Anciently, the Galatians were Gentile (heathen) converts who had come from a background of pagan religions that dominated the religious scene in Asia Minor. In spite of Satan’s power over the people, the Apostle Paul had been surprisingly successful, having established churches in the cities of Lystra, Iconium, Antioch and Derbe. The Galatian people worshiped multiple gods, two of which were Jupiter and Mercury which we are introduced to in the Book of Acts. Early on in their ministries among the Galatians, Paul and Barnabus had found themselves in a situation in which they were believed to be gods due to their spiritual power (Acts 14:12,13). Because of a miracle they had performed, the two men had succeeded in winning a number of souls to the Lord. Yet the vast majority were still in Satan’s camp.

It was to churches located in these deeply heathenized areas that Paul would later write his letter which would have been circulated among the various churches. The people of Galatia were sinners (Gentiles–heathen–2:15). Bringing such people out of generational heathenism and into Christianity was not an easy task. Satan, the god of heathenism, had ruled them for many generations and was working hard to retain those he still possessed. As Paul’s letter reveals, the devil was working hard to win back to himself those whom Paul and Barnabus had taken away from him. And he was using some of the same people to do his work.

For many generations Paul’s letters have been misunderstood by the vast majority of salvation seekers. As the Apostle Peter said, Paul is “hard to be understood.” Read the series. Key word–Understood. I have had my problems with his writings in the past. Only through the work of the Holy Spirit within me was I able to learn what Paul was telling us. Even after all these years his writings still cause me some head-scratching. Bear with me as I try to explain what better minds than mine have struggled with for so many years.

Like his letters to the churches in Rome and Ephesus, Paul’s letter to the Galatians focus on JUSTI-FICATION (the forgiveness of all PAST sins–Rom. 3:25,26), for that is the initial step a believer must take on his way to salvation. Most salvation seekers believe that justification and salvation are one and the same. THEY ARE NOT. The distance between justification and salvation is comparable to leaving on a road trip from New York City heading to Los Angeles. There are many twists and turns between the two cities. Those who supposedly “get saved” in N.Y.C. believe that they have already arrived in L.A. Read Hope and Salvation and Born Again. Key words–Hope and Born respectively.

Concerning salvation, if you have been in the Institutional Church for any length of time, YOU HAVE BEEN LIED TO. If you believe what you have been told, you are BELIEVING A LIE. If you live as you have been told to, you are LIVING A LIE. I know because I traveled that path for many years. I praise God that His light of Truth got through my thick layer of religious darkness globally known as Christianity, which is a counterfeit version of God’s true Christianity. Please come out of the religious darkness put forth by the church. Put your faith in the Word of God only.

Some, perhaps most of the Galatian converts were reluctant to give up ALL of their heathen ways. Paul states in 1:6-9 that many of them were trying to mix certain aspects of their former pagan beliefs and customs with Christianity, specifically in the area of justification (righteousness–the result of justification). Paul accused them of trying to “pervert the Gospel of Christ” in that they wanted to force people to do things (to be circumcised or to obey the sacrificial law) in order to EARN justification. Some, possibly most, having heard about the Israelites’ sacrificial law of times past, wanted to force justification seekers to do certain works in order to receive what God makes available by His Grace and man’s faith “without the works of the Law.” However, once justified, we are commanded to keep God’s Ten Commandment Law and thereby remain clear of sin, for “sin is the transgression of the Law” (1 Jn. 3:4).

Another problem relative to the grace/faith-justification/righteousness situation arises when people do not understand what LAW Paul is referring to when he speaks about doing the “works of the law” relative to justification. He is referring to the SACRIFICIAL/ RITUALISTIC “LAW THAT WAS ADDED BECAUSE OF TRANSGRESSIONS–THE ISRAELITES WOULD NOT OBEY THE TEN COMMANDMENT LAW as noted in Galatians 3:19. In Deuteronomy 5:22 Moses writes that God gave to the Israelites His Ten Commandment Law, wrote them in stone and “ADDED NO MORE.” However, when they refused to obey His Law, He ADDED THE SACRIFICIAL LAW that would remain in force until He (the Word–Jn. 1:1-4,14) would come to earth as Jesus of Nazareth and die, at which time THE ADDED LAW WOULD CEASE TO EXIST. IT WAS THE SACRIFICIAL BLOOD LAW THAT MOSES RECORDED IN A BOOK/SCROLL, CALLED THE “HANDWRITING OF ORDINANCES” (Col. 1:14), THAT WAS “NAILED TO THE CROSS.” Read Hebrews 9:11-14. Note verses 13,14.

