The Epistle To The Galatians
George Burnside
“Galatians is a book to fix Sabbath Keepers.” This is often stated. If Galatians is written to wipe out Sabbath keeping, it is strange that the Sabbath is never once mentioned in Galatians. I have asked many opponents: WHERE IS THE SABBATH MENTIONED IN GALATIANS? I am still waiting for the reference. To make it easier, I have asked: Give me one reference to the Ten Commandments in Galatians. Give me a reference to any one of the Ten Commandments. Where in Galatians do you read: “Thou shall not kill? Thou shall not bow down thyself to any graven image.” Strange is it not that if Galatians is to fix the Sabbath Keepers, that there is no reference to the Sabbath in Galatians. Not even one. Nor is there a single reference, any reference to any one of “God’s Eternal Ten Commandments.”
Remember: There was no controversy between the early Christians and their Jewish opponents regarding which day was the Sabbath. Both groups kept the same day. Jesus disputed with the Jews as to how the Sabbath should be kept, but there was no controversy as to whether the Sabbath should be kept, or as to which day should be kept. So in the discussion in Galatians they all professed to keen the Sabbath.
The Sabbath was not the issue at all in Galatians. Neither were the Ten Commandments, nor any one of them the issue, nor subject of their discussions.
THE ISSUE IN GALATIANS WAS CIRCUMCISION.
While the Sabbath is not found once, “Circumcise” is found five times. “Circumcision” four times. “Of the circumcision” three times. The Sabbath was therefore not the issue or point of discussion, but circumcision certainly was.
PAUL WAS A SABBATH KEEPER
Acts 13:14,42, Acts 16:12, 13, Acts 17:2 “Paul, as his manner was.” Like Jesus Luke 4:16 “As His custom was.” They were both Sabbath Keepers.
THE BACKGROUND TO GALATIANS
ACTS 14:6,21. The Truth had been taken to cities in Galatia, namely “Lystria”, “Derbe”, “Iconium” and “Antioch”, when the question of circumcision became a serious issue. ACTS 15:1 “And certain men which came down from Judea taught the brethren, and said, Except you be circumcised after the manner of Moses, you cannot be saved.”
ACTS 15:5 “But there rose up certain of the sect of the Pharisees which believed, saying, That it was needful to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses.”
Why was “Galatians” written? “To show the real nature and design of the law of Moses and to prove that the peculiar rites of the Mosaic ritual and especially the rite of circumcision were not necessary. That the design of the Mosaic ritual was only temporal. To show, that justification cannot be obtained by conformity to the ritual or ceremonial law.” Dr, A. Barnes, Introduction on Galatians.
Many have come to me saying “I am sorry for you Sabbath Keepers, you are ‘cursed’. Galatians is the book to fix Sabbath keepers, and they refer to: GALATIANS 3:10 “For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse. For it is written, Cursed is every one that continues not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.” This issue that led to “Galatians” was over circumcision. Note:-“Written in the Book.” “The Book of the law was the [ACTS 15:5] Law of Moses.”
THE LAW OF GOD
l. God spoke The Ten Commandments. Exodus 20:1.
“And He wrote on the tables according to the first writing, the ten commandments which the Lord spoke unto you out of the midst of the fire.”
“THE LAW OF MOSES.”
DEUT 31:9 “And Moses wrote this law.”
DEUT 31:24 And it came to pass, when Moses had made an end of writing the words of this law in a book, until they were finished.”
Not only was this law written by Moses, but it was written “in a book.”
DEUT 31:26 “Take this book of the law, and put it in the side of the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, that it may be there for a witness against thee.”
Note the clear statements of God’s word, that God made a clear distinction: “The Ten Commandments” were spoken by God, written by God, written on stone and placed inside the Ark of the Covenant.
“The law of Moses was written by Moses, written in a book and placed in the side of the Ark. Also note carefully:
The Ten Commandments are never called the Law of Moses.
GAL 2:19 “For I through the law am-dead to the law, that we might live unto God.”
“On this passage the commentators are by no means agreed. It is agreed that the phrase ‘am dead to the law’, the law of Moses is referred to.” Dr. Albert Barnes, Presbyterian.
TWO LAWS.
DEUT 33:2 “The Lord came with ten thousand of saints: from His right hand went a fiery law.” DEUT 33:4 “Moses commanded us a law.”
THE ISSUE IN “GALATIONS” IS OVER THE LAW OF MOSES
ACTS 15:1 “Except you be circumcised after the manner of Moses.” ACTS 15:5 “Needful to circumcise them and keep the law of Moses.”
