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| Inductive Studies
in Galatians with Chris Lang |
previous page |
Spring 2000
Challenge:
Consider returning to your finished inductive studies and organizing them in relation to each other. In other words, think about using your inductives to make an outline of the book of Galatians. Paragraphs don’t just follow after each other--some are more important, some are major points in the book and others are minor or supporting points.
Longenecker on Galatians is missing from Study Center.
Review Homework
Galatians 4:8-11
What do you make of this passage? Why?
"However" clearly subordinates the paragraph to the previous paragraph. But it is still a unit of thought on its own.
If I’m having difficulty with a passage I often try to paraphrase what I think Paul is trying to say. Remove the exclamations and the rhetorical questions and put it into a simple statement. What does each verse say, in your own words?
:8 You were formerly in slavery (Example?)
:9 You’re returning to idols/acting like slaves (thesis)
:10 You’re observing days/months (Example)
:11 You’re in danger. (Why is he in fear for them?)
Structure
Claim:
You are acting like slaves (:9-10 Controlling idea)
Supports:
1. Formerly slaves to idols (:8 Ex.?)
2. Returning to ritualism (:10 Ex.)
3. You are in danger (:11)
Theology
Define:
"enslaved, slavery", usually refers to one who is defeated in battle and has become subservient to another.
Meaning:
Paul appears to be equating a return to the Law with idolatry. Having come to know sonship through Christ, returning to a prior custodian is a return to slavery; it is no better than their former lives of idol worship, as far as their relationship with Christ is concerned.
Following the law for a Gentile is not better than worshiping in vain. The law is not God. God offers so much more: personal communion with Him or knowing and being known. There is no need to practice ritualism.
Parallel:
Col. 2:20.
Application
Would it be wrong for Jews to practice the Law? This is an important question for application. Audience determines the application to a large extent. Could this book have been written to Jews? Yes and No. The principle is the same—thesis of book—but the application would be different. Would Paul tell Jews to stop practicing the Law? Paul followed ritual observance around the Jews: circumcised Timothy, had his hair cut before travelling to Jerusalem, wrote "to Jews I have become a Jew."
What’s the point then? The law has no power for salvation. And if you’re a Gentile, there is no reason to follow it. In fact, it is antithetical to grace.
When we seek God by our works, we are slipping back into a relationship with God that is in vain. It is useless and not profitable.
A works mentality is spiritually dangerous. (Paul doesn’t define why or how.)
I wonder if we are not sometimes more comfortable being slaves than sons. We often know what slavery is like: you do wrong, receive punishment, but what about sonship? What category do we have for experiencing grace? God calls on us to have the faith of sons and not slaves.
Galatians 4:12-20
Structure
Claim:
Follow my example (return to freedom) (Imperative "I beg of you" 4:12)
Supports:
1. former affections (4:15 Example from past willingness)
Illness =>gospel (:13)
received me as Christ (:14 Example)
- Have I become your enemy (:16)
2. They seek to trap you in slavery (:17 antithesis, negative Ex.)
3. I seek your good (:18 Connective word)
- I long to persuade you (4:19-20)
Theology
Define:
"eagerly" or "zealous", to strive, desire or exert ones' self earnestly. It can have a negative or positive connotation.
To what set of circumstances is Paul referring?
Acts 14:19 It is likely that Paul pulled into the Galatian region in order to recover from his severe beating. Imagine what kind of effect this would have on your audience if you stood up to preach all bloodied and bruised. They knew of Paul’s extreme dedication to the God, how could they question his motives or sincerity? Paul appeals to this knowledge on a number of occasions and ends the book with this same appeal:
(Gal. 6:17) "From now on let no one cause trouble for me, for I bear on my body the brand-marks of Jesus."
Meaning:
Paul longs to persuade the Galatians to return to a life of freedom in Christ. He does this by convincing them of his love for them and his honorable motives. He calls them his very own children and he appeals to his conduct in their prior relationship in contrast to the behavior of their oppressors.
