Welcome to another
episode of Books of the Book.
00:00:26.36\00:00:29.58
My name is Pastor Mark
Howard and I am the Pastor
00:00:29.61\00:00:32.25
of the Global Seventh-day
Adventist church in Globals
00:00:32.28\00:00:35.44
Michigan and also the director
of Emmanuel Institute, a
00:00:35.47\00:00:38.56
training school of evangelism
in the Michigan Conference of
00:00:38.60\00:00:41.06
Seventh-day
Adventist and I am your host,
00:00:41.10\00:00:42.98
and I am here with my brother.
00:00:43.02\00:00:44.10
Yes, and my name is
Pastor Jim Howard and I Pastor
00:00:45.54\00:00:48.76
the Detroit Metropolitan
Seventh-day Adventist church as
00:00:48.80\00:00:51.77
well as the South Lyons
Seventh-day Adventist church
00:00:51.80\00:00:54.47
in Michigan and we are
excited to be talking to you
00:00:54.51\00:00:57.15
today about the
book of Galatians.
00:00:57.18\00:00:58.67
Last time we gave a little
bit of an opening and talked
00:00:58.70\00:01:01.80
about the central theme of
the book of Galatians which
00:01:01.84\00:01:04.91
is the gospel not
just one of many gospels,
00:01:04.94\00:01:09.44
but the everlasting gospel.
00:01:09.48\00:01:11.30
The apostle Paul has
some very strong words in the
00:01:11.34\00:01:14.37
beginning of the book of
Galatians that helps us to
00:01:14.40\00:01:16.95
understand that it's
very important to him that
00:01:16.98\00:01:19.49
we get the gospel right.
00:01:19.52\00:01:20.60
What we need to do is jump
right in to understand what
00:01:20.64\00:01:24.08
he had to say.
00:01:24.11\00:01:25.13
That's right, so we are
going to turn into our Bibles
00:01:25.17\00:01:26.70
to the book of
Galatians Chapter 1.
00:01:26.73\00:01:28.40
If you have trouble finding
it you are going to go to the
00:01:28.43\00:01:31.11
New Testament and go through
the Gospels Matthew, Mark
00:01:31.15\00:01:33.86
Luke, John and you'll come
to Acts, Romans, 1 Corinthians
00:01:33.89\00:01:36.41
2 Corinthians then you
will find the book of Galatians.
00:01:36.45\00:01:38.93
There in Galatians
1:6 and the Bible says,
00:01:38.96\00:01:42.88
"I marvel," here is
the apostle Paul writing
00:01:42.91\00:01:46.76
this "I marvel that you
are turning away so soon from
00:01:46.79\00:01:50.63
"Him who called to in the
grace of Christ, to a different
00:01:50.66\00:01:54.52
"gospel, which is not
another; but there are some who
00:01:54.55\00:01:57.94
"trouble you and want to
pervert the gospel of Christ.
00:01:57.98\00:02:02.10
"But even if we, or an
angel from heaven, preach any
00:02:02.14\00:02:05.59
"other gospel to you than
what we have preached to you,
00:02:05.63\00:02:09.76
"let him be accursed."
Verse 9 says, "as we have said
00:02:09.80\00:02:14.07
"before, so now I say again,
if anyone preaches any other
00:02:14.10\00:02:18.34
"gospel to you than
what you have received,
00:02:18.37\00:02:20.99
"let him be accursed." -
wow those are strong words.
00:02:21.02\00:02:23.88
Yeah, and if you understood
the Greek word there is
00:02:23.91\00:02:26.73
anathema, which means to
cut off with out any hope of
00:02:26.77\00:02:29.55
salvation, very
strong language he is using.
00:02:29.59\00:02:32.32
So Paul is being very emphatic
here about the idea of any
00:02:32.35\00:02:38.01
other gospel than what
he has already preached.
00:02:38.05\00:02:40.10
So he is making it clear
that there is only one gospel.
00:02:40.14\00:02:45.01
The challenge for us as we
are stumbling into the book of
00:02:45.05\00:02:49.89
Galatians is that this
is a letter he wrote to this
00:02:49.92\00:02:52.94
church in Galatia and he
gives this nice little greeting.
