Lesson 28: Becoming the Right Witness
Read Galatians 6:1-18 - www.bible.com/bible/59/gal.6
11 See with what large letters I am writing to you with my own hand.
12 It is those who want to make a good showing in the flesh who would force you to be circumcised, and only in order that they may not be persecuted for the cross of Christ.
13 For even those who are circumcised do not themselves keep the law, but they desire to have you circumcised that they may boast in your flesh.
14 But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.
15 For neither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation.
16 And as for all who walk by this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God.

In our last lesson we studied about learning and holding on to the right truth. In our verses today we read of a difficult situation regarding truth. Paul had brought the good news about Jesus to the people of Galatia, only to be followed by other religious leaders who said they were the bearers of the “whole” truth about God. These people used the same Scriptures from which Paul had taught, and they were now teaching something different from what Paul had said. If both Paul and these new teachers were teaching from the same Scriptures, how were these new Christians to tell which was the real Truth?


The same thing happens today in too many places to count. Using the same Bible we use, they teach all kinds of things, and some of them even make sense. How can we tell which is really Truth?

We need to see the Bible as God’s story, God’s book. He created the world without sin (Genesis 1). Man was given the choice to obey or disobey, and we chose to disobey God (Genesis 2-11). God chose a man/a nation through whom He would bring salvation to mankind (Genesis 12-50). Since mankind’s best efforts could not return them to fellowship with God, He gave them a set of standards they would have to meet to be able to do so (Exodus – Deuteronomy). Mankind tried to follow God’s laws and failed miserably every time (Joshua – Malachi). God sent His own solution to mankind’s sin problem (Matthew – John). Jesus left His example for how mankind could walk by faith in Him rather than trying (and failing) to walk by their own efforts (Acts – Jude). God will finish His work of redemption through Jesus when He returns to this earth to claim His own and bring an end to sin in a new heaven and new earth (Revelation).

The cross of Jesus is the pivot of all history – everything before it points forward to it, and everything after rests upon it. This is why Paul said he would preach nothing but the cross of Christ. Nothing else can change anything.

*Our system of labeling years, “B.C.” (Before Christ) and “A.D.” (anno Domini, or “In the year of our Lord”), testifies to God’s Son as the center of history – “His Story.” When you see or write B.C. and A.D., thank God for sending Jesus to earth to die in our place, and share Him with others.