Grace Thoughts
The Great Reveal: Our Epic Journey Through Time, Space and Eternity – Part 33
We are sharing insights into an Epic Journey that every Christian is traveling. Our purpose is to look at how to walk worthy of the calling with which we were called.
The apostles of Christ referred to Old Testament Scriptures hundreds of times in their sermons and letters. It’s important that we remember that those Old Testament Scriptures were the Hebrew Bible during the 1st century AD. As the apostles wrote under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, what we know as the New Testament was born.
We’ve seen in previous parts of this study that many of the Scripture references by Jesus and His apostles were about God’s Anointed One, Mashiach (māšîaḥ – Messiah). The Apostle Paul, who wrote a large portion of the New Testament, referenced more than 100 Old Testament Scriptures in his letter to the Romans. We looked at Paul’s use of the Hebrew Bible in 1 and 2 Corinthians in the last part of our study.
Old Testament Scriptures in Galatians
It’s helpful to remember that Paul’s letters in the New Testament are not in chronological order, unless you use a Chronological Bible. Romans and 1 and 2 Corinthians appear before Galatians, but Paul wrote Galatians several years earlier.
Galatia was a predominately Gentile area of the ancient world that we know now as part of the country of Turkey. Because of the Diaspora (dispersion of the Jews) centuries earlier, many Jewish people lived in Galatia.
Credit BibleStudy.org
We see the Apostle Paul venture into Galatia during his first missionary journey. He and Barnabas left Pahphos, Cyprus, and sailed to Perga in Pamphylia. That’s where John Mark left them and returned to Jerusalem. They then left Perga and came to Antioch in Pisidia and went into the synagogue on the Sabbath Day. Paul preached the Gospel of Christ. Many of the Jews and devout proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas, “who speaking to them, persuaded them to continue in the grace of God” (Acts 13:43).
As you look through Paul’s sermon in Acts 13:16-41, you will see him reference the Hebrew Bible many times. In fact, Paul’s entire narrative about Israel’s history was drawn from the Old Testament Scriptures. Three of them were from the Psalms (Psalms 2, 16 and 55) and one from Habakkuk. Paul also referenced the things Peter and the other apostles had told him about Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection and being seen alive by many witnesses.
The next Sabbath Day must have been an amazing scene. Almost the entire city came to the synagogue to hear Paul preach. However, when the Jews saw the large crowds they were filled with envy and opposed Paul. Paul and Barnabas grew bold and told the Jews that “It was necessary that the word of God should be spoken to you first; but since you reject it, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, behold, we turn to the Gentiles” (Acts 13:46). Paul then quoted from the prophet Isaiah — “I have set you as a light to the Gentiles, That you should be for salvation to the ends of the earth” (Acts 13:47; Isaiah 49:6). That excited the Gentiles and “as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed” (Acts 13:48). However, it wasn’t long before the Jews raised up a persecution against Paul and Barnabas “and expelled them from their region” (Acts 13:50).
Paul and Barnabas visited other towns in southern Galatia during the first missionary journey and their preaching and teaching led to a conflict with Jewish believers in Jerusalem that led to the Jerusalem Council we read about in Acts 15 and Galatians 2.
Paul and Barnabas had a falling out over John Mark’s leaving them in Pamphylia. Barnabas took his cousin John Mark and sailed to Cyprus. Paul chose Silas and they went through Syria and Cilicia, “strengthening the churches” (Acts 15:40-41).
Credit BibleStudy.org
Paul and Silas traveled back into Galatia during Paul’s second missionary journey and eventually traveled to Macedonia, Greece and Asia Minor based on the leading of the Holy Spirit. Paul returned to Antioch, Syria for a time, then began his third missionary journey by visiting Galatia and Phrygia “in order, strengthening all the disciples” (Acts 18:23). Silas is not mentioned as traveling with Paul on the third missionary journey. Timothy joined Paul and Silas during the second journey and was still traveling with Paul during the third.
Credit BibleStudy.org
“Then Paul, as his custom was, went in to them, and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and demonstrating that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and saying, ‘This Jesus whom I preach to you is the Christ.” Acts 17:2-3
“Then the brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea. When they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews. These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so. Therefore many of them believed, and also not a few of the Greeks, prominent women as well as men.” Acts 17:10-12
Paul continued to reference the Hebrew Scriptures when he wrote to the Galatians. Here are several examples from the more than 20 in his letter ..
