June 3, 2018 | Kyle Brenon | Galatians 1:21-24
Community Group Questions
This week we continue in our series “No Other Gospel” as we walk through the book of Galatians. Paul writes his letter to the churches in Galatia to address the fact that they have so quickly strayed from the gospel he had brought them. They have done this mainly by adding to the requirements of salvation, thus diluting the gospel and stripping it of its power in their daily lives.
We continue to explore how we are often prone to do the same thing if we don’t continuously remind ourselves of the all sufficient power of Christ’s death on the cross.
21 Then I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia. 22 And I was still unknown in person to the churches of Judea that are in Christ. 23 They only were hearing it said, "He who used to persecute us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy." 24 And they glorified God because of me. (Galatians 1:21-24 ESV)
Read: Galatians 1:11-2:10, Matthew 5:17, Acts 9:1-6, Acts 9:17-18, Acts 22:3-5
Discuss:
1. What are some things we have a tendency to “add” to the gospel, and why do we do it? For example, some Jewish believers in the early church believed you had to place your trust in Christ AND be circumcised…
2. What did Paul give up by receiving the gospel? What do we expect to give up?
3. Why are we surprised at times when difficulties come to us, especially as we follow Christ more closely?
4. Paul says in vs. 15-17 that Jesus set him apart before he was born, and that he was called by His grace, even after he reminds us of his former life. What does this say of God’s grace?
(Sometimes we have a tendency to think God is lucky to have us on His team, or that we have done something to earn what has been given to us by grace.)
Memorize/Meditate: Romans 1:16 “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.”
