Reading: Galatians 1:1-24

Questions for the Verses 1:1 ~ Who did not make Paul an apostle?     1:8 ~ How does Paul describe people who preach a false gospel?     1:10 ~ Who did Paul want to please: men or Christ?     1:14 ~ How seriously did Paul take his Jewish religion before he was saved?     1:24 ~ How did others respond to the change in Paul’s life?         Understanding the Word Verses 6-12 focus on the purity of the gospel. Gospel means “good news.”  What kind of “good news” is so serious that Paul would call people “accursed” for trying to change it?  Paul gives a simple explanation of the gospel in verse 4: Christ “gave Himself for our sins.”  Paul gives a fuller explanation in I Corinthians 15:1-4: “Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;  By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;  And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures.”  Everyone is a sinner (Romans 3:23) and sin separates people from God (Romans 6:23). To show His love for us, Christ came and died on a cross to pay the penalty for our sins (Romans 5:8; 8:3). Sinful men and women can personally accept this gift of forgiveness and have their sins erased (Acts 3:19). Paul accepted this forgiveness and it changed his life radically! He turned his back on his misguided religious zeal and began to share the gospel with others! He wasn’t worried about their reactions: he just wanted to give them good news. Paul says that the gospel came from Christ, not men – when he received it and when he shared it.

Key Verse: Galatians 1:10
Applying the Word
If you’ve never personally responded to the gospel before, you can do that today! In faith, accept the truth of Scripture about your sinfulness and Christ’s free forgiveness. Take some time today to talk with your counselor about this important decision. If you are saved, God wants you to spread the good news! No matter what your background is, you can share the gospel with others. Will you decide to regularly share the gospel, keeping it free from any man-centered distortion?

Questions for Your Heart

• Have you personally received the gospel yet?     
• If you haven’t or if you’re not sure what that means, don’t go to the next questions until you’ve gone back and looked up the other verses mentioned in Understanding the Word.
• Do you regularly share the gospel with people who need it?
• When you share the gospel, you must keep it pure: free from any man-centered focus or man-pleasing distortion. What are some ways that people might water down the gospel?
• Compare Paul before salvation to Paul after salvation: what kind of person can God use to spread the gospel?