Galatians' Justification

[B Griffin]

Romans 6:14. For we know that the law is spiritual; but I am of the flesh, sold into slavery under sin. {Gk [sold under sin]}
15. I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.
16. Now if I do what I do not want, I agree that the law is good.
17. But in fact it is no longer I that do it, but sin that dwells within me.
18. For I know that nothing good dwells within me, that is, in my flesh. I can will what is right, but I cannot do it.
19. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I do.
20. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I that do it, but sin that dwells within me.
21. So I find it to be a law that when I want to do what is good, evil lies close at hand.
22. For I delight in the law of God in my inmost self,
23. but I see in my members another law at war with the law of my mind, making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members.
24. Wretched man that I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?
25. Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!
So then, with my mind I am a slave to the law of God, but with my flesh I am a slave to the law of sin. (NRSV)

I hesitate to engage you on this because you don't respond to my direct inquiries. But there is too much wrong with your POV to leave it unanswered.

In v. 22, the speaker says that in his inmost self he delights in the law of God . However, Paul wrote in 1 Cor. 15:56 “the power of sin is the law.” Would Paul write that in his inmost self he delights in the power of sin?

Paul said many things about the law. But a direct string substitution from those verses would make little sense:

• Ro 7:12 says "the law is holy". Would Paul say he delights in the holy?
• Ro 7:14 says "the law is spiritual". Would Paul say he delights in the spiritual?
• Gal 3:12 says "the law is not of faith" Would Paul say he delights in the not of faith?

At least those instances would make a tiny bit of sense, but your your string substitution makes no sense at all because 1 Cor. 15:56 is not about the law being "the power of sin". It's about the law being the reason sin condemns us to Hell. How do I know? The context:

1 Co 15:54–57 (NKJV):

So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.”​

​

“O Death, where is your sting?​

O Hades, where is your victory?”​

​

The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.​

All of Romans 7:14-25 is about a man who with every ounce of his being is striving to keep the law but is finding that he is not able to.

No, it is about a person who has a willing spirit but a weak flesh. In his mind he delights in and serves the law of God, but in his flesh he serves the law of sin.

But in Romans 6 Paul had written, “For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.

No real Christian strives to keep the law because he is not under the law and the law is the power of sin.

Every real Christian wants to fully live out the true righteousness and holiness which is in the new man that God created. Our ability to live free of the condemnation of the law because we are under grace does not take away our distaste for sin.

So, who is this man who with every ounce of his being is striving to keep the law but is finding that he is not able to? He’s a Jew who, being a good Jew without Christ, delights in the law of God—but in vain!

It is impossible for this to be a lost person. Lost people do not delight in the law of God in the inward man (vs 22), their own sins do not make them feel wretched (vs 24), they do not thank God through Jesus Christ and Jesus Christ is not their Lord (vs 25), they do not with their mind serve the law of God and with the flesh the law of sin (vs 25), and most importantly, lost people do not enjoy the lack of condemnation for their sins that true Christians do (Ro. 8:1)

Therefore, what we have in these verses is a rhetorical device commonly known in Christian literature and elsewhere as “speech-in-character.”

Nope, this is a detailed description of the internal battle between the lusts of the flesh and the lusts of the Spirit which every true Christian deals with every day.

Paul also wrote in Romans 6,

1. What then are we to say? Should we continue in sin in order that grace may abound?
2. By no means! How can we who died to sin go on living in it?
3. Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?
4. Therefore we have been buried with him by baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.
5. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.

All Scriptures are from the NRSV)

Paul also wrote this in Galatians 5:

I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. (Ga 5:16–17) NKJV​

Notice there is no hint that the lusts of the flesh will ever cease in this life, only the promise that walking in the Spirit will result in not gratifying the lusts of the flesh.

 

[B Griffin]

“Law people”! How disgusting!

I agree. It's too harsh, and I'm sorry about that.

 

[PrincetonGuy]

I hesitate to engage you on this because you don't respond to my direct inquiries. But there is too much wrong with your POV to leave it unanswered.

Paul said many things about the law. But a direct string substitution from those verses would make little sense:

• Ro 7:12 says "the law is holy". Would Paul say he delights in the holy?
• Ro 7:14 says "the law is spiritual". Would Paul say he delights in the spiritual?
• Gal 3:12 says "the law is not of faith" Would Paul say he delights in the not of faith?