00:02:52.97\00:02:56.03
Grace and peace to you and
then he says I can't believe
00:02:56.07\00:02:59.57
you guys, so for the
reader we are coming into this.
00:02:59.60\00:03:02.55
- what happened? - yeah
what did we stumble into here?
00:03:02.59\00:03:06.36
The reality is it is hard
for us to grasp where he is
00:03:06.40\00:03:09.27
going without getting a
little bit of the background of
00:03:09.30\00:03:12.13
this story, what
call forth this letter.
00:03:12.17\00:03:14.66
So that is what we
are going to do today.
00:03:14.69\00:03:17.11
We are going to try to get
some background on what called
00:03:17.14\00:03:19.71
forth a letter to
the Galatian church.
00:03:19.75\00:03:21.51
Okay, well maybe will we
should do is within the book
00:03:21.55\00:03:25.71
of Galatians first see if
we can find some signs, some
00:03:25.74\00:03:29.87
hints as to what
this background entails.
00:03:29.90\00:03:32.02
We already know it involves
the gospel being perverted.
00:03:32.05\00:03:35.26
But there is a certain
aspect of that we find out when
00:03:35.29\00:03:38.46
we look at Galatians Chapter 2.
00:03:38.50\00:03:39.81
So let's look at
Galatians 2:1 together.
00:03:39.84\00:03:43.08
We are going to read
for a few verses here.
00:03:43.11\00:03:46.28
It says, "then after 14 years
I went up again to Jerusalem
00:03:46.32\00:03:51.81
"with Barnabas, and
also took Titus me."
00:03:51.84\00:03:54.60
Now we are picking up in
the middle of a description
00:03:54.63\00:03:58.60
the apostle Paul is
giving as to how he first was
00:03:58.63\00:04:02.56
converted and his apostleship
as he was called into.
00:04:02.59\00:04:06.39
- you might highlight here
that after 14 years he shared
00:04:06.42\00:04:09.68
earlier than that, after his
conversion there were 3 years
00:04:09.71\00:04:12.94
in verse 18 that after
his conversion he went up to
00:04:12.97\00:04:19.20
Jerusalem and
then 14 more years.
00:04:19.24\00:04:20.87
It was 17 years since the
conversion of Paul that he
00:04:20.91\00:04:22.97
shares this story and
that will come into play as we
00:04:23.01\00:04:25.13
go on a little bit more.
- That's right, good point.
00:04:25.16\00:04:27.79
As we look at Chapter 2
and verse 1 again it says that
00:04:27.82\00:04:30.91
he went up to Jerusalem
after 14 years which is really
00:04:30.94\00:04:33.99
after 17 years
from his conversion.
00:04:34.03\00:04:35.55
It says, "I went up by
revelation, and communicated to
00:04:35.58\00:04:39.88
"them that gospel which I
preach among the Gentiles, but
00:04:39.92\00:04:44.07
"privately to those who
were of reputation, lest by any
00:04:44.10\00:04:47.91
"means I might run, or
had run, in vain. Yet not even
00:04:47.94\00:04:51.56
"Titus who was with me,
being a Greek, was compelled to
00:04:51.60\00:04:54.98
"be circumcised. And
this occurred because of false
00:04:55.01\00:04:58.78
"brethren secretly brought
in (who came in by stealth
00:04:58.81\00:05:02.10
"to spy out our liberty
which we have in Christ Jesus,
00:05:02.14\00:05:05.33
"that they might bring us
into bondage), to whom we did
00:05:05.37\00:05:08.42
"not yield submission even
for an hour, that truth of the
00:05:08.46\00:05:11.48
"gospel might
continue with you."
00:05:11.52\00:05:13.07
So there is some very
sinister schemes he is talking
00:05:13.10\00:05:16.94
about here and in the
heart of it in verse 3 is this
00:05:16.98\00:05:21.08
statement that not even
Titus who was with him, being a
00:05:21.11\00:05:25.29
Greek, that is not a Jew
was compelled to be circumcised.
00:05:25.33\00:05:28.99
He almost draws that out of
nowhere as if they would know
00:05:29.03\00:05:32.66
what he was talking about.
00:05:32.70\00:05:33.91
But we don't exactly know,
fortunately for us this story
00:05:33.94\00:05:37.61
where he says after 14 years
I went up again to Jerusalem
00:05:37.65\00:05:41.28
we have a record of.
