Soap Box 44-The Gospels in the Galatian Epistle Part IV

There are two remaining references to the word 'gospel' in the epistle to the Galatians, Gal. 3:8 and Gal. 4:13. We shall only consider Gal. 3:8, since the other reference could and should be grouped with the 'gospel' that Paul preached among the Gentiles in 2:2.

The teaching of Paul in this third chapter concerns the contrast of the law of Moses to the preaching of Paul's law-free gospel. Paul moves through this portion step by step.

3:1- These Galatians had received the truth in the gospel that Paul brought to them, with Christ crucified, portrayed before them. But they were foolish and someone had bewitched them.( There is a song that speaks about being bewitched, bothered and bewildered. The song speaks of one in love. Paul would apply this to the Galatians, who would be in a theological state of confusion.) Paul then interrogates them, giving them opportunity to think through their present position and choose the right answer.

3:2- How did they receive the Spirit ?

by the works of the law
or
by the hearing of faith

3:3- Having begun in the Spirit, are you now made perfect

by the flesh
or, implied,…………… (by the Spirit)

3:4- Have ye suffered so many things in vain ? (by having begun in the Spirit)
Because, if you could have done it another way, you would not have
needed to suffer in the first place. But the question remains, is it certain
that you did this in vain ?

3:5- The one ( Paul ) that ministered to you the Spirit and
worked miracles among you……….
Did he do it

by the works of the law
or
by the hearing of faith

3:6- Even as Abraham believed God ( this was the hearing of faith) and it was
accounted unto him for righteousness.

3:7- Know this : that they which are of faith, ( the hearing of faith) the same are the
sons of Abraham. Keep in mind that there were many sons of Abraham. Yet, not
all were reckoned as those who would be counted to inherit.

Paul states in Rom. 9:6-

'For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel.' The troublers coming to Galatia
insisted they must be circumcised and keep the law in order to be counted as
true 'sons of Abraham' who would have the blessings of Abraham.
Faith brings the blessings. Not the keeping of the law.

Galatians 3:8- Paul personalizes the Scriptures as foreseeing that God would justify the
heathen ( nations, Gentiles ) through faith, preached-before-the-gospel unto
Abraham, saying, 'In thee shall all nations be blessed.' Paul says the
Scriptures did the foreseeing and the preaching.

3:9- So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham.

There are so many teachers who claim that there is only one Gospel. In the process of teaching this, there is the false idea that every where 'gospel' is found , we must define this 'gospel' as the same in all contexts. Even so, here in 3:8, the 'gospel' preached by the Scriptures is said to be the same 'gospel' that Paul preached, since he was preaching to Gentiles and they were believing and through believing were justified.

Let us be very clear at this point. Paul is NOT saying that the 'gospel' he preached was the SAME 'gospel' that was 'preached-before' unto Abraham, word for word for word.

As we note in Gen. 12:1-3, God speaks to Abraham there. Peter uses these words from Gen. in Acts 3:25-26. But we must be able to see the distinctions that are present.

We could use this approach - the entire Word of God is Gospel Pie. Each dispensation has gospel pie to offer. Nevertheless, we should be able to note the various changes that unfold, making different flavored pieces of this gospel pie, if you please.

[In Romans 5:12-14, Paul points out the truth that sin came into the world and brought death. Adam was the 'fall' guy here ! The law was not in the world until Moses. Cf. John 1:17 In between Adam and Moses, God gave the Promise to Abraham and the Law of Moses was added to this promise. Gal.3:18-19 The times of the Promise did not end with the giving of the Law. Paul states the Law was added to the Promise or the Law was laid beside of the Promise. During the times of the Law, Promise was there too. We might say that the Law was never intended to last forever. People press the panic button when they think the 10 commandments were ended some time after Jesus came. They do not have the insight or the understanding that the person of faith can and should be able to live a life of faith before the Law was given and without the Law, when the Law has been terminated.]

3:8-"In thee shall all nations be blessed' translates into the thought that in the future God would justify Gentiles through faith IF they had that same faith that Abraham had. This message would be carried out by the children of Israel. "In thee" and "In thy seed" are complimentary to each other. Cf. Gen. 12:3, 28:14

In Hebrews 4:1-2, we have these words :

Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into
his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it. For unto us
was the gospel preached , as well as unto them: but the word preached
did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.

