Chronological Study Bible

¹¹ Now when Peter^a had come to Antioch, I withstood him to his face, because he was to be blamed; ¹² for before certain men came from James, he would eat with the Gentiles; but when they came, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing those who were of the circumcision. ¹³ And the rest of the Jews also played the hypocrite with him, so that even Barnabas was carried away with their hypocrisy.

* Christians of Antioch in Syria (Gal. 2:11)

The city of Antioch in Syria was founded by the first Seleucid king, Seleucus I (c. 300 B.C.). Situated on the Orontes River, it was the largest of all cities that bore the name “Antioch.” Ancient estimates of its size vary from 200,000 to 600,000 inhabitants. According to the Jewish historian Josephus (A.D. 37–100), the city also had a substantial Jewish population (Antiquities of the Jews, 12.119).

The Roman general Pompey took Antioch in 64 B.C. and declared it a free city. It then became the capital of the Roman province of Syria and the third largest city in the empire. The extant buildings, temples, aqueduct, masonry works, hippodrome, and gridlike street plan of Antioch attest to its great importance.

This great city became a center for Christianity. Many believers fled there after the stoning of Stephen and preached to Antioch’s Jewish population (Acts 11:19). But in Antioch were also Gentiles who had converted to Judaism. Some of them, such as Nicolas, called “a proselyte from Antioch” (Acts 6:5), also accepted Christianity. Soon the church in Antioch faced the task of unifying its Jewish and Gentile members.

The Antioch Christian community prospered. For a year Barnabas and Paul taught these believers, who were the first to be called “Christians” (Acts 11:25, 26). That this church had ample resources can be seen by their sending relief to the Jerusalem church (Acts 11:27–30).

Questions arose, however, concerning Jewish-Gentile relations. Eventually the Antioch congregation sent a delegation (including Paul and Barnabas) to Jerusalem to debate the issue of the circumcision of the Gentiles (Acts 14:26–15:2). That issue found some degree of resolution, but other tensions would surface. So the church of Antioch in Syria became the scene for another debate, this time over whether Jewish Christians should eat together with Gentile Christians (Gal. 2:11–13).

¹⁴ But when I saw that they were not straightforward about the truth of the gospel, I said to Peter before them all, “If you, being a Jew, live in the manner of Gentiles and not as the Jews, why do you^a compel Gentiles to live as Jews?^b ¹⁵ We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles, ¹⁶ knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified.

TIME CAPSULE A.D. 46

46–120 • Life of Plutarch, Greek philosopher

46–48 • Sergius Paulus rules as proconsul

46 • Barnabas and Saul (Paul) appointed

46 • Beginning of Paul’s first missionary journey (Acts 13:4)

46 • Paul visits Antioch in Pisidia

46 • Josephus’s date for the revolt by Theudas (Acts 5:36)

¹⁷ “But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is Christ therefore a minister of sin? Certainly not! ¹⁸ For if I build again those things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor. ¹⁹ For I through the law died to the law that I might live to God. ²⁰ I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. ²¹ I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain.”

Justification By Faith

3:1 O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth,^a before whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed among you^b as crucified? ² This only I want to learn from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? ³ Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh? ⁴ Have you suffered so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain?

⁵ Therefore He who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you, does He do it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?— ⁶ just as Abraham “believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.”^a ⁷ Therefore know that only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham. ⁸ And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand, saying, “In you all the nations shall be blessed.”^a ⁹ So then those who are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham.

* Abba, Father (Gal. 4:6)

Following some Old Testament models, Jewish prayers often addressed God as “Father,” “our Father,” or “our Father in heaven.” They normally avoided, however, the more familiar title “Abba” (although one early sage is said to have compared God with an “abba”).

Children called their fathers “Abba,” a title of endearment, intimacy, and respect. Adults continued the practice, though apparently less frequently, again emphasizing the intimacy of the father-child relationship. Jesus’ use of this title in prayer (Mark 14:36) demonstrated His distinctive intimacy with the heavenly Father, an intimacy which provided the model for those who followed Him by the Spirit (Rom. 8:15).

Jesus’ native language was Aramaic (a Semitic language related to Hebrew), and abba is an Aramaic word. The Gospels, however, were written in Greek rather than in Aramaic, “Abba” being one of the few original Aramaic words preserved in a Gospel. What is most surprising is that Paul’s Greek-speaking readers in Galatia already knew what “Abba” meant (Gal. 4:6). Especially the Roman readers (Rom. 8:15) could not have learned from Paul since he had not visited Rome before writing his letter there. Possibly the early Christians picked up Jesus’ use of “Abba” to represent the intimacy with God which Jesus had provided for them as well.

