Galatians Reading Plan
OVERVIEW
The author of Galatians is none other than Paul the Apostle. He was a well-educated man who wrote no less than 13 letters in the New Testament.
The message of Galatians is straightforward – The Gospel of Jesus Christ: nothing added (Gospel Plus) and nothing taken away (Gospel Lite). Jesus’ life and ministry, His death on the cross, His burial in a tomb for three days, and His bodily resurrection are God’s full, sufficient provision for the redemption of mankind.
Paul wrote this letter to the churches in Galatia and in it he defended his Apostleship, he defended the Gospel, and he called out and corrected the false teachers who were the Judaizers. These individuals taught that Gentiles had to become Jews in order to become Christians. In essence, their message was Jesus and the law and circumcision. At the heart of Paul’s message is the theme of FREEDOM. In Christ we have been set free from the requirements of the law and we now walk in the freedom that Jesus Christ brings.
WEEK 1
As we begin our reading, we see that Paul explains his apostleship (vs1-5), expresses his astonishment (vs 6-7), and he exposes his adversaries (vs 8-9). In Paul’s mind, rightly so, it’s not JESUS AND…It’s not JESUS OR…It’s JESUS PERIOD! He then spends the rest of the chapter giving a detailed and personal account of his journey from persecutor of the church to purveyor of the gospel! As you read through this first week be on the lookout for emotion in Paul’s writing. Galatians is a very emotional letter and Paul doesn’t hold back in his writing.
WEEK 2
During this week, Paul is going to dig deep into the aspect of the law and the freedom we now have from the law. It’s not that the law was inherently bad – not at all. It’s just that the law could only show that we were sinners, but it could not permanently do anything about our sin or reconcile us back to the Father. Paul also infuses the Spirit’s work in the freedom brought through the gospel. Pay attention to this aspect as it lays the groundwork for where he and we will go more deeply in chapter 5.
WEEK 3
Paul is a master at using various illustrations to help his readers grasp the point he is trying to make. In this week’s reading, we will see him do a masterful job of using the Old Testament story of Sarah and Hagar to draw out his point of freedom from the law or being a slave to the law when there is now no need to do so! After that illustration, he will take us even further into the aspect of freedom and remind us that the whole point of Christ coming is to bring us freedom!! As you read through this week, pay close attention to the various aspects of freedom Paul speaks to. Make note of these and begin to think about your own life and where you are experiencing true freedom and perhaps where you may still find yourself in some type of bondage.
WEEK 4
Well, we’ve come to the last week of our reading. Galatians is deep and rich and we hope you have enjoyed this journey and taken copious notes that you can revisit again and again. In our first day of reading, Paul is going to speak directly to the Righteous Rumble that takes place inside us each and every day: the Flesh vs the Spirit. While this battle rages, it can most certainly be won regularly by feeding the Spirit within us and starving the flesh. As we do, we’ll see in chapter six that we can live a life that is full of Spirit-led reaping and sowing in our lives. As you read, look for Paul’s challenge regarding reaping and sowing. Then, meditate on what areas of your life you may be sowing to the flesh, and where do you want to start sowing to the Spirit to reap the rewards of the Spirit life.
