GALATIANS LESSON 2


     In the last lesson, we learned that Paul was writing a letter to
the churches in Galatia to instruct them in the dangers of going back
into the teaching of the law. We will now pick up this lesson in
Galatians 1:9 "As we said before, so say I now again, If any [man]
preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him
be accursed."

     This is so important that Paul has mentioned it the second time.
This should be a lesson to all of us, about how important it is to not
look for another doctrine after we have been saved. If the message we
receive is good enough to save us, it is, also, good enough to keep
us. In our time frame, there are many false doctrines being proclaimed
as the truth. We must examine the things that we hear and make sure
they line up with the Word of God. False doctrine is usually pretty
close to the truth. There will be just minor variations here and
there. It will sound very near the truth. We are told to try the
spirits and see whether they are of God or not. I John 4:1 "Beloved,
believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God:
because many false prophets are gone out into the world." Look, with
me, at how you can tell if they be of God or not. I John 4:2 "Hereby
know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus
Christ is come in the flesh is of God:"  I John 4:3 "And every spirit
that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of
God: and this is that [spirit] of antichrist, whereof ye have heard
that it should come; and even now already is it in the world."

     Galatians 1:10 "For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek
to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant
of Christ."

     I Thessalonians 2:4 "But as we were allowed of God to be put in
trust with the gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God,
which trieth our hearts."  You see that Paul is fully aware of the
obligation to speak exactly what God has given him to say. Choose now
whom you will serve, God or man. We must make the same decision that
Paul faced. Paul had been a Pharisee, he knew exactly what they
taught. He, also, knew that the teaching of Judaism was another
doctrine. Grace and law were not the same. The natural thing for Paul
to do would have been to side in with these Jews, of whom he had been
one, but he found out better when he met Jesus on the road to
Damascus. Paul knew better than anyone else, the bondage that the law
brought.  He, also, had experienced first-hand the freedom of grace
through Jesus Christ. Man is a free agent. We may choose God, or man.
It is our choice. The way of the law is very similar to what we see in
many countries today. The law burdens people down with a heavy load to
bear. Grace lifts that load.

     Galatians 1:11 "But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel
which was preached of me is not after man."

     Paul had been taught the law in the school of Gamaliel in
Jerusalem, but God the Holy Spirit had taught Paul the lesson in
grace.  His teaching of man had made him a Pharisee, not a Christian.
The gospel that Paul had brought these Galatians was not what he had
learned as a Pharisee, but was a direct revelation of Christ to Paul
through the Holy Spirit. Paul's learning of the gospel of Christ,
then, was not of man, or by man, but of God. Jesus Christ is the
Truth.  This is what Paul taught. Jesus Christ and Him crucified.

     Galatians 1:12 "For I neither received it of man, neither was I
taught [it], but by the revelation of Jesus Christ."

     Actually, Paul was 3 years in the desert, and the Holy Spirit of
God taught him during that time. Paul's first encounter with the Lord
on the road to Damascus was a revealing in itself. When the Light of
Jesus shines upon you, you are never the same as you were before.
Immediately, Paul was transformed from a doubter to a believer in the
Lord Jesus Christ. Before, he believed that a trouble maker called
Jesus existed. Now his eyes have been opened, and he realizes that
this Jesus, whom he persecuted, was, in fact, God manifest in the
flesh.  He even immediately called Him Lord. His eyes of understanding
were opened at this time, and he was prepared to receive the real
truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Paul had been taught of man, but
it was the Jewish traditions that he had been taught, not the gospel
of Christ. The Truth was revealed to him by the Holy Spirit.

     Galatians 1:13 "For ye have heard of my conversation in time past
in the Jews' religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the church
of God, and wasted it:"

     Paul is speaking of the law that had been given to the Jews. Paul
was educated by Gamaliel in this law, that they called the law of
Moses. Paul believed that he was doing God's will, when he persecuted
the Christians. He was very anxious to be rid of these Christians and
their gospel. Paul was a Pharisee of the Pharisees, as we said before.
As we have said before, Paul was on a journey to persecute Christians,
when he first met Jesus. It is easier for Paul to witness to someone
that is in the same position he had been in.

     Galatians 1:14 "And profited in the Jews' religion above many my
equals in mine own nation, being more exceedingly zealous of the
traditions of my fathers."

     Let's look at a few of the Scriptures pertaining to the very
thing Paul is saying here. Acts 22:3 "I am verily a man [which am] a
Jew, born in Tarsus, [a city] in Cilicia, yet brought up in this city
at the feet of Gamaliel, [and] taught according to the perfect manner
of the law of the fathers, and was zealous toward God, as ye all are
this day." Acts 26:5 "Which knew me from the beginning, if they would
testify, that after the most straitest sect of our religion I lived a
Pharisee." Acts 26:9 "I verily thought with myself, that I ought to do
many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth."  We see from
this and the next 2 verses, that Paul had been a Jew, just like them.
In fact, he had been a very strict Jew, a Pharisee. Philippians 3:5
"Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, [of] the tribe of
Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee;"
Philippians 3:6 "Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the
righteousness which is in the law, blameless."