Paul became like the Galatians, "to the Gentiles, as without the law" 1 Cor. 9:20. This is in contrast to the flattering but standoffish Judaizers who had "shut them out".
Parallel:
Gal. 6:17, Acts 14:19ff
Application:
Paul wants them to follow his example of dedication, commitment and of freedom in Christ. Paul writes as a wounded lover seeking to mend a damaged relationship. He appeals to the great lengths to which he’s gone in order to demonstrate his love for them. He contrasts that with the manipulative behavior of his adversaries. Paul wants their affections returned to him. He pleads with them out of concern for them and not out of any personal need.
What kind of example do we set for those around us? Do they see our dedication to Christ? Do they see our willingness to sacrifice and suffer for His name? Or do they see a Christianity of complacency and comfort.
Interview with Karen Lord: pastors walking into situations of certain arrest and torture, mothers denying their children food because they refuse to renounce the gospel.
How do we respond to those we've loved who turn away from us or away from Christ? Do we regard them as enemies or as loved ones?
Galatians 4:21-31
Structure:
This is one of the most difficult passages in Galatians. Let’s try to simplify.
Claim:
You are children of freedom (:28, 31 Conclusion, "so then")
Supports:
1. Listen to the Law (:21 Interrogative)
- Abe’s two sons: Slave, Free (:22-23 Illustration)
2. Allegory of covenants (:24 Illustration: "allegorically")
- Covenant Law produces slaves
Hagar = Sinai = Jerusalem (:25 Expanded illustration)
We belong to Jerusalem above (:26)
Barren but fruitful (:27)
3. Slaves and free cannot live together (:30 Example, OT quote)
- Sons of flesh persecute Spirit (:29 Connective word)
Theology
Define:
Spend your time in a passage like this on background study or "use of the Old Testament" and not on word studies. Galatians is a book with a ton of background material, more so than most.
What does Paul mean that one was born according to the flesh and one according to the promise? Who knows the story?
"allegorically", to give a higher or spiritual sense to a book or story. Is this viable? Often this has been used by those embarrassed by the literal sense or not content with the literal sense. It is an approach that takes an event or a person as symbolic for another meaning. (:24 women = two covenants.) But who determines what the higher meaning is? It was also a common Rabbinical method of interpretation from the day. For centuries the Catholic church determined that meaning and could virtually make the Bible say anything that was expedient.
Review the tree chart in your workbook. Philosophy behind allegorical interpretation = Bible is God’s word and therefore every letter, word, event has meaning. We must find that meaning. (Significance of Gideon’s men lapping or cupping hands?)
What is Paul saying?
1. Genesis 16 really contains this meaning.
2. Let me appeal to an example or illustration, "allegorically speaking…".
3. I’ll meet you on your own ground. OT interpretation by allegory. His opponents may have been doing the same.
Rule: Always seek the literal understanding of the text, unless it makes no sense. "Right hand of God."
Meaning:
Paul is repeating and extending his argument that as Christians we are no longer slaves but freemen. This time he argues from the Old Testament example of Sarah and Hagar. Paul is not instructing us on Old Testament interpretation, rather he clearly identifies the fact that he is using the story as an extended metaphor for his point.
The son born of Hagar was born of a slave into slavery. The son born of Sarah was born of a promise into freedom. You can be sons of the covenant of Sinai (the law) or you can be sons of the covenant of freedom.
Allegory:
Hagar's son = fleshly = slavery = Sinai = Jerusalem (Jews)
(Sarah's son) = promise = freedom = (Christ) = spiritual Jerusalem (Christians)
The earthly Jerusalem stands for those who are God’s people in an outward sense, the Jews. The Jerusalem above is for those who are God’s people inwardly, those who believe in Christ who are truly sons of Abraham.
Is Paul justified in this "spiritual sons of Abe"? Jn. 8:31-44 "If you were Abraham's children you would do what Abe did…"
Is. 54 has nothing to do with Sarah and Hagar. Paul is definitely mixing his metaphors and this can be very confusing. He is saying basically that although the church may look small and barren today, she will be blessed and fruitful in the future. See parable of the mustard seed.
