FREE TO GOD | SUSPICIOUS MINDS (GAL. 4:8-20)

'This letter is full of illustrations from Genesis; Paul oftens alludes to the Exodus story in his language of rescue and in his conversation about the temporary guardianship of the Jewish Law; within his own testimony, Paul has echoed the words of the prophet Jeremiah, and his personal journey has contact points with both the stories of both Moses and the prophet Elijah; Paul has even cited from the daunting texts known as Deuteronomy and Leviticus (and will do so again); he’s even quoted from an obscure, tiny text called Habakkuk.

Paul’s not referring to these Scriptural sources so the Galatians will just pass them on, in parrot fashion, to the false teachers. Paul has been appealing to a story he taught the Galatians when he was visiting them. It’s why Paul fears that all his hard work among them has been for nothing.

To be clearer: Paul expects the Galatians, who are not Jewish, to know this very Jewish story, and to see this story as their own story, even though he does not expect them to come under Jewish law.

I shouldn’t really have to spell this out, but I will: When Paul talks about ‘God’ he is not talking about some generic idea of God—as if God is blank outline that we get to colour in however we please. Paul has been more than clear: The God who has fulfilled his promises through Jesus, is the same God who gave those promises to Abraham in the first place.

Sadly, on occasion, people have read Paul’s letter to the Galatians, heard his desperate plea that these non-Jewish people should not come under Old Testament law, and then wrongly walked away presuming that what Paul means is have nothing to do with the Old Testament story.'

Tristan shares his sermon notes on his own blog. You can read his full notes, with end references, here: FREE TO GOD | SUSPICIOUS MINDS (GAL. 4:8-20)