Seeing things as they really are

This is my first draft of notes for a bible study on Galatians 3:18-4:11. Any feedback gratefully received. Please feel free to be brutal.

'A theology of glory calls evil good and good evil. A theology of the cross calls the thing what it actually is' (Martin Luther)


1. How does Paul see the law in 3:18-4:7, and how does this imply that the false preachers viewed the law?

Verses	Paul's view of the law	The false teachers view of the law
3:18	Did not bring inheritance	Brought the holy spirit/land
3:19, 23, 25	temporary	permanent
3:19	mediated	direct from God
3:21-23	It imprisoned things under sin	righteousness
3:21; Rom 8:2	death	life
3:29	It did not determine who were descendants of Abraham	It determined who were descendants of Abraham
3:25; 4:1-3	for the child	for the mature
4:1, 7-9	slavery That is to be a slave to 'the elemental spirits/principles of the world' (4:2; c.f. Col 2:8 - human/worldly).  Connected to slavery to sin (3:22; Rom 6:6-20), and to those that are not gods (4:8).	freedom

[4:8-11 seems to be about Gentiles.  'you', 'those that are not gods'.  Although it is clear that the state of the Gentiles apart from Christ parallels that of the Jews.  Both involve slavery, and slavery to 'the elemental spirits/principles of the world']


2. Paul says in 1:6 that the Galatians were turning to a different gospel.  We are not attracted by the idea of circumcision, not eating pork, and observing Jewish holy days.  Why were they?  What made it 'good news' to them and the false preachers?

• 'They make much of you' (4:17) - where as Paul says the truth and becomes their enemy, the false teachers flatter
• It is implied that they made the Galatians think they were something, when they were nothing (6:3-5)
• Getting circumcised stopped persecution (5:11).
• Following the law makes a good showing in the flesh (6:12).

• Their teaching meant you were reassured that God is on your side because you can see the marks that prove it
• It meant other people are on your side and not persecuting you, but instead admiring you.
• It meant you can be on your own side, because there is hope that you can obtain life yourself

[NB there are biblical reasons for the false teachers beliefs, but Paul doesn't admit these as the real reasons why they taught them.  Compare:

• 'This is my covenant, which you shall keep, between me and you and your offspring after you: Every male among you shall be circumcised [...] Any uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin shall be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant' (Genesis 17:10-14)
• 'You shall therefore keep my statutes and my rules; if a person does them, he shall live by them' (Lev 18:5; cf. Ezekiel 20:11)
• 'listen to the statutes and the rules that I am teaching you, and do them, that you may live, and go in and take possession of the land [the inheritance, c.f. Gal 3:18] that the Lord, the God of your fathers, is giving you.' (Deut 4:1)
• 'it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one dot of the Law to become void' (Luke 16:17)
• All of Deuteronomy 28]

3. What are the glasses through which Paul sees things as the opposite of how the false preachers saw them?

The Gentiles were baptised into Christ => put on Christ => sons of God (even though we can't see how by faith that is true) => there is no difference between Gentiles/Jews, men/women etc (3:26-29).  This is all 'through faith', not sight and not works.

in Christ / outside Christ - is now only division that really matters.  In Christ is every privilege.  Outside of Christ is nothing.

This is despite appearances.  Jesus was the Christ, the Son of God, despite appearances.  The cross seems the last thing to boast in, but it is actually the only thing we boast in.

Paul sees the law as obsolete as he sees us living in a different age (cf. 1:4):

• 'It was added ... until the offspring should come to whom the promise had been made' (3:19)
• 'before faith came' (3:23)
• 'the law was our guardian until Christ came' (3:24)
• 'now that faith has come' (3:25)
• 'when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son' (4:4)
  

[Split into groups of 2-3]


4. Where do you see places or ways to get good things?  Maybe think in the categories of:
    (a) What you do to make other people think more of you.
    (b) What you do to feel good about yourself.
    (c) What you do so God thinks more of you.


5. What do you see as bad things which you ought to see as good?  When and where do we undervalue Christ?

[NOTE TO SELF: This was a bad bible study - too clever by half]