LETTERS FROM PAUL BLOG

“I myself can hardly believe that I was so verbose as this book shows when I publicly expounded this letter of St. Paul to the Galatians.” Martin Luther

While there are varying opinions on which part of Galatia Paul was writing to, there is no doubt about the importance and focus of this letter. God’s grace can not be compromised. Jewish Christians (Judaizers) believed that Gentile believers had to participate in the Old Testament ceremonial practices, especially circumcision. By not stressing the importance of the law, their complaint against Paul is that he was watering down the Gospel to make it more attractive to the Gentiles. This book is often referred to as “Luther’s Book” because of his many references to it as he debated during the Reformation. If we want to “Be the Church” it is important to get the teaching of grace correct.

Here are some readings and questions to guide you through reading the book in a week.

MONDAY – Galatians 1:1-9 – An Introduction

How can Paul be so certain of his authority as an apostle? Are you certain of your calling as a child of God? Are you surprised by his language “let him be eternally condemned” (literally go to hell)? What “distorted” gospel upsets you the most?

TUESDAY – Galatians 1:10-2:21 – The way Paul lives his life

Paul didn’t make up the gospel (verse 11), if you were to make up a religion, would it be based on works or grace? What got Paul off the legalism track and on the gospel track? If you had to discuss the power of the gospel in your life, what example would you give? Some say 2:16 is a key verse for understanding grace, what difference would it make if you had to keep the OT laws to earn your way to God? Re-read 2:21, if we mingle legalism it destroys grace and Christ died for nothing. Do you remember Jesus praying in the garden, “Father if there is another way…?”

WEDNESDAY – Galatians 3:1-4:31 – The Teaching of Grace

In 4:9, Paul asks them how they are “turning back to those weak and miserable principles?” What bad spiritual habits do you have a tendency to “fall back” to? What happens to you when you turn away from the true Gospel that you can’t earn (see 4:15)? Read 4:18, how can zeal without knowledge be bad? How can knowledge without zeal be bad?

THURSDAY – Galatians 5:1-6:10 – Living Free

What is Paul’s warning to those who are trying to be justified by the law (see 5:4)?  Have you ever seen Christian freedom abused? Notice the words “will not” in 5:16, what does this mean? If you are living by the spirit, what should be true of the list in 5:19-21? How about 5:22-23?

FRIDAY – Galatians 6:11-18 – One last thought

What is the danger of just trying to “make a good impression outwardly?” How is living by grace a much better way to live?

In Luther’s commentary, he refers to active righteousness (what we try to earn) and passive righteousness (that which is given to us). The law can push us to an active righteousness and hence to a “different gospel that is really no gospel at all.” As this battle rages in us, Martin Luther shares these thoughts…

“You want to climb up into the kingdom of my conscience, do you Law? You want to reign over it and reprove sin and take away the joy I have by faith in Christ and drive me to desperation? Keen within your bounds, and exercise your power over the flesh, but do not touch my conscience. By the Gospel I am called to share righteousness and everlasting life. I am called to Christ’s kingdom, where my conscience is at rest and there is no law, but rather forgiveness of sins, peace, quietness, joy health, and everlasting life. Do not trouble me in these matters, for I will not let an intolerable tyrant like you reign in my conscience, which is the temple of Christ, the Son of God. He is the King of righteousness and peace, my sweet Savior and Mediator; he will keep my conscience joyful and quiet in the sound, pure doctrine of the Gospel and in the knowledge of Christian and heavenly righteousness.”

Paul’s purposes for writing to the Corinthians were several. His first purpose was to deal with moral problems and the divisions that had formed as people had divided into fan-clubs and were proclaiming themselves followers of Paul, Apollos, Peter or Christ (1:10). His second reason was to deal with several questions that had been asked in a letter the Corinthians had sent to him (7:1). A third purpose that appears throughout the book is Paul’s defense of his apostolic authority.

All of these issues can be related to a problem with pride. The Corinthians had their eyes on external things like eloquence, social status, ascetic practices, etc. and Paul explains that those things mean nothing in God’s kingdom, and he guides them in the way to “Be the Church” in Corinth.

MONDAY – I Corinthians 1:1-3:23

Paul starts with a thanksgiving for the Corinthians which he almost always does and then he gets right to the problem in vv. 10-17. He compares the wisdom of the people of this world with God’s Wisdom. Why do we have trouble separating the teachings of a person from the person themselves? How much does the world around us impact the church at Holy Cross? How does allegiance to a man stop us from being the church?

TUESDAY – I Corinthians 4:1-5:13

Here Paul defends his apostleship and yet tries to explain that a person should not boast in who he is, but in who God has made him to be. Paul is upset with the fact that they have accepted the world’s standards in sexual immorality. He wants them to remember that the world judges Christ by the way that they live. How have the world’s standards affected how you live? How have they affected how Holy Cross functions as a church in the community?

