spiritual maturity. “For those whom [God] foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers” (Romans 8:29 ESV). The work of the Spirit is to lead us, to conform us into the image of Jesus Christ. This is an activity that will continue throughout our life here on earth.
To be led by the Spirit implies we have been born again and are no longer enslaved under the law. We have been set free from sin to become slaves of righteousness (Romans 6:18 ESV). 2 “For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. 3 For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.” (Romans 8:2 – 4 ESV).
Paul will now show the difference between the works of the flesh and the fruit of the Spirit. The works of the flesh, those actions that flow out of fallen human nature and its desires, are seen by God as sin and worthy of eternal destruction for the one doing the work. When the Spirit enters the life of a believer at spiritual birth, that person receives a great benefit for living from the fruit of the Spirit.
Paul then lists fifteen things produced by the works of the flesh. They are: (1) sexual immorality, (2) impurity, (3) sensuality, (4) idolatry, (5) sorcery, (6) enmity, (7) strife, (8) jealousy, (9) fits of anger, (10) rivalries, (11) dissensions, (12) divisions, (13) envy, (14) drunkenness, and (15) orgies. That list can be extended by adding items from “things like these”, which can be found in other letters by Paul.
In our next lesson we will briefly look at each of these works of the flesh.
5.5 Galatians 5:19-21, Sexual Immorality, Impurity, Sensuality, Idolatry, Sorcery
5:19 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, 21 envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. (Galatians 5:19 – 21 ESV)
In the previous lesson we looked at the difference between the works of the flesh and being led by the Spirit. We will use three lessons to cover the works of the flesh given by Paul, which include: (1) sexual immorality, (2) impurity, (3) sensuality, (4) idolatry, (5) sorcery, (6) enmity, (7) strife, (8) jealousy, (9) fits of anger, (10) rivalries, (11) dissensions, (12) divisions, (13) envy, (14) drunkenness, and (15) orgies.
Most of the words in the list do not need defining but we will list them and mention something about each.
(1) sexual immorality – An example of sexual immorality is given in Leviticus 20 along with its required punishment: “If a man commits adultery with the wife of his neighbor, both the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death” (Leviticus 20:10 ESV). This sin is offensive to God and if it were enforced today it would probably reduce the population count by more than COVID19, especially if all sexual immorality outside of marriage is included.
(2) impurity – Impurity is that which ruins something that was pure or uncontaminated. To be impure is to be spoiled in some way by sin. That “something” that is spoiled is our holiness: “For God has not called us for impurity, but in holiness” (1 Thessalonians 4:7 ESV).
(3) sensuality – Sensuality in the Bible suggests a great liking of physical pleasures, especially sexual pleasures. Paul describes such people as calloused, who have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity (Ephesians 4:19). This evil can cause the way of truth to be blasphemed (2 Peter 2:2).
(4) idolatry – Idolatry is the worship of an idol or cult image, which can be a physical image or a person, in place of God. It connotes the worship of something or someone other than God as if it were God. Paul says to believers to “Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry” (Colossians 3:5 ESV) and flee from it (1 Corinthians 10:14).
(5) sorcery – Sorcery is the use of power gained from the assistance or control of evil spirits especially for divining. As Paul was going to the place of prayer, he was met by a slave girl who had a spirit of divination and brought her owners much gain by fortune-telling. She kept this up, causing Paul to turn to her and commanded the spirit to leave her getting Paul into trouble by her owner. (Acts 16:16 – 18).
We will take a break at this point and continue in the next lesson.
5.6 Galatians 5:19-21, Enmity, Strife, Jealousy, Fits of Anger, and Rivalries
5:19 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, 21 envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. (Galatians 5:19 – 21 ESV)
In the previous lesson we covered the first five works of the flesh given by Paul. In this lesson we will cover the next 5.
(6) enmity – Enmity and its synonyms “hostility,” “animosity,” and “animus” all indicate deep-seated dislike or ill will. The first occurrence of enmity in the bible is found in Genesis 3:15 ESV: “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel” (Genesis 3:15 ESV). This enmity, or hostility, is between Satan and the offspring of the woman, referring to Jesus Christ. Enmity is last used in the bible in James 4:4 ESV: “You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore, whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.” As believers we can, by how we live, be in enmity with God.
(7) strife – Strife is seen as vigorous or bitter conflict, discord, or antagonism, an act of contention. “It is an honor for a man to keep aloof from strife, but every fool will be quarreling” (Proverbs 20:3 ESV). “They stir up strife, they lurk; they watch my steps, as they have waited for my life” (Psalm 56:6 ESV). David had enemies that stirred up strife against him. Paul had certain Jews that created strife against him. We have seen this several time in our study of Acts.
(8) jealousy – Jealousy is a condition where one is very watchful or careful in guarding or keeping something. There is fear that somebody will take something from me. Moses describes God as a jealous God in Exodus 24:14. People move God to jealousy with their idols (Psalm 78:58). Jealousy can make a man furious (Proverbs 6:34). “When the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and began to contradict what was spoken by Paul, reviling him” (Acts 13:45 ESV). James says, “For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice” (James 3:16 ESV).
(9) fits of anger – Anger is a strong emotional reaction of displeasure which often leads to plans for revenge or punishment. We can be angry at times because of something we see that is wrong, but we must not sin in the process (Ephesians 4:26). Jesus got angry at times: “And [Jesus] looked around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, and said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was restored” (Mark 3:5 ESV). We must be “slow to anger, for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God” (James 1:19 – 20 ESV).
