 right now. Yes. Yes. Yes. Okay. The recording is started. So, can I request one of us to start the session with the word of prayer please? Can I request Lubeka to start the session with the word of prayer? Let's pray. Yes. Be a Lord with God before you. We thank you for yesterday, today, and for tomorrow. Lord, as we do, go to understand and listen from our dear lecturer, the pastor, about the next book, The Galations. So Lord, please send your whole spirit to teachers to remind us and let her also be used as a vessel. Lord, again, we, the students, let's also be here to understand so that we can take our ministry to the next level. We do pray for our brothers and sisters who have not yet joined to also find a way of joining, not because of power but because of your will. In the name of the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit, we pray. Amen. Amen. Amen. Thank you. Thank you, brother, for your prayer. Okay. So, today, we're going to study on the next episode of Paul, the Apostle, who is writing to Galatians. So, he is the author of this book. Let's see what made, let's see the reason for Paul to write this letter. So, when we study the background, we get to know that after receiving a report that the churches he started in Galatia has fallen prey to the heresy, that the Gentile believers must submit to all the mosaic law before they become a Christian. So, Paul immediately addresses this issue by writing a letter to defend the justification is by faith alone. And he wants the churches of Galatia, of the dreadful consequence of abandoning the pure Gospel of Christ alone for salvation. And when the Galatians fell away so quickly from the Gospel of grace that Paul had preached to them, they also made clear their disloyalty to Paul's authority as an apostle. So, he starts with defending his apostleship first and then he refutes the false teaching of the justification through law. So, from this summary, we see to whom was this book of Galatians written? Last y'all can answer, to whom was this letter written to? Ma'am, to the churches in Galatia? Yes, right. Thanks, Sid. We missed you yesterday. Okay, good you're back today. So yes, Paul is writing to the Galatians. While there is some divergence of opinion concerning the region of Galatia that was been specifically aimed at in this letter, the most popular view is that the letter was directed towards a region of the southern Galatia that would have been the object to Paul's first missionary journey. So, some feel it may have been a later letter written to the northern region of Galatia which would have been covered by Paul on his second missionary journey but in either case the problem that he addresses is the same. So, the southern Galatia is in the lower region of the Asia Minor. I didn't get the map if we have got it. I would have maybe in the next class we can post a map and study on the places. So, the province visited by Paul on his first missionary journey included Pamphylia, Macedia, Lyconia and the southern Pergia. So, the people of this region, you know, they had a reputation for being hasty. They were very spontaneous and impulsive. They were also very argumentative and confrontational. At the same time, they were also very emotional, emotionally unstable and subjective. So, we see that when we read the book of Acts in chapter 14, we see that the people in Listera were ready to worship Paul one minute and the next moment they were ready to stone him as well. You see how quick their way to make decisions are very impulsive. This can also be seen in the quickness to receive the Gospel at a time and then there was a quickness to change to another Gospel. So, they were not people with steady-minded. And also, when we specifically see the cities that Paul visited, in most cases, left churches included like Antioch and Piseda. So, Paul visited this place and we started this ministry by preaching in the Jewish synagogue. So, this was one of the custom for the Apostles in those days, like whichever place they entered in or they visited. First, they would go to the synagogue, the Jewish synagogue to share the Gospel. Then, if they are rejected by the Jews, that may be one of the reasons why they stepped out and then share the Gospel to the Gentiles or to the Greeks. So, certain Gentiles heard of their preaching and they begged Paul to preach to them. So, this is how the Gospel was spread to the Gentiles. And most of the time, we see that God opened new doors or great doors for Paul to share the Gospel to the Gentiles. Paul had a great interest in the message and he shared to the multitudes. And there were multitudes who came wherever Paul went to share the message. There were multitudes that came near to him, to hear the good news. And the Jews were moved with envy and they began to oppose Paul because they felt that Paul was a threat to the Jewish region. Paul and Barnabas focused on the Gentiles who opened a door for them. Paul had great fruit among the Gentile ministry. So, the Jews stirred up the prominent leaders in the city and had Paul and Barnabas