Paul compares two mothers, two sons, and two covenants to show that those who are in Christ are children of God, while those who are under the law are slaves with no place in the family and no share in the inheritance. If the gospel makes us sons and daughters of God; if in the…

The Gospel has brought us out of slavery and bondage to sin, and liberated us into the freedom of being children of God and having God as our Father. Why then would the Galatians consider leaving the freedom of the gospel, and turning back to the slavery of the law? Jesus, the Son of God, became a slave…

In this section of the letter to the Galatians, Paul continues his argument against the Galatian false teachers by showing 1) the priority of the promise and 2) the purpose of the law. Since the promise came first, it’s gracious nature could not be altered by the giving of the law, which was meant to…

Paul continues to show the Galatians the folly in turning away from the Gospel, by showing them three things they lose when they turn from seeking their justification by faith in Christ to seeking it through their own works: 1) Faith, not works, brought the Spirit of God to them; 2) Faith, not works, brought…

“There are two undeniable facts of Scripture: the first is that God is righteous. The second is that we are not…  something is wrong between us and God” (John Stott). The ultimate question, then, is: what is the solution to the problem that exists between us and God? This passage compares the wrong, but common attempt to solve the problem, with the…

Paul confronts Peter because Peter is acting hypocritically. He was not acting in line with the gospel, by treating Gentile Christians as not fully accepted by God through faith. The gospel reminds us that there is no “1st-Class Christian” and “2nd-Class Christian”, but we are all one in Christ – fully accepted by God and equal in…

On the Road to Damascus, Paul met Jesus, and learned about grace. “Paul was fighting against God. He neither deserved mercy, nor asked for it. Yet mercy found him” (John Stott). If God’s mercy could find Paul when he was Saul, then it can find any of us. In this section of Galatians, Paul tells his…

It’s easy to slip into a “Jesus plus” way of thinking and living: believing that there is something I bring to the table that makes me right with God and earns his favor. We as sinners have a gospel-aversion. The gospel tells us that our right standing before God is a free, undeserved gift that we can…