(10) rivalries – Rivalry is competition or fighting between people, businesses, or organizations who are in the same area or want the same things. In the ESV translation, rivalries, or rivalry, is found only here in Galatians 5:20. The Greek word is translated elsewhere as anger, envy, jealousy, passion, and zeal, depending upon the context of the passage.
We will take a break at this point and finish in the next lesson.
5.7 Galatians 5:19-21, Dissensions, Divisions, Envy, Drunkenness, and Orgies
5:19 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, 21 envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. (Galatians 5:19 – 21 ESV)
In the previous lesson we covered items 6 through 10 from the list of fifteen works of the flesh given by Paul. With this lesson we will finish the list.
(11) dissensions – Dissension is a disagreement in opinion, usually of a violent character, producing warm to hot debates or angry words. This occurred between Paul and Barnabas over whether Mark should travel with them (Acts 15:2). Later in Acts when Paul was speaking, “the dissension became violent, the tribune, afraid that Paul would be torn to pieces by them, commanded the soldiers to go down and take him away from among them by force and bring him into the barracks” (Acts 23:10 ESV).
(12) divisions – Division between Christians occurs because there are so many kinds of people who profess Christianity. Different people have different experiences and prefer, for example, different types of music, rites, and rituals. Division can describe several things: distance between people (Exodus 8:23) and areas of land (Joshua 18:6). Division is used to describe such things as troops (1 Chronicles 12:23, gatekeepers (1 Chronicles 15:19), and priests (1 Chronicles 28:13). These divisions are not according to our context. Our context is seen in Luke 12:51 (ESV) when Jesus said, “Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division.” This division was among the people (John 7:43), among the Pharisees (John 9:16), and among the Jews (John 10:19).
(13) envy – Envy is different than jealousy. Envy is more like want or desire. With jealousy I have something that someone desires whereas envy is when I see something that someone else has that I want. Jesus knew that it was out of envy that the Jews had delivered him up to be crucified (Matthew 27:18).
(14) drunkenness – Drunkenness is a condition when the mind is affected by the consumption of alcohol. “Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy” (Romans 13:13 ESV).
(15) orgies – Orgy was a pagan ritual, a secret rite in the cults of ancient Greek or Roman deities involving singing, dancing, dinking, and possibly some sexual content. Peter establishes a good context for orgy in 1 Peter 4:3 ESV: “For the time that is past suffices for doing what the Gentiles want to do, living in sensuality, passions, drunkenness, orgies, drinking parties, and lawless idolatry.”
After giving the list, Paul then warns the Galatians that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
5.8 Galatians 5:22-23, Love is the Fruit of the Spirit
5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. (Galatians 5:22 – 23 ESV)
In the previous lesson we managed to finish up Paul’s list of the works of the flesh. With this lesson we will begin our study of the fruit of the Spirit.
In contrast to the works of the flesh, Paul now gives a list of characteristics associated with the Spirit and begins with “But the fruit of the Spirit is love.” He does not say “fruits” but just fruit, like just one fruit. NET Footnote 42 for Galatians 5 suggest a different punctuation: “Another way to punctuate this is “love” followed by a colon (love: joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control). It is thus possible to read the eight characteristics following “love” as defining love.” I was pleased when I found that footnote several years ago because it supported my interpretation. If I have God’s love within me as the fruit of the Spirit, then I should exhibit behavior described by the eight characteristics that define or describe love.
For years, my lessons have reflected “love” as the fruit of the Spirit and the eight words following love as characteristics of love. That is the position I will take in these lessons. However, a question we must answer is, “What kind of love is this?”
Some say there are seven types of love in the Bible according to the article at this link. In the article the seven are listed as: (1) Eros – “Romantic Love,” (2) Philia – “Affectionate Love,” (3) Storge – “Familiar Love,” (4) Pragma – “Enduring Love,” (5) Philautia – “Self-Love/Self-Compassion,” (6) Ludas – “Playful Love,” and (7) Agape – “unconditional Love,” The article describes these in detail giving at least one Scripture reference for each.
The popular position holds to four types of love. These four are listed and defined at this link. In the article the four are listed as: (1) Storge – empathy bond, (2) Philia – friend bond, (3) Eros – romantic love, and (4) Agape – unconditional “God” love. The top three that are normally used are Philia, Eros, and Agape.
We will finish this lesson by briefly describing the four kinds of love listed above.
In the above links, “Storge Love” is described as “Familiar Love” or as a “empathy bond.” This is the love a family feels for each other. Examples in the Bible are as follows: The love between the Father and his Son (Matthew 3:17), The centurion who asked Jesus to heal his servant (Luke 7:1 – 10; Matthew 8:5 – 13), The woman who begged Jesus to deliver her daughter from demon possession (Matthew 15:21 – 28), and Jairus the synagogue leader who begged Jesus to heal his daughter because she was near death (Mark 5:21 – 24).
“Philia Love” is described as “Affectionate Love” or as a “friend bond.” This is a love found between good friends but does not involve any passion or sexual impulse. It can help build a romantic relationship over the long-term leading to Eros Love. In the Bible it is the kind of love found between Jesus and his disciples. This kind of love is described by John as follows: 16 “By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. 18 Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.” (1 John 3:16, 18 ESV).
“Eros Love” is described as “Romantic Love” begins as Philia Love which grows in passion to where a line in crossed and intense sexual desire occurs, which today might be referred to as lust. There are two examples that stand out in the Old Testament. One is with Samson and Delilah and is detailed in Judges 16, and the other is with David and Bathsheba and described in 2 Samuel 11.
