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Structure
Interesting Questions, Facts and Information
- There are a total of 30 general entries.
Special Topics
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 Interesting Questions, Facts, and Information
 Galatians
No. Paul wrote this letter to Iconium, Lystra, and Derbe, all churches in Galatia.
| What does Paul say should happen to anyone, even an angel, who preaches any gospel other than the truth in Jesus Christ? | Paul's Letter to the Galatians
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God's curse should fall upon that person. "I will say it again; If anyone preaches any other gospel than the one you welcomed, let God's curse fall upon that person" (1:9). Apparently the churches in Galatia had fallen prey to false teachers, and Paul was writing to correct the believers.
Gentiles. "For it pleased God in his kindness to choose me and call me, even before I was born! What undeserved mercy! Then he revealed his Son to me so that I could proclaim the Good News about Jesus to the Gentiles." 1:15-16
the law. "For when I tried to keep the law, I realized I could never earn God's approval. So I died to the law so that I might live for God. I have been crucified with Christ, I myself no longer live, but Christ lives in me." (2:19-20). Paul was not saying that we should ignore laws because in Romans 7:12 he wrote "the law itself is holy and right and good." Rather, he is saying that the law cannot justify, only God can.
Sarah and Hagar. "Hagar, the slave-wife [of Abraham], represents Mount Sinai where people first became enslaved to the law. And now Jerusalem is just like Mount Sinai in Arabia, because she and her children live in slavery. But Sarah, the free woman, represents the heavenly Jerusalem. And she is our mother." 4:24-26. Earlier in Chapter 4, Paul wrote "The son of the slave-wife was born in a human attempt to bring about the fulfillment of God's promise. But the son of the freeborn wife was born as God's own fulfillment of his promise." 4:23
| "Listen! I, Paul, tell you this: If you are counting on ___ to make you right with God, then Christ cannot help you." What was it the Gentile Christians were relying on to make them right with God, according to this verse? | Paul's Letter to the Galatians
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circumcision. In 5:2, Paul is talking about circumcision. There was a big controversy during this time as to whether Gentile Christians needed to follow the Jewish tradition. According to Paul's letter, it seemed to have become a major stumbling block to those Gentiles in Galatia.
Love your neighbor as yourself.. "For you, dear friends, have been called to live in freedom--not freedom to satisfy your sinful nature, but freedom to serve one another in love. For the whole law can be summed up in this one command: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'" 5:13-14
| What was happening among the churches of Galatia that prompted Paul to write the letter? | The Gist of Galatians
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They were circumcizing Gentile converts.. A group had arisen in the early church, insisting that the Gospel was for followers of the Jewish law, and that therefore non-Jews must follow Jewish law to become followers of Christ. The major controversy centered around whether or not the gentile converts had to be circumcised like the Jews, as a sign of entering into the covenant of God and Abraham. In Galatians 2:12, Paul writes, "For before certain men came from James, [Peter] ate with the Gentiles; but when they came he drew back and separated himself, fearing the circumcision party."
That justification comes through faith, not through following the law. Paul asserts this truth many times. Gal. 2:15-16: "We ourselves, who are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners, yet who know that a man is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, in order to be justified by faith in Christ Jesus, and not by works of the law, because by works of the law shall no one be justified." Gal. 3:11-12: "Now it is evident that no man is justified before God by the law; for 'He who through faith is righteous shall live'; but the law does not rest on faith, for 'He who does them shall live by them.'" Gal. 3:23: "Now before faith came, we were confined under the law, kept under restraint until faith should be revealed." Gal. 5:18: "But if you are led by the Spirit you are not under the law."
| Paul makes many references to an Old Testament patriarch and the promises God made to him. Which patriarch is this? | The Gist of Galatians
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Abraham. The Jewish converts placed great stock in being "sons of Abraham," and therefore inheritors of God's promise to Abraham of blessings through him to his posterity. Circumcision was Abraham's signature on the deal, if you will. So one group was having Gentile converts circumcised as a show of being "sons of Abraham". Paul pointed out the errors in this line of thought : Gal. 3:6: "Thus Abraham 'believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness.' So you see that it is men of faith who are the sons of Abraham."
All of these. (Slavery and freedom, Being a slave and being a son, The flesh and the spirit). Gal. 3:3: "Are you so foolish? Having begun with the Spirit, are you now ending with the flesh?" Gal. 4:7: "So through God you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son then an heir." Gal. 5:1: For freedom Christ has set us free; stand fast therefore, and do not submit again to the yoke of slavery."
