Lord Jesus Christ in the 1611KJV
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Lord Jesus Christ in Galatians

Verses within this Study.

1:1, 3, 6, 7, 10, 12, 16, 19, 22; 2:4, 16, 16-Christ, 17, 20, 20-Son, 21; 3:1, 3:13, 14, 16, 17, 22, 24, 26, 27, 28, 29; 4:1, 4, 6, 7, 7-Son, 4:14, 19, 30; 5:1, 2, 4, 6, 10, 24; 6:2, 12, 14, 15, 17, 18.

Click on the following links to jump to a section within the study of this Bible Book: Lord only, Jesus only, Christ only, Jesus Christ, Christ Jesus, Lord Jesus, Lord Jesus Christ, Son

Lord  only occurs 6 times in any form in this book and then only to state that authority came from the Lord.  None of the other things that God reserves for His role as Lord  are involved with the problem dealt with in this book.  Jesus  does not occur by itself.  Jesus  only occurs 4 times with Lord  because the things unique to God's role as Jesus  are even less involved with the problem of this book than Lord  was.  However, Christ  occurs 36 times in various forms.  This book deals with a church that had left the individual personal walk with their God, after getting saved, and returned to keeping formal religious customs.  The use of Christ  far exceeds the use of Lord  or Jesus  because this problem is centered on the things that God makes unique to His role of Christ. 

Lord only

Galatians 1:19; 4:1; 5:10.

Every one of these verses deal with authority and no other aspect of God's role as Lord.  Click here for all of the Verses, in the Bible, that use Lord  and here for the Summary on the name / role of Lord.

Galatians 1:19 But other of the apostles saw I none, save James the Lord's brother. 

This verse is in the middle of a section that goes from 1:15 through 1:24 and tells how Paul received his training and apostleship.  Please see the note for 1:12 under Jesus Christ and the note for 1:16 under Son and (especially) the note for 1:18 in the Book Study on Galatians.

God appoints men to positions, such as apostle, only through His role as Lord.  Jesus  was not called Lord Jesus  until after His resurrection (Luke 24:3). In Acts 2:36 we are told ...God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.  Something can not be made  that it already is. Therefore, (as the note at the link explains), Jesus  was not Lord Jesus  until after His resurrection.  Now, the primary role that Paul is emphasizing is Lord  because people might argue with a man (Jesus) but they will not argue with their Lord  Whom they have recognized as God.

Paul used Lord  here because of James.  John 7:5 tells us For neither did his brethren believe in him.  That means that the physical (half) brothers of Jesus were lost before the crucifixion.  Then Matthew 28:10 tells us Then said Jesus unto them, Be not afraid: go tell my brethren that they go into Galilee, and there shall they see me  which means that Jesus took special care to see that His physical (half) brothers did get saved.  However, at this time he wasn't just Jesus  but was Lord Jesus  per Luke 24:3 (please see the note for that verse).  Both this verse and Acts 12:17 and 15:13 indicate that the Lord's  physical (half) brother named James  was the administrative head of the church of Jerusalem.  While the apostles were in charge of doctrine and preaching, they apparently submitted to James  when it came to administration because the Son of God used His role as Lord  to put His physical (half) brother named James  into the position of Administrative Head.

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Galatians 4:1 Now I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all; 

Galatians 4:1-2 form a single sentence.  This verse uses a lower case 'l' for lord  showing that this is a position in man's hierarchy.  4:24 tells us that Paul is giving an allegory.  All of Galatians 4 is an allegory where positions in this life are used to illustrate principals of God's life in us (salvation).  Where Galatians 3 explained justification, Galatians 4 tells us how we are to act, once we are justified.  In this first sentence, Paul explains how we started out like a child who has the title, but not the power of a lord.  Galatians 4:1-2 shows someone with the title (but not the rights) of a position, just like Jesus  had the title but could not exercise the rights of Christ  until after the resurrection.  This allegory works for several levels of men.  It works for all men, for the church and for us as individuals.  When we first get saved, we learn a bunch of rules like 'go to church every time it meets, 'read your Bible daily', 'pray daily', etc.  As we mature spiritually, we still do the same things and more but now we're not just following a bunch of religious rules but we've found the advantage of doing these things.  They become our desire and nature.  When these religious activities become our desire and nature, and they are something that we do on out own, then we start to act like a son.  After we have the basic nature of the Son of God  as our own nature, then does God allow us to develop individually.  The same was true when we were children.  All children chafe at the rules but a good parent doesn't let a child act without supervision until after they prove that they are dependable.  That's the way God does things and how things are supposed to go.  However, the way the Galatians were acting was wrong.  They acted like a teenager who just received their driver's license, a car and permission to date and they responded by asking to lose their car, go back to using a bike and be forced to go to bed at 8 PM.  If you read the chapter and Paul's reaction, this analogy should become obvious.

Please read the entire chapter and see these things in context for yourself.

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Galatians 5:10 I have confidence in you through the Lord, that ye will be none otherwise minded: but he that troubleth you shall bear his judgment, whosoever he be. 

Chapter 5 up to this verse is telling the Galatians to stand firm in their justification and to stop worrying about keeping the Law.  He also says, in this verse, that he that troubleth you shall bear his judgment.  Both justification and judgment belong to God's role as Lord.  Paul also says I have confidence in you through the Lord.  That is, Paul's confidence is based upon the word of our Lord,  Who has the final say in all matters.

When we are dealing with the Lord,  there is no personal consideration.  It does not matter who you are or what your position is or anything else personal.  Our Lord  tells us how we are required to act and the people who refuse to act that way only volunteer themselves to be the ones that our Lord  uses to demonstrate how bad His punishment can be.

Our sentence is divided by a colon (:) followed by the word but.  That makes the two Equivalent Sections polar opposites with our Lord  being the Being who does the action of each Equivalent Section.  In the First Equivalent Section, we see our Lord  assuring Paul that He will get these people to obey.  The note for this sentence in the Book Study on Galatians has link to where the Bible warns us about a sin unto death  for saved people.  If our Lord  had to bring sickness and death to a few in order to get the majority to obey, He would do it.  However, as much as possible such as having Paul write this letter, our Lord  uses gentle and loving means to return His children to obedience.

While that is true for children of God who have been deceived, it is not true for lost people.  Neither is it true for God's preachers who deliberately teach doctrinal error which leads God's people into sin.  Our sentence says whosoever he be  because it does not matter if this person is truly lost or if he is saved, the wrath of God will come upon anyone who deliberately leads God's people into sin.  The word shall  means 'it absolutely, positively will happen without even a shadow of doubt'.  When our sentence says he that troubleth you shall bear his judgment,  it is providing a warning to all who consider leading God's people into sin.

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Jesus only

The Galatians didn't need to get salvation straightened out.  What they needed was the proper way to interact with God after profession.  Thus, all references to Jesus  in this book are references to where our God interacts with more than one role such as Lord Jesus Christ  or Jesus Christ;  or Christ Jesus.  Jesus  is not used by itself in this book.  Click here for all of the Verses, in the Bible, that use Jesus  and here for the Summary on the name / role of Jesus.

Christ only

Galatians 1:6, 7, 10, 22; 2:16, 2:17, 20, 21; 3:13, 16, 17, 24, 27, 29; 4:7, 19; 5:1, 2, 4, 24; 6:2, 12.

Christ  is used by itself 21 times.  All of the other roles of God are mentioned only 18 times.  That includes the combination roles of Jesus Christ, Christ Jesus  and Lord Jesus Christ.  The main emphasis of this book is straightening out wrong doctrine about the Son of God's unique role as Christ.  Click here for all of the Verses, in the Bible, that use Christ  and here for the Summary on the name / role of Christ.

Galatians 1:6 I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: 

This verse and 1:7 are one sentence, one thought.  There is a colon (:)in the middle, which make 1:6 and 1:7 say the same thing in two different ways.  Notice that this verse says that following another gospel removes us from Christ  and from the grace of Christ.  The word gospel is supposed to be good news.  However, there is no good news  about being led away from the person of Christ  and away from the grace of Christ.  Notice how the two are linked and, as it makes sense, you can not get the grace of Christ  when you are removed from him (Christ).

Now look at the Second Equivalent Section of this sentence in 1:7.  The first phrase (Which is not another)  tells us that the claim that this is another gospel  is actually a lie.  This is not good news, it is not another (gospel).  Next, 1:7 tells us but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.

We can know that perverting ('to turn away from truth and to follow a lie') the gospel of Christ  will cause trouble  for Christians.  So, we have two different ways of saying that anything that would pervert the gospel of Christ  will remove Christians from the person and from the grace of Christ  and, thereby, cause trouble  for Christians.  From this, we can conclude that the gospel of Christ brings us close to the person of Christ  and gets us the grace of Christ.

In the New Testament, the phrase gospel of Christ  is used a few times.  Every time, the context shows that the gospel of Christ  is the good news of a changed life after profession.

In this very light survey of the verses which use the gospel of Christ, we see that it has nothing to do with getting lost people saved but has everything to do with helping the saved to grow spiritually.  This is done, as these verses say, by getting us close to Christ  so that we can increase our personal obedience to the gospel of Christ  and, thereby, increase the amount of the grace of Christ.  which is displayed through our life.

In addition, Philippians 1:14-17 says And many of the brethren in the Lord, waxing confident by my bonds, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.  Some indeed preach Christ even of envy and strife; and some also of good will: The one preach Christ of contention, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my bonds: But the other of love, knowing that I am set for the defense of the gospel.   Philippians goes on to explain more, but we can see a very simple thing in these verses.  Since Paul called these people brethren in the Lord, they were saved people.  Since some of these people preach Christ even of envy and strife  and some also of good will, they preached with different motives.  But notice that Paul says they preached Christ  and what they were contending over was the fact that Paul was set for the defense of the gospel.  It should be obvious that these saved people were split into two groups fighting over what Paul called the gospel of Christ.  Many places we find that this fight was over saved people keeping religious rules and the Mosaic Law as opposed to submitting to the leading of Christ  through a personal relationship.

Galatians 1:4 says Who [our Lord Jesus Christ] gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world.  Christ  didn't give Himself to death so that He could deliver us after our death but Christ  gave Himself so that He could deliver us from this present evil world".  This delivery  isn't just getting us out of this world because death does that.  Christ  died  to provide what wasn't provided in any other way.  That is, He delivered us from the control and consequences of sin in this present world.  The rest of Galatians goes on to tell them how foolish it is to believe a gospel of works.  Paul tells them that works won't deliver them from the power of sin.  In this verse, Paul says I marvel that ye are so soon removed from...the grace of Christ.  Paul marvels that they would stop believing in Christ's grace that changes their lives after profession and would start believing that the change is due to their own works.

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Galatians 1:7 Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. 

Please see the note on 1:6 (above) which also explains this half of the sentence which is in Galatians 1:6 and 1:7.

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Galatians 1:10 For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ. 

This verse is clearly talking about Paul's actions since his initial profession.  Notice, Paul said do I now.  Now  is definitely since Paul's initial profession and there is a very definite change in Paul's behaviour that happened as a direct result of his salvation.  This verse clearly links actions (do) since initial profession (now) to Christ.  In addition, Paul says for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.   Galatians 1:13-14 tells us that when Paul says yet pleased men  he is talking about the time in the past when he did what self-righteous religious men wanted him to do.  This verse tells us that such behaviour makes us not the servant of Christ.  This fits exactly with Romans 8:9 which says Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

Plain and simple: the Bible definitely makes a difference between being saved and being a true Christian.  Look at Paul's series of questions in this verse.  First, he asks For do I now persuade men, or God?   Paul answers that question in 2Corinthians 5:11 which says Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men.  This verse is directly linked to the judgment seat of Christ  (Romans 14:10  and 2Corinthians 5:10-11) in the prior verse by the therefore.  So, the first thing that we see in this verse is that the servant of Christ persuades men  based upon the knowledge that he will face the judgment seat of Christ  and the terror of the Lord  (Romans 14:10  and 2Corinthians 5:10-11).

The second question that we see in this verse is or do I seek to please men?...We find please  in John 8:29; Romans 8:8; 15:1-2; 1Corinthians 7:32-34; 10:33; Galatians 1:10; 1Thessalonians 2:15; 4:1; 2Timothy 2:4; Titus 2:9; Hebrews 11:6.  In those verses, we see that Jesus does always those things that please him(the Father)  and that the saved are to please the Father.  The only exception is when Paul said that he would please men  only to get them saved.  So, with this second question, we see that the servant of Christ  is to concentrate upon pleasing God and not man.  That is further bore out by Paul's final remark of for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.  However, there is a very important word that is easy to overlook in this sentence.  It is yet.  That word indicates a change in the past, which matches the ministry of Christ  that we have seen EVERYWHERE that Christ  is used in the Bible.  Christ  ALWAYS changes the believer by making him more spiritually mature.

