Shabbat Shalom. God bless you. What a privilege it is for us to begin the study of the letter to the Galatians, the book of Galatians, which the Apostle Paul, Shaul Paul, wrote to the believers in the region of Galatia. And I would like you all please to turn with me to the book of Galatians. And I would like to present an introduction today for the letter that Paul wrote to the Galatians. And so please turn with me to Galatians chapter 1, and I would like to read the first two verses of this first chapter. Galatians 1, verses 1 to 2, we read, Paul an apostle not of men neither by men but by Jesus Christ Yeshua HaMashiach and God the Father who raised him from the dead and all the brethren which are with me unto the churches of Galatia unto the assemblies plural of Galatia this is where I want to stop with the beginning of the ministry for today beloved brothers and sisters i think it is extremely important for us who know and accept the Lord Yeshua the Messiah it is extremely important for us to understand and to know a little bit more about the person of the apostle Paul it is interesting that many, we hear of many who somehow say that the Apostle Paul, that Shaul Paul, was really not teaching the Word of God on the basis of what God gave in past days to our forefathers, the people of Israel, and oftentimes we hear of those that do not like the Apostle Paul.

Some believe that the Apostle Paul was going against the law of Moses, Torah Moshe, or going against the people of Israel, the Jewish people, our own people. But I would like to suggest, beloved brothers and sisters, as we begin with the study of the letter that Shaul Paul wrote to the Galatians, I would like us to understand that there was a reason why the Apostle Paul wrote this letter, brothers and sisters of the region of Galatia, To remind you that according to the Brit HaChadasha, the New Testament, the New Covenant, the Apostle Paul wrote 13 letters. He wrote the letter to the Romans. He wrote the letter to the Corinthians, 1st Corinthians, 2nd Corinthians.

Of course, he wrote this letter to the Galatians. He wrote the letter to the Ephesians. He wrote to the Philippians, to the Colossians, to the Thessalonians. 1 Thessalonians, 2 Thessalonians, he wrote to Timothy, 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, he wrote the letter to Titus, as well he wrote the letter to Philemon, 13 letters in all. And Paul, also some believe that he even wrote the letter to the Hebrews, but we cannot verify that because we find nowhere his name found in the book of Hebrews. So, in total, this man, by the name of Paul, in Hebrew, his Hebrew's name is Shaul, his diaspora name is Paul, and he was the one that wrote this letter to the region, to the brothers and sisters in the region of Galatia.

Let me just emphasize a few things. You notice that the first word in Galatians 1 and verse 1 is the name of the apostle Paul Paul an apostle not of men neither by men but by Jesus Christ in Hebrew Yeshua ha-Mashiach and God the father who raised him from the dead and all the brethren which are with me and to notice the churches of galatia notice that the word churches or assemblies is in plural because he was writing not only to group of believers who dwelt in a one local city like in Rome or in Corinth or in Ephesus or in philippi or colossi or even tessalonica no he wrote to a group of believers but they had the location where they dwelt was in galatia and galatia was a region a region where there were more than one local assembly and that's why you notice that the word Galatians is in plural because he was writing to a more than one local assembly in one local city.

And in fact, the Bible shows us that in the book of Acts that he visited Antioch. Iconium, Lystra, and Derbe. These are some of the cities where the apostle Paul visited when he was going on his three missionary journeys. Now, it is important, first of all, to understand that the apostle Paul, Shaul Paul, was first of all to realize that he was a man that uniquely was called by God in a supernatural way, you might say, very similar to Moses, to Moshe Rabbeinu, to the one whom God had used to give our people Israel the law a Torah Moshe the law of Moses God used Moshe to give Israel the law but God used Shaul Paul to introduce this present day that is known today as the church age the assembly age just a little bit to look backwards and to the history I should say of this man by the name of Paul the first time we find his name mentioned in the word of God is found in the book of Acts of course and it is it is in chapter 7 and in chapter 7 there it was the time where stephen a Jewish believer in Yeshua.

The Messiah who presented the person of the Lord Jesus the Messiah to the sanhedrin to the spiritual leaders of Israel and you will notice that at the end of chapter 7 when Stephen was stoned we read in chapter 7 verse 58 and cast him out of the city they cast Stephen out of the city of Jerusalem they stoned him and they stoned him and the witnesses laid down their clothes at the young man's feet whose name was Saul in Hebrew the Hebrew name is actually Shaul in English you say Saul in other words when Saul when Shaul was standing there he was part of this group called as the Sanhedrin the spiritual leaders of our people Israel and when Stephen a Jewish believer in the Lord Jesus the Messiah presented the message to the nation unfortunately he was stoned and Shaul witnessed the stoning of Stephen himself and it is kind of sad to see that the first time we find in Scripture the name of the person of Paul Shaul is in chapter 7 and it was a time.