At least those instances would make a tiny bit of sense, but your your string substitution makes no sense at all because 1 Cor. 15:56 is not about the law being "the power of sin". It's about the law being the reason sin condemns us to Hell. How do I know? The context:

1 Co 15:54–57 (NKJV):

So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.”​

​

“O Death, where is your sting?​

O Hades, where is your victory?”​

​

The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.​

Paul never said that the law is the reason why sin condemns us to Hell. Paul said, “the power of sin is the law” and “the strength of sin is the law.”

 

[B Griffin]

Paul never said that the law is the reason why sin condemns us to Hell. Paul said, “the power of sin is the law” and “the strength of sin is the law.”

Yes he did, when he said, "The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law." The strength of sin to be the sting of death is the law. This expounds on, and further punctuates the words before: "O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?". And it leads to a further undersanding the victory over going to hell after death that follows: "But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ."

 

[PrincetonGuy]

No, it is about a person who has a willing spirit but a weak flesh. In his mind he delights in and serves the law of God, but in his flesh he serves the law of sin.

Every real Christian wants to fully live out the true righteousness and holiness which is in the new man that God created. Our ability to live free of the condemnation of the law because we are under grace does not take away our distaste for sin.

It is impossible for this to be a lost person. Lost people do not delight in the law of God in the inward man (vs 22), their own sins do not make them feel wretched (vs 24), they do not thank God through Jesus Christ and Jesus Christ is not their Lord (vs 25), they do not with their mind serve the law of God and with the flesh the law of sin (vs 25), and most importantly, lost people do not enjoy the lack of condemnation for their sins that true Christians do (Ro. 8:1)

Nope, this is a detailed description of the internal battle between the lusts of the flesh and the lusts of the Spirit which every true Christian deals with every day.

Paul also wrote this in Galatians 5:

I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. (Ga 5:16–17) NKJV​

Notice there is no hint that the lusts of the flesh will ever cease in this life, only the promise that walking in the Spirit will result in not gratifying the lusts of the flesh.

The Holy Spirit is never mentioned in Romans 7:14-25, but the law is mentioned nine times in that passage. No real Christian strives to keep the law because he is not under the law and the law is the power of sin. However, every faithful Jew delights in the law of God,

Psalm 119:10. With my whole heart I seek you;
do not let me stray from your commandments.
11. I treasure your word in my heart,
so that I may not sin against you.
12. Blessed are you, O Lord;
teach me your statutes.
13. With my lips I declare
all the ordinances of your mouth.
14. I delight in the way of your decrees
as much as in all riches.
15. I will meditate on your precepts,
and fix my eyes on your ways.
16. I will delight in your statutes;
I will not forget your word. (NRSV)

As for verse 25,

24. Wretched man that I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?
25. Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!
So then, with my mind I am a slave to the law of God, but with my flesh I am a slave to the law of sin.

The words “Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!” are clearly an interjection by Paul himself having been overcome with Joy at the thought of the answer to the Jewish man’s question.

The lusts of the flesh will not cease in this life, but Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord that the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set me free from the law of sin and death!

Numerous commentaries on Romans explain in detail why the interpretation that I have given is the correct interpretation and since they are readily available, I will not invest a lot of my time summarizing the truth that they explain so very well. I will, however, include a brief quote by the linguist and Bible scholar Adam Clarke,

It is difficult to conceive how the opinion could have crept into the Church, or prevailed there, that “the apostle speaks here of his regenerate state; and that what was, in such a state, true of himself, must be true of all others in the same state.” This opinion has, most pitifully and most shamefully, not only lowered the standard of Christianity, but destroyed its influence and disgraced its character. It requires but little knowledge of the spirit of the Gospel, and of the scope of this epistle, to see that the apostle is, here, either personating a Jew under the law and without the Gospel, or showing what his own state was when he was deeply convinced that by the deeds of the law no man could be justified, and had not as yet heard those blessed words: Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way, hath sent me that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost, Act_9:17.​

 

[B Griffin]

The Holy Spirit is never mentioned in Romans 7:14-25, but the law is mentioned nine times in that passage. No real Christian strives to keep the law because he is not under the law and the law is the power of sin. However, every faithful Jew delights in the law of God,

Psalm 119:10. With my whole heart I seek you;
do not let me stray from your commandments.
11. I treasure your word in my heart,
so that I may not sin against you.
12. Blessed are you, O Lord;
teach me your statutes.
13. With my lips I declare
all the ordinances of your mouth.
14. I delight in the way of your decrees
as much as in all riches.
15. I will meditate on your precepts,
and fix my eyes on your ways.
16. I will delight in your statutes;
I will not forget your word. (NRSV)

As for verse 25,

24. Wretched man that I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?
25. Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!
So then, with my mind I am a slave to the law of God, but with my flesh I am a slave to the law of sin.

