GALATIANS—NOTE ON GALATIANS 1:1 Opening. Paul offers a greeting (vv. Galatians 1:1). He then addresses the crisis in the Galatian church (vv. Galatians 1:6). ⇐ ⇔ ⇒ var images = document.getElementsByTagName("img"); for (var i=0, len=images.length, img; i [ Continue Reading ]
GALATIANS—NOTE ON GALATIANS 1:2 ALL THE BROTHERS... WITH ME. Those with Paul agree with the gospel he proclaims. The Galatians are wrong to accept a gospel that demands circumcision for salvation. ⇐ ⇔ ⇒ var images = document.getElementsByTagName("img"); for (var i=0, len=images.length, img; i [ Continue Reading ]
GALATIANS—NOTE ON GALATIANS 1:3 GRACE means God’s unmerited favor. PEACE is not just the absence of conflict. It echoes the OT concept of blessing, in which the person and community are well and whole in all aspects of life. Such blessing comes especially in a right relationship with God (e.g., Numb... [ Continue Reading ]
GALATIANS—NOTE ON GALATIANS 1:4 GAVE HIMSELF FOR OUR SINS. Christ’s saving work on the cross is central in this letter. Jesus saves Christians from their sins and sets them free from slavery to this PRESENT EVIL AGE (Galatians 3:22; Galatians 4:1). ⇐ ⇔ ⇒ var imag [ Continue Reading ]
GALATIANS—NOTE ON GALATIANS 1:6 The Galatians are abandoning the true gospel because of the false teachers. SO QUICKLY. It was a short time between Paul’s first preaching to the Galatians and their present confusion. THERE ARE SOME WHO TROUBLE YOU. Visiting preachers have taught them that circumcisi... [ Continue Reading ]
GALATIANS—NOTE ON GALATIANS 1:10 Indirect Appeal: Paul’s Ministry and the Gospel. Paul received the gospel directly from Jesus Christ (see Acts 9:1; Acts 22:3; Acts 26:12). James, Peter, and John approved his ministry (Galatians 2:9). Paul had enough authority as an apostle to correct Peter (Galatia... [ Continue Reading ]
GALATIANS—NOTE ON GALATIANS 1:13 Paul distances himself from his FORMER LIFE IN JUDAISM, but he does not reject his identity as an Israelite (see Romans 11:1). Rather, he has broken with the life of seeking righteousness through the Law of Moses. THE TRADITIONS OF MY FATHERS. In the first century A.... [ Continue Reading ]
GALATIANS—NOTE ON GALATIANS 1:16 THAT I MIGHT PREACH HIM AMONG THE GENTILES. This was Paul’s specific mission. ⇐ ⇔ ⇒ var images = document.getElementsByTagName("img"); for (var i=0, len=images.length, img; i [ Continue Reading ]
GALATIANS—NOTE ON GALATIANS 1:17 The journey to Arabia and back to Damascus occurs between Acts 9:25 and Acts 9:26. On the city of DAMASCUS, see note on Acts 9:3. Roman ARABIA included much of modern Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and southern Syria. ⇐ ⇔ ⇒... [ Continue Reading ]
GALATIANS—NOTE ON GALATIANS 1:18 AFTER THREE YEARS. If Paul was converted in A.D. 33 (an approximate date), then this visit occurred around A.D. 36. It is probably the visit to Jerusalem described in Acts 9:26. CEPHAS. Peter. ⇐ ⇔ ⇒ var images = document.getElementsByTagName("img"); for (var i=0, le... [ Continue Reading ]
GALATIANS—NOTE ON GALATIANS 1:19 NONE OF THE OTHER APOSTLES EXCEPT JAMES. This implies that James was among “the apostles,” though he was not one of the original 12 (see note on 1 Cor. 9:4–5). ⇐ ⇔ ⇒ var images = document.getElementsByTagName("img"); for (var i=0, len=images.length, img; i [ Continue Reading ]