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My Galatians The letter is a kind of apogee of Paul’s gospel, when he could not refer to Peter and co. for authority to back his teaching that the gospel excels the law, and that it is self-defeating to hold the law as the standard when one comes to Christ. He traces the origin of his message to only his personal interaction with Christ, though at a point he returned to Jerusalem to present his message for verification (2:1-2).  He repudiated Peter’s ceremonial separation as contradictory to the gospel of Christ who embraces all nations without discrimination (2:18). Paul asserts that those to whom the law was given could not uphold it perfectly and are therefore under the “curse of the law” (3:10). Salvation has therefore always been by faith, and not by the law which came several years after God’s covenant promise to Abraham. The purpose of the law was therefore as caretaker until the empowerer came (3:18,21). If righteousness by the law could give life, there wo...

How the Nature of God forms in Us for the Accomplishment of the Church's Mission Main Reading: Php 3:2-21 Heb 10:19-39    Excellence of knowledge comes by active appreciation and therefore application of your revelation of Jesus, to move beyond the second-hand or mere mental conceptions to experiential knowledge to your own testimony/confidence of Him, that has great reward.   Knowing Him holds exceedingly great value because He is:    1. God – One with ultimate power, at least gives you an idea of how to access authority.   2. Saviour – One who is able to forgive sins, at least puts you back in a blameless stead   3. Lord – One with all authority in Heaven and on Earth makes you direct participant in His power.  Knowing What God has Done    1. God created all that there is (Gen 1, Psalm 146:6)   2. God showed His love and glimpses of His justice and grace to Adam and...