Galatians 5:11 is today’s Text: “And I, brethren, if I yet preach circumcision, why do I yet suffer persecution? then is the offence of the cross ceased.”

At least Paul is still calling them (the Galatians) “Brethren!” Back in the early third chapter Paul had already called them “foolish!” Twice in fact!

And from today’s verse it appears that some of the “enemies” who had come to Galatia were accusing Paul of also preaching “circumcision” (as the “means” of attaining Heaven)!

What is “circumcision?” A Jewish act, to the core. A command Almighty God had given Abraham long ago. A sign of “covenant” relationship between the two. And a token of Jewish lineage/heritage ever since. “And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you.” Genesis 17:11

But this form of surgery was NEVER meant as a religious act to bring eternal life to a man! That great Gift comes “by grace through faith,” preaches Paul!

But at any rate, did Paul ever preach such? “And I, brethren, if I yet preach circumcision, why do I yet suffer persecution?”

The adverb “yet” can (and often does) mean “still!”

Maybe they meant when Paul was still lost, a religious sinner! Still a Pharisee, he (certainly) would have preached adherence to the whole of Moses” Law, including circumcision. Do they have this in mind?

Or maybe (years after Paul was saved) when he asked Timothy to be circumcised! As recorded here in Acts 16:3 … ” Him (Timotheus) would Paul have to go forth with him; and took and CIRCUMCISED him because of the Jews which were in those quarters: for they knew all that his father was a Greek.” (But with a Jewish Mother, Timothy)

But do remember Paul refused to have Titus (a 100% Gentile) circumcised! An earlier lesson: “But NEITHER Titus, who was with me, being a GREEK, was compelled to be circumcised: and that because of false brethren unawares brought in, who came in privily to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage: to whom we gave place by subjection, no, not for an hour; that the truth of the gospel might continue with you.” Galatians 2:3-5

Liars and false accusers never worry too much with the truth, do they?

So here in today’s Text they are still at it, lying about Paul and his preaching!

By the way, the verb here for “preach” is “kerusso,” not the “proclamation” word that has generally been used in Galatians so far, which is “evangelizing!” Evangelizing (literally in Greek) means preaching “Good News!” And preaching circumcision is NOT good news, Paul believes.

Wow!

But the real (in Paul’s amazing logic) point in our Text is this: IF Paul is still preaching circumcision, WHY is he being hated by the legalists? He would then (if preaching “works”) be in their “camp!” Their ally! They certainly would not be chasing and contradicting and battling the great Apostle everywhere he went! Or everywhere he had been, Galatia being the prime example.

A longer Lesson today, folks!

But, by verse’s end … what is the “offense of the Cross?”

The noun “offense” is “skandalon” in Greek, a “stumbling block.” Yes, to strict Jews “no longer demanding circumcision” was “beyond the pale!” Beyond comprehension! They even wanted/demanded that GENTILES who had trusted Jesus be circumcised!

So they would NEVER BELIEVE the so-called “Gospel of Paul,” the Gospel of Salvation as a Gift of God’s ineffable Grace!

The verb “cease” is “katargeo,” (blending “kata” and “argeo”) which means “to render idle.” To make something “inactive!” To strip it of its power! (Perish the thought!)

Wow!

“And I, brethren, if I yet preach circumcision, why do I yet suffer persecution? then is the offence of the cross ceased.”

Think of it!

Paul actually suffered (they tried to kill him repeatedly) because of the Gospel he preached!

A Gospel freely offered to “whosoever” will!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

“Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.” 1 Corinthians 9:15

 

This is Paul on a good day!

“Positive reinforcement,” I think it’s called. At least what he says to “his” people, his converts to Jesus. Then He (rightly so) gets negative (in a hurry) when thinking of the deceptive false preachers who have crept into the Galatian Churches!

He writes to the Galatian Christians, today’s Text: “I have confidence in you through the Lord, that ye will be none otherwise minded: but he that troubleth you shall bear his judgment, whosoever he be.” Galatians 5:10

He nearly says (a “rare” occurrence in Paul indeed) that he “trusts” the Galatians to make the right decision, about “salvation by grace.” The verb translated “have confidence” is “peitho” (again) and exactly 8 times in the New Testament it is expressed “to trust!” Another similar rendering is “I believe” (in you) to do the right thing. Maybe even to kick the troublemakers out of their Churches!

