 Okay, but I think, yeah, so we will be doing, we'll be covering the epistels from Gaetians up to Thessalonians. And like we did earlier in the Gospel of John, we try to cover as many verses as possible. We may not be able to go into every single verse, but we'll at least make sure that in every chapter, we at least get the overall message, at least all the important points that are being covered in each of the chapters. So of course, we would begin with Galatians and then move on from there till we reach Thessalonians. Just like last time, we will have two assessments. So this time, they would be 50-50. So the first assessment would be 50 marks and the second one would be 50 marks. So after we finish Ephesians, we'll have the first assessment. And then for the remaining epistels, we will have the second assessment, which will be another 50 marks. So, and you will have enough time, you know, about a week or a little more than that to do each of the assessments. And there are multiple choice questions. So it should not be very taxing. You should be able to handle it. And yeah, just like last time, if you have any question, you can, you know, press that symbol to raise a hand and then, you know, give your questions. Or if you would prefer, you can always, you know, type out in the chat. So let's get started then. So the letter written by Paul to the Galatian Church was written approximately about 20 years after the resurrection of Jesus. So you could say that, you know, it happened quite in the early days. So just about 20 years after Jesus resurrected and then ascended back to heaven, just about 20 years after that, you have Paul writing this particular letter. So when he writes this letter, he's already familiar with them. He has already ministered to them. That's because when he had first gone on his first missionary journey in 45 AD around that time, that is when he meets these Galatian believers over there and starts off a church among them. We get to know from Galatians chapter four that he was not keeping well at that time, probably had some kind of eye ailment. And these people, they look after him and they really care for him. And he says that he was welcomed by them as though he is an angel from God. So that's the open loving response that they show him. So he's very well received. But now the kind of crisis has risen up. And because of that, Paul is now writing to them. And he's very distressed that they are questioning him, questioning the gospel that he taught. And now they are moving away to other new false teachings. And that worries him a lot. And so he's rather upset in this particular letter that he writes to them. And he says, you know, come back to what was taught to you, hold on to the truth, you know, is what he's basically focusing on here in this letter. Now, the Galatian church probably had Jews in it, because we learn from the, you know, historian, that ancient historian, Josephus, he mentions that in Galatia, there were a lot of Jewish people living. So the Galatian church also must have had quite a number of Jewish believers. But I think the greater part of the congregation would have been Gentile. Okay, so, so you have a mix of Gentiles and Jews in the Galatian church. And the background for this particular crisis, which has risen up now is, you know, the Acts 15 passage gives us an idea of what's going on here. Because in Acts chapter 15, we learn that after Paul's first missionary journey, after he comes back, some people go from Judea, they go to Syrian Antioch. Now Syrian Antioch is like a region in which you will have Syria and Cilicia and other places. So these people go from Judea to this region, and they begin to preach that just simply having faith in Jesus alone will not get you salvation. You must also, you know, supplement it with by keeping the Jewish rituals, by observing the mosaic law. And so they begin to preach that just simply believing in Jesus alone is not enough to gain salvation. And so this false teaching begins to spread. And many of the believers are confused about what is the truth. And it looks as if these people have also gone to South Galatia, where this particular church is situated. So because the same kind of teachings seem to have been spreading even to this place. And so Paul writes over here, you know, saying that what he taught was the truth, and they must hold on to it. And shortly after his letter is written, we also have the Jerusalem Council being convened, you know, that is mentioned in Acts chapter 15. And in the Council it is very clearly decided and declared that the Gentile believers do not have to keep the mosaic law. I'm sorry, I've been having this throat condition. I'll just go get some water and come quickly. Very sorry for the interruption. Stop. So anyway, heading now it's fine. So yeah. So it's shortly after this particular letter that the Galatian letter which Paul writes that they have a formal meeting in Jerusalem, where it is decided that the Gentile believers should not be required to keep the Jewish laws and rituals. So that's the background. So we will get into Galatians with chapter one. And, you know, as usual, if we could have one person, you know, read out the verse. And then we'll get into the explanation of that. So