00:05:41.31\00:05:42.93
- that's right we
have that account.
00:05:42.96\00:05:44.25
That's right and it is in
Acts 15 so let's look there
00:05:44.29\00:05:48.38
and it will give us a little
bit better idea of what the
00:05:48.41\00:05:51.98
background is to the
apostle Paul writing this letter
00:05:52.02\00:05:55.55
to the Galatian church.
00:05:55.59\00:05:56.85
Acts 15:1 it says, "and certain
main came down from Judea
00:05:56.88\00:06:04.53
"and taught the brethren,
unless you are circumcised
00:06:04.57\00:06:08.63
"according to the custom of
Moses, you cannot be saved."
00:06:08.67\00:06:12.06
Okay now we are getting a
little bit of a hint of why
00:06:12.10\00:06:15.00
he was bringing up circumcision
in Galatians Chapter 2.
00:06:15.03\00:06:18.07
He was saying that not
even Titus a Greek was compelled
00:06:18.10\00:06:21.10
to be circumcised.
00:06:21.14\00:06:22.36
Apparently these men were
saying that you needed to be,
00:06:22.39\00:06:24.56
but he didn't feel that
was true. - that's right!
00:06:24.59\00:06:28.36
Now in verse 5, if you
keep moving it reiterates,
00:06:28.39\00:06:32.53
"but some of the sect of
Pharisees who believed," now
00:06:32.56\00:06:36.25
the Pharisees who believed
would represent Pharisees
00:06:36.29\00:06:40.50
the Jewish religious leaders
who accepted Jesus Christ
00:06:40.54\00:06:44.71
was the Messiah.
00:06:44.75\00:06:45.90
They were Pharisees
who believed, but it says,
00:06:45.93\00:06:48.54
"they rose up saying, it is
necessary to circumcised them,
00:06:48.57\00:06:52.48
"and to command them
to keep the law of Moses."
00:06:52.52\00:06:55.68
Okay I will interject here,
I have had people read this
00:06:55.71\00:06:58.78
and say well it is very
obvious what is happening here.
00:06:58.82\00:07:02.34
They are wanting these new
believers to be circumcised
00:07:02.37\00:07:05.90
to keep the Ten Commandments
and that is how they read
00:07:05.93\00:07:09.39
that in there and I want to
emphasize that this term law of
00:07:09.42\00:07:12.35
Moses you can do a search,
for example I am reading in
00:07:12.38\00:07:15.74
the New King James version.
00:07:15.78\00:07:16.88
There are 22 occurrences in
the whole New King James version
00:07:16.91\00:07:20.44
of this term law of Moses.
00:07:20.47\00:07:22.60
They never refer exclusively
to the Ten Commandments,
00:07:22.63\00:07:26.05
but to what we call Penitiff?
or the Torah, the first 5 books
00:07:26.09\00:07:30.59
of the Bible which
were written by Moses.
00:07:30.62\00:07:33.81
Instruction that
came through Moses.
00:07:33.85\00:07:35.82
So it wasn't just
dealing specifically with the
00:07:35.85\00:07:39.18
Ten Commandments,
obviously here the issue is
00:07:39.21\00:07:42.47
circumcision, which isn't
part of the Ten Commandments.
00:07:42.51\00:07:44.81
It is the broader
picture of the instruction that
00:07:44.85\00:07:50.14
God gave through Moses.
00:07:50.17\00:07:52.01
One example of that we
find in the book of Exodus
00:07:52.05\00:07:54.88
Chapter 12 and maybe we
ought to look at that just to
00:07:54.91\00:07:57.78
get an idea of where
these guys might be coming from.
00:07:57.82\00:08:00.80
The second book of the
Bible, Genesis then Exodus.
00:08:00.83\00:08:03.75
Exodus 12:48, in Exodus
12:48 the instruction given when
00:08:03.78\00:08:09.99
you look at verse 43 it says,
"and the Lord said to Moses
00:08:10.02\00:08:14.74
"an Aaron," so Lord gives
us instruction and Moses has
00:08:14.77\00:08:19.45
written it out and
in verse 48 he says,
00:08:19.49\00:08:22.00
"and when a stranger dwells
with you and wants to keep
00:08:22.04\00:08:24.66
"the Passover to the
Lord, let all his males be
00:08:24.69\00:08:27.71
"circumcised, and then
let him come near and keep it,
00:08:27.74\00:08:31.76
"and he shall be a
native of the land.
