Galatians 1-3 - Prayer Tents

Galatians 1

Greetings from Paul

1This letter is from Paul, an apostle. I was not appointed by any group of people or any human authority, but by Jesus Christ himself and by God the Father, who raised Jesus from the dead.G3972G652G3756G575G444G3761G1223G444G235G1223G2424G5547G2532G2316G3962G3588G1453G846G1537G34982All the brothers and sisters

here join me in sending this letter to the churches of Galatia.G2532G3956G80G4862G1698G1577G10533May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ

give you grace and peace.G5485G5213G2532G1515G575G2316G3962G2532G2257G2962G2424G55474Jesus gave his life for our sins, just as God our Father planned, in order to rescue us from this evil world in which we live.G3588G1325G1438G5228G2257G266G3704G1807G2248G1537G1764G4190G165G2596G2307G2316G2532G2257G39625All glory to God forever and ever! Amen.G3739G1391G1519G165G165G281

There Is Only One Good News

6I am shocked that you are turning away so soon from God, who called you to himself through the loving mercy of Christ

. You are following a different way that pretends to be the Good NewsG2296G3754G3346G3779G5030G3346G575G2564G5209G1722G5485G5547G1519G2087G20987but is not the Good News at all. You are being fooled by those who deliberately twist the truth concerning Christ.G3739G2076G3756G243G1526G5100G1508G5015G5209G2532G2309G3344G2098G55478Let God’s curse fall on anyone, including us or even an angel from heaven, who preaches a different kind of Good News than the one we preached to you.G235G2532G1437G2249G2228G32G1537G3772G2097G5213G3844G3739G2097G5213G2077G3319I say again what we have said before: If anyone preaches any other Good News than the one you welcomed, let that person be cursed.G5613G4280G2532G3004G737G3825G1536G2097G3844G2097G5209G3844G3739G3880G2077G33110Obviously, I’m not trying to win the approval of people, but of God. If pleasing people were my goal, I would not be Christ’s servant.G1063G3982G737G3982G444G2228G2316G2228G2212G700G444G1063G1487G700G2089G700G444G302G3756G2252G1401G5547

Paul’s Message Comes from Christ

11Dear brothers and sisters, I want you to understand that the gospel message I preach is not based on mere human reasoning.G1161G1107G5213G80G3754G2098G3588G2097G5259G1700G2076G3756G2596G44412I received my message from no human source, and no one taught me. Instead, I received it by direct revelation from Jesus Christ

.G1063G1473G3761G3880G846G3844G444G3777G1321G235G1223G602G2424G554713You 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.G1063G191G1699G391G4218G1722G2454G3754G2596G5236G1377G1577G2316G2532G4199G84614I was far ahead of my fellow Jews in my zeal for the traditions of my ancestors.G2532G4298G1722G2454G5228G4183G4915G1722G3450G1085G5225G4056G2207G3862G3450G396715But even before I was born, God chose me and called me by his marvelous grace. Then it pleased himG1161G3753G2106G2316G3588G873G3165G1537G3450G3384G2836G2532G2564G1223G846G548516to 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 to consult with any human being.G601G846G5207G1722G1698G2443G2097G846G1722G1484G2112G4323G3756G4561G2532G12917Nor 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.G3761G424G1519G2414G4314G652G4253G1700G235G565G1519G688G2532G5290G3825G1519G115418Then three years later I went to Jerusalem to get to know Peter

, and I stayed with him for fifteen days.G1899G3326G5140G2094G424G1519G2414G2477G4074G2532G1961G4314G846G1178G225019The only other apostle I met at that time was James, the Lord’s brother.G1161G2087G652G1492G3756G1508G2385G2962G8020I declare before God that what I am writing to you is not a lie.G1161G3739G1125G5213G2400G1799G2316G3754G5574G375621After that visit I went north into the provinces of Syria and Cilicia.G1899G2064G1519G2824G4947G2532G279122And still the Christians in the churches in Judea didn’t know me personally.G1161G2252G50G4383G1577G2449G3588G1722G554723All they knew was that people were saying, “The one who used to persecute us is now preaching the very faith he tried to destroy!”G1161G2258G191G3440G3754G1377G2248G4218G3568G2097G4102G3739G4218G419924And they praised God because of me.G2532G1392G2316G1722G1698

Galatians 2

The Apostles Accept Paul

2Then fourteen years later I went back to Jerusalem again, this time with Barnabas; and Titus came along, too.G1899G1180G2094G1223G305G3825G1519G2414G3326G921G4838G5103G4838G25322I 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 nothing.G1161G305G2596G602G2532G394G846G2098G3739G2784G1722G1484G1161G2596G2398G1380G3381G4458G5143G2228G5143G1519G27563And they supported me and did not even demand that my companion Titus be circumcised, though he was a Gentile

