with Elder Elico Mudenda
✝️The letter to the Galatians was written about A.D. 60 during Paul's third visit to Corinth. The purpose of the letter was to give knowledge of salvation to the Galatians who were not Greeks, but Gauls who had been invaded with the Jewish legalizers or Judaizer missionaries. These false teachers taught that obedience to the law was to be mingled with faith for the sinner to receive the justification and the justified believer was made perfect by keeping the law of Moses. The Apostle Paul refutes these arguments as another gospel not from Christ or from himself. In this chapter Paul shows that he received a special calling from God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. He commends the Gaulian Galations to the grace of Christ who gave himself for their sins. He marvels why they had so soon turned away from the grace of the Gospel of Christ to believe a false gospel. He pronounces those that taught another gospel as accursed than the true gospel which he had delivered to them which he received from God. He gives an account of his conversion and call to Apostleship whilst he was still persecuting the Church. That he remained in Asia after his conversion for three years after which he went to Jerusalem to meet with Peter and James. After that he went through the regions of Syria and Cilicia with Barnabas preaching the faith of Christ to the great joy of the new converts in Asia Minor and the Churches in Judea.
*1️⃣Galatians 1:1-9: Paul's conversion and the true gospel of Christ.*
⏹️Paul was an Apostle commissioned not by the will of men by the will of God who had raised up Jesus Christ from the dead, who is the Author the true religion. His commission was from the Source of life and light the God of the living and the dead. Jesus said, *"And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil"(John 3:19).*
⏫God is the Author of this glorious scheme of saving sinners from death to life and immortality in Jesus Christ. The Apostle says, *" But has in due times manifested his word through preaching, which is committed to me according to the commandment of God our Savior"(Titus 1:3).*
⏭️The gospel that God called him to preach is the good news that by the grace of God and through the death of Christ, people can be saved from their sins. The Apostle says, *"For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death"(Romans 8:2).*
⏹️The gospel provides atonement which come through the appropriation of Christ’s merits as Christian’s surrender their worldly evil ways. The Apostle says, *"And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement"(Romans 5:11).*
⏭️The gospel provides redemption through Christ based upon the will of God as the Cross of Christ declares to mankind the will of a righteous and loving Father. It is at once a witness to His righteousness, and a pledge of His mercy as the Cross reveals sin put away by the sacrifice of Christ. The Cross reveals to mankind the love of Christ. The Psalmist says, *"He sent redemption to his people: he has commanded his covenant for ever: holy and reverend is his name"(Psalm 111:9).*
*2️⃣Galatians 1:1-24:The gospel as a revelation of God through Christ is not meant to please mankind's ideas of salvation.*
⏹️The gospel is a revelation of Jesus Christ not as a professed religion of man but of God so as to satisfy our reason as men, to relieve our fears as sinners and to promote our usefulness as God's children. The Apostle says, *"Now to him that is of power to establish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began"(Romans 16:25).*
⏹️The gospel is different from the traditions of the fathers as it provides
saving grace, fellowship in Christ and fellowship of love for both God and mankind as provided by the God of all grace and mercy. The Apostle Peter says, *"Whom having not seen, you love; in whom, though now you see him not, yet believing, you rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory"(1 Peter 1:8).*
⏭️The gospel is the truthfulness of God's means of saving sinners and shows sinners that God intends to unite with them not as rebels but as children when he provided their way of escape by the person of Jesus Christ. The Psalmist says *, " Surely his salvation is near them that fear him; that glory may dwell in our land"(Psalm 85:9).*
*🅰️Appeal*
The gospel is a revelation, it is a ministry of reconciliation, it is a ministry of grace and salvation. There is no other way mankind can come to God except they accept the gospel. The Apostle Peter says, *"Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved"(Acts 4:12).* Amen!!!
Elico Manenji
(+263712952704).
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