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Q1. (1:2-4) What value have trials had in your life? Have you let Satan destroy you with those trials? Or allowed God to refine you? How have you changed The value of trials in my life to date have forced me to apply God's Word in various troublesome or challenging circumstances which has created a stronger and more in depth relationship with God. My confidence in God has grown remarkably. Trials have increased the level of wisdom in my decision making. Trials have forced me to decide whether I'm going handle or navigate a trial as a faithful Christian or as a carnal Christian. Trials have forced me to practice what I belief and preach/teach to others. Trials have taught me to overcome anything in Jesus Christ. Trials have taught to wait upon God. I have not let Satan destroy me to date with those trials.

Q5. (Galatians 6:16) Who comprises “the Israel of God” today? Who is excluded from this group? How is Romans 11:17-25 designed to temper Gentile pride? All those who have been transformed into a new creation/born again through faith in Jesus Christ. The Israel of God today are Holy Spirit filled believers in Jesus Christ. Those who are not Holy Spirit filled, born again human beings are excluded. In other words those reject Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Through the grace of God gentiles are grafted onto the spiritual roots or tree of Abraham. Whether you are a Jew or a gentile it is all about trusting in Jesus Christ.

Q4. (Galatians 6:15) What characterizes this “new creation” that Paul talks about? What does the “old creation” look like in contrast? What does the old creation lack that the new creation possesses? How does Jesus’ saying, “You must be born again” (John 3:3-8) relate to this concept of the new creation? The new creation is our transformation from the old sin inclined nature apart from God to a spirit-filled life. A life where the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are central and are the driving influence.

Q3. (Galatians 6:9-10) Why do we tend to become weary living out our faith? What promise does Paul give us in 6:9 to forestall this weariness? Why should our “doing good” begin with our spiritual family, not with the non-Christians? The behavior of people can cause one to become weary in living out their faith. Paul encourages believers throughout the ages not to give up in doing what is good because if we continue we will in time reap God's blessings. Our brothers and sisters in Christ are those we are going to spend eternity with. Jesus said to His disciples to love one another and John instructions us to love the brethren. We have a tender affection for our fellow sojourners in Christ. We minister to world around us out of love for God and people and as a witness for Jesus Christ. We minister as Jesus taught by word and deed.

Q2. (Galatians 6:7-8) What does it mean to “sow to the flesh”? What does this look like? What synonyms does Paul use for “sow to the Spirit” in Galatians? (Hint: see 5:16, 18, 25). What does sowing to the Spirit look like in a congregation? What are the results in a congregation of sowing to the flesh? Sowing to the flesh means feeding those worldly desires in one's life that are contrary to God's standards. It looks like sexual immortality; lustful pleasure; hatred; discord, jealously; idolatry; drunkenness; quarreling; division; and sins like these. Paul refers to the end product of our actions (how we engage life), as fruit. Either we are flesh or Holy Spirit driven. Either will produce a certain kind of fruit. Sowing to the spirit looks like love; peace; joy; patience; kindness; goodness; faithfulness; gentleness; and self-control. These fruits bring a congregation together in Christ whereas a congregation that sows to the flesh brings about destruction.

Q1. (Galatians 6:1-5) What does Paul mean, “caught in a sin”? What would restoration of a such brother or sister look like in his or her life? Who should restore this person? In what spirit should it be done? What is the result of trying to restore a person without humility? Paul means when one is overcome by sin he "caught in a sin." The restoration process should be a gentle process facilitated by a spiritually mature Christian brother or sister. It should done in a spirit of humility. Without a spirit of humility the person being restored will probably be broken. There is no place for self-righteousness or arrogance in ministering spiritual healing or counseling to another person. It should be done in a spirit of empathy, trust, and love.

Q4. (Galatians 5:24-25) What does it mean to “crucify the flesh with its passions and desires”? Can a person be a Christian without “crucifying the flesh”? How have we produced such a crop of lukewarm Christians? It means to walk away them and to cease indulging them. No, a person cannot be a born again Christian with an active relationship with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit and still engage in the practices of the world throughout their life time. Born again Christians do struggle with temptation and sin, but permit the Holy Spirit to work in their lives to eventually remove any prevailing sin. By ignoring the sin in one's life, ignoring the meaning of holiness in one's life and remaining self-indulgent to the exclusion of the Word of God. There is no passion regarding honoring God, living out a Christian life, and be Christ-like. Left unchallenged by leadership Christians will become indifferent and lukewarm.

