1 of 5 for GT to Debate (The entire book of Galatians)
How much do I really have to type here? This is straight forward. After that long post that tied up chapter 2, I'm going to go straight into chapter 3.
Galatians 3 (HCSB)
3 You foolish Galatians! Who has hypnotized you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was vividly portrayed as crucified?
Paul is building in his frustration. He asks the Galatians how they could be so gullible.
I always wonder if Paul opened this with the words he was really thinking. It's pretty obvious he is livid. He asks the Galatians who deceived them and drew them away from the simplicity of the gospel.
He then asks them why they have forgotten every word about the sacrifice of Jesus. He basically had popped in Mel Gibson's "The Passion" and explained how God coming and dying for them was such a big deal!
2 I only want to learn this from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law or by hearing with faith?
Paul is essentially frustrated as goodness and is struggling to keep cool headed in spite of how angry he obviously is.
Paul immediately divides the difference between Absolute Faith and Obedience to Moses.
For those of you that hate the idea that the old covenant is all of Moses and believe absolute Faith (Alone) is a lie, you should probably throw your bible away. Paul is working up to some serious Grace by faith (Alone) verbiage.
If you feel you are righteous and better than an Athiest or an outright, raging sinner because of your righteousness through obedience to any part of Moses, throw your bible away. Paul is about to hurt your feelings.
3 Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now going to be made complete by the flesh?
Spirit = Holy Spirit of Jesus that comes through Faith and Love (Alone) in Jesus, as your Perfection. This means that you understand that Jesus is your sole righteousness.
The moment you have faith in this, you are instantly complete in ALL of your salvational needs for a lifetime and eternity. He is your cloak of Righteousness that covers your dying and sinful flesh.
Flesh = Obeying any standard of Moses to believe you are completing Jesus work of salvation on any level. Judgment and Condemnation come with using Moses as your measuring stick.
If Moses brings you any personal assurance or spiritual pride, you're not doing it right.
If you judge and condemn any human being by standards found in Moses, you're not doing it right! No matter who is telling you to condemn or judge by Moses, you mustn't believe a word they say.
4 Did you suffer so much for nothing—if in fact it was for nothing?
Did you get shunned by Jews, Greeks and government to the point of fearing for your lives for nothing. Have you lost your jobs for nothing? Have you helped spread the simple message of Jesus's powerful blood for nothing? Are you seriously risking your lives for the pure and simple Gospel message that you are now rejecting?
5 So then, does God supply you with the Spirit and work miracles among you by the works of the law or by hearing with faith?
Does the spiritual revelation of Jesus's teachings and the working of amazing miracles occur all around you, in you and come from you because of Faith (ALONE) and the Spirit that comes with Faith (ALONE)? Did you receive the fruits of the Spirit from Faith (Alone)?
Or, does any good thing come from obedience to Moses and judgment towards your fellow man?
6 Just as Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him for righteousness,
Abraham trusted that God is good. He believed that God provided all of His needs and saw God provide all of his needs. By Abraham's Faith Alone, he was counted Righteous. As in, void of judgment by the Law of obedience. All of his sins are blotted away with the death of Jesus!
7 then understand that those who have faith are Abraham’s sons.
If you can simply understand Faith alone, then you are given Jesus's cloak of righteousness and salvation is guaranteed by Jesus's payment of your entire life's debt of sin; past, present and future!
8 Now the Scripture saw in advance that God would justify the Gentiles by faith and told the good news ahead of time to Abraham, saying, All the nations will be blessed through you.
Jesus always knew He would save all of mankind through His death and resurrection.
Jesus told Abraham that He would bless the entire human race through the Son of the Promise (Jesus) that would be born of the lineage of his (Abraham's) son of Promise. (Isaac)
9 So those who have faith are blessed with Abraham, who had faith.
All you have to do is put your complete faith in Jesus as you are. This will instantly make you as right with God as you have read Abraham to be.
You and Abraham become co heirs with Jesus by your Faith, void of human effort in Jesus!
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[url="http://theologyonline.com/showthread.php?118728-1-of-5-for-GT-to-Debate-(The-entire-book-of-Galatians)&p=4766403&viewfull=1#post4766403]7th Chunk[/url]
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