Messiah Yeshua said, "the one who endures to the end will be saved." We have to ask: Endure to the end of what? How are we saved? For what purpose? And how do we endure to the end when the odd against us are overwhelming? https://thebarkingfox.com/2025..../12/06/winning-by-no
Messiah Yeshua said, "the one who endures to the end will be saved." We have to ask: Endure to the end of what? How are we saved? For what purpose? And how do we endure to the end when the odd against us are overwhelming? https://thebarkingfox.com/2025..../12/06/winning-by-no
Genesis 1:26, “Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness, to rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, and over all the earth itself and every creature that crawls upon it.” The Hebrew word translated to rule over and in some Bibles the word dominion is used, actually means to be the head of. Mankind being made in the image of our Creator is designed to manage the earth and the animals in a way that is consistent with the way we should allow our Creator to manage us.
BIBLE STUDY --- NEW TESTAMENT LETTERS
EPHESIANS
Letter to the believers in Ephesus and the surrounding churches written with a magnificence that both instructs and inspires the reader. It provides a sweeping view of the role of the church as history moves toward the ultimate recognition of the universal headship of the Moshiach.
AUTHOR
The writer of the letter identifies himself as the apostle Paul {Ephesians 1:1; 3:1}. He also describes his own ministry in terms that reflect what we know of Paul {3:7, 13; 4:1; 6:19-20}. This claim is confirmed by the testimonies of Irenaeus, Origen, Polycarp, Tertullian, and Ignatius, who in his own epistle to the Ephesians alludes to the frequent and affectionate mention made by Paul of the Christian state, privileges, and persons of the Ephesians. There are some characteristics of the letter however, that have caused many scholars to question its clear claim to Pauline authorship. Some of these characteristics would be a problem only if the letter were intended exclusively for people in Ephesus, but such was probably not the case. Otherwise, it would be hard to understand why; after establishing the church there over a three-year period, Paul would write as though author and recipients had only a second-hand knowledge of each other. It would also be strange that the warm personal words of greeting to various individuals that are found in other Pauline letters are missing here. There is instead only a general greeting to “the brothers” {6:23}. But all this can be easily explained once it is understood that the epistle was an encyclical for several churches.
DESTINATION
This epistle was addressed, most probably, to several churches in the district around Ephesus -- namely, Asia. The Epistle to the Ephesians, so-called, was not really intended to be only for the church at Ephesus. Most modern scholars are convinced that it was an encyclical that went to several churches in Asia, including Ephesus. There are several reasons to affirm this. First, the earliest manuscripts {the Chester Beatty Papyrus -- P46, Codex Sinaiticus, Codex Vaticanus} do not contain the words “in Ephesus” in Ephesians 1:1. It appears that Paul purposely left the name of the locality out, so as to be filled in later as the letter circulated to each locality. {The Greek construction in 1:1 calls for a prepositional phrase designating a locality to be present in the sentence.} Since Ephesus was the leading city of Asia, it was quite natural for scribes to assign this epistle to the church at Ephesus. Second, the Epistle to the Ephesians has all the marks of being a general treatise rather than an epistle to a specific local church. Paul had lived with the believers at Ephesus for three years {Acts 20:31}. He knew them intimately, yet in this epistle there are no personal greetings or specific exhortations. When we consider Paul’s manner in many of his other epistles, it would be quite unlike him to have excluded these personal expressions. Quite the contrary, Paul speaks to the saints whom he has only heard about and who have only heard about him {see Ephesians 1:15; 3:1}. It is possible that this epistle was the one sent to Laodicea. In all fairness it must be said that the encyclical theory has been opposed by some scholars. For example, Henry Alford makes the following objections to this theory:
1 -- It is at variance with the spirit of the epistle, which is clearly addressed to one set of persons throughout, coexisting in one place and as one body and under the same circumstances.
2 -- It is improbable that the apostle, who in two of his epistles {2 Corinthians and Galatians} has so plainly specified their encyclical character, should have here omitted such specification.
3 -- The absence of personal greetings is not an argument for either of the two theories, for similarly there are none in Galatians, Philippians, 1 and 2 Thessalonians, and 1 Timothy. The better he knows the parties addressed, and the more general and solemn the subject, the less he seems to give of these individual notices.