“Agape Love” is described as unconditional love. It is a love that will sacrifice to meet the needs of others. This was perfectly exemplified by Jesus when he died on the cross to provide for our salvation. “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13 ESV)
5.9 Galatians 5:22-23, Joy, Peace, Patience, and Kindness
5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. (Galatians 5:22 – 23 ESV)
In the previous lesson we introduced love as the fruit of the Spirit having eight characteristics. In this lesson we will cover the first four of the eight characteristics, which are (1) joy, (2) peace, (3) patience, (4) kindness, (5) goodness, (6) faithfulness, (7) gentleness, and (8) self-control.
(1) joy – Joy and happiness are different as joy is based on something internal while happiness is based on external conditions. One is usually not happy when things go wrong, or something is not pleasing. Jesus was not happy to go to the cross but for the joy that was set before him he was willing to endure its shame (Hebrews 12:2). Christians are not happy to be tortured but can endure torture with joy showing love toward those who are persecuting because joy is internal and based on God’s love. Paul speaks of endurance and patience with joy (Colossians 1:11).
(2) peace – Peace is a condition that alludes many believers today because they have not claimed and practiced God’s promises to them. Consider Philippians 4:6 – 7 ESV: 6 “do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Peace, being a characteristic of love, is contained within us to be released by faith. Why do we not learn about God’s provision and walk in it? I understand that there may be certain medical conditions that might require special help to establish peace.
(3) patience – Patience is also a condition that alludes many believers because of the fast pace of life today. We are instructed in Psalm 46:10 to “Be still and know that I am God.” Wait for the Lord; be strong and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord.” We are not willing to be still and wait for the Lord to meet a particular need. Samuel told Saul to wait for him to come and make the burnt offering, but Saul was impatient and offered it himself, bringing God’s judgment upon him (1 Samuel 13:8 – 14). We must be patient because often God’s timing is different than ours.
(4) kindness – Kindness is selfless, compassionate, and merciful. God’s power can be seen when kindness is practiced toward our enemies. When we are mistreated it is natural to want justice, but it is supernatural to instead show kindness. “Whoever pursues righteousness and kindness will find life, righteousness, and honor” (Proverbs 21:21 ESV). “He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:8 ESV).
We will take a break here and finish the list in the next lesson.
5.10 Galatians 5:22-23, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self-Control
5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. (Galatians 5:22 – 23 ESV)
In the previous lesson we covered the first four characteristics of love which are (1) joy, (2) peace, (3) patience, and (4) kindness. In this lesson we will cover the remaining four which are (5) goodness, (6) faithfulness, (7) gentleness, and (8) self-control.
(5) goodness – Goodness is doing something for the benefit of another. Goodness and kindness are both virtues we should cultivate in our lives, but there is a difference. Kindness mainly involves being generous and considerate and helping others while goodness involves righteousness in action or doing what is right. In speaking to the Romans, Paul said they were “full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able to instruct one another” (Romans 15:14 ESV). Could that be said of us?
(6) faithfulness – Faithfulness comes out of trust and loyalty; we trust God and are loyal to him. We are to submit our ways to his, adhere to whatever we owe allegiance to, and be reliable. We are to walk in God’s faithfulness (Psalm 26:3). Since “the word of the Lord is upright, and all his work is done in faithfulness” (Psalm 33:4 ESV), then should we not do the same? We are to “Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness” (Psalm 37:3 ESV). “Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you; bind them around your neck; write them on the tablet of your heart” (Proverbs 3:3 ESV).
(7) gentleness – Gentleness grows out of humility. One who lacks gentleness is often one who is prideful and easily angered. A gentle person is one who does not see themselves as better than someone else. Gentleness is the quality of being kind and careful. It describes the way someone acts when they are soft and calm and sweet to other people. An example of gentleness is seen in John 8:1 – 11 when the Pharisees wanted to stone a woman caught in adultery and Jesus said to them, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.” (John 8:7 ESV). After the Pharisees left, being convicted of their sin, Jesus said to the woman, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.” (John 8:11 ESV).
(8) self-control – Self-Control is the ability to control our desires by making correct decisions. Self-control is a discipline that is developed in us by God when we continually choose to die to our flesh and live in him. “A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls” (Proverbs 25:28 ESV). 5 “For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, 6 and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, 7 and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. 8 For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (2 Peter 1:5 – 8 ESV).
If we are living out these characteristics of love, then we are fulfilling the law more completely than those who insist on Jewish ceremonies. Clearly, those who live by the characteristics of love come closer to fulfilling the law than do those who practice the works of the flesh.
5.11 Galatians 5:24-26, We Are to Live by the Spirit
5:24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another. (Galatians 5:24 – 26 ESV)
In the previous lesson we covered the last four characteristics of love which were (5) goodness, (6) faithfulness, (7) gentleness, and (8) self-control. In this lesson we will look at a condition of belonging to Jesus Christ and a requirement of living by the Spirit.
Those who belong to Christ are those who believe in him and have been born again, and when they are, they receive the gift of the Holy Spirit who comes to live within them. Belief in Jesus results in God the Spirit becoming a permanent part of our life.
In Galatians 2:20, Paul spoke of being crucified with Jesus Christ and when we are “our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin” (Romans 6:6 ESV). “For while we were living in the flesh, our sinful passions, aroused by the law, were at work in our members to bear fruit for death” (Romans 7:5 ESV). Being “crucified with Christ,” Paul continues in Galatians 2:20 (ESV) by saying, “It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” Christ living in me is another way saying the Spirit is living in me because God is one.