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Galatians 1:22 And was unknown by face unto the churches of Judaea which were in Christ: 

Galatians 1:21-23 is a single sentence with one colon, which divides it into two equivalent parts, as shown in the note within the Book Study on Galatians.  In the first part, Paul explains how that he went to churches that did not know his face, but were churches in Christ.  In the Second Equivalent Section Paul explains how these churches had heard of him and of the change that Christ  had brought into his life.  The next sentence starts with And, which means it is connected to this sentence.  It says And they glorified God in me.   These churches believed the testimony of a changed life due to the personal ministry of Christ  because they had also personally experienced the same type of personal change.  The churches of Judaea were growing spiritually, as recorded in Acts

An immature saved person doesn't glorify God for an enemy's conversion.  They would rather pray for God to bring vengeance.  Further, while religion changes people, a change brought about by Christ  always results in glory  to God by other saved and spiritually mature people.  Again, we see Christ  associated with spiritual maturity after profession.

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Galatians 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.

Please see the note under Jesus Christ as it deals with all considerations of this verse within this Study.  It also provides links to many other verses and notes.

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Galatians 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. 

This verse is part of a subsection that goes from 2:11 through 2:21 and must be taken together to get a true Biblical understanding of what is being said.  Within this section, 2:11 through 2:16 tell what Paul did while 2:17 through 2:21 tell the doctrine behind Paul's actions.  Thus, this verse is dealing with doctrinal truth.  Please also see the notes on 2:16, 2:17 and 2:21 (within this Study) for more on this section.

The note for 2:16 gives general information about justification and the difference (in general) between justification by Jesus Christ  and justification by Christ.  However, there is another consideration about justification by Christ  that fits within the context of this section.  Specifically, Paul, as a Jew, addresses Peter, as a Jew, and with justification from the Jewish perspective, which includes an understanding of the Old Testament that Gentiles usually don't have.  So, we (Gentiles) could study all of what the Old Testament teaches about justification  and still not understand this perspective which requires being raised as a Jew within the society that Paul and Peter grew up in.  Therefore, I will stick to what Paul teaches in a summary fashion.

The basics of what Paul is saying is found in the very next chapter and all of that chapter is important to this understanding.  We are seeing again, as in most/all of the analysis of other epistles, that proper understanding of any given verse usually requires understanding of everything presented in the particular epistle because the surrounding context restricts wild  interpretations while adding details.  In this case, we find that the Jews understood that their justification  came from believing the promises that God gave to Abraham.  Those promises were before the Law was created and, therefore, are not changed by the coming or removing of the Law.  In addition, God's promises to Abraham included a prophesied special person who would pay the sin debt.  The prophesied person was Christ  and God promised to count the payment by Christ  as payment for all sins of those who believed God's promises.  In order to understand this doctrine in more detail, please see all of the verses and related notes for Galatians (3:1, 3:13, 3:14, 3:16, 3:17, 3:22, 3:24, 3:26, 3:27, 3:28 and 3:29).

In this context, we have this verse which starts with But.  That means this verse is tied to the subject of the prior sentence while going in a different direction.  There Paul proved that Christ  provided justification for all of our sins that we do after our initial profession.  Now in this sentence, Paul says God forbid  to any idea that since Christ  is picking up the tab, we can go ahead and increase the tab all we want (is therefore Christ the minister of sin?).  This is the doctrinal error that claims that Christ  saves us from the consequence of our sins.  That doctrinal error causes people to believe they can continue to sin with no consequence.  However, Matthew 1:21 says And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.  In order to save us from the sins He must get us out of those sins.  That means that Jesus Christ  is causing His people to 'stop their sinning' and He is not agreeing to go on paying for whatever sin debt we care to run up.

Even if we could pay our own sin debt, we couldn't do that and learn how to stop sinning.  Therefore, Christ  removed the sin debt so that we could concentrate on learning how to stop our sinning.  Christ  is not building  sin that He has destroyed (2:18) .  Christ leads us away from sin, but does not take away our free will.  When we are found to be sinners, it is because we resisted the grace of Christ  and chose to sin in spite of His leading.  In this verse, as also true everywhere else in the Bible, Christ  is used to identify God's working with the saved person after profession and before death.

Within the Bible the word by  is used to tell us 'how you get from one place to another'.  Within our current verse we see that we get from a place needing justification  to having it that being accomplished by Christ.  The Bible uses the phrase by Christ Jesus  only in Ephesians 3:21 and in Philippians 4:19 and in 1Peter 5:10.  The Bible uses the phrase by Christ  only in 2Corinthians 1:5 and in Galatians 2:17.  Please see those verses, and their attached notes, for more details and to understand the Biblical doctrinal difference between the use of by Christ Jesus  and the use of by Christ.

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Galatians 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. 

This verse is part of a subsection that goes from 2:11 through 2:21 and must be taken together to get a true Biblical understanding of what is being said.  Within this section, 2:11 through 2:16 tells what Paul did while 2:17 through 2:21 tells the doctrine behind Paul's actions.  Thus, this verse is dealing with doctrinal truth.  Please also see the notes on 2:16, 2:17 and 2:21 (within this Study) for more on this section.

There is too much written on this verse to deal with it all.  Within this study, we can say that Paul is saying that he has a changed life because of the work of Christ.  Within the context of the chapter, Paul had just confronted Peter in front of the entire church because Peter had let his flesh control his actions and was living a doctrinal error.  Peter's error would have significant consequences for all saved at that time and future generations.  Please see the notes for 2:11-21 in the Book Study on Galatians for more details.

In this sentence, Paul is saying that God changed his life after his profession and that God did it through God the Son's role of Christ.  This verse starts with I am crucified with Christ.  Being crucified  is the worst physical punishment that a human being can experience.  This sentence is saying that I can handle the worst physical punishment that a human being can experience, if I do it with Christ.  Look at the breakdown of this sentence according to the punctuation which is in the Book Study on Galatians.  That breakdown, and the notes with it, will help understand what is said here.

Someone who is crucified  is going through the worst suffering possible with the end being death.  In the Bible, death  is not just physically dead but is: 'not responding to the promptings of life'.  People are spiritually dead  when they do not respond to the promptings from God.  Romans 6 explains how we are to be dead to sin  because we are not to respond to the promptings of sin.  So, the First Section of this sentence is saying that I go through the worst suffering for the expressed purpose that I will die  (stop responding) to the things that Christ  is dead to.  This is how we 'Stop our sinning'.

Most people don't understand the fear of the Lord.  In fact, many saved people mistakenly believe that saved people aren't to fear anything.  However, I've found over 90 verses that tell the saved to fear the Lord  because that fear  helps the saved to 'Stop our sinning'.  This is different from the fear that the lost have of eternal judgment.  Returning to this verse, we should be able to see that being crucified  can hurt a lot.  So, if I have been (past tense) crucified with Christ  for a particular sin, then I no longer respond to the promptings of that sin and my pain from that sin is past.  Christ  has spiritually matured me to the point that I act like Him, I let Him live through my life and I do not respond to that sin.  However, as we saw in the note for 2:17, Christ  is not the minister of sin.  Therefore, if I am responding to the promptings of a particular sin, then I am not yet dead  to that particular sin and still need to experience being crucified with Christ  for that particular sin.

The First Section of this sentence (Galatians 2:20) explains my life with Christ  from the point of view of my flesh (I am crucified with Christ).  By the way, the Bible uses with  for 'currently ongoing'.  So, long as I am with Christ, I am also crucified.  Since the flesh doesn't want to be crucified, it wants to get as far from Christ  as it can.  The flesh does not want to stay with Christ.  The second (equivalent) part explains my life with Christ  from the point of view of what the world sees.  That is, when I am living my life with Christ, the world doesn't see my flesh (I) controlling my life but the world sees Christ liveth in me.  The third (equivalent) part explains my life with Christ  from the point of view of God the Son's plan.  Notice that this sentence says the faith of the Son of God.  It is His faith, not mine.  He loved me, and gave himself for me  by faith.  Before there was any evidence of me letting Him change my life, He acted upon His own faith and loved me, and gave himself for me.  He acted as if I had already responded to His leading (with my own free will) and allowed Him to change me, while I was still His enemy and living in sin.  That's the demonstration of faith.  His plan and His faith  (that He acted upon) was that I would use my free will and allow Christ [to live] in me  to such an extent that the world would see that the life which I now live in the flesh  is actually Christ liveth in me.  The first (equivalent) part of this sentence says I am crucified with Christ.  Christ  is with me through all of my suffering in the flesh.  As I concentrate upon building my relationship with Christ, my flesh suffers but the world sees my dealing with the suffering as only Christ  can deal with it like He demonstrated on the Cross.  That is the proof that Christ liveth in me  because it is only when we do what is not fleshly that we have real proof to back our mouths that Christ liveth in me.

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Galatians 2:21 I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain. 

This verse is part of a subsection that goes from 2:11 through 2:21 and must be taken together to get a true Biblical understanding of what is being said.  Within this section, 2:11 through 2:16 tell what Paul did while 2:17 through 2:21 tells the doctrine behind Paul's actions.  Thus, this verse is dealing with doctrinal truth.  Please also see the notes on 2:16, 2:17 and 2:21 (within this Study) for more on this section.

There is no way that this sentence can be properly understood out of context and it especially needs the context of 2:20.  (Please see that note and other notes which are linked to it.)  This sentence and 2:20 together are the summary of Ephesians 2, of all that Paul has said so far and, according to many people, the most important sentences of this epistle.

This sentence has a colon (:)in it which makes I do not frustrate the grace of God:  equivalent to for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain..  We have seen all throughout this Study that Christ.  is the role that the Son of God uses to deal with saved people after their initial profession.  Christ  is the role that provides our spiritual maturity righteousness  and more.  Many people will point out Isaiah 64:6 which says But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.  However, there are several verses which say that we must have our own righteousness  such as Revelation 19:8 (And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.)

Notice the word is  which means that what the bride  is arrayed in...is the righteousness of saints.  Ever seen a naked bride?  The righteousness  that she is arrayed  in is lterally said to be the righteousness of saints  and not that of God.  Simply put, as we obey Christ  He changes our life and gives us His righteousness which becomes our own as we live a life in obedience to Him.  Those saved people who refuse to obey do not have any righteousness of their own even though they are saved.

The Bible makes this distinction clear.  For example, Romans 3:22 tells us Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:.  (This section of Romans is dealing with that quote from Isaiah.)  Notice the phrase unto all and upon all them that believe.  When we believe  the Bible way we act upon that belief.  When we truly (Biblically) believe on Jesus Christ,  it is more than just the first time that results in our initial salvation.  When we truly (Biblically) believe on Jesus Christ,  God credits our Heavenly account with His righteousness  and then calls it the righteousness of saints  (our righteousness).  Thus, while we have no righteousness  of our own, we are given His righteousness  when we believe  and there is no conflict between these verses and doctrines.

While I will not give all of the references here (see the Lord Jesus Christ Overview for details and references), the righteousness  of Jesus  is used to provide our initial salvation and the righteousness  of Christ  is used after our initial salvation for the righteousness of saints  (our righteousness).  If we could be righteous  and get into Heaven by keeping the Law (or any religious rules), then we do not need the righteousness  of Jesus Christ.  If, as these Jews claimed and as many religious people claim today, we could get saved by believing in Jesus  and then get all of our righteousness  after that by keeping the Law (or any religious rules), then Isaiah lied and we do not need the righteousness  of Christ.  In addition, that would mean that a never changing God changed from the standard of righteousness  for salvation when He made the standard of righteousness  for the saved.  If we could be righteous  and get into Heaven by keeping the Law (or any religious rules), then God sent His only begotten Son to be tormented, murdered and sent to Hell for no reason other than to make an empty show (in vain).  Anyone who doesn't see that this a blatant lie of Satan needs a new brain.  If their god would do that to his only begotten son, what will their god do to them?

This sentence should be very clear to everyone and not require a lot of explanation.  The colon (:)makes frustrate the grace of God  equivalent to Christ is dead in vain  and to righteousness come by the law.  When we frustrate the grace of God,  we lose out on the grace of God.  When our religion claims that Christ is dead in vain,  we are in danger of the judgment of Hebrews 10:29.  When we claim that righteousness come by the law  (religious rules), we are really 'cruising for a bruising.