When he was part of those who rejected the testimony of Stephen concerning the Lord Yeshua the Messiah so from there on from Acts chapter 7 and verse 58 we find often time again and again a Shaul's name is mentioned in fact in chapter 8 and verse 1 Acts 8 verse 1 and Shaul was consenting unto his death. In fact, we will learn from this passage that Shaul actually wanted the death of Stephen because Shaul himself did not acknowledge that Yeshua was the Messiah in the time where other Jewish believers came to faith in the Lord Jesus the Messiah. Then we continue into chapter 9 of book of Acts and again in verse 1 we find Shaul yet breathing out threatening and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord went unto the high priest and desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues that if he found any of this way whether they were men of women he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem so you notice dear brothers and sisters that.

Shaul actually as it said in chapter 9 he was breathing out threatening and slaughter against the talmidim the disciples of the Lord you see in the early days the disciples of the Lord were Jewish israeli believers who accepted the messiahship of Yeshua they have embraced him as their Messiah Lord and Savior and they became his talmidim his disciples but you could see that Shaul was the one that was threatening them he was breathing out threatening and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord this is the Lord Jesus the Lord Yeshua the Messiah what does he do he's going to the high priest he desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogue that if he found any of this way in Hebrew we call it this way what was this way this way was the way where these early Hebrew Christians or Messianic Jewish people believe that Yeshua the Messiah, Jesus the Messiah is the way, the truth and the life.

They have accepted him while the rest of our own nation Israel did not accept him at his first coming. And so, Shaul Paul was one of those who sought to destroy all who believe in Jesus, the Lord Jesus, the Messiah. He went to the high priest, he asked for letters, he wanted to go to the synagogues in the city of Damascus, and those areas around Damascus where there were already other Hebrew Christians, Messianic Jewish people who have accepted the Messiah, and he sought to go against them. He wanted to bring them back to Jerusalem, whether they were male or female, men or women. He wanted to bring them bound out to the city of Jerusalem.

I would like to remind you that Shaul never persecuted non-Jewish believers, but he only persecuted Jewish believers because he did not want them to turn away from the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, not understanding that the Lord Yeshua Jesus the Messiah indeed was the promised one that God had promised the people of Israel now many times people do not understand and they say well his name was Shaul when he was Jewish and his name turned to be Paul when he became a Christian now i would like to suggest dear friend that this is not correct he had both the Hebrew name Shaul and the diaspora name Paul many of our own Jewish people have more than one name one is a hebraic name biblical hebraic name and another is when they live outside of the land of Israel they have embraced names that is what we would call them diaspora names and to show this to you if you turn with me a little bit further to act chapter 13 you will notice in the first a few.

Verses there and i'm reading now they were in the church that was in until certain prophets and teachers as Barnabas and Shimon, that was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Menachem or Menayin, which had been brought up with Herod the Tetrack, and Saul. Notice the name Saul. Then if you just jump a little bit further down to verse 9, in verse 9 we read, then Saul, Shaul, who also is called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, set his eyes on him. You know that how Scripture is very clear? His name was Shaul, this is his Hebrew name, but he was also called Paul because he was Paul of Saul of Tarsus, living in Tarsus, his name was also Paul because he was living outside of the land and communicating with the Gentile world so he had both names Shaul and Paul but it is also interesting that the apostle he became an apostle or Shaul have accepted the Messiah already on the way to Damascus as we read of it in Acts chapter 9 he received the letters from the high priest he was on his way to the city of Damascus and according to Acts chapter 9 and verse 3 and as he journeyed he came near Damascus and suddenly there shineth round about him a light from heaven and he fell into the earth and he heard a voice saying unto him.

Shaul Shaul why persecutest thou me and he said who art thou Lord and the Lord said I am Yeshua I am Jesus whom thou persecutest it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks and he troubling and astonished said Lord what will thou have me to do and the Lord said unto him arise and go into the city and it shall be told thee what thou must do you notice that Shaul received a message from the glorified Lord Jesus the Messiah who was already in heaven and this light from heaven that shone around him cause him to fall to the earth and Shaul heard the voice of the risen Messiah who once came and he died a shameful death on a Roman cross and he was buried and he rose again on the third day and he was ascended into heaven and now from heaven as this man by the name of Shaul opposed the message of the gospel, opposed the Hebrew believers of first century on the way.

To Damascus to bring them back to Jerusalem and to harm them. Guess what, beloved brothers and sisters, the Lord Yeshua the Messiah met him on that very road to Damascus, and he said to him, Shaul, Shaul, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? The Lord spoke to him from heaven and he said to him, Shaul, why do you persecute me? And you see this very one Shaul who loved the God of Israel, who sought to please the God of Israel, who sought to bring those wayward Jewish people back to Jerusalem because they violated, according to his view, the word of God. And yet the Messiah himself called him and he says, why do you persecute me?