Q3. (Galatians 5:22-23) How does the Holy Spirit produce this fruit in our lives? What theological term would you use to identify this process? How can it be that a person who has been a “Christian” for years displays few or none of these fruits? Are they saved, but just immature? What does James 2:17-19 say about this? Is that too harsh? The Holy Spirit produces this fruit in our lives when we let Him. When we respond to the Word of God. When we respond to the movement or influence of the Holy Spirit in our life. The term sanctification is that theological term that describes the process where God sets aside the believer for His purposes and the Holy Spirit is remaking that believer into a Christ-like human-being. The fruits of the Spirit are a manifestation of that process. A person who has been a professing Christian for years and displays few or none of these fruits have not either been saved or have not responded to the Holy Spirit. Regardless, they have a spiritual problem. There is nothing harsh in James' words at all. The reality is actions speak louder than words. People can attend church and claim anything, but actions tell the truth. People live or act out their true beliefs.

Q2. (Galatians 5:22) The fruit of patience should be understood as forbearance, that is, putting up with people around us without exploding. Why is this patient forbearance such an important personal character element? Why is it so important for peace in the family and in the Christian community? Patience prevents undue anxiety, anger, rudeness, and ungodly behavior. One of the elements of love is patience. When love dominates my life I strive to be patient with others. Patience creates a peaceful spirit within my home and church when exercised. Where there is no patience there is anxiety, anger, rudeness, bitterness, and an ungodly environment. Patience creates unity in a family as well as in a congregation. Patience serves as an excellent witness for Jesus Christ. It glorifies God.

Q1. (Galatians 5:22a) Love is the first and primary fruit of the Holy Spirit, but joy and peace are inseparable from love. Why can’t joy and peace exist apart from love – love for God and love for our neighbors? Simply put, experiencing the love of God and its indwelling presence within the believer creates joy and peace. Joy and peace are a natural by-product of the love relationship between God and the believer. They are intertwined and cannot be separated. The love of God creates a desire, Holy Spirit driven, to love our neighbors and to express our faith and service to God by ministering and blessing those around us as God has blessed us. Being salt and light in this dark world create joy and peace within us.

Q4. (5:21) Why do some Christians resist accepting Paul’s warning in 5:21 and 1 Corinthians 6:9-11? What statement might these Christians desire to substitute for Paul’s warning if they could reword the Scripture? They are not Spirit-led and do not take the Scripture seriously. On a sadder note, they do not really desire to please God by living holy lives. God did say "Be Holy because I am Holy." Many Christians live carnal lives because their desires for self gratification are more important than honoring and having a vigorous relationship with God. Carnal Christians would probably restate Paul's words in the following manner: All have sinned and come short of the glory of God. So I'm not perfect, but I believe in Jesus. He will forgive me. So long as your heart is in the right place you will enter the Kingdom of God. What self delusion.

Q3. (Galatians 5:19-21) If you were to divide the works of the flesh into several groups, what would those groups be? The works of the flesh could be divided into the following groups: Group one - sexual Group two - false worship and demonic practices Group three - selfishness Group four - lack of self-control and/or uncontrolled pleasure

Q2. (Galatians 5:16-18) We are told that it’s impossible for a Christian to live a sinless life. What do these verses teach about that? In what way does yielding to the Spirit suppress the power of the old nature (the flesh)? If Spirit-led living is possible, why do people claim that it’s impossible not to sin? The sinful nature is at war or in conflict with the Holy Spirit in our lives. It is the sinful nature of man and his spiritual state that cannot please God. However, through the Holy Spirit we can please God and overcome the desires of the flesh. By yielding to the Holy Spirit I'm walking away from the temptation or negating the sinful desire (whatever it might be). I'm yielding my will to the Spirit and not exercising my will. It is impossible not to sin because we don't always yield to the Holy Spirit in any given situation. Unfortunately that is reality.

Q1. (Galatians 5:13-15) Have you ever seen Christians act as if they were lawless? How do Spirit-led Christians fulfill the spirit of the law? What does backbiting and rudeness in a congregation say about the spiritual climate of that congregation (5:15)? Unfortunately, the Church is loaded with professing Christians or church attenders who act as if they lawless. That is no restraint on behavior. They act as if they never have read nor heard the Word of God. Spirit-led Christians fulfill the spirit of the law by living it as motivated by the Holy Spirit . Backbiting and rudeness in a congregation indicates that that congregation is not Holy Spirit filled or led. The climate of that congregation is a destructive one and spiritually dangerous for the well-being of anyone.

Q4. (Galatians 4:6-7) How does the Spirit’s filling demonstrate we are full sons? What is the special sense in which the Aramaic word abba is used to speak to one’s father? What is the significance of being heirs of God? Are we sons in the same sense that Jesus was God’s Son? Paul writes in Romans 8:16-17: "The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs - heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, ..." (NKJ). When believers cry out to the Father in prayer, Romans 8:15, the Holy Spirit intercedes for them. The Holy Spirit creates within the believer an awareness of sonship, causing the saint to address God as Father. "Abba, Father" is a familiar form of address, combining the Aramiac and Greek words for Father. No slave could address the head of a family in this fashion; it was reserved for members of the family, and expresses love and confidence. Note the trinity in this verse - Spirit, Son, and Father in that order. The believer is no longer a slave, he is not under the law. Now the believer is a son of God. Since Christ, as God's Son, is the heir of all of God's riches, the Christian is an heir of God through Jesus Christ. All that God has is his by faith -- by trusting in God.