To understand what “father” meant in Jesus’ world may be helpful to many Christians today who grow up in broken homes or other family structures that are quite different from ancient Mediterranean families. Children generally viewed their fathers as strong and dependable, as affectionate, and as providers (Matt. 7:9–11). For the early Christians to call God “Abba” was for them to recognize a special intimacy with the heavenly Father on whom they depended.

The Law Brings a Curse

¹⁰ For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse; for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do them.”^a ¹¹ But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for “the just shall live by faith.”^a ¹² Yet the law is not of faith, but “the man who does them shall live by them.”^a

¹³ Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”^a), ¹⁴ that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

The Changeless Promise

¹⁵ Brethren, I speak in the manner of men: Though it is only a man’s covenant, yet if it is confirmed, no one annuls or adds to it. ¹⁶ Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He does not say, “And to seeds,” as of many, but as of one, “And to your Seed,”^a who is Christ. ¹⁷ And this I say, that the law, which was four hundred and thirty years later, cannot annul the covenant that was confirmed before by God in Christ,^a that it should make the promise of no effect. ¹⁸ For if the inheritance is of the law, it is no longer of promise; but God gave it to Abraham by promise.

Purpose of the Law

¹⁹ What purpose then does the law serve? It was added because of transgressions, till the Seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was appointed through angels by the hand of a mediator. ²⁰ Now a mediator does not mediate for one only, but God is one.

²¹ Is the law then against the promises of God? Certainly not! For if there had been a law given which could have given life, truly righteousness would have been by the law. ²² But the Scripture has confined all under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. ²³ But before faith came, we were kept under guard by the law, kept for the faith which would afterward be revealed. ²⁴ Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. ²⁵ But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.

Sons and Heirs

²⁶ For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. ²⁷ For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. ²⁸ There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. ²⁹ And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

4:1 Now I say that the heir, as long as he is a child, does not differ at all from a slave, though he is master of all, ² but is under guardians and stewards until the time appointed by the father. ³ Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world. ⁴ But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born ^a of a woman, born under the law, ⁵ to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.

⁶ And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!” ⁷ Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of ^a God through Christ.

Fears for the Church

⁸ But then, indeed, when you did not know God, you served those which by nature are not gods. ⁹ But now after you have known God, or rather are known by God, how is it that you turn again to the weak and beggarly elements, to which you desire again to be in bondage? ¹⁰ You observe days and months and seasons and years. ¹¹ I am afraid for you, lest I have labored for you in vain.

¹² Brethren, I urge you to become like me, for I became like you. You have not injured me at all. ¹³ You know that because of physical infirmity I preached the gospel to you at the first. ¹⁴ And my trial which was in my flesh you did not despise or reject, but you received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus. ¹⁵ What ^a then was the blessing you enjoyed? For I bear you witness that, if possible, you would have plucked out your own eyes and given them to me. ¹⁶ Have I therefore become your enemy because I tell you the truth?

¹⁷ They zealously court you, but for no good; yes, they want to exclude you, that you may be zealous for them. ¹⁸ But it is good to be zealous in a good thing always, and not only when I am present with you. ¹⁹ My little children, for whom I labor in birth again until Christ is formed in you, ²⁰ I would like to be present with you now and to change my tone; for I have doubts about you.

Two Covenants

²¹ Tell me, you who desire to be under the law, do you not hear the law? ²² For it is written that Abraham had two sons: the one by a bondwoman, the other by a freewoman. ²³ But he who was of the bondwoman was born according to the flesh, and he of the freewoman through promise, ²⁴ which things are symbolic. For these are the ^a two covenants: the one from Mount Sinai which gives birth to bondage, which is Hagar— ²⁵ for this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia, and corresponds to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children— ²⁶ but the Jerusalem above is free, which is the mother of us all. ²⁷ For it is written:

“Rejoice, O barren,

You who do not bear!

Break forth and shout,

You who are not in labor!

For the desolate has many more children
Than she who has a husband.”^a

²⁸ Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are children of promise. ²⁹ But, as he who was born according to the flesh then persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, even so it is now. ³⁰ Nevertheless what does the Scripture say? “Cast out the bondwoman and her son, for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman.”^a ³¹ So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman but of the free.

Christian Liberty

5

5:1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free,^a and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage. ² Indeed I, Paul, say to you that if you become circumcised, Christ will profit you nothing. ³ And I testify again to every man who becomes circumcised that he is a debtor to keep the whole law. ⁴ You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace. ⁵ For we through the Spirit eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness by faith. ⁶ For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but faith working through love.

Religion & Worship

Circumcision, the operation to remove a fold of skin from the male parts, is usually performed on infants. All Jews practiced it as a sign of the covenant that God made with them through Abraham. If a person converted to Judaism, circumcision was a definitive step to take. When Christians said it was not necessary, they were clearly separating themselves from Judaism (Gal. 5:3–6; 6:13).