We learn a great lesson here from Acts chapter 9, that when the believers are being persecuted here on earth, those who persecute the believers on earth actually persecute none else but the Lord Jesus, the Lord Yeshua, the Messiah himself. And you notice what happened. It says as we read here in act chapter 9 he said in verse 5 who are thou Lord notice he called him Lord adon in Hebrew who are thou adon and the Lord said i am Jesus i am Yeshua whom thou persecutest it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks this man by the name of Shaul was opposing the message of the gospel opposing the believers the early Hebrew believers opposing the Lord Jesus the Messiah and he was now confronted by the glorified Lord Jesus the Messiah himself and he trembling and astonished said Lord notice he called him adon adoni Lord what will you have me to do notice that here is we see where this man that we know him from Galatians 1 1 Paul who is none else but Shaul who opposed the gospel he's saying to the glorified Messiah what will you have me to do and here the Lord gave him instruction arise and go into the city.

And it shall be told you what thou must do and as we read a little bit later we find that he went to a man by the name of Hananias as it says here a little bit later in Acts chapter 9 and notice beloved brothers and sisters what the Lord Yeshua Jesus the Messiah said to Hananias about this man by the name of Shaul he said to Hananiah in verse 15 the Lord said unto him that is Hananiah he said go thy way for he this is Shaul he is a chosen vessel unto me to bear my name before the goyim the Gentiles and Kings and the children of Israel for i will show him how great things he must suffer for my name's sake you see beloved brothers and sisters this man by the name of Shaul Paul he was chosen as a vessel you see Yeshua said for he is a chosen vessel unto me you see the Lord Jesus the Messiah chose him to be a vessel so he will go to bear the name of the.

Lord Jesus before the Gentiles before Kings and also before the children of Israel bnei Israel and it is amazing first of all to recognize that this person by the name of Shaul by the name of Paul was a vessel that was chosen by the Messiah himself to be to present him and to testify to the name of Yeshua to the name of Jesus before the whole world and now you have to realize beloved brothers and sisters that when the Messiah came at his first coming that is just a few years earlier and when he died and he was buried and he rose again our nation Israel did not accept him that was already foretold by our forefathers Isaiah and Jeremiah and Zechariah and Daniel and other of the prophets of all who were telling the forefathers that when a Messiah will come he will not be accepted at the first coming and sure enough Yeshua Jesus the Messiah was not accepted and God have now opened the door for this present day of the church age to present.

The message of the gospel throughout the whole world as we read here he will be a vessel a chosen vessel unto me to bear my name before the goyim the Gentiles all the nations of the world and Kings and also before the children of Israel so it is important to understand it and especially when there are those who oppose the writings of Paul of Shaul thinking that what he wrote is not correct and they cannot have confidence in this, well, we have a problem if we don't accept what Shaul Paul wrote because otherwise we have to take half of the Brit HaChadasha of the New Testament and reject it as he wrote Romans and 1st and 2nd Corinthians and of course Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1st Thessalonians, 2nd Thessalonians and so on, Timothy, 1st Timothy, 2nd Timothy, Titus, Philemon.

We have to set aside all the writings of the Apostle Paul if we reject the fact that his letters were divinely inspired, given to us by the Lord himself. Something that is very important also in order to strengthen the fact that Shaul Paul knew very well what he was doing when he presented the gospel of the grace of God. Paul, Shaul Paul, he was a Hebrew, he was an Israeli, and he was Jewish. He was a Hebrew, he was an Israeli, and he was Jewish. Why we emphasize it again because some say that he was a Jew when he before he became a believer in the Lord Jesus the Messiah when he became a christian now he is no longer a Jew and now his name was changed and he's no longer Shaul but Paul but look beloved brothers and sisters it's good to be sound in the reading of the word of God according to Philippians chapter 3 Paul says in verses 4 and 5 he said to the Philippians though I might also have confidence in the flesh If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more.

And then he said in verse 5, for Christ laws for the Messiah in other words if someone might say listen Paul Shaul really didn't have any rich heritage when it's come to understanding the background of among the nation of Israel or didn't know much about the history of the people of Israel Shaul Paul tells the philippian that he knew very well he is a Hebrew of the Hebrew and he gave us a list here of things concerning himself he was circumcised on the eighth day he was of the stock of Israel of the tribe of benjamin a Hebrew of Hebrew touching the law a pharisee concerning zeal persecuting the church touching the righteousness which is in the law blameless but notice this what things were gained To me, those I count lost for the Messiah, for Christ.

