Galatians 1:1-10

Message Notes:

Scripture Focus: Galatians 1:1-10

Key verses: 1:6-7

Key opening words: “I am astonished…”

•Strong language; strong warning

•Communicates being “flabbergasted”

•Etymology of “astonished” carries the idea of “staring intently with one’s mouth open; aghast.”

•Ancient classical Greek carried the notion of “dread or fear that something bad was coming.”

•Paul was reacting strongly to a danger he saw leaching into the Church.”

•With that in mind — his reaction was not inappropriate.

Quote: “Galatians reads like a spiritual fire alarm. Paul’s urgency is not a lack of love — it is proof of love.”

•It carried the notion of “stunned alarm, spiritual urgency, and/or pastoral grief.”

Paul’s letter to the Galatians has a more alarmed mood than any of his other letters; in all of his other epistles, he begins with warmth, thanksgiving and affection — not in Galatians.

Galatians 1:6-7 addresses two concerns:

•They “deserted” Jesus

•They turned to a “different gospel.”

Galatians 1:3 describes how Paul desired that the Galatian churches would experience God’s “grace” and “peace.” Verse 4 claims that the pathway to both is through Jesus Christ “who gave Himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age.”

Related passages describing God’s grace versus law:

•Ephesians 2:8-9

•Galatians 2:16

•Galatians 2:21

•Galatians 3:11

Quote: “Paul reacts more strongly to: corrupted gospel of grace than to immoral behavior.”

•This statement compares Paul’s reaction to the struggles of the 1 Corinthians church versus Galatians. The Corinth church contained deep divisions, sexual immortality, incest, lawsuits, etc.

•Related Quote: “Paul could patiently correct struggling Christians, but he could not calmly tolerate a false gospel.”

•Related Quote: “The tone of Galatians teaches us the gospel of grace is so precious, so central, and so life-giving that even slight corruption must be confronted immediately and courageously.”

Discussion Questions:

Take a few minutes to think about and talk about some current event issues that are most “astonishing/upsetting” to you.

•Are you ever seriously bothered by anything?

•What things in life are most likely going to cause you to “overreact?”

•Is it ok if you are not astonished about most things in life?

Look at the following quotes (related to Galatians 1:6-7) by Byron from his message. React to them. Do you agree or disagree?

•Quote #1: “Paul reacts more strongly to: corrupted gospel of grace than to immoral behavior.” (This statement compares Paul’s reaction to the struggles of the 1 Corinthians church versus Galatians. The Corinth church contained deep divisions, sexual immortality, incest, lawsuits, etc.)

•Quote #2: “Paul could patiently correct struggling Christians, but he could not calmly tolerate a false gospel.”

•Quote #3: “The tone of Galatians teaches us the gospel of grace is so precious, so central, and so life-giving that even slight corruption must be confronted immediately and courageously.”

Galatians 1:6-7 describes two sins:

•Deserting Jesus

•Turning from the gospel of grace to one of works plus Jesus

•What is spiritually destructive about this sins?

Galatians 1:3 — what is the deep spiritual value of both “the grace of God” and “peace with God?”