This passage pulls no punches: “You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you?” Ouch. Even if our specific context and particular temptations may be different, what this passage raises is obviously supremely important — a matter of life or death, blessing or curse. So let’s pay attention!
Starter: What kind of people do we think God blesses? Is this similar or different to what our culture says?
1/ Why does Paul raise these questions in v2-5? What are we supposed to realise?
2/ In v6-9 how does appealing to Abraham and the Old Testament help reinforce the point? (Why might this be especially powerful in a controversy that prized Jewish identity?)
3/ By contrast, what is the problem with relying on the works of the law in v10-12?
4/ Why then is the gospel such good news in v13-14? What kind of people does God bless?
5/ We may not be tempted to rely on the works of the Jewish law to secure God’s blessing – but what else might we rely on? How can we be honest and self-aware about the dangers of this?
6/ How does this passage encourage us to keep trusting Jesus? How would our lives look different if we really lived like this? How will we help each other?
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