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Galatians 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:

This verse and 3:14 are the same sentence which is divided by punctuation in the note for this verse within the Book Study on Galatians.  It has three Equivalent Sections and each Equivalent Section tells us about the payment by Christ.  Each Equivalent Section of this sentence gives us a different picture of that payment.  In the Third Equivalent Section we see the role of Jesus  added to the role of Christ  because the Bible usually depicts both roles when telling about salvation (that we might receive the promise of the Spirit).  Please also read the note on 3:14 under Jesus Christ which deals with this aspect of this sentence.

In Galatians 2, Paul told us about his public rebuke of Peter over supporting false teaching about justification.  As Jews who understood the Old Testament and Law in a way that Gentiles could not, they understood all that was implied that we might not.  In order to help us, Galatians 3 explains justification in a way that Gentiles can understand it.  In the middle of this explanation, we are told that the prophesied Christ  took care of the curse of the law  for us.  So, part of justification is removing the penalty for violating God's Law (redeemed us from the curse of the law).  However, we weren't redeemed  so that we could go on breaking God's Law.  Redemption  is part of our salvation.  This sentence says that Christ  has redeemed us as part of our salvation (That the blessing of Abraham might come on (us) through faith).  The blessings of Abraham came upon him because he walked by faith and lived in obedience to God.  We also have, associated with Abraham, the example of Lot who was saved but did not receive the blessings because of disobedience.  A lot of people fail to understand justification  because they have been taught that they revived all of the blessings at salvation and how they live after does not affect their receiving the blessings.  Lot was saved and started out living a life that justified  God saving him.  Then he started chasing the pleasures of this world and stopped living a life that justified  God saving him and lost the blessings.

Lot is an important example for several reasons.  Lot was saved and lived before the Mosaic Law.  Therefore, he is an example for us today because we are also not under the Mosaic Law.  Saved people who were under the Law had to suffer the consequences of the religious law in addition to other consequences.  So, a thief had to pay back what he stole, plus a penalty, and had to make a religious sacrifice.  Today people think we can keep what we stole but that attitude does not show a changed life and does not bring glory to God.  People with that attitude suffer just like Lot did.  The truth is that a thief has to pay back what he stole, plus a penalty, but he does not have to make a religious sacrifice.  He also can have his Heavenly record blotted out so that he doesn't face it at the judgment seat of Christ.  This is important and related to our sentence because our sentence tells us Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law  and Christ  is the role of the Son of God that deals with saved people after their initial profession.  When Christ  redeemed the saved, He removed the religious penalty for our sins and removes our Heavenly record but expects us to justify  His doing so by 'Stopping our sinning'.

The Law told people how to act after they became the people of God.  However, as Paul pointed out to Peter, for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified  (2:16).  God could have saved us and left us under the mosaic law.  Since God's people did not have the indwelling Spirit,  the Spirit  was not required to follow a bunch of religious rules.  However, in order to have a personal relationship with his people, and in order to give them personal direction in their lives, God had to give the promise of the Spirit.  However, we need to notice that this promise came through faith.  Our prior sentence (see note above) told us the law is not of faith  and we saw that the law  could not give us the results of faith  as a result.  Since the Spirit  works through faith  to produce the results that God wants, the law (bunch of religious rules) had to be replaced by a personal relationship that Christ  provides.

Our sentence tells us that Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law  because He hangeth on a tree.  Our sentence tells us that he did this that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.  We do not need the Spirit  to keep religious rules but do need the Spirit  to have a personal relationship with God through Christ.  This is part of our justification  (context of this sentence), because as we follow the personal leading of Christ,  He provides the justification  for not only saving us but also for providing us the Spirit.

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Galatians 3:16 Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made.  He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ. 

You can not get any clearer of a verse which states that the promises from God, that apply to the church and are in the Old Testament, are fulfilled through Christ.  Notice that this verse says promises  (plural).  This is not just the promise of salvation but all of the promises for blessings that are available but only after our initial profession.  Please also see the note on 3:17 which is connected to this verse by context.

Throughout the entire book of Galatians Paul is arguing that the members of the Galatians churches started out believing in a salvation through the shed blood of Jesus  and a sanctification through the ministry of Christ.  They then abandoned the truth to believe in salvation through Jesus  but sanctification through works.  That concept is involved in the doctrine of justification.  This verse is part of Paul's explanation to Gentiles about the doctrine of justification that he and Peter understood as Jews and that Paul talked about in 2:11 through 2:21.  Please see those verses and related notes especially the notes on 2:16, 2:17 and 2:21 (within this Study) for an understanding of the context of this chapter.  While we could study justification throughout the Old Testament, it is simpler to take the explanation that God provides to us Gentiles through Paul in this chapter.

Our justification  is based upon the promises  that this verse is talking about.  We are justified  in God's great white throne  judgment system (His criminal judgment system) when we accept the Son of God as our personal Lord.  That is called our salvation  by many.  However, after that we are put into the judgment seat of Christ  system where our level sanctification  is judged.  The more that we let Christ  work through our life here in the flesh, the more we are sanctified  and the more we justify  God saving us.  True Biblical justification  is done in both of God's legal systems and is different in each with one (from God) providing our initial salvation and the other (to God) provided by our personal sanctification.

This verse is dealing with only part of Paul's explanation of justification and can not be properly understood without considering the whole that it is part of.  Within the whole concept of justification, we find that because God's Law was broken (sin), there must be a punishment or God would not be righteous to punish the sin (rebellion) of Satan and not also punish the sin of man.  John 3:16 tells us For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.   We know that Jesus  was the only begotten Son  in human flesh and that He lived as a man by the power of the Holy Ghost and died as a man to pay for our sins.  Since man sinned, God could not be righteous and have any creature other than man pay for man's sin (Romans 5).  However, God did not blot out every man's sin but limited it to those who believeth in him (only begotten Son), as stated in John 3:16.

As James 2 proves, this believeth/faith  is an action verb which requires action to prove/justify the claimed believeth/faith.  However, we can't reach God's level of this believeth/faith  (Romans 3:23).  Therefore, God gives us His Holy Spirit so that Christ  can do the works (Ephesians 2:10) of believeth/faith  through us (Galatians 2:20, which is part of the original explanation of justification).  All of that returns us to this part of Paul's explanation of justification to Gentiles.  The proof which shows that God was justified in blotting out the record of our sin is our living by faith (2:20; 3:11).  However, that proof is not possible without the power of the Holy Ghost and that power is only available to those who receive it through the promise to Christ, as we see declared in this verse.  Christ  then makes all of the promises available to those who are in Christ.

Since Christ  provides an ongoing personal relationship with God which results in our spiritual maturing, those who reject this relationship (by trusting in works or anything else) are also rejecting the proof of their justification.  True justification is dependent upon the promise of God to Christ  and upon Christ  living through us to provide the proof of justification.  In addition, since all of the promises  were made to Christ,  rejecting our personal relationship that is in Christ  is also cutting ourselves off from all of the promises.

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Galatians 3:17 And this I say, that the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect. 

This verse starts with And, which means it is added to the prior sentence and can not be properly understood separate from everything that supports it.  Paul started talking about justification in chapter 2 and is talking about it through the end of chapter 3.  Please see all related verses and associated notes, especially the immediately prior verse/note, for critical context considerations.  In particular, please see the note on 3:16 since this verse is added (and)  to that verse and can not be properly interpreted separate from that verse.

Please also note that while there is a lot of doctrinal truth in this verse, only what is related to the use of Christ  is covered in this note.  The rest of the doctrine is covered in the note for this sentence within the Book Study on Galatians.

While this verse confirms that Old Testament promises are fulfilled through Christ, it also needs to be noted that access to these promises is provided only to those who are in Christ, and not to those who are not in Christ.  (Please note that the links for in Christ  are different from the links in this Study and go to a Study called Relational Prepositions which provides links to verses where the Bible explains our personal relationship with God.)

There are saved people who will not receive some of the promises because they will not mature spiritually or because they will not meet the other requirements, such as abiding in Christ.  Also, the amount of the promises that a Christian receives varies over time and varies between Christians based upon their meeting of the personal requirements of Christ for a particular promise.  Just think of God's promise of peace.  It should be obvious that different people have different amounts of peace while they go through the same set of circumstances.  The spiritually immature will give excuses for their lack of peace while the spiritually mature will give God the glory because Christ  has given them peace based upon personal experience that no matter how circumstances look to the flesh, God will work it out for their own personal good.  God will also work it out for the good of others, but God will not neglect the personal needs of the one going through the circumstances.  That is, the personal experience of dealing with problems while they were in Christ has given these spiritually mature Christians the assurance that comes only with personal spiritual maturity (which is the ministry of Christ).

There is another important point about these promises  that I will make with an illustration.  Since mammon  is such a temptation to the flesh, I will use it.  This sentence also gives us another very important doctrine to consider when it says the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect.  The New Testament replaced only the religious part of the Mosaic Law (this is explained in several places on this site).  Certain things like circumcision was done away with when the religious part of the law was replaced, but, as this verse says, promises established by God before the law were not replaced.  So, we have justification by faith,  as explained earlier in this epistle.  However, we also have other promises from God such as His promise to meet the physical needs of those who honor Him with the tithe.

Only a Biblical fool would try to claim the justification by faith  that came through a promise to Abraham while rejecting tithing that came the same way.  However, 'good godly people' have been led into this foolishness of tithing on net  or tithing on gross  when God says to tithe all the increase  (Leviticus, etc).  Unfortunately, many of God's people have become foolish  (according to the Bible) because they chose to believe a lie which pleased their flesh instead of finding out what God really requires in order to receive the promise.  Simply put, these Biblical fools are refusing to recognize that God provided their benefits  when they only tithe on 'net' or 'gross' and refuse to tithe on the benefits which are also part of their true compensation for doing work.  They then cry and complain why God takes away the benefits  or lets their employers make them pay for part of those benefits.  This promise is available to those who are saved through Christ  but has the additional requirement of honoring God for the increase through the tithe.  Simply put, when you refuse to honor God with the tithe, you have cut yourself of from the promise of God.  The God of the Bible is one who warns us to put up or shut up.

Yes, God does make His promises  available to saved people but He also requires additional things from us in order to receive these promises.  The devil gets people to believe, and preach, that we can have the promises  without 'putting up' the additional requirement of faith.  When God refuses to deliver the promise  to someone who has not met God's requirement, the natural man then wants to complain and gets upset when God tells them to 'shut up'.

Paul goes on in the next verse and says For if the inheritance.  The amount of inheritance which each person receives varies from one person to another.  This is also true for saved people inheriting from Christ.  Some saved people won't get anything but a robe of righteousness,  while others will get crowns and mansions.  How much inheritance  we receive is not related to how many works  we do or how many religious rules/laws we keep but is related to how much Christ liveth in me  (2:20).  This verse tells us that the covenant...was confirmed before of God in Christ.  Therefore, the blessings from the covenant  are given to Christ  and we have access to them only through Christ  (the ongoing personal relationship with the Son of God through His role that brings personal spiritual maturing) and only in proportion to how much we let Christ liveth in me  (2:20).

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Galatians 3:24 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. 

The (Mosaic) Law told people how to live and serve God and worship God.  It also proved to people that they could not keep the (Mosaic) Law.  Therefore, it proved to people that the Law only condemned them and showed them that they needed a different way too be justified.  That different way is the personal relationship with the Son of God that is experienced by relating to Him through His role as Christ  after we become sons of God  (John 1:12-13).  The ongoing personal relationship between the Son of God and saved people is the ministry of Christ.  It starts after our initial profession and provides the spiritual maturing (perfecting) that is required for us to be happy when we reach Heaven.  (Imagine living for Hell and avoiding church all of your life only to end up in eternal church!!) The faith mentioned in this verse was clarified in John 3:22 and you should see the note on Galatians 3:22.

We are justified by the faith of Jesus Christ  when we come to God seeking the salvation that comes through Jesus  and the sanctification that comes through Christ.  God gives us His Spirit and declares us to be His sons  based upon the faith of the Son of God that He can change our lives so that we live up to the new position that God gives us.  Those who seek the salvation that comes through Jesus  while rejecting the sanctification that comes through Christ  are refused the salvation by God.  There is no reason for God to bring us into Heaven, with the spirit of a devil, after he cast out all devils from Heaven.  If we aren't willing to let Christ  change our spirit to be something that is acceptable in Heaven, God won't let us in.  Those who accept salvation that comes through Jesus  and then try to be perfected by their own keeping of the law are called fools  by Paul at the start of this chapter.  The law brings each saved person to the personal ministry of Christ  that varies from person to person but is only available to those who are saved.

