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Overview
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781414393766 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Tyndale House Publishers |
| Publication date: | 12/01/2015 |
| Series: | Swindoll's Living Insights New Testament Commentary , #8 |
| Pages: | 336 |
| Sales rank: | 829,942 |
| Product dimensions: | 6.20(w) x 9.00(h) x 1.00(d) |
| Age Range: | 18 Years |
About the Author
Charles R. Swindoll has devoted his life to the clear, practical teaching and application of God's Word. He currently pastors Stonebriar Community Church in Frisco, Texas, and serves as the chancellor of Dallas Theological Seminary. His renowned Insight for Living radio program airs around the world. Chuck and Cynthia, his partner in life and ministry, have four grown children and ten grandchildren.
Read an Excerpt
Swindoll's Living Insights: Galatians, Ephesians
By Charles R. Swindoll
Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.
Copyright © 2015 Charles R. Swindoll, Inc.All rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4143-9376-6
CHAPTER 1
CONFIRMING THE TRUTH OF THE GOSPEL (GALATIANS 1:1–2:21)
Since the dawn of the church, the good news of God's grace has been threatened. When I think back over my fifty years of ministry, I recall the countless times I've had to personally take a stand for grace. Therefore, I'm not at all surprised that the first letter penned by Paul dealt with the same thing — confronting legalism and championing grace. That's why the words of one of my most respected Greek professors, written years ago, still reflect the condition of the church today:
One of the most serious problems facing the orthodox Christian church today is the problem of legalism. One of the most serious problems facing the church in Paul's day was the problem of legalism. In every day it is the same. Legalism wrenches the joy of the Lord from the Christian believer, and with the joy of the Lord goes his power for vital worship and vibrant service. Nothing is left but cramped, somber, dull and listless profession. The truth is betrayed, and the glorious name of the Lord becomes a synonym for a gloomy kill-joy. The Christian under law is a miser- able parody of the real thing.
Paul's letter to the Galatians sets us free. Its bold statement of liberating grace points us away from a false gospel of self-empowered works and toward the true gospel of faith and Spirit-empowered love. Its basic theme, to which we will return again and again, is that grace is the way to life and the way of life.
In this first major section of the letter (1:1–2:21), Paul confirms the truth of the gospel of grace. This includes Paul's defense of his own apostleship, guaranteeing that the gospel he preached to the Galatians was, in fact, the truth received from God and taught by his fellow apostles. In this section, which includes some of the most autobiographical elements of all his writings, Paul tells his own story of conversion in great detail. He also recounts a run-in he had with Peter over that great apostle's failure to live in line with grace. How easy it is to believe and preach one thing while caving in to the pressure to live in a way that pleases others! Through his personal testimony of receiving and preaching grace, Paul confirms that we believers have been freed from the Law and rescued from its condemnation. That means we're empowered to live beyond its legalistic dos and don'ts.
Another Gospel Is Not the Gospel
GALATIANS 1:1-10
Like a surgeon going after a malignant tumor that needs to be excised immediately, Paul preps his patients with a brief greeting in order to remind them of what's at stake: grace, peace, the gospel of Christ's redeeming death and miraculous resurrection, and the very glory of God. It means life or death for the churches in Galatia.
In this spiritual emergency, Paul wastes no time weighing treatment options, crafting a noninvasive procedure, preparing anesthetics, or soothing his patients with a pleasant and tactful bedside manner. Instead, he takes up his scalpel and starts cutting, declaring the main thrust of his case right up front: There is one and only one gospel of grace. Any addition to this gospel results in a corruption of the truth, leading to a cancerous plague on the Christian faith.
When it comes to this fundamental truth, Paul doesn't hem and haw. He deals with it boldly, firmly, and without fretting over the potential repercussions. The pure gospel Paul had preached was in danger of mutating into a monstrous beast that mixed Jesus and faith with the Law, works, and a number of other rude intrusions into the Christian life. The worst part of this Galatian plague was that they were embracing it voluntarily! Faith plus works sounded harmless, even helpful at first. After Paul preached his clear message of grace through faith plus nothing, the sin-sick Judaizers, carrying their viral heresy, came along and infected those new believers who had just been made well. So Paul wrote to the Galatians to cleanse them of their disease of legalism and restore them to spiritual health.
Let's take a look at the first ten verses of Galatians, where we'll discover that the legalists' improved "gospel" was really a deadly disease.
— 1:1-5 —
Paul begins his letter in the typical fashion of his day by naming the sender, declaring the recipients, and providing a blessing. Already in this greeting we see two main thrusts of his overall message that he will develop later: his God-given authority as a true apostle (1:1) and the simplicity of the gospel of Jesus Christ (1:1-5).