WEDNESDAY– I Corinthians 6:1-8:13

This section outlines some of the things that are causing divisions in the Corinthian Church. Lawsuits, Sexual Immorality, eating meat sacrificed to Idols and the divisions even extend to marriage. How do each of these things apply in your life? How do Paul’s directions change the way that you might choose to live?

THURSDAY – I Corinthians 9:1-11:34

Here Paul talks about the things that happen in the church that reflect on the people and shine through into the community. Rights of the Apostle, The way we worship, The Lord’s Supper, and A believer’s freedom. Paul points them to the history of Israel as a negative example. Do you feel that any of these apply to you? What can the church today learn from the history of Israel?

FRIDAY – I Corinthians 12:1-16:24

This last section is all about how God is taking care of His church on earth and giving just the right gifts so that the church will flourish. Which of these gifts apply to you? How does that affect the people in the church around you?

Scholars estimate that this second letter to the Churches in Corinth was written the same year as the first, 55 A.D. It had come to Paul’s attention that other teachers had approached the Corinthians and challenged his authority. It appears that their challenge was based on the fact that Paul didn’t charge them anything (a “you get what you pay for” sort of argument) and that he was pocketing the collection he took for the followers in Jerusalem. They also attacked him because he had changed his itinerary (so he can’t be trusted).  Paul’s defense is compelling; it rests on the results of his teachings. This was a measure of true teaching: did it produce the sort of life promised by Jesus?

Following are readings to bring you through the letter in one week, with some questions to jog your thinking.

MONDAY -  2 Corinthians. 1:1-3:6
     
In chapter 1 verse 9, Paul identifies God as the one “who raises from the dead.” In the midst of persecution that made him wish for death, he put his hope in the God who raises from the dead. This way of thinking came up again in chapter 3 verse 6 when he says that the Spirit gives life. What does that mean to you? How has the Spirit given you life? Can you remember a time when the hope of resurrection encouraged you to press on?

TUESDAY -  2 Corinthians 3:7-6:2
     
Chapter 5 verse 17 is a favorite of mine. It talks about the reality of the victory of the cross. We are wholly new people, reborn in the restored image of God. This is nicely explained by chapter 6 verse 1 where Paul says, “do not receive God’s grace in vain. “ See the truth is that when you were baptized a new you was brought to life, one capable of allowing Jesus to be King. Paul is urging the Corinthians to live out of the righteousness offered them (see chapter 5 verse 21). Do you sometimes “bound” to sin, do you find yourself doing things you don’t want to do? Is it hard to believe that you are already 100% righteous? Do you feel free to follow Jesus with your actions, words and thoughts?

WEDNESDAY -  2 Corinthians 6:3-7:16
     
Reread chapter 6 verse 14 - chapter 7 verse 1, what does this section mean? What does it mean to be yoked to someone? When you consider the way Paul said he was willing to be “all things to all men that by any means I may save some” what does he mean when he calls the Corinthians to be separate from the world? Is there a time where you found yourself “unequally yoked?” How did it turn out? What about someone else, have you watched someone unequally yoke themselves?

THURSDAY -  2 Corinthians 8:1-10:18
     
Consider chapter 8 verses13-15, what keeps us from living out this ethic? In verse 15 Paul is quoting from the Exodus wanderings in the dessert when the Israelites picked quail and manna off the ground and shared so everyone had enough. He is telling the Corinthians that they have been incorporated into a people with a long history of communal living. What is keeping us from living this way today? How does that ethic collide with capitalism? What does plenty look like to us now? How about then? How about now around the world? Could you find ways to give more cheerfully?

FRIDAY -  2 Corinthians 11-13:14
     
The phrase in chapter 11 verse 14, Satan masquerades as an angel of light, deserves some thinking. What does that mean? Have you seen it to be true in your own life? Reread chapter 11 verses 23-29. Tough life huh? Not that Paul didn’t also have good times, but he was making a list of struggles God had brought him through. What would your list of hardships look like? Have you trusted God in times of struggle? What does that do for your faith?

It would seem that the Apostle Paul wrote this letter in order to introduce himself to the Christians in Rome. Paul did not start this church; it was probably the result of the spread of the Gospel following the excitement of Pentecost. The church was a mixture of Jewish and Gentile believers and seems to have been experiencing some tensions between the two groups.
   
In Chapters 1-11 Paul speaks of what God has done for all who believe, and in 12-16 he shows how believers ought to live in response to the lavish grace of God. The book of Romans is sometimes considered the “doctrine of Paul”. He is very clear in describing the condition of all men whether Jew or Gentile as opposed to God and that it is only the Grace of God that restores man’s relationship with God. Paul makes the case to that none of us is “Righteous” no not one.

Paul clearly states in Romans that we are not counted Righteous because of the way that we live, rather we live the way we do because God has counted us Righteous. If we want to “Be the Church” we need to live as people who have been declared righteous by our Father in heaven.

