Daily Word: Introduction to Galatians

Today’s Verse: Galatians

Today’s Song: Gracious Redeemer 

Today we begin a devotional series on the book of Galatians. And for these first few episodes, we will be getting our bearings.

I think Galatians is a perfect letter to study at this time?

Why? 

This is Paul’s most explosive letter, his most passionate letter, but is this what we really need right now?

He is angry. And that is good. 

Why?

It is the experiences that make you angry that can clarify and crystalize what is most important to you. Anger is love moved to action…it reveals what is most important; what is at stake:

• all his labor in the churches are under attack; 
• the gospel itself is under attack. 

Galatians is filled with fury and frustration, but the focus is surrounded by grace, and the contents are a movement of grace from God to the Galatians. All of the arguments, all of the appeals are not intended to only inform them about grace but for them to experience the transformative dynamic of grace; 

– it begins with the grace of God (1:3) and ends with the Grace of God (6:18). 

Reading exercise: 

Goal: read through the whole book 20x’s

(reading exercise- mark all the places where you see the concept of gift or grace; “he gave” and what do you notice about them?)