FREEDOM IS WHAT WE HAVE! "Because Christians are the children of the free woman, you Gentiles must not allow yourselves to be made slaves again by believing that the Law of Moses is necessary to your salvation!!!... [ Continue Reading ]
I, PAUL, TELL YOU THIS. "As a true apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ I tell you this true fact: If you let yourselves be circumcised as if it were necessary for this to be done in order for you to be saved, Christ-on-the-cross will no longer be available to you!... [ Continue Reading ]
TO BE CIRCUMCISED. That is, with the idea of this being part of his salvation. As a national sign (Acts 16:3) or a health practice, everyone can be circumcised with no change at all in their relationship to Christ. But when a Gentile is circumcised to show he is placing himself under The Law, it cut... [ Continue Reading ]
HAVE CUT YOURSELVES OFF FROM CHRIST. "By trying to be put right with God through The Law, you have in fact RENOUNCED Christ!!! Therefore you are outside God's GRACE and cannot expect to receive the PROMISE which comes through Christ-on-the-cross!!!... [ Continue Reading ]
OUR HOPE. "We who are in Christ look forward to the time when God will put us right with himself by setting _our whole being free in the Resurrection_ (Romans 8:18-23)! God's Spirit who lives in us Christians (Romans 8:11) is both the guarantee and the means of this!!!" [Compare the contrast in Gala... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR WHEN WE ARE. "In our union with Christ, such things as circumcision have no meaning at all!!! It is that faith which works through love, that God counts!!!... [ Continue Reading ]
YOU WERE DOING SO WELL! "You were making such great progress in the Good News of Christ! You were really _living_ God's truth!!! How could you let anyone talk you out of it???... [ Continue Reading ]
IT WAS NOT DONE BY GOD. "God calls people to be saved (John 6:44-45), but I have already showed you from The Law itself that God's promise does not come through The Law! Certainly God himself would not now be calling you to obey The Law!!!... [ Continue Reading ]
IT TAKES ONLY A LITTLE YEAST. "The errors of one teacher are enough to turn a whole church away from the truth!!!... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT I STILL FEEL SURE. "I do not want you to think you are beyond God's reach. I still have confidence in you, because of _our union in the Lord._ But God will punish the man who is upsetting you by the things he teaches!... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT AS FOR ME. "My enemies tell you that I still preach circumcision, and perhaps point to Timothy as an example. But if that were true, why would they continue to persecute me??? If I did preach that circumcision were necessary to salvation, my _offensive preaching_ about Christ-on-the-cross would... [ Continue Reading ]
I WISH. Both the TEV and the NIV give the _literal_ translation of what Paul actually said. Paul is speaking in _bitter irony!_ The _Expositor's Greek Testament_ says: "APOKOPSONTAI. This word was habitually used to describe the practice of mutilation which was so prevalent in the Phrygian worship o... [ Continue Reading ]
YOU WERE CALLED TO BE FREE. "The Good News of Christ has called you _out_ from slavery into the freedom which Christ gives!" BUT DO NOT LET. "Your freedom does not mean you are free to sin as you please!" INSTEAD. "Let love be the motivation of your life to such a degree that you will serve one anot... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR THE WHOLE LAW. "The Law of Moses is _condensed_ in this one commandment: Love your fellowman as yourself. You cannot please God without doing this!!!" Compare Matthew 22:39; Romans 13:8; 1 John 4:20.... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT IF YOU ACT LIKE ANIMALS. "But if, in _your frantic action_ either for or against The Law, you begin to act like animals, hurting and harming one another as you bite and devour each other, _watch out_!!! You may condemn each other to hell!!!" Compare Acts 26:9-11; James 4:1-5.... [ Continue Reading ]
LET THE SPIRIT. The voice of the Spirit speaks through the New Testament especially, and as we listen to Him speak and guide our lives by what He says, we will avoid the evil desires of human nature that make us bite and devour each other.... [ Continue Reading ]
IS OPPOSED. "The evil desires of our human nature (Galatians 5:20-21) are in conflict with what the Spirit wants us to do (Galatians 5:22-23)_."_ THIS MEANS. "If you are to live your life in the Spirit, you cannot please yourself and do everything you are tempted to do.... [ Continue Reading ]
IF THE SPIRIT LEADS YOU. "If you listen to the Spirit speak through the teaching of the Good News (see note on Romans 3:31), as sons and daughters of God (Romans 8:14) you have escaped from the curse of The Law!!! You have no need to be circumcised and follow its ritual!!!... [ Continue Reading ]
WHAT HUMAN NATURE DOES. Paul is talking about the evil side of our human nature, not ordinary human desires and needs. Even Christians still have this _evil side,_ as the case of the Galatian Christians show. The Devil tries to use this _side_ of us to seduce us to sin!!! IMMORAL. Sex acts outside t... [ Continue Reading ]
IDOLS. Worship to these included obscene and bizarre practices. WITCHCRAFT. This formed part of idolatry. The pagan priests claimed to be able to speak with and control the evil spirits. By this they frightened people and made themselves rich. ENEMIES. Who bear grudges against each other and will ne... [ Continue Reading ]
ENVIOUS. The success of others makes them unhappy. GET DRUNK. Drunkenness has always been a sin. HAVE ORGIES. Drunken dancing that leads to immoral actions and the attitude of indecency. THOSE WHO DO THESE THINGS. Part of the preaching of the Good News, was this warning that those who continue to re... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT THE SPIRIT PRODUCES. Christians are the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). The real evidence of the Spirit living in them, is not speaking in tongues and miraculous powers! The real evidence is these things which Paul now mentions. These are what the Holy Spirit produces as _frui... [ Continue Reading ]
HUMILITY. Not proud or arrogant, but willing to listen to others and willing to cooperate. Compare 2 Corinthians 10:1 and note. It is the _meekness_ of Matthew 5:5 and note. SELF-CONTROL. See 1 Corinthians 6:12 and note. THERE IS NO LAW. "To praise these good qualities which the Spirit produces, I r... [ Continue Reading ]
HAVE PUT TO DEATH. The New birth of waste and the Spirit (John 3:5) marks the dividing line between the world and the church. In dying with Christ and being buried in the liquid grave (Romans 6:3-4; Colossians 2:12) you have put to death and crucified with Christ the evil side of human nature. Your... [ Continue Reading ]
THE SPIRIT. "The Spirit has given us lite (Titus 3:5) and we are free (2 Corinthians 3:17-18). Therefore, we must permit Him to control our lives, by actively following his instructions (Romans 8:5-9)_."_... [ Continue Reading ]
WE MUST NOT BE. These things destroy Christian community and fellowship!... [ Continue Reading ]