Being born again, we are members of the body of Christ, he is the head, and the Spirit is in us. Think of this body as a person with Christ as its brain and the Spirit as the nervous system. The function becomes like how our human body works. What a beautiful thing it will be when the body of Christ is complete and we are all connected with each other and to the head, who is Jesus Christ, perfectly by the Spirit, and function perfectly together. We cannot begin to imagine what this will be like.
If we belong to Jesus Christ, we have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Our enslavement to sin has been broken and we now are slaves to righteousness. There will be a struggle, and at times intense, as the sinful flesh tries to exert itself and the Spirit applies pressure to restrain it.
Evidence of being born again is living by the Spirit and living by the Spirit is behaving in accordance with the Spirit by walking in step with him. We learn how-to walk-in step with the Spirit by “[being] diligent to present [ourselves] approved to God as a worker who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15 NASB). The old KJV was, “Study to shew thyself approved unto God.” We need to show diligence in our study of the word so that we can keep in step with the Spirit.
In all that we do, we must live by the characteristics of love and not allow ourselves to become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another as those characteristics are included in the works of the flesh.
Questions with Answers
1. What is the central message of Galatians 5?
Paul’s central message in Galatians 5 is that believers in Jesus Christ are called to live in the freedom that comes through faith, not through bondage to the Law. He warns the Galatian Christians not to return to legalism by depending on circumcision or works of the Law for righteousness. Instead, they are to walk in the Spirit, who produces godly character and victory over sinful desires. Christian freedom is not permission to sin, but freedom to love, obey God, and serve others through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Key Verses: Galatians 5:1, 13, 16
2. What does Paul mean when he says, “Stand fast therefore in the liberty” (Galatians 5:1)?
Paul is urging believers to remain firm in the freedom Christ purchased through His death and resurrection. Before salvation, humanity was enslaved to sin and condemned under the Law because no one could perfectly obey it. Christ fulfilled the Law and bore its penalty so believers could be justified by faith alone. Paul warns that returning to dependence on religious rituals or legalistic systems places a person back under a “yoke of bondage.” The believer’s confidence must rest entirely in Christ’s finished work, not in human effort.
Christian liberty means freedom from condemnation, freedom from trying to earn salvation, and freedom to live for God with a transformed heart. Paul wants believers to guard this freedom carefully because false teaching can slowly pull people away from grace and back into spiritual slavery.
Key Verses: Galatians 5:1-4
3. Why was circumcision such an important issue in Galatians 5?
Circumcision itself was not the real problem; the issue was what people believed circumcision accomplished. Certain teachers were claiming that Gentile believers needed circumcision and obedience to the Mosaic Law in order to be fully accepted by God. Paul strongly opposes this teaching because it adds human works to the gospel of grace.
Paul explains that if someone depends on circumcision as a means of righteousness, they place themselves under obligation to keep the entire Law perfectly. Since no one can do this, trusting in the Law actually separates a person from relying on Christ alone for salvation. Paul emphasizes that what truly matters is “faith working through love,” not external religious marks.
This issue remains important today because people still try to add human effort, rituals, traditions, or moral performance to salvation. Galatians reminds believers that salvation comes only through faith in Christ.
Key Verses: Galatians 5:2-6
4. What does Paul mean when he says, “a little leaven leavens the whole lump” (Galatians 5:9)?
Paul uses the image of leaven, or yeast, to show how false teaching spreads and influences an entire group. Even a small amount of error can corrupt the purity of the gospel and eventually affect the whole church. Legalism may begin with what appears to be a minor addition to the gospel, but over time it changes the message completely.
This warning teaches believers to guard sound doctrine carefully. False teaching often sounds religious or spiritual, yet it can subtly shift trust away from Christ and toward human performance. Paul understood that the gospel of grace must remain pure because the salvation of souls depends upon it.
The principle also applies personally. Small compromises in belief or conduct can grow and influence every area of life. Christians must therefore remain rooted in Scripture and sensitive to the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
Key Verses: Galatians 5:7-10
5. How should Christians use their freedom according to Galatians 5:13?
Paul teaches that Christian freedom is not an opportunity for sinful living. Believers are not freed from the Law so they can indulge the flesh; they are freed so they can lovingly serve God and others. True liberty is not self-centered independence but Spirit-led obedience motivated by love.
The sinful nature seeks selfishness, pride, and personal gratification. The Holy Spirit leads believers toward humility, compassion, and sacrificial service. Paul summarizes the moral heart of God’s commands with the instruction: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
When believers misuse freedom for selfish purposes, relationships are damaged and division increases. But when freedom is guided by love, the church becomes unified and reflects the character of Christ.
Key Verses: Galatians 5:13-15
6. What does it mean to “walk in the Spirit” (Galatians 5:16)?
To walk in the Spirit means to live daily under the guidance, influence, and power of the Holy Spirit. This involves dependence on God rather than dependence on the flesh. Walking in the Spirit includes prayer, obedience to Scripture, surrender to God’s will, and sensitivity to the Spirit’s conviction and direction.
Paul explains that believers experience an ongoing conflict between the flesh and the Spirit. The flesh refers to the sinful nature that resists God, while the Spirit produces holiness and obedience. Victory over sinful desires does not come through human willpower alone but through yielding to the Spirit’s work within us.