DATE AND ORIGIN
Ephesians 3:1, 4:1, and 6:20 indicate that the letter was written while Paul was a prisoner. Since he was imprisoned several times, it is necessary to narrow the options. The first major imprisonment may have been at Ephesus itself, but this is obviously not in consideration. The second was at Caesarea for two years {Acts 24:27; cf. 23:23-24, 33}. It is possible that Paul wrote some letters at that time, but most scholars think that Ephesians {along with Colossians, Philemon, and probably Philippians} was written during Paul’s imprisonment at Rome {28:16, 30}. This probably took place sometime between AD 59 and 63 and lasted for two years. This period of time, following about 25 years of spiritual growth and 12 years or so of missionary experience, gave Paul a splendid opportunity for reflection and writing.
BACKGROUND
Ephesus was the most important city in Asia Minor, located on the Caister River, with a harbour on the Aegean Sea. With this location it became a centre for commercial travel, and major trade routes led to it from several directions. A great pagan temple dedicated to the goddess Artemis {Diana} was located in Ephesus. Paul made the city a centre of evangelistic and church-building ministry {Acts 19}, spending three years there {20:31}. It was natural, therefore, for a letter intended for a wide readership in that part of Asia Minor to have Ephesus as its main destination. Paul’s first visit to Ephesus {on the seacoast of Lydia, near the river Caister} is related in Acts 18:19-21. The work, begun by his disputations with the Jews in his short visit, was carried on by Apollos {verses 24-26} and Aquila and Priscilla {18:26}. At his second visit, after his journey to Jerusalem, and thence to the east regions of Asia Minor, he remained at Ephesus “three years” {19:10 -- the “two years” in this verse are only part of the time -- and 20:31}; therefore, the founding and rearing of this church occupied an unusually large portion of the apostle’s time and care. The language in the epistle shows a warmth of feeling and a free outpouring of thought, and a union in spiritual privileges and hope between him and them, such as are natural from one so long and so intimately associated with those whom he addresses. On his last journey to Jerusalem, he sailed by Ephesus and summoned the elders of the Ephesian church to meet him at Miletus, where he delivered his remarkable farewell charge {20:18-35}.
PURPOSE AND THEOLOGICAL TEACHING
It may be said that the purpose of Ephesians is “doxological”; that is, it should cause the readers to glorify YHVH, both in grateful praise and in manner of life. This is seen in the opening section, which is like a hymn in style: “Praise YHVH, the Father of our Adonai Yeshua Moshiach” {Ephesians 1:3; cf. the Doxology often sung in church}. Paul says three times in the first chapter that the result of YHVH’s blessings should be praise {verses 6, 12, 14}. While the letter contains much doctrinal and moral instruction {with the latter solidly based on the former}, its purpose is not only teaching or exhortation, important as these are. It is rather to lift up its readers to a new vantage point that will help them to identify with the risen, ascended Moshiach and to share his perspective on the church and its role in the world. In this connection a significant term occurs in 1:3 and elsewhere. It is perhaps best translated “heavenly realms.” It is different in form from the usual word for “heaven” and seems to have a special significance in Ephesians as the realm of Yeshua’ victorious reign in the present age. This is seen in 1:20, read in the context of verses 19-23. Whatever beings there may be, the Moshiach is above them all. The believer, although obviously on earth physically, “sits with the Moshiach” in the heavenly realms {2:6} and is “blessed” {1:3}, drawing on the unlimited resources of heaven for his daily life. It is also in this realm that the spiritual conflict takes place {6:12}. Paul thus makes it clear that believers are not to have a limited or merely earthly viewpoint. Those who do, mistakenly think that their enemies are people {6:12} and our resources human {2 Corinthians 10:3-4}. With this orientation to the heavenly world of Adonai’s present exaltation, the reader is prepared to understand that the church does not function merely to carry out routine activities here, but that it displays the wisdom of YHVH to beings who exist in the heavenly realms {Ephesians 3:10}. Even the function of church leaders is discussed in terms of the gifts of the Moshiach who has ascended to the heavens {4:8-10}. There is a strong sense of ultimate purpose in Ephesians. The first chapter contains a number of different expressions of purpose. The great goal of history is expressed in 1:10. The sense of purpose is never lost. The church is even seen, in chapter 3, as the expression of YHVH’s eternal, secret plan. There is also a movement throughout the letter, from
1 -- reconciliation of individuals to YHVH, to
2 -- their reconciliation to each other, to
3 -- their life together in the church. There is no arguing of points along the way, such as one finds in most of the letters, but rather a connected series of affirmations, each leading the reader on to the next. Paul discusses a number of topics from this heavenly perspective and the sense of purpose this provides. These topics will be discussed below in such a way as to show their interconnection, rather than necessarily in the order of their importance or prominence in Ephesians.