expelled from the region of Antioch. Now, what happened? We need to see this. When they faced the persecution, when they were expelled by the leaders in that city Antioch, this did not stop Paul and Barnabas from sharing the Gospel. They immediately went to another city. Can we all turn to Acts chapter 14? Acts will serve as a reference book for us for any of our letters that we study about Paul. Okay. Chapter 14. Yes. So, chapter 14 verse 1 to 5. Can I request one of y'all to please read? Have it happened in Iconium that they went together to the synagogue of the Jews and so spoke that a great multitude of both Jews and of the Greeks believed. But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brethren. Therefore, they stayed there a long time speaking boldly in the Lord who was bearing witness to the word of his grace, granting signs and wonders to be done by the hands. Yeah. There was four. But the multitude of city was divided, part sided with the Jews and part with the apostles. And when a violent attempt was made by both Gentiles and Jews with their rulers to abuse and stone them, they became aware of it and so to this trend. Yes. Yes. Thanks. So, what we see here in verse 1, we see that Paul started his ministry by preaching in the Jewish synagogue. Again, they started the ministry in a synagogue. So, many Jews and Gentiles responded in faith. We see that. And then in verse 2, we see that the unbelieving Jews stirred up both the Jews and the Gentiles against Paul and Barnabas. And then verse 4 and 5, we see that eventually it got so bad that the violent attempts were made to harm them or even to stone them. And in verse 5, we see that they were forced, this situation or this incidence, forced Paul and Barnabas to leave that place for the sake of peace. They had to leave that place. Did they stop the gospel with that? Antioch persecuted them. If Iconium had tried to stone them to death, they moved on to Lestra. Verse 8 to 20. I'll just mention the points that I've noted down from verse 9. Can I request one of you all to please read verse 9 and one of you all to read verse 19. Verse 9, this man heard Paul speaking, Paul observing him intently and seeing that he had faith to be healed. And then 19. Then Jews from Antioch and Iconium came there and having persuaded the multitudes, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing him to be dead. Yes, we covered on this yesterday while we studied the book of Corinthians. So what happened here? We see that Paul started his ministry in Lestra by speaking in the street. There was no synagogue, so he started speaking in the street. When Paul healed a lame man, when we read from verse 8 to 12, we see that he healed a lame man on the street and the people acclaimed him as gods. Immediately, they praised him. And then later when we study, we see that when the people try to offer sacrifice to them as gods, Paul and Barnabas rebuked the people for their idolatry. They said, stop doing what you're doing. And then what happened? When the Jews from the Antioch and the Iconium teamed up, they heard that Paul was preaching in Lestra. So they came to Lestra and incited the people. The people were living there, Jews and the Gentiles. They spoke to them and they made them against Paul and Barnabas. So the people were ready. Now, just before a few verses, we see that how they made them God and they wanted to offer sacrifice. And now the next minute, when they heard the news from the Jews, from the Antioch and Iconium, they changed their mind. Now they're ready to stone them to death. What happened? They stoned them in verse 19. People stoned Paul and left him for death. And in 20, we see the disciples in that city prayed for him. He arose and eventually departed from that city. What we see here is the attitude of Paul, we must see. Nothing stopped him. He never spoke against the people who stoned him. He always had the heart to carry the good news. And he never rebuked at the people. He had the heart of Jesus. It said, Lord, forgive them for they do not know what they're doing. This is what even he witnessed Stephen being stoned to death and Stephen utter the same words. The man who was the one of the reason for Stephen martyr now being stoned very often for the sake of the good news. Now this didn't stop Paul there. He moved on. He moved on to Derby. After Antioch, he came to Iconium. After Iconium, he came to Lystra. Even after stoning to death, he did not stop. He is moving to another place to Derby. Now Paul preached the gospel and that many converts there. Verse 21, we see that any disciples, they return to Lystra, Iconium and Antioch. So what happened? If we were Paul, what we would have done? Would we go back to the same places from where we came, from where the people persecuted us or stoned us or the Jews and Gentiles who stirred people against Paul and Barnabas? But in spite of all that, there were few believers who heard Paul's good news, who believed in Jesus. For those people, say, Paul goes back. So Paul left and went back again from Derby. He goes to Lystra. He