haar

Q3. (Galatians 5:4) Exactly what does Paul mean by "fall from grace" here? What has occurred that has caused this fall? How can present-day Christian legalism cause such a "fall from grace"? What Paul meant by "fall from grace" was that the Galatians christian who had been set free from the burden of the law when they put their trust in Jesus for salvation were returning to the bondage of the law for righteousness thus loosing their freedom. Any action that deviates from grace and faith to works which is from wrong motive will cause us to "fall from grace".

Q2. (Galatians 4:19-20) How is Paul's grief over his spiritual children like that of a parent seeing children stray? What does it look like when Christ is formed in a person? What is the process involved in this spiritual formation? Paul's grief for his spiritual children was like the grief a parent feels when his bilogical child drifts away- painful, very painful. When Christ is formed in a person, the person becomes mopre matured spiritually in his prayer life, bible study, commitment to serve the Lord. Such a person is led by the spirit and bears the fruit of the Spirit as found in Galatians 5:22. The processes involvde in the transforamtion are deep repentance and salvation followed by discipleship where the new convert goes through teachings from the word of God- his spiritual milk and food. This helps him to develop his spiritual muscles- and grow spiritually.

Q1. (Galatians 4:10-11) Is celebrating different special worship days essentially wrong? Why did Paul grieve over the Galatians' observances? What significance did these have in terms of their movement towards Judaism? How can we be blessed by observing special days in our era? How can observance of special days become legalistic for Christian believers? Celebrating different special days essentially for worship is not wrong. Paul grieved over the Galatian's overservance of such days beacause they legalised their action by believing the lies that such legalistic observance led to salvation or righteousness. This was and is still wrong today and is food for thought for all of us as far as legalism is concerned. The significance of this in terms of their movement towards Judaism was that they were turning from faith towards legalism or salvation by works; from freedom to slavery. We can be blessed today by observing special days like Sundays or Christmas if those days are used for true and genuine worship of our God where God is the focus not the day itself. Obsewrving the days can become legalistic if days become more importantthan the God we are supposed to worship in such a day.

Q4. (Galatians 4:6-7) How does the Spirit's filling demonstrate we are full sons? What is the special sense in which the Aramaic word abba is used to speak to one's father? What is the significance of being heirs of God? Are we sons in the same sense that Jesus was God's Son? The Spirit infilling demonstrates that we full sons because He (the Spirit) agrees with our spit to cry out "Abba Father" a term that indicates intimacy and familiarity and is used by true children who are not afraid to call the name given their high position. The significance of being heirs of God is that we own by inheiratance whatever belongs to Him. Jesus is the direct Son of God while we are sons by adoption but with full rights that is why we are joint heirs with Christ.

Q3. (Galatians 4:3-5) In what sense were both the Gentiles and the Jews enslaved? What does "redeem" mean in verse 5? What are the implications of adoption regarding a person's legal and spiritual rights? The Jews were enslaved into obeying the wrtten law while the gentiles were enslaved in the worship of the numerous gods and their sinful indulgences. "Redeem" means to buy back, delivered or to liberate from a kind of bondage or slavery. By adoption we that were slaves were redeemed and adopted to be children of God and joint heirs with Jesus Christ.

Q2. (Galatians 4:4) Why do you think it took so long to send the Messiah? What about the first century world made it fertile ground for the revelation of the Messiah and the spread of the gospel? God took so long to send the Messiah because He was waiting for the rght time to come. The first century world was that right time because it was a fetile ground for the revelation of the Messiah and the spread of the gospel because it was religiously, politically, culturally and economically ripe.

Q1. (Galatians 4:26-29) Do you think Jewish Christians regarded Gentile Christians as second-class citizens? What is the basis of our unity in Christ? In what way does this unity pull down barriers? Do any groups continue to be regarded as second-class citizens in our congregations? What should we do about this? Jewish Christians, the Judaizers considered the Gentile Christians as second-class citizens that was why they insisted that the Geltile Christians had to be circumcised. The basis of our unity in Christ is faith in Him followed by baptism into Him. With this unity, we are one in Christ and so there are no more barriers. There is need for teaching the truth in our congregation on faith and batism that has broken all barriers just as Paul took time to educate the Galilian Church.

Q4. (Galatians 3:19-25) What was the purpose of the law? Was it intended to justify a person? In what ways did it restrain sin? In what ways did it expose sin? 1. To restrain man from sinning 2. To make wrong doing a legal offence 3. To point us to Christ the Messiah through whom we can be justfied by faith It restrained sin in the sense that people restrained themselves from commiting sin to avoid the punishment that would be meted on the person who sinned. Without the law one would not have known what murder, adultry etc meant.

