Study Guide Galatians 5 part 2: The works of the flesh and the fruit of the spirit
Hermeneutical Framework: Contextual and Cross-Scriptural Interpretation.
Accurately discerning Paul’s intended meaning for pneuma requires a deliberate interpretive method that moves beyond a surface-level reading. English translations, particularly older versions like the King James Version, often apply a capitalized “Spirit” broadly, which can obscure the specific agent Paul intended in a given context. To penetrate this translational veil, a more rigorous hermeneutic is required, one grounded in contextual analysis and the principle of allowing Scripture to illuminate itself.
The foundational method that Shingi employs for this analysis, is the principle of “letting Scripture interpret Scripture”. This approach assumes a coherence within the biblical canon, wherein passages from different books can clarify and define terms used elsewhere. By comparing Paul’s use of pneuma in Galatians with his usage in texts like 1 Corinthians and Romans, a more precise theological vocabulary emerges. This prevents imposing a monolithic meaning on a term that Paul himself uses with fluid, context-dependent intention.
Spiritual understanding: Shingi’s interpretive process is aided by what he reveals to be an ability given by the Spirit of God as defined in the scriptures as “spiritual understanding”. This is the faculty, given by the Holy Spirit, that enables a child of God to perceive nuances in the text that translation alone may miss. According to Shingi’s exegesis, it is this spiritual insight that allows the reader to recognize when Paul uses pneuma interchangeably to refer to different subjects and to follow the logic of his argument from verse to verse.
To navigate Paul’s usage, it is helpful to recognize the different Greek phrases involving pneuma and their typical referents as outlined in the source:
Greek Phrase
Common Reference
pneuma theos (πνεῦμα θεός)
The “Spirit of God,” a clear reference to the divine Holy Spirit.
hagios pneuma (ἅγιος πνεῦμα)
The “Holy Spirit,” also a direct and unambiguous reference to God.
pneuma (πνεῦμα)
The standalone term for “spirit.” Its meaning must be determined by its immediate context. It can refer to the Spirit of God, the regenerated human spirit, or wind.
Case Study in Hermeneutics: The Searching “Spirit” of 1 Corinthians 2
Teacher Shingi’s case for this hermeneutical necessity is powerfully illustrated by a parallel exegesis of 1 Corinthians 2:9-12, which highlights a pattern of potential translation errors rooted in a failure to apply contextual analysis. The critique focuses on the King James Version’s rendering of 1 Corinthians 2:10, “for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God,” where “Spirit” is capitalized.
Shingi dismantles this translation with the following logic:
Premise:The Holy Spirit is God. As God, He already knows the “deep things of God” and has no need to “search” for them. Shingi posits that the act of searching implies a lack of knowledge that is incompatible with divinity.
Contextual Clue: Verse 11 provides the necessary distinction: “what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.” Paul clearly separates the human spirit’s sphere of knowledge from the divine Spirit’s.
Conclusion: The argument hinges on the premise that the entity that needs to “search” the deep things of God is the small letter ‘s’ “spirit of a man,” who has been indwelt by the Holy Spirit. The regenerated human spirit is the searcher, and the Holy Spirit is the revealer.
This passage serves as the prime exhibit demonstrating that a uniform capitalization of pneuma can create theological inconsistencies. It validates the entire methodological approach of Shingi’s commentary before the analysis of Galatians even begins, proving that a contextual, cross-scriptural hermeneutic is not merely optional but essential for accurate Pauline exegesis.
Teacher Shingi synthesizes his core arguments and theological interpretations in his presentation. The central thesis is radical revelations of key passages based on a distinction between “Spirit” (capital letter ‘S’) referring to the Holy Spirit, and “spirit” (small letter ‘s’) referring to the recreated human spirit of a child of God. This distinction leads to several critical interpretations:
The “Fruit of the Spirit” is Produced by the child of God: Shingi argues forcefully that the fruit listed in Galatians 5:22-23 (love, joy, peace, etc.) is the product of the Christians own recreated human spirit, not the Holy Spirit. Citing John 15, it posits that God is the “vine” and believers are the “branches”—the fruit-bearing part. God does not need to bear fruit; believers do.
Spiritual Conflict is Internal to the child of God: The conflict described in Galatians 5:17 (“the flesh lusts against the spirit”) is not a struggle between human flesh and the Spirit of God. Rather, it is an internal tug-of-war between the Christian’s physical senses (“the voice of your flesh”) and their own recreated human spirit.