Paul's self-identification as "Paul, an apostle," serves as more than the author's identification of his title. From the opening words of the letter, Paul clearly affirms what his opponents were disputing — that he was as much a true apostle as the original Twelve. Paul had learned that the Judaizers — those who had sown seeds of legalism after his departure — had first discredited Paul as an impostor. If they could instill distrust among the Galatians regarding the accuracy or completeness of Paul's message — or if they could drive a wedge between Paul and the other apostles — then the Galatians would readily listen to a more "Jewish" version that emphasized doing the works of the Law.
The early Christian use of the Greek word apostolos [652] (apostle) carries with it a distinct authority. It "refers to a person who has a right to speak for God as His representative or delegate." The term, as commentator John Stott explains, "was not a general word which could be applied to every Christian like the words 'believer,' 'saint' or 'brother.' It was a special term reserved for the Twelve and for one or two others whom the risen Christ had personally appointed."
To be an authentic apostle of Jesus Christ, a person had to measure up to certain criteria. First, apostles had to have been eyewitnesses of the resurrected Christ. Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 9:1, "Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord?" Second, apostles confirmed their God-given office through miraculous signs and wonders, as Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 12:12: "The signs of a true apostle were performed among you with all perseverance, by signs and wonders and miracles." Finally, apostles had to have been hand selected for this unique office by the risen Lord (Acts 1:21-26). Paul had fulfilled all of these requirements because he had encountered the resurrected Christ on his way to Damascus (Acts 9:3-6), Jesus had empowered Paul to perform amazing signs and wonders during his ministry (Acts 14:3), and the Lord had specifically chosen Paul to take the gospel to the Gentiles (Acts 9:15).
Nevertheless, the false teachers insisted that Paul was not, in fact, an apostle. Hoping to discredit his message, they had pointed out some flaw or deficiency in his apostleship. Perhaps Paul was an easier target than others. Paul himself, noticing that his own selection as an apostle took an unusual route, marveled at his own calling: "He appeared to James, then to all the apostles; and last of all, as to one untimely born, He appeared to me also. For I am the least of the apostles, and not fit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am" (1 Cor. 15:7-10).
In his introduction to Galatians, Paul reminds his readers of the simple truth: He is a true apostle, "not sent from men nor through the agency of man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father" (Gal. 1:1). No mere human being had played even a minor role in his commission to this high office. Yes, it was true that the leadership in the church of Antioch had laid hands on Paul and Barnabas and had sent them out on their first missionary journey, which included Galatia (Acts 13:1-3). In this general sense, Barnabas, too, was a "sent one" (apostolos; see Acts 14:14), though Barnabas was "sent" by the church of Antioch rather than directly by the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. This was a particular ministry assignment different from Paul's particular calling as an apostle. When God calls a person into the preaching ministry today, that general God-given calling will be worked out in a variety of specific settings throughout his life. Similarly, Paul was already identified as an apostle because of his direct calling from the Lord Jesus, which his fellow apostles had testified to and confirmed. Therefore Paul, not the legalists, had the authority to speak for the Lord. This apostolic title gave Paul the necessary authority and credentials he needed to perform radical spiritual surgery on the Galatian Christians and the legalists who were duping them.
Though Paul thought it important to assert his apostolic authority, his greeting to the Galatian believers centers mostly on the content of the gospel message itself. He wishes his readers "grace" and "peace" from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ (1:3). Typically, letters in the Greek-speaking world began with the word chairein [5463], "greetings" (Acts 15:23; Jas. 1:1). Paul, however, began his letters with a unique greeting that sounded similar but had more profound theological significance: charis... kaieirene [5485, 2532, 1515] (grace ... and peace). Salvation comes purely by grace and results in peace with God. That's the cause and effect of the gospel summed up in just two words.
Paul also includes the fundamental pillars of the gospel message in this opening greeting. He tells us that Christ "gave Himself for our sins so that He might rescue us from this present evil age" (Gal. 1:4). The gospel is God's rescue operation, planned and executed to liberate believers from sin's condemnation and slavery. Jesus Christ paid the full cost of this ransom on the cross. Then, because Jesus was both perfect man and perfect God, the Father "raised Him from the dead" (1:1). By placing our faith in Christ, we receive the unearned mercy of full payment for sin as well as the unmerited grace of victory over death through Christ's resurrection. Jesus Christ died for our sins and rose from the dead. That's the core of the simple gospel message. No wonder Paul ends this brief but powerful introduction with a doxology to God the Father, "to whom be the glory forevermore. Amen" (1:5).
Now here's the point of it all. God has provided salvation through the finished work of His Son, Jesus Christ. The moment a person accepts by simple faith that Christ died for his or her sins and rose from the dead, God declares that person righteous and rescues that person from this present evil age. That's called the doctrine of justification, which is defined as the sovereign act of God whereby He declares a condemned sinner righteous while he or she is still in a sinning state. At the moment of our justification, our names are, as it were, removed from the roll of the lost and we are enrolled as citizens of heaven ... never to be removed.