MONDAY – Romans 1:1-3:31
 
As in many of his letters, Paul starts by giving thanks for the believers in Rome. He then begins a long section where he details just how mankind has spoiled the perfect life that God gave in the beginning. Paul speaks to the Jews who are proud of the fact that they are “God’s chosen people”. What do you think Paul means when he says that “circumcision is not merely outward and physical?” What does Paul mean when he talks about “God’s faithfulness”, the fact that “no one is righteous” and that “Righteousness comes through faith”?

TUESDAY – Romans 4:1-6:14
 
 In this chapter Paul makes the point that Abraham was counted righteous before he was circumcised. Therefore, it was not anything Abraham did that made him righteous, it was a gift from God to him. What does that say to those today who say that we need to first give our lives to Jesus and then He will count us as righteous? In chapter 5 he states that faith brings peace and joy, these are the gifts of Christ and the gift of Adam to all of mankind was death. What does that mean to you?

WEDNESDAY – Romans 7:1-11:36
   
In the first verses of chapter 7 Paul likens the law to a dead husband, in Christ the law is dead and we are free to marry Christ. Then in verses 7-25 Paul goes into a description of our relationship to the law that is truthfully very hard to understand. Romans 8:28 is a well known passage and one of my favorite verses. This verse does not mean that if we believe no bad things happen to us, rather it means that if we believe, God can use all that happens to us for good in our life. In chapter 9 Paul asks some hard questions, which of these really strikes you today? Chapters 10 and11of Romans talk about the Jew’s relationship to God and their need for the savior.

THURSDAY – Romans 12:1-13:14
    
Chapters 12-16 talk about just how we should live now that we have experienced the grace and mercy of God. Paul gives a picture of what a true follower of Christ may look like. He phrases this in a lot of Do’s and Don’ts which make it sound like law statements but he is really talking about the gospel and the effect it is having on our lives. What is the “debt of love” to you?

FRIDAY – Romans 14:1-16:27
    
Paul talks about the “Weak and the Strong” brother. He is really talking about passing judgment, which is the opposite of the love he says that we are to have for each other. In the last chapter of Romans he gives more personal greetings than he does in any other letter. Since Paul was writing to introduce himself, I would assume these names are to show the Romans that they have some acquaintances in common. How do you think that the book of Romans can help us “Be the Church” today?

While Timothy had been sent to a church that was already started and had gotten headed in the wrong direction because of false teachings and Elders of the church that led unchristian lives, Titus was starting a new church and picking Elders for the first time. So much of Titus sounds like 1 Timothy, but Paul is not talking to Titus about holding true to the faith and resisting those that would lead him astray.

What role was Titus’ lifestyle supposed to play in growing his church? Does that apply today? How do you speak to others with your lifestyle?

Paul reminds Timothy that the end of the world is near (at least he should live that way) and people will try to entice others to follow the wrong ways. Timothy should mark those people and avoid spending time with them.  Paul says that Timothy should remember the example of Paul and his life and teachings. Paul points to the fact that he tried to live the way that he was teaching. How would any of that apply today? Is it hard? How are you doing?

In these chapters Paul encourages Timothy to remain faithful to the teachings that were given to him by his grandmother, mother and Paul himself. It seems that in the locale where Timothy was working there were several other teachers with very different teachings that were tempting to follow. What does it mean to you to “remain faithful”? Is that hard to do in today’s society?

In Chapter 4 Paul encourages Timothy not to worry about his youth but to use the gifts that God has given him and live a godly life that will convince the people around him that he is truly a man of God. Does your life say anything to the people around you?

Chapters 5 and 6 talk to Timothy about matters that must have been troubling the church where Timothy was working.  These may not always apply to our situations today.

1 & 2 TIMOTHY, AND TITUS - “The Pastoral Letters”

Timothy and Titus were disciples of the apostle Paul. Paul released them to oversee the work being done in several young churches that had experienced problems. These letters were written to his young disciples as encouragement, but they have also come to be seen as manuals for church structure and order. We need to remember that Paul wrote these letters to answer particular problems that these churches faced in the society and times of their day. Therefore not everything that he suggests would be helpful or appropriate today. Paul writes to these young Christian men to encourage them to not be intimidated by the church community or the secular community around them, but rather that they should “Be the Church” as they live boldly the faith that is within them.

Timothy 1:1-3:16 - Paul warned Timothy that he would be tempted to get involved with endless discussions of the law. He told him that this would be fruitless, and worse it would lead him away from the faith in Jesus Christ that was his true salvation vv. 3-11.  Do you think that happens in church today? To you? Paul describes the boundless grace and mercy that God showed to Paul and now has available to Timothy, trust that grace vv. 12-20. Do you feel God’s grace in your life today? There seems to have been a structure of “overseers,” people that helped with the leading of the congregation who reported to Timothy. Paul gives instruction to Timothy as he is choosing these men, just what he should look for. If chapter 3 is the job description, how hard would it be to find someone to fit that description? Would Timothy have to settle for someone who had most but not all? Do we do that today?

Living the Life Christ Won for Us
Do you feel like God’s chosen person, holy and dearly loved?
Pray Colossians 4:3-6 as your personal prayer.