But from those who seemed to be something—whatever they were, it makes no difference to me; God shows personal favoritism to no man—for those who seemed to be something added nothing to me. Galatians 2:6
For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality nor takes a bribe. Deuteronomy 10:17
… knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified. Galatians 2:16
Do not enter into judgment with Your servant, For in Your sight no one living is righteous. Psalm 143:2
… just as Abraham ‘believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.’ Galatians 3:6
And he believed in the Lord, and He accounted it to him for righteousness. Genesis 15:6
And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand, saying, ‘In you all the nations shall be blessed. Galatians 3:8
I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed. Genesis 12:3
In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice. Genesis 22:18
And I will make your descendants multiply as the stars of heaven; I will give to your descendants all these lands; and in your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed. Genesis 26:4
Also your descendants shall be as the dust of the earth; you shall spread abroad to the west and the east, to the north and the south; and in you and in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed. Genesis 28:14
For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse; for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do them.’ Galatians 3:10
Cursed is the one who does not confirm all the words of this law by observing them.’ ‘And all the people shall say, ‘Amen!’ Deuteronomy 27:26
But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for ‘the just shall live by faith.’ Galatians 3:11
For the vision is yet for an appointed time; But at the end it will speak, and it will not lie. Though it tarries, wait for it;
Because it will surely come, It will not tarry. ‘Behold the proud, His soul is not upright in him; But the just shall live by his faith. Habakkuk 2:3-4
Yet the law is not of faith, but ‘the man who does them shall live by them.’ Galatians 3:12
You shall therefore keep My statutes and My judgments, which if a man does, he shall live by them: I am the Lord. Leviticus 18:5
Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree’). Galatians 3:13
his body shall not remain overnight on the tree, but you shall surely bury him that day, so that you do not defile the land which the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance; for he who is hanged is accursed of God. Deuteronomy 21:23
For it is written that Abraham had two sons: the one by a bondwoman, the other by a freewoman. Galatians 4:22
So Hagar bore Abram a son; and Abram named his son, whom Hagar bore, Ishmael. Genesis 16:15
For Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him. Genesis 21:2
And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, scoffing. Genesis 21:9
For it is written: ‘Rejoice, O barren, You who do not bear! Break forth and shout, You who are not in labor! For the desolate has many more children Than she who has a husband.’ Galatians 4:27
Sing, O barren, You who have not borne! Break forth into singing, and cry aloud, You who have not labored with child! For more are the children of the desolate Than the children of the married woman,” says the Lord. Isaiah 54:1
Nevertheless what does the Scripture say? ‘Cast out the bondwoman and her son, for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman.’ Galatians 4:30
Therefore she said to Abraham, ‘Cast out this bondwoman and her son; for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, namely with Isaac.’ Genesis 21:10
For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ Galatians 5:14
You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord. Leviticus 19:18
Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. Galatians 6:7
Even as I have seen, Those who plow iniquity And sow trouble reap the same. Job 4:8
He who sows iniquity will reap sorrow, And the rod of his anger will fail. Proverbs 22:8
They sow the wind, And reap the whirlwind. The stalk has no bud; It shall never produce meal. If it should produce, Aliens would swallow it up. Hosea 8:7
Sow for yourselves righteousness; Reap in mercy; Break up your fallow ground, For it is time to seek the Lord, Till He comes and rains righteousness on you. Hosea 10:12
Concluding Galatians
Galatians may have been Paul’s first letter to Christians .. at least the first one we have available to read. Paul used Old Testament Scriptures when he preached to the Galatians and again when he wrote to them. Paul did not share his opinions or ideas with people. He relied upon God’s Word as he preached and wrote. The Holy Spirit brought those Scriptures to mind as He inspired the Apostle Paul. That should make us sit up straight and bend our ear and heart to Paul’s letters as we read them.
Next Time
We’ll look at another of Paul’s early letters and how he referenced Old Testament Scriptures when our series on The Great Reveal continues.
[You can read more about the story of the Old Testament Prophecies in our book A History of Man’s Quest for Immorality.]
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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Apostle PaulEternal PlanGalatiansHoly SpiritNew TestamentOld Testament
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