But do note that this “confidence” is only “through (literally ‘in’) the Lord,” certainly not “in the flesh!”  A striking dichotomy that Paul will develop more fully later in this fifth chapter.

To be “not otherwise minded” essentially means “to agree with Paul!” Concerning salvation as a Gift of God! As salvation not being earnable, meritable, by human works!

The conjunction “but” (in Greek just spelled “de”) mid-sentence is a linking word, joining two clauses. Except that a vast contrast is indicated, with thought (called a “clause” in grammar class) number two being radically different from thought (clause) number one!

The rascals who have tried to “rob” the Galatians of their peace (trusting Jesus alone for salvation) are the “troublemakers” Paul has in mind. The verb “trouble” here is “tarasso,” picturing “constant agitation,” perennially keeping things unstable, a constant rocking of the theological boat!

They (saved or lost, only God knows) will face “judgment” some day! (Paul sort of hopes, some day soon, I think.) If lost, at the Great White Throne of Revelation 20. If saved, at the Judgment Seat of Christ of Romans 14 and 2 Corinthians 5.

The verb “to bear” indicates a “heavy load,” too! “Bastazo” in Greek, this is a pretty drastic word! Not quite as strong as “let them be accursed,” but nearly so!

Then Paul acts as if he does not know who the person (singular here) is (likely the “ringleader” of the opposition in Galatia) … so we get “whosoever he be.” 

Usually Paul’s “whosoever” statements are positive!

As in Romans 10:13 … “For WHOSOEVER shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” But not here today.

Judgment, for sure … “whosoever” the offender might be!

The man (with support from a number of others) who is attacking the Grace of God!

So … again we have seen … Paul, the defender of the Faith!

Praise God for him.

Amen.

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

 

What does “axiom” mean, here in the “title” to today’s Lesson? ?

It is derived from the Greek adjective “axios,” anything “worthy” of consideration. Something so well accepted that it is “self-evidently” TRUE!

And today’s Galatians 5:9 verse is inerrantly (without error) true!

“A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.”

Paul is using this proverb in the context of the FALSE TEACHING of certain “Judiazers” (men trying to make Gentiles into Jews, in religious practice … in order for them to be “saved” and go to heaven) who had secreted themselves into the young (in Christ) Churches of Galatia.

You see, “leaven” in the Bible is a picture (symbol) of SIN!

The Greek noun “leaven” is “zume,” likely dependent on the verb “zeo” for its foundation. And “zeo” means “to be hot, to boil!” Leaven (which is simply “yeast” in the kitchen) spreads and infiltrates and swells a whole batch of raw dough when things gets warm, hot!

Leaven actuates a chemical reaction, a slow process of fermentation, really!

Oh yes, it typifies sin, for sure!

Listen to Jesus, “Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.” Matthew 16:6, a Statement repeated in Mark 8:15 and Luke 12:1. In fact, Luke adds an interpretation: “He (Jesus) began to say unto his disciples first of all, Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees, WHICH IS HYPOCRISY.”

Pretty clear!

The old “post-millennial” preachers of a hundred and fifty years ago often wrongly interpreted “leaven” to be a picture of “good,” even of “Christianity!” They thought the Church was going to win the whole world to Jesus, in short time! They vastly underestimate the spreading power of “evil!”

Anyway, back to our Text for today: “A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.”

Our Bible Sentence here hinges on two words, two adjectives, “little” and “whole.” 

“Micros” (as in micromanaging, etc.) means to the “smallest” of details! It is translated “least” six times in the New Testament!

“Holos,” (as in the “whole” thing) means something in its “entirety.” Our King James Bible’s beautiful (yet quaint) “every whit!”

The moral of today’s Lesson: A LITTLE SIN WILL POLLUTE THE WHOLE AREA , WHEREVER IT IS INTRODUCED, WHERE IT IS ALLOWED TO INFILTRATE!

Grandma said: “One rotten apple will spoil the whole bag!”

Different words, same idea!

So?

Stay away from sin and its debilitating influence!

Here’s an example of the spreading deadliness of sin … like leaven! “But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when LUST hath conceived, it bringeth forth SIN: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth DEATH.” James 1:14-15

Wow!

In fact, the last half of Romans chapter one describes this phenomenon. I call it the “downward spiral” of sin! There things devolve quickly from the sin of “unthankfulness” to the sins of utmost “sexual perversion!”