Pretty simple message, isn't it? So simple, in fact, that even a little child could understand and believe it. No wonder Paul marveled that the Galatians had exchanged his simple, clear message of grace for a complicated, spurious gospel of works.
— 1:6-9 —
Perhaps without even re-dipping his pen, Paul turned from glorifying the Father for His marvelous grace to chastising the Galatians for their amazing apostasy. The language indicates utter astonishment that anybody would do what the Galatians were doing. Paul found himself in a state of dumbfounded shock.
Look carefully at the word "deserting" in 1:6. It implies the complete transfer of allegiance from one thing to another. When the Galatians turned their backs on Paul's authentic message, they were walking away from Christ Himself. Not only had they defected from the gospel, but they had done it "so quickly" that it threw Paul for a loop. If Paul wrote Galatians sometime during his stay in Antioch after the first missionary journey (Acts 14:28), it may have taken only a matter of weeks before the Galatian Christians turned tail in the face of bullying from the Judaizers.
Please notice something practical in this example of the Galatians' quick desertion of the gospel. It doesn't take many years in ministry to discover that one of the characteristics of a new Christian is gullibility. If you're involved in escorting a person into the family of God, never forget how vulnerable that person remains for some time until he or she becomes grounded in the truth. Think of that new believer's spiritual life as a fragile seed freshly planted in the soil. It takes time for the faith to take firm root and grow a strong stock and bear fruit. As older, more mature believers, we need to help them during this critical time. Think about this: If people who had been under Paul's ministry turned away so quickly, don't think for a moment that it couldn't happen to those we lead to Christ.
The Galatians deserted the gospel of grace for a "different" gospel (Gal. 1:6), which, Paul asserts, was not simply "another" legitimate version of the truth but a perversion of it. Paul describes their gospel with the Greek word heteros [2087], which means "another of a different kind." The Galatians considered the Judaizers' brand of the gospel a legitimate choice, but it was nothing of the kind. By adding works of the Law to the gospel of grace, the Judaizers had changed the very DNA of the gospel. Their teaching was as different from the true gospel as night from day, fire from water, death from life.
These Judaizers were disturbing the Galatians and distorting the gospel (1:7). Once they added something to simple faith in Christ's person and work — whether it be circumcision, holy days, ceremonial cleansing, or Sabbath observance — they destroyed the gospel. So how did Paul respond to the truth twisting Judaizers? Did he schedule a collegial dialogue to let the Galatians weigh the merits of both sides in a free and open discussion of all the options? Did he publish an essay in a peer-reviewed journal to persuade his opponents by well-reasoned arguments? Or did he ignore the Judaizers' madness — refusing to dignify it — and let it blow over like a harmless fad? No! Instead, he quite literally damned them to hell!
You rarely hear leaders in evangelical circles today come down on heresy like Paul did in his day. Paul calls down God's eternal judgment on those false teachers (1:8-9). In our hypersensitive, politically correct culture, Paul's words sound harsh, don't they? Notice, however, that Paul includes even himself in the threatened curse: "But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed" (1:8). Paul includes heavenly angels and his own circle of apostles — whether "sent out" by Christ Himself or by missionary-sending churches — in order to highlight the fact that nobody is off the hook. The purity of the message takes precedence over the prestige of the person. This phrasing makes the curse universal — if anyone were to preach a gospel different from what Paul and Barnabas preached, he would deserve to be damned.
Notice, too, that Paul repeats the curse (1:9). He is deliberate and controlled in his rebuke. Paul's curse is not a slip of the tongue, a brief fit of rage, or a regrettable exaggeration of an emotional preacher. Though he essentially damns false teachers, this language doesn't fall under the category of vulgar cursing, either. Paul isn't fiercely shaking his fist at his opponents and shouting, "Damn you!" Rather, he shakes his head and expresses a clear theological fact: Altering the gospel is damnable doctrine. People's souls were at stake. The church's testimony in the region of Galatia was at stake. In fact, at this early stage in the preaching of the gospel, the very future of Christianity was at stake. With so much at stake, Paul couldn't afford to sweet-talk or beat around the bush.
— 1:10 —
Paul's final comments about pleasing God rather than men indicate that the Judaizers had likely accused Paul of currying favor with the Gentiles by teaching freedom from the Law. They probably charged Paul with presenting a "Christianity lite" in order to make the gospel easier for the Gentiles in Galatia to swallow. Along came the Judaizers in Paul's absence to "fill in the gaps" of Paul's gospel.
(Continues...)