we'll begin with verse one. If we could have someone, please read out Galatians one verse one. Galatians one. Paul and Apostle, not from men, no through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised him from the dead. Yeah. And verse two as well, please. And all the brethren who are with me, the churches of Galatia. Yes. So here Paul, right in the very beginning, of his epistle itself, he makes the statement Paul and Apostle sent not from men, not by a man, but by Jesus Christ. So he is aware of the fact that he was not one of the 12 disciples. He was not someone who was who had been personally trained by, you know, Jesus Christ over those three years, you know, when they were, you know, walking with him and serving with him. He knows that he's not part of that inner circle. And so, you know, people may not take what he's teaching as seriously as they would take what the disciples are teaching. So he wants to clarify and show them that his gospel is not in any in any way defective, because he was not sent by men, you know, but rather by Christ himself. So the disciples did not, you know, the 11 disciples, they did not train him up and then commissioned him and sent him out as an apostle. Rather, it was God himself who trained him up and sent him out as an apostle. So whatever he's presenting is genuine. So he says not from men, nor by a man, he's probably referring to James, you know, who had become like the main leader of the Jerusalem church by that time. So he's saying it's James did not send me out. The disciples did not train me up and commission me. I was in, I was sent by the Lord himself. So what I am, what I have preached to you is genuine and you should not hesitate to accept it is what he's, you know, right in the very beginning in the very first sentence. Generally, you know, if we notice he begins his letters with a word of greeting and then, you know, he says some nice things. And then he moves on into the rest of the letter, because that's the culture, that's the way things were written in their culture. But here he has no time for such things. So he begins off with this assertion right in the beginning that whatever he has taught them so far is directly from God. And so they, they must not hesitate to trust in it. So let's move on to verse six, if someone could read out verses six and seven. Sidman Galatians chapter one, six and seven. I'm astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the face of Christ and are turning to a different gospel. Not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. Yes. And so he says this new gospel that these people are bringing in, it's not even a real gospel because the word gospel is supposed to mean good news, right? So what they are preaching to is not a good news. Rather what the grace to which Jesus Christ called you. And he says, you're deserting the one who called you to live in the grace of Christ. So the good news is that even though we are imperfect people, Christ has given us his righteousness and that is the good news. So now we can walk in that righteousness and sanctify ourselves slowly day by day and be able to enjoy God. So that is the good news. What these false teachers are bringing in is no gospel at all, it's no good news at all. Why? Because it involves a lot of difficult rituals and mosaic laws which the Old Testament people were never able to keep. It's because they were never able to even keep it that the need for a new covenant in fact even arose. So what the false teachers are doing is dragging the people back to an old covenant which no one was able to keep it. Humans did not have the ability to even keep it. So he says that that is a false gospel. And then maybe we can look at verses 8 and 9. If someone could please read out 8 and 9. 8 and 9. But even if we are an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preach to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you receive, let him be accursed. Yeah, I know very strong wordings. He says if we or even an angel from heaven should come and preach a different gospel to you than the one which I talked to you originally, let that person be accursed. Rather strong words because generally in the Old Testament at least we are told that we must forgive. So we are not supposed to be people who go around placing curses on people. But over here he says, let that person be accursed. So how do we take this? Are we supposed to, are we even allowed to curse someone under the new covenant? When we are believers under Christ's covering and Christ who has shown us mercy and expects us to forgive and show mercy to others, can we in fact curse anyone? So maybe we could just briefly look into a few verses and see how Jesus approached this particular thing. If we could look at Matthew chapter 3 verses 7 to 10, you know, I mean, I know that I'm diverting a little bit, but it helps us to, you know, gain clarity on these things. Matthew chapter 3 verses 7 to 10, if someone could read out please. Matthew chapter 3, madam. Yes. 7 to 10. But when he saw many of the Pharisees and the Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, you brood of vipers who want you to flee from the wrath to come. Bear fruit in keeping with repentance and do not presume to say to yourselves, we have Abraham as our father, where I tell you God is able from those stones to raise up children for Abraham. And then verse 10. Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees, every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. So here we have John the Baptist speaking to the Pharisees and Sadducees and he says to them, you vipers, you will not be able to flee from the wrath. And it goes on to say that, you know, the tree, the trees which will not produce, which are not producing fruit, they would be cut down and thrown into the fire. So already these people are under judgment because they have chosen not to repent. So in that sense, these people, these Pharisees and Sadducees already stand cursed in God's eyes. And what is the curse that we are talking about here? The curse of being, you know, brought her condemnation and judgment where there is no salvation for them, where they will definitely end up, you know, in the fires of hell, because they have made a decision, a conscious decision not to follow the truth. We see Jesus using similar wordings. Now that would be Matthew chapter 23 verse 13. If we could look at Matthew 23, 13, please. Matthew 23 verse 13, please. But want to use scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men, for neither go in yourselves, neither suffer with them that are entering to go in. Yeah, and then later on in the same chapter, Matthew 23, verse 33, if you could read out, please. You serpents, you generation of vipers, how can you escape the damnation of hell? Yeah, it's nice. It's interesting to see how John the Baptist and Jesus use the same description. Both of them call these Pharisees and teachers of the law. They call them vipers. They call them serpents. And they both are making the statement and saying that these people are going to be condemned in hell. So in that sense, these people are already under a curse. They will be condemned to hell because there is no sign of repentance in them. They have already made up their minds that they do not want to see the truth. And the statement that Jesus makes over here in 2313 is very similar to the situation that Paul is facing with the Galatians because here in 2313, this is what Jesus says. He says, woe to you. And when the word woe is used, it's in the sense of judgment. Destruction is going to befall you. Woe upon you because what you have done is dangerous. And now you have brought yourself under God's wrath. So in that sense, the word woe always means some kind of divinely appointed destruction or some kind of evil that's going to happen to the person. So here the Lord is saying, woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites. Why are they being hypocritical? Because you see, they are shutting the door of the kingdom of heaven in people's faces. I mean, there are people who are eager to reach out to God and enter his kingdom and have their life turned around. But they're not allowing people to go in. They're shutting the door in people's faces. And then Jesus says, you yourselves do not enter. You have no desire to enter. You have no desire to accept the truth. Nor will you let those enter who are trying to. And that's exactly the case over here in the Galatian Church. These false teachers have no desire to accept the truth that believing in Jesus is sufficient and adequate. They want to fight against this truth. So they themselves are not interested in following the gospel. And they're making sure that other people also will not enjoy the benefit. And so these false teachers in Galatia are almost in the same position that these Pharisees were in, you know, in Jesus' time. And so Paul, when he's calling them accursed, he's probably thinking about these passages, you know, which clearly point to people who are deliberately shutting people from the truth simply because they themselves do not want to follow it and they want to make sure that others do not follow it either. Just to look at one more verse and then, you know, we'll just move on to other things. Matthew 18, 6 and 7. Matthew 18, 6 and 7 please. Matthew 18, 6 and 7. Can I ask you? Yeah. By whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great milestone, fasting around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea. Woe to the world for temptations to sin, for it is necessary that temptation comes, but woe to the one by whom the temptation comes. Yeah. So you see, there is woe upon the person who is causing others to stumble. And so the woe upon this person is so great and so terrible that in fact that person would have been better off, you know, if they had been drowned in the sea with a large millstone around their neck, because that would be a better fate than what is awaiting them in hell. Because here are people who are trying to cause the children of God to stumble, deliberately causing them to stumble even though they know the facts, even though they know the reality. So all of these verses indicate that these people are under a curse. Now, can we go around cursing people? No, because you see, it's not talking about that kind of a curse. Here it's talking about the curse where people come under the condemnation of judgment and hell. So they are cursed in the sense that they will end up