The Pointe in Galatia

Paul’s provocative words to the Galatians, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me” (Galatians 2:20), provide both a summary of Paul’s Old Testament theology and an introduction to the application of truth to the Christian life. Even attempting to understand the political and regional boundaries to determine who comprised the people of Galatia reminds us that the Christian faith always exists and applies within a myriad of cultures.

The Pointe in Galatia

Paul’s words are not merely a theological argument between the concepts of faith or works. Was Jesus Israel’s Messiah, which the Jewish people had been looking for since the time of Abraham or not? What does it mean that God’s Messiah was crucified? Can the Messiah bring rest to God’s people, by leading them into the Promised Land, or does He just add to the rules and regulations of Moses? Is God somehow involved in all of this? How does God intervene and interact in human history?

Most importantly, as we pause on our journey, let us ponder the pointe in Galatia:

• God has initiated a new covenant

God’s new covenant and world has begun, ushered in through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. He is not just an addendum to the Law – He is the completion and fulfillment of the Law. Christianity’s position in relationship to Judaism reminds us the the message of Jesus is a message in the milieu of religious confusion. In the Mediterranean culture, Christians must speak to the monotheistic legalism of the Jews and the polytheistic fantasy smorgasbord of Greek mythology. Even in Paul’s day, skeptics were seeing the impossibility of living a perfect life. While myths were fun, they did not provide real answers to life’s problems. Atheism was knocking on the front door.

• Christianity exists in a context

The nature of the demands and expectations upon the Messiah were also political. Christianity exists within a political culture. Accepting and applying sound doctrine affects behavior. Is loyalty and dedication to Jesus as the Messiah a threat to the demands for complete loyalty to the Caesar? Is there a separation between church and state – and if so, where is the line drawn and by whom? Isn’t this charting new territory for a believer? How does Christianity respond to culture?

• God intervenes

If Christianity travels its journey in such difficult waters, is God involved in helping navigate the experience? What spurs God to providential involvement? How can we know God’s leading? Are there ways to improve our sensitivity to God’s prompting?

 

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