See, Paul, Shaul understood that all these beautiful history and background never gave him gain in a sense of salvation because those, the history and the background that he had should have led him and should have led us all to acknowledge that Yeshua is the Messiah and it was the promise of God came to be fulfilled so he says what things were gained to me those i count loss for Christ loss for Mashiach notice that the word Christ is the come from the Greek language christos which comes from the Hebrew language Mashiach Messiah in other words he said even if i have all these credentials all these things that i could gain from yet i count them loss they have no value for me if i don't have the Messiah Yeshua himself so in Philippians chapter 3 Paul confessed that he was a Hebrew of the Hebrews then if you understand Scripture a little bit more you can see that in Romans chapter 11 he the very same Paul Shaul instructed the Romans concerning the future of Israel and in.

Romans chapter 11 verse 1 he said i say then has God cast away his people God forbid for i am also an israeli of the seed of Abraham of the tribe of binyamin you notice he's saying not only that i'm a Hebrew a Hebrew of the Hebrews Philippians chapter 3 but i am also an israeli i have a link to Abraham as a Hebrew i have a link to Yaakov Jacob whose name was turned from Jacob to yisrael to a prince for God but thirdly and i would like to just read this verse as well according to act chapter 21 when Paul was in Jerusalem he wanted to speak to the multitude who were not happy with him when he came into the temple and wanted to harm him so i would like you to notice what Paul said in act chapter 22 verse 1 he's speaking to his brethren the Jewish people and he said to the men brethren and fathers hear ye my defense which i make now unto you and when they heard that he.

Spake in the Hebrew tongue to them they kept the more silence and he saith I am verily a man which am a Jew born in Tarsus a city of Cilicia yet brought up in the city at the feet of Gamliel and taught according to the perfect manner of the law of the fathers and was zealous toward God as ye all are this day. You notice what he's saying here to the people in the temple area in the city of Jerusalem who were not happy with him and wanted to harm him because he believed in the Lord Yeshua, Jesus the Messiah. He said to them, brethren.

He said to them, men, brethren, and fathers. He says, listen, I want you to hear my defense. He says, I am, notice verse 3, I am verily a man which am a Jew. Notice he didn't tell them, I am verily a man which was a Jew. No, he was a Jewish believer in Yeshua the Messiah. Just the same like he was a Hebrew of the Hebrew, Philippians 3. Just like he was an Israeli, Romans 11 and verse 1, he was also a Jewish man who believed that Jesus, that Yeshua was the Messiah. He was sitting at the feet of Gamliel. He was taught according to the perfect manner of the law of the fathers.

And he was also, listen to this, zealous the word God, as all these others were there zealous towards the God of Israel. So what do we learn here when we think about this man by the name of Paul, who wrote the letter to the Galatians? This man by the name of Paul accepted the Lord Jesus, the Lord Yeshua, the Messiah, And became a child of God. And he was chosen by the glorified Savior, the glorified Lord Jesus, to become a chosen vessel to present the gospel among the nations of the world. And he was really a committed servant of the Lord. So, no one can blame Paul that he did not care for God, or did not care for his heritage, the Jewish people, or did not care for the law of Moses.

He himself said, I was zealous, as it says here, just like you, I was zealous to that which the law of our fathers were taught. He was committed to the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob so as we began the study of the book of Galatians we have immediately to recognize that Paul that Shaul was indeed a one that had an authority to instruct the believers in the region of galatia and to show concern for their welfare now i would like to mention one or two more things that are very important when the apostle Paul when Shaul became a believer in the Lord Jesus he was raised by the Lord to become a vessel to serve him well in act chapter 13 after his salvation after he accepted Yeshua the Messiah he accepted the gospel of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah then he went to antioch in Syria and from there actually even before he went to antioch which is in Syria he went for a while to the wilderness to the desert to arabia for three years where the Lord taught him and instructed him and then he returned back to Damascus and then later on he went to visit the city of Jerusalem.

But i would like you to notice that the beginning of his ministry according to act chapter 13 he was called by the Lord to begin to serve him beyond the area where he was beyond antioch of Syria and according to act chapter 13 now they were in the church that was in antioch this is verse 1 certain prophets teachers as barnabas and Simon that was called niger and lucius of siren and menahen or menachem which had been brought up with herod the tatra and Saul notice now he is part of the local church the local assembly in antioch his name is still called Saul Shaul and then notice this in chapter 13 verse 2 now as they ministered to the Lord apparently these brothers shared the word of God instructed people in that local assembly that was founded in Antioch in Syria they ministered unto the Lord they fasted and then the Holy Spirit said separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work where unto I have called them verse 3 said that when they had fasted and.