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Galatians 3:27 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

Please note: in the greater context of this epistle, this chapter has Paul's explanation of justification.  In these summary verses we see that God removed the schoolmaster  of the Mosaic Law / religious rules (3:23-25).  He then had us put our faith in Christ Jesus  (prior verse) and has Christ  change our lives through an ongoing personal relationship (this verse).  That change justifies  His saving us while refusing salvation to the person who rejects the ongoing personal relationship and the change it causes.  The remainder of this note will only deal with the sub-subject that this verse is part of.

This verse starts with For, which means it tells us 'Here's why' God declares you to be children of God  in a present-tense voice.  As has been shown elsewhere, In the Bible, baptized  means being identified with  Peter and other places make it clear that being Biblically baptized  is not just the religious act that gets us wet.  This verse is basically saying that those saved people (God expects it of all saved) who have chosen to be identified with (baptized into) Christ have put on Christ.  Therefore, they are in Christ and have Christ in them.  That means that other people can see Christ  when they look at us just as they can see a piece of clothing that we put on.  (Please see Romans 13:12; 1Corinthians 15:53-54; Ephesians 4:24; 6:11; Colossians 3:10, 12, 14; 1Thessalonians 5:8; 2Timothy 1:6; 1Peter 3:3 for how the New Testament uses the phrase put on.)  As can be seen in these various verses, we are told to put on  certain things that Christ  gives to us.  It means that we have to let the world around us see these attributes first when they look at our life.  It is when the world sees these attributes first that we will be identified with (baptized into)  Christ.

This verse is a direct references to the doctrine taught in Romans 6, especially Romans 6:4.  We are baptized into Christ  and have put on Christ  when we follow the leading of Christ  in our lives after profession.  This is an individual personal relationship with our God that definitely varies from person to person.  That's why Christ  is used as the only role of God the Son in this verse.

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Galatians 3:29 And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.

This verse and 3:28 summarize chapter 3.  Please also see all of the verses and notes for Galatians (3:1, 3:13, 3:14, 3:16, 3:17, 3:22, 3:24, 3:26, 3:27, 3:28 and 3:29), especially the note on 3:28.

The note for Romans 8:16 has links to every verse in the New Testament which uses the word heir  along with the definition from Webster's 1828 dictionary.

Galatians 3 is Paul's explanation of justification in a way that Gentiles can understand it and this sentence is Paul's final conclusion of the matter.  Notice the If  and the then  in this verse.  Paul is using pure logic  such as God used in creation and as what we find in computer programming.  Anyone who doesn't have the then  results has NOT met the If  requirements regardless of what they claim.  That is, anyone who does not have the results of God's promises to Abraham in their life (blessings, protection, able to talk to God, etc) is NOT Christ's  no matter what they claim.  This is the same thing as we saw for Romans 8:9.  In addition, the more of the blessings that God promised Abraham a person has, the more they are Christ's.

The reason that a saved person is not Christ's,  and that they do not receive God's promises  is because their life does not justify  God saving them.  Lots of people want to go to Ephesians 2:8-9 and ignore the rest of the chapter if not the entire epistle.  However, that sentence is in context where Paul said who were (past tense) dead in trespasses and sins  (Ephesians 2:1) and ye (each and every one of you personally) walked according to...the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience  (Ephesians 2:2) and we all had our conversation in times past..  (Ephesians 2:3) and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others  (Ephesians 2:3) and But God..  (Ephesians 2:4).  Unless you have a But God  in your personal life that changed what you used to be into For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works  (Ephesians 2:10) then you do not have the justification  of God saving you.  Our sentence says then are ye (each and every one of you personally) Abraham's seed.  In John 8:39-47 the Jews claimed that Abraham is our father  and Jesus answered with If ye were Abraham's children, ye would do the works of Abraham  and then gave further details which match what I just showed in Ephesians.  I am saying that this sentence makes an absolute condition.  Jesus told us how Abraham justified  God saving him by letting God change how he lived.  We have three places mentioned in this note (there are more in the Bible) which require the same from us.

Paul deliberately uses Christ  in this verse and doesn't mention Jesus  because there are saved people who do not have these blessings.  Plus the amount of this inheritance  that people receive vary from one saved person to another saved person.  Paul wasn't questioning peoples' salvation in this verse.  He is plainly telling them in this summary that the only way that they're receiving the promises of Abraham is if they belong to God in a way that involves a personal relationship with Christ  after their initial profession.  It they're trusting in keeping the Law for sanctification or for getting anything from God after their initial profession then they have cut themselves off from the promises of God to all who come by the faith of Abraham.

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Galatians 4:7 Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ. 

Please see the note for 4:1 under Lord for context of the chapter as it relates to this verse.

This verse is talking about the difference in the inheritance of a son  versus the inheritance of a servant.  As seen throughout the rest of the chapter, especially in the allegory that Paul gives in 4:22-31, the servant  will not inherit along with the son.  As clear as Paul could make it he says that if a saved person lives his spiritual life as a servant  (obeying religious rules and Laws) he will get NO inheritance.  If a saved person lives his spiritual life as a son  (having a personal relationship with God through Christ) he can inherit all that God has.

Please notice that this sentence says that we can be (are) an then an heir of God through Christ.  Webster's 1828 has several definitions for through, but the first is:  'From end to end, or from side to side; from one surface or limit to the opposite; as, to bore through a piece of timber, or through a board; a ball passes through the side of a ship.

This fits with the doctrine that I have found in the Bible but which is hardly ever preached and is often adamantly denied.  If we want to inherit, we not only need to have a personal relationship with God through the role of Christ,  but we also need to maintain that relationship for ALL of our saved life.  I will not argue with anyone about how much of an inheritance we will lose or keep if we live for Christ  and then walk away.  However, my personal plan is to rely on God to keep me from doing that.

Regardless of that, when this verse says that we are an heir of God through Christ,  there should be no argument that the inheritance comes through Christ.  This means that those who are saved but never develop their relationship with God through Christ  never receive any inheritance.  As pointed out elsewhere, I am not talking about losing eternal security but about receiving anything in Heaven beyond God's robe  (Job 29:14; Isaiah 61:10; Matthew 6:29; 27:28, 31; Luke 15:22; 20:46; 23:11; John 19:2, 5; Acts 12:21; Revelation 6:11; 7:9, 13, 14; 19:8).

We should also note that the inheritance varies from person to person even when inheriting things of this world.  Likewise, our inheritance from God also varies person to person and depends upon our relationship with Christ.  For example, look at Galatians 5:19-24 which compares those in Christ  to those following the works of the flesh  and says that the inheritance is to those in Christ.  Ephesians 1:7-12 is a single sentence that says many things including that our inheritance is in Christ.

In the next few verses of Galatians 4, Paul compares being an heir of God through Christ  to those who expect an inheritance from keeping the Law.  He also makes it clear that those who keep the law do not receive the inheritance.

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Galatians 4:19 My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you, 

Please see the note for 4:1 under Lord for context of the chapter as it relates to this verse.  Please also see the note for this sentence in the Book Study on Galatians for a breakdown of this sentence by punctuation.

This verse clearly shows that Christ in  us is something that happens after profession and is not guaranteed to all saved.  It also shows that this is a condition which the saved can lose.  Therefore, it is not the same as salvation.

This sentence is a two part sentence where the second part (for) explains why Paul wants to be with them and why he has to travail in birth again.  Notice the again, which means 'after the first time'.  Once more we see saved people (people who have a prior birth) that need to have Christ be formed in you (them).  That is why Paul says I stand in doubt of you.

This verse clearly shows that Christ  in us is something that happens after profession and is not guaranteed to all saved.  Please also see the note for Romans 8:9 which tell us the same thing.

Notice that in 1:2 Paul said that he was writing unto the churches.  People are not supposed to be able to join the church until they are saved.  Further, in this verse Paul says My little children  which is also used by Jesus (John 13:33) and by John (1John 2:1; 2:12; 2:13; 2:18; 2:28; 3:18) to refer to saved people.  So, Paul is talking to saved people and says I travail in birth again  (present tense) until Christ be formed in you  (future tense).  Since Paul is addressing the saved, Christ be formed in you  is something that happens after profession.  In context, Paul is talking about spiritual maturity and our freedom  and receiving the promises, which are things that some saved people receive, but some saved people do not.

In addition, the saved people receive these things varied amounts.  This is true of all things related to Christ  in the Bible.  In this verse, Paul is saying that he is travailing until Christ be formed in you  because the only way that these saved people will have our freedom  and receiving the promises  is if Christ  is in them.  If these saved people do not have Christ in them, then they will not have our freedom  and receiving the promises.  Paul goes directly from here into the allegory of 4:21-31 where he makes it very clear that those who are trusting in keeping religious rules will be cast out  and will not inherit along with those who are in Christ and have the ongoing personal relationship that a son  has with the Father.

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Galatians 5:1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. 

Galatians 5:1-6 is a sub-group where Paul summarizes all that he has said up to this point.  Paul does this summary before starting into practical application of what he has been teaching.  Please note that in these 6 verses we have Christ  used 3 times, Jesus Christ  used once, Spirit  used once and truth  (another name for the Son of God) used once.  That makes a reference to God in every sentence and all of them, directly or indirectly, a reference to the ministry of Christ.  Please view all of these verses and related notes together.

Stand fast  means 'to keep the position you were assigned, no matter what circumstances occur nor when opposition comes against you, even if it results in death'.  This is often a military order.  The position that they were assigned was in Christ.  Paul's opening remark of this chapter means stay in Christ.  In addition, therefore  means based upon what has already been said.  Everything in this epistle up to this point has been building to this order.

All through the prior chapters Paul talked about how the religious people were fighting against individual salvation (which is a personal relationship with God) and persecuting those who stopped keeping the Jewish religious ordinances and obeyed the individual personal leading of Christ  through the Holy Spirit.  That personal relationship is what gave us the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free.

For example, I am free to worship God on a personal and individual basis like we see the Psalmists and prophets of old do.  However, individual worship is only possible after personal spiritual maturity.  Having a personal relationship with God where He reveals things to you and tells you to do things that he doesn't tell others to do requires spiritual maturity and a personal relationship with God through His role as Christ.

When people first get saved, they do what other saved people do, just like a baby and young child imitate older children and adults.  Individuality in a spiritual walk only happens after some maturity, just like we see happen in physical life.  Neither the Lord  nor Jesus  give us spiritual maturity after profession and while in this life.  That's the role of Christ.  Look at Galatians 5:3 which tells us he (every man that is circumcised) is a debtor to do the whole law.  A debtor  is bound by his debt until it al paid off.  However, no one can pay off the debt  of the Law.  Therefore, such a person binds themselves to an un-payable debt for life.  Paul is warning against that exact un-payable debt for life when he says (in our verse): and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.

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Galatians 5:2 Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing. 

Galatians 5:1-6 is a sub-group where Paul summarizes all that he has said up to this point.  Paul does this summary before starting into practical application of what he has been teaching.  Please note that in these 6 verses we have Christ  is used 3 times, Jesus Christ  is used once, Spirit  is used once and truth  (another name for the Son of God) is used once.  That makes a reference to God in every sentence and all of them, directly or indirectly, a reference to the ministry of Christ.  Please view all of these verses and related notes together.

If ye be circumcised  means if you're going back to trusting formalized structured religious ceremonies.  Christ shall profit you nothing  means that everything that God provides to the saved person as part of an individual personal relationship after profession is wasted because God will not provide them to the saved person who is insisting on relating to God in such a fashion.  The Bible teaches that the relationship between a married couple is a picture of the relationship between Christ and the church.  In that analogy, sex is related to our personal interaction with Christ.  (Other places in the Bible also teach this.  )  Ask anyone who's been married how well they would react to their partner insisting that sex become as formalized as a waltz.  Paraphrased, Paul is saying 'If you formalize your personal relationship with God and He will cut you off from every blessing that you ever have received or that you ever will receive'.

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Galatians 5:4 Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace. 

Galatians 5:1-6 is a sub-group where Paul summarizes all that he has said up to this point.  Paul does this summary before starting into practical application of what he has been teaching.  Please note that in these 6 verses we have Christ  is used 3 times, Jesus Christ  is used once, Spirit  is used once and truth  (another name for the Son of God) s used once.  That makes a reference to God in every sentence and all of them, directly or indirectly, a reference to the ministry of Christ.  Please view all of these verses and related notes together.

The definition from Webster's 1828, for effect  can be summarized as: 'to make / to cause a result / to produce a consequence / to accomplish a purpose / to force something / the items which allow a lifestyle '.  Simply put, those who are relying on keeping religious rules are not going to respond to Christ  and are going to ignore Christ.  And, since Christ  is not in their lives, Christ  can not effect  the results that come into these people's lives.  Therefore, these people loose ALL that God says is available to us when we are in Christ.  Please see the section of Verses, in the Bible, related to what we have In/of/by/with Christ.  In addition, when Paul says ye are fallen from grace  he means that each and every one of us personally have fallen from the position that God had lifted us to by His grace  at the time that He saved us (Ephesians 2:8-10).

