There are many lessons to learn from the letter to the Galatians. The Spirit of God would bring to our attention various issues that face believers in the pathway of faith, not only then but even today. We will look at three of these important lessons found in this wonderful epistle.

Lesson One: The Believer Lives By Faith, Not By The Law
After Paul’s visit to the region, those who believed the gospel formed assemblies of Christians. They were comprised of individuals who had been of a Jewish or a Gentile (non-Jewish) background, but were now believers in Christ. Jewish false teachers came to them afterward and taught that believers needed to follow the law of Moses. These Jewish false teachers were called, “those ... of the circumcision” (Gal. 2:12 NKJV). They were very clever in the way they brought their false teachings and implied that in order to be fully justified and righteous before God, a believer must keep the law.

This teaching set aside Christ’s atoning work. It suggested that faith in the grace of God through Christ dying for our sins was not enough to make us right before God. Their teaching also effectively put away the manner in which a believer is to progress spiritually, by walking in the Spirit (5:16) rather than keeping a set of laws or rules.

These false teachers preached that to be fully justified a Gentile believer must be circumcised (v.11). In addition, the keeping of the Sabbath and feasts throughout the year had to be observed (4:10). The false teachers were very zealous (v.17), which added to their appeal. Being gifted in speech, they had the ability to persuade their hearers quite easily (5:8).

Like then, false teachers today appear sincere and zealous, and they are persuasive in their speech. However, they come as wolves in sheep’s clothing, as the Lord warned, “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves” (Mt. 7:15). In 2 Corinthians 11:13-14 (KJV) we read: “For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.”

The apostle Paul addressed these false teachings by reminding the Galatians of the justifying faith they received. He reminded them of the importance of faith – and faith alone – in the Lord Jesus Christ and His finished work. “That no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for ‘the just shall live by faith’” (Gal. 3:11 NKJV). Also, Galatians 3:24-25 says, “Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.” We progress in the Christian life by walking in the Spirit, not by keeping the law of Moses.

This first lesson is so important. Today many Christians are not free from the law of Moses in their understanding of what pleases God after salvation, for they mix the Old Testament with the New Testament. They may add some Old Testament commandments, such as keeping the Sabbath, and state that this must be followed in order to please God and live for Him. Even if they do not use the law of Moses as their rulebook, they may add rules from their culture or family history that seem to them to be necessary to please God. But such stipulations are not found in the Bible.

The key for the believer in Christ is that we are part of something totally new. Salvation in Christ is a new creation. It is not an improvement upon the law of Moses or an adding of Christ to Judaism, but rather a totally new thing. We have died to the law and are now alive in Christ. “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new” (2 Cor. 5:17).

Paul concluded his letter by stating believers live by this new creation rule, as found in Galatians 6:14-16: “But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but a new creation. And as many as walk according to this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God.”

Lesson Two: The Value Of A Personal Testimony
Another important lesson from Galatians is the value of a personal testimony. Paul, led by the Spirit of God, wrote to these new believers about his past history. How did God show Paul the truth that he was imparting to the Galatians? From where did he receive the gospel and from whom did he receive it? He shared this history in Galatians 1:11–2:21, describing his past and what God had done in his life.

Paul reviewed how God directed him immediately after his conversion (1:16). He wanted the Galatians to know him better and to understand who he was as the messenger God, used to bring them the truth of the gospel. He distinguished himself from other apostles, and by doing so he showed that the message came from God and not man. Paul also distanced himself from the false teachers who came to them later. We learn things about Paul’s history here which are not recorded anywhere else in the New Testament.

This was not the only occasion when Paul shared something of his personal testimony. He also wrote to the Corinthians and explained his past (2 Cor. 11:16–12:10). The apostle did this to show them the sufferings he endured, which others did not experience. Much of what he shared shows the devotion he displayed in following Christ. This testimony also indicated why he was qualified to be used by God to teach the Corinthians. False teachers were unwilling to suffer like Paul did. Additionally, the apostle taught that when we are weak, then God can display His strength in and through us, as can be seen in him. In this way, God receives the glory, not Paul or any of us.

In Philippians 3:4-8 Paul shared a brief summary of his Jewish heritage. He reviewed his pedigree, or ancestry: a Hebrew of Hebrews. But, he considered all of that as being worthless after he trusted in Christ. The purpose of this testimony was to show, as he had with the Galatians, that the Jewish religion has no place in the life of a believer in Christ. There are other times when Paul shared his testimony, but these few examples are enough to show that Paul shared it from time to time and God used it to bless others.

God left us Paul’s example of sharing his testimony because He wants us to use our personal testimony to lead lost souls to Christ (see Acts 22, 26) and help believers progress in their faith. People can challenge many things we say, but they can’t refute a personal testimony. It is a gift from God uniquely for each of us to share. Individuals cannot deny that Christ has become part of our lives and He has saved us, even if they do not believe in the Lord. There is power in a personal testimony, and each testimony is unique!

Some of us have a dramatic testimony of how we became believers in Christ. We may have been saved from a very sinful past and now are delighted to share how much Christ has changed us and made us new. Others of us may think we do not have a very interesting testimony, but we still have a personal testimony that God can use for blessing.

We believers were all saved by faith in Christ and His finished work on Calvary; however, none of us was saved by the Lord in the exact same circumstances or with the exact same experiences. Perhaps you became a Christian as a little child. Praise the Lord! You can share how much sorrow you were kept from by Him as you grew older and did not live a life of sin because you were saved at such an early age. That is all part of your unique testimony. Others may have been saved later in life, and they can share how the Lord delivered them from sin and all its destructive forces. Either way, the Lord has given a testimony to all of us. May the Lord encourage each of us to share what we have experienced in trusting Christ as our Savior! Let it all be to His praise and glory.