THE CHURCH
Paul employs a number of figures of speech to describe the church, including a household, a temple, and a body {1:22-23; 2:19-22}. Actually, it may be insufficient to call the word “body” a figure of speech, because it seems to be more than that. There is a sense in which Moshiach and the church have an actual organic relationship, in which he functions as the head and believers as parts of his body. The church is the result of the reconciling work of the Moshiach, whose death has made peace between mutually hostile Jews and Gentiles {2:11-18}. The ensuing unity was long planned by YHVH {3:2-6}, and is furthered by a proper attitude and mutual ministry {chapter 4}. An especially remarkable feature of Ephesians is the parallel drawn between the relationship between a husband and wife and that between the Moshiach and the church {5:22-33}. In this comparison the prior reality is not marriage, with the relationship of the Moshiach and the church only providing an illustration. Rather, the essential reality is the Moshiach and the church.
THE HEADSHIP OF MOSHIACH
Not only is the Moshiach the head of the church, but he is head over all things to the church’s benefit {1:22}. The meaning of 1:10 is that the presently disparate parts and beings of the universe will be brought into order under the headship of the Moshiach. This universal headship is anticipated in the ascension and present exaltation of the Moshiach. The expression of universal domination -- “YHVH has put all things under his feet” {1:22, from Psalm 8:6} -- fortifies this expectation.
THE “MYSTERY” OR “SECRET PLAN”
The Greek word “mystery” has a special meaning in early Jewish and Christian literature. It refers to the private eternal decisions of YHVH concerning his saving work and his ultimate purposes in history, which are revealed stage by stage. The term is used in connection with the kingdom in the Gospels {Matthew 13:11}, with the preaching of the gospel in 1 Corinthians 1:18–2:16, with the destiny of Israel in Romans 11:25, and elsewhere with differing applications. Finally, Revelation 10:6-7 declares that there will be no more delay, but that YHVH’s “mystery,” initially announced by the prophets, will reach its completion. The aspect of YHVH’s plan that Paul presents in Ephesians 3:3-6 is not only the inclusion of Gentiles among YHVH’s people but their complete integration with Jews in the church. The extent of this was not revealed prior to the time of Paul’s ministry.
CONTENT
THE DIVINE PURPOSE: THE GLORY AND HEADSHIP OF MOSHIACH {1:1-14}
This whole section constitutes a “doxology.” Paul reminds readers, by expressing his own prayer of praise, of all the blessings YHVH has given believers. These include being chosen to live in YHVH’s presence without guilt {verse 4}, being given the destiny of full sonship {verse 5}, and being forgiven because Moshiach died for them. But Paul is not only giving a recitation of what YHVH has done; he interweaves a number of words and phrases indicating why YHVH has acted, that is, what YHVH’s purposes are. Various translations use different English words to represent Greek expressions of purpose, such as “chose,” “predestined,” “plan,” “will,” “secret reason,” “good pleasure,” “purpose” {verses 4-10}. Perhaps the most comprehensive statement is in verses 11-12. It is clear from this that the ultimate purpose of YHVH’s saving work is not merely the happiness of believers but the glory of YHVH through Adonai Yeshua Moshiach. The Spirit is given to guarantee not only the believer’s security but also YHVH’s investment, so to speak, in the believer.
PRAYER THAT MOSHIACHIANS MAY REALIZE YHVH’S PURPOSE AND POWER {1:15-23}
Paul’s prayer issues from his opening section, constituting a request that believers may appropriate all that is contained in that statement. It is here that the fact of Yeshua’ death, resurrection, and ascension is cited as the basis for the believer’s present vantage point and power.
STEPS TOWARD THE FULFILLMENT OF YHVH’S PURPOSE {2:1–3:21}
The first step was the death of the Moshiach in order to save individuals from sin and death {2:1-10}. Since this was at YHVH’s initiative, not man’s, and since man was spiritually “dead” and helpless, salvation can only be by grace. The second step was the reconciliation of people not only to YHVH but to each other {2:11-18}. Paul thus moves from the individual to the corporate aspect of salvation. This was particularly significant for Gentiles, who previously did not have even a formal relationship with YHVH. One of the key words in this section is “peace” {verses 14-17}. Step three goes beyond reconciliation to the actual uniting of Jews and Gentiles in one “household” {2:19-22}. YHVH has not only brought people individually to himself, and to each other as individuals, but has formed a new corporate entity, a new society that is described both in political and family terms. Ultimately, believers together form a corporate body in whom YHVH is exalted. This third step is amplified in a fourth step, the revelation of YHVH’s eternal purpose in the formation of this one body, the church {3:1-13}. Using the biblical concept of the “mystery,” Paul shows how the church displays the wisdom of YHVH to all who may be looking on throughout the universe. This immediately gives the believer a new awareness of the reason for his salvation and participation in the church. Self-centeredness and boredom with the routine of church activity give way to a sense of meaning and purpose. These steps are now summarized in a second prayer {3:14-21}. An exalted series of petitions culminate in another “doxology.” This expresses Paul’s awe over the infinite power of YHVH to accomplish all that he has described in the epistle thus far, and his desire that this will indeed result in great glory to YHVH both in the church and in Moshiach.