Please see the note for Galatians 4:17 for links to place in the Bible where the word effect  is used.  Also see that note for links to place in the Bible where the word affect  is used along with the definition from Webster's 1828 Dictionary for each word and a discussion on the difference between these two words.

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Galatians 5:24 And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. 

It would be hard to get a verse that is clearer in separating those that are saved but carnal from those that are Christ's.  There is NO doubt that there are saved people who have not crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.  This verse leaves no room when it says they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.  Therefore, they that have not crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts  are not Christ's.  This sentence does not deny their salvation and the context of the chapter makes it clear that it is not talking about eternal security.

When a person claims to be a Christian  they are claiming to be Christ's  and have taken the name of the LORD thy God.  When their life does not display the changes that Christ  brings, such as those mentioned in our sentence and the prior two, along with those changes mentioned in the other places that use the word Christ's;  then that person proves that they have violated the fourth of the ten commandments (Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.  [Exodus 20:7; Deuteronomy 5:11]).  Our sentence makes it very clear that in order to be Christ's,  we must take strong actions against the flesh with the affections and lusts  in order to eliminate them from their life.

In 5:1-7 Paul is talking about living in the liberty  of Christ  versus living in the debt  of the Law.  In 5:8-12 Paul talks about the authority of Christ  versus the authority of religious leaders.  In 5:13-26 Paul is talking about following the Spirit or the flesh and the evidence of which one we are following.  NONE of these things have anything to do with eternal security.

Going on, we have already talked about Paul's use of crucified  in 2:20 and 3:1 (see associated notes) and it is also mentioned in 6:14.  Paul's use of crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts  means having gone through whatever pain is necessary to stop responding to the prompts from our fleshly affections and lusts.  Obviously, very few can say that all of their responses are in the past, which simply means that we are not yet 100% Christ's.

Since this sentence starts with And, it is added onto the prior sentences which list the fruit of the Spirit  (5:22-23).  That sentence is connected to the prior (with a But) and makes it clear that the fruit of the Spirit  is opposite to the works of the flesh  (5:19-21).  Obviously, there has been, there can be, and there will be a lot preached on the differences between these two lists along with the difference between works  and fruit.  But the main thing for our study is the fact that those who are Christ's  do respond to the fruit of the Spirit  and have those fruit evident in their life while they have removed (or working with Christ  to remove) the works of the flesh  from their life.  We also have a measurement of how much we personally are Christ's  (how much we have spiritually matured in Christ)  by looking at how much of the works of the flesh  have been removed from our life and how much of the fruit of the Spirit  has been added to our personal life.

Only people who have deliberately blinded their minds can read this verse and claim that there is no ministry by Christ  that is part of our salvation (God's life in us) that happens after our initial profession.  Please also see the sections called Christ's  in the Study called Relational Prepositions for other places where the Bible talks about the things which belong to Christ.

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Galatians 6:2 bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. 

This verse is tied to the prior sentence because the command to Bear ye one another's burdens  is the way that Christ  wants us to deal with a brother who is overtaken in a fault.  Our prior sentence also identified those who were to restore such a one in the spirit of meekness.  While we might not all be spiritual,  we can take directions from the people who are spiritual  and bear ye one another's burdens.  the fact is: too many people expect the pastor to do everything and object when asked to help.  Then they wonder why their own children refuse to cooperate and help in the home.

The real concern of this note is in the second phrase which says and so fulfill the law of Christ.  The and so  means that when we bear ye one another's burdens  we are fulfilling the law of Christ.  The note for this sentence in the Book Study on Galatians explains more of the details of this sentence and how it fits within the context of the book, chapter and the rest of the Bible including how we will be judged according to our level of obedience to this law of Christ.  Of course,   this judgment will be at the judgment seat of Christ  (Romans 14:10  and 2Corinthians 5:10-11).  Since those things are dealt with in that note, this note will concentrate on the phrase: law of Christ.

We can conclude that those who want to fulfil the law of Christ  (in this verse) are going to be spiritual,  like the prior sentence (6:1) said was required, and are willing to bear ye one another's burdens.  Our prior sentence also said that we are to do this in the spirit of meekness,  which is: 'Strength under control of God's Holy Spirit'.  Thus, if a person is not willing to bear ye one another's burdens,  then he is not really meek,  no matter what he may claim.

Moving on, our sentence also says considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.  While many people preach this saying that we need to help our brother so that he can help us when we are tempted, (and that is a Bible truth that is taught elsewhere), it is not what our sentence says here.  What it is really saying is that we might personally (thou)  also be tempted.  Back in 2:11-13 we read about how Barnabas was caught up in doctrinal error which Peter taught.  Barnabas was the pastor of a church with the Gentiles in it and he stopped fellowshipping with the Gentiles.  This act caused him to stop doing his God-given duty as a pastor.  Rather than correcting Peter, Barnabas also fell to the temptation  and started following religious traditions which went against the Bible.  Thus, we have an example of the true warning in our sentence.  That is: if we aren't careful we will fall for the same temptation  which caught a brother.  The only way to avoid that temptation  is to remember the law of Christ  and the judgment seat of Christ  (Romans 14:10  and 2Corinthians 5:10-11).  While doing that, beware that there is a very strongly held doctrinal error about the judgment seat of Christ  which says that we will only lose rewards and will not suffer punishment there.

This behaviour that has been discussed is what is often preached as something that we should do, while our sentence actually says that it is part of the law of Christ.  'Should do' is sin (coming short of the glory of God  (Romans 3:23).  We can teach and believe the doctrine here if we emphasize that it is a law  which we will give an answer for obeying or disobeying.  Please note that Paul is making a very deliberate distinction between this law of Christ  which we are to obey, and the Religious part of the Mosaic Law, which he talked about extensively in this epistle, and that he said that we are doing doctrinal error if we follow it.  The Bible tells us to obey some laws and ignore other laws.  There are also other things, like fear  where our reaction is to be different based upon where it comes from.  However, the devil gets us to drop the distinction.  If we are to be right with God then we need to pay attention to all of God's distinctions.

We find forms of the word law  occurring 582 times in 514 verses of the Bible, 255times in 201 verses of the New Testament, and in Galatians, in: our current sentence; 2:19, 21; 3:2, 5, 10, 11, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 21, 23, 24; 4:4-5, 21; 5:3, 4, 14, 18, 23; 6:2 and 13.  Please also see the following notes about law
law of works:  Romans C3S27.  kinds of laws that apply to us today:  Romans C3S31; 1Corinthians 9:21-LJC.  law define:  Romans C6S16; 1Corinthians C6S1.  religious part of Moses' law:  Hebrews 19:29-LJC.  righteousness of the Law:  Ephesians 4:7-LJC.  law and faith:  Romans C3S25.  Mosaic Law added:  Galatians C3S22.

From this, we conclude that fulfil the law of Christ  is done by spiritually mature saved people who can act in the correct spirit and are willing to suffer for a less spiritual brother.  It should be obvious that such requirements are not possible unless someone is more spiritually mature than those who just made a profession.  It should also be obvious that the ability to bear ye one another's burdens  will vary from one Christian to another.  That is why the role of Christ  is used here.  As seen throughout the Bible, when Christ  is used by itself we are being told things which vary from one saved person to another and which may be given to one saved person while denied to another.  With this law of Christ,  we have something that will result in some saved people being rewarded and other saved people being punished.

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Galatians 6:12 As many as desire to make a fair shew in the flesh, they constrain you to be circumcised; only lest they should suffer persecution for the cross of Christ. 

This verse is saying that these false religious leaders are causing (constrain) people to be circumcised  (do religious acts) because they desire to make a fair shew in the flesh.  Back in Galatians 4, Paul compared those in the flesh to those of the promise and said But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now  (4:29) .  The persecutions come to those born after the Spirit  and matured through cross of Christ.  Every Bible reference to the cross of Christ  or the death of Christ  is referring to the price that Christ  paid to mature us after our initial profession.  These people are not willing to suffer for having an individual personal mature walk with Christ  but hide in numbers and demand that all march together in locked-step religious laws.  If we look at the prior verse to consider the context, we see Paul say Ye see how large a letter I have written unto you with mine own hand  (Galatians 6:11) .  This is most likely due to the problem with his eyes that Paul already mentioned (4:15).  Since we know from several places in Acts that Paul was stoned several times, this problem with his eyes is most likely due to the stoning.  This is especially true when we consider that in this verse Paul mentions persecution for the cross of Christ  in connection to the eye problem mentioned in the prior verse.  Regardless, Paul is saying that those who try to get us to follow religious rules are trying to convince people that they're right because of the numbers that they have.  They do not want to spiritually mature through a personal relationship with Christ  because Christ  would make them walk in the Spirit  (5:24-25) for the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh  (5:17) .  They would give up eternal rewards through the Spirit in order to avoid suffering in the flesh and encourage others to do the same so that it is not obvious that they made a foolish decision.

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Jesus Christ

Galatians 1:1, 12; 2:16; 3:1, 14, 22; 5:6.

Paul uses Jesus Christ  as a combination of God's roles as Jesus  and as Christ.  In one verse he is making a subtle contrast between the combined roles and God's role as Christ  only.  In all of the other verses, Paul uses Jesus Christ  when he is telling them that neither their initial salvation (through God's role as Jesus), nor their spiritual maturity (through God's role as Christ) came by formal religion.  They believed they were saved through faith but matured by works of keeping the law.  Paul uses Jesus Christ  to show them the similarity in how God works to get us saved and how He works after profession.  God changes not.  Click here for all of the Verses, in the Bible, that use Jesus Christ  and here for the Summary on the name / role of Jesus Christ.

Galatians 1:1 Paul, an apostle, (not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead;) 

Please also see the note on 1:3 under Lord Jesus Christ.  It is part of the same sentence and explains the difference between the use of Lord Jesus Christ  and the use of Jesus Christ  within this sentence.

The use of Jesus Christ  within this sentence is within the included part of the sentence which tells us about Paul's position as an apostle.  In it Paul says that his apostleship is not of men.  It means that men didn't create this position and don't have the authority to create it.  (The word of  means 'belonging to'.)  Next Paul says neither by man, which means that men can't give this position.  (The word by  means 'how you get from one place to another'.)  Men have neither the authority nor the power to take someone from every-day life and put them into the position of an apostle.  Since all evidence shows that God has not done this for anyone since the death of Paul, people who call themselves 'apostle' today are claiming a position which God did not give them and that men can not give them.  Therefore, their claim is false and their making such a claim proves that they are liars.  Men don't have the authority to give this position to other men.

Paul tells us then that he has his apostleship by Jesus Christ and God the Father.  That means that 'Paul went from not being an apostle  to being an apostle  because the power and authority of Jesus Christ and God the Father  was applied to his life in the manner required to accomplish this change'.

Moving on, we see that God the Father...raised him [Jesus Christ] from the dead.  This phrase is included within our sentence to provide the required proof of apostleship.  Therefore, unless someone has to power to raise the dead, they don't have the power to give the office of apostle.  In addition, Jesus Christ  died and rose for our sins.  Unless someone else does the same, they don't have the authority to appoint people to the position of apostle.  As pointed out in the note for this sentence within the Word Study on Apostle, an apostle  has more authority than an ambassador and it is a higher position.  No one can be appointed to the office of ambassador without a personal face-to-face meeting with the head of the government.  Likewise, the higher position of apostle  requires a personal face-to-face meeting with Jesus Christ,  and it means meeting Him in His flesh.

Jesus Christ  is used in the Bible to emphasis the...personal nature of our salvation.  The Son of God paid for my personal sin debt as Jesus  , which gets me out of Hell and into Heaven.  Meanwhile,  Christ  provides a personal ongoing relationship that spiritually matures me.  While the Bible says that the Son of God died as Jesus  and as Christ  and it says that the Son of God rose as Jesus  and as Christ, it does not say that He died or rose as Lord.  Galatians 1:1 uses Jesus Christ  because these roles are the ones attached to the death and resurrection of the Son of God.

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Galatians 1:12 For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.

Here Paul is referring to each of the roles of the Son of God known as Jesus  and as Christ.  Paul just told the Galatians to curse anyone who brought them another gospel and he wants to reassure them that he is still preaching the same gospel from the same God that they are familiar with.  While there are other verses involved, if we just look further in this chapter (1:15-18) we see that Paul conferred not with flesh and blood.  That means that Paul did NOT get his gospel  from other men (flesh and blood).  That also fits with this verse which says For I neither received it of man.  When we ask where Paul got his gospel, this verse says neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.  Paul is saying that Jesus Christ  literally came to him and taught him his gospel.