in hell because they have rejected the truth. So we can't just take, we can't just use this as an excuse, you know, saying that Paul cursed them. So we too have a right to go around cursing people. We are called to bless people in Jesus name. But I don't think we have the freedom to go around cursing people, okay? And especially because we do not know what is there in a person's heart. Now John the Baptist, when he looked at those particular Pharisees and Sadducees coming over there to get baptized, he knew in his spirit what they are like on the inside. He knew that they are vipers beyond forgiveness and he called it out. Now to their face, he told them who they are. He identified them and told them that there is no hope for them. But you and I will not really know what's going on in a person's heart. What if there is still some portion inside them that is still open to hearing the truth? What if one day those people are going to turn into a Paul? You know, right now maybe they are a Saul. But maybe one day they're going to turn into a Paul and we do not know who are we to go around placing curses on them. So Jesus, when he looked at those particular teachers that he was addressing, he called them snakes and vipers because he knew what was in their heart. He knew what their end condition is going to be. We do not know that. So when we meet people like that, we should maybe continue to entertain the hope that one day these Saul's will turn into Paul's and give them the benefit of the doubt. So no, we are not permitted to go around cursing people even though Paul called those particular persons a cursed. Coming to verse 11, if we could have someone read out verses 11 and 12, please. Same chapter, ma'am. Oh yes, sorry. Galatians 1 versus 11 and 12. Chapter 1, Galatians chapter 1, 11 and 12. For I would have you to, you know, brothers, that the gospel that was preached by me is not man's gospel. But I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it. But I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ. Thank you. Yes, yeah. So he says here that the gospel that I've preached is not of human origin. Okay, so we see later on in the next chapter that even Peter and Barnabas were swayed by the false teachings that these people were teaching. And so Paul wants to assure them and tell them that you don't need to be swayed by these false teachers. The gospel which I am preaching was given to me from a divine source by Christ Himself. He says I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ. So Peter and John had received the gospel directly from Jesus when Jesus was on the earth and he was ministering. And Paul is saying, you know what? Even though Peter and John received the gospel directly from Jesus during his earthy days, I too have received it directly from Jesus after his resurrection. So he says that Jesus has personally appeared to him and had training sessions with him where it was revealed to him what the gospel is, all that it involves. So the training which the disciples received over the three years in some kind of condensed form, Paul also has received it directly from Jesus is what he is saying, a rather bold statement to make. And obviously it must have been the truth because Paul would not have lied. So he is saying this revelation came to me just like in the case of the disciples, I too have received a direct revelation from Jesus. So that is why he stresses and he says, I did not go to Jerusalem later on. He says that I did not go to Jerusalem for many years. So I didn't get my training from there. I got it directly from Jesus Himself. So yeah, if we could also read verses 13 and 14, please. You have heard of my formal life in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God violently and try to destroy it. And I was advanced in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my people. So extremely zealous was I for the traditions of my fathers. Yes, we've just been about half an hour into the class and it was so many of you have read out the verses. So really thank you for that. With some of the other classes have to beg and beg them to read and nobody reads. But here all of you have been pitching in and reading. Thank you so much. It just makes it more nice. It's encouraging to have everyone reading out the scriptures. So yeah, coming to what is being said over here, Paul says, see if you remember, I'm a person who was more of a Judaism supporter than any of these false teachers because these false teachers are so zealous for their traditions. They're so zealous for their Jewish rituals and the mosaic law and all of that. So he says, I was even more committed than them with regard to Judaism. That's why these people were called the, I mean at least in the commentaries, the term that is used for these false teachers is they were called Judaizers in the sense they wanted to Judaize the believers. They wanted them to go back to Jewish rituals and traditions. So he says in my day, I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my own age. So while other people around him, his peers were maybe keeping the rituals to a certain extent, Paul was much better than them, more sincere than them in keeping all of the rituals in observing every single tradition. So he was