goes to Iconium and then to Antioch to strengthen the believers, strengthen the disciples who believed on the good news of what Paul shared. And he said the churches in order. What a strong and a bold man he could have been. Can we have that attitude? And us, we need to literally pray today after, maybe we should take the last five minutes at discussion time and pray and ask God, God, we need to have that attitude. Nothing could stop Paul from doing what he is called to do. Nothing. And then we see in Acts 13 or Acts 14, verse 25. Now, when they had preached the word in Perga, they went down to Atalia. So what happened? Paul had stopped briefly in Perga on his initial entry into Asia Minor. And here he preached at Perga on his way home after leaving Derby, and then he returned to Antioch of Sidia. And there he rested for some time, as he needed. So keeping this in mind, how he moved to one place to another to share the gospel and plan the churches and strengthen the disciples. Here with this, we can look into the background to the book of Galatians, where Paul in his first missionary journey, Paul and Barnabas, you know, they went out first at the Church of Antioch. And here, the principal method as we looked at was for them to go into the synagogue first. That is, they carried the call, they carried the gospel to the Jews first and then to the Greeks. This is what we see in Romans, chapter 1, verse 60, saying that the call was to Jews first and then to the Greeks. And then if there was no synagogue, they would just go on streets and share the gospel. This is what they did in Lystra, believing God to open a door for them, supernatural means or divine encounters. So in many cases, what happened is God allowed them to perform signs, wonders and miracles. And through that, the crowds, the people of that city were attracted and they came and this opportunity opened a door for them to share the gospel. And many Gentiles came to believe on the good news or the gospel of Jesus Christ. So as they went on sharing, they had a great fruit on their first missionary journey and this gave them an opportunity to plant churches in five locations. And they returned to Antioch from where they have been sent and remained there. So after this in Acts 15, can I request you all to turn to Acts 15, chapter 2, 235, but I'll request you to read from 1 to 5 or because of time frame, okay. I'll just give a gist of 1 to 5, okay, conflict over the circumcision. Now, there is a Jerusalem council been organized arranged and there is a conflict there among the disciples. So they come, they address it to the council because of the fruit, that good fruit that Paul had in his ministry among the Gentiles. So many of the Jewish believers felt that Paul was only preaching half of the gospel to the people. When they say half, it's only about the grace and not about the work. That is, they have to be circumcised and many other rituals, which the Jewish people were practicing from the time of Moses. So they felt that he was making it too easy for the people to get saved. And it was their contention that people got saved that they should also be identified with Judaism through the circumcision and keeping up the Old Testament law. So mainly here we see that they gave more preference to the law of Moses. Because in verse five we see that, but now of the set of the Pharisees who believed rose up saying, it is necessary to circumcise them and to command them to keep the law of Moses. So what happened in this council from verse six to 18? Yeah, we see that since the one who were stirring things up there from Judea, Paul and Barnabas travelled to Jerusalem to meet with those apostles and elders of the Jerusalem church and they discussed the matter. So when they were discussing, who was the leader at Jerusalem right now? Peter. Yeah, Peter was the leader, yes, but then at the Jerusalem there was a church and who was the leader for that church? I think James. Yes, yes, thanks, thanks John. So James, sorry, sorry, I didn't get that. I said James the just. Yes, thanks. So James was the leader there. So James along with the others, they pray, they pray, they pray in spirit, they pray and ask God to give them an answer where that answer, the decision will bring peace among all the disciples. Yes, there was, there was an heated discussion, but then Peter shared his testimony. Peter shared his testimony of what happened when he had the same kind of attitude and how God gave him a vision of those all set of animals and then how he was led to the house of Cornelius and how the Holy Spirit came upon Cornelius and his household. And then Paul and Barnabas shared their testimony of what was happening in their journey when they shared the gospel to the Gentiles, how God opened new doors among the Gentiles and when they shared the good news, how the Lord ministered among them. So James, being the senior pastor of the Jerusalem church, summarized the discussion and they prayed, they prayed in spirit and they shared that the relevant scripture, he shared a relevant scripture from