PRACTICAL WAYS TO FULFILL YHVH’S PURPOSE IN THE CHURCH {4:1–6:20}
Doctrine and life are never separated in Paul’s thinking, but in Ephesians the connection is even more vital than usual. The believer’s life is to be lived in a manner worthy of the great purposes of YHVH. The believer’s “calling” is not merely to be saved or eternally happy, but to participate with the entire body, the church, in bringing glory to YHVH. This contributes to the realization of the prayer in 3:20-21. The first way to fulfil YHVH’s purpose is to maintain the unity he established in the church. This is accomplished by recognizing the strong basis for unity {“one Adonai, one faith,” etc., 4:5-6}. Then believers must acknowledge diversity in that unity, remembering that YHVH has given each one special abilities {verses 7-8}. These abilities are to be used to bring the church both individually and corporately to maturity. This diversity in unity constitutes the second way in which YHVH’s purpose is fulfilled. Christian maturity enables the individual members of the church to relate to each other in love {verse 16}. The third way to accomplish the purposes of YHVH is by renewal of personal life {4:17–5:21}. Paul emphasizes the kind of lifestyle that is expected of a believer by contrasting the behaviour patterns that had characterized the believers before their conversion. But the new life of the believer is not simply structured as a reaction against the old. Rather, Adonai has given both his teachings and the example of his own sacrificial love {4:20-21, 32; 5:1-2}. The believer should cast off his old way of life, his old self or character. {The actual term is “old man” in Paul’s wording, not, as is often thought, “old nature.”} He should at the same time put on the “new man,” which, in Paul’s words in verse 24, is “created according to YHVH” {“created to be like YHVH”}. The section closes with the important exhortation to be filled with the Spirit {5:18}. The expression of the new character in interpersonal relations is the fourth way in which believers can forward the purposes of YHVH in the church. Unity is either achieved or broken in accordance with the presence or absence of the proper submission described in 5:22–6:9. The basic principle of submission is first expressed by verse 21 as a result of the Spirit’s full control. Marriage then provides the first example of mutual submission. The wife submits to the husband, and this in turn is an expression of her submission, along with that of the whole church, to Adonai. The husband loves his wife as the Moshiach loved the church. While the husband’s love is not described as submission, in effect, love does cost the lover his freedom. Yeshua thus expressed his love for the church by his death {5:25}. Further, husband and wife are bound together in a unity, just as YHVH intended at the time of creation {Genesis 2:24, quoted here in 5:31}. This unity portrays that spiritual unity that exists between the Moshiach and the church. It should be noted that this list of examples is similar to a pattern used elsewhere in the New Testament {e.g., Colossians 3:18–4:1; 1 Peter 3:1-7}. Thus, following the example of marriage, Paul turns to the relationship that should exist between parent and child. The child obeys the father; the father refrains from excessive reactions {6:1-4}. The last example is that of slaves and masters. The final way in which believers forward YHVH’s great purposes is to carry on the spiritual conflict by depending on spiritual resources {Ephesians 6:10-20}. Drawing on imagery both from the Old Testament and from contemporary Roman warfare, Paul shows that the heavenly perspective is essential for victory. This includes dependence on YHVH as expressed in prayer {verses 18-20}. He acknowledges his own need in this respect. The conclusion to the letter {6:21-24} is a word of encouragement and an explanation of Paul’s decision to send the letter in the good hands of Tychicus. One of the concluding words is “grace,” a word that underlies the entire divine process described in Ephesians.
BIBLE STUDY --- NEW TESTAMENT LETTERS
GALATIANS
This letter has an important place in the New Testament. It reveals much of Paul’s character and sheds light on his teaching. It has appropriately been called the charter of Christian liberty.
