Sharper Iron from KFUO Radio

This Lenten hymn is full of beautiful imagery that teaches us of Christ and His work for us. He is the living water given by God Himself to provide life and rest for us sinners. Though our sin has offended Him, yet God has willingly taken our pain upon Himself on the cross. When we consider Christ crucified, the Lord brings us to repentance over our sins, knowing that the grace He shows here grant...

As those set free by Christ, the Galatians have been placed by God on the way of walking according to the Spirit. However, the sinful flesh wars against those desires of the Spirit, and so the Christian is engaged in a constant struggle. On the one hand, the works of the flesh are readily evident. Whether “big” or “small,” all of these works of the flesh lead us away from the kingdom of God. Howev...

St. Paul urges the Galatians to live in the freedom that Christ has given them from the law, rather than submitting again to slavery. By viewing even only circumcision as necessary for salvation, the whole law must then be kept. If the Galatians pursue that path, they are cutting themselves off from Christ, as even just a little leaven of false teaching will spread and work destruction. St. Paul s...

St. Paul turns to a text from Genesis that the opponents were attempting to use to lead the Galatians astray. He goes through the account of the two sons of Abraham, Ishmael and Isaac, and proclaims the free salvation that comes from Christ. Those who seek their salvation in works of the law belong to the son of slavery, Ishmael; those who have their salvation through faith in Christ alone belong...

St. Paul entreats the Galatians that they would not return to the slavery of idolatry of their former way of life. To look for salvation under works of the law is nothing else than such slavery. The Apostle reminds the Galatians of his faithful ministry among them and their faithful reception of the gospel he preached to them. Why would they now reject him and treat him as an enemy? He expresses h...

Even as the hymns for the season of Lent are penitential in nature, they also point us to the joy that is ours in justification by grace through faith in Christ. Martin Luther’s hymn on Psalm 130 is a marvelous example of this truth. We cry out to our God from the depths of our sin because we know that He is faithful and just to forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. His forgive...

St. Paul continues to speak of the Law as our guardian. When we were under the Law as guardian, we were no different than slaves. However, the Law was not to be our guardian forever. At the time appointed by the Father, He sent His Son into our humanity in order to fulfill the Law in our place and redeem us from that Law. Through the work of the Son, we have been adopted as sons of God. Now, the F...

St. Paul brings up a human example of a last will and testament to distinguish between God’s law and promise. The promise that God made to Abraham and his offspring, who is Christ, is not annulled by the law given at Sinai. This does not mean that the law is unimportant or bad; rather, the law was given to show transgressions and make people ready for the coming of Christ. Now that Christ has come...

St. Paul calls the Galatians away from their foolishness. False teaching has taken their eyes off Christ crucified so that they think that they can somehow be perfected by works of the Law, even though the Holy Spirit was given to them when they heard the Word of God with faith. Though the Judaizers claim that being a son of Abraham is a matter of circumcision, St. Paul shows from the Word of God...

St. Paul comes to the thesis of the letter to the Galatians. Whether a person is a Jew or a Gentile, that person will be declared righteous not by works of the law, but only through faith in Jesus Christ. This is what St. Paul, St. Peter, all the apostles, and all Christians believe. The fact that Christ forgives sinners does not make Him a servant of sin; rather, we are the transgressors. By His...

St. Paul recalls another visit he made to Jerusalem. On this occasion, he was with Barnabas, and Titus accompanied them. They confirmed with those who seemed influential there that together they had true fellowship in the only Gospel that saves. When false brothers attempted to take away Christian freedom by forcing circumcision upon Titus, St. Paul refused in order to confess clearly that salvati...

St. Paul makes sure that the Galatians know that the Gospel he preached was not one that he made up, nor did any man. Rather, he received this Gospel through a revelation from Jesus Himself. St. Paul recounts his former way of life in Judaism as a zealous keeper of the Law and a persecutor of the Gospel. By grace alone, God called Paul to the truth so that he began to proclaim the Gospel among the...