Q3. (Galatians 3:10-14) What is Paul's argument for salvation by faith based on the concept of the "curse of the law"? On what basis do the Gentiles receive "the promise of the Spirit" (3:14)? There is a curse attached to anyone who did not obey all the laws. this implied that every one was under a curse as no one coud obey all the law. When Jesus died on the cross for our sin, He took our currse on Himself and we can now just have faith and be righteous. Through Christ, the Gentiles are given the promised Holy Spirity by faith in Christ

Q2. (Galatians 3:6-9) What is Paul's argument for salvation by faith based on Abraham? In what sense are we "children of Abraham"? Abraham believed God and it was credited to him as righteousnes. This means that righteousness is as a result of faith not works. Galation 3.7 says that any one who has faith in God is a child of Abraham. God had promised Abraham that all nations would be blessed because of Abraham's faith.

Q1. (Galatians 3:2-5) What argument for salvation by faith does Paul give from the presence of the Spirit? What does this tell us about the spiritual environment of the Galatian churches? How can we regain this dynamic environment in our own congregations? Paul wondered how the Galatians could be foolish by turning to works for righteousnes instead of by faith in salvation brought about by the death and the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. The experience was sealed by the the receipt of the Holy Spirit who remained in them. The spiritual environment of the Galatians was dry. They were not longer concious of the presence of the Holy Spirit in them and therefore turned works for righteousness. We can regain the dynamic environment of the Holy Spirit by walking by faith and praying for increase in our faith as the disciples asked Jesus at a point in time.

Q5. (Galatians 2:20) In what sense have we been "crucified with Christ"? What does that mean? In what sense do "I no longer live"? Whose life now motivates us? How does this verse relate to Paul's closing comments about the "new creation" (Galatians 6:15)? What does Galatians 2:20 teach about Christ's attitude toward us? I "have been crucified with Christ" means that by Christ's death and resurrection, I put my faith in Him and my sins were crucified along with Him on the cross. The law was also crucified or the requirement of the law for salvation was crucified and I therefore no longer live by works but by faith and grace that gave me new life. I now live by the power of His Spirit who lives in me and guides/ leads me in both my spiritual walk with Him and also my physical activities. As a convert, the Spirit of God given to us makes new creation thus helping us to live a new life og righteousness while our old nature dies. The attitute of Christ in Gal 2.20 is that of love demonstrated by giving Himself up and dying for us that we may live etrnally

Q4. (Galatians 2:15-21) What happens to the importance of Christ's death if circumcision is deemed necessary to salvation? Why was this issue of the sufficiency of the Messiah's death so important in Paul's day? Why was this issue important to Luther and the reformers? Why is it so important in our own day? How does it affect the relative legalism of our congregations? It means Christ died for nothing is circumcision is regarded as necessary for salvation. Faith in Him is the requirement for salvation and not the keeping of laws. The issue of the sufficiency of the messaiah's death was so important in Paul's time beacause the reccords needed to be put right that faith not works was rquired as was being taught by the Judaizers. The issue is also important in our days beacuse some people may drift from faith works as way to salvation

Q3. Why is it so hard to take the gospel to different peoples without wrapping it in our own cultural practices? Can you think of examples of this in Church history? What is the danger? How can we avoid such cultural faux pas in our church's missionary enterprises? It may be that hard probably because people who take the gospel to others with different cultural background think and believe that the culture of the people they want to convert is not compatble with the gospel. I however believe that some cultural practices like initiation of youth to "dodo" a kind of god in our culture south of Kaduna state of Nigeria is actually idolatry and should be denounced by converts to Christianity. This explains why such practice is almost dead now as more people are converted to christianity.

Q2. (Galatians 2:14) Why do you think Paul confronted Peter publicly rather than privately? Do you expect Paul had talked with Peter about this previously? How did a public discussion of this benefit the Jewish Christians? How did it benefit the Gentile Christians? What kind of pressure do you think this put on Paul? Paul confronted Peter publickly so to put the records in the right perspective that the true gospel ought to be by faith alone without introduction of traditions or customs such as circumcision. Paul probaly had discussed this with Peter and maybe not. The public discussion was healthy and good for both the Gentile Christians and the Jewish Christian. The Gentile Christians would feel accepted and tollerated while Jewish Christians would probably see the need to accept the Gentile Christians.

