Category Archives: Galatians
Man-Pleaser or a Slave of Christ?
Sometimes you can’t be both of something, and Paul makes that reality unmistakably clear with this statement: “If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ” (Gal 1:10c). These words present a real dichotomy: … Continue reading
Filed under Discipleship, Galatians
Preaching to Please God or Man?
Not all preaching pleases God. Some preachers will incur God’s end-time wrath because of what they preach (Galatians 1:8-9), for God is dishonored when the gospel is distorted. When Paul wrote Galatians, he found himself falsely accused of preaching a … Continue reading
Filed under False Gospel, Galatians, Gospel, Preaching
Not Paul, Nor An Angel from Heaven…
No one has the authority to change the message of the gospel. To assume such liberty is to incur God’s fearsome judgment. Paul said, “But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary … Continue reading
Filed under False Gospel, Galatians, Gospel
No Other Gospel of Christ
When Paul expressed astonishment that the Galatians were turning to a different gospel (Gal 1:6), he didn’t want them to wrongly conclude that he was actually acknowledging other gospels as legitimate. This concern led him to quickly add, “not that … Continue reading
Filed under False Gospel, Galatians, Gospel
Other Gospels Lead Away from God
Paul told the Galatians, “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” (Gal 1:6). Two observations about this verse: (1) The phrase “him … Continue reading
Filed under False Gospel, Galatians, Gospel
Hiding in Christ vs. Feeling Strong in Ourselves
“It is better to feel desperate and weak like a child and to hide ourselves in Christ’s righteousness than it is to feel strong and confident in ourselves.” –Thomas Schreiner (Galatians, Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament, p. 80)
Filed under Galatians, Quotes, Thomas Schreiner
My Sermon, “Glory to God for the Gospel of Grace”
On January 2, 2011, I had the privilege of preaching at Northside Baptist Church in Elizabethtown. My message was “Glory to God for the Gospel of Grace” from Galatians 1:1-5. You can listen to it here.
Filed under Galatians, Gospel, My Sermons
The Exalted Status of Jesus in Galatians 1:1-5
The opening of Paul’s first letter, Galatians, has a high view of Jesus. I see five christological points to make: (1) Jesus is more than a mere man. Paul contrasts his apostleship as being “not from men nor through man” … Continue reading
Filed under Christology, Early Church, Galatians
The Earliest New Testament Interpretation of the Cross
I have been persuaded for some time that Galatians was Paul’s earliest letter, written approximately AD 49-50. This is significant because, according to some conservative scholars, Galatians 1:1-5 contains the earliest written interpretation of the death of Jesus in the … Continue reading
Unique Aspects of Galatians 1:1-5
Paul wrote thirteen letters of the New Testament, and they follow a typical pattern of letter-writing: introduction, body, and conclusion. The introduction in first-century letter-writing was fourfold: (1) Author/Sender(s) (2) Recipient(s) (3) Grace-Wish (4) Thanksgiving You can find interpretive insights … Continue reading
Filed under Galatians