The words “Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!” are clearly an interjection by Paul himself having been overcome with Joy at the thought of the answer to the Jewish man’s question.

The lusts of the flesh will not cease in this life, but Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord that the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set me free from the law of sin and death!

Numerous commentaries on Romans explain in detail why the interpretation that I have given is the correct interpretation and since they are readily available, I will not invest a lot of my time summarizing the truth that they explain so very well. I will, however, include a brief quote by the linguist and Bible scholar Adam Clarke,

It is difficult to conceive how the opinion could have crept into the Church, or prevailed there, that “the apostle speaks here of his regenerate state; and that what was, in such a state, true of himself, must be true of all others in the same state.” This opinion has, most pitifully and most shamefully, not only lowered the standard of Christianity, but destroyed its influence and disgraced its character. It requires but little knowledge of the spirit of the Gospel, and of the scope of this epistle, to see that the apostle is, here, either personating a Jew under the law and without the Gospel, or showing what his own state was when he was deeply convinced that by the deeds of the law no man could be justified, and had not as yet heard those blessed words: Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way, hath sent me that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost, Act_9:17.​

It's good to see that the debate has been going on for centuries.

 

[biblelesson]

Numerous commentaries on Romans explain in detail why the interpretation that I have given is the correct interpretation and since they are readily available, I will not invest a lot of my time summarizing the truth that they explain so very well. I will, however, include a brief quote by the linguist and Bible scholar Adam Clarke,

We can’t be more committed to listening to “men,” than being taught by the Holy Spirit. It is the Holy Spirit that teaches and without the Holy Spirit, we will never understand the gospel because it’s spiritually discerned. We don’t give credence to man’s interpretations, that is commentaries, to justify why what we have said is right. That’s like going around looking for someone to sanction bad behavior.

Your interpretation of Romans 7 is not correct.

 

[Gary K]

The Holy Spirit is never mentioned in Romans 7:14-25, but the law is mentioned nine times in that passage. No real Christian strives to keep the law because he is not under the law and the law is the power of sin. However, every faithful Jew delights in the law of God,

Psalm 119:10. With my whole heart I seek you;
do not let me stray from your commandments.
11. I treasure your word in my heart,
so that I may not sin against you.
12. Blessed are you, O Lord;
teach me your statutes.
13. With my lips I declare
all the ordinances of your mouth.
14. I delight in the way of your decrees
as much as in all riches.
15. I will meditate on your precepts,
and fix my eyes on your ways.
16. I will delight in your statutes;
I will not forget your word. (NRSV)

As for verse 25,

24. Wretched man that I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?
25. Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!
So then, with my mind I am a slave to the law of God, but with my flesh I am a slave to the law of sin.

The words “Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!” are clearly an interjection by Paul himself having been overcome with Joy at the thought of the answer to the Jewish man’s question.

The lusts of the flesh will not cease in this life, but Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord that the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set me free from the law of sin and death!

Numerous commentaries on Romans explain in detail why the interpretation that I have given is the correct interpretation and since they are readily available, I will not invest a lot of my time summarizing the truth that they explain so very well. I will, however, include a brief quote by the linguist and Bible scholar Adam Clarke,

It is difficult to conceive how the opinion could have crept into the Church, or prevailed there, that “the apostle speaks here of his regenerate state; and that what was, in such a state, true of himself, must be true of all others in the same state.” This opinion has, most pitifully and most shamefully, not only lowered the standard of Christianity, but destroyed its influence and disgraced its character. It requires but little knowledge of the spirit of the Gospel, and of the scope of this epistle, to see that the apostle is, here, either personating a Jew under the law and without the Gospel, or showing what his own state was when he was deeply convinced that by the deeds of the law no man could be justified, and had not as yet heard those blessed words: Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way, hath sent me that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost, Act_9:17.​

I really don't understand you saying the HS isn't mentioned in the passage of scripture you referred to. I thought every Christian knew that the HS is the power behind the indewlling Christ as He can no longer be in all places at once as demonstrated by His promises to send the Spirit to lead us into all truth and to abide within us.