St. Paul identifies himself to the Galatians as one sent by the God who raised Jesus from the dead. He writes to the Galatians in the grace and peace that come from Jesus, who has given Himself for our sins to deliver us from this present evil age. Without any further pleasantries, St. Paul launches into the reason for his letter. He expresses amazement that the Galatians are forsaking the only Go...

“No Other Gospel” is a series on Sharper Iron that goes through the epistle of Galatians. St. Paul writes an urgent letter to the Galatians lest they forsake the one true Gospel. The apostle calls the Galatians away from the teaching of the Judaizers, because salvation does not come when we add any sort of works to what Jesus has done for us. We are only saved by God’s grace in Christ Jesus. Sharp...

St. Paul continues to speak about his planned upcoming visit to Corinth. As he had warned those who sinned before, he is prepared to deal with their sin in person, if needed, according to the power of the Word of Christ crucified and risen. In preparation for his visit, he calls the Corinthians to test themselves to see whether or not they hold to the true faith that he had taught them. In his wri...

St. Paul continues his boasting. He speaks about a revelation that he received from Christ when he was caught up into heaven. However, he relates the account from a distance, remaining vague in details, in order to continue to boast not in his strength, but in his weakness. That weakness was evident in a messenger from Satan, a thorn in his flesh, that God gave and refused to take away. This showe...

Even if St. Paul seems a little foolish to the Corinthians, he begins to boast a little, but in unexpected ways. While the false apostles have been strong to enslave the Corinthians in false teaching, St. Paul was far too weak for that. He is Hebrew, and Israelite, and an offspring of Abraham. He is a better servant of Christ for all of the suffering that he has endured for the Lord’s sake, from t...

St. Paul calls upon the Corinthians to bear with him in a little foolishness, both the foolishness of the Gospel and the foolishness of speaking about himself a bit more than he would like. The Corinthians have been bearing with the false teaching of so-called “super apostles,” but they should instead bear with the true teaching of God from the authentic apostle of Christ in any of his weaknesses....

As St. Paul looks forward to a visit to the Corinthians, he entreats them to respond to his teaching so that his visit can be joyful rather than painful. Although some accuse the apostle of being forceful in his writing but weak in his presence, St. Paul admits no such thing. Rather, he takes all things captive under the Gospel of Christ and lives and acts under His authority. St. Paul refuses to...

St. Paul uses an agricultural image to encourage the Corinthians toward generosity. Because God makes grace and sufficiency abound for His people, the Corinthians can participate in the offering for the saints cheerfully. This will enrich the Corinthians and those receiving the offerings, leading to thanksgiving and glory to God throughout the Church. The prayers of God’s people will overflow out...

St. Paul commends Titus to the Corinthians as one who earnestly participates in the ministry to the Corinthians. Along with two other faithful brothers, Titus is coming to assist with the offering being received from the Corinthians so that it will be done honorably before God and men. St. Paul knows the Corinthians’ readiness to participate in this service, and their zeal has been an encouragemen...

As those reconciled to God and to each other, Christians support each other in their physical needs. St. Paul returns to this topic from his first letter to the Corinthians as he speaks about their participation in the offering for the saints in Jerusalem. Out of their joy and poverty, the saints in Macedonia have given generously according to their means. Now St. Paul calls the Corinthians to sim...

As St. Paul continues to assure the Corinthians of his great love and joy for them, he calls them to the same love and joy for him. His ministry among them was one of hard work and suffering, sustained by God’s own comfort. Yet even as St. Paul’s previous letter had caused grief among the Corinthians, he rejoices that it was a godly sorrow that led to repentance and salvation. This has led to comf...

Because now is the day not to receive God’s grace in vain, now is also the day to flee from sin and defilement. Righteousness and lawlessness have no partnership. Light and darkness have no fellowship. Christ has no accord with the devil. Believers and unbelievers have a different inheritance. Christians are the temple of the living God, not of idols. For that reason, as Christians receive the gra...

As a minister of reconciliation, St. Paul implores the Corinthians to receive God’s grace with faith right now. He has not placed obstacles in their way in his ministry to them. Instead, he has been willing to suffer in order to proclaim the truth among them. Throughout it all, the Lord has faithfully sustained him. Now, as he has opened his heart to the Corinthians, so he calls them to open their...