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What really counts when it comes to our salvation? Do we impress God by our religious works and pious actions? Or does salvation come in another way? These are the questions the Galatians believers faced which the apostle Paul addresses in this letter.    In this verse-by-verse study, we’ll read Paul’s direct and often pointed comments to those in Galatia who taught that salvation had to be earned through direct effort. We’ll be reminded of the power in Christ’s blood and the

READ   Galatians 1:13-16   13 You know what I was like when I followed the Jewish religion—how I violently persecuted God’s church. I did my best to destroy it. 14 I was far ahead of my fellow Jews in my zeal for the traditions of my ancestors. 15 But even before I was born, God chose me and called me by his marvelous grace. Then it pleased him 16 to reveal his Son to me so that I would proclaim the Good News about Jesus to the Gentiles. When this happened, I did not rush out

READ   Galatians 1:17-20   17 Nor did I go up to Jerusalem to consult with those who were apostles before I was. Instead, I went away into Arabia, and later I returned to the city of Damascus.    18 Then three years later I went to Jerusalem to get to know Peter, and I stayed with him for fifteen days. 19 The only other apostle I met at that time was James, the Lord’s brother. 20 I declare before God that what I am writing to you is not a lie.     Paul did not seek counsel fr

READ   Galatians 1:21-24   21 After that visit I went north into the provinces of Syria and Cilicia. 22 And still the churches in Christ that are in Judea didn’t know me personally. 23 All they knew was that people were saying, “The one who used to persecute us is now preaching the very faith he tried to destroy!” 24 And they praised God because of me.     Paul told of those who did not know him personally but had only heard of his reputation. Knowing about his changed life c

READ   Galatians 2:1-3   1 Then fourteen years later I went back to Jerusalem again, this time with Barnabas; and Titus came along, too. 2 I went there because God revealed to me that I should go. While I was there I met privately with those considered to be leaders of the church and shared with them the message I had been preaching to the Gentiles. I wanted to make sure that we were in agreement, for fear that all my efforts had been wasted and I was running the race for not

READ   Galatians 2:4-5   4 Even that question came up only because of some so-called believers there—false ones, really—who were secretly brought in. They sneaked in to spy on us and take away the freedom we have in Christ Jesus. They wanted to enslave us and force us to follow their Jewish regulations. 5 But we refused to give in to them for a single moment. We wanted to preserve the truth of the gospel message for you.     Just as in Paul’s time, there are false teachers to

READ   Galatians 1:13-16   13 You know what I was like when I followed the Jewish religion—how I violently persecuted God’s church. I did my best to destroy it. 14 I was far ahead of my fellow Jews in my zeal for the traditions of my ancestors. 15 But even before I was born, God chose me and called me by his marvelous grace. Then it pleased him 16 to reveal his Son to me so that I would proclaim the Good News about Jesus to the Gentiles. When this happened, I did not rush out

READ   Galatians 1:17-20   17 Nor did I go up to Jerusalem to consult with those who were apostles before I was. Instead, I went away into Arabia, and later I returned to the city of Damascus.    18 Then three years later I went to Jerusalem to get to know Peter, and I stayed with him for fifteen days. 19 The only other apostle I met at that time was James, the Lord’s brother. 20 I declare before God that what I am writing to you is not a lie.     Paul did not seek counsel fr

READ   Galatians 1:21-24   21 After that visit I went north into the provinces of Syria and Cilicia. 22 And still the churches in Christ that are in Judea didn’t know me personally. 23 All they knew was that people were saying, “The one who used to persecute us is now preaching the very faith he tried to destroy!” 24 And they praised God because of me.     Paul told of those who did not know him personally but had only heard of his reputation. Knowing about his changed life c

READ   Galatians 2:1-3   1 Then fourteen years later I went back to Jerusalem again, this time with Barnabas; and Titus came along, too. 2 I went there because God revealed to me that I should go. While I was there I met privately with those considered to be leaders of the church and shared with them the message I had been preaching to the Gentiles. I wanted to make sure that we were in agreement, for fear that all my efforts had been wasted and I was running the race for not

READ   Galatians 2:4-5   4 Even that question came up only because of some so-called believers there—false ones, really—who were secretly brought in. They sneaked in to spy on us and take away the freedom we have in Christ Jesus. They wanted to enslave us and force us to follow their Jewish regulations. 5 But we refused to give in to them for a single moment. We wanted to preserve the truth of the gospel message for you.     Just as in Paul’s time, there are false teachers to

READ   Galatians 2:6-8   6 And the leaders of the church had nothing to add to what I was preaching. (By the way, their reputation as great leaders made no difference to me, for God has no favorites.) 7 Instead, they saw that God had given me the responsibility of preaching the gospel to the Gentiles, just as he had given Peter the responsibility of preaching to the Jews. 8 For the same God who worked through Peter as the apostle to the Jews also worked through me as the apos

