Class #41:  St. Paul has presented the truth of the believer’s justification through faith in Jesus Christ alone.  He has made it clear that anyone who admits the bondage of the yoke of the law into the article of justification has “fallen away from grace” (5:4).  Last of all, St. Paul tells the Galatians to remove the false teachers from the congregation.

Beginning with 5:13, St. Paul builds on this foundation of Christian freedom and directs the members to “Serve one another through love.”  The Galatians are not to use their Christian freedom as a license(permission) to sin.  St. Paul encourages and exhorts them to do true good works of love, which flow from faith.

Overhead: Galatians Class 41 Overhead
Handout: Galatians Bible Study Chapter 5 16 thru 21

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Class #39: “…as soon as the Holy Spirit has initiated his work of regeneration and renewal in us through the Word and the holy sacraments, it is certain that we can and must cooperate by the power of the Holy Spirit, even though we still do so in great weakness….  There is therefore a great difference between baptized people and unbaptized people because, according to the teaching of St. Paul, “all who have been baptized have put on Christ” (Gal. 3:27), are thus truly born again, and now have a liberated will — that is, as Christ says, they have again been made free. As a result, they not only hear the Word of God but also are able to assent to it and accept it, even though it be in great weakness. But since in this life we have received only the first fruits of the Spirit, and regeneration is not as yet perfect but has only been begun in us, the conflict and warfare of the flesh against the Spirit continues also in the elect and truly reborn” (FC SD II 65, 67-68).

“We should not and cannot pass judgment on the Holy Spirit’s presence, operations, and gifts merely on the basis of our feeling, how and when we perceive it in our hearts. On the contrary, because the Holy Spirit’s activity often is hidden, and happens under cover of great weakness, we should be certain, because of and on the basis of his promise, that the Word which is heard and preached is an office and work of the Holy Spirit, whereby he assuredly is potent and active in our hearts (2 Cor. 2:14ff.)” (FC SD II 12-14).

Overhead: Galatians Class 39 Overhead
Handout: Faith working through love handout
Handout 2: Galatians Bible Study Chapter 5 2 thru 15

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