Q4. (Galatians 4:6-7) How does the Spirit’s filling demonstrate we are full sons? What is the special sense in which the Aramaic word abba is used to speak to one’s father? What is the significance of being heirs of God? Are we sons in the same sense that Jesus was God’s Son? Paul writes in Romans 8:16-17: "The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs - heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, ..." (NKJ). When believers cry out to the Father in prayer, Romans 8:15, the Holy Spirit intercedes for them. The Holy Spirit creates within the believer an awareness of sonship, causing the saint to address God as Father. "Abba, Father" is a familiar form of address, combining the Aramiac and Greek words for Father. No slave could address the head of a family in this fashion; it was reserved for members of the family, and expresses love and confidence. Note the trinity in this verse - Spirit, Son, and Father in that order. The believer is no longer a slave, he is not under the law. Now the believer is a son of God. Since Christ, as God's Son, is the heir of all of God's riches, the Christian is an heir of God through Jesus Christ. All that God has is his by faith -- by trusting in God.

Q3. (Galatians 4:3-5) In what sense were both the Gentiles and the Jews enslaved? What does “redeem” mean in verse 5? What are the implications of adoption regarding a person’s legal and spiritual rights? The Gentiles were enslaved by pagan cultic ritual and the Jews enslaved by the Law. Both were enslaved to the lusts of the world i.e., the lusts of the flesh, the lusts of eyes, and the pride of life. All sin and slavery evolve around around those things. Redeem in this verse merans that Jesus Christ on the cross paid for our sins, freed us from the penalty of those sins, and set us free, by his Spirit, from being slaves to this world and the demands of the Law. Jesus enabled us to become brothers and sisters with Him. Adopted heirs or sons of God. God has granted believers all of the legal and spiritual rights that Jesus Christ has. Jesus provided the ways and means for direct access to the Throne of God.

Q2. (Galatians 4:4) Why do you think it took so long to send the Messiah? What about the first century world made it fertile ground for the revelation of the Messiah and the spread of the gospel? The scriputures teach us that God does everything in the fulness of time. The Mediterranean world was right religiously, culturally, politcially, and commerically for the entrance of the Messiah onto the world stage in the First Century. The Mediterranean world of the first century had a common language developed by the Greeks, a comprehensive and safe system of commerical travel build and protected by the Romans. The Jewish Synagogue system enabled churches to be build upon them and most importantly many in Israel and the surrounding regions were looking for the arrival of the Jewish Messiah. These factors made the world fertile ground for the revelation of the Messiah and the rapid spread of the gospel throughout the world.

Q1. (Galatians 4:26-29) Do you think Jewish Christians regarded Gentile Christians as second-class citizens? What is the basis of our unity in Christ? In what way does this unity pull down barriers? Do any groups continue to be regarded as second-class citizens in our congregations? What should we do about this? Yes. Throughout the New Testament this issue is constantly being addressed. Christian Jews felt that even thought they were made righteous and justified before God in Christ they were closer to God because they adhered to the Law. Thus, making them better than Gentile Christians. The basis of our unity in Christ is that all those claim Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour are made the sons of God. In this way barriers fall because we are Christian human-beings before we are anything else. We are children of God that is the Christian identifies him/her self. Yes. Today, economic status, race, gender, non-essential doctrinal views, and denominational association often place Christians in inferior status to other Christians. It is like Paul never said "we are one in Christ." Despite Biblical teaching people continue to operate in whatever way they choose to. We should treat all men and women with dignity, with respect -- love your neighbor as yourself. Most importantly love the brethren.

Q1. (Galatians 3:2-5) What argument for salvation by faith does Paul give from the presence of the Spirit? What does this tell us about the spiritual environment of the Galatian churches? How can we regain this dynamic environment in our own congregations? The argument is that the Galatians received the holy by believing in Jesus Christ and accepting him as Messiah not by keeping the law. The Galatian church's were spiritual immature and not solid in apostolic teaching. They had a spiritual environment that was wavering that did not have a sound grasp of salvation through grace in Jesus Christ. We can regain a dynamic environment in our congregations beginning with our self's by being joyful in the Lord. Be joyful, enthusiastic in the spirit, consistent prayer, consistent thanksgiving.

