Recent Commentaries

False teachers seemed to follow Paul everywhere he went. No sooner had he given out the gospel and people believed, than false teachers tried to discredit Paul’s message and challenge his authority. Paul’s co-workers in the Gospel were Barnabas, a circumcised Jew who was a …

A little leaven causes a whole lump of dough to rise. It only takes one person to infect all the others. It only takes one. Legalists reveal their hypocrisy, for they fail to keep the whole law. They look upon the Old Testament law the way a customer surveys the food in a cafeter …

In closing out his letter to the Galatians Paul pats the believers on the head and tells them he knows they meant well but instead restates the issues and gives strong reproof. In this passage Paul presents three “marked men; “the legalist (vv. 12-13), the Lord Je …

The way of the Galatian Christians was not much different than many Christians today who get involved in various legalistic movements hoping to achieve certain goals. Children who are under age are no better off than slaves, even though everything their parents own will someday b …

It seems that the Judaizers had called into question Paul’s authority to teach spiritual truths. Paul begins with a testimony of his past conduct as an unconverted Jewish rabbi (vv. 13-17). He tells how he loved reli­gion but hated Christians and persecuted them. In fact it w …

Paul addresses those who want to be under the law (v. 21) and there are many who appear to want this. In his argument he takes the Galatians back to events in the Old Testament that actually happened but he uses them as an allegory. He takes them back to the life of Abraham and h …

Paul knew how to balance rebuke with love. Within this text he shows through sentimental argument how he is genuinely and passionately interested in the Galatians personally. He turns from “spanking” to “embracing” as he reminds them of how they have loved him …

Paul rebukes these Galatian believers for backsliding into false teaching. They had turned from the Gospel of Grace and were following the path of legalism. Paul uses the following six argu­ments to prove that God saves sinners through faith in Christ and not by how they feel …

The fruit of the Spirit in this passage has to do with character (vv. 22-23). It is important that we distinguish the gift of the Spirit which is salvation (Acts 2:38) and the gifts of the Spirit which have to do with service (I Cor. 12). In some Christian circles there is a tend …

Three years after Paul’s conversion he goes to Jeru­salem and visits with Peter. This was his first visit to this city as a Christian. He stayed fifteen days and only saw Peter and James (vv. 18-20). It would appear that the Apostles were suspicious of him and he had a tough …