August 2009 - Posts

• Galatians Wk8

  Defense of Justification                                Gal 2:17-21  •         But if-A Hypothetical Situation to Prove a Theological Point •         Judiazers Claimed the Uncircumcised Gentiles Who Accepted Justification by Faith in Christ Alone Were Still Unsaved •         We seek to be justified by Christ-Justification is the Result of the Union With Christ Through Faith •         What is the Logic of this Verse? •         First, In Order to be Justified in Christ, It is Necessary to Abandon Faith in the Law as a Means of Salvation •         Second, Without the Law One Becomes a Sinner in the Sense of Being Like the Gentiles •         Therefore, The False Conclusion Reached is Christ is the Agent of Sin •         God forbid-May it Never Be  •         Build again the things which I destroyed-The Law as a Means for Gaining Favor with God •         I make myself a transgressor-Offended the Principle of Grace by Requiring Human Effort •         Dead to the law-The Law Has No Further Claim or Control Over Him •         That I might live unto God-Through Death to Human Effort, He Could Become Alive Through Faith  •         Five Characteristics of Being Justified in Christ: •         1-crucified with Christ-Positionally, We Were Co-Crucified (Rom 6:6) •         2-nevertheless I live-The Believer is Alive Spiritually (Jn 10:10 & Rom 7:4) •         Yet not I-No Longer That Old Man That I Once Was (2 Cor 5:17) •         3-Christ liveth in me-The Believer Has Life Because Christ Lives In Him •         You Never Get Eternal Life Apart From Christ (1 Jn 5:11-12 & Jn 14:20) •         And the life I now live in the flesh-As Contrasted With My Life Before Conversion •         The Power to Live Righteously Resides in the Believer •         4-I live by the faith of the Son of God-The Justified Life is a Faith Life (Rom 1:17) •         5-Who loved me, and gave himself for me-A Life Made Possible By Christ’s Love & Death •         Do not frustrate the grace of God-Means to Set Grace Aside or Nullify it •         If You Can Earn Salvation, Then God Must Give You What You Deserve (Rom 4:4-5) •         Then Christ is dead in vain-Unnecessary    Posted Aug 30 2009, 12:19 PM by jbarch with no comments

• Galatians Wk7

  Confrontation with Peter & Defining Justification              Gal 2:12-16  •         The Meeting Was in Syrian Antioch •         The City Today is Antakiya •         Certain came from James-Jewish Christians From the Church at Jerusalem were come •         Their Coming Led to Two Sins by Peter: •         An Outward Offense •         An Inward Attitude •         He withdrew and separated himself-Outward: Communion Replaced by Separation •         This Publically Showed Two Divisions Within One True Church •         Inward: Actions Reflect Attitudes •         Fearing them-What Others Might Think •         Peter Likely Harbored the Jewish Feeling of Superiority •         Everything a Christian Does Affects Someone Else for Benefit or Detriment (Rom 14:7) •         Peter’s Actions as a Leader, Affected Others •         First, the other Jews dissembled likewise with him •         Dissembled & Dissimulation-Both Mean: To Commit Hypocrisy With •         Leaders, Who Are Teachers, Have A Greater Responsibility (James 3:1) •         Second, Barnabas also was carried away-Yielded to the Pressure •         What Paul Said to Peter •         Walked not uprightly (orthopodousi)-Literally, Their Feet Did Not Walk in a Straight Line •         The truth of the gospel-This is the Standard; Jews & Gentiles Saved Alike (Eph 2:13-14) •         Before them all-Public to Peter Who Led in the Sin •         First, Paul Describes Peter’s Spiritual Practice after the manner of Gentiles •         Second, why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews?-Forced Behavior •         Explanation of Divine Justification •         Jews by nature-A Difference in Human Morality •         Not sinners of the Gentiles-No Restraint by Commandments •         Although Outward Practices Differed, Spiritual Position Before God Was the Same (Rom 3:9 & 2:12) •         Under the Penalty of Sin and Controlled by the Power of Sin (Jn 3:18) •         If We Are to be Declared Righteous, We Must Be First Made Righteous •         Justified-Means: Declared Righteous •         Negatively, not justified by the works of the law •         Nothing Wrong With the Law; Holy, Just & Good (Rom 7:12) •         The Problem is the Inability of Man to Keep it (Rom 8:3) •         God Did Not Give the Law So Sinners Could Obey it and Get Eternal Life (Gal 3:21) •         For by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified-Works Do Not Aid in Getting Declared Righteous (Rom 3:10) •         Positively, Justification is by the faith of Christ •         In His Sacrificial Death, Christ Provided Redemption, Reconciliation & Propitiation (Satisfaction of God’s Just Requirements) •         All of These Benefits Must Be Received by Faith •         Then, How is a Sinner Declared Righteous? •         When A Sinner Trusts Christ, He Receives a Righteous Standing Before God (2 Cor 5:21 & Phil 3:9) •         Now That the Sinner Has a Righteous Standing Before God, He Can Be Declared Righteous By God (Rom 4:5)    Posted Aug 23 2009, 04:09 PM by jbarch with no comments