Guardianship. Paul compares the Jewish life under the law with an underage child living under a gardian or custodian in Galatians 4:1-7. He sets up this explanation in Gal. 3:23-24: "Now before faith came, we were confined under the law, kept under restraint until faith should be revealed. So that the law was our custodian until Christ came, that we might be justified by faith."
| Paul also uses the children of two Old Testament women to illustrate his point. Which women? | The Gist of Galatians
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Hagar and Sarah. God had promised Abraham a son. Sarah was old and thought herself barren, so she came up with the idea of Abraham fathering a son with Hagar, the slave woman. But Sarah did conceive a child, as God promised. Paul compares these two sons as the one born to the flesh and the one born of God's promise, in Galatians 4:21-31.
All of these (Jew and Greek, Slave and free, Male and female). Gal. 3:28: "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus."
Any of these. Gal. 5:26: "Let us have no self-conceit, no provoking of one another, no envy of another."
| In the final chapter of Galatians, Paul instructs the readers on how to address a man who "is overtaken in any trespass". How are believers to deal with such a man? | The Gist of Galatians
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In a spirit of gentleness. Gal. 6:1: "Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Look to yourself, lest you be too tempted."
| In his closing admonition, what motives does Paul ascribe to the party he took up his pen to address? | The Gist of Galatians
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Both. Gal. 6:12-13: "It is those who want to make a good showing in the flesh that would compel you to be circumcised, and only in order that they may not be persecuted for the cross of Christ. For even those who receive circumcision do not themselves keep the law, but they desire to have you circumcised that they may glory in your flesh." In other words, that they can point to the new "sons of Abraham" with the circumcision of evidence.
| In his introduction, Paul records that he is writing "to the churches in Galatia" (Galatians 1 v. 2). Galatia was located in modern day Turkey, and its name has the same roots as Gaul, Galicia in Spain, and Donegal in Ireland. This is down to which "strange but true" explanation? | Quizzing the New Testament : Galatians
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They were all settled by Celtic tribes.. Unlikely as it may seem, the area of Galatia was indeed settled by Celtic tribes and was a kingdom in its own right until annexed by the Romans in 25 BC. The Romans expanded its borders to form their province of Galatia and therein lies controversy for biblical scholars.
When Paul wrote to the churches in Galatia, was he writing to churches that he had previously visited, such as Antioch, Lystra and Derbe, which were part of the Roman province but not traditional Celtic territory? Alternatively, he could have been writing to churches further north, that were Celtic, but which we have no record of him ever having visited. In chapter 3, he addresses his readers as "You foolish Galatians!". Proponents of the second theory hold that Paul must be referring to the Celtic area because he is using the proper tribal name whilst their opponents suggest that Paul is being ironic and likening the churches, in their error, to their "barbarian" neighbours. Make up your own mind!
Donegal means "fort of the Gauls".
| As far as Paul was concerned, the Galatians had accepted the true gospel when he preached to them. They were now rejecting this gospel for a false one. How does he describe their situation? | Quizzing the New Testament : Galatians
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They are becoming enslaved again.. "Formerly, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those who by nature are not gods. But now that you know God — or rather are known by God — how is it that you are turning back to those weak and miserable principles? Do you wish to be enslaved by them all over again? You are observing special days and months and seasons and years! I fear for you, that somehow I have wasted my efforts on you." (Galatians 4 v. 8-11)
The key question was whether Christians were still required to maintain Jewish practice, and the key issue within that was circumcision. The particular significance of circumcision lay in its supposed origins as a sign of the covenant that God had entered into with Abraham and his descendants in perpetuity:
"As for you, you must keep my covenant, you and your descendants after you for the generations to come. This is my covenant with you and your descendants after you, the covenant you are to keep: Every male among you shall be circumcised" (Genesis 17 v. 9-10).
