August 2023 Reflections
WitW: Galatians started and we’ve already finished chapter 1.
03 Not Man’s Gospel (Galatians 1:11-24)
Paul argues he received his gospel first-hand as a revelation from the risen Lord. His lack of contact with the other apostles proves the divine origin of his understanding.
joy, chara G5479
Tools and resources you need to do a word study on the Greek word for joy, chara, G5479.
02 If Anyone Preaches a Contrary Gospel (Galatians 1:1-10)
In Galatians 1:1-10, Paul opens his letter by defending his authority and his gospel. He argues you can recognize the true gospel by its source and its substance.
tutor, paidagógos, G3807
Tools and resources you need to do a word study on the Greek word for tutor, paidagógos, G3807.
01 Introduction to Galatians
Galatians Introduction: Paul wrote this letter around 49 AD, about 15 years after the death and resurrection of Jesus to churches he founded during his first missionary journey. After Paul left, the Judaizers began teaching the Galatians they must keep the law to be fully Christian. Paul wrote this letter in response.
flesh, sarx, G4561
Tools and resources you need to do a word study on the Biblical Greek noun: flesh, sarx, G4561.
Who were the Judaizers?
The Judaizers claimed to believe in Jesus as the Jewish Messiah but insisted followers of Jesus cannot be saved unless they also kept the Mosaic law.
spirit, pneuma, G4151
Tools and resources you need to do a word study on the Greek word for Spirit/spirit, pneuma
Galatians: Living by Faith
A 15-week Bible study podcast series on Paul’s letter to the Galatians. In Galatians, Paul argues that you can recognize the gospel by its substance, source and result.
June 2023 Reflections
What’s coming next on the podcast? Galatians (13 weeks) plus a deep dive into the Fruit of the Spirit (12 weeks). The podcast will return later this summer. Stay tuned for details.
How to Interpret the Bible
After you’ve done your observation, word studies, outlining and answered the questions you generated, it’s time to start putting it all together. In this step, you want to collect, refine and organize all those details you observed into a coherent meaning. Observation primarily focuses on the questions: “what does it say and how do I know?” Interpretation focuses on the questions: “what does it mean and how do I know?”
About the Author
Krisan Marotta is a Bible teacher and host of Wednesday in the Word, the podcast about what the Bible means and how we know.