A Study On Galatians

(Introduction and Overview)

Deception Causes Unclarity

As an introduction to a study on Galatians, it is beneficial to first give an overview of the book and to know that Paul’s first journey was to the Galatia Island where he started a New Testament Church in 47-49 AD. According to the bible, the letter to the churches of Galatia was sent first to southern Galatia around 49 AD and then to northern Galatia around 52 AD. That was not very long after the church was originally started. Why this letter is important to us today is because in examining Paul’s letter, we realize that there are similarities occurring today and Yahweh is exposing those who are leading His children astray. In addition to Paul’s letter (of whom our focus is in this post), Peter and others had to address the same issues.

“For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of Yahweh; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of Yahweh?” (1 Peter 4:17)

Why The Letter to the Galatians?

Paul was compelled to write a letter to circulate to the various churches that had been started because there were false teachers who had crept in and were teaching the new and young believers in Christ that certain works were required to obtain salvation. These false teachers were primarily either Hebrew or Jewish and insisted the Israelite rituals and traditions were required. Paul, being a Hebrew from the tribe of Benjamin, and former Pharisee and member of the Sanhedrin Jewish Council, knew this was no longer the case for salvation and needed to bring correction and truth to the people. He even went so far as to ask the question, “O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Yeshua Christ was clearly portrayed among you as crucified?” (Chapter 3:1) The severity of this question is such that Paul looked at this as witchcraft or a spell being placed on the believers. A spiritual adjustment and awakening was much needed. The same is needed today.

When reading Galatians, Paul repeats the phrase “the truth of the gospel.” His letter clarifies the gospel message against the subtle influence, yet deadly, danger of works salvation. He reminds us that no sinful person has ever been granted eternal life based on works and that everyone who lives by such confidence in works is “cursed,” because no one can perfectly obey the law—that is the Mosaic Law. Paul goes to great lengths to clarify that the only way we can be justified before Yahweh is by faith in Yeshua HaMashiach. Does this mean that works of any kind are not required for Christians and that we can just believe in Yeshua, say we have faith and are saved by grace, thereby continue living a worldly life? No! There is a distinct difference between works achieved as a result of being saved versus works in order to be saved.

Does today’s church truly understand what Faith is?

Paul saw faith lacking in the Christian life and he was on a mission to get the church back on the course of truth originally set before them. That course being “faith working through love and the power of the Holy Spirit.” Not only is justification before Yahweh by faith alone but it is also by sanctification. He describes in his letter the life of faith as “walking in the Spirit”, being “led by the Spirit”, producing the “the fruit of the Spirit”, and “sowing to the Spirit” (5:16-26). Beloved, without the power of the Holy Spirit and us relying on the power of the Holy Spirit, we can easily default to works of the flesh (become bewitched) by those preaching another gospel. The good works that Yeshua requires are those accomplished in the power of the Holy Spirit, through faith and obedience in Him alone (6:7-10).

This life of faith produces working through love to our neighbor and especially to our brothers and sisters in Christ. Sowing to the Spirit cultivates and spreads the gospel through faith and reaps the reward of everlasting life for those who allow it to take root and grow.

What is the definition of Faith?

The writer of the book of Hebrews states it in chapter 11, verse 1. “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it (Faith) the elders obtained a good testimony.” (Hebrews 11:1-2) 

So when it says, “Faith is the substance (being sure) of things hoped for, and Faith is the evidence (certainty) of things not seen.”, then what it means is that there is an entire world and entire existence apart from what can be seen.  A spiritual force at work so majestic that our minds cannot begin to comprehend.

Growing up in faith requires a trust in Yahweh, not just for how your life might be preserved and enriched, but it requires that you believe that He is better able to direct the entirety of your life than you are. Faith therefore, must mature from what Yahweh can do for you, how Yahweh can supply you, and how Yahweh can preserve your health. It must grow from that to your complete trust in Him through Yeshua.  Growing up in Yeshua is coming to the realization that Yahweh has a plan for your life, which is how He, himself, envisioned that He would live in time and space through your person, through your body. 

Faith is also the substance of things hoped for. At this point, hope then is not a “wish”. Hope is that consistent conformity with what Yahweh has previously declared to you, that which you are basing your actions for the future. 

Hope is certainty, hope is security, hope has no element of uncertainty to it!

Hope means that Yahweh, who has given you the substantive (concrete) awareness of His promise and has always been faithful in His promises, when the thing that He has now substantively promised you is waiting to be fulfilled, you don’t act as if it’s not going to. Because your hope is not a wish that it would happen, but the certainty that this future, too, will be as certain to you as every other thing that Yahweh substantively brought forth having previously promised it to you. 

“By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of Yahweh, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.” (Hebrews 11:3)

Faith is your encounter—in a routine way through all of the stages of your life—with the reality that though you cannot see it, you’ve bumped into the evidence of its existence again and again and again. The evidence is meant to cause you to rely on the reality of the thing that you cannot see, based upon your contact with it. We have not seen the Kingdom of Yahweh. You cannot say, “Look here the Kingdom; look there the Kingdom”, because the Kingdom is within you and the Kingdom is invisible.

“The kingdom of Yahweh does not come with observation; nor will they say, ‘See here!” or ‘See there!” For indeed, the kingdom of Yahweh is within you.” (Luke 17:20-21)

What evidence do you have that the Kingdom exists? The fact is that Yahweh continuously bombards you with the evidence that, though it is unseen, it is real. You see the Kingdom of Yahweh in terms of “the goodness of Yahweh and his grace in your life.” So the Scriptures say, “Blessed are you who have not seen and yet have believed.” —“Then Yeshua told him, ‘Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.’” – John 20:29)

This, my beloved is Faith. For more information, please visit the elementary doctrine teaching on Faith.

