Why the Galatians Fell for a Corrupted Gospel — Explained

Hello, and welcome to Through the Bible with Les Feldick, an Oklahoma rancher and farmer. Les Feldick has been teaching homestyle Bible classes for over 20 years in Iowa, Oklahoma, and Texas. Les Feldick's unique style of Bible teaching has made the books of the Bible come to life. When Les is teaching, it's so interesting that people say time just seems to fly by. And now, here is Les Feldick. OK, good to have everybody. And again, I can never express enough appreciation for you folk who come in for the studio audience, because as I've said so often, I couldn't teach just to the camera. But for all of you joining us on television, how we appreciate your letters, and well I guess there are several statements that people make over and over. But one of which is, I feel like I'm sitting right there in the studio. Well that's exactly, and I've got to give the camera guys credit for some of that. But anyway, we're glad that you've tuned in, and we trust that you'll study with us. And as I said in the last program, we're not trying to twist arms or try to condemn anybody. We're not going to attack anyone. We're just going to hopefully teach the Word, and let the Word do its own work. And we have experience that it can do just exactly that. So for those of you out in television, all the past programs of course are available on videotape, audio tape, and the little booklets are on the picture. And those of you who watched our last program, when we went over the timeline, be aware that it is in every little book, isn't it? And the timeline I think is so self explanatory, how everything just unfolded and fell into place. And the thing we have to understand is that the Church Age was never revealed until the Apostle Paul, and consequently there's nothing of the Church in the Old Testament or the Gospels. And we have to realize that doctrinally the Church has to go to the letters of Paul for its faith and practice. And that just solves a multitude of problems and confusion. Because I could just give you example after example of people who call and say, "...I always thought the Bible was contradictory, but when you show the difference between Law and Grace, between Israel and the Church Age, that settles it all. Because it's not contradictory, it's just a change of modus operandi. Naturally, Law was a whole different program, and it was a works religion. But Grace is all of Grace, and not of works, as we will see now especially as we get into Paul's letter to the Galatians. Now again I've stressed so often, especially back when we started Paul's letters in Romans, that all of Paul's letters, even though they are not in chronological order, nowhere near it. Because actually the 1st and 2nd Thessalonian letters were written first, and then probably Galatians and Romans, and then perhaps the Corinthians. Those are all pretty close together. And then later on the prison epistles of course of 1st and 2nd Timothy, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, Philemon, and the Titus were written toward the end of his ministry. But the point I always like to make is to just reaffirm that the Holy Spirit was definitely on this man's apostleship, that in every single manuscript of the New Testament that is still available somewhere on the world, in every one, Paul's letters are always in the same order that they are in our New Testament today. Other books of the New Testament may be in various order, but Paul's letters are always exactly as we have them today. And I think that just again confirms the fact that the Holy Spirit was in such total control of what this man had accomplished. Now for those of you who have been studying with us all the way through the Corinthian letters, you'll remember that Paul is always defending his apostleship, because he was under constant attack primarily by the Judaizers, that he was an imposter, that he had turned his back, he was just a turncoat against the traditions of the Fathers. And then they even came so far as to say, well you didn't have the authority that Peter had, because you didn't walk with Christ for three years like Peter did, and so he was under that constant attack for both reasonings. You are a turncoat to Judaism, and on the other hand you haven't got the authority that Peter and the twelve had, because they walked with Jesus for three years. You didn't, and so he is always coming back and saying, as we saw in our closing chapters of II Corinthians. In fact I want you to go back again for just a little bit of a review, because even as we go into Galatians, the first thing he's going to declare is that he was an apostle, not declared such by any group of men, but by God Himself. Now back in II Corinthians chapter 11, and even as I taught it on the program, it made such an impact on me that I've been sharing it with most of my classes here in Oklahoma. But I think it's just so amazing that three times in these two chapters, so actually it's in a course of about one full chapter, but you drop in first in II Corinthians chapter 11, verse 5, because I'm still setting the stage for his letter to the Galatians. And look what he writes, "...for I suppose," now this is Holy Spirit inspired. This isn't just Paul writing from his own spirit. This is the inspired Word of God, and he says, "...I suppose I was not a whit behind the very chiefest apostles." Well who was the chiefest apostle? Well Peter was, and he's not letting Peter have a half a foot advantage on him. He says, I'm not one whit behind the chiefest apostles. Skip over into chapter 11, verse 23. In fact drop up to verse 22. Are they Hebrews? Well who do you suppose he's talking about? Well I think he's talking about the twelve back there in Jerusalem, who his Gentile people are being told by Judaizers, this guy wasn't ever with Peter, this guy didn't ever spend three years with Jesus, how can you listen to him? But now look what he says in verse 22. Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? So am I. Are they ministers of Christ? Oh I speak as a fool. Now he realizes that he's saying something that may seem a little bit braggadocious, but on the other hand he knows he's inspired by the Spirit to write, I am more. This apostle says that he was more than those back there in Jerusalem. He was more in labor, more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prison more frequent, in deaths often, and then he goes on to show how he suffered for the sake of the Gospel, the likes of which Peter, James and John never did. Now you come on into chapter 12, and like I said it's almost within the scope of one chapter had it not been broken by our chapter headings, and of course it wasn't when Paul wrote it. Now you drop down to chapter 12, verse 11, a third time in a course of just a few verses. I am become a fool in glorying. In other words, he didn't like to have to bring up his own credentials. But like he told the Corinthians, I have to, because you were trying to put me down as of no count, and so I have to let you know my authority as an apostle. I am become a fool in glorying. You have compelled me, for I ought to have been commended of you, not because of the preaching of the Twelve in Jerusalem, but because of this man's loyalty to Christ. So he says, "...for in nothing am I behind the very chiefest of apostles." Quite a statement isn't it? I am not one whit behind the very chiefest of apostles, though he says in myself he's what? He's nothing. He knew that. He never took any of the credit, but he has to constantly affirm his apostleship, and this is what we have to overcome in this day and age, just as much as he had to when he was writing it. And I've stressed it on this program over and over. How many theologians, and pastors, and preachers, and ministers totally ignore this man's writings. They just almost treat it like a plague. And yet this is where we have to be if we're going to know the truth of God for this age of grace. And so the Galatians, as we pointed out in our couple programs back, Galatia was that central part of what is today the land of Turkey, and it was probably in the southern half of Galatia that Paul had his first bad experiences on his first missionary journey when he visited the cities of Antioch, Pisidia, and Derbe, and Lystra. And you remember it was between Derbe and Lystra that he had the stoning episode. But here he writes to this group of little churches that he had no doubt planted himself, and who were now being bombarded by again the Judaizers, the Jewish element from Jerusalem, whether it was the Orthodox who still rejected Jesus of Nazareth, or whether it was the Judaizers who had embraced Christ as the Messiah. I don't think it makes much difference because they both were hung up on the fact that you had to keep the Law, and you had to practice circumcision, or you couldn't be saved. So these Judaizers were coming in to these little congregations that Paul had been able to plant through his sweat and blood and tears, and now they're telling him, you can't be saved by Paul's message alone. You can't be saved like he says. You've got to be circumcised, and you've got to keep the Law, and they just couldn't get it out of their crawl. Let me show you what I'm talking about. Now we're going to see it in Galatians chapter 2, but I don't think we're going to get there in this series anyway. Now come back to Acts chapter 15, because I think most church people who regularly attend church and Sunday school, most of them don't know that this is in their Bible. I know from the folks that come in to my classes from time to time. But in Acts chapter 15, and this says it so clearly. I don't have to explain it. Acts 15 verse 1, and remember now this is about 52 A.D. This is some 12 years after Peter's going to the house of Cornelius. This is some 15 years after Paul's own experience on the road to Damascus. So time has been moving on. This isn't just the day after Pentecost. This is years later, and look what the Scripture says. Acts 15 verse 1, And certain men who came down from Judaea taught the brethren, these converts of Paul who had recently come out of paganism, but the Judaizers said, Except you be circumcised after the manner of Moses, you cannot be saved. See how plain that is? And then jump up to verse 5, And there rose up certain of the sect of the Pharisees, who believed, and they said that it was needful to circumcise them, because they were Gentiles, but they had embraced Paul's Gospel, and now they're trying to pervert it, and so that it was needful to circumcise them, and to command them. Now they didn't just suggest, maybe you can be a better follower of Christ if you would just keep the Law, and so forth. They commanded it, and when they commanded it, they were attaching salvation to it. Now that's what your Bible says, and I know it does, but I don't care what translation you've got. They can't foul it up that much, because it's so simple. Now I know some of them do a pretty good job, but I hope they didn't on this verse. Now then you come back to Galatians. Here the Apostle now is getting Word, and I think he's probably back at Corinth if I'm not mistaken, and it's about 60 A .D. Now just figure real fast, 60 A .D., and if Saul was converted I think about 37, and began his ministry in about 40 A.D., so 20 years after he has begun his ministry to the Gentiles, he now is getting Word that these little congregations up there in central Turkey, which was Galatia, are being bombarded to go back under the Law. And so this little book of Galatians is written to correct that false teaching, and to bring them back under the pure grace of God. And listen, it's just as appropriate for the world today as it was then. I'm even speaking of the world of church people. So now he is writing to these people, and we looked at a little bit of this a couple of programs ago, but we'll just skim over it for that reason. So Paul an Apostle, not of men, neither by man, in other words the Antioch church didn't commission him an Apostle, the Jerusalem church didn't commission him, God did. But by Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead, and all the brethren who are with me, grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ. Now I've got to make a point up there in verse 2. Because of their giving in to false teaching, Paul leaves an important part out of his address to the Galatian churches. Now you're not going to catch it unless I tell you, I know you won't. Verse 2. He's writing to all the brethren who are with me unto the churches of Galatia, and it's a subtle way of telling us how far these Galatian churches had already degenerated because of a perverted Gospel. In Romans chapter 1 verse 7. To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints. See that? Now that's quite a commendation, isn't it? He is commending the Romans for that kind of a position. Let's go look at the Corinthians, I'm pretty sure it's in there, I'm kind of going free fall here. First Corinthians chapter 1 verse 2, and it says unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, and with all that are in every place, calling upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Now I don't know whether 2nd Corinthians does it or not, but let's look at it a minute, because this is just an informal Bible study to a degree. 