Excerpted from Swindoll's Living Insights: Galatians, Ephesians by Charles R. Swindoll. Copyright © 2015 Charles R. Swindoll, Inc.. Excerpted by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc..
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Table of Contents
Contents
Author's Preface, v,The Strong's Numbering System, vii,
Introduction: Galatians, 3,
Confirming the Truth of the Gospel (Galatians 1:1–2:21), 12,
Another Gospel Is Not the Gospel (Galatians 1:1-10), 13,
Radical Transformation (Galatians 1:11-24), 25,
A Gospel worth Accepting and Affirming (Galatians 2:1-10), 34,
Going Head-to-Head with Hypocrisy (Galatians 2:11-21), 44,
Defending the Superiority of the Gospel (Galatians 3:1–4:31), 58,
Backsliding into Legalism (Galatians 3:1-14), 60,
A Promise You Can Count On (Galatians 3:15-22), 74,
From Law to Faith: Our New Status in Christ (Galatians 3:23–4:11), 83,
Caring Enough to Tell the Truth (Galatians 4:12-20), 94,
To Those Who Want to Be under the Law (Galatians 4:21-31), 100,
Living the Freedom of the Gospel (Galatians 5:1–6:18), 109,
Freedom, Faith, Love, and Truth (Galatians 5:1-12), 112,
Learning to Walk in Freedom (Galatians 5:13-25), 119,
Living Together in the Spirit (Galatians 5:26–6:10), 132,
A Brief Reprise and a Blunt Reproof (Galatians 6:11-18), 141,
Introduction: Ephesians, 151,
Sovereignty and Grace: The Foundations of Our Faith (Ephesians 1:1–2:10), 160,
Unloading the Theological Truck (Ephesians 1:1-14), 161,
Our Prayers and Christ's Position (Ephesians 1:15-23), 173,
You Were Dead, but God ... (Ephesians 2:1-10), 183,
Reconciliation and Peace: The Results of God's Grace (Ephesians 2:11–3:21), 195,
Destroying the Wall to Build the Temple (Ephesians 2:11-22), 196,
The Mystery, the Ministry, and Me (Ephesians 3:1-13), 210,
Paul on His Knees ... Again (Ephesians 3:14-21), 218,
Walking and Growing: The Believer's Lifestyle (Ephesians 4:1-32), 227,
A Worthy Walk (Ephesians 4:1-6), 228,
Embracing a Full-Bodied Ministry (Ephesians 4:7-16), 235,
Off with the Old, On with the New (Ephesians 4:17-32), 250,
Following and Submitting: The Imitator's Path (Ephesians 5:1–6:9), 261,
From Walking in Darkness to Living in Light (Ephesians 5:1-14)263,
Christian Living 101 (Ephesians 5:15-21), 273,
Solving the Mystery of Marriage (Ephesians 5:22-33), 280,
Who's the Boss? Honoring God at Home and at Work (Ephesians 6:1-9), 289,
Clashing and Conquering: The Warrior's Strategy (Ephesians 6:10-24), 298,
Standing Strong against Satanic Schemes (Ephesians 6:10-13), 299,
Ample Armor for Weak Warriors (Ephesians 6:14-20), 307,
Wrapping Up Well (Ephesians 6:21-24), 317,
Endnotes, 323,
List of Features and Images Timeline of Galatians, 2,
Map of Paul's First Missionary Journey, 2,
The Book of Galatians at a Glance, 4,
Quick Facts on Galatians, 9,
North or South?, 16,
Map of Galatia, 16,
Paul's Arabian Nights, 30,
Map of Paul's Early Travels, 31,
Barnabas and Titus, 38,
Grace, Legalism, Law, 49,
Agora, 72,
Excursus: The Covenant-Keeping God, 77,
Pedagogue, 86,
The Fullness of Time, 90,
Allegorical Interpretation, 103,
Legalism, Liberty, License, 123,
Deeds of the Flesh vs. Fruit of the Spirit, 125,
Weeds of the Flesh, 140,
Picking Up the Pen to Make a Point, 143,
Timeline of Ephesians, 150,
Map of Paul's Third Missionary Journey, 150,
The Book of Ephesians at a Glance, 152,
Ephesus in Paul's Day, 156,
Quick Facts on Ephesians, 159,
To the Saints "at Ephesus" ... or Wherever165,
Paul's "Top Ten" Reasons to Give God Praise in Ephesians 1:3-14, 172,
The Great Divide, 201,
Excursus: Are There Apostles and Prophets Today?, 207,
The Parthenon in Athens, 208,
Stepping Stones from Humility to Love, 230,
The Descent and Ascent in the Work of Christ, 239,
Spiritual Gifts Listed in Scripture, 241,
Three Purposes for God's Gifts, 245,
Petrified Wood, 253,
Slavery in Paul's Day, 294,
Roman Soldier, 302,