Q1. (Galatians 3:2-5) What argument for salvation by faith does Paul give from the presence of the Spirit? What does this tell us about the spiritual environment of the Galatian churches? How can we regain this dynamic environment in our own congregations? The argument is that the Galatians received the holy by believing in Jesus Christ and accepting him as Messiah not by keeping the law. The Galatian church's were spiritual immature and not solid in apostolic teaching. They had a spiritual environment that was wavering that did not have a sound grasp of salvation through grace in Jesus Christ. We can regain a dynamic environment in our congregations beginning with our self's by being joyful in the Lord. Be joyful, enthusiastic in the spirit, consistent prayer, consistent thanksgiving.

Q5. (Galatians 2:20) In what sense have we been “crucified with Christ”? What does that mean? In what sense do “I no longer live”? Whose life now motivates us? How does this verse relate to Paul’s closing comments about the “new creation” (Galatians 6:15)? What does Galatians 2:20 teach about Christ’s attitude toward us? The believer is identified with Christ in his death. Not only was he crucified on Calvary, i was crucified there as well in Jesus. This Mean's the end of me as a sinner in gods sight. it means the end of me as a person seeking to earn salvation by my own efforts. In mean the end of me as a child of Adam, as a man under the condemnation of the law as my old unregenerate self. The old evil me has been crucified. It has no more claims on my daily life. This is true as to my standing before God. It should be true as to my behavior. The believer does not cease to live as a personality or as an individual. But the one who is seen by God as having died is not the same one who lives. It is no longer i who live, but Christ who lives in me. The Savior did not die for me in order that i might go on living my life as i choose it. Jesus died for me so that from now on he might be able to live His life in me. The life which i now live in this human body, i live by faith in the Son of God. Faith means reliance or dependence on Christ. By yielding to Him, by allowing Christ to live his life in him. Thus the believer's rule of life is Christ not the law. It is not a matter of striving but of trusting. The believer lives a holy life, not out of fear or punishment, but out of Love to the Son of God, who loved us and gave Himself for us. In Jesus we become new creations.

"Q4. (Galatians 2:15-21) What happens to the importance of Christ’s death if circumcision is deemed necessary to salvation? Why was this issue of the sufficiency of the Messiah’s death so important in Paul’s day? Why was this issue important to Luther and the reformers? Why is it so important in our own day? How does it affect the relative legalism of our congregations?" Christ would have died in vain if Circumcision is necessary for salvation. In fact if this was so than Jesus Christ is not a perfect and sufficient salvation. The rest of this question can best be summarized by saying that the grace of god is seen in this unconditional gift of salvation. When man tries to earn it he is making it void it is so no longer by grace if man deserves it or earns it. Paul's final thrust in this passage at Peter is effective if Peter could obtain favor with God by Jewish observance's than Christ died for nothing he literally threw away his life Christ died because man could obtain righteousness in no other way not even by law-keeping.

"Q3. Why is it so hard to take the gospel to different peoples without wrapping it in our own cultural practices? Can you think of examples of this in Church history? What is the danger? How can we avoid such cultural faux pas in our church’s missionary enterprises?" Why is it so hard to take the gospel to different peoples without wrapping it in our own cultural practices? It is hard because our own culture is what we know and are comfortable with. Can you think of examples of this in Church history? One example of this is the mission work to the Hawaiian islands, yes the gospel of Jesus Christ was introduced but the native Hawaiian culture was sadly destroyed and replaced by western culture and a corrupt economic system based on greed. What is the danger? The danger is that the gospel/mission work will be displaced by the secular culture of the country the missionary came from. How can we avoid such cultural faux pas in our church’s missionary enterprises? We can overcome this by this by representing Jesus Christ in mission work and by working closely with in-country Christians. We should be sensitive to other cultures. It is really about the Kingdom of God anyway.

"Q2. (Galatians 2:14) Why do you think Paul confronted Peter publicly rather than privately? Do you expect Paul had talked with Peter about this previously? How did a public discussion of this benefit the Jewish Christians? How did it benefit the Gentile Christians? What kind of pressure do you think this put on Paul?" Why do you think Paul confronted Peter publicly rather than privately? Paul was convicted that this issue needed to be brought to a head by confronting Peter in public it forced Peter and the other Jewish-Christian's to deal with this issue. Do you expect Paul had talked with Peter about this previously? Peter needed to be confronted publicly need to be put on the spot, Why? Because Peter as a Christian knew that God no longer recognized national difference's Peter had lived as a Gentile eating their foods etc. By his recent refusal to eat with Gentiles Peter was implying that observance's of Jewish laws and custom's was necessary for holiness and that the Gentile believer's would have to live as Jews How did a public discussion of this benefit the Jewish Christians? The public discussion would help the Jewish-Christian's understand the gospel ministry and it's application to the Gentile's. How did it benefit the Gentile Christians? It would help both sides understand each other bond as Christian brothers and sisters. What kind of pressure do you think this put on Paul? I think this situation freed Paul from any pressure and put the pressure on Peter and the other Jewish-Christians, they now had to openly address the issues between Jewish and Gentiles Christians.