Joh 14:16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;
Joh 14:17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.

 

[B Griffin]

I really don't understand you saying the HS isn't mentioned in the passage of scripture you referred to. I thought every Christian knew that the HS is the power behind the indewlling Christ as He can no longer be in all places at once as demonstrated by His promises to send the Spirit to lead us into all truth and to abide within us.

He can speak for himself concerning your direct question, but I would say generally there is a lot of pushback within Christianity today on the concept of the Holy Spirit directly leading, guiding, and directing us from within our hearts.

 

[B Griffin]

The lusts of the flesh will not cease in this life, but Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord that the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set me free from the law of sin and death!

I do wholely agree with this point.

 

[Gary K]

He can speak for himself concerning your direct question, but I would say generally there is a lot of pushback within Christianity today on the concept of the Holy Spirit directly leading, guiding, and directing us from within our hearts.

It is a Biblical concept. Jesus said the following about this kind of thing. That there is a lot of push back tells me we are at the very end of time.

Luk_18:8 I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?

 

[B Griffin]

It is a Biblical concept. Jesus said the following about this kind of thing. That there is a lot of push back tells me we are at the very end of time.

I am concerned as well.

 

[PrincetonGuy]

We can’t be more committed to listening to “men,” than being taught by the Holy Spirit. It is the Holy Spirit that teaches and without the Holy Spirit, we will never understand the gospel because it’s spiritually discerned. We don’t give credence to man’s interpretations, that is commentaries, to justify why what we have said is right. That’s like going around looking for someone to sanction bad behavior.

Your interpretation of Romans 7 is not correct.

Some years ago, I was called upon to teach a yearlong Bible study on Paul’s Epistle to the Romans. While I was studying the sixth chapter, the Holy Spirit very clearly brought to my attention the fact that what Paul was saying in the sixth chapter contradicted what I had been taught about the seventh chapter. Indeed, the Holy Sprit distinctly showed me that Paul was using a figure of speech that I learned years later is called speech-in-character. The Holy Spirit had previously brought to my attention while I was studying the Bible errors in the teaching that I had had on two others subjects and now He had done so again, making the matter crystal clear to me.

I had at the time thirteen commentaries on Romans and I read to see if the Holy Spirit had shown their authors the same thing. But no! Twelve of them taught the same thing that I had been taught in the past, and the thirteenth commentary skirted around the issue. All twelve of those authors were well-respected New Testament scholars and I was only a few years old in Christ with not so much as a diploma from a vacation Bible school! Did the Holy Spirit really show me something in the Bible that the scholars had failed to see?

I came before the Lord in prayer and asked Him if He had really shown me something in the Bible that the scholars had failed to see. And Wow! He sharply rebuked me and told me that He had clearly shown me the truth and now I was listening to men instead of taking Him at His word. I knew—I mean I knew for an absolute fact that that it was God Himself who was rebuking me and that what He had shown me in the seventh chapter of Romans was true. Therefore, when it was time for me to teach on the seventh chapter of Romans, I taught that in vv. 14-25 Paul was using the rhetorical device known in Christian literature and elsewhere as speech-in-character.

However, God shows no partiality (Romans 2:11) and what the Holy Spirit has shown to me he has shown to a vast multitude of other people around the world and throughout history. The twelve Biblical scholars who got it wrong concerning Romans 7:14-25 had another thing in common—they all had been significantly influenced by Reformed theology. Indeed, I had purchased all twelve of those commentaries from a Christian bookstore owned by a dyed-in-the-wool Calvinist and hence those commentaries did not reflect the beliefs regarding Romans 7:14-25 that is shared by the body of Christ as a whole.

Many years have passed, and I now have in my study 273 commentaries on Romans, including several entire volumes on Romans 7 and a copy of every exegetical commentary on the book of Romans that has ever been published in English by a publisher other than the author himself. From these commentaries, I have learned who among biblical scholars believes what and why they believe that they believe regarding Romans 7 and the rest of the epistle. I do take comfort, however, in the fact that the Holy Spirit has shown to many brilliant scholars the very same truths that He showed to me many years ago.

Lest anyone get the wrong impression from what I have written, I also have in my study many commentaries on every book of the Bible—and especially on the New Testament. I also have in my study scores of volumes on New Testament Greek, Biblical Hebrew, the English language, and translation theory enabling me to do my own research. But most of all, I have in my life the power of the Holy Spirit to teach me and to guide me in my research.

