If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.
Summary: Pleasing God and pleasing people are at odds with each other. They always have been, and they always will be.
Continue reading “Galatians 1:10c – God First”Galatians 1:10a – Something Else
Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God?
Summary: The change in Saul on the road to Damascus was noticed by the people he used to hang around with. It was a change that offended and infuriated them, and the fact that Saul didn’t care made them madder still.
Continue reading “Galatians 1:10a – Something Else”Galatians 1:3c – The God-Heart-Connection
… to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ,
Summary: The value of the offer of “grace and peace” depends entirely on who is making the offer.
Continue reading “Galatians 1:3c – The God-Heart-Connection”Galatians 1:1c – When Jesus Returned
… who raised him from the dead—
Summary: When Jesus his raised from the dead, he is not raised up as he was, that is as a mortal. Instead, he is raised immortal and imperishable.
Continue reading “Galatians 1:1c – When Jesus Returned”Galatians 1:1b – A Mission From God
… and God the Father
Summary: Paul is on a mission. He has to correct the thinking of people who are hundreds of miles away while he is a prisoner in Rome.
Continue reading “Galatians 1:1b – A Mission From God”Galatians 1:1a – God’s Treasures
Paul, an apostle—sent not from men nor by a man, but by Jesus Christ …
Summary: Paul begins his letter to the Galatians with a provocative statement. He is not an apostle sent by other apostles. He didn’t come to the party as a “wanna-be” or a “me too.” Jesus chose Paul personally. He is a man on a mission.
Continue reading “Galatians 1:1a – God’s Treasures”Ephesians 6:23b – Ambassador for Christ
… and love with faith from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Summary: Sometimes people say things they don’t mean. Paul was not like that. He represented Jesus to the Gentiles, and he took his work very seriously.
Continue reading “Ephesians 6:23b – Ambassador for Christ”Ephesians 6:23a – The Peace of God
Peace to the brothers and sisters …
Summary: When Paul says “Peace to the brothers and sisters …” he means more than just a sixties vintage hippy dippy nice saying. He is transmitting the peace of God.
Continue reading “Ephesians 6:23a – The Peace of God”Ephesians 6:14a – The Belt of Truth
Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist,
Summary: Paul’s words require that we take a close look at the gear that Roman soldiers wore every day.
Continue reading “Ephesians 6:14a – The Belt of Truth”Ephesians 6:6 – God and Me
Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart.
Summary: Why be nice to our boss if the boss isn’t nice to us? The answer has to do with our relationship with our God.
Continue reading “Ephesians 6:6 – God and Me”