Prayed and laid hands on them they sent them away from here on beloved brothers and sisters act chapter 13 from verse 3 where the believers in the local assembly the local church in antioch responded to the voice and to the message of the Spirit of God to separate barnabas and Shaul for the work of the ministry from there on Shaul and Barnabas began to travel in order to establish local churches local assemblies in various areas in which the Lord have called them to go now they were preaching the gospel they were what they were saying they were preaching the gospel message they were saying to the people in the areas where they went that the Lord Jesus that the Lord Yeshua is the one that is the anointed one he came from heaven he died on a shameful cross in order to pay for the sin of this world and so who will ever believe on him and have accept him will receive forgiveness of sins so as they went about they have gone they've had three missionary.

Journeys the first one was at about 46 to 48 a.d the second missionary journey was at about 49 to 52 a.d and the third missionary journey was at about 54 to 55 a.d during those years Shaul and barnabas later on they kind of separated and went to a different direction but the first two missionary journeys they went together and they have arrived to the region of galatia that's how we get this letter to the Galatians when they have arrived there as we mentioned earlier they have arrived to the various cities that are mentioned in Scripture in Acts chapter 13 verse 14 they arrive to Antioch which is a location that is in the region of Galatia there we find out that this is Antioch of Pisidia in the region of Galatia and the first thing that they have done?

They have entered into the synagogue. In the synagogue, in Hebrew, Beit HaKnesset, Shaul and Barnabas, Jewish believers in Yeshua, the Messiah, ministered to the Jewish community the fact that Yeshua is Messiah of Israel that had been promised by the prophets. To remind you, they didn't have any New Testament writing. They went to the synagogue. In a synagogue was the Hebrew Scripture the law Genesis Exodus Leviticus Numbers Deuteronomy the prophets and the writing from the book of Psalms and so on they had the law the prophets and the writing and from the law the prophets and the writing they presented to the Jewish people in the synagogue that Yeshua Jesus indeed was the Messiah the promised Messiah now of course as we read they had much opposition some Jewish people have accepted the Messiah that's how many local assemblies was formed but the vast majority did not accept their message and in a sense they began to persecute now the Apostle Paul, Shaul, Paul and Barnabas and those that served with him.

And so what did they do? When they finished to speak in the synagogue and when they were not accepted by some others have accepted then they went to the Goyim, to the Gentile and to them they have shared the very same message that God loves so much this world that he sent the Messiah and that Jesus was that Messiah according to the Scripture and that if they will only believe in him and turn away from idols they will receive forgiveness of sins so many of the Gentiles have accepted the Lord accepted the grace of God salvation through faith in the person of the Lord Jesus the Lord Yeshua the Messiah no more and no less simply believe on the Lord Jesus the Messiah and you shall be saved so can you imagine we read in chapter 13 of Acts verse 14 he arrived to antioch of in pisidia then in chapter 14 we read that he arrived to iconium verse 1 then again in chapter 14 he arrived in verse 6 to lystra act 14 verse 6 and then in the same chapter they.

Arrived to derby act chapter 14 and verse 20 these are cities towns that were in the region of galatia and we would call them the Galatians those people who have accepted the Messiah Yeshua Jesus and became children of God by grace through faith in him and they now have embraced him and acknowledged the Lord Jesus and began their local churches local assemblies in their various towns in the various localities and it was be it was something very precious for Paul Shaul Paul because he loved them he ministered to them he taught them he is instructing them he ministered to them in fact he was used by the Lord Jesus to form local assemblies in various towns and cities included here in the Galatia region well can you imagine how wonderful it was when he was preaching the message of the gospel to them and many have accepted the person of the Lord and became part of the family of God.

And so, as he preached the gospel, I would like to remind you that the gospel is simply good news. In Hebrew we call it Besorah, Besorah Tovah. That means simply that there is a way whereby someone can receive forgiveness from the living God. All who have sinned, all who have gone astray, who only turn their hearts to the Savior, they will receive forgiveness of sins. And what is the gospel? According to 1 Corinthians chapter 15, the very same Paul said this to the Corinthians, For I delivered unto you, first of all, that which I also received, how that Messiah, this is Christ, died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again on the third day according to the Scriptures.

Now you notice that Paul gives us the definition of the Gospel, of the Besorah. What is the message? What is the gospel? What is the news about the Lord Jesus? Is it the Messiah that Christ died for our sins? We all have sinned, and he died for our sins. And it is based upon the Hebrew Scriptures. Notice he mentioned according to the Scriptures. Well, he didn't have the New Testament, the New Covenant, Yet written when he said that it is according to the Hebrew Scriptures that the forefathers of the Apostle Paul, Shaul Paul and Barnabas and others foretold that the Messiah will come and he will die for the sin of Israel and the sin of this world.

