Join us as we embark on a journey through the book of Galatians, one of the earliest writings of Paul, rich with themes of freedom in Christ and living by the Spirit. Dive deep with us into the true gospel as Paul fervently defends his teachings and reflects on his own transformative journey. Hear excerpts from personal Bible reading journals and see how the themes resonate through different phases of life.
Welcome to Add Bible, an audio daily devotion from the Ezra Project. Allen J. Huth shares a Bible passage with comments from over 35 years of his personal Bible reading journals and applies the Word of God to our daily lives.
SPEAKER 03 :
Today we begin the book of Galatians. It’s one of the earliest writings of Paul, dated around 48 AD, which is only about 15 years after the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. The theme of Galatians is that believers do not have to become Jews or follow the outward ceremonies of the law of Moses. New Christians are to live in the guidance and the power of the Spirit. Galatians is about freedom in Christ, but not license to sin. It also contains one of my favorite verses, which we’ll get to tomorrow. We’re going to listen in to Galatians chapter 1 as recorded by Faith Comes By Hearing, all 22 verses.
SPEAKER 02 :
Galatians Galatians 1 Paul, an apostle, not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead, and all the brothers who are with me. to the churches of Galatia, grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen. Amen. I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace 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. But even if we or 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 received, let him be accursed. For am I now seeking the approval of man or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ. For I would have you know, brothers, that the gospel that was preached by me is not man’s gospel. For I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ.” For you have heard of my former life in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God violently and tried to destroy it. And I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my people. So extremely zealous was I for the traditions of my fathers. But when he who 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 were apostles before me. But I went away into Arabia and returned again to Damascus. Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to visit Cephas, and remained with him fifteen days. But I saw none of the other apostles except James the Lord’s brother. In what I am writing to you before God I do not lie. Then I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia, and I was still unknown in person to the churches of Judea that are in Christ. They only were hearing it said, He who used to persecute us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy. And they glorified God because of me.
SPEAKER 03 :
As we begin Galatians, I’m going to be referring to three of my daily Bible reading journals. The one I wrote in 1999, another one in 2008, and one more recently in 2012. I have journaled my daily Bible reading for over 30 years, and I’ve read the book of Galatians at least 18 times in the last 30 years. So let’s get started with the book of Galatians. In 1999, I wrote, Paul defends his credentials in the opening sentence, not from men or through man, but through Jesus Christ. He also gives God glory in his greeting. He then gets right to the point. Why are you Galatians turning away from the gospel so soon? There is one gospel. It’s simple, but not easy. Man wants the complicated with religion. Paul is trying to keep it pure. I continued writing, Paul clarifies that the gospel he preached came directly through Jesus Christ, not man. That’s why he knew it to be the absolute truth. After Jesus converted Paul, he went to the desert for three years, not to seminary or to Peter. Jesus formulated Paul’s message. He then went to Jerusalem to meet Peter and James. Then he headed back out into the field. As I look back into these journals, which I don’t do very often, I find some very interesting personal antidotes that were going on in my life as well. And I would like to share some of that with you from 1999. My oldest son, Jason, was a pretty good baseball player, got a scholarship to Texas Tech University, and he was in his senior year, the final days of his college career. His college career had ended just a few days before, and the Major League Baseball draft was going on. In my journal, I wrote, Major League Baseball draft yesterday, 22 rounds. The catcher from the Texas Tech Red Raiders was drafted by the Rockies in the third round. Another player from Tech was drafted 15th round to Arizona. Three other Tech players were taken. Jason Huth waits out today. I pray for good news. We’ll pick up that story tomorrow. In 2008, when I read Galatians chapter 1, I kind of personalized it a little more. I wrote, Paul, not sent from men, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father. Do I believe that about myself in the Ezra Project and the Gideons? If so, I better take it way more seriously. And then I wrote on, if anyone preaches a gospel contrary to the true gospel, he is to be accursed. That’s according to verses 8 and 9. There’s a lot of false gospel being preached today and believed today. It should be accursed. God set apart Paul from my mother’s womb. Do I feel that way about my calling? Again, if so, I need to take it way more seriously. A few years later, in 2012, I wrote probably the earliest New Testament