Relational Grace Podcast

Breaking the Chains: Religion vs Relationship

July 04, 2022 Nick Harris with Ariel Ministries Episode 62
Relational Grace Podcast
Breaking the Chains: Religion vs Relationship
Show Notes

In this episode we’re going to dig into the second message of the Breaking the Chains series we recently started featuring Paul’s letter to Galatia. As a quick refresher, Paul initially wrote this letter to address the mammoth problem that had originated in the churches. Paul and  Barnabas established churches in Galatia on their first missionary journey.  However, the believers had begun to accept the idea that Grace was not sufficient for salvation. This idea was birthed as the result of a vicious virus known as legalism. And this virus had infected their entire body. 

You see, a delegation from Jerusalem known as the Pharisee Christians had arrived in the region of Galatia. The men who composed the delegation had come to know Christ as their savior, but unlike Paul and Barnabas they had not been able to sever their lifelong attachment to the law… nor did they want to.  For several years the men of this delegation had deeply distrusted Paul and his message.  It was their belief that in his teachings, Paul undermined the Torah and the temple wherever he went. As far as these men were concerned, Torah and temple still stood at the center of Christianity because they saw Chirstianity as an extension of Judaism.

In addition they believed that Paul had not only deserted Torah and temple but that he had also deserted Jewish law, including the ten commandments, the difference between Paul and the Jerusalen delegation was this.  Paul preached Jesus plus nothing.  While this delegation of Pharisee Christians preached Jesus plus the law… or as Pastor Harris would point out, Jesus plus religion.



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