This year, I'm pondering the traditional Advent themes—HOPE, PEACE, JOY, and LOVE—found in the apostle Paul’s letter to the Galatians (my recent Bible study). We've examined HOPE and PEACE. Today we look at JOY.
Author: Eva Burkholder
Advent 2025 Second Sunday: PEACE
This year, I'm pondering the traditional Advent themes—HOPE, PEACE, JOY, and LOVE—found in the apostle Paul’s letter to the Galatians (my recent Bible study). Last week we examined the "hope of righteousness." Today we look at PEACE.
Advent 2025 First Sunday: HOPE
This year, I’m still pondering my recent study of Galatians. While we celebrate Jesus’s birth at Christmas, we cannot separate it from the reason he came nor his promises for the future. Join me here as I look at each of the traditional Advent themes—HOPE, PEACE, JOY, and LOVE—found in Paul’s letter to the Galatians. Today we start with HOPE.
Galatians 6:1–18: New Creation Living
Paul begins the last chapter in his letter to the Galatians (Galatians 6:1–18) with more instructions on how to live out their freedom in Christ, especially in regard to relationship. He's already directed them to walk by the Spirit, but what happens when someone is overcome by wrongdoing? Paul calls for gentle restoration and then concludes his letter back on the topic he started with—circumcision doesn't matter. What counts is living as a new creation.
Gal 5:13–26: Walk By the Spirit, Not the Flesh
Having established that we are justified by faith in Christ and not by obeying the requirements of the law, Paul now teaches us in Galatians 5:13–26 how to live out this new freedom we have in Christ. It's not freedom to indulge the flesh, but rather freedom to walk by the Spirit.
Galatians 4:8–5:12: We Are Free in Christ
In Galatians 4:8–5:12, the apostle Paul continues his defense against the Judaizers who claim that believers in Christ must also follow the law in order to be right with God. Paul pleads with the Galatians to not return to the yoke of slavery, but to live free and express their faith through love.
Galatians 3:15–4:7: Law, Promise, Sons, Heirs
Since Paul has argued that salvation is by faith, he now turns in Galatians 3:15–4:7 to explain the purpose of the law—to point to our need for Christ. And in Christ we are sons (yes even women) and heirs of God.
Galatians 3:1–14: The Righteous Live By Faith, Not Law
In Galatians 3:1-14 Paul proves from the Old Testament prophets that God's plan all along was to declare righteous those who believe in Christ. The law he gave to Moses at Mt. Sinai was never meant to save. Instead Jesus redeemed us. From the beginning, salvation is through faith.
Pondered Treasures 