Galatians Bible Study Series - Joel H. Linton Week 3 Galatians 1:6-10 Activity 1: (HAND OUT paper. WRITE down two or three sentences that summarize the Gospel that you believed when you became a Christian. Try to say it in a way that you could explain it simply to a non-Christian.) Share answers.... Questions 1. Does anyone have memorized a verse from the Bible which summarizes the Gospel? If anyone does... please recite it for us... 2. Go to examples: Galatians 1:3-4, Romans 3:23-25, Romans 6:23, John 3:16-18, Ephesians 1:7, 1 Corinthians 15:3-5 or others... As a group, choose one of these Gospel verses to memorize together. (Be ready to say it next week.) 3. How do the Bible summaries compare to your own answers you wrote down. Anything left out in your answer? Any difference in focus? etc. 4. Why are we doing this? LEADER read the exhortation from 1 Peter 3:15-16 ------------------------------------------------ 5. The members of the Galatian churches were listening to a group of teachers who taught something different from what Paul taught when he first came to them. How does Paul describe what they are doing? (A: quickly DESERTING the one who called you by the grace of Christ.) 6. Christians can do the same things today: listening to and tolerating teachers who teach a gospel of another kind that no Gospel at all. You can do it by the books you read, the speakers you invite to your church or the "Christian" music you listen to, or even the church you go to. Q: Why do Christians tolerate a perversion of the Gospel? A: vs. 7 confused.... vs. 7 since it is a "perversion," it sounds similar to the real thing. Other areas to discuss: INDIVIDUAL LEVEL people not careful enough with what they hear (attitude that if a person seems holy, or has a big name, or is well respected, or makes you feel good, does not matter what he says.) people do not want to think to hard, just care about how they feel people stop valuing the Gospel enough You believe it for salvation, but still immature and fail to appreciate it. people wish to please men. people do not know enough to be strong (READ together Ephesians 4:11-16) CHURCH LEVEL If the message or doctrine being taught is less important to you than how good the singing is, or how fun the fellowship is, etc. Some churches have invited famous people to come speak, just because they are famous, without knowing what they will say. Some churches invite people to preach without carefully analyzing their doctrinal belief. Churches do not want to make waves, Elders too embarrassed to publicly correct the guest preacher or even their own preacher when he is in the wrong. Other examples? 7. Discuss some examples of perversions of the Gospel which are taught today in churches around the world. 8. What should you do about it? vs. 10 --- serve Christ, do not try to please men vs. 8 --- stand up to anyone, any time you hear it, no matter who they are -- if the teaching perverts the fundamentals of the faith, the Gospel vs. 9 --- realize yourself the seriousness of perverting the Gospel... both for the one teaching and those listening.... it is a matter of life and death, of eternal condemnation. If you love someone, you don^Òt want them to face that. vs. 6, 7, 10 ---- LOOK to JESUS "the grace of Christ," "the gospel of Christ," "servant of Christ" 9. Give some examples of things in your life that are precious to you that you would not want anyone else speaking bad about or misrepresenting. How MUCH more, the Gospel of Christ!