“Works of the Flesh” Describe the Unsaved: By cross-referencing with Romans 8, Shingi asserts that born-again believers are “not in the flesh, but in the Spirit.” Consequently, the list of “works of the flesh” in Galatians 5:19-21 describes the nature and actions of those who are not in Christ, rather than a list of temptations for Christians.
A Christian’s Identity is Rooted in a Crucified Flesh: The analysis emphasizes that for a believer in Christ, the flesh with its “affections and lusts” has already been crucified (Galatians 5:24). “Walking in the Spirit” is therefore an act of living in accordance with this established spiritual reality, which is revealed in the Word of God.
Context and Spiritual Understanding are Key: The entire argument rests on a hermeneutic of “letting scripture interpret scripture” and relying on “spiritual understanding” to discern the correct contextual meaning of the Greek word pneuma (spirit), which, it is argued, has been incorrectly capitalized in key passages by translators of the King James Version.
1. Central Thesis: Distinguishing ‘Spirit’ (Capital letter ‘S’) from ‘spirit’ (Small letter ‘s’)
The foundational argument that Shingi presents is that the understanding of Galatians 5 hinges on correctly identifying which “spirit” is being discussed in each verse. This requires moving beyond the translators’ capitalization choices in versions like the KJV and using scriptural context to understand the author’s intent for the Greek word pneuma.
Spirit (Capital letter ‘S’): The Spirit of God
This refers to the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of God, or the Spirit of Christ (Hagios Pneuma or Pneuma Theos).
Phrases like “walk in the Spirit” (Gal. 5:16) and “if you be led of the Spirit” (Gal. 5:18) Shingi teaches to be referring to the Spirit of God.
“Walking in the Spirit” is defined as walking in accordance with the Word of God, as the scriptures are the “words of the Spirit.”
Praying “in the Spirit” (Ephesians 6:18) is similarly defined as praying in accordance with the Word, not just speaking in tongues.
spirit (Small letter ‘s’): The Recreated Human Spirit
This refers to the born-again spirit of a human being.
The commentary argues that this is the correct interpretation for passages describing an action or state internal to the believer, such as the struggle against the flesh and the bearing of fruit.
Scriptural support is drawn from 1 Corinthians 14:14-15, where Paul distinguishes his own praying spirit: “If I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prays… I will pray with the spirit.”
2. The Source of Fruit: Understanding ‘The Fruit of the Spirit’ (Galatians 5:22)
A major conclusion of this analysis is that the phrase “the fruit of the Spirit” is a mistranslation and should be understood as “the fruit of the (recreated human) spirit.”
Theological Rationale: Teacher Shingi states, “God doesn’t need to bear fruit. We are the ones that need to bear fruit. Our recreated human spirit is the one that needs to bear fruit.” The Spirit of God, being God, is the source and essence, not a producer of fruit in this context.
Scriptural Evidence (John 15): The primary evidence is Jesus’s vine and branches analogy. Jesus as the Vine:“I am the vine…” (John 15:1, 5). The Spirit of Christ is the vine, the source of life. Believers as the Branches: “ye are the branches” (John 15:5). The branches are explicitly identified as the fruit-bearing part of the plant. “Every branch in me that beareth… fruit…” (John 15:2).
Since believers are the branches, they are the ones who produce the fruit. Therefore, the “fruit” described in Galatians 5 is the product of the believer’s own recreated spirit, which is connected to the vine (Christ).
3. The Nature of Spiritual Conflict (Galatians 5:17)
The commentary re-frames the classic interpretation of the spiritual war in Galatians 5:17: “For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh.”
The Flawed Comparison: It is argued that comparing the “flesh” (human senses) to the omnipotent “Spirit of God” is an invalid comparison. The Spirit of God is not in competition with human flesh; Genesis 6:3 is cited, where God states, “My spirit shall not always strive with man.”
The Correct Comparison: The true conflict is between two competing voices or desires within the believer: The Flesh:The cravings and desires of the body; “the voice of your senses.” The spirit (small letter ‘s’): The desires of the recreated human spirit, which craves the things of God.
The passage should be read as “the flesh lusts against the [recreated human] spirit, and the [recreated human] spirit against the flesh.” It is the believer’s human spirit, empowered by the indwelling Holy Spirit, that battles to dominate the senses.