AUTHOR
The author of the epistle is explicitly stated to be Paul the apostle {Galatians 1:1}. The letter gives some brief but telling glimpses of his experience before he became a believer. He mentions his former life in Judaism {verse 13}. The fact that he had been a thoroughly devout Jew has an important bearing on what he writes in this letter. He remembered his passionate devotion to his former faith, in whose cause he had violently persecuted the church of YHVH. He reminded the Galatians about this, for the Jewish traditions had meant a great deal to him. There is no doubt that he had once regarded his violent opposition to the church as a religious act of the highest order. Indeed, his strong devotion to Judaism sets in clear relief the remarkable transformation that occurred when he became a believer. A revelation from YHVH, he was convinced, gave him special authority to write the way he did. In this epistle he mentioned two features of his conversion experience that had a profound effect on him. One is the purpose of YHVH for his life, which he recognized as reaching back even before he was born {verse 15}. He did not go into detail, but he never tired of talking about the grace of YHVH. He had turned his back on the idea of earning merit through his own efforts. The second aspect of his conversion that deeply impressed him was the recognition that his call to preach could be traced to that occasion. When he preached to the Galatians, he did so with divine authority because he was conscious of having received a divine commission. The apostles and elders of the church did not decide it would be a good thing for him to preach the gospel; it was YHVH who planned it. Moreover, Paul was equally convinced that the gospel he preached was not of his own making. He had received it through a revelation of Yeshua Moshiach {verse 12}. Paul went to some lengths to demonstrate that he had received his apostleship from YHVH {1:1}. He was conscious not only of a call to preach but also of a call to exercise apostolic authority on an equal footing with the Jerusalem apostles. He certainly seemed to be on the defensive, but this was prompted by the special situation that had arisen among the Galatians and that caused this letter to be written. Paul gives one biographical detail in this letter that is not mentioned in his other letters. He states that after his conversion he went away into Arabia {1:17}. The apostle does not tell us what he did there, but probably he was quietly reorienting his thoughts. According to the book of Acts, when he returned to Damascus, he powerfully proved that Yeshua was the Moshiach {Acts 9:22}. He also refers to traveling in Syria and Cilicia {Galatians 1:21}, which must have been prior to his first missionary journey.
DESTINATION
Paul addresses his letter to the Galatians. But there has been much debate over where they lived, because the term Galatia was used in two different senses. It was used of the province that stretched from the borders of Pamphylia in the southern part of Asia Minor to the border of Pontus toward the northern seacoast. The term was also used of a part of the province in the north where a group of people from Gaul had settled and given their name to the whole area. Hence “Galatia” could mean either the geographical area in the north or the whole province. It is not easy to decide what the term meant when used by Paul. The debate is between the view that the term was used geographically, in which case some churches in the north are in mind {North Galatian Theory}, or politically, in which case Paul may be referring to the churches in southern Galatia founded on his first missionary journey {South Galatian Theory}. It may at first sight seem a quite unimportant issue, but since the decision affects the date of the letter and to some extent its occasion and purpose, a review of the positions must be made. Until the beginning of the 20th century, no one seems to have questioned that Paul was writing to the inhabitants of the geographical district in the northern part of the province. This view agrees with the oldest use of the term, since the provinces did not come into existence until 25 BC, whereas there were Galatians in the north some time before this. It is reasonable to suppose that the southerners would not have taken too kindly to being addressed as “Galatians.” It may be argued that most people in those days would have thought of the northern peoples when hearing the name. Luke’s habit when writing Acts was to use geographical rather than political descriptions of places. He refers, for instance, to Lystra and Derbe as cities of Lycaonia, not as cities of Galatia. It is reasonable, therefore, that when he refers to Phrygia and Galatia in Acts 16:6 and 18:23, he means that Paul went through the northern area. There were three main towns in that district -- Ancyra, Tavium, and Pessinus -- and it would therefore follow that Paul must have established churches there. The traditional North Galatian view has, however, been challenged. It is pointed out that although Luke prefers geographical descriptions, Paul prefers political ones for grouping his churches. In this letter he mentions the churches of Moshiach in Judea {1:22}. Elsewhere he mentions the “churches of Asia” {1 Corinthians 16:19}. Several times Paul refers to the believers in Macedonia {e.g., 2 Corinthians 8:1; 9:2; 1 Thessalonians 4:10} and in Achaia {1 Corinthians 16:15; 2 Corinthians 1:1}, while both are mentioned together in Romans 15:26, 2 Corinthians 9:2, and 1 Thessalonians 1:7. This seems to be Paul’s normal habit, in which case a letter addressed to the Galatians would be circulated to all the existing churches in the province of Galatia. South Galatian supporters do not agree that the southern people would have resented the name Galatians, maintaining that there would have been no other name available with which to describe them. One fairly positive piece of evidence is found in Paul’s statement that it was because of a bodily ailment that he first preached to the Galatians {Galatians 4:13}. But a glance at the map, particularly a relief map, would show that the route to the northern area was over mountainous terrain, and it is difficult to think that a sick man would have attempted it. Under the southern theory, the journey would have been much shorter and less arduous. Another argument in support of the South Galatian Theory assumes that Acts 20:4, which mentions the names of those who accompanied Paul to Jerusalem, is referring to delegates appointed by the churches in support of the collection to aid the poor churches of Judea. If this assumption is right, it is noticeable that no representative is included from the northern area, although both Gaius and Timothy were from the south. This would be weightier if Acts had actually mentioned the collection. One last point is that Barnabas is mentioned three times {Galatians 2:1, 9, 13} suggesting that he is known to the readers. Yet according to Acts, he accompanied Paul only on the first missionary journey. It is difficult to reach a conclusion, but it seems that the arguments for a South Galatian Theory have more weight than those for the older theory.
