Kress Biblical Resources :: The Gospel of Grace Defended Personally (Gal 1:1-2:21)

Detailed Outline of Galatians

The True Gospel Boasts in Christ Alone Rather Than Mixing Law with Grace

1. The gospel of grace defended personally (Gal 1:1-2:21)
   1. The damning consequences of distorting the gospel of grace introduced (Gal 1:1-10)
      1. The author (Gal 1:1-2a)¹
         1. The human author
            1. The man—Paul (Gal 1:1a)
            2. His mandate from God (Gal 1:1b)
            3. The mention of “all the brethren” with him (Gal 1:2a)
         2. The Divine Author (2Ti 3:16; 2Pe 3:15-16)
      2. The audience (Gal 1:2b)
         1. The original recipients (cf. Gal 3:1; Gal 4:19-20)
            1. Their identification as churches
            2. Their location in Galatia (Act 13-14; cf. Act 16:6-8; Act 18:23)
         2. The current recipients (2Ti 3:16-17; 2Pe 3:15-16)
      3. The address/salutation and ascription (Gal 1:3-5)
         1. The salutation of grace to you and peace (Gal 1:3a)
         2. The Source of grace and peace (Gal 1:3b)
         3. The sacrifice that obtained our grace and peace (Gal 1:4)
         4. The splendor of God to be acknowledged forever (Gal 1:5)
      4. The aim (Gal 1:6-10)
         1. To confront desertion from the true gospel (Gal 1:6-10)
            1. The concern over desertion from the gospel (Gal 1:6-7)
               1. Anything other than the grace of Him who called you is a different gospel (Gal 1:6)
               2. Anything other than the grace of Him who called you is a distorted gospel (Gal 1:7)
            2. The condemnation of those who preach a different gospel (Gal 1:8-9)
               1. Anyone—even if an Apostle or Angel—preaching a gospel contrary to what was originally preached is to be accursed (Gal 1:8)
               2. Again, anyone preaching a gospel contrary to what you have received is to be accursed (Gal 1:9)
            3. The commendation of God as the goal—not the commendation of men (Gal 1:10)
         2. To call believers to stand firm in the true gospel of grace—and turn away from the deadly mixture of law and grace
            1. Personally (Gal 1:11-24; 2)
            2. Doctrinally (Gal 3; 4)
            3. Practically (Gal 5; 6)
   2. The Divine origin of the gospel of grace defended (Gal 1:11-2:21)
      1. Jesus Christ is the source of the gospel—not man (Gal 1:11-12)
         1. The gospel of grace is not a gospel invented by man (Gal 1:11)
         2. The gospel of grace was received through divine revelation (Gal 1:12)
      2. Jesus Christ is the source of Paul’s gospel authority—not any of the other Apostles (Gal 1:13-2:21)
         1. Paul was previously opposed to the gospel (Gal 1:13-14)
            1. He was a radical persecutor of the church (Gal 1:13)
            2. He was a rising star in his sect of Judaism (Gal 1:14)
         2. Paul was powerfully transformed into a preacher of the gospel (Gal 1:15-24)
            1. He was chosen and called by God as a preacher to the Gentiles—not by men (Gal 1:15-16b)
               1. Sovereign grace (Gal 1:15)
               2. Special revelation (Gal 1:16a)
               3. Selected to be a preacher to the Gentiles (Gal 1:16b)
            2. He was commissioned to preach in obscurity in the early portions of his ministry (Gal 1:16c-24)
               1. Did not consult with flesh and blood (Gal 1:16c)
               2. Did not go up to Jerusalem for years (Gal 1:17)
               3. After three years, spent 15 days in Jerusalem with Peter and saw James, but no other Apostle (Gal 1:18-20)
               4. Ministered in Syria and Cilia after that (Gal 1:21)
               5. Was unknown by sight to the churches of Judea (Gal 1:22)
               6. Testimony was known by those churches however (Gal 1:23)
               7. God was glorified because of that testimony (Gal 1:24)
         3. Paul was publicly recognized at the Jerusalem Council as an Apostle to the Gentiles (Gal 2:1-10)
            1. The context of the visit to Jerusalem (Gal 2:1-2)
               1. The persons and timing (Gal 2:1)
               2. The purpose (Gal 2:2)
            2. The conflict at the visit (Gal 2:3-5)
               1. The freedom of Titus exhibited (Gal 2:3)
               2. The false brethren exposed (Gal 2:4-5)
                  • Their deceptive purpose—slavery to legalism
                  • Their defeat—steadfastness in grace
            3. The confirmation of Paul’s Apostolic authority (Gal 2:6-10)
               1. The other Apostles and leaders added nothing to Paul’s gospel or his gospel authority (Gal 2:6)
               2. The other Apostles and leaders acknowledged Paul’s gospel authority and ministry to the Gentiles (Gal 2:7-9)
                  • A comparable and complimentary ministry to Peter’s (Gal 2:7-8)
                  • A confirmed partnership in the gospel ministry (Gal 2:9)
               3. The other Apostles and leaders asked Paul to remember the poor—which he was already eager to do (Gal 2:10)
         4. Paul was publicly faithful to confront Peter on his failure to properly represent the gospel (Gal 2:11-21)
            1. The context of the confrontation (Gal 2:11-13)
               1. The condemnation of Cephas in Antioch (Gal 2:11)
               2. The cowardice and change in Cephas’ fellowship because of those of the circumcision (Gal 2:12)
               3. The change in all the Jewish believers there—including Barnabas—because of Cephas’ example (Gal 2:13)
            2. The content of the confrontation (Gal 2:14-21)
               1. The exposing of Peter’s practical hypocrisy (Gal 2:14)
               2. The exposition of justification by faith rather than works of the law (Gal 2:15-21)
                  • Jews by birth vs. Gentile lawbreakers (Gal 2:15)
                  • Justification is by faith in Christ, not works of the law (Gal 2:16)
                  • Justification by faith does not lead to a sinful life (Gal 2:17)
                  • Going back to the law will only reveal one is a lawbreaker (Gal 2:18)
                  • Leaning on Christ’s death under the law results in life lived for God by faith (Gal 2:19-20)
                  • Righteousness comes by grace—going back to law keeping communicates disregard for Christ’s sacrifice (Gal 2:21)