• Galatians Wk6

  One Gospel Message                          Gal 2:7-11  •         Paul’s Role •         But contrariwise-Recognition of Paul’s Genuine Apostolic Ministry •         Saw-Divine Wisdom •         Was committed unto me-Means: Had Been Entrusted or Already Occurred •         Two Gospels?  One to uncircumcision, one to circumcision? No •         This Statement Means a Distinction in Audience Not Content of the Message •         Paul Had the Same Apostleship •         Apostles Were Commissioned to Preach the Gospel to All Nations (Matt 28:19) •         Wrought effectually…was mighty (energeo)-The Same God Energized Both Peter & Paul •         Audiences Were Different, Authority Was Equal •         Paul Was Accepted into the Fellowship •         James, Cephas (Peter) and John •         Pillars-Not Holding Up, But Looking Up •         They Did Four Things: •         Perceived the grace that was given unto me-First, Recognized the Doctrine of Grace & The Working of Grace •         The right hands of fellowship (koinonia)-Second, Common Beliefs & Leading by the Holy Spirit (2 Cor 13:14) •         We…unto the heathen…they unto the circumcision-Third, Agreed on Their Respective Areas of Ministry •         Remember the poor-Fourth, They Desired That Paul Would Continue Financial Support to Jewish Christians in Jerusalem •         Which I also was forward to do-Paul Already Determined to Do This (6:10) •         The Criticism of Peter’s Actions •         When Did Peter Visit Syrian Antioch? •         After the Famine Visit of Paul & Barnabas (Acts 11:30) •         Peter Wanted to See the Work in Antioch First-Hand •         I withstood him to the face-To Stand Against •         Why Did Paul Handle This Problem in This Way? •         Public Sins Require Public Criticism and Public Repentance •         Because he was to be blamed-The Rebuke Was Deserved   Posted Aug 16 2009, 02:10 PM by jbarch with no comments