A final observation regarding Bible commentaries:

In order to be able to expound the Scriptures, and as an aid to your pulpit studies, you will need to be familiar with the commentators: a glorious army, let me tell you, whose acquaintance will be your delight and profit. Of course, you are not such wiseacres as to think or say that you can expound Scripture without assistance from the works of divines and learned men who have laboured before you in the field of exposition. If you are of that opinion, pray remain so, for you are not worth the trouble of conversion, and like a little coterie who think with you, would resent the attempt as an insult to your infallibility. It seems odd, that certain men who talk so much of what the Holy Spirit reveals to themselves, should think so little of what he has revealed to others.​

Charles Haddon Spurgeon

 

[biblelesson]

Some years ago, I was called upon to teach a yearlong Bible study on Paul’s Epistle to the Romans. While I was studying the sixth chapter, the Holy Spirit very clearly brought to my attention the fact that what Paul was saying in the sixth chapter contradicted what I had been taught about the seventh chapter. Indeed, the Holy Sprit distinctly showed me that Paul was using a figure of speech that I learned years later is called speech-in-character. The Holy Spirit had previously brought to my attention while I was studying the Bible errors in the teaching that I had had on two others subjects and now He had done so again, making the matter crystal clear to me.

I had at the time thirteen commentaries on Romans and I read to see if the Holy Spirit had shown their authors the same thing. But no! Twelve of them taught the same thing that I had been taught in the past, and the thirteenth commentary skirted around the issue. All twelve of those authors were well-respected New Testament scholars and I was only a few years old in Christ with not so much as a diploma from a vacation Bible school! Did the Holy Spirit really show me something in the Bible that the scholars had failed to see?

I came before the Lord in prayer and asked Him if He had really shown me something in the Bible that the scholars had failed to see. And Wow! He sharply rebuked me and told me that He had clearly shown me the truth and now I was listening to men instead of taking Him at His word. I knew—I mean I knew for an absolute fact that that it was God Himself who was rebuking me and that what He had shown me in the seventh chapter of Romans was true. Therefore, when it was time for me to teach on the seventh chapter of Romans, I taught that in vv. 14-25 Paul was using the rhetorical device known in Christian literature and elsewhere as speech-in-character.

However, God shows no partiality (Romans 2:11) and what the Holy Spirit has shown to me he has shown to a vast multitude of other people around the world and throughout history. The twelve Biblical scholars who got it wrong concerning Romans 7:14-25 had another thing in common—they all had been significantly influenced by Reformed theology. Indeed, I had purchased all twelve of those commentaries from a Christian bookstore owned by a dyed-in-the-wool Calvinist and hence those commentaries did not reflect the beliefs regarding Romans 7:14-25 that is shared by the body of Christ as a whole.

Many years have passed, and I now have in my study 273 commentaries on Romans, including several entire volumes on Romans 7 and a copy of every exegetical commentary on the book of Romans that has ever been published in English by a publisher other than the author himself. From these commentaries, I have learned who among biblical scholars believes what and why they believe that they believe regarding Romans 7 and the rest of the epistle. I do take comfort, however, in the fact that the Holy Spirit has shown to many brilliant scholars the very same truths that He showed to me many years ago.

Lest anyone get the wrong impression from what I have written, I also have in my study many commentaries on every book of the Bible—and especially on the New Testament. I also have in my study scores of volumes on New Testament Greek, Biblical Hebrew, the English language, and translation theory enabling me to do my own research. But most of all, I have in my life the power of the Holy Spirit to teach me and to guide me in my research.

A final observation regarding Bible commentaries:

In order to be able to expound the Scriptures, and as an aid to your pulpit studies, you will need to be familiar with the commentators: a glorious army, let me tell you, whose acquaintance will be your delight and profit. Of course, you are not such wiseacres as to think or say that you can expound Scripture without assistance from the works of divines and learned men who have laboured before you in the field of exposition. If you are of that opinion, pray remain so, for you are not worth the trouble of conversion, and like a little coterie who think with you, would resent the attempt as an insult to your infallibility. It seems odd, that certain men who talk so much of what the Holy Spirit reveals to themselves, should think so little of what he has revealed to others.​

