More about God-fearers

Does Hagar represent the Jews in slavery under the law while Sarah represents the Christians in freedom under grace? That's the conventional interpretation of Paul's parable in Galatians 4:22, but this teaching turns over that common interpretation by revealing the Jewish background to the story.

Enslaved to the Gods

Does Paul rebuke Gentiles for observing the biblical calendar? If not, how do we understand Galatians 4:9-10?

"How can you turn back again to the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world, whose slaves you want to be once more? You observe days and months and seasons and years!" (Galatians 4:9).

The Big Meeting

Paul complains that "false brothers secretly brought in ... slipped in to spy out our freedom ... so that they might bring us into slavery" (Galatians 2:4). Who are these false brothers? In what sense are they false? In what sense had they been secretly brought in? What was the freedom in Messiah on which they were spying? These and more questions are answered as Paul brings Titus to a meeting with three top-ranking apostles to seek an endorsement for his gospel to the Gentiles.

Paul's Gospel

What is "Paul's Gospel" and what makes it different than everyone else's Gospel? This third installment offers a summary of Paul's autobiography as presented in Galatians 1:11-24, in which he describes his revelation from Heaven and his divine commission to preach the gospel to the Gentiles.

Letter to the God-Fearers

An introduction of Paul's epistle to the Galatians, identifying the author, the addrees, and the situation that occasioned its composition. This teaching is the first in a series of 26 sermons prepared and delivered to Beth Immanuel Messianic Synagogue in 2009 which First Fruits of Zion edited together into the book The Holy Epistle to the Galatians: Sermons on a Messianic Jewish Approach.

Religious Bigotry and Self-Righteousness

Have you ever heard of "The Romans Road"? This lesson takes a few detours off the regular route. The second class in our study of Paul's Epistle to the Romans explains the concepts of faith and grace before launching into Paul's rhetorical diatribe against the godless Roman idolators--a rant which turns out to be a set up to turn the tables on his readers. This teaching also contains discussion on the Noachide laws and proselytes to set the stage for the ensuing discussions in the book of Romans.