Galatians

Galatinas was written by Paul the apostle to the church in Galatia around the year 49 AD.  Paul starts off by pointing out his astonishment of how people are turning to a diffrent gospel.  Apparently, a cult within Christianity had infiltrated the church and spread false doctrines.  Most likely based on the references of Paul to the opposition with Peter about the mission to the Gentiles, the cult was probably the Ebionites who wrote the gospel of the Ebionites and the gospel of the Hebrews.  Paul stresses that they are all of one faith whether they observe Jewish customms or not.  In this Paul never undermines the fact that Christianity is basically a Jewish religion.Paul encourgaes the Galatins by telling them they are no longer under the law on their own but that they fulfilled it when they received Christ.  Paul uses references of Old Testament stories such as Sarah and Hagar.  He talks about the freedom that is found in Christ.  He encourages people to live by the Spirit and thus they will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature.  Paul also talks about fair justice in which believers lift each other up and help each other in spite of their flaws.  In this, he says that flaws need to be pointed out but with compassion.  He talks about carrying each other's burdens.  The cult that had got into the church at Galatia apparently was telling the Galatians that they had to obsrve the Kosher and health code laws of Israel.  These laws were only for the purpose of God building a great nation and a culture that would survive.  These are found in Leviticus.  There are cults among us today that we need to be aware of.  These try to sneak in the church and spread doctrines of ritualistic purity.  Paul concludes by pointing out that circumcision or uncircumcision means nothing, but rather it is being a new creature in Christ that matters.  He then closes with greetings of grace.