Men's Group Study Guide
NIV Notes by Kelly Link
Introduction
This week we will look at why grace through faith is our way to unlimited, undeserved blessing. I am learning that the blessings of God are way beyond what I deserve and I like it that way. But there have been times where I have worked my tail off in order to be accepted and blessed by God. If you have related to the Lord in this way He will let you. You will get what you deserve. But for those who live by the grace of God, who allow God to pick up the check, get ready for abundant blessing beyond what you can think. Because God loves to bless people, not because of our works, but according to His mercy.
STUDY NOTES: verses 11-21
V.11 When Peter came to Antioch, - Antioch was a major trade center in the ancient world. Located in modern day Syria, it had a heavy population of Greeks and eventually became a strong center for Christianity. Antioch is where believers were first called Christians. (Acts 11: 26) Antioch was Paul’s base of operations.
I opposed him to his face, because he was clearly in the wrong. - Paul opposed Peter to his face. Paul didn’t seek the other apostle’s point of view or talk behind Peter’s back. He went strait to the source of the problem. Paul could do this because Peter was clearly in the wrong and Peter was on Paul’s turf. Many times in life we have differences that cannot be compromised. This was one of those instances where Paul had to make a stand because the basis of salvation was at stake. (1 Timothy 4: 16)
V. 12 Before certain men came from James, - James had a very high position in the Jewish church as the head over the Jerusalem council. (Luke 20: 21)
he used to eat with the Gentiles. - Peter showed himself to hold to the truth that Gentiles didn’t need to adhere to the law because he had eaten with them before this occasion. (Acts 11: 2,3) God had shown Peter that he accepted the Gentiles as Gentiles. They didn’t need to become Jews before being accepted.
But when they arrived, he began to draw back and separate himself from the Gentiles because he was afraid of those who belonged to the circumcision group. - Peter’s action was motivated by fear. He was afraid that he would offend the Jewish Christians and James. In doing this Peter was supporting the Judaizer’s claim that Gentiles needed to adhere to certain Jewish laws before they could be saved. In other words Jesus Christ wasn’t sufficient for salvation. (Proverbs 29: 25)
V. 13 The other Jews joined him in his hypocrisy, so that by their hypocrisy even Barnabas was led astray. - Barnabas was a champion of liberty for the Gentile believers like Paul was. His defection to the other side was a huge problem because the Gospel he had preached he was not living. The consequences of Barnabas’ defection were far more serious than Peter’s because Barnabas could loose his credibility with the Gentiles but even more serious because the Gospel would loose its credibility altogether with those Barnabas had preached to. (Hebrews 13: 9)
V. 14 When I saw that they were not acting in line with the truth of the gospel, I said to Peter in front of them all, “You are a Jew, yet you live like a Gentile and not like a Jew. How is it, then, that you force Gentiles to follow Jewish customs? - Peter had already eaten with the Gentiles. So he was living like one. So Paul was asking him in a rhetorical question why he was requiring the Gentiles to live like a Jew since he had already been living like a Gentile. That is, Peter couldn’t hold to the law so why did he expect the Gentiles to hold to it. According to the Jewish law, Peter was already a lawbreaker. (Acts 10: 28)
V. 15 “We who are Jews by birth and not ‘Gentile sinners’ - Paul uses sarcasm to refute the first premise of salvation that Jews had. Because the Jews were God’s chosen people, they believed they were born saved. Judaism was a privileged religion only for those who were born Jews. It was by nature not by proselytism that the Jew was saved. This was not so for the Gentile. Unfortunately, this fueled the Jews bigotry towards Gentiles and reinforced the idea that a Gentile needed to become a Jew, before he/she could come to God through Jesus Christ. (Ephesians 3: 6)
V. 16 know that a man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by observing the law, because by observing the law no one will be justified. - Paul goes on to emphasize that observing the law does not save the Jews themselves. A person is justified by faith in Jesus Christ alone. Justified means “just if I had never sinned”. A person is right before God by faith in Jesus-period. If the law could justify us, then Jesus Christ was crucified for nothing because it would be possible for someone to fulfill it. (Romans 3: 20)
V. 17-19 “If, while we seek to be justified in Christ, it becomes evident that we ourselves are sinners, does that mean that Christ promotes sin? Absolutely not! If I rebuild what I destroyed, I prove that I am a lawbreaker. For through the law I died to the law so that I might live for God. - Paul realized the way of salvation depends on Jesus Christ, not on our own efforts. Back in Leviticus, God lined out the ceremonial law that showed Jews how He was to be worshipped. But Jesus Christ fulfilled this law. (Luke 16: 16), (Acts 15: 10), (Ephesians 2: 15) If we go back to trying to approach God through the law we will be found to be sinners because we can’t fulfill this law. The Good News is Jesus has already fulfilled it. Because we sin while being justified, does not mean that Jesus Christ promotes sin. It means we have all the more reason to look to Him to finish the work He started in us. Our temptation will be to go back to doing instead of trusting in Jesus. Paul was now dead to the law, and alive to a relationship with God through faith in Jesus Christ. (Romans 8: 3)
V. 20-I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son if God, who loved me and gave himself for me. - Legally you died with Jesus Christ when you put your faith in Him. Because yours sins died with Him you are no longer condemned. But God doesn’t leave us dead. He comes inside us to live with us and to empower us with His resurrection power that enables us to live His life. It’s Christ IN you. Notice the focus isn’t on dying but living. (Romans 6: 4), (Romans 8: 29)
V.21-I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!” - If we could be saved by doing good, then Jesus Christ did not have to die. (Matthew 26: 39), (John 6: 38)
TRUTH APPLIED:
Q. 1 What is the Biblical protocol for confronting people in regards to correction? Confronting Leaders?
Q. 2 Please share a time when you stood against the truth of God. What was the fruit of your action?
Q. 3 When can compromise be a bad thing in regards to our relationships?
Q. 4 If by faith Jesus Christ has cleansed me from all my sin (past, present, and future- 1John 1:7,9) then how come the Bible has so many warnings about continuing to sin?
Q. 5 How can service, good deeds, and charitable giving be a bad thing in regards to faith?
Q. 6 How come many people have gotten saved only to find themselves erecting another set of rules to live by? Give some examples of modern day legalisms that would keep a person from experiencing the freedom we have in Jesus Christ.
CONCLUSION:
Are you trying to earn God’s favor? Maybe all you need to do is ask Him. It does say in scripture that we don’t have because we don’t ask. Please take some time to pray and ask God for what you have been killing yourself to earn. If you still don’t receive it just relax. Maybe the thing you want will destroy you and God is protecting you. Remember, "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows." (James 1: 17)
In Him,
Kelly Link