• Galatians Wk5

  Paul Accepted by the Apostles                     Gal 2:1-6  l     When Did This Event Take Place? l     Fourteen years-From When? l     I went up again-Indicates a Previous Visit l     Two Views: l     If From the Conversion of Paul (32 AD), This is the Famine Visit (Acts 11) 46 AD l     If From the Peter Visit (35 AD), Then This is the Jerusalem Council (Acts 15) 49 AD l     Preference, 14 Yrs. From Paul’s Conversion l     The People At the Meeting l     First, Those With Paul l     Barnabas-Paul’s Friend & Missionary Associate l     Titus-A Gentile Convert l     Second, false brethren or Acting Christians l     Third, The Leaders of the Jerusalem Church l     Purpose of the Meeting l     I went up-Paul Took the Initiative l     Took Titus with me also-First, To Present a Gentile Convert l     By revelation-God Instructed, But the Method is Not Known l     Communicated…that gospel-Second, To Set Before Them the Unchanged Message for Consideration l     Privately to them which were of reputation-To Eliminate the Danger of Public Misunderstanding l     I should run, or had run, in vain-Concern for Confusion of New Believers and… l     Concern for the Overall Missionary Work to the Gentiles l     What Happened At the Meeting? l     The Issue With Titus l     But neither-Not Even l     Who was with me-Close Association l     Was compelled to be circumcised-The Jerusalem Apostles Agreed Circumcision Was Unnecessary l     The Issue With Paul l     False brethren unawares brought in-Outwardly Baptized, But No Heart Change l     To spy out our liberty-Hostile, With the Intent to Wage War l     Bring us into bondage-Reduce Our Liberty to Slavery Again l     We-Paul, Barnabas & Titus Were in Unity l     Gave place…no, not for an hour-No Weakness or Hesitation in Their Position l     The truth…might continue-Concern for the Weakening of the Galatian Churches l     The Other Apostles & Paul l     Seemed to be somewhat-Impressive Credentials l     Maketh no matter to me-Paul Not Awed by Their Past l     God accepteth no man’s person-God is Not Partial l     Added nothing to me-Didn’t Tell Paul Anything He Didn’t Already Know   Posted Aug 09 2009, 01:10 PM by jbarch with no comments

• Galatians Wk4

  Gal 1:16b-24   Paul Defends the Origin of the Message  •         God Directs to Specific Ministries •         Paul’s Meetings With Others •         The First Three Years •         Immediately-Meaning, After Paul’s Conversion (Acts 9:8-11) •         Paul Preached Christ Prior to Meeting Anyone in Jerusalem •         Conferred-Means to Meet Someone With A View to Be Informed •         Flesh and blood-Human Nature or Mankind •         Neither…to Jerusalem…apostles-No Consulting •         But I went into Arabia-What Arabia & For What Purpose? •         Two Choices •         Mt. Sinai (Gal 4:25) •         Nabatean Kingdom •         What Was the Purpose of the Trip? •         The Main Purpose Was a Retreat for Instruction and Prayer •         Returned again unto Damascus-And Preached (2 Cor 11:32-33) •         At Jerusalem •         Then after three years-Three Years After His Conversion •         To see Peter-The Verb is Used of Sightseeing or Visiting •         Why to Jerusalem to See Peter? •         For Fellowship and Partnering •         And To Preach (Acts 9:26-30) •         Who Was James? •         James, the Brother of John & Son of Zebedee (Acts 12:1-4) •         James, the Son of Alphaeus, One of the Twelve (Mark 3:18) •         James, the Half-Brother of Jesus (Mark 6:33) •         The Objection to Half-Brother, the Apostolic Title •         Title Refers to the Lower Form of the Meaning of Apostle •         Before God-An Oath, As If Before God as Judge •         Paul Accounts For His Absence •         Afterwards (then)-After the Visit in Jerusalem •         Paul Went to Caesarea (coast) Acts 9:30 •         Paul Had a Vision in the Temple While Praying (Acts 22:17-21) •         Then He Went Northward Passing Through Syria to Celicia •         Settling in His Home Town of Tarsus •         Where He Would Spend the Next 9 Years in Relative Seclusion (Acts 9:30 & 11:25) •         Years of Divine Preparation •         The Churches of Judea, Where the Apostles Labored, Never Saw Paul •         Churches of Judea-Roughly Located in the Area of Israel Today •         The Churches Had Secondary Knowledge of Paul •         Had heard only-Means Kept on Hearing •         Persecutor Turned Preacher •         Preacheth the faith-Justification by Faith Without Circumcision or Works   Posted Aug 02 2009, 02:55 PM by jbarch with no comments