Posted on 01/09/2015 5:43:56 AM PST by Gamecock
Sometimes, what is not said speaks more loudly than actual words. The silence, as we say, is deafening. In the opening verses of his letter to the churches of Galatia, the apostle Paul employs this communication technique to underscore the seriousness of the subject at hand. As he does in all of his letters, Paul begins by identifying himself as the author, naming the intended recipients, and pronouncing a blessing on them (1:1–5).
It is what comes next that is so uncharacteristic for him. Immediately after his introductory comments, and before launching into the body of the letter, Paul writes…nothing. He offers no expression of gratitude to God for them or words of encouragement about their spiritual vitality.
When compared to his other warm greetings (for example, Rom. 1:8; 1 Cor. 1:1–5; Eph. 1:15–23; Phil. 1:3–11), what Paul does not say to the Galatians speaks volumes.
He leaves no doubt about the seriousness and urgency of the topic of his letter. His burden is to explain and defend the true gospel of God’s grace. He launches into the subject early and writes with a fiery tone, employing sarcasm, threats, warnings, and rebukes to get his points across.
Like a soldier rushing into battle with guns blazing, Paul immediately begins contending for the truth of the gospel. His purpose is not simply to win a theological argument. Rather, he is determined to fight for the spiritual lives of the Galatian believers.
Getting the gospel right is crucial. It is a matter of spiritual life and death. If you miss this, it does not matter what you get because you will miss God.
Paul understands this and therefore strongly refutes the false teaching of those who have begun to undermine the Galatians’ confidence in the simple gospel that he had preached to them.
That message is all about the finished work of Jesus Christ “who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father” (Gal. 1:4). The gospel that Paul preached to them proclaimed salvation by grace alone received through faith alone in Jesus Christ alone.
This message is great news for sinners because it reveals that salvation, from first to last, is God’s work and not dependent on anything in us. It eliminates any basis for pride as well as any cause to despair. Those whom God saves are made right with Him not because of anything they have done or not done, but because they have been “called…in the grace of Christ” (v. 6).
On the one hand, the worst of people are genuine candidates for salvation because the only way that God saves is by grace. On the other hand, if the most respectable people are to be saved, it will not be because of any goodness in them but, again, only by the grace of God.
No wonder Paul was “astonished” to learn that the Galatians were so quickly and easily being led away from the gospel of God’s grace (v. 6). The false teachers insisted that trusting Christ was not enough — to be right with God, a person must also keep certain Old Testament ceremonies. But adding to the gospel is just as disastrous as subtracting from it. Both “distort the gospel of Christ” (v. 7).
Any change in the message of Jesus Christ turns it into “a different gospel” (v. 6) that keeps people from knowing God. This is why Paul writes with such passion, warning the Galatians never to tolerate anyone — not even an apostle or an angel — who would dare to preach as the gospel any other message than salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Jesus Christ alone, plus nothing.
Twice Paul says that any creature who distorts the gospel should be “accursed.” He literally pronounces “anathema” on such a person (v. 9). Those who spread false gospels are worthy of God’s damnation.
Paul intends that his use of such strong language should have a sobering affect on us. Misrepresenting the gospel is serious business. Those who believe false gospels will wind up in hell. Those who teach false gospels deserve nothing less.
The churches of Galatia were very young when Paul sent them this letter. Yet, he expected that they — all of the members and not just the leaders — would be doctrinally alert enough to discern the true gospel from counterfeits.
This is the responsibility of every Christian. Like sheep who will follow only the voice of their shepherd, we must learn to recognize the simplicity and fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ and refuse to tolerate any teaching that deviates from it.
Our very lives depend on it.
No, but PETER did.
If that’s not true, there’s no reason to believe any of it. If that’s not true,
Why make this out to be something it is not?
Initially I was thinking you might be a mainline Protestant, but now I’m guessing you’re Catholic.>>>>>>>>
If you want to make it personal, it can be a two way street.