Lesson Three: Successful Conflict Resolution
The third lesson is a bit hidden in the book of Galatians and requires a little more explanation. It has to do with conflict resolution. We know that following Christ is not always simple or easy; there are times when we need correction. God may use His Word or another believer to point out His will for us when we need to change our ways.

In the letter to the Galatians we find a few conflicts mentioned briefly that involved the apostle Paul and others. There were situations which needed to be addressed. Exhortation was given. A word of correction was spoken. What would be the outcome? Many times when others point out our mistakes or failures, we get upset. We react by defending ourselves or perhaps going on the attack, pointing out the other person’s failures. Sometimes the confrontation ends with two people holding grudges against one another and not speaking again to each other for a long time, if ever again. That is sad when it happens.

In Galatians 2 we learn that Peter would eat meals with both Jewish and non-Jewish believers. However, later he began to eat meals with only Jewish Christians. He was trying to please the false Jewish teachers who came to where he was in Antioch. These false teachers maintained the Old Testament separation of Jews from non-Jews. This simple change of behavior by Peter denied the truth that all believers are one in Christ. There should be no separation based upon ethnic differences, even in the way we eat a simple meal together.

Because of Peter’s behavior, Paul “withstood him to his face” (v.11). This meant that he confronted Peter in person. He did not write a letter or speak to him through another individual. Today we may be tempted to confront someone through less personal ways, such as an email, text or even a phone call. The Scriptures are clear: Go to your brother and “tell him his fault between you and him alone” (Mt. 18:15). Paul was not harsh with his words, as we can see in Galatians 2:14. He brought the principles of Scripture to the situation at hand which, no doubt, were calmly spoken.

Did Peter hold a grudge against Paul? Did he treat Paul with less respect? No! We find that Peter must have received this correction humbly and in the right way. He recognized that he was wrong and that the Lord was speaking to him through Paul. Peter corrected his ways and adjusted his behavior to please the Lord. There may be times in the believer’s life when we find ourselves either as the corrector or the one being corrected. How important it is for us to give and take correction the right way and in a godly manner.

We find later that Peter referred to Paul in a very respectful and loving way. Peter wrote to believers in 2 Peter 3:14-16, saying, “Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless; and consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation – as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you, as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures.” It is by these words we know for certain that Peter and Paul remained in happy fellowship with each other.

Another conflict is briefly mentioned in Galatians 2:13 between Paul and Barnabas. Paul saw that Barnabas was influenced by Peter’s wrong behavior and failed in the same way. When Paul confronted Peter, he must have also confronted Barnabas about the same failure. This was not the only conflict Paul had with Barnabas. In Acts 15:36-41 we learn of a dispute between Barnabas and Paul regarding Barnabas’ nephew John Mark. Paul refused to bring John Mark along on the second missionary journey because John Mark had given up and gone home early on the first missionary journey (13:13). Barnabas was willing to give his relative (see Col. 4:10) a second chance, but Paul was not. The disagreement became very strong (Acts 15:39), and they parted ways.

We wonder if they ever resolved this disagreement. Praise the Lord: the answer is yes! We find a hint of the conflict resolution between these two godly servants of the Lord in 1 Corinthians, which was written after these events in Galatians. In 1 Corinthians 9:5-6 we read from Paul: “Do we have no right to take along a believing wife, as do also the other apostles, the brothers of the Lord, and Cephas [Peter]? Or is it only Barnabas and I who have no right to refrain from working?”

We believe Paul wrote his first letter to the Corinthians after all of the confrontation recorded in Galatians 2:13 and Acts 15:36-41. This would show that these two believers were still in good standing with each other despite their disagreements. In this situation there was one matter that was wrong behavior (Gal. 2) and another that was a difference of opinion (Acts. 15). We need to learn the distinction while remaining in good fellowship with each other, as Paul and Barnabas did.

The last example of conflict resolution is hinted at in Galatians 2:9, which is connected with Acts 13:3. This conflict involved Paul and Barnabas, but it also involved Paul and John Mark. John Mark, who was young, traveled only the first portion of the first missionary trip with Paul and Barnabas. Paul lacked confidence in John Mark as a result of his leaving that trip early (Acts 13:13). We are not told his motives for leaving too soon. Apparently, it is not important for us to know why he left, only that Paul was upset and no longer willing to travel with him (15:36-41). Paul felt it would be wrong to ignore what had happened with John Mark in the past by rewarding him to join them on another missionary journey.

Was that the end of John Mark’s relationship with Paul? Was there no spiritual maturing on John Mark’s part to regain Paul’s confidence? Did John Mark hold a grudge against Paul, or Paul hold a grudge against John Mark? Praise the Lord, this relationship was restored and maintained. Paul’s confidence grew in John Mark as he saw him mature. In 2 Timothy 4:11 Paul wrote: “Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is useful to me for ministry.” How wonderful to see this repaired relationship. This is the way it should be with older and younger believers. Young John Mark, no doubt, matured spiritually, and the older apostle Paul noticed. God wonderfully used John Mark, even as the special instrument that the Spirit of God used to write the second gospel, The Gospel According To Mark. Praise the Lord!

These three examples of successful conflict resolution indicate the apostle Paul practiced what he preached. He walked the walk! In Galatians 6:1-2 we read: “Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” If we consider ourselves to be capable of the same failures we see in others, we can be used of God to act humbly and help one another to return to the pathway of faith that pleases the Lord. We will not hold grudges against each other but will have restored healthy and spiritual relationships instead. “If we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin” (1 Jn. 1:7).

May the Lord encourage us with these lessons from Galatians!

By Bill Kulkens