00:08:31.79\00:08:33.86
"For no uncircumcised
person shall eat it."
00:08:33.90\00:08:38.87
Of course this is in
the book of the law of Moses
00:08:38.91\00:08:43.95
as these Pharisees believed
were reading text like the
00:08:43.98\00:08:48.15
one in Exodus and saying
it said in Exodus if a Gentile
00:08:48.19\00:08:52.32
wants to be part of us,
he has to be circumcised.
00:08:52.36\00:08:55.45
That's right, and I think
for us to look at this and draw
00:08:55.49\00:08:59.92
a conclusion it is difficult
when we don't really know
00:08:59.95\00:09:03.80
the background of how
circumcision came to be in the
00:09:03.83\00:09:07.42
first place, so at the
risk of going back to the
00:09:07.45\00:09:10.17
beginning we really need
to go back to the beginning
00:09:10.20\00:09:13.98
here and find out what it
is that prompted God to give
00:09:14.02\00:09:17.76
the right of circumcision.
00:09:17.80\00:09:19.56
So what we need to do is
go back to the father of the
00:09:19.59\00:09:21.89
Jews, Abraham, we
would go back to Genesis 12.
00:09:21.92\00:09:26.71
Of course we are going to
Abraham because Abraham was
00:09:26.75\00:09:29.32
the one whom the right
of circumcision was given.
00:09:29.36\00:09:31.89
So we are going to go
back and find out why.
00:09:31.93\00:09:35.01
That is right, so we go
back to Genesis 12 we find a
00:09:35.04\00:09:39.27
little bit about what
God was promising to Abraham.
00:09:39.31\00:09:43.34
It says in Genesis 12:1,
"now the Lord had said to
00:09:43.38\00:09:46.75
"Abraham; get out of
your country, from your family
00:09:46.78\00:09:49.52
"and from your father's
house, to a land that I will
00:09:49.56\00:09:52.59
"show you. I will make you
a great nation; I will bless
00:09:52.63\00:09:55.63
"you and make your name
great; and you shall be a
00:09:55.66\00:09:59.12
"blessing. I will
bless those who bless you,
00:09:59.15\00:10:01.57
"and I will curse him who
curses you; and in you all the
00:10:01.60\00:10:04.53
"families of the
earth shall be blessed."
00:10:04.57\00:10:06.99
Now in order to make a
great nation from Abraham.
00:10:07.03\00:10:10.32
In order for all the families
of the earth to be blessed
00:10:10.36\00:10:12.86
through him, he
needs descendents.
00:10:12.90\00:10:15.37
It took a little while
and nothing was happening.
00:10:15.41\00:10:21.22
His wife Sarai was not
pregnant and some roughly
00:10:21.25\00:10:26.92
10 years later we come
to Chapter 15 and still the
00:10:26.96\00:10:32.59
promise had not been fulfilled.
00:10:32.62\00:10:33.97
Well at some point it became
evident, even prior to this
00:10:34.01\00:10:37.34
just a new verses before
in Chapter 11:30 it said,
00:10:37.37\00:10:40.38
"but Sarai was
barren; she had no Child."
00:10:40.42\00:10:42.71
So it became now that they
thought sooner or later she
00:10:42.75\00:10:48.09
might become fertile, but
the reality is, as time goes
00:10:48.13\00:10:53.44
on as you said,
there's no descendents.
00:10:53.47\00:10:55.92
Hope gets less and less
and I think that is where they
00:10:55.95\00:10:58.93
were here when we get
to Chapter 15 of Genesis.
00:10:58.97\00:11:02.00
It says in verse 1, "after
these things the word of the
00:11:02.03\00:11:05.76
"Lord came to Abram in a vision,
saying, do not be afraid,
00:11:05.79\00:11:09.70
"Abram." He sensed his
fear, "I am your shield, you're
00:11:09.73\00:11:13.61
"exceedingly great reward."
