Study guide
It’s all too easy just to skim through a book like this without letting its truth take root in our lives. The purpose of this study guide is to help you genuinely to grapple with the message of Galatians and think about how its teaching is relevant to you today.
Although designed primarily for Bible study groups to use over a six-week period, this series of studies is also suitable for private use. When used by a group with limited time, the leader should decide beforehand which questions to discuss during the meeting and which should be left for group members to work on by themselves during the following week.
To get the most out of the group meetings, each member of the group should read through the section of Galatians to be looked at in each study together with the relevant pages of this book. As you begin each session, pray that the Holy Spirit will bring this ancient letter to life and speak to you through it.
Session One
Galatians 1:1–24 (pp. 1–24)
1. Read 1:1–5
a Paul describes himself as an ‘apostle’. What does this mean (pp. 2ff.)? As we shall see, the very basis of Paul’s message was being challenged by some in the Galatian churches. How does what he says here support his claim to authority (pp. 3f.)?
b You might like to discuss together whether there are ‘apostles’ like Paul in today’s church. What do you think he would have said?
c Ask one or more of your group to look up ‘Galatia’ in a Bible dictionary and a concordance and report back next time you meet. What can you discover about the background to this epistle?
d Discuss together what you understand by the words ‘grace’ and ‘peace’ (1:3). Can you explain how they ‘summarize Paul’s gospel of salvation’ (p. 6)?
e Some might see the crucifixion of Jesus as no more than the tragic end to a promising career. But Paul would not have agreed! What do we learn about the death of Christ from 1:4–5 (pp. 6ff.)?
2. Read 1:6–10
a In his other recorded letters to churches, Paul’s opening greeting is followed by a note of praise and prayer. Why is this epistle an exception (pp. 10ff.)?
b Paul attributes the problem to a group of troublemakers within the churches. What were they doing and why was it so damaging (pp. 11f.)?
c How does Paul react and why is his response so strong (pp. 12ff.)? Can you think of similar situations in today’s church? What can you learn from Paul’s example?
d Paul insists here that ‘there is only one gospel and that this gospel does not change’ (p. 15). How then can we recognize the true gospel (pp. 15f.)?
3. Read 1:11–24
a In the face of those who present a ‘different gospel’ (1:6), Paul now turns to defend the validity of his own ministry. What do his opponents say about him and the gospel he preaches? Where does Paul claim his message came from (pp. 17f.)?
b Try to trace through Paul’s argument. What evidence does he give to support this astounding claim (pp. 18ff.)?
c The key question is whether or not Paul’s gospel has a direct divine origin. In his own day, people claimed that he made it up or got it from someone else. What reasons do people give nowadays to question Paul’s authority? How would you answer them (pp. 23f.)?
Session Two
Galatians 2:1–21 (pp. 25–49)
We saw in chapter 1 that Paul claimed to have received his message directly from God, not from people. But this raises a further question: was he preaching the same gospel as the church in Jerusalem? Paul answers this by describing two encounters with Peter and the other apostles.
1. Read 2:1–10
a Paul makes a further visit to Jerusalem, taking Barnabas and Titus with him. Why did some want Titus, a Gentile believer, to be circumcised? Why was Paul so insistent that this should not be done (pp. 28f.)?
b Why do you think Paul refers to the Jerusalem apostles in such a roundabout way in 2:6–9a? What was their reaction to the message Paul had been preaching (pp. 30f.)? What was it that led them to respond in this way?
2. Read 2:11–16
a Paul and Peter believed and preached the same gospel. But Peter was clearly not practising what he preached! What had he done which led to this public conflict with Paul? Why did he behave as he did? What was the result (pp. 34ff.)?
b Why did Paul react as he did (pp. 36ff.)? What was the long-term result (pp. 38f.)?
c What does he mean by the ‘truth of the gospel’ in 2:14 (pp. 37f.)?
d Can you think of anything in your life which effectively denies the truth of the gospel? What should you do about it?
e Can you think of any other situations where the truth of the gospel is compromised by the behaviour of those who claim to believe it? What does Paul’s example prompt you to do about it?
