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“Paul, an apostle-not from men or by man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised Him from the dead – and all the brothers who are with me: To the churches of Galatia. Grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for our sins to rescue us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father. To whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.”
[Galatians 1:1-5 HCSB]
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Brilliant thoughts from the past
I have just begun teaching through Galatians and was struck by these fantastic comments – the first from the 19th century and the other from the 20th.
Considering Paul’s apostleship, Dr. Lightfoot noticed:
The two threads which run through this Epistle-the defense of the Apostle’s own authority, and the maintenance of the doctrine of grace-are knotted together in the opening salutation. By expanding his official title into a statement of his direct commission from God, he meets the personal attack of his enemies; and by dwelling on the work of redemption in connection with the name of Christ (v. 4) he resists their doctrinal errors. – J.B. Lightfoot, The Epistle of St. Paul to the Galatians
Regarding grace and peace in Jesus, A.W. Tozer wrote:
Brethren, we have been declared “Not Guilty!” by the highest court in all the universe. Still there are honest Christians, earnestly seeking the face of God, who cannot seem to break loose and find real freedom. The grave clothes trip them up every time they try to move on a little faster. Satan uses their past sins to terrify them. Now, on the basis of grace as taught in the Word of God, when God forgives a man, He trusts him as though he had never sinned. God did not have mental reservations about any of us when we became His children by faith. When God forgives a man, He doesn’t think, “I will have to watch this fellow because he has a bad record.” No, He starts with him again as though he had just been created and as if there had been no past at all! That is the basis of our Christian assurance-and God wants us to be happy in it. – A.W. Tozer, I Talk Back to the Devil
My study notes
Whenever we start studying a new book of the Bible, I share with you my personal study notes. Of course, many who read these are not learning directly with us at Frisco Bible Church or even able to view the messages online. Still, when you study Galatians for yourself and teach it someday, these notes may prove helpful. It’s an honor to learn and grow with you.
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