Galatians Lesson 1

Galatians

“The magna carta of Christian freedom”

Key Verse: Galatians 5:1 “Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.”

Key Words: Law – found 32 times; Faith – found 21 times; Free – found 7 times.

Theme: Liberty, not bondage, God has given liberty to believers in Christ. We are not to be entangled again with the yoke of bondage (the law).

Date: 55 A.D.

Writer: The Apostle Paul (see I Corinthians)

Written to: believers in Galatia (shortest of Paul’s writings) from Rome

The Book: Number in Bible – 48th Book in the Bible; Number of Chapters – 6; Number of verses – 149; Number in order of writing – 9th in New Testament.

Purpose: To refute and offset the teaching of the Judaisers. They were teaching that after salvation was obtained through Christ, it must be maintained by works.

Divisions:

Chapter 1 – The cross and deliverance from an evil world

Chapter 2 – The cross and crucifixion

Chapter 3 – The cross and redemption from the curse

Chapter 4 – The cross and adoption into Sonship

Chapter 5 – The cross and its continued offense

Chapter 6 – The cross and its persecutions

Outline:

I. Personal, grace and the Gospel (1-2)

a. Grace declared in Paul’s message (1:1-10)

b. Grace demonstrated in Paul’s life (1:11-24)

c. Grace defended in Paul’s ministry (2:1)

1. Before the church leaders collectively (2:1-10)

2. Before Peter personally (2:11-21)

II. Doctrinal, grace and the law (34) – Paul proves that salvation is not through keeping the law

a. Personal argument from experience (3:1-5)

b. Scriptural argument – Abraham’s faith (3:6-14)

c. Logical argument (3:15-29)

d. Dispensational argument (4:1-11)

e. Sentimental argument (4:12-18)

f. Allegorical argument (4:19-31)

III. Practical, grace and the Christian life (5-6)

a. Liberty, not bondage (5:1-5)

b. The Spirit, not the flesh (5:16-26)

c. Others, not self (6:1-10)

d. God’s glory, not man’s approval (6:11-18)

Miscellaneous:

1) Galatians called “Paul’s explosive epistle” – every sentence a thunderbolt. Every word a stick of dynamite.

2) Relates to the Book of Romans

In Galatians we shall find:

1) A law that had been satisfied

2) A love that had been manifested

3) A life that must be lived

4) A liberty that had been secured

Simply click the “Take the Quiz” Button to the right. Have your KJV Bible with you, and look up the answers to the questions on the quiz. You can then answer the questions from the Bible, (Open Book Test)