a better, you know, Judaism follower than even the other Jew than even the other Jews. So he says, I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my people. And also he says, I was extremely zealous for the traditions of my father. The wording used over here, he says he was extremely zealous for the traditions of his fathers. You know, the word zealous over here, it's from the Greek word zealot and the same word which is used regarding Jesus and his zeal. You know, let's just take a look at that. If you, if someone could read out for us, John chapter 2 verse 17, John 2 17. John 2 17, ma'am, these disciples remembered that it was written zeal of your house will consume me. Yes. So over here, the word zeal that is used, it's derived from the Greek word zealot. And Paul, when he's talking about how he was zealous for the traditions, for the Jewish traditions, he also uses a Greek word, which is from the, you know, derived from the root word zealot. So here the word zealot has a, it has almost a kind of a positive connotation of jealousy. I'm not talking about a negative jealousy, but more a positive sense of possessiveness, a positive sense of possessiveness in the sense you love something, you hold it very dear to your heart and you're willing to fight for it. If someone is trying to destroy it, if someone is trying to harm it, then you are willing to fight. And that's the zeal that Jesus shows for his father's house. He loves his father's house. He loves what it represents. You know, it's a house of prayer for all the nations where even Gentiles and pagans can come and trust in this living God and pray in front of him and, you know, have their answers. So for Jesus, it was something very, very special. And to see these business people turning it into some kind of a marketplace, that brought out the anger in him and he zealously fought for his father's house. And here you have Paul having the same attitude. He had been brought up in the Jewish faith. He loved the Jewish faith. He loved Yahweh. And so when he saw this group of new Christians coming along and starting to preach and say, oh, that's the old covenant, that's no longer applicable. Now we are all under, you know, Jesus who has brought in the new covenant. It made him so angry and he was zealous for his Jewish faith to the extent where I mean, I don't know what he was doing for his livelihood. You know, it says that he was a tent maker. So maybe that was his main employment or, you know, maybe he was even involved in other things. But, you know, he sets aside his work, starts going from place to place, just to hunt down these Christian believers and throw them in prison so that, you know, he can wipe out these what he thinks as false teachers so that he can wipe them out and he can protect and shield his Jewish faith. And I think God just saw the passion that this man had, the sincerity in his heart and so God makes the effort, you know, to reveal himself personally to him and tell him, you know what, you've been blinded by the evil one. The new covenant is what you are supposed to follow now. So zeal in that sense, when it is really being exercised, you know, for what you believe in can be a beautiful thing. So because Paul was genuinely sincere, when the truth was revealed to him, he began to be equally zealous for the truth. So I think whatever background people are from, God looks at their heart. If they really have a deep desire for the truth, God will reveal himself to them. So, you know, if someone is really crying out and say, I want to know the truth, I want to know who the living God is, then I think God does reveal himself to them no matter which background they are from. So Paul is saying, you know me, you know my background, you know what I did. I actually went from city to city, you know, defending the Jewish faith. That was the person I was. But then Jesus came to me and he gave me a direct revelation. He trained me. He taught me what the gospel is. He told me what the truth is. And that is what I came and shared with you, Galatians. So do not be swayed by these people who are, you know, calling themselves champions of the Jewish faith. You see, these were probably people who were so respected and honored by, you know, by all the people that when they opened their mouth and they began to talk, even Peter, I may imagine Peter also was swayed. And when Peter was swayed, I think because of that Barnabas also got swayed. So these were not ordinary people who were just coming in and talking. There were people who were respected. And so now the believers were really confused, such highly respected men, such godly persons are coming and telling us this. So maybe they are right. Maybe Paul who was not even a disciple of Jesus, maybe what he said is wrong. You see, all those thoughts would have come into their minds. And that is why, you know, the way he writes this letter is written in this format. Once we understand these, these, you know, these, these background details, it becomes clearer why Paul is so urgent in the way he speaks, why he uses strong words, like let them be accursed because he's literally fighting for them. He does not want them lost, you know, and we can see the, the, the compassion in his heart, the urgency he