Galatians: Introduction

This post begins a study through the book of Galatians. Galatians is a great letter with some powerful lessons. To begin, I will give you some background on the letter.

Galatia was a Roman province in Asia Minor, which is now the modern nation of Turkey. Paul and Barnabas established churches in this area on their first missionary journey. Soon after they left, their teaching came under attack.

Some Jews, who claimed to be Christian, from Jerusalem visited these churches. They said that they had the authority of the Apostles behind them. These false teachers taught that Paul was an inferior Apostle. They also taught that the law of Moses must be obeyed by Christians in order to be saved.

Paul was in Antioch when he heard about this. He wrote this letter in response around 49 AD.

Fruit of the Spirit: How to Grow in Self-Control

The spiritual discipline of Fasting will help us have more self-control. Traditionally, fasting is going without food for an extended period of time. Usually it is linked to prayer and seeking God.
There are many New Testament examples of fasting. Matthew 4:2 tells us that Jesus fasted for 40 days at the beginning of his ministry. Although, many have fasted for this long a period, most do not. Especially if you have never fasted before, start out with a shorter period, maybe a couple days.

In the Sermon on the Mount, (Matthew 6:16-18) Jesus warns against making a big show of fasting. It is not a badge of spirituality to be displayed for others to see. It should be kept as private as possible.

We know (Matthew 9:14, 15) that the disciples of Jesus did not fast while he was with them. However, Jesus suggests that after he was gone, his followers would fast.

Acts 13:1-3 tells us that the church at Antioch was having a time of common fasting. It is not clear if the entire church family or only the leaders were fasting, but this is an example of a group of believers fasting at the same time. Now, we are not told what lead them to do this, but we are told the result. During this time, the Holy Spirit revealed that Paul and Barnabas were to be sent on their first missionary journey. The group fasted and prayed together before sending these men out.

There are many other examples, but I will only list one more. In Acts 14:23, we are told that part of the process followed by Paul and Barnabas as they appointed leaders in the churches of Galatia was to pray and fast.

Let me give you some simple advice about fasting. If you have any health problems, ask your doctor before fasting. Drink plenty of fluids, including plain water. Juice and sports drinks are good but not too much. If you start to feel ill, break your fast. When you do break your fast, slowly bring your diet back to normal. Eating too much immediately after a fast can be shock to your system.

Fruit of the Spirit: What is Self-Control?

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such there is no law." (Galatians 5:22,23)

This is the last of the nine elements in the fruit of the Spirit.

Dictionary Definition: restraint exercised over one's own impulses, emotions or desires

In Acts 24:24-26, the Apostle Paul is talking to Felix about faith in Christ. He explained what this meant. We are told that he spoke on three topics: righteousness, self-control and judgment. So, for Paul, self-control is an essential part of the Christian message.

Titus 1:3-9 lists requirements for church leadership. One of these is self-control.

The Apostle Peter in 2 Peter 1:5-9 gives us building blocks for the Christian life. He says that self-control is built upon knowledge. Perseverance or patience is built upon self-control. Peter teaches us that self-control is one requirement to being effective and productive as a believer.

Paul compares the Christian walk to being an athlete in 1 Corinthians 9:24-27. In verse 25, the phrase "goes into strict training" could be translated "practices self-control." For an athlete to be successful, he or she must control themselves. Many of the actions required to be a champion go against a person's natural impulses, emotions and desires. Paul says that he did the same in order to win the prize that Christ had for him.

Self-control is essential for a Christian who wants to faithfully serve the Lord.