JMA Missions Mid-Month November 2024
The Great Commission in Galatians
Continuing our series on the Great Commission in the New Testament!
In these mid-month missions devos, we are looking for a representation of the Great Commission in each of the books of the New Testament. What we will find in Galatians is very interesting from a mission’s perspective, and while there is no, "Go therefore" type of command, there is a tremendous commentary on "teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you."
In the years immediately following the events of 30AD, and the implementation of the new covenant, God used Paul to work out new covenant theology, moving away from the old Mosaic covenant. There were several years of 'overlap' between these two covenants, from the cross in 30AD until 70AD when the Temple and Jerusalem were destroyed, and the Mosaic covenant was emphatically and violently closed. During that time, most of the books/letters in our New Testament were written.
In this letter to the churches of Galatia, we can see several examples of the Pauline new covenant theology which he had received by revelation (ch1:11-12), and which we may presume he also received through study. Paul, having been a Pharisee, had been an accomplished student, (ch1:14) was very advanced in Judaism, and zealous for the traditions, even to the persecution of the church. Interestingly in this letter, Paul identifies a major problem with that exact 'tradition', something he knows does not have a place in the new covenant.
Synopsis: Paul planted several churches in the region of Galatia on his first missionary journey (Acts 13-14). News of these church plants reached Jerusalem, and a "conflict in covent" was uncovered in the process. In Jerusalem, there were 'certain men' who were maintaining aspects of Judaism as a salvation issue, including separation from Gentiles, circumcision, and keeping the old covenant Law of Moses. They practiced it, and claimed that for the Gentiles to be saved, they also must practice the same form of Judaism. Of course, Paul condemned this as 'a different gospel', and a perversion of the real gospel of Christ (ch1:6-7), and condemned the sect Judaism in the harshest terms.
Then, Paul takes the bulk of this letter (ch3-6) to remind the churches what he had taught them while he was with them, which were the doctrines of the new covenant, the faith of Abraham, Christ redeeming us from the law, the adoption by the Spirit of adoption, the reality of two covenants, walking in liberty from the old, walking in the Spirit in the new, the works of the flesh, the fruit of the Spirit, the restoration of a fallen brother (in context meaning one who has been duped by cult doctrines), sowing and reaping, boasting in the cross not the circumcision, and finally that the new creation is the centerpiece of new covenant theology, a thing which Moses could not provide.
Today, we are way past the 'overlap' time between the old and new covenant! But it is still important to remind ourselves that we live, and walk, and teach new covenant doctrines and principles. From time to time, we must review the things we have been believing, review why we believe them, check ourselves and our doctrine against the teachings of the New Testament, and where we find discrepancies, we must change.
Are we "teaching them to observe all things I have commanded you", or are we adding old and unnecessary, even sometimes destructive things into the churches without knowing or thinking about it.
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