In 3:23 Paul reminds the Gentiles that prior to the Israelites’ coming to Christ they were “under the (sacrificial) law” which served as their “schoolmaster” which would bring them to Christ so that they could be justified by faith. When faith came (with the ministry and death of Christ), there was no longer a need for the “schoolmaster” (3:24,25). In 4:4,5 Paul reminds them that Jesus came to redeem those who were under the sacrificial law so that they and those who would come after them could become true sons of God. But now someone was trying to convince the Gentile converts in Galatia to incorporate their former heathen religion, and possibly some of the sacrificial law, into Christianity.

Now we come to one of the Law-hater’s favorite passages used to “prove” that the Ten Commandment Law had been done away with by Jesus Christ on Mt. Calvary. In 4:8-11 Paul makes a statement that Law-deniers use to “prove” that he was referring to THE CHURCH GOING BACK UNDER GOD’S TEN COMMANDMENT LAW which modern churchman claims is no longer in effect. He writes that ‘NOW that they know God and He knows them,” they are wanting to “AGAIN” (4:9,19; 5:1) be under “BONDAGE TO THE WEAK AND BEGGARLY ELEMENTS” OF THEIR PAST RELIGION WHEN THEY “OBSERVED DAYS AND MONTHS AND TIMES AND YEARS.” Churchman proclaims that Paul was referring to God’s weekly Sabbath and other Holy Days that had supposedly been “nailed to the cross” of Christ.

BUT THEY ARE DEAD WRONG. Paul was referring to celebrations in which the Galatians’ gods and special people were honored. Three of the Galatians’ heathen ceremonies (“DAYS”) made their way into the counterfeit church. They are: SATURNALIA (CHRISTMAS), THE FEAST OF ASTARTE (EASTER) AND ALL SAINTS DAY (HALLOWEEN). The (“TIMES”) Paul was referring to were activities written about in Leviticus 19:26 and Deuteronomy 18:10 in which God forbids His people to engage in because they involve divination (magic) and the worship of heavenly bodies which is today known as ASTROLOGY. Today the church pays homage to those “times” by calling the two most favored heathen celebrations “CHRISTMAS TIME” AND “EASTER TIME.”

Other “DAYS” the Gentiles had observed and are still observed today were UNLUCKY DAYS SUCH AS FRIDAY THE 13TH. Some of the “MONTHS” Paul referred to were times when the peoples’ gods were honored over an extended time period. Such celebrations honored such gods as APOLLO (April and October), ZEUS (February and June), ARENAS (April), and BACCHUS (January). Certain “YEARS” were also believed to be holy. National feasts and celebrations occurred during the years in which the OLYMPIC, ISHAMIAN, NEMEAN AND PYTHIAN GAMES were held. These years, months, days and times emphasized prayers to the various gods and other types of religious observances. Among the heathen, certain “SEASONS” were also dedicated to particular gods and goddesses.

The Gentile Galatians had been converted from these heathen beliefs and customs in order to know the true and living God of Israel and to keep his Ten Commandment Law. Paul was trying to prevent them from returning to their previous heathen ways or to incorporate them into Christianity. Though his efforts were mighty, heathenism came to dominate the lives of those in the church. The modern version of Christianity is infected with such heathen beliefs and customs as the Sunday Sabbath, Christmas, Easter, the trinity, the rapture, immediate entrance into heaven or hell at death, holy water, the rubbing of beads and other non-Biblical customs and observances that were borrowed from pagan religions.

Galatians 4:8-11 is used by church people to “prove” that God’s annual Holy Days were also done away with by Jesus Christ. Obviously, Satan has won the hearts of billions of salvation seekers over the past 2000 years. Today such people make up 99% of professing Christendom. Satan’s efforts have not waned. Today his fallen angels do their deadly work through hundreds of thousands of false prophets who ignorantly serve their master in the various cults known as churches, faiths, denominations, assemblies, etc. As I have noted before, in order to determine the level of success enjoyed by Satan and his servants, check any telephone book under the heading: CHURCHES–and count. The seeker of Bible Truth is not surprised by this for Jesus warned that, though many would be called to enter His strait gate and walk His narrow way, few would answer His call (Mat. 7:13,14; 22:14). And He was right. L.J.