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Commentary on "Paul's Pastoral Appeal"
Day 2: Sunday, November 20, 2011 - The Heart of Paul
Paul is encouraging the people in the churches in Galatia to become as he is, what is he that they aren't?
Well since Paul has put a massive emphasis on the fact that a large number of the Galatians were falling under the spell of the Judaizers I'd argue that they were either tempted to or had returned to doing things of the Law to complete their salvation.
Paul was not doing such, in fact he was teaching against that, Christ had after all died under the Law to redeem us from the Law.
Paul is resting in God's grace, as are many from the churches in Galatia but there are a awful lot that are not they are “returning to the law to complete things in the flesh”.
Paul is giving this impressive theological masterpiece to the Galatians, because he wants to see them truly believe into Christ fully. If one doesn't truly believe into Christ for Salvation then they will keep retuning to the Law thinking that they must offer up some kind of “Works” to help with their salvation. Whereas the only thing you have to bring to Salvation is the Sin you need to be saved from and a heart that is ready for transplant.
People were returning to the Law because it gave them a comfort that trusting solely upon Christ did not, which to me is amazing. To them however the Law gave them a checklist if you will of things that they could do in order to show that they were remaining in fellowship with God. They were doing works to stay separate from the other nations and remain in God's favor. Paul is saying in Galatians that Christ, the God-Man, Fulfilled the Law, and in order to be saved all we need to do is go to the cross, place our Sins upon Christ and be clothed in His righteousness. Then God sees us as if we are His Son, but returning to the Law after being saved by Grace is in effect placing Jesus back up on the cross.
Law and Grace are like oil and water they cannot be mixed, Paul is as a Christian solely relying on Grace, and is strongly urging the Galatians to do so also. Talk about a huge transformation! And yet multitudes of Jews embraced Christianity, gave up over many thousands of years of sacrifices, not to mention the Law to rest in the Grace of Christ, and trust in that alone.
Copyright 2011 BibleStudiesForAdventists.com. All rights reserved. Revised November 19, 2011. This website is published by Life Assurance Ministries, Glendale, Arizona, USA, the publisher of Proclamation! Magazine. Contact email: BibleStudiesForAdventists@gmail.com.
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