THE BEGINNING
"The geographical distribution of Christian communities in the Roman empire in the first century reflects the missionary activities of Paul and his fellow Apostles, based on the network of synagogues in the Jewish diaspora. Born as Jews, they were freely admitted to the synagogues, where their teachings often provoked dissension and split the local community; but almost always there remained, after the expulsion or departure of the Apostles themselves, a small group of Christians perpetuating the existence of the church. These scattered communities were assiduously nursed by Paul and his representatives, as is evident from the Apostle's letters." p. 270
THE MACMILLIAN BIBLE ATLAS
The inclusion of the Gentiles into the promises of Christ multiplied believers enormously. By the second century the Church had spread around the Mediterranian World.
THE JUDAIZING PROBLEM
The beginning of the Church was mainly in Jerusalem, and the members comprised mainly of Jewish converts to Christ. There were in this church body believers who could be called "zealots of the law,"or Judaizers. Most of the Judaizers believed that Christianity was a group within the Jewish Commonwealth, but they recognized Jesus as their Jewish Messiah. To be a Christian meant observance of the Jewish Law including circumcision and special days. When Gentiles or non-Jews became converts a major conflict developed.
"The situation' was more precarious in the churches of Galatia. These churches were visited by Judaizing Christians froin Jerusalem, who insisted that the young Galatian Christians must submit to circumcision and undertake to keep other ordinances of the Jewish law if they were to win acceptance by God or recognition as fellow-believers by the Jerusalem church. In their inexperience the Galatian Christians were disposed to pay heed to the earnest representations of these visitors. Perhaps Paul was not so well informed as they had imagined; according to these visitors, he was a latecomer to Christianity and had not been directly commissioned by Jesus as the Jerusalem apostles were. If Paul had any authority at all, he received it from the leaders of the Jerusalem church; but these Judaizers could' claim to represent the true faith as practised at Jerusalem. The addition, however, of circumcision and other requirements of the Jewish law as necessary
for salvation was not so much an addition to the gospel as a perversion of it. It nullified the principle that salvation is bestowed by grace and received by faith, and gave man a share in the glory of salvation which, according to the gospel, belongs to God alone.
The whole scheme as proposed by these Judaizers was a different gospel from that which Paul and his fellow-apostles preached it; it was, in fact, no gospel at all.
When news of what was happening in the Galatian churches came to Paul, he wrote an urgent letter to them, warning them,
as they valued ('heir salvation, not to give up the liberating message which they had heard from him and accept in its place a system which could only bring them into spiritual bondage. That letter we now call the Epistle to the Galatians.
..." F.F. Bruce, LETTERS OF PAUL pp. 18-19
KOINONIKOS
"The geographical distribution of Christian communities in the Roman empire in the first century reflects the missionary activities of Paul and his fellow Apostles, based on the network of synagogues in the Jewish diaspora. Born as Jews, they were freely admitted to the synagogues, where their teachings often provoked dissension and split the local community; but almost always there remained, after the expulsion or departure of the Apostles themselves, a small group of Christians perpetuating the existence of the church. These scattered communities were assiduously nursed by Paul and his representatives, as is evident from the Apostle's letters." p. 270
THE MACMILLIAN BIBLE ATLAS
The inclusion of the Gentiles into the promises of Christ multiplied believers enormously. By the second century the Church had spread around the Mediterranian World.
THE JUDAIZING PROBLEM
The beginning of the Church was mainly in Jerusalem, and the members comprised mainly of Jewish converts to Christ. There were in this church body believers who could be called "zealots of the law,"or Judaizers. Most of the Judaizers believed that Christianity was a group within the Jewish Commonwealth, but they recognized Jesus as their Jewish Messiah. To be a Christian meant observance of the Jewish Law including circumcision and special days. When Gentiles or non-Jews became converts a major conflict developed.
"The situation' was more precarious in the churches of Galatia. These churches were visited by Judaizing Christians froin Jerusalem, who insisted that the young Galatian Christians must submit to circumcision and undertake to keep other ordinances of the Jewish law if they were to win acceptance by God or recognition as fellow-believers by the Jerusalem church. In their inexperience the Galatian Christians were disposed to pay heed to the earnest representations of these visitors. Perhaps Paul was not so well informed as they had imagined; according to these visitors, he was a latecomer to Christianity and had not been directly commissioned by Jesus as the Jerusalem apostles were. If Paul had any authority at all, he received it from the leaders of the Jerusalem church; but these Judaizers could' claim to represent the true faith as practised at Jerusalem. The addition, however, of circumcision and other requirements of the Jewish law as necessary
for salvation was not so much an addition to the gospel as a perversion of it. It nullified the principle that salvation is bestowed by grace and received by faith, and gave man a share in the glory of salvation which, according to the gospel, belongs to God alone.
The whole scheme as proposed by these Judaizers was a different gospel from that which Paul and his fellow-apostles preached it; it was, in fact, no gospel at all.
When news of what was happening in the Galatian churches came to Paul, he wrote an urgent letter to them, warning them,
as they valued ('heir salvation, not to give up the liberating message which they had heard from him and accept in its place a system which could only bring them into spiritual bondage. That letter we now call the Epistle to the Galatians.
..." F.F. Bruce, LETTERS OF PAUL pp. 18-19
KOINONIKOS
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