Next Sunday, June 4th, is Pentecost, the birthday
of the church. Please wear red.
Galatians 3:1-9 (ESV)
O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified. [2] Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith? [3] Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? [4] Did you suffer so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain? [5] Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law, or by hearing with faith— [6] just as Abraham "believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness"? [7] Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham. [8] And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, "In you shall all the nations be blessed." [9] So then, those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.
Galatians 3:23-29 (ESV)
Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed. [24] So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. [25] But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, [26] for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. [27] For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. [28] There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. [29] And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise.
Questions for Reflection
1. If someone close to you displayed a lack of knowledge about a subject you knew well, what would you do about it?
2. What was the purpose of the Law? (3:19)
3. How was the Law put into effect? (3:19)
4. Why did God give both the Law and promises? (3:21-22)
5. How did the Law pave the way for the gospel? (3:22-23)
6. What freedom did faith in Christ bring? (3:23-25)
7. How does faith in Christ set us free from legalism?