Seeing as "holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit", ALL of Scripture is important to a believer. It ALL is given to us so that we may be complete, equipped for every good work.
just as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given him, wrote to you, as also in all his letters, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which the untaught and unstable distort, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction. (2 Peter 2:15,16)
It ALL is given to us so that we may be complete, equipped for every good work.
just as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given him, wrote to you, as also in all his letters, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which the untaught and unstable distort, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction. (2 Peter 2:15,16)
He don`t, he said Paul`s letters.
as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction
Peter had been talking about scripture from the old testament so it is doubtful to me if he was calling Paul`s letters scripture.
Or don’t you consider the Holy Spirit part of the Godhead?
As the Apostle John concluded in his gospel:
Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. (John 20:30,31)
Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written. (John 21:25)
Peter said, "as they do the other Scriptures", that phrase means he was calling Paul's writings Scripture, too. Peter was talking about ALL Scripture - including what was STILL ongoing revelation. Are you contending that the Apostles Peter, John, Paul, James and Jude were NOT writing Holy Spirit-inspired Scripture which was received as from God by the first Christians?
But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. (John 20:30,31)
But these are written that you will believe that Jesus is the messiah, they were written and we believe.
No one here has denied that anyone should NOT read what Jesus said>>>>>>>>>
Here is my comment
That is why Christians need to spend more time reading the four Gospels.
I did not say we should not read anything else, are people offended with something Jesus said?
The gospel is all we need for our salvation, the apostles preached that gospel in their own way.
Any one believing we need something besides Jesus maybe should read the gospels again.
that phrase means he was calling Paul’s writings Scripture, too.
Are you contending that the Apostles Peter, John, Paul, James and Jude were NOT writing Holy Spirit-inspired Scripture which was received as from God by the first Christians?
John was in the spirit on the Lords day and given the things to write by an angel of god.
Peter was obviously shown by the holy spirit that this earth would some day melt with fervent heat.
It is not likely that even with Paul`s education that he would have known about Christ and his first fruits with out guidance from the holy spirit.
But no, I am not convinced every thing they wrote in the epistles was directed by the holy spirit.
I don't know of any who don't.
I believe what Jesus said has priority, but only if there is a contradiction.
I have been reading the New Testament, pretty much everyday for about 45 years. I haven't noticed any contradictions yet. If you have, then please point it out to me and the other Bible specialists here. To the best of my knowledge, none of them have seen contradictions either, but I am sure they can answer for themselves.
“But no, I am not convinced every thing they wrote in the epistles was directed by the holy spirit.”
So do you discard all of the Epistles? If not, how do you decide what was directed by the Holy Spirit?
If that is true, and I don't think it is, but if it is, which written passages are not directed by the Holy Spirit? Is it different verses in the epistles? Is it full epistles? Is it certain chapters in certain epistles? Who gets to make the decision of which verses/chapters/books of the Epistles are not inspired by the Holy Spirit. Try reading Josh McDowell's books, evidence that demands a verdict and more evidence that demands a verdict or other books on apologetics. You might come away with a different point of view. My opinion is, either the entire New Testament is inspired by the Holy Spirit, or none of it is.
Absolutely, bro.
Jesus' direct reproof to the Devil:
"But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God" (Mt. 4:4 AV, cf. Lk. 4:4) (my emphases, "written" is in the perfect tense, that which is written stands, and with continuing force and effect).
It is the words recorded that are inspired, not the writer. Even, for instance, in 1 Cor. 7:6 and also v. 25 it is still the writing that is both moved by/God-breathed that is both prompted and selected for retention by the Holy Ghost, and is never, no not ever, to be diminished, augmented, nor overridden by the traditions or commandments of mankind--no patristic "father" nor Magisterium; and no, not even the "Pope" himself pretending to speak ex cathedra.
And by all means, no translators of hundreds of modern versions using illegitimate hermeneutics and arising from the synthetic, corrupted, ever-changing "critical Greek text" first compiled by Westcott and his student F. J. A. Hort a century and a half ago.
And lives for the justification and reconciliation of regenerated believer-disciple-priests before The Father.
Evasion of answering duly noted.
Genesis 3:1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God actually say,
So on what basis do you make that evaluation?
You do realize, don't you, that that is the very thing Protestants are accused of doing? Picking and choosing what Scripture they want and discarding the rest?
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