By Pastor Chinedu Emmanuel

Acts 13: 27 “The people of Jerusalem and their rulers did not recognize Jesus, yet in condemning him they fulfilled the words of the prophets that are read every Sabbath.

Introduction and Background of the Book of Galatians

Paul’s Letter to the Galatians expresses his passionate defense of the Gospel, written in a state of anger and frustration. The letter was addressed to all churches in the region of Galatia, where Paul encountered opposition from Jewish believers who were unwilling to accept the new gospel. Despite facing resistance, Paul stood firm in his conviction and was willing to die for the gospel of Christ. The Jews were entrenched in the preaching of Moses, seeing no reason to abandon their beliefs and accept the new gospel, which they deemed untrustworthy. They relied on the writings of Moses and the prophets, doubting the authenticity of Paul’s teachings.

In John 1:45, Philip finds Nathanael and proclaims that they have discovered Jesus of Nazareth, the one Moses and the prophets wrote about in the law. However, despite reading about Him every Sabbath day, their hearts were closed to the truth, clinging to the laws of Moses and failing to comprehend the message. Similarly, in Acts 13:27, the rulers of Jerusalem failed to recognize Jesus and fulfill the prophecies, as they were ignorant of the voices of the prophets that were read every Sabbath day. Their lack of understanding led them to condemn Jesus.

After deliberating on the matter of whether Gentile believers needed to be circumcised and follow the laws of Moses, the leaders of the church concluded that salvation was by faith in Christ alone. They sent Judas and Silas to deliver this message and instructed the Gentile believers to abstain from certain practices such as idol worship, blood, and fornication. The leaders also emphasized that the Church did not support the preaching of a hybrid gospel that combined the old and new beliefs. They reminded the believers that their former practices, such as blood sacrifices and immoral rituals, were no longer necessary in serving Jesus.

Despite the decision made by the leaders in Jerusalem regarding the issue of salvation by faith and works, some zealous Jewish believers and non-believers still preached a hybrid gospel of salvation by works and by grace. They went to the churches in Galatia and confused many new believers, causing them to lose faith in Christ alone. In response, Paul wrote a letter to the Galatians to set the record straight and fight back against these false teachers. The letter aimed to restore the believers’ faith in Christ alone and his grace alone, emphasizing that salvation comes through faith in Christ, not by observing the laws of Moses.

PAUL’S LETTER TO THE GALATIANS (chapter 1)

• • In his letter to the Galatians, Paul started by asserting his apostolic authority to preach the gospel, emphasizing that it did not come from human beings, but directly from Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised Him from the dead.
  • Then Paul confronted the false doctrine that taught that the grace of God and the sacrifice of Christ on the cross were not enough for salvation. The false teachers claimed that one needed to add their own actions such as confessing sins, doing deliverance, praying to be saved, repenting to be good, doing good works, and many other things to augment what Christ did. However, Paul emphasized that salvation comes solely through the grace of Christ who did everything for us on the cross through His blood. He reminded them that Jesus had already declared “It is finished,” and there was nothing left to add to His finished work on the cross (Galatians 1:6-8)
  • In verses 6-17, Paul reaffirmed his authority to preach the gospel, which he received directly from Christ, and emphasized that the false preachers were leading the people away from Christ and destroying their faith. He stressed that he was not preaching to please men but to please God, and that the gospel he was preaching was not from any man but from God. Paul referred to this as the preaching of faith, as salvation is received through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ only through faith.

As we delve further into the Book of Galatians, we pray that we will gain a greater understanding of the gospel of grace and the freedom that we have in Christ.  Let us approach this study with humility and a hunger for the truth, recognizing that it is only through God’s grace and mercy that we have access to the riches of His word. In the upcoming blog post, we will discuss and analyze the second chapter of the book of Galatians. God bless you as you study. 

Pastor Chinedu Emmanuel is the Senior Pastor of Fountain of The Living Word Church East Orange, New Jersey.