Who is it that is persecuting the Galatians? Those "born according to the flesh," the Judaizers. As Ishmael persecuted Isaac, those of the law persecute those of freedom. By implication from vs. 30 Paul is instructing the Galatians to cast out their oppressors.
Parallel:
Gen. 21:10-12, 16:15, 18:10, Is. 54:1
Application
Cast out the bondwoman. This is an imperative. How do we know it's not Paul's thesis? We have a clear conclusion indicator in vs. 31. This is an Old Testament illustration or example used to support Paul's conclusion (not that an OT passage couldn't function as the thesis.)
Kick out the Judaizers and start acting like children of Abraham and not children of a slave. This returns us to the idea of being heirs.
The law is of bondage and produces slaves. If you want to experience the fullness of the Christian life, you must understand grace. One of the implications here is that a person's actions will show whether or not he understands grace. Those who live under the law still act like slaves.
This is not drawn directly from the passage, but have you ever notice how Christians who are laboring under the law behave. These are some things I've noticed in myself and others: defensiveness, obsession with how right or wrong behaviors are, a lack of understanding about the depth of our own fallen nature, an inability to forgive or experience forgiveness from others.
This is a truth about our identity that has real implications for everyday life.
We need a strong grip on what grace is. We need to remove those influences that produce legalism. What are some things that might encourage legalism?
Galatians 5:1-12
Structure
Claim:
Do not become slaves again (Imperative 5:1b)
Supports:
1. Christ made us free men (5:1a Indicative: separate sentence)
2. Circumcision nullifies Christ’s work (:2 Indicative)
- Obligates (enslaves) us to whole law (:3 Indicative)
- Contrary to grace (:4 Indicative)
- Faith waits in hope (:5 Connective)
- Faith loves (:6)
3. Judge the slave drivers (5:10,12 demonstrate the main point)
- Bad influence (:7,9 Illustration)
- Contrary to God’s will (:8 Indicative)
- Grace is a stumbling block (5:11)
Theology
Define:
"severed", to make ineffective or powerless; also to abolish or set aside.
Meaning:
What is Paul saying about the spiritual state of the circumcised Gentiles? Are they lost? Paul is not arguing here that circumcision results in loss of salvation, "neither circumcision or uncircumcision means anything." Rather he is making the point that justification by works is just the opposite of justification by faith. If you are seeking to be justified by works, you are not relying on Christ. Therefore you have been severed in your "conditional" dependence upon Him for justification, not that you have been "positionally" separated from Him. Christ set us free from law, guilt, and bondage to ritualism. And it is for this reason that he exhorts the Galatians to stand firm. This imperative is followed by a series of indicative statements dealing with the issue of law and grace. Paul ends this series of indicatives by appealing to the Galatians in more direct terms to excise those who are oppressing them.
What did circumcision represent?
Circumcision was a way of life. "Unless you are circumcised and keep the law you cannot be saved," Acts 15:5. Paul calls on us to choose between law and grace. You cannot have both. It is either Christ or self-effort.
Circumcision was symbolic of removing our calloused sin nature and exposing a vulnerable and sensitive heart before God (Deut. 30:6, Jer. 4:4). Paul turns this symbolism upside down in verse 4 when he states that under the new covenant, circumcision has just the opposite effect: instead of drawing us near to God, the attempt to live out the law severs us from Christ. Paul's language is shockingly graphic but is used to a purpose, namely, faith and law are not compatible in the Christian life.
Parallel:
John 8:32, Gal. 5:13, Rom. 7, Jas. 2:10
Application
Them:
Don't go under the knife. Fight back.
The law is an all-or-nothing proposition. You cannot keep just part of it.
Us:
Don't stand for legalism.
If we preach grace, we will encounter opposition. Grace is offensive to human pride. We want to do it on our own.
