Category Archives: Bible Study

Galatians Bible Study, Pt. 23: In Christ, No Curse

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Class #23:  When St. Paul teaches “Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us” (Gal 3;13), he is uniting the fulfillment of the Law and the promise of the Gospel in one Person, Jesus.  Our Savior, who had led a perfect life of keeping the law, was made to be sin (2 Cor 5:21) and a curse, when the Lord “laid on Him the iniquity of us all” (Isaiah 53:6).  His purpose was that we might receive the blessing of Abraham and the promise of the Spirit by means of faith in the promised forgiveness.  “That is, the law condemns all men, but by undergoing the punishment of sin and becoming a sacrifice for us, the sinless Christ took away the right of the law to accuse and condemn those who believe in him, because he himself is their propitiation, for whose sake they are now accounted righteous” (Ap. IV 179).  Through faith in Christ, people are justified, as well as freed and liberated from the curse of the law.

Overhead: Galatians Class 23 Overhead
Handout: Lutheran Confessions Curse of the Law

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Galatians Bible Study, Pt. 22: Clearly No One Is Justified By The Law

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Class #22:  In Galatians 3:11-12, St. Paul cites two Scripture passages, one gospel and one law.  Surprisingly both law and gospel speak of the promise of giving life.  The gospel in Habakkuk 2:4 shows that God has always intended to declare a sinner righteous and give eternal life through faith.  The law in Leviticus 18:5 reveals that the person who has completed the works of the law perfectly will have life.  St. Paul draws the conclusion that no one is justified by the law, but he doesn’t attempt to prove it.  Though both the law and gospel offer life, the law is conditioned by man’s perfect obedience.  No need to prove the law, just send it out.  The law will do its work—it always accuses.  The law is not of faith.  Those who rely upon the law for justification are under the curse of the law.  Next week we hear that Christ has redeemed us from the curse.  We are justified through faith in Him.

Overhead: Galatians Class 22 Overhead
Handout: Page 2 of Galatians Bible Study Chapter 3 6-9

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Galatians Bible Study, Pt. 21: The Curse of the Law

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Class #21:  Galatians 3:10 teaches that those who seek to be justified by the law are under the curse of the law.  St. Paul cites Deuteronomy 27:26, which leaves no loopholes from which we could escape from that curse.  The curse is the divine verdict/pronouncement of wrath, death and destruction by God against lawbreakers.  The curse which rests upon those who rely on works of the law is meant to contrast with the justified children of Abraham who rely on the promise of salvation in Jesus Christ through faith alone.

Overhead: Galatians Class 21 Overhead
Handouts: Page 2 of Galatians Bible Study Chapter 3 6-9

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Galatians Bible Study, Pt. 20: Believing Abraham

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Class #20:  Abraham “believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness” (Galatians 3:6, Genesis 15:6).  All of the Old Testament upholds the Scriptural doctrine of justification by grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone.  The promise given to Abraham was not that he was to be the father of the Jewish nation.  God’s promise was that in Abraham “all the nations/families of the earth shall be blessed” (Gen 12:3, 18:18, etc.).  God justifies the people of all nations by faith.

Abraham believed in the promise of the Savior, Jesus Christ, coming from his own body.  Abraham’s righteousness was not accomplished by his own works.  He was declared to be righteous from faith.  Abraham believed that God would create from him “a great nation,” that is the church!  The false teachers cannot claim Abraham in support of their righteousness by works. On the contrary, it is the Galatians, who are “of faith,” that can claim Abraham as their father.  The believing Galatians are the true sons of believing Abraham.

Overhead: Galatians Class 20 Overhead
Handouts: Galatians Bible Study Chapter 3 6-9  and seed offspring descendant NKJV

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Galatians Bible Study, Pt. 19: A Christian By The Hearing of Faith

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Class #19:  St. Paul unceasingly preached Jesus Christ as crucified for their sins, in order that faith would come to the Galatians by the hearing of the Gospel message.  They had received the Spirit by the hearing of faith.  They were progressing in sanctification by the hearing of faith.  Both St. Paul and the Galatians had suffered at the hands of others for their profession of justification by the hearing of faith.  With Galatians 3:1, St. Paul calls them “foolish” for setting aside the hearing of faith in order to cling to works of the law.  The teachers who taught this falsehood had “bewitched” the Galatians.

We briefly touch upon the reason for the omission of the words “that you should not obey the truth” in Galatians 3:1 of some English translations.