1 CORINTHIANS 7:19 “Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcised is nothing, but the keeping of the commandments of God.” Others translate these words thus: “All that matters is keeping God’s commandments.” “Obedience to God’s commandments is everything.”
GALATIANS 5:6 “For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision avails anything, nor uncircumcised; but faith which works by love.” The kind of living faith that our God wants is one that works by love.
Jesus said:
JOHN 14:15 “If you love me, keep my commandments.”
JOHN 15:10 “If you keep my commandments, you shall abide in Me even as I We kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.”
JOHN 15:14 “You are my friends, if you do whatsoever I command you.”
True faith works by love. A dead faith claims “I believe” and does nothing.
JAMES 2:26 “For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.”
JAMES 2:17 “Even so faith, if is hath not works, is dead, being alone.”
To claim to believe without obeying God’s Commandments is dead - useless. It is following the devil. It is a dead faith and leads to death.
JAMES 2:1 “Thou believes that there is one God; thou does well: the devils also believe, and tremble. GALATIANS 6:15 “For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision avail anything, nor uncircumcised, but a new creature.”
“A new creature” in Christ Jesus works by love and love delights to obey.
EZEKIEL 36:27. “And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and you shall keep my judgments, and do them.”
When Christ puts His Spirit within, that causes one to “Walk in His statutes and do them.”
GOD’S ETERNALLY BINDING LAW
Psalm 1:1-3 Our meditation all the day long.
Psalm 19:7-8 The law of God is perfect converting the soul.
Psalm 40:8 God's law is a delight within our heart.
Psalm 78:1-7 The Ten Commandments are for His people.
Psalm 111:7,8 The eternal law of God.
Psalm 103:18-20 The angels keep the commandments of God.
Psalm 105:8-10 The Ten Commandments are binding for 20,000 years [Until 19,000 AD].
Psalm 119:126,150 God will destroy the lawless ones.
Psalm 119:105 The law is our guide and lamp.
Psalm 119:165,174 It is our peace and delight.
Isaiah 8:16 God will seal the law among His disciples.
Isaiah 8:20 The commandments are a test of truth and error.
Isaiah 66:22-24 The Sabbath will be kept in heaven.
Matthew 5:17-19 Jesus came to uphold the Ten Commandments - not abolish them.
Matthew 19:17-19 Keep the Ten Commandments to enter heaven Jesus said.
John 14:15 If you love Jesus keep the Commandments.
John 15:10 Jesus is our example and He kept the law of God.
Luke 23:56 The Sabbath commandment still existed after Jesus died on the cross.
Romans 2:13 The doers of the law are justified.
Romans 3:20 The law gives a knowledge of right and wrong.
Romans 3:31 We establish the law.
Romans 4:15 Sin is the breaking of the law.
Romans 5:13 Sin is the breaking of the law.
Romans 7:7 Sin is the breaking of the law.
Romans 7:12 The law is holy, just and good.
Romans 7:25 The true Christian serves the law of God.
Romans 8:1-4 The true Christian obeys the righteous law of God.
Romans 8:7 The evil mind rejects keeping the commandments of God.
Romans 13:8-10 True love is obeying the law of God.
1 Corinthians 7:19 Keeping the Commandments is what really matters.
1 Corinthians 10:1-4 Jesus gave the Ten Commandments at Mount Sinai.
1 Timothy 1:8 The Ten Commandment Law is good in Paul's day.
Hebrews 4:4,9 The Sabbath rest remains on the seventh day.
Hebrews 8:8-10 Keeping the Ten Commandment Law is part of the New Covenant.
James 1:25 Those who keep the perfect Law are blessed by God in what they do.
James 2:8 - 12 We will be judged by the Ten Commandments [Revelation 20:11-15].
1 John 2:3,4 We must keep the Commandments to know Jesus.
1 John 3:22,24 We must keep the Commandments to abide in Jesus and the Holy Spirit.
1 John 5:2,3 The love of God is to keep His Commandments.
Revelation 11:19 The Ark of the Ten Commandment Covenant still in heaven.
Revelation 15:5 The Ark of the Ten Commandment Covenant still in heaven.
Revelation 12:17 God's saints keep the commandments.
Revelation 14:12 God's saints keep the commandments.
Revelation 21:8 Commandment breakers cast into the Lake of Fire.
Revelation 22:14 God's saints keep the commandments.
Revelation 22:15 Lawless people are excluded from the Paradise of God.