Galatians in 1 ! In Acts 9 is the account of Sauls’ conversion on the road to Damascus. He returned to Damascus but when the Jews planned to kill him his friends let him down in a basket over the wall and he went off to Tarsus. After a while he came back to Damascus and went up to Jerusalem. Again they plot against him and after 15 days he leaves for Syria/Cilicia, Gal.2. Then back to Jerusalem and the dispute about circumcision, 2:11! As he writes to the Galatians he reminds them of this to emphasize to them that theirs is not a singular or peculiar situation. He has argued the same points before. On his second missionary journey, Acts 16:6 he passes through the region of Galatia and is delayed by illness, Gal. 4:13. Even then there is opportunity to preach the gospel. And the Gospel Paul (previously Saul), as he now is, preaches is that of ‘Christ crucified’, 1Cor. 1:22-24. He was well received, Gal. 4:15. Then others came along afterwards and added to the gospel that he had preached, saying that: § They should be circumcised Ch. 2, and § That they should continue to observe the Old Testament Feasts, Gal. 4:10. By adding to the gospel that Paul had preached they were nullifying the death of Christ and saying that it was not enough to provide salvation. And that is why Paul says that these people are to be ‘accursed’, that is, devoted to God for destruction. It is such a serious state of affairs that he cannot wait until the secretary comes to write for him, he takes up the pen himself, 6:11. Ch. 5:1. § The whole reason that Christ freed us/them from that slavery of sin is so that we can be Free!!! Now that we are free we are not go back again to slavery to sin. Whose slaves are we anyway? Rom.6:16, the One whom we obey! Also, Jn. 8:34-36 and 1Jn. 5:3. Now that we are free, we are free to obey! Previously we were not free to obey God because we were slaves to sin! [What right has the Christian to legislate for the non Christian?] § Secondly, do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love be servants of one another, 5:13, and then he launches into the last section of his letter and deals with the practical application of what has gone before. Rom. 6:1,15. And it is all possible because we are living by faith, 3:2, and by continually saying ‘yes’ to God we can see the fruit of the Spirit in our lives.