Walking in the Spirit is not merely avoiding sin; it is actively pursuing Christlike character. As believers remain close to Christ, the Spirit transforms their attitudes, desires, and actions.
Key Verses: Galatians 5:16-18
7. What are the “works of the flesh” described in Galatians 5:19-21?
The works of the flesh are sinful actions and attitudes produced by humanity’s fallen nature apart from God’s control. Paul lists sins involving sexual immorality, impurity, idolatry, hatred, jealousy, anger, selfish ambition, divisions, envy, drunkenness, and similar behaviors.
These sins reveal the destructive power of the flesh in both personal life and relationships. Some sins corrupt worship, others damage moral purity, and many destroy unity among people. Paul warns that those who continually practice such things without repentance demonstrate lives not submitted to God’s kingdom.
This list helps believers honestly examine their hearts. It reminds Christians that sin is serious and that the flesh cannot produce righteousness. The answer is not merely self-discipline but surrender to the transforming work of the Holy Spirit.
Key Verses: Galatians 5:19-21
8. What is the “fruit of the Spirit” in Galatians 5:22-23?
The fruit of the Spirit is the character produced in believers by the Holy Spirit. Unlike the “works” of the flesh, which arise naturally from sinful humanity, the fruit of the Spirit grows from God’s transforming presence within the believer.
Paul lists nine qualities: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. These qualities reflect the character of Jesus Christ. Spiritual maturity is not measured merely by religious activity but by increasing evidence of these traits in daily life.
The word “fruit” is singular, showing that these qualities form one unified expression of Spirit-filled living. As believers remain connected to Christ, the Spirit gradually shapes them into His likeness. This fruit impacts families, churches, friendships, and every area of life.
Key Verses: Galatians 5:22-23
9. Why is self-control included as part of the fruit of the Spirit?
Self-control is the Spirit-enabled ability to govern desires, emotions, words, and actions according to God’s will. Human nature naturally tends toward excess, selfishness, and impulsive behavior, but the Spirit gives believers strength to resist sinful desires.
This quality is essential because without self-control, other virtues can quickly collapse under temptation or pressure. Self-control helps believers remain faithful in speech, relationships, habits, and decisions. It reflects a life surrendered to God’s authority rather than controlled by emotions or cravings.
Importantly, biblical self-control is not merely human discipline; it is produced through the Spirit’s power. As believers depend on God, they gain increasing victory over sinful patterns and develop greater spiritual stability.
Key Verses: Galatians 5:23
10. What does Paul mean by “those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh” (Galatians 5:24)?
Paul means that believers have decisively turned away from the rule of the sinful nature through their union with Christ. When a person trusts in Christ, their old identity dominated by sin is considered crucified with Him. Although believers still struggle with temptation, sin no longer has rightful control over them.
Crucifying the flesh involves rejecting sinful desires and choosing obedience to God. This is both a past reality and an ongoing daily commitment. Christians continually deny sinful impulses while yielding themselves to the Spirit’s leadership.
Paul’s statement emphasizes transformation. Salvation is not merely forgiveness of sins; it is entrance into a new life where Christ changes the believer from within.
Key Verses: Galatians 5:24-25
11. How does Galatians 5 help believers understand the relationship between grace and obedience?
Galatians 5 shows that grace and obedience are not enemies. Salvation comes entirely by grace through faith, but genuine faith produces a transformed life. Believers do not obey God in order to earn salvation; they obey because they belong to Christ and are empowered by the Spirit.
Legalism attempts obedience without grace, while sinful license seeks grace without obedience. Paul rejects both extremes. The gospel produces freedom that leads to loving obedience and spiritual fruitfulness.
The Spirit enables believers to fulfill God’s moral purposes from the heart rather than through external pressure alone. Thus, grace does not remove holiness; it makes true holiness possible.
Key Verses: Galatians 5:6, 13, 16, 22-25
12. What practical lessons can believers apply from Galatians 5 today?
Galatians 5 teaches believers to remain grounded in the gospel of grace, resist legalism, and depend daily on the Holy Spirit. Christians must avoid trusting in religious performance for acceptance with God and instead rest fully in Christ’s finished work.
The chapter also calls believers to examine whether the works of the flesh or the fruit of the Spirit are increasingly visible in their lives. Spiritual growth occurs through continual surrender to God, faithful obedience, prayer, and meditation on Scripture.
Finally, Galatians 5 reminds believers that Christian freedom is meant to glorify God through love, unity, holiness, and service to others. A Spirit-filled life becomes a visible testimony of the transforming power of Jesus Christ.
Key Verses: Galatians 5:1, 13, 16, 22-25
Chapter 6 – Sowing to the Spirit and Bearing Burdens
Chapter Introduction
Galatians 6 brings Paul’s letter to a pastoral and practical conclusion, calling believers to let the gospel shape the way they treat one another. Having urged the church to walk by the Spirit, Paul now shows what that looks like in community—restoring the fallen gently, carrying each other’s burdens, sowing to the Spirit rather than the flesh, and persevering in doing good. The chapter closes with Paul’s personal appeal, reminding his readers that the only true boast of the Christian is the cross of Christ, which creates a new kind of people marked by grace.
Chapter Lesson Index
- 6.1 Galatians 6:1-5, Having the Right Attitude
- 6.2 Galatians 6:6-10, Will We Experience Corruption or Eternal Life?