Charles Haddon Spurgeon

I had had no one to explain the truth of the Gospel to me. I had never heard nor understood the meaning of Romans 7, nor had I ever heard putting off the old man, and putting on the new man. Nor had I ever heard we have been crucified with Christ. No preach I ever heard spoke of this that I can remember. When I read the Bible I would cry a lot because I felt so convicted, and I struggled with being able to walk holy. A regular prayer of mine with many tears was to be able to walk holy before God. But I didn’t understand that righteousness had already been imputed unto me in Christ Jesus, I didn’t understand justification, nor sanctification. No one taught me these things. The last church I attended, I left when the Holy Spirit showed me the people were the same as those in Galatians. They said they believed in Jesus, but they were telling the men they had to be circumcised before getting baptized to be accepted by Christ. They were telling the women they could not get baptized if they were on their minstrel because they would be considered unclean. So in fact they believed they had to make themselves clean first before coming to Christ, which the Holy Spirit showed me that was considered witchcraft - where Paul’s said to the Galatians, “Who hath bewitched you”

My spirit stayed troubled while attending that church, to the point that while traveling there for service in the car, I would hyperventilate, and prayed all the way there for God to calm me before I arrived. I believe the Holy Spirit was dealing with me and was leading me out of that church. I was also suffering from religious abuse because they considered themselves righteous for their “so called clean acts” but their behavior never changed.

About almost a year after leaving that church, one day I was waiting on a friend in her building lobby and saw a book case. I saw a book by Watchman Nee called The Spiritual Man. I was told I could have it and from reading that book, my eyes was opened to what the gospel is all about. Through the teachings of Watchman Nee and other teachers like Martin Lawrence Jones, and Derek Prince the Holy Spirit has opened up my understanding of God’s word.

The Holy Spirit Has worked with me and Has dried up my tears. I believe we are guided by the Holy Spirit to the right teacher, the right material, and the right people. The Holy Spirit imparts discernment to us to where we know almost immediately when we read a commentary whether it is in line with the Gospel. I cannot say I know. I can say the Holy Spirit gives me discernment, revelation and understanding the way God showed you through the Holy Spirit about your 12 commentators.

Sometimes I’m amazed at His work in me because there are times when I suddenly know how to explain a Bible subject that I didn’t know much about. I find myself asking how did I know that; realizing the knowledge was given to me by the Holy Spirit.

 

[HIM]

Galatians' justified, being made righteous or deemed righteous in chapter 2 verse 17 is being spoken in the subjunctive mood. The mood of possibilities not the indicative, as a done deal, a fact. This is shown by the use of the word "might" in verse 16, in the clause "might be justified (made righteous)" as in not yet but can happen in the KJV. Couple that with verse 17 where it says, 'while we seek to be justified'. This is being spoken in the Infinitive mood. This is brought out by the use of the words "to be" as in not yet but to be. This shows us here in Galatians that justified, being made righteous or deemed righteous in Galatians is not a done deal it is a process. This justification (being made righteous) is not of ourselves but out of the faith of Christ and can only be done through us believing INTO Christ as verse 2:16 states. For we who have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ as verse 3:27 states and Romans 6. And we are not children of God or Justified by OUR faith but by the faith of Christ which we partake of in Christ having put Him on. Because we have His spirit as verse 3:2 states. And this is stated in relation to verse 2:20 where it says we are dead but live. Yet NOT US but Christ Jesus. And the LIFE WE now LIVE is BY THE FAITH OF the Son of God who gave himself. If we are living by the faith of Christ we are living by His spirit. For being In Him and He in us we are seeking to be justified, made righteous.

Living through Christ and His faith; the way He believed we are made righteous, But if we are found sinners while we are seeking to be made righteous, justified is Christ the minister of sin since we now have Him in us and we in Him? God forbid! How shall we who are dead to sin live any longer therein. If I build, sin again after it has been destroyed,Vs. 2:17 the old man being crucified with Him, that the body of sin be destroyed I make myself a transgressor.

We now live in the flesh through the Faith OF the Son of God, 2:20 For it is written, the Just shall live by His Faith not through the flesh and it's works. So let not the things of the flesh be once named among you. Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. So we can not do the things that we would. Amen
Gal 2:16 Knowing that a man is not justified by (OUT) the works of the law, but by (THROUGH) the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in (INTO) Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by (OUT OF) the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.
Gal 2:17 But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is therefore Christ the minister of sin? God forbid.
Gal 2:18 For if I build again the things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor.
Gal 2:19 For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God.
Gal 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
Gal 3:26 For ye are all the children of God by (THROUGH) the faith in Christ Jesus.
Gal 3:27 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
Gal 3:28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.
Gal 3:29 And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.

