This book isn’t that long, but it is potentially difficult to understand unless you go slow because there is so much packed in here. The reason why Paul writes is that some outsiders have come to the churches in Galatia and told them that in order to be good Christians they have to also be good Jews. That means they have to keep the Law, including being circumcised, eating kosher food, and keeping the Sabbath. This is nonsense, Paul says! It’s not just dumb, it’s dangerous!

Salvation comes free by believing in what Jesus did for us. By trying to do other things (like circumcision), you are saying that what Jesus did was not enough and you have to make up for it. This makes Paul very, very mad. He tells his readers that if they follow the Law, they will not be following Jesus and they will go to hell.

For details on what this “Bible Reading Guide” series is about, see the first post.

Some years ago, I wrote Galatians on one foot.

1 Corinthians

Paul started churches in many of the cities that he visited. But many of these churches had problems when he left. The church in Corinth was one of the worst. They were bitterly divided and they boasted in their sin. They took the Lord’s supper in a dishonorable way and they didn’t use the spiritual gifts correctly. Some of them were even denying that bodily resurrection was possible! Thus Paul had to write a long letter to try to straighten them out. This is good for us, because this book gives us a lot of answers that we wouldn’t otherwise have.

2 Corinthians

Paul’s first letter apparently didn’t work so well, so he had to write a second one. One of the big problems now is that some of the people in the church in Corinth think Paul is not an apostle or not a good apostle. So he has to spend a lot of time defending himself and what God has called him to. There’s a lot of scorn and sarcasm in the second half of the book.

This book, probably better than any other, gives the essence of the gospel. Man is sinful, but God saves on the basis of grace. Man can never do enough, but God has provided all that is needed for the one who believes. Some might think that because the Jews aren’t believing that they have been rejected from God’s plan, but Paul explains why this is not so (chs. 9-11). As in most of his books, he concludes with practical advice on how to live. One interesting thing about Romans is that Paul had never been to the city when he wrote this letter. Yet note how many people he knows (ch. 16).

If you prefer more detail, here is the summary of the book from my argument:

The letter to the Romans is a bold and clear statement of the gospel of Jesus Christ. The beginning of the letter is primarily concerned with truths of salvation and the conclusion of the letter focuses on the practices that should be manifest in the lives of believers as a result of these truths. As Paul states in the introduction, the gospel is indeed the power of God for salvation, and he develops how this is so first by declaring man’s universal need for salvation by virtue of being under the power and condemnation of sin. Deliverance is offered to all but only on the basis of faith in Christ’s substitutionary atonement. This principle of salvation by faith is not new but has been God’s means of working since the time of Abraham. The result of being justified by God is peace with God, a reality possible by virtue of union with Christ and his distribution of life to all who are in him. Those united to Christ are free from the condemnation of sin and the power of the law so that they can live victoriously by the Spirit.

Paul emphasizes the assurance that believers can have based upon God’s past work and his future promises. These are not negated by Israel’s rejection of Christ, but rather are explained as typical of God’s sovereign purposes and the nation’s unwillingness to submit to the righteousness of another. God’s promises will indeed be fulfilled in the nation of Israel following the ingathering of the Gentiles when all Israel is redeemed and forgiven. Given the abundance of God’s mercy poured out, believers must live in righteousness and love both towards one another as well as to outsiders. Jews and Gentiles in the church must not reject those whom Christ has accepted but love one another without passing judgment or causing believers to sin. Paul anticipates his arrival in Rome following his visit to Jerusalem and he looks forward to his fellowship with those who have now heard the gospel he preaches.