4. Defining Believer Identity: ‘In the Flesh’ vs. ‘In the Spirit’
The commentary posits that the phrases “in the flesh” and “in the Spirit” do not describe fluctuating states for a Christian but rather two distinct categories of people: the unsaved and the saved.
The Works of the Flesh (Gal. 5:19-21): This list (adultery, idolatry, hatred, etc.) is presented as the manifest works of those who are “after the flesh”—the un-regenerated who are led by their senses.
The Christian’s Position (Romans 8:9):The foundational text for this argument is Romans 8:9: “But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you.”
A Crucified Reality (Gal. 5:24): The commentary highlights that this is a past-tense reality for the believer: “And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.” It is not something the believer is trying to do, but something that has been done in Christ.
Implication: A born-again Christian’s identity is “in the Spirit.” Therefore, the works of the flesh are not their works. Walking in the Spirit means living out this new identity and producing the corresponding fruit of their recreated spirit.
5. Hermeneutics and Critique of Translation
Shingi’s methodology is central to the commentary’s conclusions. It relies on deep textual analysis and a specific, objective approach to scriptural interpretation.
Principle of Interpretation:The guiding principle is to “let scripture interpret scripture,” using clearer passages to illuminate more ambiguous ones.
Critique of KJV Translation (1 Corinthians 2:10): A key piece of evidence for the thesis is an analysis of 1 Corinthians 2:10, which reads in the KJV: “For the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.”
The Argument: It makes no “spiritual sense” for the Spirit of God (capital S) to need to “search” the deep things of God, because the Spirit is God and already knows them.
The Proposed Correction:The verse refers to the recreated human spirit (small s), which, now indwelt by the Holy Spirit, is empowered to search out the deep things of God. This is reinforced by the following verse: “For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him?”
The Role of Spiritual Understanding: The speaker asserts that this level of discernment is a “spiritual intelligence” that comes from decades of dedicated study, fellowship, and revelation from the Holy Spirit.
Analysis of Key Terms (Galatians 5:19-23)
The commentary provides definitions for the Greek terms used in the lists of the works of the flesh and the fruit of the spirit.
Works of the Flesh
Greek Term
Definition from Source
Adultery
Moicheia
Adultery
Fornication
Porneia
Illicit sexual intercourse; sexual immorality; all sexual activity outside marriage.
Uncleanness
Akatharsia
Impurity, unclean/perverted thoughts, moral impurity.
Lasciviousness
Aselgeia
Outrageous conduct, shameless excess, untamed desire, lack of self-control.
Idolatry
Eidololatria
Worship of false gods; can be ingrained in cultural/traditional practices.
Witchcraft
Pharmakeia
Use or administering of drugs, potions, sorcery, magical arts.
Study Guide:
Galatians Chapter 5: “The war between the flesh and the spirit”
Welcome to this explanatory guide, designed to illuminate the core ideas presented in Shingi’s Bible Commentary on Galatians Chapter 5. These notes serve as a clear and accessible resource for those new to biblical studies, simplifying complex theological concepts and providing a structured understanding of the text. Shingi’s primary teaching method in this commentary is to unpack the allegory of Abraham’s two sons from Galatians 4, using it as a lens through which to interpret the entire chapter. This guide will walk you through the central theme of the commentary: the profound difference between living under the burden of religious law and living in the freedom offered through Christ.
1. The Core Conflict: Liberty vs. The “Yoke of Bondage”
The study frames Galatians 5 around a central conflict between two opposing ways of living: one defined by Christ-given liberty and the other by a legalistic “yoke of bondage.”
1.1. What is the “Liberty” We Are Called To?
According to Teacher Shingi, the liberty discussed is the freedom that Christ has bestowed upon all believers. This freedom is not something that must be earned but is a direct result of one’s spiritual birth. This is allegorically explained as being “born of the free woman,” which signifies being born into Christ and becoming part of the “Jerusalem which is above, which is free”. The key benefit of this liberty is that it is an inheritance of freedom, a foundational aspect of the believer’s new identity, not a reward for good works.
1.2. What is the “Yoke of Bondage”?
Teacher Shingi defines the “yoke of bondage” as the act of becoming entangled with the Law of Moses and attempting to be justified by it. This “yoke” represents several interconnected ideas:
The Law from Mount Sinai: Teacher Shingi explicitly links this bondage to the law that Moses received at Mount Sinai.
The Pursuit of Circumcision: The act of circumcision is used as the primary example of trying to adhere to the law for justification before God.