Everywhere that the Bible uses Jesus  is referring to a literal physical man.  Before His death, He referred to Himself as flesh and blood  (Matthew 16:17) .  However, after His resurrection, He referred to Himself as flesh and bones  (Luke 24:39).  In addition, Paul didn't say that Christ  taught him, like Christ  teaches us today.  Paul used Jesus Christ  because he literally saw the flesh and bones...of the resurrected Jesus Christ  when his gospel was given by the revelation of Jesus Christ.  In addition, 1:15-18 tells us that Paul did not return from his training until after three years.  I personally believe that Paul received as much personal training as each of the other apostles received.  Supposedly, to be a Biblical apostle you have to see the physical resurrected Savior.  I personally believe that you have to be personally taught by Him in order to have sufficient training for that position and He is not bodily returning to this Earth to personally train anyone else.  This verse uses Jesus Christ  because it literally includes the flesh and bones...of the resurrected Saviour.

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Galatians 2:16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified. 

This verse is part of a subsection that goes from 2:11 through 2:21 and must be taken together to get a true Biblical understanding of what is being said.  Within this section, 2:11 through 2:16 tell what Paul did while 2:17 through 2:21 tell the doctrine behind Paul's actions.  Thus, this verse is dealing with doctrinal truth.  Please also see the notes on 2:16, 2:17 and 2:21 (within this Study) for more on this section.

In this section Paul is telling about publicly rebuking Peter for going along with a politically powerful group within the church that was preaching doctrinal error about justification.  In addition, to understanding these verses properly, and understanding the use of Jesus Christ  and Christ  in them, getting the true meaning of these verses requires understanding the Doctrine of Justification.  Admitting that this explanation is inadequate, I will give it using the simplistic definition for justification of just as if I never broke the law (sinned).  However, this simplistic explanation requires the understanding that justification  is a legal term and, therefore, requires dealing with God's spiritual law and our record of sin (violation of God's Law).  However, before we get into the specifics of this verse, we need to have the proper background.  The permutations of just  can be found in Genesis 6:9; 18:19; Exodus 23:7; Leviticus 19:36; Deuteronomy 16:18, 20; 25:1, 15; 32:4; 33:21; 2Samuel 8:15; 15:4; 23:3; 1Kings 8:32; 10:9; 1Chronicles 18:14; 2Chronicles 6:23; 9:8; Nehemiah 9:33; Job 4:17; 8:3; 9:2, 20; 11:2; 12:4; 13:18; 25:4; 27:5, 17; 32:2; 33:12, 32; 34:17; 36:17; 37:23; Psalms 7:9; 37:12; 51:4; 82:3; 89:14; 119:121; 143:2; Proverbs 1:3; 3:33; 4:18; 8:15; 9:9; 10:6-7, 20, 31; 11:1, 9; 12:13, 21; 13:22; 16:11; 17:15, 26; 18:17; 20:7; 21:3, 15; 24:16; 29:10, 27; Ecclesiastes 5:8; 7:15, 20; 8:14; Isaiah 5:23; 9:7; 26:7; 29:21; 43:9, 26; 45:21, 25; 50:8; 53:11; 56:1; 58:2; 59:4, 9, 14; Jeremiah 3:11; 22:15; 23:5; 31:23; 50:7; Lamentations 4:13; Ezekiel 16:51-52; 18:5, 9; 45:9-10; Hosea 14:9; Amos 5:12; Micah 6:8; Habakkuk 2:4; Zephaniah 3:5; Zechariah 9:9; Matthew 1:19; 5:45; 11:19; 12:37; 13:49; 27:19, 24; Mark 6:20; Luke 1:17; 2:25; 7:29, 35; 10:29; 14:14; 15:7; 16:15; 18:14; 20:20; 23:41, 50; John 5:30; Acts 3:14; 7:52; 10:22; 13:39; 22:14; 24:15; Romans 1:17; 2:13; 3:4, 8, 20, 24, 26, 28, 30; 4:2, 5, 25; 5:1, 9, 16, 18; 7:12; 8:30, 33; 1Corinthians 4:4; 6:11; Galatians 2:16; 3:8, 11, 24; 5:4; Philippians 4:8; Colossians 4:1; 1Thessalonians 2:10; 1Timothy 3:16; Titus 1:8; 3:7; Hebrews 2:2; 10:38; 12:23; James 2:21, 24-25; 5:6; 1Peter 3:18; 2Peter 2:7; 1John 1:9; Revelation 15:3.

It should be obvious from the above list that God has a whole lot to say about this subject and anything said in this note will be vastly inadequate.  However, a couple of simple concepts are important and anyone who disagrees with these concepts can research these verses and show me my error according to the Bible.

  1. 'Justification' is a legal term. 
  2. There are several courts and legal systems mentioned in the Bible.  Therefore, there are differences in the details of what is required for justification with each court and/or legal system setting its own requirements. 
  3. The court that the lost approach to get saved (Great white throne) is different from the court that the saved deal with (judgment seat of Christ).  Therefore, the requirements for justification leading to initial salvation are different than the requirements for justification due to sins done after initial salvation. 
  4. Justification leading to initial salvation is part of the ministry of Jesus.  Justification due to sins done after initial salvation is part of the ministry of Christ. 
  5. The part of this sentence that specifically says Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, is talking about justification leading to initial salvation and that also provides justification due to sins done after initial salvation. 
  6. The part of this sentence that specifically says that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, is talking only about justification due to sins done after initial salvation. 
  7. While the Bible includes justification for courts other than God's courts, we are only concerned with justification in God's courts for this note.  Justification in God's courts means that there is visible evidence that proves that God was right (and righteous) when He blotted out the record of our sins God attached an expectation that the changes in our personal life will show God's nature and thereby provide the evidence which justifies God's prior action in our personal life. 

The First Section of this verse says Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ.  Notice that this says of  in the faith of Jesus Christ.  It is the faith of Jesus, who died for us, and the faith of Christ, who died to change us after our initial profession.  It isn't our faith, but God's faith in Himself that He can change us that allows Him to change our legal record in Heaven to be as if we never sinned (never violated God's law) even before there is any change in our behaviour.  Please notice that God's faith in Himself never changes no matter what the circumstances are.

The second part says we have believed in Jesus Christ.  This is past tense and says that we believed in Him, not in our prayer or in anything else.  Our trust is in the person, in God Himself that he will take care of the legal problem using His roles of Jesus  and of Christ.  In addition, we might tell someone that we have faith in them to encourage them.  However, they will fail or succeed strictly upon their own abilities.  Our faith does not alter their abilities.  God gave us a free will to set things up so that He could/would not override it.  Our faith in  Jesus Christ gives Him the permission to change our lives.  It does not have any effect upon what he does to save and justify us.

The third part of this verse says that we might be justified by the faith of Christ.  Please notice that this is future tense.  Here, justified  means proven as in a situation where someone brags about their wife's cooking, which you openly doubted, then they gave you a taste, and you changed your comments.  Paul is saying, we had people openly doubt our claim of salvation.  Christ  made changes in our lives after our initial profession which we could not have done by ourselves and which required the power of God.  Then those people who openly doubted our profession changed their tune.  That, in turn, justified the faith of Christ  (not our faith) that He could change our lives and make that change obvious to people who had doubted our profession.  This fits Ephesians 2:10 which says For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works.  Please also see the notes, within this Study, on Galatians 2:17, 2:20 and 2:21 for more on this section.

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Galatians 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?

Paul uses Jesus Christ  in this verse as a combination of Jesus  and Christ.  This verse is part of Paul's explanation to Gentiles about the doctrine of justification that he and Peter understood as Jews and that Paul talked about in 2:11 through 2:21.  Please see those verses and related notes especially the notes on 2:16, 2:17 and 2:21 (within this Study) for an understanding of the context of those sentences.  While we could study justification throughout the Old Testament, it is simpler to take the explanation that God provides to us Gentiles through Paul in this chapter.

In this verse, and throughout the entire book, Paul is arguing that the members of the Galatians churches started out believing in a salvation through the shed blood of Jesus  and a sanctification through the ministry of Christ.  The word evidently,  within this verse, means that they were given evidence when they were told the truth and that evidence would still be true.  Look further in this chapter where Paul mentions miracles  and the Spirit  and he quotes scripture.  In spite of the evidence, they abandoned the truth to believe in salvation through Jesus  but sanctification through works.  There was no evidence for the religious claims of sanctification through keeping religious works.  However, they chose a false claim with no evidence over a true claim with evidence.

Paul makes it clear that this is foolishness when he says O foolish Galatians.  He also makes it clear when he says that ye should not obey the truth  because Jesus said that those saved people who did not obey were foolish  (Matthew 7:24-28).  Paul also makes it clear that this doctrine is of the devil when he says who hath bewitched you.

In his argument against 'works sanctification', Paul first points out the difference between the flesh  and the Spirit  and makes it clear that what is started in the Spirit  can not be built upon by the flesh  (3:1-5).  Then (3:6-18) he argues that salvation is of (initially through  and afterwards by) faith and says So, then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham  (3:9).  Abraham received the promises four hundred and thirty years  (3:17) before that Law was written.  Therefore, the Law can not affect the promise of salvation.  Within this argument, Paul tells us that God's promise was to Abraham and his seed were the promises made.  He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ  (3:16) .  Since the promises are to Christ, we have access to the promises only through Christ.  Paul ends his argument (3:19-29) by explaining the relationship between the Law and Christ.  Specifically, Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith  (3:24) .  The Law could only condemn and, therefore, made it clear that we needed to receive salvation another way, which is through the personal relationship with the Son of God, as a child of God that is available through the Son of God's role as Christ.

Since this verse starts the entire argument about salvation and sanctification through works (not possible) contrasted with salvation and sanctification through Jesus Christ, we can definitely say that this verse uses Jesus Christ  as a combination of God's ministries (roles) as Jesus  (initial salvation) and as Christ  (sanctification).  In addition, our sentence ends with crucified among you.  The crucifixion  was the payment that Jesus  made for our initial salvation and that Christ  paid for our sanctification.  Paul uses the phrase among you  because he laid out these truths among you.  Therefore, they could not claim ignorance.  They also knew that neither the law  nor the religious people they were trusting paid that price.  They were very foolish to turn from the one Who paid for their personal salvation and sanctification and turn to someone who refused to pay for them.

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Galatians 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.

This verse and 3:13 are the same sentence which is divided by punctuation in the note for this verse within the Book Study on Galatians.  It has three Equivalent Sections and each Equivalent Section tells us about the payment by Christ.  Each Equivalent Section of this sentence gives us a different picture of that payment.  In the Third Equivalent Section we see the role of Jesus  added to the role of Christ  because the Bible usually depicts both roles when telling about salvation (that we might receive the promise of the Spirit).  It is this Third Equivalent Section, and the promise of the Spirit through faith,  which are part of our salvation, which this note is concerned with.

In this verse, Jesus Christ  is used as a combination of God's ministries as Jesus  and as Christ.  This verse says That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles  and this is why we were given justification.  Then, this sentence and the surrounding ones explain each part of justification and how Jesus Christ  took care of each of those parts.  The Son of God lived as a normal weak human being as Jesus.  (Please see the Study called Jesus used the Holy Spirit.)  As Jesus,  He provided the penalty for our sin in God's Great White Throne  legal system.  He now provides this to all who come in in the same faith  as Abraham had (That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ).  In 3:6 it says Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.  We receive the same righteousness  because Jesus  made it possible.

This is one of those eternal gifts that are given to all saved equally without consideration of any merit that the saved person has.  Jesus  lived a perfect life under the Law, did not earn the curse of the Law, and yet fulfilled the requirements of the Law (Deuteronomy 27:26) for our sins.  However, as pointed out in the note under Christ, paying for our sins in God's Great White Throne  legal system did not require our receiving the promise of the Spirit.  The Spirit  was provided so that Christ  could provide personal guidance as part of a personal relationship with God.  As explained in the note for Ephesians 2:10,  this is part of the Biblical salvation  that God provides because this is how God gets glory.  Thus, the ministry of Christ  is an integral part of the salvation which comes from God.  Both, the ministry of Jesus  and the ministry of Christ  are involved in this verse that uses Jesus Christ.

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Galatians 3:22 But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe. 

