October 29 Daily Devotional

Acts 18; Galatians 1–3

After Paul had spent some time at Antioch, he departed, and went over all the country of Galatia and Phrygia in order, strengthening all the disciples. He passed through Syria and came into the region where Tarsus is located, the place of Paul’s youth, and from there he passed over the mountains and entered the land of Galatia. Here his preaching found a ready response. The Galatians received him as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus. They listened to the apostle’s teaching with great joy. But soon the Jewish teachers came among them and tried to bring them back under the yoke of the ceremonial law, and some turned from Christ unto another gospel.

When Paul heard about this state of the Galatians he wrote them an epistle, namely, “The Epistle of Paul to the Galatians.” In this letter he pleads with the Galatians to return unto Christ, and urges them to stand fast in the freedom which is in Christ Jesus. He saith unto them, “I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: which is not another … But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.”

“Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ … that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified … For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God. I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”

“O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you? This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh? … Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: that the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith … But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe … There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ.”