There are some very significant errors in this post.

Gal. 2:16 εἰδότες δὲ ὅτι οὐ δικαιοῦται ἄνθρωπος ἐξ ἔργων νόμου ἐὰν μὴ διὰ πίστεως Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, καὶ ἡμεῖς εἰς Χριστὸν Ἰησοῦν ἐπιστεύσαμεν, ἵνα δικαιωθῶμεν ἐκ πίστεως Χριστοῦ καὶ οὐκ ἐξ ἔργων νόμου, ὅτι ἐξ ἔργων νόμου οὐ δικαιωθήσεται πᾶσα σάρξ.

Gal. 2:16. yet we know that a person is justified not by the works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ. And we have come to believe in Christ Jesus, so that we might be justified by faith in Christ, and not by doing the works of the law, because no one will be justified by the works of the law.

In this verse, the verb δικαιοῦται (justified) is NOT in the subjunctive mood, but in the indicative mood because an affirmation, albeit negative, is being made.

Is NOT? Never said that clause was. Did you post this for dramatic affect to make a statement in respect that you thought the post was wrong by posting something that was not even said knowing most would only see the surface of your statement and not notice the lack of depth? Or perhaps in a frenzy you made a mistake?

Also in this verse, the verb δικαιωθῶμεν (we might be justified) is in the subjunctive mood because it is used in a purpose clause with ἵνα....

Not even relevant. The clause in Gal 2:16, "That we might be justified" Aorist tense only implies the action was at specific time. but does not denote when it happened or that it has been completed. The fact it is in the subjunctive mood, mood of possibilities shows that the action is not completed only that it may happen. Couple that with The fact the verb seeking in verse 17 is in the present tense in the clause "seeking to be justified" shows us it is ongoing. If it has happened, as if it is complete how is it that it is still sought?


And none of the 11 examples of the verbs in the aorist tense, passive voice, subjunctive mood, 1st person plural in the NT are actions that we can say are actions that are completed in their context.

That we may be Delivered is not delivered.
2Thess 3:2 καὶ And ἵνα That ῥυσθῶμεν We May Be Delivered ἀπὸ From τῶν ἀτόπων Perverse καὶ And πονηρῶν Wicked ἀνθρώπων· Men, οὐ γὰρ For Not πάντων Of All 'Is' ἡ πίστις Faith ' The Portion '

.
1John 2:28 Καὶ And νῦν Now, τεκνία Little Children, μένετε Abide ἐν In αὐτῷ Him, ἵνα That ὅταν When φανερωθῇ He Be Manifested ἔχῶμεν Ye May Have παρρησίαν Boldness, καὶ And μὴ Not αἰσχυνθῶμεν Be Put To Shame ἀπ' αὐτοῦ From Before Him ἐν At τῇ παρουσίᾳ αὐτοῦ His Coming.


That we should be called is not called.
1John 3:1 ἴδετε See ποταπὴν What ἀγάπην Love δέδωκεν Has Given ἡμῖν To Us ὁ The πατὴρ Father, ἵνα That τέκνα Children θεοῦ Of God κληθῶμεν We Should Be Called. διὰ On Account τοῦτο Of This ὁ The κόσμος World οὐ γινώσκει Knows Not ἡμᾶς Us, ὅτι Because οὐκ ἔγνω It Knew Not αὐτόν Him.


It says that out of faith we might be justified not that we are justified.
Gal 3:24 ὥστε So That ὁ The νόμος Law παιδαγωγὸς Tutor ἡμῶν Our γέγονεν Has Been ' Up ' εἰς To Χριστόν Christ, ἵνα That ἐκ By πίστεως Faith δικαιωθῶμεν· We Might Be Justified.


Should say is not will say or have said.
2Cor 9:4 μήπως Lest Perhaps ἐὰν If ἔλθωσιν Should Come σὺν With ἐμοὶ Me Μακεδόνες Macedonians, καὶ And εὕρωσιν Find ὑμᾶς You ἀπαρασκευάστους Unprepared, καταισχυνθῶμεν Should Be Put To Shame ἡμεῖς We, ἵνα That μή λέγωμεν We May Not Say ὑμεῖς Ye, ἐν In τῇ ὑποστάσει ταύτῃ This Confidence τῆς καυχήσεως Of Boasting.

