Standing In Christ: Week 3

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EBFC Adult Electives: Fall 2014

Standing In Christ: Week 3

Introduction

Chapter3:1–5,The Galatians’ Experience of Conversion. Paul interrogates the Galatians, with five questions in as many verses. He despairs that they have come under the spell of the false teachers, and so he returns to their experience of how they first came to know Christ.

Chapter 3:6–14,The Gospel in the OT (1): Abraham. Paul issues a second direct appeal to the Galatians: it is not just their own experience of receiving the gospel by faith that should teach them that salvation is not by the law but by grace. Rather, the OT example of Abraham also teaches that it is through genuine faith, not the law, that one is counted righteous (see Gen. 15:6). (2): Leviticus, Deuteronomy, and Habakkuk. Any attempt to be justified by the law leads to a curse, for righteousness comes only by faith in the atoning work of Jesus Christ. All those indwelt by the Holy Spirit enjoy the blessing of Abraham.

Chapter 3:15–18,An Illustration from Human Law. The Sinai covenant was an interim covenant that did not contradict the promises of the Abrahamic covenant.

Chapter 3:19–4:7, Passing from Slavery to Sonship. The law was never intended to be in force forever, and now that the promised Messiah has come, those who believe in him are sons of God.

Chapter 4:8–11, Passing from Idolatry to the True God. The slavery that the Galatians are in danger of embracing again is not just a matter of forfeiting sonship but of abandoning the true God. They would be returning to false gods (v. 8), to worldly principles and structures (vv. 9–10). It would be as if they had never even heard the gospel from Paul (v. 11). For these Gentile Galatian Christians, turning to the Jewish law would be like returning to their paganism.

Chapter 4:12–20, Appeal to the Galatians’ Knowledge of Paul.As in 3:1–5, Paul reminds the Galatians of what happened when they heard the gospel and he contrasts his own ministry with that of the false teachers.

Chapter 4:21–31, The Gospel in the OT (3): Abraham’s Sons. Paul continues to emphasize the chasm between being a free child of God and being a slave to the law, sin, and false gods. The background to this passage is Genesis 16–17 and 21. Abraham’s son Ishmael—technically the firstborn—represents the slave sons of Abraham and hence the enslaving Sinai covenant, because he was Abraham’s son through the slave woman Hagar. Isaac, on the other hand, represents the free sons of Abraham (see Gal. 3:7, 29).

The Gospel of Grace Explained, 3:1-4:31

  1. Holy Spirit Is Given by Faith Not by Works, 3:1-5
  2. Foolish Galatians were ______
  3. Rhetorically questions:
  4. Was the Holy Spirit received by the ______of the Law or by hearing with ______?
  5. Do we begin with the ______and finish in the ______?
  6. Does persecution come about because we are keeping the ______?
  7. Are miracles wrought because of the ______of the Law or by ______with Faith?
  8. Abraham Was Justified by Faith Not by Works, 3:6-9
  9. Abraham’s faith was ______to him as righteousness (Gen. 15:6)
  10. This line of Faith was for ______nations, including Gentiles (Gen. 12:3)
  11. All those of Faith are ______children of Abraham
  12. Justification Is by Faith Not by Law, 3:10-4:11
  13. Christ Redeemed Us from the ______of the Law (vv. 3:10-14)
  14. Abrahamic Covenant Is Not ______by the Law (vv. 3:15-18)
  15. Law Given to ______Us to Faith (vv. 3:19-22)
  16. Believers Are ______From the Law (vv. 3:23-4:11)
  17. Galatians Receive Blessings by Faith Not by Law, 4:12-20
  18. Paul’s intimate appeal to the Galatians (vss. 4:12-14)
  19. Paul’s perplexity over the Galatians ______(4:15-20)
  20. Law and Grace Cannot Coexist, 4:21-31
  21. Law and Grace compared with two ______
  22. Law and Grace compared to two ______
  23. Law and Grace compared to two ______

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EBFC Adult Electives: Fall 2014