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| GALATIANS |
| Explanatory Footnotes |
| 2:11 Forcing a Confrontation Galatians 2 gives a fascinating behing-the-scenes account of how the Jewish/Gentile question was splitting the early church. Peter and James, sympathetic to Jewish Christians, acted hypocritically in their treatment of Gentiles until Paul confronted them publicly. Acts 15 gives a more detailed account of the official disagreements and how they were finally resolved. 3:17 The 430-Year Gap In chapter 3, Paul uses clever arguments to put the entire Old Testament law in a new perspective. The law was never intended to make possible a way to God, he says (3:11, 21). Rather, the law was given to "lead us to Christ," by convincing us of the impossibility of gaining God's acceptance on our own. To prove his point, Paul mentions a 430-year gap between Abraham and Moses. God gave his promises to Abraham, who lived long before Moses ever received the law; therefore, Abraham couldn't possibly have depended on the law. God's promise reached final fulfillment in Jesus, whom Paul calls "Abraham's seed." 4:15 Paul's Anguish Paul's letter wavers between abstract reasoning and intensely emotional pleading. As this paragraph shows, Paul had once enjoyed intimate closeness with the people of Galatia. He feels anguish and personal rejection because they now seem to be turning their backs on the faith he had carefully taught them. He is in the pains of childbirth, he says, waiting anxiously for them to grow out of their false ideas (verse 19). 6:2 Mixing Gentleness with Harshness Galatians contains some of Paul's harshest language, for he sensed a danger that could destroy the church's faith. But the book also includes some of Paul's most familiar and comforting words. Chapter 6 describes a spirit of tolerance and forgiveness toward those who fail. It also offers |