READ   Galatians 2:9-10   9 In fact, James, Peter, and John, who were known as pillars of the church, recognized the gift God had given me, and they accepted Barnabas and me as their co-workers. They encouraged us to keep preaching to the Gentiles, while they continued their work with the Jews. 10 Their only suggestion was that we keep on helping the poor, which I have always been eager to do.     The “pillars of the church” suggested no changes in Paul’s doctrine. And what t

READ   Galatians 2:11-13   11 But when Peter came to Antioch, I had to oppose him to his face, for what he did was very wrong. 12 When he first arrived, he ate with the Gentile believers, who were not circumcised. But afterward, when some friends of James came, Peter wouldn’t eat with the Gentiles anymore. He was afraid of criticism from these people who insisted on the necessity of circumcision. 13 As a result, other Jewish believers followed Peter’s hypocrisy, and even Barn

READ   Galatians 2:14-16   14 When I saw that they were not following the truth of the gospel message, I said to Peter in front of all the others, “Since you, a Jew by birth, have discarded the Jewish laws and are living like a Gentile, why are you now trying to make these Gentiles follow the Jewish traditions? 15 You and I are Jews by birth, not ‘sinners’ like the Gentiles. 16 Yet we know that a person is made right with God by faith in Jesus Christ, not by obeying the law.

READ   Galatians 2:17-18   17 But suppose we seek to be made right with God through faith in Christ and then we are found guilty because we have abandoned the law. Would that mean Christ has led us into sin? Absolutely not! 18 Rather, I am a sinner if I rebuild the old system of law I already tore down.     The law was a system of good works whose intent was to show people their need so they would turn to God (see Romans 3:19-20). In fact if one tries to build a system of goo

READ   Galatians 2:19-20   19 For when I tried to keep the law, it condemned me. So I died to the law—I stopped trying to meet all its requirements—so that I might live for God. 20 My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.      Paul explained his attempt to keep the law as a Jewish Pharisee. That was impossible to do so by t

READ   Galatians 2:21   21 I do not treat the grace of God as meaningless. For if keeping the law could make us right with God, then there was no need for Christ to die.     This is a significant verse. It applies not only to the Old Testament law but to good works of any kind. If one could be made right with God by those means, the death of Jesus was a useless death. Such thinking would negate the plan of God in providing for the redemption of all who would believe in Jesus.

READ   Galatians 3:1-2   1 Oh, foolish Galatians! Who has cast an evil spell on you? For the meaning of Jesus Christ’s death was made as clear to you as if you had seen a picture of his death on the cross. 2 Let me ask you this one question: Did you receive the Holy Spirit by obeying the law of Moses? Of course not! You received the Spirit because you believed the message you heard about Christ.      Paul’s teaching had made clear to the Galatians the importance of Christ’s d

READ   Galatians 3:3-4   3 How foolish can you be? After starting your new lives in the Spirit, why are you now trying to become perfect by your own human effort? 4 Have you experienced so much for nothing? Surely it was not in vain, was it?     Paul was greatly disappointed with the Galatians who had trusted in Jesus by faith but were now adding laws to what Jesus had done for them. The word “perfect” refers to that which is “mature” or “complete.” Only God is “perfect” in t

READ   Galatians 3:5-7   5 I ask you again, does God give you the Holy Spirit and work miracles among you because you obey the law? Of course not! It is because you believe the message you heard about Christ. 6 In the same way, “Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.” 7 The real children of Abraham, then, are those who put their faith in God.     Paul continued to contrast good works with faith. The Galatian believers had not received the

READ   Galatians 3:8-9   8 What’s more, the Scriptures looked forward to this time when God would make the Gentiles right in his sight because of their faith. God proclaimed this good news to Abraham long ago when he said, “All nations will be blessed through you.” 9 So all who put their faith in Christ share the same blessing Abraham received because of his faith.     Paul continued to emphasize to the Galatians the importance of faith rather than works. Having cited Abraham

READ   Galatians 3:10   10 But those who depend on the law to make them right with God are under his curse, for the Scriptures say, “Cursed is everyone who does not observe and obey all the commands that are written in God’s Book of the Law.”     These are strong words to anyone today who tries to live the Christian life by a set of rules. If one depends on the Old Testament law, it is necessary to observe all 613 laws. God’s promise to Abraham contained unconditional promise

READ   Galatians 3:11-12   11 So it is clear that no one can be made right with God by trying to keep the law. For the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.” 12 This way of faith is very different from the way of law, which says, “It is through obeying the law that a person has life.”     Verse 11 makes it clear that no one can become right with God by attempting to keep the law. It has been translated, “the just shall live by faith.” Argument