the Old Testament and suggested a solution and that was received by everyone. So what we learn from this is everyone will be subject to the spirit when the spirit gives a decision because he is the God of peace, he is not a God of confusion. When they seek God, God gave them the right word and everyone accepted that decision. So the conclusion in Acts 15 verse 19, therefore I judge that we should not trouble those from among the Gentiles overturning to God, but that we write to them to abstain from things polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from things strangled and from blood. For Moses has had throughout many generations those who preach him in every city being read in the synagogue every Sabbath. Then verse 22, then it pleased the apostles and elders with the whole church to send chosen men of their own company to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas, namely Judas, who was also named Bar Sabaas and Silas, leading men among the brethren. So this is how they all agreed, so they agreed on a demand that should be placed on the Gentile converts, which did not include the circumcision and they also agreed to write a letter stating that the official position of the Jerusalem Church and the key leaders from the Jerusalem Church should carry the letter to the Church of Antioch and to give authority to the letter. And then we see the Judaizers and their mission. So what happened after the discussion after the council? Not all the Jewish believers in Judea accepted the finding of the council, but they remain quiet then, but then later they still felt that Paul was not preaching the whole gospel because they have been grown in that ritual. They are holding on to those rituals. They could not let it go or they could not accept another person sharing the salvation and faith and not in any kind of work. So part of the problem was the Jerusalem Church itself, so many of the believers in the Jerusalem Church still observed much of the ceremonial law of the Old Testament era and blended it with the expression of the Christianity. So what did these Judaizers do? What did they teach? They started teaching the people, saying the obedience to the law was necessary for salvation. So they formed a small party, a small group, and they started preaching against Paul. So that while faith and Christ brings us into the kingdom, but the works of the law brings us to perfection. They started teaching that the law is permanent and the right of the circumcision is part of the initiation process into Christianity. So in this what we see is what was their principal concern? They were concerned about the converts to Christianity that were coming in under the ministry of Paul and Barnabas. They were not giving due attention to the matters of law and were not being circumcised. So what they were doing? They were preaching and teaching how important was the circumcision and the law. So with this Paul was concerned. Paul found these churches. He found the five churches in the first missionary journey and these churches were in danger of being destroyed by these false preachers preaching, teaching the false teachings. So Paul was upset with the Judaizers and had no kind words for them. He was so very upset. We see in Galatians chapter one, can I request one of y'all to turn to Galatians chapter one verse seven to nine. But there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven preach any other gospel to you, then what we have preached to you? Let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you, then what do you have received? Let him be accursed. Yeah, thank you. So we see that Paul was very upset with these Judaizers and he had no kind words and he was so shocked saying that you're turning away so soon from God and you're turning away from the message of the word. And we see in chapter five verse 12, he says that I only wish that those troublemakers who want to manipulate you from the circumcision and wouldn't. And then chapter six verse 12 is as many as desire to make a good showing in the flesh. These would compel you to be circumcised only that they may not utter persecution for the cross of Christ. And also, you know, in chapter three verse one to five, Paul says, O you foolish, O foolish Galatians who have bewitched you that you should not obey the truth before whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed among you as crucified. This only I want to learn from you. Did you receive the spirit by the works of the law or by hearing of faith? Are you so foolish having begun in the spirit? Are you now been made perfect by the flesh? Have you suffered so many things in vain? If indeed it was in vain, therefore he who supplies the spirit to you and works miracles among you, does he do it by the work of the law or by the hearing of faith? And Paul was even upset with Peter and some of the brethren from the Jerusalem who seem to be taking a weak stand on the issue of the Gentiles and the law. And he confronts them immediately on face. And we see that as we read the book of Acts and also the book