Dr Paul Allen

Galatians 1:6–7 “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” (v. 6). Christianity has long recognized that even the unlearned can understand the basic gospel found in Scripture. Still, it is sometimes hard to interpret certain portions of the Bible because it was written so long ago in a culture foreign to many of us. But knowing the circumstances that prompted the writing of a particular biblical book lessens the difficulty we may have in understanding it. An awareness of Scripture’s historical context is indispensable for its proper interpretation. It is relatively easy to determine why Galatians was originally written.  Galatians 1:6-7 informs us that the churches in Galatia were turning to a “different gospel” in the absence of Paul, and they needed correction (Gal. 1:6). They were abandoning the “grace of Christ,” which indicates a move to embrace something other than the gift of Jesus...

In the opening verses of his letter to the churches of Galatia , the apostle Paul employs this communication technique to underscore the seriousness of the subject at hand. As he does in all of his letters, Paul begins by identifying himself as the author (1:1), naming the intended recipients (1:2) and expressing a blessing on them (1:3–5). to underscore the seriousness of the subject at hand. As he does in all of his letters, Paul begins by identifying himself as the author, naming the intended recipients, and pronouncing a blessing on them (1:1–5). It is what comes next that is so uncharacteristic for him. Immediately after his introductory comments and before launching into the body of the letter Paul writes … nothing. He offers no expression of gratitude to God for them or words of encouragement about their spiritual vitality. When compared to his other warm greetings (for example, Rom. 1:8; 1 Cor. 1:1–5; Eph. 1:15–23; Phil. 1:3–11), what Paul does not say to the Galatians s...

Galatians 1:1–5 “Paul, an apostle—not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father , who raised him from the dead.… To the churches of Galatia ” (vv. 1–2). Only the Lord knows why He chose Saul of Tarsus to be His chief apostle to the Gentiles, especially as he was in the midst of persecuting Christians. Nevertheless, in choosing to transform Saul of Tarsus into Paul the apostle, God clearly picked a man whose background would benefit him as he worked to proclaim Christ to the nations.  We know, for example, that Paul was born in Tarsus, a city known for its learning, and studied in Jerusalem under Rabbi Gamaliel (Acts 22:3), one of the most significant Jewish teachers of the first century. Doubtless this education provided him with much of the in-depth knowledge of the Old Testament that he demonstrates in his letters as well as training in the interpretation of Scripture. It also helped him develop his Greek, which would come in handy when it came...

Yes. Paul is angry. Some false teacher has pressured the churches in Galatia (a region in the Roman Empire) to follow the Jewish Law. They're teaching that salvation comes through the Law of Moses, and not through Christ---the exact opposite of what Paul had taught them. So Paul writes a letter to bring them back to the truth. This letter isn't about Paul's ego or preferences: it's about understanding why Jesus had to die and how it affects us. The Jews had been living under the Law since the days of Moses. The Law was a set of expectations for God's people: commands that, when followed, would distinguish Israel from all other nations as a people that belonged to God. However, Israel couldn't keep the Law. Nobody could: everyone was a sinner. So God sent Jesus. Jesus lived the Law, died for our sins, and rose again---He fulfilled the Law so we don't have to. The Galatians' new teacher completely disregards and disrespects God's grace, Christ...

Whenever you see spirit and flesh set side by side in a passage (“the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak” or “the spirit wars against the flesh,” as Paul says here), we’re talking about, not the warfare between the physical body of man and his internal, mental, or spiritual inclinations, but rather the conflict that every Christian experiences between his old nature—his fallen nature, which is corrupt and is filled with desires that are not pleasing to God— and the new nature within him that has been brought to pass by the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit.  Now, life becomes complicated once we are renewed by the Holy Spirit (when we become a Christian); now we have two principles at war within ourselves: the old inclinations and the new inclinations.  The old inclination is against God, and the new inclination is to obey God and to do that which is pleasing to him. In this Galatians passage, Paul discusses the ongoing battle that all Christians experien...

English: Icon of Jesus Christ (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) Remember when Paul called out Peter in front of everyone? When the apostles— a very small group of very like-minded men who alone mediate the very words of Christ — don’t always get along, it could easily discourage the rest of us, right? Paul said, “I opposed him to his face” ( Galatians 2:11). So what was he so worked up about? Peter had stopped eating with Gentile believers to preserve his image among the Jews , and many had followed his example (2:12–13). But is that really that big of a deal? It may seem like Paul blew an empty seat in a lunchroom way out of proportion, but he didn’t. Paul saw that Peter’s decision denied the world-changing, death-defeating, unifying work of Christ. Through the gospel, God was doing something uniquely beautiful and glorious by not only reconciling people to himself, but also bringing them together in love across every imaginable barrier and boundary. Why Did God Make Us So Differe...

Paul the Apostle, Russian icon from first quarter of 18th cen. (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) “Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ . . . . For every man shall bear his own burden.” ( Galatians 6:2 , 5)   This is one of the most commonly cited Bible “contradictions.” The apostle Paul commanding us, almost in the same breath, to bear other people’s burdens and yet to bear our own burdens. There is, however, no real contradiction, and both commands are equally valid and important.   The problem is partly one of translation. There are two Greek words used ere,  baros  and  phortion , respectively. The first means “heavy load,” the second, “responsibility.”   When a Christian friend has been stricken with a great burden—whether sickness, financial need, death of a loved one, or even a grievous sin in his life which he has been unable to overcome by his own strength (see verse 1)—he needs desperately the love and support o...

Image via Wikipedia Galatians 5:19–21 is not an exhaustive listing of the works of the flesh , and verses 22–23 are likewise selective. Passages like 2 Peter 1:5–7 give spiritual fruits not found in Galatians; thus, we need to study all of Scripture in order to get a full record of the traits that define those who live by the Spirit. Those who have crucified the flesh (the remnant of opposition to God within) walk in the Spirit and bear His fruit. In fact, all who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh, Paul reminds us (Gal. 5:24), but the Greek verb here tells us this crucifixion is both a past event and a lifelong effort. James Montgomery Boice ’s comments on Galatians in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary illustrate how this can be the case (vol. 10, pp. 499–500). True, Jesus defeated evil at Calvary, ending sin and death’s dominion. Yet just as a man nailed to a tree can live for days, gasping for breath despite being as good as dead, so too can our lingering sin rear...

Image via Wikipedia If, as Paul writes, Christian freedom is not licentiousness or legalism ( Gal. 5:16–21), what does it mean to “walk by the Spirit”? The answer, the apostle demonstrates, is seen in our manifestation of the Spirit’s fruit (vv. 22–24). Let us begin with two observations about Paul’s use of the fruit metaphor itself. First, there is a degree of inevitability with the word fruit—well-nourished apple trees inevitably produce apples. Likewise, believers, as those who abide in Christ through the Holy Spirit , cannot help but yield lives in which the Spirit’s fruit predominate, not evil works (John 15:1–11; Gal. 5:19–21). In so doing, they fulfill the vocation given to Israel (Isa. 5:1–4). Second, the Greek word karpos or “fruit” in Galatians 5:22 is singular. Paul lists many different virtues in verses 22–23, but there is a unity to them. The “fruits” of the Spirit are one; thus, none of them is optional. John Calvin comments that only those who bear all of the frui...