06/23/2024 – Galatians Bible Study – Tim Brown –This is one of the most important and yet often overlooked passages in Galatians. Its truth can be summarized succinctly: imitation is the solution. Imitating Paul as he imitates the crucified Christ—this is the way forward for the Galatians. This is also the way forward for every Christian, regardless of the situation or circumstances.
To help get the Galatians back on track, Paul might have said a thousand different things. But as his first and primary appeal he says, “Brothers, I entreat you, become as I am, for I also have become as you are” (4:12).
Understanding imitation as Paul’s solution to the crisis in Galatia opens for us a critical new window on the letter. Evidently Galatians isn’t only about ideas but actions. The Galatians must not only endorse Paul’s gospel but must also conform to his gospel-rooted way of life. Paul’s clarion call to imitate him thus invites us to look beneath the surface of theological controversy to the even more fundamental issue at stake in Galatia: gospel-rooted living.
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