Episode Fifteen (Postscript to Season One on the Book of Galatians)

We’ve completed our fourteen-part series on the Book of Galatians.  But one question remains unanswered.  What happened after Paul sent his letter to the churches in Galatia?  In Acts 15, we get our answer.  The Judaizing heresy became an issue of concern far beyond Galatia.  In response, the Apostles and elders of the Jerusalem church convene a church assembly–known to us as the “Jerusalem Council.”  The assembled churches and their leaders wanted to hear from Paul about the great success of the Gentile mission.  But they must also address the controversy in the churches which arose precisely because so many Gentiles were coming to faith in Jesus Christ.  The question was being asked in many churches where there were also Jewish converts to Christianity present.  Must Gentile converts live as Jews?  How does the law of Moses apply to the people of God in light of the gospel?  Although Paul addressed these matters in his Galatian letter, the issues raised by the Judaizers were being debated throughout Judea and especially in Antioch, where Paul and Barnabas were currently ministering.  It became necessary for the collective churches to meet in Jerusalem and respond to on-going the Judaizing controversy.   

In this episode I’ll also answer listener questions and offer a first-take critique of N. T. Wright’s new commentary on Galatians.

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For show notes and other recommended materials located at the Riddleblog as mentioned during the Blessed Hope Podcast, click here: https://www.kimriddlebarger.com/