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Galatians 4 - Be Patient With Me, God's Not Finished With Me Yet!

Galatians 4 - NIV Enduring Word Commentary 19 My dear children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you, 20 how I wish I could be with you now and change my tone, because I am perplexed about you! We see again Paul's heart for the Galatians. Though Paul was one of the greatest missionaries and evangelists of all time, he had the heart of a pastor. The reason he was so upset the Galatians might return to the Law, after first receiving God's grace, was that he knew it was a " dead end street ". After having tasted the freedom of the gospel, these false teachers were trying to get them to return to the bondage of the Law. It really shocked Paul that they were even thinking this way.  In this chapter he points to the fact that these teachers wanted them to observe special days, months, and seasons.  The false teachers among the Galatians demanded the observance of days and months and seasons and years and other such legalistic matters ...

Galatians 3 - What Does True Equality Look Like?

  Galatians 3 - NIV Enduring Word Commentary 26 So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, 27 for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise. In Chapter 3, Paul continues to address the divide between the Jews and Gentiles. He teaches that the promise God made with Abraham could only be obtained through faith. In the famous passage from Genesis 15:6 it says, "Abram believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness."  We often thnk that the Old Testament is all about the law and God's wrath, but it started with a promise to Abraham, which he received by faith. It was only later that the Mosaic Law was introduced which was to set the Israelites apart from the pagan nations.   As part of this c...

Galatians 2 - How Can You Be Made Right With God?

Galatians 2 - NIV Enduring Word Commentary  20 I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. 21 I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!” This is one of the most famous passages in the bible. I would strongly recommend you put it to memory. These two verses sum up what it means to be a follower of Jesus Christ. But we might misinterpret it if we don't remember the context of this chaper and the rest of the letter to the Galatians.  There were certain men of reputation who came from Jerusalem, who had infiltrated the church and presented a false gospel that newly converted Gentiles needed to be circumcised. So, when Paul was in Antioch, he had to confront Peter because he used to eat with Gentiles, but when these men came, he stopped. Basically he caved to peer press...

Galatians 1 - Watch Out for the "Perverted Gospel"!

Galatians 1 - NIV Enduring Word Commentary Today, we begin Paul's letter to the Galatians. The province of Galatia was in Asia Minor, which is in modern day "Turkey". Here are some other historical details about the book of Galatians. The Book of Galatians, often called the "Magna Carta of Christian Liberty," is a New Testament letter written by the Apostle Paul to a group of churches in the Roman province of Galatia (modern-day Turkey).Written around 48–49 AD, it is likely Paul's earliest surviving letter. The letter serves as a passionate defense of the gospel of salvation by grace alone through faith alone, directly countering false teachers who insisted that Gentile Christians must follow the Mosaic Law to be saved. (Fuller Seminary, Christopher Scott) No Other Gospel 6 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you to live in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— 7 which is really no gospel at all. Evidentl...

2 Corinthians 13 - Can You Know If You Are A Christian?

2 Corinthians 13 - NIV   Enduring Word Commentary 5 Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test? 6 And I trust that you will discover that we have not failed the test. 7 Now we pray to God that you will not do anything wrong—not so that people will see that we have stood the test but so that you will do what is right even though we may seem to have failed. 8 For we cannot do anything against the truth, but only for the truth. 9 We are glad whenever we are weak but you are strong; and our prayer is that you may be fully restored. 10 This is why I write these things when I am absent, that when I come I may not have to be harsh in my use of authority—the authority the Lord gave me for building you up, not for tearing you down. As Paul concludes his second letter to the Corinthians, he asks them a very important question. He says to them, "Examine yourselves to see if you a...

2 Corinthians 12 - The Great Paradox of the Christian Life!

  2 Corinthians 12 - NIV Enduring Word Commentary Paul’s Vision and His Thorn 12 I must go on boasting. Although there is nothing to be gained, I will go on to visions and revelations from the Lord. 2 I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know—God knows. 3 And I know that this man—whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, but God knows— 4 was caught up to paradise and heard inexpressible things, things that no one is permitted to tell. 5 I will boast about a man like that, but I will not boast about myself, except about my weaknesses. 6 Even if I should choose to boast, I would not be a fool, because I would be speaking the truth. But I refrain, so no one will think more of me than is warranted by what I do or say, 7 or because of these surpassingly great revelations. Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of...

2 Corinthians 11 - How Can You Spot A False Gospel Teaching A False Jesus!

2 Corinthians 11 - NIV Enduring Word Commentary Paul and the False Apostles 11 I hope you will put up with me in a little foolishness. Yes, please put up with me! 2 I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy. I promised you to one husband, to Christ, so that I might present you as a pure virgin to him. 3 But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ. 4 For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the Spirit you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it easily enough. One of the major issues Paul addresses in this letter to the Corinthians was that he was a true apostle . Some "bad apples" slipped into the Corinthian church and were talking behind his back.  They created doubts about Paul's integrity, by saying he didn't keep His word when he said ...