Well, Israel at his first coming didn't accept him. And that's why Israel is in a sense waiting the day in which nationally Israel will accept him at the second coming. But in the meanwhile, God began something new in which Jewish and Gentile individuals who believe in the Lord Jesus, the Messiah, together form the body of Christ, the body of Messiah. That's why when we read Galatians chapter 1 in the introduction in verse 1 Paul said Paul an apostle not of men neither by men but by Jesus the Messiah and God the Father who raised him from the dead and all the brethren which are with him unto the churches of Galatia unto the assemblies the called out ones in the region of galatia he's writing to them this letter in order to give them instruction concerning the truth of the gospel which we are going to speak about more as we continue with the study of the book of Galatians so the background the background beloved brothers and sisters, is the missionary journeys that Paul, Barnabas, and others have done visiting the region of Galatia, sharing the message of the gospel.

Jew and Gentiles unite together in the body of Messiah, accepting the Messiah, and forming local churches, local assembly. The word church does not mean a building. The word church comes from the Greek word ekklesia, which simply means individuals who are called out. They are called out from among Israel. They are called out from among the nations of the world. And together they form a local church or local assembly. So the word church, the word assembly, does not speak to buildings which were made from bricks and stone and wood. No, the word church, that's why it says here, unto the churches, unto the assembly. The church simply has to do with people, individuals who have acknowledged the Lord Yeshua, Jesus, the Messiah.

Now, as we continue on, and we will see, we're going to go throughout the rest of the letter to the Galatians, we must share the reason for the writing of this letter to the Galatians. You see, every letter that Shaul wrote to a certain local assembly in a certain city or a region had a purpose. The reason that he wrote the book of Romans, or the letter to the Romans, is in order to instruct the Romans believers of the truth of justification. You remember what he said in Romans chapter 1 and verse 16, For I am not ashamed of the gospel of the Messiah, for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believes.

But then he continued, and he said, to the Jew first and also to the Greek and then in verse 17 he continue Romans 1 16 and 17 he says for therein the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith as it is written the just shall live by faith when Paul wrote to the Romans he wanted them to understand the truth of justification we have been declared just justified on the basis of the gospel of the grace of God i am not ashamed of the gospel of the Messiah he said in Roman 1 16 it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that only believe anyone who truly believe in the Lord Yeshua the Messiah in the gospel his death for our sins his burial and resurrection he is redeemed he's justified God have declared him just this is amazing beloved brothers and sisters and friends that's why the apostle Paul wrote the letter to the Romans the letters that he wrote first corinthian and second corinthian he wrote it to the corinthian because there was so much.

Problems among the believers in the city of Corinth there was a lot of immorality there was a lot of disorder there was a lot of division there was a lot of abuses of gifts there were all sort of things they were taking each other to court there were many things that were wrong in the city of Corinth among those local believers in these local churches in the city of Corinth so Paul wrote to them these letters to correct them in their error of divisions and immorality and abusing of the gifts that God had given to them and marriage problem and all this. He wrote them these letters in 1st and 2nd Corinthians.

And then later on we will just jump over Galatians for a moment To the Ephesians, he reminded the Ephesians that they were chosen in Christ, in the Messiah, from before the foundation of the world, and that God himself has enriched them and their promises and the things that God has for them in heaven, in heavenlies, where the believer can have this assurance that we belong to the Lord. And all our promises, all that which God is desiring and planned for those who will trust in Him is found in the person of the Lord Jesus in the heavenlies. And one day we're going to be with Him in heaven.

To the Philippians he wrote the letter because apparently there were also some divisions there and he was appealing to some of the sisters there to be united together which would bring them joy. That's why in the book of Philippians we find out that Paul said in chapter 4 and verses 2 and 3 he says I beseech Iodias and I beseech Cynthia that they be of the same mind in the Lord to have harmony and to have the same mind not to have conflict and friction and later on he says rejoice in the Lord always verse 4 and again I say rejoice let your moderation be made known unto man the Lord is at hand in other words to the Philippians he emphasized the necessity of harmony which will bring joy among the people of God in the local assembly in the local congregation and of course he also wrote to the believers at Colossae and the Colossian believers had a problem with holding on to the head of the body namely Jesus the Messiah who is the head and the believers here on earth are the body he is the head who is in heaven and they needed to recognize that he is.

The head no one else is the head the Lord Jesus the Messiah he is the head of the body and the head to the body we read in verse 18 of Colossians chapter 1 and he is the head of the body the church who is the beginning the firstborn from the dead that in all things he might have the preeminent so the Lord Yeshua Jesus the Messiah is the head the church the assembly the believers here on earth we are the body of Messiah and the assembly have to recognize that he is the head and he must have the preeminence in all things he must be first he must be receiving preeminence in the lives of God's people well to the Thessalonians of course he wrote to them because they were concerned concerning the the future day of the the day of the Lord the tribulation period some of the believers passed away they have accepted the Lord and.