- 6.3 Galatians 6:11-16, Paul’s Final Comments
- 6.4 Galatians 6:17-18, Future Plans
Chapter Questions
Bible Lessons
Galatians 6 brings Paul’s letter to a pastoral and practical conclusion, urging believers to live out the gospel through Spirit‑led responsibility and humble care for one another. He calls the church to restore the fallen gently, carry each other’s burdens, sow to the Spirit rather than the flesh, and persevere in doing good. The chapter closes by reaffirming that the only true boast of the Christian is the cross of Christ, which creates a new kind of people marked by grace.
6.1 Galatians 6:1-5, Having the Right Attitude
6:1 Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. 2 Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. 3 For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. 4 But let each one test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor. 5 For each will have to bear his own load. (Galatians 6:1 – 5 ESV)
With the previous lesson we concluded our study of the works of the flesh and the characteristics of love. With this lesson we begin our study of Paul’s instruction to bear one another’s burdens.
The use of “brothers” implies both brothers and sisters and implies that all should be listening. Among them, Paul identifies two groups: (1) those guilty of some transgression and (2) those who are spiritual who can help those who have sinned. Those who are spiritual does not imply an elite class of believers but those who are mature and experienced enough in the Christian life to understand the situation of the one who has sinned and be able to come along side that person and provide help in restoring them in their walk with the Lord.
In 2 Corinthians 2:7, Paul speaks of forgiving the one who has sinned and comfort that one so they will not be overcome by excessive sorrow. James said, “My brothers and sisters, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins” (James 5:19 – 20 ESV). It is important that we notice those who are going through times of difficulty in their walk with the Lord and in a spirit of gentleness help them. I believe the spirit of gentleness would also include the other characteristics of love.
As we help others, we must be careful that we not fall into some temptation and be discredited in our help. Paul instructs us to bear one another’s burdens. He amplifies that in Romans 15:1 – 3 ESV: 1 “We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. 2 Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. 3 For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, ‘The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.’” Jesus Christ is the ultimate example of bearing another’s burdens. As we reach out with love for God and for our neighbor, we fulfill the law (Matthew 22:37 – 40).
Paul now directs his comments to the one who is proud and thinks he or she is something and is not. Paul tells them they are deceived and should examine their own work and form a fair and impartial estimate of their own character. If what is found is virtuous, and his course of conduct pure, and if he has done no wrong to others, and if he finds evidence that he is a child of God, then he will have cause to be satisfied with himself (Proverbs 14:14) and will not need the applause of others for happiness.
How important it was for me when I was much younger and proud to seek the approval of others, but over many years, God has been transforming me into the image of his Son (Romans 8:29), which will not be complete until that day I stand before him. I find, “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20 ESV), and as Christ lives in me then the characteristics of his love (Galatians 5:22 – 23) become a reality in my life.
Paul says that each must carry his own burden. I must work out my own salvation with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12 – 13), I will experience mistreatment (2 Corinthians 6:8 – 10), I will experience grief (2 Corinthians 7:10), and I must be content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong (2 Corinthians 12:10). I cannot claim moral superiority over my neighbor, for my self-examination reveals my sin. My own burdens require my whole attention and leave no time to compare myself with others.
6.2 Galatians 6:6-10, Will We Experience Corruption or Eternal Life?
6:6 Let the one who is taught the word share all good things with the one who teaches. 7 Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. 8 For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. 9 And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. 10 So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith. (Galatians 6:6 – 10 ESV)
In the previous lesson, Paul pointed out the importance of bearing one another’s burdens. In this lesson we will look at the importance of sowing the right seed into the right soil.
“The one who is taught the word” is the believer in the church who is sitting under the instruction of a trained teacher. Those students who are benefiting from that teaching should support him or her with food, money, and whatever good things are appropriate. Today in the western church that is primarily seen as paid staff, but in third world countries it would apply to those teachers who are leading home churches as well as making a living at a job. Sharing with these teachers is a way of supplementing their income so they will have more time for study and ministry. As I taught in China, my travel expenses were provided by my support team but in China a Chinese family insisted I live with them which included the morning and evening meals. What a blessing they were to me and provided opportunities most western visitors do not have.
Looking at verses 7 and 8 one sees two outcomes of sowing and is reminded of the parable of the sower (Matthew 13:1 – 9) and the parable of weeds (Matthew 13:24 – 30). In the parable of the sower the same seed in sown into different soils and may relate to the flesh and the Spirit in our text. In the parable of the weeds there are two kinds of seed: wheat and weeds. In our text there appears to be two different kinds of seeds placed in two different soils. There is the seed that produces corruption that is sown in the flesh and there is the seed that produces eternal life that is sown in the Spirit.
God knows the kind of seed is being sown and into what kind of soil and at the judgment seat of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:10) this sowing will be evaluated as believers give an account of their lives to Jesus Christ (Romans 14:10 – 12). We can invest out time in fulfilling the desires of our flesh, embracing the works of the flesh (Galatians 5:19 – 21) leading to corruption or we can invest time in the things of the Spirit, like time with the Lord in the word where we find our salvation and spiritual growth. We may find more pleasure sowing to the flesh because sowing to the Spirit outside the west usually leads to suffering under persecution.
The “growing weary of doing good” has in view the burden of persecution when sowing to the Spirit. When thinking of giving up we must recall 1 Peter 1:3 – 6 ESV: 3b “According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, 5 who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials.” We must keep in mind “that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us” (Romans 8:18 ESV). Let us then keep our focus on the hope we have in Jesus Christ and sow to the Spirit.
As we nurture our own spiritual growth, let us, as we have opportunity, serve others in meeting their needs. This service is to start in the household of faith and extend out to those in the world, constantly searching for lost sheep to bring to salvation.