Paul started talking about justification in Galatians 2 and is talking about it through the end of Galatians 3.  The note for 2:16 (in this Study) gives general information about justification and the difference (in general) between justification by Jesus Christ  and justification by Christ.  Other notes added to what was said in that note.  In Galatians 2, Paul, as a Jew, addresses Peter, as a Jew, and dealt with justification from the Jewish perspective, which includes an understanding of the Old Testament that Gentiles usually don't have.  So, we could study all of what the Old Testament teaches about justification and still not understand this perspective.

I said that I will stick to what Paul teaches in a summary fashion for Gentiles in Galatians 3.  Please see all related verses and associated notes about justification, especially the verses/notes in Galatians 3 for critical context considerations.  This note assumes that the reader understands prior verses/notes.

This verse starts with But, which connects it to the prior sentence while going in a different direction.  There we learned that the law  does not give righteousness  or life.  However, other verses in this section make it clear that righteousness  and life  come by the promise  of God.  According to this verse, we receive that promise  by the faith of Jesus Christ.  Notice that this verse says of Jesus Christ.  It's not talking about our faith in Jesus Christ  but the about the faith that Jesus Christ  had.  Jesus Christ  went to the cross having faith  that He could get saved people to stop their sinning without taling away their free will like Satan and sin does.  It is based upon this faith of Jesus Christ  that God gives to us His promise when we first get saved and before we ever do anything in obedience to Jesus Christ  In addition, to that truth, this verse is speaking of things that are in connection to the promises given to Abraham.

At the time that the promises were given, Abraham was put to sleep and he saw a vision.  In the vision, God the Father took a lantern that was also held by God the Son and they made a covenant between themselves.  Abraham, and all that believed with the same faith as Abraham are the beneficiaries.  However, all responsibilities to fulfill the contract fell on those who swore the oath: God the Father and God the Son.  God the Son, in His roles of Jesus  and of Christ, fulfilled His part of the contract when He died on the cross for our sins.  (Please see explanation in earlier notes.) This verse says the promise by faith of Jesus Christ  to lets us know that what is given to us is because of the promise that was fulfilled by Jesus Christ.  As explained in the note for the sentence before this one, (which this verse is connected to by starting with But), The righteousness  of Jesus  is given to all saved when they first get saved.  However, the righteousness  of Christ  is added when the saved let Him live through them.  God gave more than one promise  and the additional promises  only come through the ministry of Christ.  That's why it took the ministry of Jesus  and the ministry of Christ  to make available to us all of the promises  which God has for the saved.

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Galatians 5:6 For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love.

This verse starts with For, which means it gives us the reason that Paul said Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace  in the second prior sentence.  (The prior sentence also starts with For  and gave the first reason for Paul's statement while this verse is the second reason.)

Galatians 5:1-6 is a single subsection where all of the verses and related notes need to be considered together.)  Back in 3:6 we were told Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.  Paul continues from there to explain how our justification is based upon the promise that God gave Abraham because of his belief/faith.  Paul continues through 3:11 where he tells us But that no man is justified by the law (circumcision) in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.  Paul continues from there through here showing us many different times and ways how that religious rules (circumcision) doesn't work but an active faith  does everything that we need.

Paul is using Jesus Christ  as the combination of these two roles of God which provide the personal parts of our salvation.  Each saved person was personally saved from Hell (by Jesus  [Romans 3:26]) which they had earned through their own personal sins.  Every truly saved person has an ongoing personal relationship with the Son of God through His role as Christ  whereby He changes (spiritually matures) us.  Unfortunately, it is possible to walk away from this relationship, just like a child can leave home and never talk to their parents again.  So, people can be truly saved, have had a personal relationship with Christ  in the past and not be maintaining that relationship now.

Circumcision, in this verse and epistle, symbolically stands for any and all formalized religion.  Paul is telling us that formalized religion can't do anything to get you saved and formalized religion can't help you to mature spiritually after profession.  Faith which worketh by love  does both.  The faith of Jesus Christ gets us saved and matures us spiritually and that faith is made available only because of the love of Jesus Christ.  Our faith in the love of Jesus Christ  is what God honors when He saves us and when He spiritually matures us.

Please also see the notes on Galatians 2:16 and 3:22.

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Christ Jesus

Galatians 2:4; 3:26, 28; 4:14; 6:15.

Every one of these verses are dealing with things that all saved have because of salvation but which really require spiritual maturity to realize the benefits.  For example, unlocking a jail door doesn't do the prisoner any good until they leave the jail.  Likewise, we receive spiritual liberty at our salvation (jail door opened).  However, our spiritual liberty doesn't do us any good until we mature enough to start relating to God on an individual basis.  Through Christ Jesus  we are children of God, have liberty, are made equal before God, receive God's knowledge and wisdom and become a new creature.  Click here for all of the Verses, in the Bible, that use Christ Jesus  and here for the Summary on the name / role of Christ Jesus.

Galatians 2:4 And that because of false brethren unawares brought in, who came in privily to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage: 

Galatians 2:3-5is a single sentence that is divided by punctuation in the note for this sentence within the Book Study on Galatians.

As can be seen by the breakdown of this sentence, religious people tried to use religious traditions to bring others into bondage.  This still happens today.  People use the argument about the 'weaker brother' (1Corinthians 8) to try to restrict the actions of others.  But there is a difference.  This sentence says that they had liberty.  That means that each person could individually choose to participate in circumcision or not participate.  These false brethren were trying to take away their right to deal with Christ  on a personal basis and force everyone to follow a rule that God had proved did not apply because God had given the Holy Ghost to uncircumcised people.  However, in the case of meat offered to idols, I find no place where God made His decision clear.  In addition, Paul talked about if any man see thee  in relation to things offered unto idols.  This is something done in public where even the lost people see what is happening but, circumcision is never done in public.  So, in addition to God speaking on one matter and not speaking on the other, we also have the difference of a public testimony versus a private religious act.  Thirdly, these false brethren  were trying to force others to do a religious act while the dispute about meats  was about not doing what some people believed was a sin.  Therefore, we can say that when God clearly makes something part of the personal relationship to God the Son, we have no right to make a universal rule  about such things and we certainly have no right to tie salvation to our rule.

In this sentence, Paul says that they had liberty which we have in Christ Jesus.  The immature saved Jews were still trying to keep the requirements of the Mosaic Law and make everyone else do the same.  The liberty  that Paul mentions is liberty from the religious part of the Mosaic Law.  However, that liberty came only after spiritual maturity that was needed to accept guidance by Christ Jesus  to change religious traditions.  Notice that Paul uses Christ Jesus  because this type of liberty is only given to the saved (Jesus) who have spiritually matured after their initial profession (Christ).  Christ Jesus  is used instead of Jesus Christ  because the maturity after our initial profession is more important than the initial profession when dealing with religious liberty.  In fact, there is a direct relationship between the amount of religious liberty that someone experiences and their personal spiritual maturity received through the ministry of Christ.  Also, Christ Jesus  is used instead of Christ  because God intends for this liberty to be given to all saved people.

Please also see the notes for this sentence in the Word Studies on: Truth and on Gospel.

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Galatians 3:26 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.

This verse starts with For  and lets us know the future result of what Paul said in the prior sentences.  This verse, and the next two, summarize this chapter and especially tell up why Paul said what he did starting in 3:22.  In that verse we read about the faith of Jesus Christ.  In 3:22 we read that the faith of Jesus Christ  makes the promise  of God available to us.  In order to give us all that is now available, God had to take us out from under the schoolmaster  of the Mosaic Law (3:23-25).  Once the Mosaic Law was removed, God then told us to put our faith  in the person of Christ Jesus.  However, Christ Jesus  requires certain things from us just as a good parent requires certain things from a child before the child receives a reward.  We are to believe that He can and does get all of the promises  of God and make them available to us.  In addition, notice that this verse says Christ Jesus,  not Jesus Christ.  That means that it is emphasizing spiritual maturity after our initial profession.  Certain things, such as a bicycle, are not given to a child until after they grow up some.  Likewise, certain promises  and gifts of God are not given until after we spiritually mature.  That spiritual maturing is emphasized by the next verse which uses Christ  by itself.

A child has faith in their parent when they expect the parent to pay their school bill.  The child's faith doesn't add one penny to the payment of the school bill.  Likewise, our faith in Christ Jesus  doesn't add anything the faith of Christ Jesus  which saved us.  However, God expects us to show our faith in Christ Jesus  by accepting that He paid the full price and that we can't add to his payment.  Paul goes on (in this verse) and says that after our salvation, ye (each and every one of you personally) are all the children of God.  (Please see the note for Romans 8:14 in the Lord Jesus Christ Study.  It is extensive and has links, along with notes, for the verses which use the phrase sons of God  as well as for the verses which use the phrase children of God.  It explains the difference between the two phrases and shows how this sentence is related to others in context which relates to our becoming sons of God.)  The word are  is a present tense verb of a present ongoing relationship.  Not only did Christ Jesus  pay the price to make us children of God, but He goes on paying the price to maintain us as children of God  just like human parents pay the price to maintain their children.  In the ongoing relationship (as children of God), our current interaction is more important than what started the relationship.  That's why Paul says in Christ Jesus  instead of in Jesus Christ.  Please also see the verse and note for the next verse (3:27), within this Study, which is linked to this verse by context.

Please note that, in the greater context of this epistle, this chapter has Paul's explanation of justification.  In these summary verses we see that God removed the Mosaic law (religious rules) and had us put our faith in Christ Jesus  (this verse) then has Christ  change our lives through an ongoing personal relationship (next verse).  That change justifies  His saving us while refusing salvation to the person who rejects the ongoing personal relationship and the change it causes.

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Galatians 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.

This verse and 3:29 summarize Galatians 3.  Please also see all of the verses and notes for Galatians (3:1, 3:13, 3:14, 3:16, 3:17, 3:22, 3:24, 3:26, 3:27, 3:28 and 3:29), especially the note on 3:29.

Paul is saying, forget all of the claims of the flesh such as keeping the Mosaic Law or any of these other fleshly measurements that divide men.  We are all one (same) in Christ Jesus.  That is, those who have been saved by Jesus  and spiritually matured after profession, through Christ, to the point that the spiritual maturity far outweighs the salvation (Christ Jesus  not Jesus Christ) must have come to the point that your similarities in Christ  effectively eliminate any differences caused by considerations of the flesh.  Look at 3:29 which says And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.  We obviously can't become the physical seed  of Abraham  but we become the spiritual seed  of Abraham  through the finished work of Christ.  However, we can't receive the finished work of Christ  without first being saved.

In the final argument of Galatians 3 (3:21-29), we find Paul using Jesus Christ,  Christ,  and then Christ Jesus  respectively.  He then used Christ  twice and then Christ Jesus  again and then back to Christ.  Paul first used Jesus Christ  to say what God wanted all saved to have (the promise by faith of Jesus Christ).  Then he keeps switching back and forth between Christ Jesus  and Christ  to say that God wants all saved to have these things, but restricted them to those who mature spiritually (Christ Jesus) and here's how you get that spiritual maturity required to receive the promises (Christ).  In order to be Christ's  (3:29) and receive all that is available as heirs according to the promise  we have to be one  as stated in this verse and explained in the notes for Ephesians 1:10; 2:14-16, 18; 4:2, 4-7, 25, 32; 5:21, 31, 33).

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Galatians 4:14 And my temptation which was in my flesh ye despised not, nor rejected; but received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus. 

Please see the note for 4:1 under Lord for context of the chapter as it relates to this verse.

This verse is part of Paul's illustration to the Galatians churches of how they acted differently in the past.  They used to act right and now they have been led into error.  The use of Christ Jesus  in this verse is best understood in conjunction with the next verse which says Where is then the blessedness ye spake of? for I bear you record, that, if it had been possible, ye would have plucked out your own eyes, and have given them to me.  This kind of response does not fit with the immature Christian but with someone who has spiritually matures after profession to the point that the maturity is more important in identifying them than the salvation itself is.  That's why Christ Jesus  is used.  Please see the Summary note for Christ Jesus  for more details on how this name is used within this epistle and throughout the entire Bible.

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Galatians 6:15 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature. 

In his closing, Paul gives a summary of the main teaching of this book.  He is saying that those who have been saved (Jesus) and spiritually matured after their initial profession through the ministry of Christ  realize that religious acts do not avail anything (neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision).  God's ministry which creates a a new creature  in is is what makes a difference.  This new creature  spiritually is through the ministry of Jesus.  However, the new creature  that is seen in this world is through the ministry of Christ.  Paul uses both, Christ  and Jesus  here because both ministries are involved in what he is saying.  Paul uses Christ Jesus  instead of Jesus Christ  because the ministry of Christ  (what the world sees) is more important than the ministry of Jesus  (our spiritual status in Heaven) for the subject of this book.

