This episode presents three different versions of 2 familiar passages, John 1:14 and Ephesians 6:10-17. The versions in question are a literal translation (NASB), a less literal thought-to thought (NLT), and lastly The Message. While some differences exist between the first 2, both clearly take the main thought directly from the Greek. The NLT translation nevertheless doesn't do justice to the Greek words "charis kai alethia" ("grace and "truth"), translating them as "unfailing love and faithfulness." The Message paraphrase though has significant differences, "grace and truth" (NASB) are rendered "generous inside and out, true from start to finish." Worse still, Paul's metaphor of the whole armor of God in Ephesians 6:10-17 is completely missing. The episode highlights the importance of depending on an accurate translation, particularly in a Bible study setting.
The “Best” Translation? That Depends
This opening episode bluntly states that the best translation of the Bible is a direct translation based on the oldest Greek and Hebrew copies. Presuming we're reading an English translation, the best version is one that relies directly on the Hebrew Old Testament and the Greek New Testament. Some earlier English Bibles were translations of translations, depending on the Latin Vulgate instead of Greek and Hebrew copies. Accuracy is potentially sacrificed. Modern English translations typically use either a literal word-for-word approach (formal equivalence) or a thought-to-thought (dynamic equivalence). The advantage of the first method is accuracy, whereas the second is readability. The "best" translation largely depends on one's purposes. Those who'd like to go deeper into their study of the Bible should rely on more literal translation, whereas, for devotional purposes, a thought-to-thought version might be better. For those who'd like the best of both worlds, the NIV is probably the best. The Message is very readable, but since it is a paraphrase and not a translation, it should generally be avoided. At the very least, only use The Message in conjunction with a more literal translation.
We NEED Grace!
This final episode challenges believers to evaluate their reliance on the grace of God. While many give lip service to depending on God's grace, the absence of prayer and regular reading of Scripture strongly suggest many are, in large part, self-reliant Christians. Many moreover have a simplistic view of grace mostly about the forgiveness of sins and less about the power of God to live holy before Him. Forgiven, but not victorious, self-reliant Christians indicate a shallow understanding of grace that doesn't grasp the dire need for empowering grace. When believers adopt a veritable "grace not needed" posture, God often intervenes with trials and tribulations designed to foster renewed dependence and faith in God. Mature Christians really believe, as the psalmist says, that they have no good besides God (Psalm 16:2), and dependence on that grace is not optional.
Graciously Grant Me Your Law
This episode emphasizes the necessity of God's grace for sanctification and the keeping of God's law. The law is an excellent mirror, revealing the disconnect between ourselves and a holy God. It is nevertheless powerless to transform us and sanctify us, since we are fundamentally sinful apart from God's grace. Paul highlights this fact in Romans 8:3, "what the law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did.." The law reveals our weakness and our desperate need for Christ. It is the "tutor that leads us to Christ." (Gal. 3:24) Christians commonly acknowledge dependence on the grace of God in conversion and infancy in Christ, but trip up later when they revert to relying on their flesh, apart from grace. This was my experience, and I testify how God overthrew my smug self-reliance and gave me a sense of my utter dependence on His power. This gracious power transforms us, helping us keep the law. "I will run the way of your commandments, for you will enlarge my heart." (Psalm 119:32)
The Galatian Error: When Grace is Made Powerless
This episode spells out the spiritual loss incurred by believers when they adopt a legalistic approach to sanctification. The problem, according to Galatians 5:4, is that persistent appeal to the law for justification cuts the Christian off from the grace power source for sanctification. The Christian is no longer relying on the Holy Spirit and His power to walk by the Spirit (Gal. 5:16), he's now relying on works of the law for maturing in Christ. This is the fundamental error of the Galatians cited in Gal. 3:3, of whom Paul asked, "having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?" This approach to sanctification repudiates grace, resulting in being "severed from Christ" and "fallen from grace." This strong language doesn't refer to one's position in Christ, but rather to the believer's rejection of the grace of God present in sanctification. "Severed" is the translation from "katergeo" and means estrangement or made ineffective. It's the same verb in Romans 6:6, where Paul contends that the "old self might be done away with." There the old self continues to exists but is rendered ineffective. So "severed from Christ" doesn't mean the believer has lost his salvation, but he has in fact made the sanctifying grace of God ineffective by his appeal to works of the law. The result is that the believer has "fallen from grace." The grace of sanctification is available, but the believer prefers perfecting himself without it.
Sanctifying Grace: Faith Working through Love
This episode contrasts the inadequacy of the law to perfect the believer with "faith working through love." Paul effectively says that emphasis on circumcision is a moot point: "For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything but faith working through love." (Gal. 5:6) Sanctification by appealing to the law is a hopeless endeavor, however sanctification directed by the Spirit leads to the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23) and is aptly described as "faith working through love." This total trust and dependence on God describes walking by the Spirit (Gal. 5:16) and this is the stream by which empowering grace floods the soul. So what would occur if a believer reverts to the law as the means of sanctification? The tributaries of God's grace are damned up by appeal to the works of the law. Faith in God is replaced with fleshly works, which naturally appeal to the works of the law as the ground of justification. God's unmerited favor is set aside, rendered ineffective because it's not invited. "Fallen from grace" and "severed from Christ" both describe believers who presumptuously think they can live the Christian life without empowering grace, that their own power is sufficient. Interestingly, Paul's inclusion of sins of the flesh in Gal. 5:19-21 comes after Paul's indictment of Galatian legalism, almost suggesting that appeal to the law as the means of sanctification actually makes one's condition worse. Paul's focus on sanctification in chapter 5 underscores the conclusion that Paul is principally concerned with Galatian rejection of sanctifying grace, not the justifying grace of salvation.