6.3 Galatians 6:11-16, Paul’s Final Comments
6:11 See with what large letters I am writing to you with my own hand. 12 It is those who want to make a good showing in the flesh who would force you to be circumcised, and only in order that they may not be persecuted for the cross of Christ. 13 For even those who are circumcised do not themselves keep the law, but they desire to have you circumcised that they may boast in your flesh. 14 But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. 15 For neither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation. 16 And as for all who walk by this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God. (Galatians 6:11 – 16 ESV)
With the previous lesson we finished the main body of Paul’s letter to the Galatians. With this lesson we will look at Paul’s final comments.
Paul mentioned an eye condition in Galatians 4:13 – 15, which may eventually have led to a reduced vision, resulting in him signing the letter with large letters. By signing the letter, even though it was hard to do so, Paul was validating the letter as being from him, not possibly another forged letter as was referenced in 2 Thessalonians 2:2.
In verses 12 through 13, Paul summarizes the main theme of the letter which was about circumcision and those who thought it was required for salvation. Those who believed circumcision was necessary had a personal agenda of maintaining tradition and denying the cross. These who were promoting circumcision were not able to keep the law and desired to burden others with the law so they could boast in their accomplishments.
Paul, who had accomplished much for the Lord, would not boast except in the cross of Jesus Christ. The cross is essential to the gospel because there the world has been crucified to us and we to the world. The entire world system in all its glory is in opposition to God and at the cross it has been declared dead or destroyed in its power to attract me. It no longer attracts me because its appeal pales in comparison to what God offers. At the cross I have been crucified and it is no longer I who lives but Christ lives in me (Galatians 2:20). Desire and enslavement to the world has been replaced with a desire for righteousness. Since the cross, I have a new master, who is Jesus Christ the head of the body, the church.
Whether we are circumcised or not counts for nothing because in Jesus Christ we are a new creation in which the old has died and the new has come (2 Corinthians 5:17). We who walk with Jesus Christ as a new creation will experience peace and mercy that the world cannot offer.
“Upon the Israel of God is somewhat confusing and might be in relationship to the Jerusalem referenced in Galatians 4:25 where Hagar corresponds to the present Jerusalem. Galatians 4:26 references a second Jerusalem, the one above that is populated by the offspring of Abraham who was Jesus Christ. Those who believe in Jesus Christ are the true people of God, the believing children of Abraham.
6.4 Galatians 6:17-18, Future Plans
6:17 From now on let no one cause me trouble, for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus.
6:18 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers. Amen. (Galatians 6:17 – 18 ESV)
We ended the previous lesson with two short verses left to cover. That was intentional because I wanted some space to explain future plans, but first we need to finish the letter Paul was writing to the Galatians. 1 and 2 Thessalonians and Galatians were written because of things that were happening that caused suffering for Paul. False teachers followed him around stirring up trouble with false teaching about circumcision and about the day of the Lord. The opposition at times got physical and left marks on his body in the form of scars. These three letters were intended to clear up some of the misunderstanding, but we will see later there is still more problems for Paul to address.
Paul then closes the letter by showing that he has not given up on them and still refers to them as brothers and calls on the Lord Jesus Christ and the Spirit to give them peace.
Future Plans
The question before us is, “Which of Paul’s letters should we do next?” Before answering that question, let us go to the beginning of this adventure, which started on February 22, 2015 when the first lesson for the gospel of John was posted. When nearing the end of that gospel, it was decided to continue to write bible lessons and the decision was made to write lessons over a time harmonization of the four gospels. 766 lessons later the enjoyable adventure with Jesus and the disciples came to an end. It seemed natural to continue the adventure with the disciples into the book of Acts. In Acts they were called apostles and believers were known as disciples. When we arrive at the end of Acts, it will be natural to continue on into Revelation because of the seven letters by John to seven selected churches. This journey will continue into the year 2021 as the main bible series.
When writing the harmonization lessons, it was decided to write lessons for a second series of bible studies related to a verse of the day for the year 2019. At the start of 2020, the verse for the day became miscellaneous bible studies and then on March 15, 2020, the first lesson was posted towards the goal of working through the New Testament, with a lesson from 1 John. That began the series covering 1, 2, and 3 John, 1 and 2 Peter, Jude, and James. That left Paul’s letters and Hebrews to cover.
When writing lessons from Acts a chronology and locations of the writing of Acts and Paul’s letters was discovered at this link. According to that chronology, 1 Thessalonians was Paul’s first letter with 2 Thessalonians, Galatians, 1 and 2 Corinthians, Romans, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, Philemon, 1 Timothy, Titus, and 2 Timothy following in that order. As you can see from the list our next study would be 1 Corinthians.
Questions with Answers
1. What does Paul mean when he says believers should restore someone caught in sin “in a spirit of gentleness” (Galatians 6:1)?
Paul teaches that spiritual restoration should be motivated by humility, compassion, and love rather than pride or condemnation. The goal is not to shame the person who has fallen into sin but to bring them back into fellowship with God and the body of Christ. Gentleness reflects the character of Christ, who dealt patiently with sinners while still calling them to repentance. Paul also warns believers to watch themselves carefully, recognizing that anyone can be tempted. This instruction reminds the church that restoration is part of Christian community life. Believers are called to help one another grow spiritually while remaining humble about their own weaknesses.