     Galatians 1:15 "But when it pleased God, who separated me from my
mother's womb, and called [me] by his grace,"

     God's foreknowledge was that Paul would be an apostle. God called
Paul even in his mother's womb. We are all saved by grace, but Paul's
calling was of grace. God knew the heart of Paul. He knew that Paul
wanted to do the will of God. Paul just did not know the will of God
for his life, until he was blinded by the Light of Jesus on the road
to Damascus. Paul's call was of God, and not man. Paul owed no
explanation to the others. It pleased God to make Paul an apostle.

     Galatians 1:16 "To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him
among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood:"

     Paul did not run and get advice from his friends to make sure God
had called him. This is good advice for us, as well. We must not
question our call. We must do exactly what God has called us to do
without conferring with our friends first. God called you, not your
friends. It would be nice if they approved of your call, but that is
highly unlikely. Notice, what happened to Paul. Jesus was revealed
inside of Paul when the Light of God shined inside his understanding.
This Light of Jesus, does away with all darkness and deception.
Notice, this was for a purpose. Paul was to bring the message God had
revealed to him, so that he would bring it to the Gentiles. God does
not idly call us to a job. Each job God gives, is for a purpose. We do
not question God by getting confirmations from people.

     Galatians 1:17 "Neither went I up to Jerusalem to them which were
apostles before me; but I went into Arabia, and returned again unto
Damascus."

     Not even the other apostles were to teach Paul. He was to be
taught of the Spirit of God. Paul was in the desert of Arabia 3 years
in training by the Holy Spirit. We will see this in the next verse.

     Galatians 1:18 "Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to
see Peter, and abode with him fifteen days."

     Peter was the head of the Christian movement at this time. Paul
was showing, that not even Peter taught him what to say. It was the
Holy Spirit. When Paul was ready to minister the gospel, it was
understandable that he would go tell Peter. Jesus had given the keys
to Peter, as we read in the following verses. Matthew 16:18 "And I say
also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build
my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it."
Matthew 16:19 "And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of
heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in
heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in
heaven."  We can easily see why Paul would have gone to inform Peter
of his intentions to minister.
     Galatians 1:19 "But other of the apostles saw I none, save James
the Lord's brother."

     James was Mary's son, and would be the half-brother of Jesus.
James was the leader of the church in Jerusalem. We remember that
James and Jesus' other brothers and sisters did not believe Jesus to
be the Christ, until He arose from the dead. Paul is going into detail
about who he had been with, so that all would know that he was not
taught of the other disciples.

     Galatians 1:20 "Now the things which I write unto you, behold,
before God, I lie not."

     We see an almost identical Scripture in Romans 9:1 "I say the
truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in
the Holy Ghost,"

     Galatians 1:21 "Afterwards I came into the regions of Syria and
Cilicia;"

     Most of Paul's ministry was done as a missionary. He did minister
in Jerusalem, but his primary ministry was in the out-lying area.
Paul established many churches on these journeys.

     Galatians 1:22 "And was unknown by face unto the churches of
Judaea which were in Christ:"

     Paul did not go to churches that had already been established by
someone else. Paul was an evangelist. His ministry was in starting new
churches in areas where there was no Christian activity. He was one of
the very first missionaries. Jesus had started many churches in
Judaea, Himself. They were well cared for. They were not Paul's
calling.

     Galatians 1:23 "But they had heard only, That he which persecuted
us in times past now preacheth the faith which once he destroyed."

     The word had gotten to these churches in Judaea that Paul, who
had persecuted them in the past, had been saved and was preaching the
gospel to the lost. Some had a difficult time believing that Paul had
changed. Perhaps, this is one reason that Paul went to places that
were not yet committed to Christianity.

     Galatians 1:24 "And they glorified God in me."

     This had been such a drastic change in Paul, that they knew it
had to be God who did it. Paul was not glorified by these people, but
God.  To think that God would save someone who had been so terribly
opposed to Him, was almost unbelievable.





                        Galatians 2 Questions

1.  What danger was Paul writing these Galatians about?
2.  Quote Galatians chapter 1 verse 9.
3.  Why did Paul mention this warning the second time?
4.  Why do so many people accept a false doctrine for the truth?
5.  Quote 1 John chapter 4 verse 1.
6.  How can you tell if a spirit is of God, or not?
7.  Do I now persuade _____, or ____?
8.  Galatians chapter 1 verse 10 and what other Scripture are saying
    the same thing?
9.  What is the decision that Paul made that we have to make also?
10. The law burdens people down, but ______ lifts that load.
11. Paul's teaching by man had caused him to be a __________.
12. Who taught Paul the message of grace?
13. What was the message Paul brought?
14. How long was Paul in the desert being taught?
15. When was the first moment Paul was changed?
16. Paul was changed from a _________ to a __________.
17. In verse 13, Paul speaks of the law as what?
18. Who had Paul been educated by?
19. Where do we find the Scriptures that tell us exactly what Paul had
    been?
20. What things did he say that showed beyond a shadow of doubt that
    he had been a Pharisee?
21. Describe Paul's calling?
22. Who had Paul conferred with to make sure of his calling?
23. Who was Paul called to bring the good news to?
24. Exactly where had Paul first gone after his conversion?
25. Who was the first apostle Paul went to after his 3 year stay in
    the desert?
26. How long did Paul stay with him?
27. Why had Paul gone to him?
28. What half-brother of Jesus is mentioned as being the second Paul
    saw?
29. What does Galatians chapter 1 verse 20 and Romans chapter 9 verse
    1 have in common?
30. Why did Paul not go to Judaea to preach?
31. Verse 24 says, they glorified whom?