Overhead:  Galatians Class 19 Overheads
Handout: Galatians Class 19 Handouts

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Galatians Bible Study, Part 18: Distinguishing Justification and Sanctification

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Class #18:  There is a distinction between justification(Christ for me) and the fruits of justification, called sanctification(Christ in me).  A person is saved when he is justified by faith in Christ, “who loved me and gave Himself for me” (Gal 2:20).  It always follows that the person who is justified, is sanctified.  That is, God creates a new heart so that the Christian desires to please God and love the neighbor.  Nevertheless, due to the sinful nature, that sanctification is imperfect.   We are not saved by our sanctification, nor do we trust in our sanctification.  We trust in Christ for our justification, which is always perfect.

At the end of Galatians, chapter 2, St. Paul begins to speak about the results or fruits of the Galatians having been crucified with Christ(justification).  “Christ lives in(ἐν) me” and “I live in(ἐν) faith to the Son of God” (Gal 2:20).  Beginning with Galatians, chapter 3, he asks them to look at how their Christian life began, if they were now continuing to live by faith, and the suffering they had endured as a Christian.

With this lesson, we examine the Formula of Concord, Solid Declaration, Article III. Righteousness, 24-29, 37-54, in order to clearly speak about justification and sanctification.  We take note Of the 7+ ways to fail at distinguishing between justification and sanctification.

Overhead: Galatians Class 18 Overhead
Handout: Formula of Concord Solid Declaration III Righteousness Jan 15 2017

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Galatians Bible Study, Pt. 17: The Law has No Place in Justification

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Class #17:  St. Paul continues to emphasize the contrast between righteousness by(διά) faith in Christ and righteousness by (διά) law.   The Scriptural teaching of justification by faith cannot allow the introduction of even a drop of works-righteousness otherwise grace is frustrated and Christ died for nothing.

The law has no place in the doctrine of justification.  Of course, the law is to be used to show me my sin, so that I die to the law.  The law is no longer my master and I am no longer his servant.  Through faith in Christ, I live a new life of thankfulness toward God.

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Galatians Bible Study, Pt. 16: Christ isn’t a Minister of Sin, is He?

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Class #16:  St. Paul declares that Jews know—because of the teaching of the Old Testament—that no flesh is justified by keeping the law(Ps 143:2).  Therefore, in order to be justified according to the promise of the Gospel(Mk 16:16), Christians have believed in Jesus Christ.

With Galatians 2:17-18, St. Paul shows the logical result of what happens when a Christian (who is seeking to be justified by faith) adds the requirement of keeping the law for his justification.  With verse 17, we learn that if faith in Christ alone is insufficient to save, then Christ has become a servant who lead us into sin.  Similarly in verse 18, we see that if believers in Christ need the law in order to be justified, then the church’s teaching of faith alone makes us lawbreakers.  We cannot rebuild the law as a requirement for justification, without turning Christ into a sin-causer and us back into a transgressor.  The truth of the Gospel is that important!

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Galatians Bible Study, Pt. 15: When Adiaphora is not Adiaphora

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Class #15:  Concerning those things which are neither commanded nor forbidden by the Scriptures (called adiaphora), we are free to do or not do. However, when St. Peter by his pretense began to compel the Gentiles to keep the ceremonial food laws in order to be saved(2:14), the principle doctrine of Christianity was at stake.  St. Paul rightfully objected.  St. Peter knew that a man was saved by grace through faith and apart from works, but out of fear(2:12) he did not behave in keeping with the truth of the Gospel.

We must always distinguish between the law and the gospel.  The law is rightly used to curb the sinful nature, to show us our sins, and to guide the thankful heart as how to please God.  However, when it comes to justification (being declared righteous), the law has no place.  The conscience trusts in the Gospel message alone for salvation.

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Galatians Bible Study Class #16 will not be published until January 3.

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Galatians Bible Study, Pt. 14: Practice and Doctrine

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Class #14:  St. Peter had been taught by a revelation (Acts 10-11) that “God does not show favoritism” and “everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins through His name.”  Later Peter had proclaimed that same Gospel message at the Apostolic Council (Acts 15:7-11) which Sts. Barnabas, Titus and Paul had attended (Galatians 2:11-21).  The Jerusalem church leaders gave Paul and the Antiochian delegation “the right hand of fellowship” (Gal 2:9), which means they had the same teaching and practice.

In today’s reading from Galatians 2:11ff, St. Paul needed to call St. Peter back to the truth of the gospel.  When the circumcision party showed up, St. Peter fearing to displease them, changed his practice to reflect their teaching that a person must believe AND observe the law to be saved.  The correction was public because Barnabas and the Jews were being led astray from the truth of the gospel.

There are three Scriptural uses for the law.  The law serves as (1) a curb to restrain the sinful nature, as a (2) mirror to convict man of his sins, and as (3) a guide to show how a believer is to live in thanking his God.  The law is not used as a means for acquiring salvation.

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