DATE
Under the North Galatian Theory, it is claimed that the letter was written after the events mentioned in Acts 18:23 -- that is, during the course of the third missionary journey {c. AD 56}, possibly while Paul was at Ephesus or soon after. On the other hand, if the letter was addressed to the south Galatian churches founded on the first missionary journey, any date after that journey is possible, including during the third journey, as mentioned above. But a further possibility opens up since a much earlier date might more readily fit into the background of the letter. Thus, it is possible that this letter is among the earliest that Paul wrote. The main problem with assigning a date is that in Galatians 1–2 Paul mentions two visits to Jerusalem {1:18; 2:1}, whereas Acts mentions {or implies} three visits {Acts 9:26; 11:29-30; 15:2}. It has traditionally been supposed that the second visit {2:1} can be identified with the events of Acts 15. This would mean that Paul was giving his own account of the decisions of the so-called Council of Jerusalem. There is much to be said for this view. There are similarities between the two passages. In both, Barnabas is mentioned. In both, questions are asked about the circumcision of the Gentiles. And in both, Paul and Barnabas give a report about the matter to the Jerusalem leaders. The main difficulty is that Paul’s wording in Galatians 2:1 suggests that this event took place on his second visit to Jerusalem, whereas Acts 15 relates his third visit. It is traditionally explained that on the second visit Paul and Barnabas had no contact with the apostles but simply handed over the collection from the Antioch church to the Jerusalem elders {cf. Acts 11:30}. A difficulty with this view is that Galatians 2 speaks only of conversations with the three leading apostles at Jerusalem and does not mention the whole church {as Acts 15 clearly does}. Paul does not refer to the decision reached by the church, but only to his agreement with those he calls the “pillar” apostles. It could, of course, be that before the general meeting of Acts 15 {which occurred in AD 50}, Paul and Barnabas had a behind-the-scenes meeting with the leaders and preferred to mention the decision reached with them rather than quote an ecclesiastical edict. This may also explain another difficulty -- the lack of any mention of the prohibitions that the Jerusalem church imposed on the Gentiles {Acts 15:20}. Paul simply mentions the need to remember the poor {Galatians 2:10}. Yet another difficulty with the traditional view is that Paul mentions his dispute with Peter over the question of Gentile-Jewish fellowship {verses 11-14} after his account of the agreement reached with the Jerusalem apostles. This places Peter in a compromising position. It is difficult to explain his inconsistency. He may have agreed that Gentiles should not be circumcised, but then vacillated over the question of fellowship. An alternative view suggests that when Paul and Barnabas went to Jerusalem with the collection, they also had private talks with the leading apostles. Acts 11:29-30 is set in a period of political activity against the apostles {Acts 12 records the martyrdom of James and the arrest of Peter}, and this may explain the private nature of the meeting. This interpretation would explain why Paul makes no mention of the church’s decision—because the meeting happened before the Jerusalem Council. It would also make it easier to explain Peter’s actions at Antioch, if this behaviour occurred before the church as a whole had discussed and resolved the matter. According to this view, Paul’s Letter to the Galatians may be the earliest of his letters {pre -- AD 50}. There are however, some difficulties with this view. Acts 11:30 mentions no apostles as meeting Paul and Barnabas. Nor is there any reference to Titus, whom Paul says they took with them {Galatians 2:1}. Further, Paul’s references to preaching among the Gentiles {verse 2} would seem to require a date after the first missionary journey, unless he was thinking of his work in Antioch, a Jewish-Gentile church. It is difficult to decide between these two views. Chronological considerations {based on Paul’s mention of 14 years in 2:1} slightly favour a later date, while the relationship of the content of this epistle to the Jerusalem Council {AD 50} points to an early date.