.G235G3761G5103G3588G4862G1698G5607G1672G315G40594Even that question came up only because of some so-called Christians 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.G1161G1223G5569G3920G3748G3922G2684G2257G1657G3739G2192G1722G5547G2424G2443G2615G2248G26155But we refused to give in to them for a single moment. We wanted to preserve the truth of the gospel message for you.G3739G1502G5292G3761G4314G5610G2443G225G2098G1265G4314G52096And 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.)G1161G575G1380G1511G5100G3697G4218G2258G1308G3762G1308G3427G2316G2983G3756G444G4383G1063G1380G4323G3762G16987Instead, 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.G235G5121G1492G3754G2098G203G4100G2531G4061G40748For the same God who worked through Peter as the apostle to the Jews also worked through me as the apostle to the Gentiles.G1063G1754G4074G1519G651G4061G2532G1754G1698G1519G14849In 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.G2532G2385G2532G2786G2532G2491G3588G1380G1511G4769G1097G5485G1325G3427G1325G1698G2532G921G1188G2842G2443G2249G1519G1484G1161G846G1519G406110Their only suggestion was that we keep on helping the poor, which I have always been eager to do.G3440G2443G3421G4434G846G5124G3739G4704G2532G4704G4160

Paul Confronts Peter

11But when Peter came to Antioch, I had to oppose him to his face, for what he did was very wrong.G1161G3753G4074G2064G1519G490G436G846G2596G4383G3754G2258G260712When he first arrived, he ate with the Gentile Christians, 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.G1063G4253G5100G2064G575G2385G4906G3326G1484G1161G3753G2064G5288G2532G873G1438G5399G1537G406113As a result, other Jewish Christians followed Peter’s hypocrisy, and even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy.G2532G3062G2453G4942G2532G846G5620G921G2532G4879G846G527214When 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?G235G3753G1492G3754G3716G3756G3716G4314G225G2098G2036G4074G1715G3956G1487G4771G5225G2453G2198G1483G2532G3756G2452G5101G315G1484G245015“You and I are Jews by birth, not ‘sinners’ like the Gentiles.G2249G2453G5449G2532G3756G268G1537G148416Yet we know that a person is made right with God by faith in Jesus Christ, not by obeying the law. And we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we might be made right with God because of our faith in Christ, not because we have obeyed the law. For no one will ever be made right with God by obeying the law.”

G1492G3754G444G1344G3756G1344G1537G2041G3551G3362G1223G4102G2424G5547G2532G2249G4100G1519G2424G5547G2443G1344G1537G4102G5547G2532G3756G1537G2041G3551G1360G1537G2041G3551G1344G3756G3956G4561G134417But 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!G1161G1487G2212G1344G1722G5547G2147G846G2532G2147G268G687G5547G1249G266G3361G109618Rather, I am a sinner if I rebuild the old system of law I already tore down.G1063G1487G3618G3825G5023G3739G2647G4921G1683G384819For 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.G1063G1473G1223G3551G599G3551G2443G2198G231620My 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.G4957G5547G1161G2198G3765G1473G1161G5547G2198G1722G1698G1161G3739G2198G3568G2198G1722G4561G2198G1722G4102G5207G2316G3588G25G3165G2532G3860G1438G5228G170021I 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.G114G3756G114G5485G2316G1063G1487G1343G1223G3551G686G5547G599G1432

Galatians 3

The Law and Faith in Christ

3Oh, 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.G5599G453G1052G5101G940G5209G3982G3361G3982G225G2596G3739G3788G2424G5547G4270G4717G1722G52132Let 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.G5124G3440G2309G3129G575G5216G2983G4151G1537G2041G3551G2228G1537G189G41023How foolish can you be? After starting your Christian lives in the Spirit, why are you now trying to become perfect by your own human effort?G2075G3779G453G1728G4151G2005G3568G2005G45614Have you experienced

so much for nothing? Surely it was not in vain, was it?G3958G5118G1500G1489G2532G15005I 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.G3767G2023G5213G4151G2532G1754G1411G1722G5213G1537G2041G3551G2228G1537G189G41026In the same way, “Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.”

G2531G11G4100G2316G2532G3049G846G1519G13437The real children of Abraham, then, are those who put their faith in God.G1097G686G3754G1537G4102G3778G1526G5207G118What’s more, the Scriptures looked forward to this time when God would declare the Gentiles to be righteous because of their faith. God proclaimed this good news to Abraham long ago when he said, “All nations will be blessed through you.”

