Galatians: Experiencing the Grace of Christ

By John Stott, Dale Larsen and Sandy Larsen

Study Scripture with John Stott
In Christ we have salvation as a gift of grace. But what is our responsibility? Maybe you're confused about the various requirements different Christians say accompany being a follower of Christ. Galatians raises questions of law: What rules should a Christian follow? Are we exempt through Christ? These studies from Galatians help us understand what God—not others—requires of his followers and how we can live out our faith in both obedience and freedom.
John Stott was one of the world's leading and most-loved Bible teachers and preachers. In this Bible study guide you can explore Scripture under his guidance, enhancing your own in-depth study with insights gained from his years of immersion in God's Word.

• Language: English
• Publisher: IVP Bible Studies
• Release date: Jun 2, 2020
• ISBN: 9780830855926

John Stott

The Revd Dr John Stott, CBE, was for many years Rector of All Souls Church, Langham Place, London, and chaplain to the Queen. Stott's global influence is well established, mainly through his work with Billy Graham and the Lausanne conferences - he was one of the principal authors of the Lausanne Covenant in 1974. In 2005, Time magazine ranked Stott among the 100 most influential people in the world. He passed away on July 27, 2011.

Book preview

Couverture : JOHN STOTT, DALE LARSEN, SANDY LARSEN, GALATIANS (EXPERIENCING THE GRACE OF CHRIST)

GALATIANS

EXPERIENCING THE

GRACE OF CHRIST

12 STUDIES WITH COMMENTARY

FOR INDIVIDUALS OR GROUPS

JOHN STOTT BIBLE STUDIES

JOHN STOTT

WITH DALE LARSEN AND SANDY LARSEN

Illustration

Contents

INTRODUCING GALATIANS

1 FALSE TEACHERS AND FAITHLESS CHRISTIANS

Galatians 1:1-10

2 RADICAL CHANGE

Galatians 1:11-24

3 ONLY ONE GOSPEL

Galatians 2:1-10

4 FACING CONFLICT

Galatians 2:11-21

5 FAITH AND WORKS

Galatians 3:1-14

6 THE GIFT OF THE LAW

Galatians 3:15-29

7 CHILDREN OF GOD

Galatians 4:1-20

8 CELEBRATING FREEDOM

Galatians 4:21-31

9 TRUE AND FALSE RELIGION

Galatians 5:1-15

10 THE FLESH AND THE SPIRIT

Galatians 5:16-25

11 LOVING ONE ANOTHER

Galatians 5:26–6:5

12 SOWING AND REAPING

Galatians 6:6-18

GUIDELINES FOR LEADERS

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

MORE TITLES FROM INTERVARSITY PRESS

INTRODUCING GALATIANS

Have you ever been led astray? Have you been convinced by a dynamic speaker or a persuasive book only to later find out that it was wrong?

We are most easily convinced when we are young or not well informed on a particular topic. The new Christians in Galatia were in just such a position when false teachers launched an attack on the gospel of grace and the authority of the apostle Paul.

GETTING TO KNOW THE GALATIANS

In the course of the thirty years or so that elapsed between his conversion outside Damascus and his imprisonment in Rome, the apostle Paul traveled widely through the empire as an ambassador of Jesus Christ. On his three famous missionary journeys he preached the gospel and planted churches in the provinces of Galatia, Asia, Macedonia (northern Greece), and Achaia (southern Greece). Moreover, his visits were followed by his letters, by which he helped supervise the churches he founded.

One of these letters, which many believe to be the earliest that he wrote (about AD 48 or 49), is the epistle to the Galatians. I believe Galatia is a reference to the four cities of Pisidian Antioch, Iconium, Lystra, and Derbe, which Paul evangelized during his first missionary journey. You can read about this in Acts 13 and 14.

A MESSAGE FOR US

The false teaching in Galatia centered on faith versus law. What is required of us to be Christians? Some were saying we must follow Old Testament law. Again and again Paul directs them back to Jesus Christ as the one who saves.

While the kinds of laws Christians today attempt to follow may differ, this is nonetheless an issue for us. We need to be reminded that we cannot save ourselves through righteous actions. Our only hope of salvation is in Jesus.

SUGGESTIONS FOR INDIVIDUAL STUDY

1. As you begin each study, pray that God will speak to you through his Word.

2. Read the introduction to the study and respond to the question that follows it. This is designed to help you get into the theme of the study.

3. The studies are written in an inductive format designed to help you discover for yourself what Scripture is saying. Each study deals with a particular passage so that you can really delve into the author’s meaning in that context. Read and reread the passage to be studied. The questions are written using the language of the New International Version, so you may wish to use that version of the Bible. The New Revised Standard Version is also recommended.

4. Each study includes three types of questions. Observation questions ask about the basic facts: who, what, when, where, and how. Interpretation questions delve into the meaning of the passage. Application questions (also found in the Apply section) help you discover the implications of the text for growing in Christ. These three keys