PURPOSE AND THEOLOGICAL TEACHING
Difficulties had arisen in the Galatian churches because a group of people had been insisting that Gentiles must be circumcised. These people must have been Judaizers, that is, Christian Jews who could see no hope for Gentiles unless they accepted circumcision as an initiatory rite. Linked with this was a criticism of Paul’s apostolic status. The opponents were claiming the support of the Jerusalem apostles, whom they regarded as superior to Paul. This would explain why Paul saw the issue so clearly as a challenge to the gospel he preached. His letter strongly expressed his understanding of the seriousness of the situation. Interpretation will vary slightly according to which date one assigns to the letter. If it was written before the Jerusalem Council {Acts 15}, the circumcision issue had not yet been thrashed out and the Galatian situation would be the first major crisis over it. But if the Jerusalem Council had already happened, the south Galatian churches would already have received those decisions {16:4}, and apparently had allowed themselves to be affected by Judaizers who took a harder line than the Jerusalem apostles had. If the northern churches are indicated, there is no direct evidence to show that they had received the decrees. We may conclude that the apostle’s aim in this letter is twofold -- to maintain the validity of his apostleship, and to uphold the character of the gospel he preached. In the first part of the letter, he is concerned to show his relationship with the Jerusalem “pillar” apostles in order to demonstrate his equality with them, while at the same time claiming his independence of them. Moreover, he asserts that there is only one gospel, which suggests that his opponents were charging him with preaching a different gospel. But he claims to have received his gospel from YHVH, not from men. In the course of his letter, Paul expressed some important theological truths. The main body of the letter issues a strong warning against a form of legalism that is applicable not only to the situation Paul confronted in the Galatian churches but wherever dependence on legal observances is considered essential for salvation. If a Gentile could not become a believer without being circumcised, it would not only make an external rite a condition for Christian salvation but in addition would imply a commitment to keep the whole Jewish Law. When Paul argued against justification by works of the Law, he showed the superiority of justification by faith or Law keeping. The whole letter extols the doctrine of grace. Nevertheless, in contesting the doctrine of works, the apostle gave no support to spiritual license. He posited that the alternative to legalism is not the absence of all restraint. Although Moshiach has secured freedom for the believer, that freedom must not be used to indulge the flesh {Galatians 5:13}. Indeed, Paul’s exposition of the Christian life in this letter is of a high moral order. He sets the standard himself by declaring that he has been crucified with the Moshiach {2:20}. Not only is this letter a charter for Christian liberty, but it is also a charter for Christian living.
CONTENT
INTRODUCTION {1:1-5}
The opening to this letter is more abrupt than those in Paul’s other letters. He omits the usual thanksgiving and expands the usual greeting. In the first words he strongly affirms the divine origin of his apostleship.
THE OPPONENTS {1:6-10}
Paul is astonished that the Galatians have allowed themselves to be influenced so quickly by those who were perverting the gospel. He expresses an anathema against any who preach another gospel.
A DEFENSE OF HIS APOSTLESHIP {1:11–2:14}
There are several stages in Paul’s argument about his own position. He states that his teaching has come from YHVH, not from men, showing his awareness that YHVH has not only called him to be an apostle but has also sanctioned his gospel. It is important for him to make clear that he is not dependent on others for his position, although he proceeds to show that there is no difference between him and the leading apostles {1:11-12}. He next contrasts his former zeal in Judaism with his calling to preach the gospel, again emphasizing the divine nature of his call {verses 13-17}. He then proceeds to mention that he has on two occasions had meetings with the Jerusalem apostles. As a result, he has been offered the right hand of fellowship -- a way of showing that there is no disagreement between them. It was agreed that Paul should be entrusted with the gospel for the uncircumcised, and that Peter should go to the circumcised. There was no questioning of Paul’s apostleship. They all agreed on the Christian responsibility to remember the poor {1:18–2:10}. In order to give a tangible example of his apostolic position, Paul mentions the occasion of his public rebuke of Peter. Peter had acted inconsistently for fear of certain men who had come from James in Jerusalem, and who were representatives of the circumcision party. Paul’s challenge to Peter sets the scene for the introduction of the doctrinal part of the letter {2:11-14}.
