The Churches of Galatia

(Class Notes)

Churches (Plural) vs. Church (Singular)
- CHURCHES (PLURAL) are located within a GEOGRAPHICAL AREA:
  - The CHURCHES of ASIA (I Corinthians 16:19)
  - The CHURCHES of GALATIA (I Corinthians 16:1; Galatians 1:2)
  - The CHURCHES of MACEDONIA (II Corinthians 8:1)
- CHURCH (SINGULAR) is located at a CITY within a GEOGRAPHICAL AREA:
  - The CHURCH at EPHESUS (Acts 20:17) FOUNDED AMIDST much OPPOSITION to the GOSPEL in ASIA (II Corinthians 1:8 cf. I Corinthians 15:32; Acts 19:22-41) and later OVERRUN by APOSTASY (Acts 20:29-31)
  - The CHURCH at PHILIPPI (Philippians 4:15) SINGULARLY NOTED for its CONSISTENT SACRIFICIAL and BOUNTIFUL GIVING (Philippians 4:15-18 cf. II Corinthians 8:1-5)
The Churches of Galatia (I Corinthians 16:1; Galatians 1:2)
- The CHURCH at PISIDIAN ANTIOCH (Acts 13:14) where "the WORD of the LORD was PUBLISHED throughout ALL the REGION" (Acts 13:49):
  - It was there that OCCURRED the FIRST PREACHING of JUSTIFICATION by FAITH ALONE APART FROM the WORKS of the LAW (Romans 3:21,26 cf. Acts 13:38-39)
- The CHURCH at ICONIUM (Acts 13:51) where "the DISCIPLES were FILLED with JOY (Acts 13:52):
  - It was there that "a GREAT MULTITUDE BOTH of the JEWS and the GREEKS BELIEVED" (Acts 14:1)
- The CHURCHES at LYSTRA and DERBE (Acts 14:6):
  - It was at LYSTRA that Paul met a "CERTAIN DISCIPLE ... NAMED TIMOTHEUS" (Acts 16:1) who was RAISED BY TWO WOMEN OF FAITH (II Timothy 1:5)
  - It was at LYSTRA that Paul and Barnabas were WORSHIPPED AS GODS BY IDOLATROUS GENTILES (Acts 14:11-18)
  - It was at LYSTRA that Paul was STONED TO DEATH at the PROVOCATION OF UNBELIEVING JEWS and then MIRACULOUSLY RAISED UP again (Acts 14:19-20 cf. II Corinthians 12:2-4)
- ALL these CHURCHES were REVISITED again in "CONFIRMING the SOULS of the DISCIPLES, and EXHORTING them to CONTINUE in the FAITH" (Acts 14:21-22):
  - Thus, was their "WORK ... FULFILLED" (Acts 14:26) unto which they were BOTH "SEPARATED" and "CALLED" (Acts 13:2)

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