This is somewhat like Gal. 3:8, where the word 'gospel' is used in a very general way. In fact we would profit ourselves if we used 'good news' in these two references ( Gal. 3:8 and Hebrews 4:1-2 ) in order to simplify what is truly being said.

Heb. 4:2- For unto us was good news preached, as well as ( good news ) unto them.

There is no thought that the good news for these Hebrew readers of the epistle is the exact same word for word good news that the listeners in the wilderness heard.

There was a message given to the children of Israel, who were invited to enter into the promised land, and these same people, to whom it was first preached, entered not in because of unbelief. Heb. 4:6

Gal. 3:8- '…the scriptures foreseeing…..preached before the good news unto
Abraham…' (saying) In thee shall all nations be blessed.

Let us go over this again, with additional scriptures :

Abraham believed God and it was accounted to him for righteousness 3:6

They which are of faith, the same are the children (sons) of Abraham 3:7

God would justify the heathen through faith, the Scriptures preached 3:8

So then, they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham 3:9

Ye are all the children (sons) of God by faith in Christ Jesus 3:26

If ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, 3:29
and heirs according to the promise



The progression starts with Abraham being counted as righteous by faith 3:6

Those having faith are the sons of Abraham. ( Abraham had many children who never had the faith of Abraham )3:7 Paul does not say here that because the Galatians had faith that they were the sons of Abraham. There is something in-between that is needed and is shown in 3:29.

Paul states that those who have faith are blessed with faithful Abraham 3:9 The context indicates that the blessing Abraham received because of faith was righteousness. These Galatians were to know that their faith is counted as righteousness.

Paul states that the Galatians are sons of God by faith in Christ Jesus. 3:26

Paul's argument against those who troubled the Galatians, was to show that, the Galatians did not need to be circumcised or keep the law, they could be considered Abraham's seed because they belonged to Christ. Christ was a seed of Abraham. And if ye be Christ's then are ye Abraham's seed and heirs according o the promise. 3:29.

This context is like Phil. 3:1-3, where Paul warns about the dogs, evil workers and the concison or the flesh mutilators. The Philippians were then told that they, along with Paul were the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh. They were the circumcision without physical circumcision being performed. This argument does not make these believers Spiritual Israel, whatever that may mean. Like the Colossians, ( 2:11) these Philippians were also 'circumcised' with the circumcision made without hands and therefore had no confidence in the flesh. But this 'circumcision' did not make them a Spiritual Israel, either. Paul's arguments for the benefit of the Galatians, Colossians and the Philippians is that physical ceremonies in the flesh do not count with God at this time in the progressive unfolding of truth given by revelation.


A Summary

Paul began this epistle to reaffirm the gospel of Christ 1:6, 4:13

Paul warns about another gospel, which was not really another gospel of the same kind as the gospel of Christ, that Paul preached and the Galatians had first received. 1:6,7,8,9.

Paul explains the distinctiveness of his gospel presentation with the emphasis on the three words, not, neither, but. Gal. 1:1, 1:11-12, 1:16-17.

After his conversion, he accepts and then preaches the gospel and the faith, which he once persecuted. 1:13, 23. This is in contrast to the gospel he received by revelation from Christ and preached to Gentiles 1:11-12, 2:2, 2:7,8. Paul's duel or two-folded ministry can be known as a ministry of confirmation and revelation.

At the meeting with Peter, James and John, we once again have a contrast between Paul's gospel and apostleship with Peter's gospel and apostleship. 2:7-9 Here we see with the Big Three ( the pillars), that they 'saw' ( 2:7) and 'perceived'( 2:9) . They added nothing to Paul's teaching here ( 2:6b), but on the contrary, Paul adds to their knowledge and understanding ( 2:7) so much so, that they by extending the right hands of fellowship agree to have their ministry subtracted and contracted by agreeing to limit their further ministry to the circumcision. (2:9) In other words, the so-called great commission of Matt. 28 and Acts 1:8 would be voluntarily curtailed by this agreement. They would not venture out to the Gentiles and would remain with the task of the circumcision or the children of Israel in the land where they had been ministering.

The last reference to the 'gospel' that we considered is found in 3:8 and is the word 'gospel' joined with a preposition, which in the English we might see it easier as one word by showing it like this : 'preached-before-good-news', ' preached-good-news-before' to Abraham. This is the only place where this word appears. Here the 'gospel' is somewhat undefined, because it is not word for word, the words Paul uses when he preaches his 'gospel'. This is an important point in this study of the 'Gospels in the Galatian Epistle.

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