Ninth Week
Tuesday
August 7, 2012
(Gal 5:16 ESV) 16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.
1. Look back at the earlier lessons dealing with the Holy Spirit. Based on those, what does “walk by the Spirit” mean? (Eze 36:27)
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2. If “flesh” refers to the body, then Paul would seem to be saying we should not eat or drink! What does “flesh” really refer to? (Look ahead to Gal 5:17-21.)
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(Gal 5:17 ESV) 17 For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.
3. At first glance, it’s surprising to read Paul discussing our not doing what we want to do. Why would we do anything other than what we want to do? Don’t we normally act the way we want to act?
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4. Paul seems to see a war going on within us — between the Spirit and flesh. Is this an accurate picture of your own mind? Does it make sense?
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Wednesday
August 8, 2012
(Gal 5:18 ESV) 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
5. What does “led by the Spirit” mean?
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6. Who are “led by the Spirit”?
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7. What does he mean by “not under law”?
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8. Is he saying that all Christians are not under law? Or that Christians can attain to a level of holiness that puts them outside the law?
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Thursday
August 9, 2012
(Gal 5:19-21 ESV) 19 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, 21 envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
9. But I thought we were saved by grace! How can Paul damn to hell Christians who engage in these acts?
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10. Does any of this sound like church?
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11. When is a dissension or division justified within God’s church?
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Friday
August 10, 2012
(Gal 5:22-23 ESV) 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
12. Why does Paul use “fruit” as a metaphor? What is it about these virtues that is like fruit?
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13. Does this sound like church?
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14. Why add “against such things there is no law”? So?
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15. Have you ever been in a class on the fruit of the Spirit that entirely ignored the Spirit’s role, making these virtues the fruit of our study and hard work?
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16. What does the Spirit contribute here? Why bring the Spirit into the discussion?
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(Gal 5:24 ESV) 24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
17. Really? Do you still find yourself, as a Christian, still having fleshly desires? If so, what on earth is Paul really saying? Don’t forget —
(Gal 2:20 ESV) I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
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Saturday
August 11, 2012
(Gal 5:26 ESV) 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.
18. What does “conceited” have to do with the present discussion?
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19. Why refer here to “provoking” others?
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20. Why refer to “envying” others?
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I wonder why translators capitalize the word “spirit” most times they see it in apostolic writings. The contrast the writers made is between human flesh and human spirit. We are free moral agents. We should not seek to be controlled by the Holy Spirit. We are urged to ourselves add to our faith characteristics which some imagine are given to us by the Holy Spirit, but which Peter says we are to choose for ourselves. “Add to” implies action by the person, not by the Holy Spirit. We continually are called to make choices on moral matters. Paul speaks to this problem in Romans. He does not say the way to have the choices made is to pray to the Holy Spirit to make them FOR us, or to ask God to make the Spirit make the choices for us. He calls for us to make the choices.
Ray, Of course you are wrong again. The translators capitalize “Spirit” when it refers to the third person of God, the Holy Spirit. Deity is always capitalized in the Bible.
Romans 8:16
“The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God”
This is only one of dozens of examples of what you deny.
Ray wrote: “We should not seek to be controlled by the Holy Spirit.”
Yowser!! I do. Certainly do not want to be controlled by my human spirit.
Doesn’t Romans 8 (along with Paul’s other letters) speak to this? Living according to the Spirit…not according to our humaness.