memorable texts to remember about Acts 20, Col 2, Gal 3
Act 20:7 And
upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight.
A ONE TIME meeting - for the sake of Paul's departure that STILL does not refer to week-day-1 as "The Lord's Day" or as a weekly day of preaching and worship. By contrast we have Acts 18:1-4 "EVERY SABBATH" for preaching the gospel to GENTILES - and to Jews.
Col 2:14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;
Col 2:15
And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.
Col 2:16
Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of sabbath days:
Col 2:17 Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body
is of Christ.
An example of NOT condemning eating OR drinking or remembering God's Ten-Commandment creation-Sabbath day to keep it holy. Rather Col 2 condemns the "commandments of men" - (as is so carefully avoided in the quotes we often see from Col 2)
Col 2 is about
making up a rule and judging others of being guilty of sin because they differ with you, even if that invented rule is related to a Bible command.
But Col 2 is not an attempt by Paul to delete the scriptures. Rather Paul condemns the idea of making stuff up that is not in scripture at all - where the only source/authority is "man".
Col 2:18 Let no one keep defrauding you of your prize by delighting
in self-abasement and the worship of the angels, taking
his stand on visions he has seen, inflatedwithout cause by his fleshly mind,
19 and not holding fast to the head, from whom the entire body, being supplied and held together by the joints and ligaments, grows with a growth which is from God.
Col 2
20 Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances,
21 (Touch not; taste not; handle not;
22 Which all are to perish with the using
after
the commandments and doctrines of men? 23 Which things have indeed a shew of wisdom in will worship, and humility, and neglecting of the body: not in any honour to the satisfying of the flesh. (KJV)
Col 2
20 If you have died with Christ to the elementary principles of the world, why, as if you were living in the world, do you submit yourself to decrees, such as,
21 Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch! 22 (which all
refer to things destined to perish with use)in
accordance with the commandments and teachings of men?
23 These are matters which have, to be sure, the appearance of wisdom
in self-made religion and self-abasement and severe treatment of the body,
but are of no value against fleshly indulgence.(NASB)
Gal 3:1 O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?
Gal 3:2 This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?
Gal 3:3 Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?
Gal 3:4 Have ye suffered so many things in vain? if
it be yet in vain.
Gal 3:5 He therefore that ministereth to you the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you,
doeth he it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?
Gal 3:6 Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.
Gal 3:7 Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham.
Gal 3:8 And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham,
saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed.
Gal 3:9 So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham.
Gal 3:10
For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed
is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.
Gal 3:11 But
that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.
Gal 3:12 And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them.
Gal 3:13
Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:
Gal 3:14
That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
You can see the part of Gal 3 that you need to avoid -- you don't quote it.
Notice "the details"
Gal 3
21
Is the Law then contrary to the promises of God? May it never be! For if a law had been given which was able to impart life, then righteousness would indeed have been based on law. 22
But the Scripture has shut up everyone under sin, so that the
promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to
those who believe. 23 But before faith came, we were kept in custody under the law,
being shut up to the faith which was later to be revealed. 24 Therefore the Law has become our tutor
to lead us to Christ, so that we may be
justified by faith. 25 But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor. 26 For
you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.
1. In Gal 3 as in Romans 3 Paul makes the case that the Law applies to ALL mankind regardless of Jew or Gentile and that by that Law ALL are condemned as sinners - ALL need a savior.
2. As Paul points out in Gal 3 the Law of God does not "Save" it is not a "kind of savior" that used to work in the OT but now doesn't work so well. It never functioned as "savior".
3. Paul points out in Romans 7 and in Romans 10 that a person is born-again "Saved" at the moment that "faith comes". RND makes a good point about Heb 11 providing a great example of the giants of the faith - for whom "Faith had come" and they were "found pleasing to God" as a result of that Gospel transaction in their lives.
This is the same gospel event Paul is identifying in Gal 3 for all mankind. All mankind is lost - kept under bondage to sin and under condemnation of the law UNTIL we come to Christ and accept salvation. This was true in OT AND in NT. No change.
As Paul argues in Gal 3:7 the
Gospel "was preached to Abraham".
As Paul argues in Heb 4:1 "
the Gospel was preached to US just as it was to them".
As Paul argues in Gal 1:6-11 there has been only ONE Gospel in all of time!
Even in the NT "
sin IS transgression of the LAW" 1 John 3:4
And in Heb 8:6-10 that same Jeremiah 31:31-33 LAW of God - the moral law that defines sin - is "
Written on the mind and heart" under the NEW Covenant made in Heb 8 with the "House of ISRAEL"
Paul shows a change in our relationship to the LAW that condemns all mankind under sin - taking place when we are converted... only when we are converted... which is when that law is written on the heart.
"
Sin IS transgression of the LAW" 1 John 3:4 - even in the NT
Rom 8
He condemned sin in the flesh, 4 so that the
requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. 5 For t
hose who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. 6 For
the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, 7 because
the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so, 8 and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
9 However,
you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him.
Rom 6
What shall we say then?
Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? 2 May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it? 3 Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? ... 6 knowing this, that
our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; 7 for he who has died is freed from sin. ...
.12
Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts, 13 and
do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members
as instruments of righteousness to God. 14 For
sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace.
15 What then?
Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace?
May it never be! 16 Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone
as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey,
either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness?