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Lord Jesus

Galatians 6:17.

Please see the note below.  Click here for all of the Verses, in the Bible, that use Lord Jesus  and here for the Summary on the name / role of Lord Jesus.

Galatians 6:17 From henceforth let no man trouble me: for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus.

Many people had tried to play Lord  over Paul and tell him what to do in this life.  The Jewish religious leaders and Jewish people had repeatedly had him beat and tried to kill him for not submitting to their rules.  Non-Jewish people had done the same when Paul's preaching interfered with their profits.  Paul had proven that the only human Lord  that he obeyed was Jesus by his willingness to suffer his actual suffering for obeying Jesus and disobeying contradictory orders from any other Lord  in this world.

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Lord Jesus Christ

Galatians 1:3; 6:14, 18.

Lord Jesus Christ  is used three times in this epistle.  Each time Paul is telling us about a blessing that comes from each of the roles of the Son of God.  Click here for all of the Verses, in the Bible, that use Lord Jesus Christ  and here for the Summary on the name / role of Lord Jesus Christ.

Galatians 1:3 Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ,

Please also see the note on 1:1 under Jesus Christ.  It is part of the same sentence and explains the requirements for someone to truly have the Biblical position, and authority, of an apostle.  This position is only given after someone has a personal face-to-face meeting with Jesus Christ  while He is in His physical flesh.

As found in other books, Paul tells us that grace comes from the Father and from each of God the Son's roles of Lord, Jesus  and Christ.  This association between the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ  is seen several places in the Bible.  This opening sentence (1:1-5) has three equivalent parts and an included part and is broken down by punctuation in the note for this sentence within the Book Study on Galatians.

In the First Section of this sentence, we find who wrote the letter and whom it was written to.  It was written by Paul and all the brethren which are with me (Paul).  While Paul sometimes includes others (Timotheus in Philippians), here he includes an unspecified number of others.  Since Paul is writing to several churches that have left true doctrine for heresy, Paul is letting them know that there are several witnesses who agree with Paul and it is not just Paul against the others.

We see several places in this epistle that there were others who preached another gospel  (1:6) and in order to get these churches to submit to them, they had to discredit Paul.  We see later on that Paul calls for these others to be cursed (1:8) but to the people that have been led astray, Paul is letting them know that this correction will be public.  In addition, Paul makes it clear (in the included section) that he is speaking as God's authoritative representative (an apostle).

Please see lower for the included part of this sentence.

In the Second Equivalent Section Paul tells them what God wants them to know in a very summarized fashion.  Paul tells them that God the Father  and our Lord Jesus Christ  offer grace...and peace, but that offering comes with strings.  Paul reminds them our Lord Jesus Christ...gave himself for our sins  for the expressed purpose of that he might deliver us from this present evil world.  God will not take away our free will.  If we are not willing to be delivered from this present evil world  (we want to continue in our sin), then God will not give us grace...and peace.

Lots of people want to claim grace...and peace  without meeting God's requirement.  Hebrews 3 makes it clear that grace...and peace  are part of God's rest  and God refuses His rest  to those who refuse to stop sinning.  God's rest, and the related grace...and peace, are the result of the ministry of Christ.  Of course, God's grace...and peace  are only offered to the saved, which is the ministry of Jesus.  The ministry of the Lord  is also involved because this epistle is talking about legal matters such as justification  and Liberty.  Our grace...and peace  in such legal matters are definitely part of the ministry of the Lord.  So, the First Section of this sentence tells us who the epistle is from and who it is to, while the second part gives us the essence of the message.  The third (equivalent) part tells us why God sent this message.  We say in the note for Colossians 1:27 that God saves us in the hope that He will get glory from the changes that Christ  brings into our lives.  This part of the sentence tells us the same thing.

That leaves the included part of the sentence which is dealt with in the note on 1:1.  Please see if for the important details which are part of this sentence and are required to truly understand this sentence.  It tells us about Paul's position as an apostle  and how this position is only given after a personal face-to-face with Jesus Christ  while He is in His physical flesh.

Now that we have talked about the overall sentence, we can return to the use of Lord Jesus Christ  in Galatians 1:3.  Here, we can see the significance of the difference between his using Jesus Christ  and his using Lord Jesus Christ  within this opening sentence.  The main difference between the two is that Paul includes the role of Lord, which emphasizes the legal aspects of grace...and peace.  This is significant because if we want grace...and peace, we need to be in submission to God's legal authority structure, which includes Paul's legal position of apostle.  God does not go outside of His authority structure and those who challenge His role as Lord  (by trying to go outside of God's authority structure) will loose the grace...and peace.

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Galatians 6:14 But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world. 

Paul uses Lord Jesus Christ  to reference every role of our God.  Notice that Paul uses this combined title in the opening and then not again until the close.  Paul is writing to clear up doctrinal error related to God's ministry as Christ  and does not confuse it by bringing in other roles of God more than necessary.  He opens with wishing them grace from each of God's roles and He closes with the same.  Paul tells them that he glories in each ministry of his God and in every way that God blesses him and in nothing else.

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Galatians 6:18 Brethren, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.  Amen. 

Please see the note on 6:14.  In addition, please see the note for this verse in the Book Study on Galatians.  It provides several links to places where Paul talks about grace  including the 7 places that he uses grace  in this epistle.

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Son

Galatians 1:16; 2:20; 4:4, 6, 7, 30.

Four of these verses use Son  for the Son of God.  One says that God will make us His sons  and the last compares a lost son of religious rules  to a son of promise  and tells us that the son of religious rules  will not inherit with the son of promise.  This epistle uses son  to teach us that just as the Son of God  has the same Spirit and character as God the Father.  So, we also need to have that same Spirit and character as God the Father if we are the true sons of God.  Click here for all of the Verses, in the Bible, that use Son  and here for the Summary on the name / role of Son.

Galatians 1:16 To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood: 

Please see the note for 1:12 under Jesus Christ.  It explains how we were saved using God the Son's roles of Jesus  and of Christ.  Now this sentence tells us why.  1:15-17 is a single sentence divided by a colon (:)and the majority of the meaning of this sentence is discussed in the note for 1:12 under Jesus Christ.  Paul uses Son  here to mean the Son of God, because the Bible uses Son  for someone who has the same character as their Father.  The Son of God shows us how to be like God the Father, which results in Paul's statement of to reveal his Son in me.  Jesus used the Holy Spirit while He lived as a weak human being in the Gospels and He is our example of how to live in the flesh by the power of the Holy Spirit.  As Christ,  He shows us how to be sanctified and to become spiritually mature.  Thus, like Paul, we can become sons of God  (John 1:12-13; Romans 8:14).  Notice that Paul goes on in the next phrase to say that I might preach him among the heathen.  One of the main reasons that God saves us and makes us sons of God  is so that we can also preach him among the heathen.

Paul uses Son  because God revealed the Son of God in every one of His roles through Paul's life.  We are all supposed to reveal Christ  as we allow Him to live through our life and receive spiritual maturity as a result.  We are all supposed to reveal Jesus  as we learn from Him on how to live in the flesh by the power of the Holy Ghost and deal with other men as man to man.  However, we can not reveal the authority, judgment and other things of the Lord  like Paul could because none of us have Paul's position as an apostle.  We can instead reveal our Lord  by submitting to Him when He directs us against the desires of the world, the flesh and the Devil.  In addition, to those other roles of the Son of God, I doubt if many would want to experience the beatings, death and suffering that Paul went through to reveal the Saviour  and the Lamb  roles of the Son of God.  I believe that Son  is used here to represent the Son of God in all of His roles.

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Galatians 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. 

Please also see the note for 2:20 under Christ.  It has this sentence divided by punctuation and explains this sentence.

Most (all?) of the preaching and teaching that I have ever heard on this sentence concentrated on the role of Christ  and ignores the use of Son of God  within this sentence.  This sentence makes a deliberate distinction between these two names / roles of the Son of God.  While Christ  deals with my present life (I live...liveth...I now live),  the Son of God  made it all possible (gave himself for me).  This is talking about our salvation and all aspects of it.  The Son of God  is used for each and every role of our Lord Jesus Christ  and also shows us the character of God the Father.  This has been explained in detail elsewhere on this site but I will give a summary.

The Son of God  left Heaven and all that He had there to is become a weak human being named Jesus.  As a literal physical man He died and went to Hell to pay for our sins and allow us to become adopted as sons of God.  While we can't completely separate a role from the person filling it, God can.  As a result, the Son of God  could die as Christ  for a totally different reason than why He died as Jesus.  As Christ,  He died for the sins we make after our initial salvation.  Those sins are dealt with in a different court than the sins which would have sent us to Hell.  In addition, the sins that Jesus  died for were all blotted out  at one time while the sins that Christ  died for are dealt with one at a time and are blotted out  only if we let Christ liveth in me,  which causes us to 'Stop our sinning'.  Any sins that we do not let Christ  remove from our life will be facing us at the judgment seat of Christ  (Romans 14:10  and 2Corinthians 5:10-11).

In addition, to providing salvation as Jesus  and as Christ,  the Son of God  also provides salvation as Lord.  Within that role He takes care of legal matters and gives us gifts and makes laws for all saved and judges with punishment for disobedience and rewards for obedience.  Many (most?) people confuse things done by Christ  and those done through the role of Lord.  The simplest division is that anything that is personal is done through the role of Christ  while what is non-personal is done through the role of Lord.  Thus, all saved are given the Holy Ghost but spiritual gifts are personal with only some saved given the gift of being a pastor.

In addition, to those three roles, the Son of God  displays the character of God the Father.  God the Father had to make the plan of salvation and give his only begotten Son  (John 3:16).  God the Father did other things for our salvation but the main thing that the use of Son  shows us is His character.  Everywhere that the Bible uses son  is talking about someone who has received the character of their father.

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Galatians 4:4 But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,

Please also see the note for 4:1-2 in the Book Study on Galatians as it provides a general outline for this chapter.  Please also note that this verse is only part of a sentence that is in 4:3-5.  We can not get the proper interpretation of this sentence, and the proper use of Son  within it, unless we also consider the context.  The minimum context which must be considered is the full sentence.

This verse is talking about the Son of God Who made it possible for us to be adopted as sons of God.  Every place that the Bible uses the word son  is talking about a person who receives the character of the father  even if he is not their physical father.  One example is Paul and Timothy.  Thus, our sentence is telling us that one reason that God sent the Son of God  is so that we could receive the character of God the Father and learn to act like the Son of God.

Notice that this sentence (4:3-5) starts with Even so.  This means that the principal of the first sentence is applied to this sentence.  Thus, saved people who refuse to take on the character of God the Father do not receive the approval of God the Father and do not receive the inheritance.  They may be saved, but, as mentioned elsewhere on this site, they will be 'homeless in Heaven' because they refused God's requirements to receive the rest of the inheritance.

Our complete sentence ends with that we might receive the adoption of sons.  The word that  tells us that there is a requirement which must be met.  The word might  means that we might receive the adoption of sons,  if we meet God's requirement, but will not if we don't meet God's requirement.  This verse is a prime example of where God's people get led into doctrinal error by interpreting verses and not considering the full context, especially when they do not interpret the entire sentence as a single thought.

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Galatians 4:6 And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. 

Please see the note for 4:1 under Lord which explains the context of this verse.  Please also see the chapter summary in the chapter note within the Book Study on Galatians as it shows all that the proper interpretation of this verse has to support.  This verse tells us that because God has adopted us and made us sons  (John 1:12-13), He gave us His Spirit (Romans 5:5), and He has also given us the Spirit of his Son  (Romans 8:9).  This does not eternally secure us but teaches us to cry Abba, Father  because we have a personal relationship that is based upon endearment and not based upon law.

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Galatians 4:7 Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ. 

Please see the note for 4:1 under Lord and the note for 4:7 under Christ for context of the chapter as it relates to this verse.  This verse tells us that the only way that we are going to receive any of the promises  of God (inheritance  from Christ) beyond basic salvation is to spiritually mature enough for lost people to see the character of God the Father is our life.  That is what the Bible means by our becoming a son.

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Galatians 4:30 Nevertheless what saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman. 

Please see the note for 4:1 under Lord for context of the chapter as it relates to this verse

This verse is part of Paul's summary which teaches us that those who depend upon keeping religious rules for their sanctification will lose their inheritance (not salvation but won't have anything more than a robe of Christ's righteousness in Heaven).  This sentence, within the context, teaches that saved people who rely on keeping religious rules for sanctification shall not be heir with the son  who receives the character of God the Father.  Our true sanctification  only comes from allowing God to change our life to be like the Son of God.

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