of Galatians and yes, the book of Galatians was written mostly in 49 to 55 AD and it has been written from Corinth on Paul's second missionary journey and being said that what is the outline? We can discuss on the outline of this book. So the outline is in chapter one to two, chapter one to two, we see Paul defends his apostleship and chapter three to four. Paul explains the doctrine of justification is by faith. So the emphasis that he makes is that all of the work that needed to be done for our salvation has already been done by Jesus Christ on the cross. So with that, he moves on to chapter five to six. Here he gives us some instruction in the practical Christian living that results from our liberty in Christ, results for our freedom in Christ. And we also see the main theme, some of the main themes in the book of Galatians that contrasts between the works of the flesh and the fruit of the spirit in chapter five verse 16 to 26. It talks about the work of the flesh from verse 19 to 21 and the fruit of the spirit from verse 22 to 23. We also see the very purpose of the Old Testament law, chapter three, chapter three verse 19 to 25, verse 19 to 25. Yeah, we see some of the purpose of the Old Testament law where in 23, can I request one of you to read verse 23, chapter three verse 23. Before faith came, we were kept under guard by the law, kept for the faith which would afterward be revealed. Yeah, thanks. So we see that, yeah, can you also read 24 please, sorry. Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ that we might be justified by faith. Amen. Thank you. So verse 25 says, but after faith has come, we are no longer under our tutor. So what we see here is it was an edge to keep them and was added because of their transgression. And we see in verse 24 that it says it was a tutor to lead them to Christ. And we see the doctrine of justification through faith in Jesus Christ. We see that in chapter two and chapter three where he talks about the justification is by faith in Jesus Christ. So with that we will move on to the distinct features of the book of Galatians. We see the contrast between the book of Galatians, a book of where it demonstrates the superiority of the new covenant. Note some of the things like the gospel over Judaism, the spirit over the flesh. We see that in chapter three. And we also see most of these contrasts happening in chapter three, like faith over works being justified or over being held by the law, being blessed and being cursed. We see that in chapter three verse 9 to 10 and chapter three verse 12 to 14, we see that promise is promised through Abraham over the commandments through Moses. Again, Abrahamic covenant over mosaic covenant. And then in verse chapter three, verse 25 to 26, we see the maturity over Talage. And then again, chapter three, verse 26 and chapter four, verse six, we see that the sonship over the bondmanship. And then chapter four, verse eight, but then indeed when you did not know God, you serve those which by nature are not gods. And then 21 to 31, when we read that, we see there's liberty and there's bondage. So there was a lot of contrast. Demonstration of the superiority of the New Testament. We see that and that we will move on to Paul's usual approach in this letter. So what was the approach in this letter? We see that it does not give any words of praise as unusual in most of the letters he does. He is usually harsh suggesting that he was upset when he wrote this letter. And he does not ask them for their prayer as in customary in many other letters we would see, but then he wrote the entire letter in his own hand. And we also see that this episode was a key to Luther's understanding and helped lay the foundation for the Reformation, which was the other verse that inspired Luther. Do you all remember? We did discuss in the class Romans chapter 117, the jest shall live by faith, that inspired him and also the book of Galatians. This book of Galatians was the key to Luther's understanding and it made him to lay the foundation for the Reformation. As we conclude the book of Galatians, I would like to share the key. One second, please, let me share the presentation with you. Some of the key verses I would like to share. Yes, the truth is to set us free. We see that in the book of Galatians and here there are some of the key verses. We all in the same page. So the book of Galatians was the truth that sets us free and there are a few key verses that have listed here. Galatians chapter 1 verse 8, no other gospel than the gospel of Jesus Christ and Galatians 2.16 which talks about justified by faith. Chapter 2 verse 20 talks about crucified with Christ. Chapter 3 verse 27, your worth isn't Christ and not in any of our education, not in our job, our identity should be on Christ and not on anything else. And in Galatians 3, 28, we see that all are one and Christ. All are one and Christ. And Galatians 4, 4 to 7, we see that we are no longer slaves. We are the child of God. We are the sons and daughters and the hares in Christ Jesus. And Galatians 5 verse 1, we see that