A DEFENSE OF THE GOSPEL {2:15–4:31}
Paul introduces the issue of justification by works of the Law and contrasts it with justification by faith. He sees the whole situation as a choice between Moshiach and the Law {2:15-21}. His aim is to show the superiority of Christianity over Judaism in the matter of salvation. He notes first that the Galatians had become believers through the Spirit and wonders what is possessing them to return to the works of the Law, which Paul then equates with the “flesh” {3:1-5}. Abraham is brought into the discussion presumably because the opponents were maintaining that only Abraham’s seed would receive the inheritance, and circumcision was regarded as an indispensable sign of a son of the Covenant. But Paul points out that even Abraham was justified by faith, not by the Law {3:6-9}. Indeed, the Law could only bring a curse on those who disobeyed. This leads Paul to show how the Moshiach has become a curse for us. Hence, he claims that in the Moshiach we may still inherit the blessing promised to Abraham {3:10-14}. Paul anticipates that some may say it is invalid to appeal to the promise to Abraham to counteract justification by works of the Law. He shows that the promise preceded the Law by four centuries and cannot be invalidated by it {3:15-18}. This leads the apostle to reflect on the function of the Law. He points out that it served to prepare the way for the Moshiach by showing mankind’s need and by revealing its own inability to give life. Paul calls the Law our custodian, whose function {in ancient times} was to guard and guide a son until he reached the age of independence {3:19-29}. The contrast between those under a guardian versus fully independent sons causes Paul to reflect on the superior position of sons. The Spirit of YHVH has enabled believers to call YHVH “Abba”, something the Law could not do {4:1-7}. The apostle has made his point, but he supports it with a personal appeal. He reminds his readers of their state of bondage before they became believers and deplores that they have returned to such a state in wanting to observe ritual feast days after the Jewish manner. He also reminds them of the former affectionate relationship they had with him when they first became believers. He is deeply affected by their present attitude {4:8-20}. Finally, Paul appeals to a scriptural allegory in support of his argument. He sees Isaac and Ishmael, both sons of Abraham, as representing the distinction between sonship and slavery, which he has already mentioned {verses 21-31}.
PRACTICAL ADVICE {5:1–6:10}
Paul proceeds to draw out the practical consequences of his doctrinal arguments. He sets out the way in which those who are liberated in Moshiach should live. They should not commit themselves to Judaism by submitting to circumcision {5:1-6}. Paul again attacks those who were leading the Galatians astray {verses 7-12}. The new principle that must replace legalism is love. Love is possible only by living in the Spirit. This will lead not only to a rejection of the works of the flesh but also to the development of the fruit of the Spirit {5:13-26}. The spiritual man will have a concern for the burdened and will seek to help others, particularly fellow Christians {6:1-10}.
CONCLUSION {6:11-18}
Paul now takes the pen and writes his final word with his own hand. He sees fit to contrast his own aim in glorying in the cross of the Moshiach with his opponents’ aim to glory in the flesh. There are no greetings at the end of this letter, only a request that no one should bother him further.
"Cursed be the man that maketh any graven or molten image, an abomination unto Yahweh, the work of the hands of the craftsman, and putteth it in a secret place. And all the people shall answer and say, Amen."
De27
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Thought for Today: Shabbat December 06
There is a saying that say: “There are two things that will never be solved – the problems of war and race”. Admittedly however, the Bible gives us little reason for optimism about any lasting solution to these problems. Both racism and war, have their origin in the pride and covetousness of the human heart. The Bible calls the Moshiach the; “Prince of Peace” {Isaiah 9:6}. He shattered the prejudices of His day by reaching out to those of another race, and He expects no less of us… Ask YHVH today to help you to be an instrument of His Love to those around you.
https://youtube.com/shorts/mh7....f38zB_RA?si=HUe8uznS
The Better Tutor
by Dr Garth Grenache
and his Lighter Orchestra
2025:12:5
**Verse 1**
I'm thankful to guide you in learning,
Yet another One holds the Heavenly key.
The Anointed Yeshua our Teacher,
Reveals what the Father would be.
**Chorus**
Let pupil and tutor together,
Be learning the truth from above.
His wisdom will bind us forever,
Unite us in brotherly love.
**Verse 2**
I hope to instruct with precision,
Yet point to the Master alone.
His counsel refines every vision,
His knowledge is the truth made known.
**Bridge**
His voice is the light of our reason,
His word is the breath of our peace.
From age unto age, every season,
His lessons will never cease.
**(Repeat Chorus)**
TTN Music 
TTN Promo 