feels inside him to protect them, to bring them back to the faith, you know, and not allow them to be led away. Yeah. If we could maybe just read Galatians 1.16. Yeah. So Jesus Christ, you know, God revealed Jesus Christ in Paul. Okay. So when he accepted the truth and Jesus Christ was, you know, became part of him, then Paul understood the truth and he understood that he must know reveal this to other people. So it says here that God revealed Jesus Christ in me. The truth, the revelation of the word, you know, Jesus Christ is the word, right? So literally the word, the person of Jesus Christ was revealed to Paul in his spirit. And once he caught the truth, then he must have clearly seen, oh, I'm not, I don't need to defend my Jewish faith. Jesus Christ came to fulfill what was told in the scriptures, you know, in, in the, in the mosaic law. So it's not like as if Jesus has come to fight the mosaic law or destroy it, rather he came to complete it. So we should not be holding on any longer to the incomplete revelation, which was in the mosaic law, rather we should now follow the complete revelation, which is there in Jesus Christ, who has come to fulfill this mosaic law. So these are all things which Paul understood when, when, you know, when, when God revealed these things to him personally through a direct revelation. And so he's saying all these things to the Galatians, so that they can have confidence that what has been taught to them is the truth. It doesn't matter how, you know, renowned and influential those, those Judisers are who have now come and who are teaching all these wrong things. It doesn't matter how great they may be. They have not had direct revelation from Jesus. Paul, on the other hand, has actually had a direct revelation from Jesus. And so they must believe in his words rather than being led astray. Okay, so then if we could, you know, yeah, we have read verse 16, but then, you know, if we could read 15 to 17, okay, we still have a few minutes before the break. So versus 15 to 17, if someone could read out, please. Ma'am, 15 to 17. Yes. But when he had set me apart before I was born and who called me by his grace was pleased to reveal his son to me in order that I might preach him among the Gentiles. I did not immediately consult with anyone. Nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who are opposers before me. But I went away into Arabia and written again to Damascus. Yeah. So he makes that point. He says here, you know, once I had that encounter on the road to Damascus, I did not go and consult any human being. So he says, I did not go over there to Jerusalem, you know, just to clarify what is the actual gospel. No, he says, I did not consult any human being. I did not go up to Jerusalem to see those who were apostles before I was. Rather, he says, I went into Arabia. So why? Because this is something that was very radical for him. When he had that revelation on the road to Damascus, and then, you know, he gets to the Jesus who is talking to him. Because, you know, as far as he know, Jesus was somebody dead. And now these disciples are all spreading false teachings saying he has risen from the dead and they're trying to bring in a new religion. And so he has been very upset about it. And he's been fighting against these Christians. And now here is Jesus on the road to Damascus revealing himself and saying, you know, I am Jesus and you're persecuting me. And that was like a shock to him that my goodness, this Jesus seems to be really, you know, alive and resurrected. And so now he needs to like rethink everything that he had held on to so far. So he does not go to any person to find out, you know, what their version is. He just wants to wait upon God and let God talk to him and clarify things for him. So without going to any humans for clarification, he just goes, you know, he's led by the spirit to go to Arabia, where he spends time in God's presence and God himself directly teaches the gospel to him. And the beauty of it is that the same gospel that was taught to the disciples is the very same gospel that was taught to him. There's no variation between the two because the same Holy Spirit has started to both, both the parties. So you know, later on, it's three years later that he actually goes to Jerusalem and meets up with the others. And there is no variation between what he's teaching and what they are teaching. They're all being led by the same Jesus, by the same Holy Spirit to teach the correct truth. So, but originally, you know, later on, of course, he meets up with the other apostles and he must have had discussions with them about the gospel and all of that. But initially, it was not humans who gave it to him. It was directly received by him from the Lord. After we come back from our break, you know, we'll just kind of briefly look at Paul's timeline. You know, from the time he has his encounter on the road to Damascus. And exactly when did we go to Arabia? When did we move to Damascus? Did he preach before Arabia? Did he preach after Arabia? Because that also adds to, you know, the weight of what he's saying. So we look a little more into those details when we come back from our break. So at 10, if we can all, you know, log back once again. Thank you so much.