stand fast in liberty. Stand fast in liberty by which Christ has made us free and do not be tangled against with the yoke of bondage. And Galatians 5 verse 6 talks about faith working through love. And Galatians 16 till 18 talks about walk in the spirit and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. And Galatians 22 to 23, we see the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, long suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. And against such there is no law. The fruit of the spirit is so very important for each of us. The believers, it should be in us. Galatians 6, 7 talks about the principles of sowing and reaping. Do not be deceived. God is not mocked for whatever a man sows that evil also reap. That evil also reap. So as Christians, we should be very careful not to fall into the legalism that the Galatians struggled with. Or should we be on the other extreme? Should other extreme been irresponsible with the freedom given to us? So what do we learn from this book? Our commitment to Christ is based on the free gift of grace through faith in Jesus Christ. And it is also results in a life of walking by the spirit. So with that I will leave a reflection question for you. Is the fruit of the spirit evident in our lives? Or do we find ourselves living according to the flesh? You can ponder on this question as we conclude this letter. And I leave it open for a class. Is there anything that you would like to ask, share or we'll get into a time of prayer and we can ask God, give us the attitude, give us the strength, give us the boldness just like Paul had. Is there any questions, anything that you would like to ask, share? Either you can unmute and ask or you can post it on the chat. If not, we can get into a time of prayer. Okay, as I didn't hear anything from you all, we can get into a time of prayer. Can we all brain spirit for five minutes? We can just brain spirit. See God, see God and ask God to strengthen us. The way God strengthened Paul, the way Paul had this never giving up attitude, despite what he came across, what he went through. Nothing stopped Paul from sharing the gospel. Nothing stopped Paul from carrying the gospel from place to place. He was not a very pleasant man. He was not very eloquent in speech. He was not very rich that people could be attracted to him. There was nothing. He was a very simple man and carried the gospel with all his hardship. Okay, let's take this time and brain spirit. Yeah, y'all can just unmute and pray. Just pray as you've been led by the Lord. Yes, yes, Lord. Yes, Lord. Minister to each one of us, Lord, on the place where we are a brother, strengthen us and I speak those who have received the boldness and the name of Jesus. Oh, yes, Lord, your word is a consuming fire, Lord. No one can keep the word inside them, Lord. It can consume us so far. Lord, I pray that this burning fire will burn within us so far. It will not quench your Lord. I pray that the spirit of the Lord who abides in each one of us will fan the flame within us. Our Lord will carry the gospel to the nation and to the nation. So, Father, Lord, as your word says in Acts chapter 1 verse 8, it says that when the Holy Spirit comes upon us, Lord, we shall be filled with your power and we shall be the witness in Judea, Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, Jerusalem and the utmost parts of the earth. Oh, Father, Lord, as we are here in the class of other people from different location of this nation and to the nations of other. I pray that each one will be the witness in the place where we are, Lord. We will be the voice to the nation. We will be the salt and light in the place where we are, Lord. The word of God that is within us will will fan the flame. The word of God that which is within us, the spirit of the Lord who is abiding in us will speak in and through us, Lord. Thank you, Father. Thank you for the boldness, Lord. Thank you for the clarity in speech, your Father. Thank you that you are raising each one of us as an instrument, instrument of your love, instrument of your spirit, or, Father, where we can share the love of Christ to everyone around us, Lord. The gospel will not stop because of persecution, but it will go beyond that of, Father. It will go beyond the barriers. It will go beyond the mountains, Lord. Thank you, Father. Nothing can stop the gospel from sharing. Nothing, Lord Jesus. Thank you, Father. Thank you, Lord Jesus. Thank you that you are the Lord who is in us. You are the God, Lord Jesus, who will strengthen us. You will speak in and through us, Father. Thank you, Lord Jesus. The God who was with Paul will be with us and will lead us and strengthen us. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Amen. Amen. Thank you so much for joining in today's session. I pray that it was a blessing to each one as we study the epistles of Paul and made minister to each one of us as a minister to Paul. Thank you. God bless. See you all next week. Have a blessed week ahead. God bless. Thank you. Amen. Amen. Thank you. Thank you. Good bless. Thanks.