3. Read 2:15–21
a What do you understand by the word ‘justification’ (p. 42)? Why is it ‘central to Christianity’ (p. 42)?
b Paul discusses the two possible routes to justification – ‘by the works of the law’ or ‘by faith in Jesus Christ’ (2:16). What does he mean by ‘the works of the law’? In what way is this ‘the fundamental principle of every religious and moral system in the world except New Testament Christianity’ (p. 44)?
c Can you identify Paul’s arguments in 2:16 and 21 which show that justification by works of the law, though a theoretical option, is actually impossible (pp. 43f., 46f.)?
d Paul anticipates a counter-argument in 2:17. What is it? How does he answer it (pp. 47f.)?
e Using this passage, how would you answer someone who said that justification by faith is merely a ‘legal fiction’ (p. 47)?
Session Three
Galatians 3:1–29 (pp. 50–76)
1. Read 3:1, together with 1:6–10
a What are the Galatians doing which leads Paul to call them ‘foolish’ (pp. 50f.)?
b ‘Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified’ (3:1). How does this work out in practice today? To what extent do your Christian witness and evangelism do this (p. 51)?
2. Read 3:2–5
Paul shows the Galatians that they are wrong by reminding them first of their own past experience. Can you explain his argument (pp. 51f.)?
3. Read 3:6–9
Paul turns next to the Old Testament. The false teachers seem to have been saying that in order to become true children of Abraham, Gentile converts had to keep the Jewish law and so, for example, undergo circumcision. How does Paul counter this (pp. 53f.)?
4. Read 3:10–14
a Using Old Testament quotations to back up his argument, Paul now expands on the two alternatives he discussed in 2:16. Why are those who ‘continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law’ (3:10) in trouble (pp. 57ff.)?
b Galatians 3:10 quotes Deuteronomy 27:26, the law’s sentence of death for all who do not keep it. How then is it possible for anyone to escape the curse of 3:10 and 13 and enjoy the blessing of 3:14 (pp. 59f.)?
c But this escape route is not automatic. Why not? What then do we have to do (p. 60)?
5. Read 3:15–18
How does Paul justify going right back to God’s promises to Abraham and, on this issue, bypassing the law given to Moses (pp. 63ff.)?
6. Read 3:19–20
Verse 18 says that the law is not to be the means of our inheriting God’s promise of blessing. What then is the law for (pp. 66f.)?
7. Read 3:21–22
a By making justification depend on keeping the law, the false teachers are setting God’s law against God’s promise and making them seem contradictory. How does Paul deal with this (pp. 67f.)?
b ‘We must never bypass the law and come straight to the gospel. To do so is to contradict the plan of God in biblical history’ (p. 69). How do your own Christian witness and evangelism stand in the light of this statement?
8. Read 3:23–29
a Paul continues by describing a similar pattern of law and promise in individual Christian experience. What is the significance of the two images he uses to portray the law (pp. 71f.)?
b But now those in Christ enjoy a new freedom. What specific blessings does Paul mention in these verses (pp. 72ff.)? Can you think of ways in which these work out in your own life?
Session Four
Galatians 4:1–31 (pp. 77–100)
1. Read 4:1–7
a Paul now contrasts humanity under the law with humanity in Christ and draws out the implications for the individual Christian. How does he characterize our condition under the law (pp. 77ff.)? How does this work out in practice?
b In what sense did God send his Son at ‘the set time’ (pp. 79f.)? Why was he sent? In what ways was Jesus uniquely qualified to do the task set for him (p. 80)?
c Those in Christ have a new status through faith in him. But there is even more! What further blessing does the sending of the Spirit bring (pp. 80f.)?
2. Read 4:8–11
What was the basic mistake made by the Galatians (pp. 81f.)? What practical steps can we take to avoid falling into the same trap (pp. 83f.)?
3. Read 4:12–20
a Paul writes with great personal feeling, urging the Galatians to return to their former loyalty. What does he mean in 4:12 (pp. 85f.)? How is this relevant for Christian ministers today?
b The Galatians once received Paul as they would have received Christ Jesus himself (4:14). Why had their attitude changed (pp. 88f.)? What lessons does this have for us today (p. 89)?
c What is the difference between Paul’s attitude to the Galatians and that of the false teachers (pp. 89f.)? What can we learn from this today (pp. 91f.)?
