Galatians with Tim Keller: Gospel Dynamite Sample

GALATIANS: Gospel Truth

Paul was a church-planting missionary. After he planted a church and left a region, he continued to help the new congregations through his letters. One of these is this epistle to the Christian churches in part of modern-day Turkey, written by Paul only 15-20 years after Christ’s death.

Paul and his roleRead Galatians 1:1-2How does Paul describe himself (v 1)?What can you learn from verse 1 about what an apostle is?Who is Paul writing to (v 2)?

Paul and his message

TIME OUT

Imagine a child asked you what the Christian gospel is. How would you outline the gospel to them?

Read Galatians 1:3-5

In verses 1-5, Paul offers us an outline of the gospel—and it’s all about Jesus.

What does Paul, God’s “apostle” (meaning “messenger”), tell us about Jesus in:

v 1?v 3?v 4?

This letter is all about the gospel. Given that Paul is writing to professing Christians in churches, why might this be a surprise? 

The most obvious fact about the historical setting of this letter is often the most overlooked! In Galatians, Paul is going to explain in detail what the gospel is and how it works. And his audience of this outline of the gospel are people who already call themselves Christians.

Christians need the gospel as much as non-Christians do! Our problems in the Christian life come because we often lose or forget the gospel. And we progress in our faith only as we grasp and apply the gospel in deeper ways.

Apply

It is very common in Christian circles to assume that “the gospel” is something just for non-Christians.When was the last time you thought hard about the gospel message, simply for your own sake? Are there parts of your life in which you haven’t thought about how the gospel should shape your attitudes or actions?

Pray

Thank God for His gospel, and ask Him to help you never to think you should move beyond it to more “advanced” doctrines.

Ask God to show you where your life needs to be changed by His gospel message.