Love Fulfills the Law

⁷ You ran well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth? ⁸ This persuasion does not come from Him who calls you. ⁹ A little leaven leavens the whole lump. ¹⁰ I have confidence in you, in the Lord, that you will have no other mind; but he who troubles you shall bear his judgment, whoever he is.

¹¹ And I, brethren, if I still preach circumcision, why do I still suffer persecution? Then the offense of the cross has ceased. ¹² I could wish that those who trouble you would even cut themselves off!

¹³ For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. ¹⁴ For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”^a ¹⁵ But if you bite and devour one another, beware lest you be consumed by one another!

Walking in the Spirit

¹⁶ I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. ¹⁷ For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. ¹⁸ But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

¹⁹ Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery,^a fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, ²⁰ idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, ²¹ envy, murders,^a drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

²² But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. ²⁴ And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. ²⁵ If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. ²⁶ Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.

Bear and Share the Burdens

6

6:1 Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted. ² Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. ³ For if anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. ⁴ But let each one examine his own work, and then he will have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. ⁵ For each one shall bear his own load.

Be Generous and Do Good

⁶ Let him who is taught the word share in all good things with him who teaches.

⁷ Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. ⁸ For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. ⁹ And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. ¹⁰ Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.

Glory Only in the Cross

¹¹ See with what large letters I have written to you with my own hand! ¹² As many as desire to make a good showing in the flesh, these would compel you to be circumcised, only that they may not suffer persecution for the cross of Christ. ¹³ For not even those who are circumcised keep the law, but they desire to have you circumcised that they may boast in your flesh. ¹⁴ But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom ^a the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. ¹⁵ For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but a new creation.

Blessing and a Plea

¹⁶ And as many as walk according to this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God.

¹⁷ From now on let no one trouble me, for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus.

¹⁸ Brethren, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.

Transition

The Letter of James

The writer of this letter identifies himself only as “James, a bondservant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ” (1:1). The name “James” has usually been identified with the James who led the church in Jerusalem (Acts 15:13). Paul referred to this James as “the Lord’s brother” (see Mark 6:3) and included him among the “apostles” (Gal. 1:19). He also characterized him as one of the “pillars” of the church (Gal. 2:9). When Peter left Palestine (Acts 12:17), James seems to have become the leader of the Jerusalem church.

Since the early centuries, however, there has been disagreement about whether James, the Lord’s brother, actually wrote this letter. There are no allusions to a personal relationship with Jesus, and indeed Jesus is only mentioned twice (James 1:1; 2:1). Both the quality of the letter’s Greek and the structure of its arguments have suggested to some that the author was a Hellenistic Jew rather than a Jew from Palestine. If so, then the letter is pseudonymous, and the actual author associated the work with James the Just (as he was later known) by using his name. It is also possible the letter was written by a Hellenistic Jew actually named “James,” who is otherwise unknown to us.

No evidence determines exactly when the letter was written. Scholars who believe the letter to be an authentic work of James the Just necessarily date it before his martyrdom in A.D. 62. Since the letter does not hint at any controversy over the issue of circumcision, some would date it around A.D. 45, before the Jerusalem Council (see “Conference in Jerusalem” at Acts 15:1). Others, however, would place it late in James’s life after the controversy had diminished. Those who view the letter as pseudonymous usually date it in the last quarter of the 1st century (c. 75–100).

• James 1:1–5:20

* Various Trials of the Poor (James 1:2)

The letter of James seems especially to address the trials of the poor (James 1:2), suggesting a right response to poverty and suffering. In Judea at this time, wealthy Sadducean priests were seizing the tithes that rightfully belonged to the poorer priests. In Galilee, rich landlords were repressing the poor peasants who worked on their estates. Similar situations existed throughout much of the Roman Empire, which was therefore primed for violence. In Rome, shortages of grain often led to riots.

Conditions like these partially contributed to a revolt against Rome in Judea in the year A.D. 66–a revolt which led to widespread destruction and enslavement. Meanwhile a wave of violence was unleashed in Rome itself, and before Jerusalem fell in A.D. 70 Rome had discarded four emperors. Wealth, poverty, repression, and violence were the standard fare of the day.

The letter of James was written to encourage Christians who were suffering. The opening prologue summarizes the appropriate responses to their trials, responses which the rest of the letter discusses: wisdom (1:5), faith (1:6–8), and endurance (1:9–11). The letter also describes tensions between the rich and the poor: The wealthy are arrogant against the poor (2:1–4), and even repress them (2:6, 7) and withhold their wages (5:4). Yet the poor are advised not to retaliate with violence in deed (4:1, 2) or, perhaps more tempting, in words (4:11; 5:9).