Leaven indeed leavens!

Surely today we have been warned!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

Galatian Believers in Jesus, stay away from these false teachers. They are bringing leaven (falsehood, saying that Moses saves, not Jesus) into the Church. And that “malignant” doctrine  will “sour,” it will “decay,” it will “spread” its putrefying influence everywhere!

 

A short line today, our Text for the Lesson, but still the Word of God!

Paul writes to the Galatians: “This persuasion cometh not of him that calleth you.” (King James Version, Galatians 5:8)

By “persuasion” here Scripture means the “philosophy” (not necessarily “theology,” because it did not come from God’s Word) that is leading these fairly young Christians away from the Cross and backward toward the Law! 

My computer (Greek) lexicon says the word (“peismone”) is derived from “peitho,” certainly meaning “to persuade” but in the sense “of faith, of belief!”

That “persuasion” which the Galatians have been recently taught (really, just rank “heresy”) … and have begun to accept as truth! Some of them anyway are being quasi-persuaded!

But Paul is telling them, in no uncertain terms, that this kind of thinking does NOT come from the Lord, the Lord who saved them!

And if something is not “God-approved,” I think we can safely label it “devil-approved!”

The verb “called” (“kaleo”) is the first “hint” of salvation in any man’s or woman’s life! The Holy Spirit “convicting” (gently “nudging”) a sinner toward Jesus. So that sinner can “believe” on the Lord Jesus Christ and “be saved!” This is WHY Jesus came to die, isn’t it?

Folks, there are some things we can just “know” are not of God!

Now 1st John 4:1 comes to mind. “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.”

Wow!

Paul is here being the consummate leader!

Encouraging his converts to NOT be “carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive.” Ephesians 4:14

Occasionally it might not hurt us Christians to read/study a book like “Chaos of the Cults,” learning the basics of what the false teachers are advancing in our day.

Why?

So we can avoid those wicked “persuasions” that invariably detract from the Glory of Jesus Christ our Saviour, our ONLY Saviour!

Amen!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

 

A simple but direct question, from Paul to his “friends in Christ” who live in Galatia: ” Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth?” Galatians 5:7

The verb “did run” is not a simple aorist, which would have been similar to our English past tense! (It does not hint at a quick moment in the past, over in a flash!) It is rather an “imperfect” verb, indicating action that started in the past, continued for some time in the past, but may now be over, be ended!

Paull is telling these (Christian) folks that they lived well for Jesus, at least for some time! He, the Apostle, is now just wondering what happened to them? Clearly implying they are no longer running so well!

The verb we’re discussing is “trecho,” as if racing in a marathon! And 11 of the 20 times it appears in the New Testament, it is Paul doing the writing! (Eight more times in the Gospels, with most of them centered around Jesus’ Resurrection!)

The adverb “kalos” is translated “well.” It means “beautifully, excellently, superbly!” Paul (once) admired these Galatians, their Christian walk!

But the verse contains a “sad” verb too. “Who DID HINDER you?”

The Greek is “anakopto,” who “tripped” you? Or as if in a race with a “lane” for each runner, “Who CUT IN on you?”

Paul uses this verb (a cognate really) when telling the Thessalonians about Satan “hindering” him in a planned visit to their fair city, to their church. Now this verb in our verse is written in the subjunctive mood, indicating a possible (and desirable to the false teachers) situation developing. These Galatians reverting to a “false gospel.”

Then the sentence’s “key” verb, the most dangerous situation of all for a Believer. “That ye should not OBEY the truth.” 

Here we have “peitho,” actually half the time (in the New Testament) translated “persuaded,” their becoming convinced that Paul’s Gospel of Grace is not correct!

If one does not believe the Gospel … he will not (consequently) obey the Gospel! 

Another of the dozens of Bible “linkages” between belief and behavior! Between “doctrine” and “duty!” 

Paul is exasperated.

Disturbed.

This is an excellent illustration (the spiritual “shape” into which these Galatian Christians have drifted) of Paul’s words in 2 Corinthians 11:28. “Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the CARE of all the churches.” Wow! ( This noun is “merimna,” meaning “distractions, worries!”)

Thank God, good Pastors do care!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

Friends, how are you “running” in your Christian life, race? Is anything/anyone “hindering” you? Are you this very day still obeying the Gospel?

Wow, what questions.