Q1. (Galatians 2:11-14) Why do you think Peter first embraced the Gentile believers in Antioch and later withdrew from them to eat only with Jews? What does this tell us about his character? Why should he have known better? What does this tell us about Barnabas? What does it tell us about the political clout of the visitors from Jerusalem? Have you ever acted like a hypocrite to impress others? What should you do when you recover your senses? Peter did not want to offend the Jewish christians who believed the gentiles converts needed to observe certain laws in addition to their faith in Christ. This action clearly showed his hypocracy. He once defended the need for the gentiles to enjoy the freedom of their new faith without having to be circumcised of follow certain laws. He therefore should not have tried to do otherwise. There are times when I do certain things just to impress some one. I often regreted this and would ask God for forgiveness

Q4. (Galatians 2:1-10) Why do you think Paul seems to distance himself from the leaders of the Jerusalem church (2:2, 6, 9)? Why does he at the same time write of their approval of his ministry? How does this further his argument to the Galatians in this letter? Paul seemed to distant himself from the Jerusalem Church because some of his distractors had implied that his gospel had its origin from the original apostles (at jerusalem). Paul tried to keep his distance from them to convice his enemies that whatever he was teaching was from God the Father and Jesus Christ. He however at same time told whoever cared to listen that his teaching that was being questioned by some mischievious people was actually endorsed by the apostles at Jerusalem. The approval of Paul's mission to the gentiles by the apostles would convince the Galatians that his gospel was genuine and the correct one. to be accepted.

Q3. (Galatians 2:1-3) Paul is arguing that the Jerusalem leaders support his position on circumcision, rather than that of the Judaizers. What is the significance of Paul's mention that Titus was not required to be circumcised? Paul's mention that Titus was not required to be circumscised was significant because there was need to put the matter to rest once and for all. The Judaisers were trying to make the gentile converts to be be circumcised according to the Jewish customs and tradition. Salvation by grace/ faith alone was Paul's stand.

Q2. (Galatians 1:13-16) What factors in Paul's background made him an ideal apostle to the Gentiles? How did God use his being different from others? To ponder: How has your unique background fitted you for ministry? What uniqueness has God given you? What will it take to see that uniqueness as a God-given strength rather than as an embarrassment? Paul was well trained and disciplined by Rabbi Gamliel in the old testament scripyures. He was so zealous in the Jewish tradition that he persecuted the church and believed then that he was doing service to God. With this same zeal and discipline he preached the gospel to the gentiles and the Jews.

Q1. (Galatians 1:11-12) What is the source of Paul's gospel? How do we know that it is a true revelation? How does it conform to our other foundational sources of Christian teaching? What is the danger of taking the teaching of contemporary leaders as our doctrinal basis without checking it with the Scripture? Paul's source of the gospel was the Lord Jesus Christ himself on the way to Damascus as paul was going to perscute the christians. Jesus confronted him and assigned the gospel to him. Paul's gospel agreed with the revelation in the old testament, the gospel of the apostles and the epistles. The danger of taking the teaching of contemporary leaders as our doctrine without crosschecking with the scriptures is that we may be missled into falsehood.

Q2. Paul called the Judaizers' message as a "different gospel," a perversion of the true gospel. How is this dangerous to the Galatian believers? How do twisted gospels (or an unbalanced interpretation of the gospel) affect Christians in our day? The Judaizers' message was another gospel which taught circumsion as a requirement for righteousnes. This was dangerous because it was contrary to the real gospel message of salvation by faith brought about by the death of the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross to resue us. Th Galatians christians were turning away from the true message and adopting the false message and thus heading for destruction. Even in our days, some preachers are preacing messges that the majority want to hear and downplaying salvation.

Q1. (Galatians 1:4) According to verse 4, for what purpose did Jesus give himself? How does Jesus rescue people today? How does he keep people from falling back into their old ways? Jesus gave himself up to die on the cross for our salvation from sin and the resultant eternal death. He rescue people today in line with John 3:16 : For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life (KJV). The Lord Jesus Christ went to heaven after the resurrection and sent God the Father sen the holy spirit who consels, convicts of sin and prompts us to repent of our sins whenever we sin as in 1 John 1:9 that says: "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (KJV)

Q1. (Galatians 1:4) According to verse 4, for what purpose did Jesus give himself? How does Jesus rescue people today? How does he keep people from falling back into their old ways? Jesus gave himself up to die on the cross for our salvation from sin and the resultant eternal death. He rescue people today in line with John 3:16 : For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life (KJV). The Lord Jesus Christ went to heaven after the resurrection and sent God the Father sen the holy spirit who consels, convicts of sin and prompts us to repent of our sins whenever we sin as in 1 John 1:9 that says: "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (KJV)

Q4. (2 Corinthians 13:12) What is the equivalent of a “holy kiss” in your congregation and culture? Why is a warm familial greeting so important in a healthy congregation? Why do people sometimes resist being greeted warmly? We do not kiss in our greeting. An equivalent of a kiss is warm hand shake for men. Bowing low by the women to a senior or elderly is also the practice. Warm greeting familiar greeting bond people togather as people recognise that they are loved and appreciated.

Q3. (2 Corinthians 12:20) How do you “cure” a church of these kinds of behaviors and sins? How can a “love offensive” begin to change the spirit of a dysfunctional congregation? What is the role of church discipline in a dysfunctional congregation? A cure for a Church that is found to have its members engrossed in the sins of jealousy, gossip etc can be found through prayers, teaching, rebuking, and encouragement as well. This has to be done in love.