G1161G1124G4275G3754G2316G1344G1484G1537G4102G4283G11G3754G1722G4671G1757G3956G1484G17579So all who put their faith in Christ share the same blessing Abraham received because of his faith.G5620G1537G4102G2127G4862G4103G1110But 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.”

G1063G3745G1526G1537G2041G3551G1526G5259G2671G1063G1125G1944G3956G3739G1696G3756G1722G3956G3588G1125G1722G975G3551G4160G84611So 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.”

G1161G3754G3762G1344G1722G3551G3844G2316G1212G3754G1342G2198G1537G410212This way of faith is very different from the way of law, which says, “It is through obeying the law that a person has life.”

G1161G3551G2076G3756G1537G4102G235G444G4160G846G2198G1722G84613But Christ has rescued us from the curse pronounced by the law. When he was hung on the cross, he took upon himself the curse for our wrongdoing. For it is written in the Scriptures, “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.”

G5547G1805G2248G1537G2671G3551G1096G2671G5228G2257G1063G1125G1944G3956G2910G1909G358614Through Christ Jesus, God has blessed the Gentiles with the same blessing he promised to Abraham, so that we who are believers might receive the promised

Holy Spirit through faith.G2443G2129G11G1096G1519G1484G1722G2424G5547G2443G2983G1860G4151G1223G4102

The Law and God’s Promise

15Dear brothers and sisters

, here’s an example from everyday life. Just as no one can set aside or amend an irrevocable agreement, so it is in this case.G80G3004G2596G444G3676G444G1242G2964G3762G114G2228G192816God gave the promises to Abraham and his child

. And notice that the Scripture doesn’t say “to his children,” as if it meant many descendants. Rather, it says “to his child”—and that, of course, means Christ.G1161G11G2532G846G4690G4483G1860G4483G3004G3756G2532G4690G5613G1909G4183G235G5613G1909G1520G2532G4675G4690G3739G2076G554717This is what I am trying to say: The agreement God made with Abraham could not be canceled 430 years later when God gave the law to Moses. God would be breaking his promise.G1161G5124G3004G1242G4300G5259G2316G1519G5547G3551G1096G5071G2532G5144G2094G3326G3756G208G1519G2673G1860G267318For if the inheritance could be received by keeping the law, then it would not be the result of accepting God’s promise. But God graciously gave it to Abraham as a promise.G1063G1487G2817G1537G3551G3765G1537G1860G1161G2316G5483G11G1223G186019Why, then, was the law given? It was given alongside the promise to show people their sins. But the law was designed to last only until the coming of the child who was promised. God gave his law through angels to Moses, who was the mediator between God and the people.G5101G3767G3551G4369G5484G3847G891G3739G4690G2064G3739G1861G1299G1223G32G1722G5495G331620Now a mediator is helpful if more than one party must reach an agreement. But God, who is one, did not use a mediator when he gave his promise to Abraham.G1161G3316G2076G3756G1520G1161G2316G2076G152021Is there a conflict, then, between God’s law and God’s promises

? Absolutely not! If the law could give us new life, we could be made right with God by obeying it.G3551G3767G2596G1860G2316G3361G1096G1063G1487G1325G3551G1325G3588G1410G2227G3689G1343G302G2258G1537G355122But the Scriptures declare that we are all prisoners of sin, so we receive God’s promise of freedom only by believing in Jesus Christ.G235G1124G4788G3956G5259G266G2443G1860G1537G4102G2424G5547G1325G4100

God’s Children through Faith

23Before the way of faith in Christ was available to us, we were placed under guard by the law. We were kept in protective custody, so to speak, until the way of faith was revealed.G1161G4253G4102G2064G5432G5259G3551G4788G1519G4102G3195G60124Let me put it another way. The law was our guardian until Christ came; it protected us until we could be made right with God through faith.G5620G3551G1096G2257G3807G1519G5547G2443G1344G1537G410225And now that the way of faith has come, we no longer need the law as our guardian.G1161G4102G2064G2070G2089G3765G5259G380726For you are all children

of God through faith in Christ Jesus.G1063G2075G3956G5207G2316G1223G4102G1722G5547G242427And all who have been united with Christ in baptism have put on Christ, like putting on new clothes

.G1063G3745G907G1519G5547G1746G554728There is no longer Jew or Gentile

, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus.G1762G3756G2453G3761G1672G1762G3756G1401G3761G1658G1762G3756G730G2532G2338G1063G5210G2075G3956G1520G1722G5547G242429And now that you belong to Christ, you are the true children

of Abraham. You are his heirs, and God’s promise to Abraham belongs to you.G1161G1487G5210G5547G686G2075G11G4690G2532G2818G2596G1860