2. What does it mean to “bear one another’s burdens” and fulfill the law of Christ (Galatians 6:2)?
Bearing one another’s burdens means helping fellow believers through spiritual struggles, emotional pain, physical needs, temptations, and hardships. Christians are not meant to live in isolation but as members of one body who care deeply for each other. The “law of Christ” refers primarily to the command to love one another as Christ loved His people. Jesus carried the burdens of humanity through His sacrificial death, and believers are called to imitate that sacrificial love. When Christians support one another with compassion, encouragement, prayer, and practical help, they reflect the heart of Christ and strengthen the unity of the church.
3. Why does Paul warn against pride and self-deception in Galatians 6:3–5?
Paul understands that pride damages spiritual growth and relationships within the church. Some believers may think they are spiritually superior and therefore refuse to help others humbly. Paul reminds them that apart from God’s grace, they are nothing. Self-deception occurs when a person measures himself by human standards instead of God’s truth. Paul encourages each believer to examine his own life honestly before God rather than comparing himself with others. While Christians help carry one another’s burdens, each person is still responsible for his own spiritual walk and obedience. This balance promotes humility, accountability, and maturity in the Christian life.
4. What principle is Paul teaching when he says, “whatever one sows, that will he also reap” (Galatians 6:7)?
Paul uses the imagery of farming to explain spiritual consequences. Just as a farmer harvests what he plants, people experience results from the choices they make. Sowing to the flesh means living according to sinful desires, selfishness, and rebellion against God. Such living ultimately produces corruption and spiritual destruction. Sowing to the Spirit means pursuing God’s will, obedience, holiness, and faithfulness. This produces spiritual growth and eternal reward. Paul emphasizes that God cannot be mocked because divine justice governs life. Every action, attitude, and decision has consequences. This principle encourages believers to live intentionally and faithfully, trusting that God honors obedience.
5. Why does Paul encourage believers not to grow weary in doing good (Galatians 6:9)?
Doing good can become difficult because faithful service often requires patience, sacrifice, and perseverance without immediate visible results. Believers may become discouraged when they face opposition, suffering, or lack of appreciation. Paul reminds Christians that spiritual harvest comes “in due season” if they do not give up. God sees every act of obedience, kindness, and faithfulness, even when others do not. The promise of future reward encourages endurance. This verse teaches that the Christian life is a long journey requiring steadfastness. Faithful believers trust God’s timing and continue serving Him even during seasons of difficulty or discouragement.
6. What does Paul mean when he says believers should “do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith” (Galatians 6:10)?
Paul teaches that Christians should demonstrate kindness and generosity toward all people because God’s love extends to the world. However, believers also have a special responsibility to care for fellow Christians. The church is described as a spiritual family, and family members are expected to support one another. This includes meeting practical needs, offering encouragement, praying for each other, and strengthening fellow believers during trials. Caring for the household of faith promotes unity and reflects the love of Christ within the church. At the same time, Christian goodness should overflow beyond the church into the surrounding world as a testimony of God’s grace.
7. Why does Paul strongly reject boasting in circumcision and emphasize the cross of Christ instead (Galatians 6:11–15)?
False teachers in Galatia were pressuring Gentile believers to accept circumcision as necessary for salvation and acceptance before God. Paul strongly opposes this because salvation comes through faith in Christ alone, not through external religious works or rituals. Circumcision represented dependence on the law for righteousness. Paul declares that the only true ground for boasting is the cross of Christ because through the cross Jesus accomplished salvation completely. The cross humbles human pride and reveals that redemption is entirely the work of God’s grace. Paul explains that what truly matters is not outward religious identity but becoming a “new creation” in Christ. Genuine transformation comes through the work of the Holy Spirit, not external ceremonies.
8. What does Paul mean by “new creation” in Galatians 6:15?
The phrase “new creation” describes the spiritual transformation that occurs when a person trusts in Jesus Christ. Salvation is not merely adopting religious practices or improving outward behavior; it is becoming spiritually renewed by God. Through Christ, believers receive new life, new identity, new desires, and a restored relationship with God. Old sinful patterns no longer define them because they belong to Christ. Paul contrasts this inward transformation with external rituals like circumcision, showing that true Christianity is about a changed heart rather than outward religious appearance. The new creation points forward to the ultimate renewal God will bring to all things through Christ.
9. What can believers learn from Paul’s personal example in Galatians 6?
Paul demonstrates deep pastoral care, courage, humility, and devotion to Christ. He writes passionately because he desires believers to remain faithful to the true gospel. Paul refuses to seek popularity or approval from others and instead faithfully proclaims the message of the cross even when it brings persecution. He shows that Christian leadership involves sacrifice, concern for truth, and love for God’s people. Paul also models perseverance through suffering, explaining that he bears “the marks of Jesus,” likely referring to scars from persecution. His life reminds believers that following Christ may involve hardship, but faithfulness to the gospel is worth every cost.
10. What is the central message of Galatians 6 within the larger message of Galatians?
Galatians 6 applies the gospel of grace to everyday Christian living. Throughout Galatians, Paul defends salvation by faith alone apart from works of the law. In chapter 6, he shows what life in the Spirit looks like practically. Believers are called to restore one another gently, bear burdens together, live humbly, persevere in doing good, and reject pride in human achievement. The chapter emphasizes that true Christian living flows from inner transformation through Christ rather than legalistic rule-keeping. The cross remains central because it is the source of salvation, humility, unity, and new life. Galatians 6 concludes the letter by calling believers to walk faithfully in the freedom and grace found in Jesus Christ.
Anchor My Faith 