The Salutation:

Paul begins his letter with a powerful statement of introduction:  “Paul, an apostle (not from men nor through man, but through Yeshua Christ and Yahweh the Father who raised Him from the dead), and all the brethren who are with me, to the churches of Galatia.”

A couple things to note here: 

1) Only through Yeshua and Yahweh the Father can one truly be sent with a message/mandate, on a mission (journey), for the works of furthering the good news gospel and the kingdom of Yahweh here on earth. Those persons are led by the power of the Holy Spirit. The mission and message must be accompanied by the fruit of the Spirit, and their work of obedience must be in faith, which results in sowing into the Spirit. 

There are many who have come before, are here now, and will continue to come, who are not sent by Yeshua HaMashiach and Yahweh the Father, led fully by the Holy Spirit. They may bring a message that has elements of truth, claim to be sent with a message, but are ravenous wolves sent by the adversary to bewitch many within the body of Yeshua.

2) Paul’s letters generally begin with a salutation of grace, peace, and thanksgiving. This letter begins with grace and peace and a reminder of who Yahweh is and why Yeshua came. There is a serious tone that is set.

Paul’s letter must be taken seriously today and notice how although he comes in the love of Yeshua and speaks grace to the believers, his message is not all lovey dovey. No, it is firm, serious, and seems abrasive. Can you imagine being told you’re a fool, under a spell…that someone has bewitched you (hypnotized, overpowered your mind, put a spell on)? And yet, it is said in love and with deep concern. Beloved, correction or chastisement from the Lord is not always pleasant but it is for our own well being, and in this case, our eternal spiritual well-being.

In Chapter 1:6:24, Paul explains that he is shocked (marvel, astonished) at how quick (within a few years of hearing the gospel) their faith had been shaken and they were falling prey to a perversion of the true gospel. He goes to great lengths to remind them of why he was sent to them in the first place and how it was only by the revelation of Yeshua HaMashiach that he had obtained the true gospel. Paul is laying out his credentials, if you will, and yet in Yeshua’s infinite wisdom, we can see why Yeshua chose Paul to go to the gentile nations, beginning with Galatia. No one knew Judaism better than he, thereby he could smell a rat miles away. He knew Judaism was not just a form of religion. It was the Jewish way of life, based partly on the Old Testament Torah, but also on the additional traditions of the forefathers, and leaders of the people which include political and military power. It was more about manipulation and control than freedom. Yeshua addressed these matters in the book of Matthew. Not only had Paul, prior to his encounter with Yeshua and his conversion to the faith, once adhered strictly to the law and traditions, he persecuted the church of Yahweh with intent to destroy it from the face of the earth. 

Chapter 1 continues into Chapter 2 as part of the same message in defending the true gospel and even having to address some hypocrisy he witnessed in some other apostles (those of whom Yeshua also had sent with a mandate). Paul makes his case clear on who he serves and why he serves Yeshua Christ. He does not waver from the truth nor does he attempt to appease man over truth.

How does this apply to modern Christianity today?

The Hebrew Roots Movement began in the early 1990’s and has caused many to fall from grace as a result of leading them back into works of the law. Today we have Christians calling themselves Torah keepers, Sabbath keepers, etc. There is a movement raising up called the Noahide Academy for Israel with the motto “Leave the Church, Return to the Torah and Judaism.” 

However, in addition to this, the adversary has had a field day in causing millions to be led astray with a message of another gospel so as to quench the Spirit of Yahweh within the body. There is little regard to the fact that in Yeshua HaMashiach there is neither Gentile nor Jew, slave nor free, female nor male, but that we are all one in Christ and Christ is all and “in all”. (Col 3:11)

The early church, when birthed, went to great depths to remove the barriers of ethnicity, socioeconomic, and gender. Yeshua broke down these barriers by speaking, healing, and using the spiritual gifts of women in ministry, just as he did men. Today, segregation is still prevalent in religious institutions. We have predominately white churches, black churches, Korean churches, Chinese churches, spirit filled churches, word churches, denominational churches, etc. One must ask the question with all the walls of ethnicity, status, or gender that divide believers today, is our church truly a sign of God’s kingdom here on earth, or merely a human institution?

Today, we are witnessing many pastors and churches being exposed as Yahweh judges His house? (or that which they have in vanity called His house) – Hypocrisy, narcissism, sexual immorality; denominational schisms over sexual immorality and false doctrine; Perversion of the gospel, distortion of the true gospel; Various places practicing sexual immorality, witchcraft, false teachers/doctrine; extortion of congregants, new age teachings, blasphemous music, buildings and conferences turned into marketplaces and entertainment halls. Hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of people being led by wolves in sheep clothing and Yahweh is exposing. There will be no stone left unturned!

When Yahweh gave the third commandment “Thou shall not take the name of the Lord Yahweh in vain, for the Father will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain”, this is exactly what He was referring to. We must pray for the millions of people who are affected by this spiritual plague because Satan’s only goal is to cause them to fall away from the faith. Pray for the Father to show you where you are possibly plagued and who has bewitched you. No longer can we play church and trust what man tells us. We must test the spirits. For years, people have put their trust more in the person at the pulpit than they do in Yeshua and His sole purpose for giving up His life on the cross for us. We must return and know the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit and we must pray for wisdom and discernment. Falling from grace is a tough and barren place to be. It causes much heartache and spiritual mourning. If we do not get on the correct path of righteousness, the reward is eternal death.

This introduction may seem extensive, but as we continue the study on the letter to the church of Galatians, you will have context on the importance of Paul’s message. 

Thank you for joining me. If you are not a subscriber, please subscribe below to be notified as each study is posted on the website. Until then, blessings to you and know that you are loved.