The blessing you felt

Here's the idea. I ♥ Galatians. What follows is a series of meditations on this grace-packed book. I've blogged a lot on Galatians at The Blue Fish Project. I don't plan on pasting anything over from there, but what you'll find here does come from the same person so expect some overlap.

Some basic structure for what I anticipate may be around 100 posts.

1. God's gospel (Galatians 1)
Here we find the core of the gospel Paul preaches. It's about freedom. It's trinitarian and about the cross and resurrection of Jesus. The tight connection between God and his gospel. Blessing with God, curse away from him. And Paul's insistence that the gospel he preaches came from God not men. The recurring theme of persecution starts here.

2. Securing grace (Galatians 2)
Paul is given a revelation by God and goes to check on the Jerusalem apostles. We find the importance of not adding to the gospel, Paul's underwhelment with status and the fellowship forming effects of the gospel. Then Paul must take a stand for the gospel and Peter departs from God and the gospel by messing up how to live the Christian life. The way we live tells what we believe about the gospel.

3. Blessed by God (Galatians 3v1-14)
Paul preaches the cross which includes salvation history. This message brings salvation by hearing. Believers gain the blessing of Abraham which is righteousness and the Holy Spirit. Extra theology of the Spirit starts here.

4. Sons by grace (Galatians 3v15-4v7)
All God's promises are for Jesus. Law wont get us into Jesus but faith does. Jesus inherits all things - so will Christians. Big news on what to do with the law.

5. Staying free (Galatians 4v8-5v13)
Sons face temptation to return to slavery. But, rules are idolatrous - offering a different justification. They're joyless and they're futureless and they deny the cross. Grace is experiential theology.

6. The community of the Spirit (Galatians 5v14-ch6)
Christians don't go for law and sin we get in step with the Spirit. Heirs live by sowing to the Spirit. Christians sin but restoration is possible. Persecutors try to avoid the cross because it brings new creation. The power isn't in things that enslave but in the gospel of Christ crucified.