That we may be glorified is not glorified it is only possible if the condition is met.
Rom 8:17 εἰ If δὲ And τέκνα Children, καὶ Also κληρονόμοι· Heirs : κληρονόμοι Heirs μὲν Indeed θεοῦ Of God, συγκληρονόμοι And Joint Heirs δὲ Of Χριστοῦ Christ; εἴπερ If Indeed συμπάσχομεν We Suffer Together, ἵνα That καὶ Also συνδοξασθῶμεν We May Be Glorified Together.



We are being disiplined by the Lord that we should not be condemned with the world.
1Cor 11:32 κρινόμενοι Being Judged δὲ But, ὑπὸ By 'The' κυρίου Lord παιδευόμεθα We Are Disciplined, ἵνα That μὴ Not σὺν With τῷ The κόσμῳ World κατακριθῶμεν We Should Be Condemned.

To say we might lodge is not the same as saying they did though they did.
Acts 21:16 συνῆλθον δὲ And Went καὶ Also 'Some' τῶν Of The μαθητῶν Disciples ἀπὸ From Καισαρείας Caesarea σὺν With ἡμῖν Us, ἄγοντες Bringing 'One' παρ' With ᾧ Whom ξενισθῶμεν We Might Lodge, Μνάσωνί τινι A Certain Mnason, Κυπρίῳ A Cypriot, ἀρχαίῳ An Old μαθητῇ Disciple.

Therefore, your statement, “This shows us here in Galatians that justified, being made righteous or deemed righteous in Galatians is not a done deal it is a process” is absolutely and incontrovertibly wrong. Moreover, the verb δικαιωθῶμεν (we might be justified) is in the aorist tense, the Greek tense that always expresses action at a point in time rather than continuous action.

The Aorist Does not denote whether an action has been completed only that it started with no respect to time

The verb δικαιωθῶμεν (we might be justified) is in the aorist tense, the Greek tense that always expresses action at a point in time rather than continuous action. It is not possible to be mistaken about that!

As was said without respect to time or if said action was completed.

 

[B Griffin]

Charles Haddon Spurgeon:
you are not worth the trouble of conversion

How disgusting

 

[B Griffin]

While I was studying the sixth chapter, the Holy Spirit very clearly brought to my attention the fact that what Paul was saying in the sixth chapter contradicted what I had been taught about the seventh chapter.

I had a similar interaction with the Holy Spirit. But in my case, He was letting me know what I had been taught about Romans 6 was in error.

 

[B Griffin]

Many years have passed, and I now have in my study 273 commentaries on Romans, including several entire volumes on Romans 7 and a copy of every exegetical commentary on the book of Romans that has ever been published in English by a publisher other than the author himself.

Seriously, this is impressive. I hope your library is digital so you can take full advantage of it.

 

[Gary K]

Seriously, this is impressive. I hope your library is digital so you can take full advantage of it.

The problem with it is he has the opinions of 273 other men as sinful and liable to err as the rest of us. All those books simply do is reinforce error and preconceived opinion.

 

[B Griffin]

I had a similar interaction with the Holy Spirit. But in my case, He was letting me know what I had been taught about Romans 6 was in error.

Here is an example:

Romans 6:5–11 (NKJV)

5 For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, 6 knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. 7 For he who has died has been freed from sin. 8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, 9 knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. 10 For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. 11 Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.​

The person I was before Jesus came to live in me no longer exists. The old me was one with sin, was at enmity against God, was not subject to the law of God, nor indeed could I be. It was not possible for me to please God because I was a slave of sin (some concepts borrowed from Rom 8:7-8).

But now, I am a new creation in Christ, created according to God in true holiness and righteousness (Eph 4:24). The new me is not a slave of sin and is not at enmity with God. On the contrary, the new person that I have become in Christ is completely freed from sin, alive from the dead, alive to God, and completely and thoroughly a slave of righteousness.

One may most easily observe this change within himself as a change of perspective on God and the things of God. But it is more than that. It is a change of nature brought on by God giving birth us by His Spirit and making us His offspring. Think about the magnitude of that... we are first generation offspring of the Living God.

None of this is in conflict with our ongoing distress over the presence of the flesh which we still drag around with us in this life. But thankfully, that will not last forever.