The Apostle Paul instructed them that not to worry, that the believers who will be alive will be taken out of here at the rapture of the church, and they will not go through the days of the tribulation that will come upon the face of this earth. So the Thessalonians were concerned and they didn't know, well, what's going to happen to those that have already passed away? Will they not come with us out of here when the tribulation period will come? And therefore the apostle Paul wrote to them in 1 Thessalonians chapter 4, he said to them, but I would not have you to be ignorant brethren concerning them which are asleep those who died through Jesus through the Lord Yeshua that he saw not even as others which have no hope and then he began to give them instruction concerning the rapture of the church now I know that in the churches today in general there are various views about the snatching up of the assembly of the believers before the time of Jacob's trouble will begin some don't believe in the fact that there is that which we understand from Scripture the snatching out of the believers of the church age out of this world well you will have to study this for yourself but we believe that the true believers in the Lord Jesus the Messiah who have accepted him as their Lord and Savior from the days of the apostles in the city of Jerusalem from these first days of act chapter.

Two until the days which is ahead of us perhaps at any time when the Lord will call his own to be taken to be with him we believe that both the dead in Christ will rise first and we which are alive shall be caught up together to meet the Lord Yeshua in the air and so shall we ever be with the Lord as we read it in 1st Thessalonians chapter 4 verses 16 and 17 as we read for the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout with the voice of the archangel and with the trump of God and the dead in Messiah shall rise first then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the cloud to meet the Lord in the air, and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

We understand from Scripture that this is what we call today the rapture, the snatching up of the church, of the assembly, of the heavenly company, out of this sin-sick world, to be taken to be forever with the Lord. That is why we must distinguish between the promises of God for our own people the earthly people of Israel and the promises of God for the assembly the church the ecclesia each one of us who belong to the Lord today since Acts 2 until today we are part of the assembly of the ecclesia God is intending to restore Israel the his earthly people back to himself but until then the gospel of the grace of God is preached throughout the nations of the world and whoever will believe in him will become part of the heavenly company that is called the church the assembly in this present day so we could see he also Paul wrote to Timothy first Timothy and second Timothy and Titus and Philemon that was more personalized letters in which he gave instruction as to how to deal with the believers and how to help them to grow spiritually in their local churches he wrote to Timothy and to Titus letters that will be really.

An instruction pastoral ministry to know how to handle how to help the people of God and of course to Philemon it was a very personal letter that he wrote concerning the men that fled by the name of anisimus who have accepted the Lord Yeshua the Messiah so all these letters were written by the apostle Paul for a reason to these various cities local assemblies and individuals for a reason well in the same way beloved brothers and sisters the letter to the collation was written for a reason. And the reason was very serious reason. The reason that the Apostle Paul wrote this letter to the Galatians because there was already a problem that rose up there where there were those who came from Judea and told the Gentile brethren who have accepted the Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord Jesus the Messiah they have expected from them to be circumcised and to live their lives according to the law of Moses and you notice this if you will please turn with me to act chapter 15 in verse 1 and i want you to underline verse 1 because it is very very important take this note we read and certain men which came down from judea taught the brethren and said listen to this except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses ye cannot be saved you see this dear brothers and sisters listen these in this case they were Jewish people who believed in Yeshua the Messiah but they wanted the Gentiles now who also became believers in the Lord Jesus the Messiah now they wanted them not only to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and the.

Lord Jesus the Messiah but also to be circumcised according to the law of Moses and they said to them if you will not be circumcised according to the law of Moses you cannot be saved now you see what they were doing they were introducing that which was unbiblical that which was wrong before God saying that salvation to be saved is not enough to believe in the person and the work of the Lord Jesus the Messiah but in order to be saved in additional to faith in him you must also be circumcised and that was a violation of the word of God that was a problem that was the one that caused havoc there among the believers at galatia and Paul heard that some of them were already influenced by this and they began to impose you might say on one another not only to believe in Yeshua in the Lord Jesus in the Messiah but also to be circumcised now that brought about a problem and so if you read further on in the whole 15th chapter of Acts you will notice that.

Paul and Barnabas had no small a dissension and disputation with those people Paul and Barnabas opposed those people the certain men who came from Judea who taught the brethren and said except ye be circumcised after the man of Moses he cannot be saved so Paul and Barnabas opposed them and there was a decision made that they would go up to Jerusalem to the apostles to the elders with a dealing about this question and so indeed they went up to Jerusalem they met with the leaders there in the city of Jerusalem who were all Jewish believers the assembly began right in the city of Jerusalem with Jewish believers there and they were talking with them and they were sharing with them how the Lord have worked among the Gentiles they were received by the brethren in Jerusalem they were heard by them and according to verse 5 Paul Shaul Paul and barnabas said but there rose up certain of the sects of the pharisees which believed saying that it was.

