Summary of Galatians

The Message of Galatians

1. The message of Galatians is that justification (2:15-16) is through faith in Christ apart from works of the law. This comes across via Paul’s warnings against deserting the gospel; and explanations about the gospel’s origins, the purpose of the law, and the work of the Spirit. Paul begins abruptly with shock at how the gospel was being quickly deserted (1:6), and anathemas against those who preached a different gospel (1:8-9), be they man or angel. He goes on to explain the gospel’s divine origins (1:11), and its endorsement by the Apostles (2:7-9). He however implies that apostolic endorsement wasn’t necessary (1:16-17; 2:6). Perhaps to reinforce this point, he tells of how he opposed Cephas “to his face” because he was “not in step with the truth of the gospel” (2:11-14). He thus elevates the gospel above every human or even angelic authority.

2. The law was put in place to lead God’s children to faith, as a “prison” and “guardian”. A “prison” because the law revealed the sins of God’s people, thus condemning them and holding them in captivity (3:21-23). A “guardian”, because it was in place only until Christ came to justify and redeem His children (3:24, 4:2, 5). They were justified by faith and received the Spirit (3:2-3) by faith. Thus, the Galatians were to make progress in holiness not by works of the law, signified by circumcision (5:2-7, 11-15), but by standing firm in the freedom that is in Christ (5:1), “walking by the Spirit” (5:16), being “led by the Spirit” (5:18), and thus bearing the “fruit of the Spirit” (5:22).

Possible Application

3. Sanctification - Against legalism where our standing before God is judged by our performance in Christian matters, Galatians teaches that we are saved by grace, apart from the works of the law (2:15-16). Against antinomianism where the tendency is to see faith in Christ as a ‘ticket to heaven’ with no bearing on our behaviour and character, Galatians teaches us that the one who truly has faith in Christ, must have received the Spirit of righteousness (3:2-3) and live “in step with the truth of the gospel” (2:14). Thus, in my walk with God, I must be constantly repenting of my sinfulness and of my (self) righteousness i.e. any good work done apart from God’s grace. And I should be seeking to live out the implications of the gospel in my life, empowered by the Spirit. Perhaps for the church, instead of self-help therapeutic programmes, we should be teaching and leading people into a clearer understanding of the truth of the gospel and its implications on life. The gospel if truly believed should see its expression in holy living.

4. Standing for the truth - In some quarters, people are all too ready to pick a fight at the most obscure issues e.g. KJV-Onlyism, while in other quarters, fighting is anathema with peace and the preservation of so-called ‘Christian’ unity kept as the ultimate goal e.g. even to the extent of accommodating those who preach a ‘Prosperity Gospel’. Paul demonstrated in Galatians that he was prepared to fight. He called down curses on those preaching a different gospel (1:6-9), and even went as far as to oppose an Apostle (2:11-14). That he was prepared to fight, should be a lesson to the second camp, that there are indeed matters of faith worth fighting for, and that there are indeed hills that we must die on. Else we risk betraying our God, and the next generation. What he fought over should be a lesson to the first camp. Paul fought over the distortion of the gospel, and the failure to live out the implications of the gospel, not over some obscure and dumb matter that does not have a bearing on salvation. Galatians teaches that we must be prepared to fight, but that it must be over gospel matters, nothing more and nothing less.