writing, Galatians, before 50 AD, within 15 to 20 years of the death and resurrection of Jesus. Paul identifies himself as an apostle, which means one who is sent, not from man himself. but through Jesus Christ and God the Father. Those are his credentials. Jesus Christ, quote, gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age. That’s verse 4. Paul is, quote, astonished that the Galatians are so quickly deserting the one true gospel. Not that there is another one. Much of Christianity today is deserting a biblical gospel for a different gospel. And go back to Paul, he says, let them be accursed. The true gospel may not please men, but it is still the unchanging true gospel. We need to please God rather than men and stand for the one true gospel of Jesus Christ. So as we kick off Galatians chapter 1, I think it’s pretty clear that Paul is saying, I’m astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel. That’s the general theme of this book. As Paul states, Those are two good themes to think about today. Where did you receive the news about Jesus Christ? Where did you receive your gospel? Is it man’s view or is it a biblical view? We shall look forward to having Paul clarify the gospel of Jesus Christ in the book of Galatians. Lord Jesus, teach us your one true gospel as we go through the book of Galatians and help us not turn aside to any other gospel but the one true gospel of Jesus Christ. Teach us, Lord, through the book of Galatians. In your name we pray. Amen. Thanks for listening to AdBible today. You know, sometimes we need a plumb line, a true north, a solid basis of truth to live life. We’re not going to find it in the media or in social media or Google or your friends, but it is available right at your fingertips. Pilate asked Jesus in John 18, 38, what is truth? The chapter before, Jesus had answered the question in his prayer to God for his disciples. In the 17th verse, Jesus pleads with the Father, Sanctify them in the truth. Thy word is truth. So what would it be like if everyone, everywhere, read the Bible every day? Wow, it might be heaven on earth. What would it be like if every Christian read the Bible every day? Would we be better ambassadors for Christ? What would it be like if everyone in your community read the Bible every day? Would we have greater impact in our communities? And what would it be like if you personally read the Bible every day? Could you use a closer walk with Jesus? Could you use a light unto your path and a lamp unto your feet to walk through this life? Could you use a spiritual power surge in your life? Matthew 22, 29, Jesus speaking to the Sadducees said, You are mistaken not understanding the Scriptures or the power of God. Yes, the Scriptures can give us power to live this life. So I’m going to give you three easy action steps to make the Bible worth your time each and every day. Number one, commit to daily Bible reading. Commit to seek God and His Word daily, every day. And if you miss a day, start again the next day. Change your belief about God’s Word to behavior in God’s Word. Use any of our Ezra Project resources to help you. Visit EzraProject.net to get an Ezra Project Bible reading journal or one of our day-by-day through the Bible books. Commit today and visit EzraProject.net for easy-to-use resources for your daily time in God’s Word. Number two, be intentional. Decide what you want out of your Bible reading. I got to visit the headquarters of Back to the Bible once in Lincoln, Nebraska. And in one hallway down one side, they had scribbled all the reasons people say they don’t read the Bible. On the other side were all the reasons people do read the Bible. And I want to give you some of those to encourage you. On that wall, it said, God wants me to. Yes, God wants you to read the Bible. Do you want to meet with him daily? Because he’ll meet with you every day through his word. Number two, it changes me. Where could you be in one year with more Bible reading in your life? Number three, it improves my outlook on life. Yeah, turn out the bad news and saturate yourself with good news from the Word of God. Number four, it keeps me grounded. Yes, when the storms of life come, and they will, can you stand? Yes, you’ll stand better and more solid because you’re in the Word of God. Next, it keeps my heart soft. Yeah, Nehemiah 8, when people heard the Word, they wept and they worshiped. You will do the same as the Word softens your heart. Lastly, on the wall, it said, it keeps my daily focus on God. Yeah, that’s a great reason to read the Bible. You’ll gain the spiritual power to live life in our secular world. And then thirdly and lastly, feed your soul. Let God minister to your soul. Hebrews 4.12 says the Word of God pierces between your soul and your spirit, between joints and marrow, and is the discerner of the thoughts and intents of your heart. Nothing else goes that deep. I don’t know where the place is between my soul and my spirit, but I want to put the Word of God there each and every day of my life. I hope you do too. God bless you as you spend time in God’s Word. I know you’re going to like it and want to share it with others.
Join us as we embark on a journey through the book of Galatians, one of the earliest writings of Paul, rich with themes of freedom in Christ and living by the Spirit. Dive deep with us into the true gospel as Paul fervently defends his teachings and reflects on his own transformative journey. Hear excerpts from personal Bible reading journals and see how the themes resonate through different phases of life.