00:11:13.64\00:11:14.94
That is a powerful
verse of Scripture.
00:11:14.98\00:11:16.69
He was promising that He
Himself would be his reward.
00:11:16.72\00:11:19.69
But he continues in verse
2 and says, "Lord God, what
00:11:19.73\00:11:23.44
"will You give me, seeing
I go childless, and the heir
00:11:23.47\00:11:26.92
"of my house is Eliezer of
Damascus? Then Abrams said,
00:11:26.95\00:11:30.10
"look, You have given me
no offspring; indeed one born
00:11:30.13\00:11:33.28
"in my house is my heir.
And behold the word of the
00:11:33.32\00:11:36.26
"Lord came to him, saying,
this one shall not be your
00:11:36.29\00:11:39.20
"heir, but one who
will come from your own body
00:11:39.23\00:11:42.58
"shall be your heir. Then
He brought him outside and
00:11:42.61\00:11:45.16
"said, looking out toward
heaven, and count the stars
00:11:45.19\00:11:47.63
"if you are able to
number them. And He said to him,
00:11:47.66\00:11:50.07
"so shall your descendents be."
00:11:50.10\00:11:52.52
So here is this promise,
Abram I told you 10 years ago
00:11:52.56\00:11:55.76
and I'm telling you
again, you are going to have a
00:11:55.79\00:11:58.96
descendent through which
all the families of the earth
00:11:58.99\00:12:02.13
will be blessed.
00:12:02.16\00:12:03.32
- which is an incredible
promise, it says the stars
00:12:03.36\00:12:05.19
of heaven, - and at
the time there was nobody.
00:12:05.22\00:12:08.03
So verse 6 gives us a very
important verse of Scripture
00:12:08.06\00:12:12.83
that will touch on later
in Galatians as an important
00:12:12.87\00:12:17.60
part of the Gospel.
00:12:17.64\00:12:18.62
In verse 6 it says,
"and he", which is Abram,
00:12:18.65\00:12:22.13
"believed in the Lord,
and he accounted it to him
00:12:22.16\00:12:25.55
"for righteousness." So
this is a powerful verse.
00:12:25.59\00:12:28.95
Abraham still
believed the promise.
00:12:28.98\00:12:31.55
God had said that this
heir would come from your own
00:12:31.58\00:12:36.18
body, but he didn't say he
would come from Sarai's body.
00:12:36.21\00:12:41.81
So Sarai said well, this
is not working out I am still
00:12:41.85\00:12:47.30
barren and devised a plan
that Hagar, her maidservant,
00:12:47.34\00:12:52.47
would be the one through
whom Abram would ultimately
00:12:52.51\00:12:56.58
have descendents and so
they devised this plan to
00:12:56.62\00:13:00.66
fulfill the promise of God.
00:13:00.69\00:13:02.35
They almost sensed that
since it wasn't being fulfilled
00:13:02.39\00:13:05.99
they needed to give the
Lord a hand, if you will.
00:13:06.02\00:13:08.10
They would make sure descendent
was born in the house.
00:13:08.14\00:13:12.06
Absolutely and so of
course a descendent was born.
00:13:12.09\00:13:16.32
His name was Ishmael and
Abraham and Sarai and Hagar
00:13:16.35\00:13:19.41
thought they had accomplished
the will of God through
00:13:19.45\00:13:22.48
their own devising.
00:13:22.51\00:13:23.56
Ishmael grew and for years
and years they were resting
00:13:23.59\00:13:27.59
content that the promise
of God had been fulfilled.
00:13:27.63\00:13:31.59
Until we come to
Chapter 17 in Genesis.
00:13:31.62\00:13:35.67
I'm looking at our time
here and it looks like we need
00:13:35.71\00:13:38.73
to take a little break
before we dive right in.
00:13:38.76\00:13:40.61
So we are going to break
and when we come back we're
00:13:40.64\00:13:44.14
going to dive in to Genesis
Chapter 17 and we are going
00:13:44.17\00:13:47.39
to see what happens with
that descendent and the right
00:13:47.43\00:13:51.09
of circumcision then
being imposed upon Abraham and
00:13:51.12\00:13:55.23
his descendents. Stay
with us we will be right back!
00:13:55.26\00:13:59.34