Justified but Barely Sanctified: the Plight of the Bewitched Galatians
Would Paul disqualify the "sainthood" of a believer who reverts to adherence to the law as the source of justification? This episode addresses that question, tying together the principal theme of Galatians with Galatians 5:4. While Paul would not disqualify a believer for reverting to the law to justify or sanctify him, he clearly states that spiritual loss abounds for any Christian who seeks "to be perfected by the flesh." (Gal. 3:3) The work of sanctification stalls when believers rely on their works instead of Christ. Paul contends that Christ would be of no benefit to the Galatians if they received circumcision. (Gal. 5:2) Reliance on works of the law are tantamount to "dead works," and the author of Hebrews maintained that "repentance from dead works" was foundational to the Christian faith. (Hebrews 6:1) The ongoing repudiation of the works of the flesh (works of the law) makes room for the Spirit of grace to cultivate truly good works that naturally flow from abiding in Christ. If a believer loses his grasp on grace (the literal meaning of "fallen from grace") because he chooses to revert to works of the law as the means of sanctification, then he inevitably cuts himself off of the perfecting grace available to him. Peter sums up the potential transforming effect of grace, "God's divine power has given to us everything pertaining to life and godliness." (2 Pet. 1:3) So while the legalistic believer hasn't lost his salvation, his stubborn refusal to access the divine power (grace), preferring his own work, seriously limits his growth in sanctification.
The Wine of Grace and Old Wineskins
"This episode focuses on the verbs used in Galatians 5:4, ""you have been severed from Christ, you who are seeking to be justified by law, you have fallen from grace."" Building on the previous program, in which the grace spoke of in Galatians mostly centers on the grace of sanctification, not justification, Paul is concerned that believers are cutting themselves off from the primary means of perfection, Christ Himself. He previously queried about them, ""having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?"" (Gal. 3:3) The issue then is subsequent sanctification, in which we mature by continuing to rely on Christ. The Galatians who embraced circumcision sought to justify themselves by the works of the law instead of continuing to follow the leading of the Spirit in sanctification. Their embrace of circumcision instead of the grace of sanctification meant that they were unnecessarily cutting themselves off from perfecting grace. ""Severed"" here is translated from ""katergeo,"" which means estranged, alienated or rendered powerless. The verb translated ""fallen,"" [""ekpipto""] signifies losing one's grasp on something. The Galatians have therefore lost their grasp on the grace of God and alienated themselves from the power of God to perfect them. As a result of relying on the woks of the law instead of the grace of God, they have rendered powerless the grace available to them. Paul consequently tells them that if they receive circumcision Christ will not benefit them. (Gal. 5:2) Christ alluded to the incompatibility of works of the law with grace in his metaphor on wineskins. (Mark 2:22)"
The Grace of Sanctification
This episode focuses on the second possible interpretation of Galatians 5:4, which contends that believers can lose the grace of salvation. Commonly referred to as the Arminian option, this interpretation largely depends on the meaning of "grace." If grace here means forgiveness of sins, coupled with the imputed righteousness of Christ, then this verse does suggest that believers can lose their salvation. "Grace" however is multifaceted in Scripture, and many places use grace in the sense of the power of God, the unmerited gift of God to live and godly and holy life. Paul uses grace in this sense in the opening salutations when he prays that "grace and peace" be with the Galatians. He is evidently not praying for grace in the sense of forgiveness of sins. Rather, he prays that the Galatian believers be blessed with divine power, together with peace, to live a godly life. The episode also mentions Romans 8:30 in which justification and even glorification is a past act from God's perspective. Paul evidently believed in eternal security, so the grace spoken of in Galatians 5:4 is best understood as the grace of sanctification, not the grace of justification. Troublesome verses like Galatians 5:4 illustrate the broader hermeneutical principle that difficult passages shouldn't be interpreted apart from easier passages, particularly from the same author. Scripture interprets Scripture, and much faulty interpretation is avoided when the principle is applied to difficult texts.
The Weakest Interpretation of Galatians 5:4
This episode focuses on the weakest interpretation of Galatians 5:4. "You have been severed from Christ, you who are seeking to be justified by law, you have fallen from grace." Interpretations typically follow one of the following: 1)this passage refers to unbelievers 2)this passage refers to believers who lose their salvation 3) the passage refers to believers who don't lose their salvation, but experience loss. The entire book of Galatians presumes its recipients have in fact received Christ. Galatians are called "brethren" and "children" by Paul. (Gal. 1:11)(Gal 4:19) They are described as "sons of God" who were "baptized into Christ." (Gal 3:26-27) And Paul affirms that they began "by the Spirit." (Gal. 3:3) Finally and crucially, the immediate context of Galatians 5:4 concedes that the Galatians "were running well." (Galatians 5:7) Arguing that Galatians 5:4 refers to unbelievers is untenable, based on both the immediate context and the entire book of Galatians.