As I was studying the scriptures one night, I came across the book of Galatians in a cross reference to something else I was studying. I read the scriptures that I was referred to by my cross reference Bible to a great revelation. I began reading about clashes between the Jews and the Gentiles in reference to their theologies and the way they view Jesus. Also this was a clashing of two different cultures as the Jews from Jerusalem/Israel were living in a society dictated by Roman rule.

When the gospel of Jesus Christ began to spread from one culture to another, there were numerous clashes and collisions of the acceptable values and norms within the invaded culture. In this spreading of the gospel from one culture to another, one who is not careful and not knowledgeable of the culture in which they have now became a part of can actually do more damage to the cause of Christ being propagated and also to the spiritual well being of believers within the invaded culture. In fact, the Apostle Paul wrote the letter to the Galatians to discuss these conflicts already present between the Jewish believers and the Gentile believers. Therefore a conflict in culture occurred at the start of the Christian movement similar to many conflicts in culture today.

Could conflict be avoided? No. In Matthew 28:19, Jesus tells his disciples in the Great Commission to "go ye therefore into all the world...". The Greek word for "world" is "ethnos". From this word, we get the English word "ethnic". Webster's Dictionary defines ethnic as "A population subgroup having common cultural heritage distinguished by customs, traditions, characteristics, language, etc." Therefore, the "world" that was described by Jesus in Matthew 28 were not "countries" as we know it today. It was referring more to "peoples" and "cultures". This is what we call "ethnic groups". Jesus specifically ordered his followers to cross ethnic, social, national, tribal, linguistic, and cultural lines in both the environment where we live and also around the world with the message of salvation, deliverance, and freedom throughout the world. Some people are called by God to be missionaries to Africa. Others, like you and me are called to take the Gospel to our workplace, neighborhoods, and (especially for me) online.

Galatia is a loosely defined plateau region in what is now modern day Turkey. The name is derived from the Gauls, a Celtic tribe driven from France who migrated to this area to settle. Galatia was known for it's roads that connected Europe to Asia as well as the Mediterranean Sea that connected Galatia to the rest of the world via the ports. The Romans conquered Galatia in 166 BC and was given limited freedom under the condition that the Gauls would conquer the other nomadic tribes around them. Besides the ports, commerce, and ease of access to the rest of the world, Galatia had political, economic, and military significance to the Roman empire. Therefore, Galatia was a cultural "melting pot" of diverse cultures, languages, and beliefs. While northern Galatia resisted Rome and continued with Celtic druid worship, southern Galatia was more open to new ideas and concepts from other parts of the world. Southern Galatia became fascinated with emperor worship (from Asia), Judaism, and Christianity. There were numerous Christians in Galatia as a result of the Great Commission and as a result, an internal clash between the Christians and Christians who had ties with Judaism existed.

In order to fulfill the Great Commission successfully, we as Christians need to be aware of the cultural "baggage" that we attatch to our faith. All of us have made assumptions and benchmarks to what a true Christian is and what a true Christian is not. Many of these expectations are based less on the Bible than on our own cultural value systems. True Christians from all walks of life and different backgrounds serve the same Jesus. Sometimes, Christians from different nations, denominations, and cultures worship in ways that make us feel uncomfortable at times. This does not mean that they are completely in sin with their walk, nor does it mean that that culture's way of worshipping Christianity is the only true annointed way that Jesus can be worshipped in.

From my readings and studies of Galatians, this book offers many insights into the problems prevalent throughout the world today. It is a short, but powerful book for the cultural melting pot we live in today. We are faced with diversity all around us. And it is my intention to show you through the book of Galatians that we need a reminder of the need to be clear about the essentials of the gospel, and not to add, delete, nor confuse the essentials of the gospel with external things that really do not matter.

Before I Explain The Book of Galatians:

Throughout Christian history, people and religious institutions have "added on" various legalistic requirements to the words of the gospel almost always tying it to and backing it up with Scripture. In this history, the faith has became distorted to the point that the true meaning of Christianity became distorted and overcome by these legalistic add-on requirements hereby negating the power of the gospel to the point where near irreconcialable damage was done to the progression of Christianity and to the believers of Christianity already established and grounded in the basic tenements of the Scriptures.

In first century Galatia, there were teachers who still insisted that in order to be a real follower of Jesus, believing in Jesus was not enough. One had to keep the law of Moses (the traditions and festivals) in addition to the teachings of Jesus. The perception here was that Jesus was another pathway to God, but never replaced Moses. In other words, the Old Covenant was still in effect as law was still the norm instead of Grace. The young Galatians became confused as to who to believe, the teachers of the Law or Paul's message of Jesus and his atonnement.

Paul was outraged with the deception that sank into the church at Galatia. He composed this letter to defend the integrity of the gospel and to ensure that Christ alone is sufficent enough for salvation - nothing more, nothing less.

It was this letter that enlightened the eyes of Martin Luther concerning the indulgences practice (where you had to pay the priest something before he would allow you to confess your sins and receive forgiveness) that ransacked the Catholic church from seeing Jesus. This sparked personal revival in Martin Luther to the point of Luther posted his ninety-five thesis on the cathedrial door for reforms to the Catholic church and led to the Protestant reformation. In the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, American Christians have added numerous legalistic requirements to the simple gospel that has sent believers and sinners alike away from the church back into the world. The church became more of a social club of do's and dont's that turned into the benchmarks of "a true Christian" instead of the center of outreach it was designed to be. As the focus became geared towards the add on regulations and less on the Scriptures and Jesus, the church became more and more irrevalent to society and lost the impact that it once possessed.

Click Here for part two of The Galatia We Live In.