Needful to circumcise them and to commend them to keep the law of Moses now you see that's what Paul and barnabas heard from those who came down to galatia but now they hear them in the city of Jerusalem those who say no no there was sect of the pharisees they say no no no we to tell them that believe from the Gentiles that they need to be circumcised but even more they also need we need to commend them to keep the law of Moshe torat Moshe well that was a big problem I would like to remind you, beloved brothers and sisters, that circumcision, in Hebrew we call it Brit Milah, Brit means a covenant, God made a covenant with Abraham many years before Israel even became a nation, And God made this covenant with Abraham and his descendants, namely the Jewish people, Mark of the covenant will be to circumcise every Hebrew boy when he's eight days old.

We read in Genesis chapter 17 God says in verse 10 and this this is my covenant which ye shall keep between me and you and i see it after thee every man child among you shall be circumcised and he shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin and it shall be a token of the covenant between me and you and he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you every man child in your generation he that is born in the house or bought with money of any stranger which is not of thy seed In other words, God made a covenant with Abraham, Genesis chapter 17, verse 10, 11, 12, and so on, and the covenant that Brit Milah, covenant of circumcision, was with Abraham and his descendants.

It was like a sign of the covenant. The boys that were circumcised, they did not even become believers as yet, they were only eight days old. It was the parents who circumcised them, and therefore it was the sign of the covenant. It was not given to them because they believed. No, it was given to them even before they became believers as a sign of the covenant. Now, these Jewish Pharisees, of the sects of the Pharisees, these Jewish individuals demanded this from the Gentiles. But it was not given to the Gentiles. It was not given to the church it was given to the people of Israel the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and to demand from them to be circumcised and to tell them that they are not saved if they are not circumcised that means that salvation is not only through faith in the finished work of Christ of the Messiah but in additional to faith in the Messiah one must do something else keep the law of Moses be circumcised and today in the later days in the church age many in the professing church tell us that you are not saved unless you speak in tongues or unless you are being baptized go under the water baptism otherwise you are not saved and all sort of works that men introduced today in the latter part of the church age just as it began in the early part of the church age men somehow want to do something in order to earn salvation by his own merit and that was the reason why the apostle Paul wrote this very important letter to the galatian because he wanted to.

Emphasize the fact that salvation the justification and is only on the basis of the finished work of the Messiah and no more and no more nothing more needed to be added to the gospel to the gospel of the grace of God, except the finished work of our Lord Yeshua, the Messiah. And that's why Shaul Paul was so strong in writing this particular letter for us. And therefore, beloved brothers and sisters, he wrote this letter in order to help the Galatians to understand that. Notice the key verses in the book of Galatians. Galatians chapter 2 and verse 16 is the first key verse. Knowing that the man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, Yeshua the Messiah.

Even we have believed in Jesus Christ, in Yeshua the Messiah, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law. For by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified. You see, beloved brothers and sisters, this is one of the key verses in this chapter, or I should say, this is one of the key verses in this letter, in this book, that we become justified, recognized as just and saved and forgiven without the works of the law, because by deeds of the law, by the works of the law, shall no man be justified. Paul never say that there is something wrong with the law.

No, Paul is actually tell us elsewhere that the law is holy, that the law is spiritual. The problem is not with the law, the problem is with us. We have a sin nature. The law condemns us because we're never able to rise up to the full requirements of the law. When the law says thou shalt not covet, we covet. When the law said, you shall not lie, we lie. When the law said, honor your father and your mother, we don't honor our father and our mother. We always come short of the demands of the law, and the law condemn us again and again and again.

That's why we needed the Messiah, Yeshua, who came to die for our sin. And therefore, in chapter 5 of Galatians, and then verse 1, Paul said to the Galatians, Stand fast, therefore, in the liberty wherewith Christ the Messiah has made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. You see, works that men seek to do in order to be not only justified, but also sanctified, works bring us into judgment and into bondage if we don't do them with the help of the Lord. If we try to accomplish something in order to be saved, we will realize that we will fail and God will not accept it.

And that's why the Apostle Paul wrote this letter to the Galatians, and so in this introduction, we begin with the first two verses of Galatians chapter 1, where Paul said to them, Paul an apostle not of men neither by men but by Jesus Christ Yeshua HaMashiach and God the Father who raised him from the dead and all the brethren which are with me unto the assemblies of Galatia the churches the congregation of Galatia and he from here on he will begin to share with them the things that he wanted to instruct them in order to help them to understand the gospel that is the gospel on the basis of the gospel of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah they are saved and no more nothing more except the finished work of our Lord Jesus the Messiah and faith in him in his person and in his work.

Well, beloved brothers and sisters, may the Lord bless his word. Can we say Amen to that?