2nd Corinthians chapter 1 verse 1, and it says unto the church of God which is at Corinth, and with all the saints. You see how he is placing it, even the Corinthian church. Now you remember when we studied Corinthian, what kind of a church were they? Carnal, fleshly. Now let's go on past Galatians a little bit, and let's go to Ephesians, and then this will be far enough. I think I've made my point. Ephesians chapter 1 verse 1, and it says unto the church of God which is at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus. See that? Now let's come back and look at the Galatian letter again. Ephesians chapter 1 verse 1, and now he says to the brethren who are with me, and unto the churches of Galatia. Isn't that something? Nothing about them being the church of God, or the saints, or those who are in Christ. Now they have become the churches of Galatia. You know when I was first seeing this some time ago, it reminded me of God's attitude toward Israel, back when He was writing to Daniel. And even a lot of times when He spoke to Daniel, how did He refer to the nation of Israel? "...thy people." Remember that? He didn't call them My people, why? Because they had degenerated so far from their love for Jehovah, that God wasn't even really claiming them. They were Daniel's people, they were Moses' people, but He didn't say My people like He did at the beginning. See He called them My people, and He will again of course when Israel finally responds at His Second Coming. Then He will say according to the New Covenant, it is My people. Let me make a point, and come back to Jeremiah chapter 31 verse 33, because this is a point I want you to see. But this Jeremiah writes with regard to the New Covenant, "...but this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel, after those days saith the LORD, I will put My law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts, and I will be their God, and they shall be My people." Now they're not tonight. God doesn't call Israel My people tonight. They're far from Him, or they may be religious, but they're not God's people per se. But the Day is coming, and they will be. Oh listen, God's not through with Israel. Don't you believe some of this garbage that God has completely forgotten His covenant promises. That's all it is, but He is yet going to complete His prophetic program as we had it on the board. It's still going to be fulfilled, prophecy cannot stop in mid place, it's going to be fulfilled. Now let's turn to Galatians chapter 2, and here comes Paul's major message throughout all of his letters, how that Christ gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil world according to the will of God and our Father, to whom be glory forever and ever. Now here we come to the crux of this letter, how He has to correct. Now you know what it means to correct. If we've got a rocket heading out into space for a particular orbit, and for some reason or other it gets off track a little bit, what do they have to do? They have to get busy with their old computers and bring it back on course, or it's a disaster. Well it's the same way here. The Galatians were off course, and the whole purpose of this little 6 chapter book is to correct and bring them back to a knowledge of the truth, and come away from the false teaching that was besieging them. So verse 6 of Galatians 1, I marvel that you are so soon removed from Him who called you into the grace of Christ unto another Gospel. And yet he goes on to say in the next verse, it's not really another one, it's not a totally different one, but it's the same Gospel that He had used in establishing them, but now it was being perverted, polluted, and corrupted. Remember again let's go back to 2 Corinthians, otherwise you forget everything I ever taught you. We just have to keep going back and forth. 2 Corinthians chapter 2, and my wife is looking and wants to see what verse. Well it's verse 17. 2 Corinthians 2, and Paul writes in to the Corinthians, and he says, Isaiah 1, verse 22, and it's in such simple language, my kids can understand this. Isaiah 1, verse 22, and see the Jews understood all this. This was part of their everyday experience, and this is exactly what Paul is referring to when he said he didn't do this with his spiritual commission. got it? Isaiah 1, verse 22, and it's in such simple language, my kids can understand this. What does water do to wine? Now I'm not a buff on wine, but I can just about imagine that if you've got an expensive French wine, and you water it down with water, what have you got? Well you've got something that probably isn't even worth trying to swallow. What was the illusion? That somebody was corrupting them, and that's exactly what he's talking about back here in Galatians. Now we've only got one minute left, so come back here quickly. So he said in verse 7, you're not falling for a totally different Gospel, but there are some that would pollute, or corrupt, or like mixing water with wine, that's what they are doing to Paul's Gospel. Why? Because Paul's Gospel says you are saved by faith, plus nothing. And yet these Judaizers are coming in and saying, you can't be saved that way, but you have to also practice circumcision, and you have to keep the Law of Moses. Or you can't be saved. And what is that? That's a pollution, that's a corruption of the truth. And so this is why Paul had to write this whole letter to the Galatians, was to correct them from this error of believing something that was corrupt, because it was perverted. Thank you for watching Through the Bible with Les Feldick, a weekly Bible study. If you would like more information about the Les Feldick Ministries, a Bible study in your area, or about this program, write to Les Feldick Ministries, Route 1, Box 760, Kenta, OK 74552. That's Route 1, Box 760, Kenta, OK 74552. Through the Bible with Les Feldick is viewer supported and your gift is appreciated. Thank you and be sure to tune in next time for Through the Bible with Les Feldick.