Paul's position was that Christians now lived under the direct control of God through the Holy Spirit. He, therefore, saw the Law as advisory rather than rigidly binding.
| Paul's detractors were claiming that he was dispensing with Jewish practices, such as circumcision, that should be carried over into Christianity. Paul is at great pains to stress his Jewish background and meetings with the leaders of the "mother" church in Jerusalem. These leaders, he says, had endorsed his methods among the Gentiles, with which proviso? | Quizzing the New Testament : Galatians
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That he should remember the poor. According to Paul, he was top of his class and extremely zealous in his study of Judaism. He was also a persecutor of Christians until his conversion. Immediately after this experience, he went to Arabia before returning to Damascus and, three years later, met with Peter and James, leaders of the Jerusalem church, for the first time. Fourteen years later, he returned to Jerusalem for more detailed talks with the church leaders. He says that they gave him "the right hand of fellowship" and agreed their respective ministries:
"They agreed that we should go to the Gentiles, and they to the Jews. All they asked was that we should continue to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do" (Galatians 2 v. 9-10).
| A key distinction in the letter is between those who live under the Jewish Law and those who live by the Holy Spirit. What does Paul say the Holy Spirit calls out within his readers? | Quizzing the New Testament : Galatians
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Abba, Father. "Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, 'Abba, Father.' So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir." (Galatians 4 v. 6-7)
The word "Abba" is the one that a child would use of its father and is therefore a sign of intimacy. Paul contrasts this relationship with that of a slave and master. He says something similar when writing to the Christians in Rome:
"For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, 'Abba, Father.' The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children" (Romans 8 v. 15-16).
| "He ___________, and it was credited to him as righteousness."
Paul believed that Gentile Christians did not need to obey the Jewish law and he argues this position with reference to Abraham, who was seen as the "father" of the Israelite people. What does Paul say Abraham did by which he was made right with God? | Quizzing the New Testament : Galatians
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He believed God. "Consider Abraham: 'He believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.' Understand, then, that those who believe are children of Abraham. The Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: 'All nations will be blessed through you.' So those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith." (Galatians 3 v. 6-9)
The reference is to Genesis 15 v. 6. Abraham was circumcised (in chapter 17) but Paul's logic is that the sequence of events means that Abraham's being "credited with righteousness" was not dependent upon his circumcision.
Paul, again, advances exactly the same argument in Romans:
"If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about — but not before God. What does the Scripture say? 'Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness'" (Romans 4 v. 2-3).
| Paul goes on to add that Abraham's story predicts the inclusion of the Gentiles among God's people. Which words does Paul quote by way of illustration? | Quizzing the New Testament : Galatians
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All nations will be blessed through you.. "Consider Abraham: 'He believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.' Understand, then, that those who believe are children of Abraham. The Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: 'All nations will be blessed through you.' So those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith." (Galatians 3 v. 6-9)
Paul is quoting a saying that appears three times in Abraham's story. Firstly, God, in asking Abraham to leave his homeland, says:
"... all peoples on earth will be blessed through you" (Genesis 12 v. 3).
Then, in the run-up to the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, God states:
"Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nation, and all nations on earth will be blessed through him" (Genesis 18 v. 18).
Finally, God repeats the statement after Abraham's near sacrifice of his son:
"... through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me" (Genesis 22 v. 18).
Obey the whole law. "Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all. Again I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law." (Galatians 5 v. 2-3)
It would have been impossible for the Galatians to burn the gospels as we know them. These did not exist at that time, although there may have been some smaller collections of Jesus stories in circulation. There are very few clues in the letter to give it an absolute dating but many scholars argue for a date between 50 and 55 AD.
| In chapter 5, Paul describes a list of qualities - love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control - that should develop in a Christian through living by the Holy Spirit. How does Paul describe them? | Quizzing the New Testament : Galatians
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The fruit of the Spirit. "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law." (Galatians 5 v. 22-23)
Paul's premise through the letter has been that the Law can only warn of sin and cannot release from sin. Therefore, he says, to follow the Law is to be enslaved by sinful desires and practices such as "sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like" (Galatians 5 v. 19-21). He contrasts this with the controlling desires of those who live not by the Law but by the Holy Spirit.
As you sow, so shall you reap. "Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life." (Galatians 6 v. 7-8)
Although Paul is credited with creating this proverb, he is building upon many other biblical verses such as these from Hosea:
"Sow for yourselves righteousness, reap the fruit of unfailing love, and break up your unplowed ground; for it is time to seek the LORD, until he comes and showers righteousness on you. But you have planted wickedness, you have reaped evil, you have eaten the fruit of deception" (Hosea 10 v. 12-13).
Clearly, the image of sowing and reaping was a common one in an agriculturally based society and a fitting one upon which to conclude.
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