Galatians, Romans & Corinthians slides for Foundations Bible School (copyright Don Palmer).

1. Foundations (Year Two)
“Encountering the New Testament”
Session #4. Encountering
GALATIANS, ROMANS &
CORINTHIANS

2. Written earlier:
The NT Writings Letter of James (40’s/50’s)
Letters of Paul: Written later:
Galatians (48/49 CE) Letters of Peter (64-66)
1 & 2 Thessalonians (51-52) Mark (68-70 )
1 & 2 Corinthians (53-57) Matthew (70-80)
Romans (56-57) Luke-Acts (70-80)
Prison letters (61-62):
Hebrews (50’s/60’s?)
(Colossians, Ephesians,
Philemon & Philippians) Letter of Jude (50’s ?)
Pastoral letters (64-66): Writings of John:
(1, 2 Timothy & Titus)
Gospel, Letters &
Revelation (90-96)

3. Paul
(by El Greco
c. 1587-
92)

4. Conversion
& early journeys
of Saul
(Acts 9,11,12/
Gal. 1)
“I was blind but
now I see”

5. Paul: The missionary (Acts 13 )
Paul’s three (post-conversion) convictions:
1. His whole previous way of life lay under the rebuke
of God (Phil. 3:4-11)
2. The Jesus whom he had been persecuting was the
Son of God, truly alive and in ultimate control (1
Cor. 15; Col. 1:15-20)
3. He (Paul) had been called to take this message to
the world (Gal. 1:1, 13-17)

6. Paul’s Gospel
A New LORD – Jesus, the Christ (Phil. 2:5-11)
A New Message – Forgiveness/ Eternal Life as gift
(Acts 5:20; Gal. 1:6-9)
A New People – Church (Jew/ Gentile) incorporates
& replaces Israel (Acts 13:47; 14:27; Gal. 3:28)
A New Life-Principle - “Life by the Spirit”
(Rom. 8; Gal. 5)

7. The first missionary journey
Paul & Barnabas GALATIA 47-49 CE

8. The Gospel (or Christian Message)
Galatians: the importance/ foundation of
the Gospel (Gal. 1:6-9; 2:16)
Romans: the content/ structure of
the Gospel (Rom. 1:1-4, 15-17)
Corinthians: the application/ outworking
of the Gospel (1 Cor. 1:18-25; 15:1-5 &
11 Cor. 4:3-4; 5:17;11:4)

9. Galatians
“There is no document in the NT more indisputably
Paul’s than the letter to the Galatians” FF Bruce
“The magna carta of Christian freedom”
“The Christian declaration of independence”
“The battle cry of the Reformation”
“The letter to the Galatians is my letter -
To it I am, as it were, in wedlock. Galatians is
my Katherine!” (Martin Luther)

10. Paul writes to the Galatian churches?

11. The first Christian heresy
Jewish legalism What this teaches us:
Christ +……
Resolving conflicts
in the church
The Church Council
at Jerusalem Lessons from
Acts 15:1-35
49 CE

12. The difficulty (vv.1-5)
A disagreement…or something more?
Is doctrine important?
Primary & secondary doctrines?
What’s going on up in Galatia?
Heresy = any belief or theory that is strongly
at variance with established doctrine

13. The discussion (vv. 6-21)
Setting the scene (vv.1-5)
The testimony of Peter
The testimony of Paul (& Barnabas)
The verdict of James
The consent of the (whole) church

14. The decision (vv. 22-35)
The letter (make it clear for all)
The couriers (Judas & Silas)
The requests (not absolutes!)

15. What’s all this got to do with us?
1. Diversity in non-essentials unity in essentials
2. Knowing where & when to draw the line
3. Acknowledge dependence on the larger Church
(orthodox = right thinking)
4. Celebrate what God is doing
Don’t let the fundamentals become incidental –
or the incidentals will be come fundamental

16. The Message of Galatians
Introduction A defence of the Christian
messenger (1:11-2:21)
PERSONAL
A defence of the Christian
DOCTRINAL
message (3:1-4:31)
PRACTICAL
A defence of the Christian’s
Conclusion liberty (5:1-6:10)

17. Paul’s introduction
Of himself: Of the gospel:
Sent by God To alter with it is to
Supported by the desert God
church leaders There is only one
Paul’s signature gospel
To tamper with it is
(“Grace & peace…”)
to risk damnation
Test the messenger

18. Paul’s credentials
“Called by God, Saved by God & Given the
Gospel by God” (1:11-24)
“Accepted by the Church” (2:1-10)
“Took his stand – no matter who opposed
him” (2:11-21)

19. Two key texts
“Know that a person is not “I have been crucified
justified by observing the with Christ and I no
law, but by faith in Jesus longer live, but Christ
Christ.
lives in me.
So we, too, have put our
faith in Christ Jesus that The life I now live in the
we may be justified by body, I live by faith in
faith in Christ and not by the Son of God, who
observing the law, loved me and gave
because by observing the himself for me.” (2:20)
law no one will be
justified.” (2:16)
I live by faith Christ lives in me

20. Defence of the Gospel #1. (Ch.3)
“You foolish Galatians” (A promised gift)
On what basis did you receive it?
On what basis did Abraham receive it?
What’s the (real) alternative?
An illustration: A covenant
A promise
A law (to lead us to faith)

21. Defence of the Gospel #2. (Ch.4)
“You are all sons of God through faith” (Adoption)
God redeemed us as slaves
God adopted us as sons
God treats us as heirs
An illustration: Two sons
Two women
Two cities

22. Living out the Gospel (5-6)
“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free”
 Stand firm in your freedom
 Don’t give in to legalism (in any form)
 Keep running the good race
 Serve one another in love”
“Live by the Spirit”
Watch yourself/ Carry one another's burdens
“Sow to the Spirit”
Watch yourself/ Don’t get caught up in pride

23. The second missionary journey
Paul & Silas EUROPE 49-52 CE

24. The second missionary journey
Conflict between Paul & Barnabas
Barnabas & Mark go to Cyprus/ Paul & Silas to Asia
Timothy joins the mission team
“The man of Macedonia” - Go West young man!
Philippians conversions: Lydia, Slave girl & Jailor
Thessalonica (The persecutors)
Berea (The disciples)
Athens (The philosophers)
Corinth (18 months of fruitful ministry)
Ephesus - Antioch

25. Paul writes his first two letters
“To the Thessalonians” (from Corinth)

26. The third missionary journey
Paul GREECE & ASIA 53-58 CE

27. The third missionary journey
Asia Minor
Ephesus (three levels of spiritual warfare)
…but three years of fruitful ministry
Macedonia – Greece (3 months) - Macedonia
Miracle at Troas (Eutychus)
Farewell to the Ephesian elders
Tyre – Caesarea – Jerusalem
Report to James & the bishops
“When they heard this, they praised God”

28. Paul writes “To the Corinthians” 56-57 CE
Letter #1 From the Corinthians
Letter #2 1 Corinthians (56)
Letter #3 A severe letter
Letter #4 2 Corinthians (57)

29. Paul writes “To the Romans” 57-58 CE

30. The Letters to the Corinthians
1 Corinthians 2 Corinthians
A severe letter (2 7:8) An encouraging letter
Warning: Repent & sort Thanksgiving: Gratitude
out the problems for response
Issues: Social Ministry: Comfort
Moral Reconciliation
Practical Generousity
Spiritual Warfare
Doctrinal Suffering