4. Read 4:21–31
a Paul turns to those who ‘want to be under the law’ (4:21) and invites them to consider the logical outcome of their position. Why is physical descent from Abraham of itself irrelevant (pp. 94f.)?
b Paul is saying that it’s who your mother is that counts! In his allegory, what do Hagar and Sarah stand for (pp. 95f.)? (See p. 97 for an important note about 4:27.)
c ‘Now you, brothers and sisters, like Isaac, are children of promise’ (4:28). What two implications for the Christian community does Paul draw from this (pp. 97ff.)?
d ‘The greatest enemies of the evangelical faith today are not unbelievers, who when they hear the gospel often embrace it, but the church, the establishment, the hierarchy’ (p. 98). In what ways has this been true in your experience? Discuss what action you should take.
Session Five
Galatians 5:1–25 (pp. 101–121)
1. Read 5:1–6
a Paul’s argument is clear: if Christ has set us free from the law, how can we go back to living as its slaves? The specific issue is circumcision, something required by the false teachers as a necessary supplement to faith. What are the results of falling in with this demand? Why is this the case (pp. 101ff.)?
b Using this passage, how would you answer someone who said that Paul’s emphasis on faith in Christ means that we can live as we please (p. 104)?
2. Read 5:7–12
a What marks of false teaching does Paul outline in this passage (pp. 104ff.)? Why is it so difficult to keep preaching the truth (pp. 106f.)?
b Paul’s attitude to the false teachers (5:12) sounds harsh. What motivated him to feel this way about them (pp. 105f.)? What is your reaction to false teaching in the church today? What can you learn from Paul’s example?
3. Read 5:13–15
a What does Paul mean by ‘freedom to indulge the flesh’ (5:13)? In what ways are you inclined to misuse your Christian freedom in this way? What does Paul suggest as a possible antidote (pp. 109f.)?
b Someone might argue that ‘because Christ has set us free from the law, we can now ignore it altogether’. From 5:14, how would you answer this (pp. 111f.)?
4. Read 5:16–25
a Maintaining Christian freedom involves us in constant conflict between the ‘flesh’ and the ‘Spirit’. What does Paul mean by these two words (p. 114)?
b A Christian friend of yours gets drunk one night, happens to read 5:21 the following morning and concludes that he has lost his salvation. How would you help him (pp. 115ff.)?
c Christian victory in the conflict between the flesh and the Spirit comes as we crucify the one (5:24) and live by the other (5:25). Discuss together what these two phrases mean in practice (pp. 117ff.).
Session Six
Galatians 5:26 – 6:18 (pp. 122–145)
Review (pp. 146–151)
1. Read 5:26 – 6:5
a Paul deals now with some of the practical implications of 5:16–25. What is it that leads Christians to treat each other wrongly (pp. 122f.)?
b ‘We have a divine burden-bearer who is quite adequate, and . . . it is a sign of weakness to require any human help’ (p. 124). How would you answer someone who said this in response to 6:2 (pp. 124ff.)?
c How do you explain the apparent contradiction between the instruction to ‘carry each other’s burdens’ (6:2) and that ‘each one should carry their own load’ (6:5) (p. 126)?
d Galatians 6:1 is an example of a burden being carried. What guidelines does Paul give (pp. 126ff.)? How can you apply these today?
2. Read 6:6–10
a Paul’s final few instructions are linked by the common theme that we reap what we sow. Discuss the ways in which 6:6 is relevant for you (pp. 131ff.).
b ‘Holiness is a harvest; whether we reap it or not depends almost entirely on what and where we sow’ (p. 135). What does it mean to ‘sow to please the flesh’? In what ways can we ‘sow to please the Spirit’?
c Are there areas in which you find yourself growing ‘weary in doing good’ (6:9)? What does Paul say to encourage us (pp. 136f.)?
3. Read 6:11–18
a Paul opposes those who concentrate on outward show at the expense of what really matters, namely ‘the new creation’ (6:15). Can you think of modern examples of this conflict (pp. 140f.)?
b A further key issue concerns ‘whether the essence of the Christian religion is human or divine’ (p. 141). What does Paul see as the motive (pp. 141ff.)? How is this relevant for you?
4. Review
Looking back over your studies in this epistle, what major lessons stick in your mind? How do they compare with the author’s summary (pp. 146ff.)?