The “Flesh”: The source of this bondage is the “flesh,” which Shingi directly links to the attempt to live by the Law of Moses received at Mount Sinai.
Apostle Paul issues a stark warning: anyone who attempts to be justified by the law becomes a “debtor to do the whole law,” and for that person, Christ becomes of “no effect”. Shingi highlights the severe consequence of this path, noting that if you fail to keep even one point of the law, you have violated the whole law and are therefore “worthy of death”.
This fundamental conflict between liberty and bondage is illustrated by Teacher Shingi through two distinct spiritual origins, or “births.”
2. Understanding the Two Births: Flesh vs. Spirit
The commentary draws upon the allegory from Galatians 4—the story of Abraham’s two sons, Ishmael and Isaac—to illustrate the difference between a life lived under the law (“born after the flesh”) and a life lived in Christ (“born after the Spirit”).
Born After the Flesh
Born After the Spirit
Linked to Ishmael, the son of Hagar, the “bond maid.”
Linked to Isaac, the son of Sarah, the “free woman.”
Represents a life lived “under the law” and in a state of spiritual “bondage.”
Represents being “born of the promise,” free from the law, and possessing an “inheritance of freedom.”
The commentary notes that those born this way historically persecute those born of the Spirit.
These are the “children of promise,” just as Isaac was, who receive God’s favor by faith, not works.
Having established these two distinct spiritual lineages, Shingi proceeds to explain how a person who is “born after the Spirit” is meant to live out their newfound freedom.
3. The Christian’s New Way of Life
For the believer born of the Spirit, the old system of law is replaced by a new, internal operating principle.
3.1. What Replaces the Law? “Faith Which Works by Love”
Shingi states that in the new life in Christ, external markers like circumcision or uncircumcision are irrelevant. The only thing that now matters is “faith which works by love”.
To define this principle, Shingi makes a critical cross-reference to Galatians 6:15, where the same formula (“neither circumcision avails anything, nor uncircumcision”) is followed by the phrase “but a new creature.” By connecting these two verses, he argues that “faith which works by love” is synonymous with being a “new creature.” It is the very “living composition” and “spiritual genetic makeup” of a believer’s born-again spirit.
Shingi explains that this faith operates in two distinct but connected ways:
Awakened by God’s Love for Us: Faith is first activated by the transformative realization of God’s unconditional love. Shingi emphasizes that this love was proactively demonstrated when Christ died for us while we were still sinners, before we even knew we needed saving. Understanding this profound, unmerited love makes faith in God’s promises both logical and easy.
Expressed Through God’s Love in Us: Once a person is born again, God places His own love inside them through the Holy Spirit. This enables the believer to naturally and unconditionally love others, regardless of how they are treated, because it flows from an internal, divine source.
3.2. What Does it Mean to “Walk in the Spirit”?
Teacher Shingi offers a distinctively practical definition for this often-misunderstood phrase. He asserts that the Bible is the only definitive source of information about the spirit realm. Based on this foundational premise, he concludes that to “walk in the Spirit” is simply to “walk in the Word”.
The reasoning behind this definition is as follows:
The Bible is described as “the spirit world in writing” and “the realm of the Spirit in written form”.
Therefore, walking in the Spirit is not a mystical or an “airy fairy” experience. It is the practical act of aligning one’s life, decisions, and beliefs with the written Word of God.
He grounds this interpretation by drawing a sharp terminological distinction between praying “in the Spirit” (praying in accordance with the Word of God) and praying “with the Spirit”(praying in tongues by the power of the Holy Spirit).
This explanation of how a believer should live leads directly to the tangible outcomes produced by the two opposing lifestyles—one led by the flesh and the other led by the Spirit.
4. The Two Lifestyles and Their Outcomes
Shingi links the two opposing lists in Galatians 5 back to the allegory of the two births, showing that each lifestyle produces a distinct type of evidence or “fruit.”
4.1. The “Works of the Flesh”
These behaviors are presented as the manifest results of a life not led by the Spirit. Shingi further connects the “works of the flesh” directly to the spiritual lineage of the “bondwoman” (Hagar and Ishmael).
In stark contrast, the “fruit of the Spirit” is the natural outcome of a life born of and led by the Spirit. This fruit is connected to the spiritual lineage of the “free woman” (Sarah and Isaac).
The list includes:
Love, Joy, Peace, Long suffering, Gentleness, Goodness, Faith, Meekness, Temperance.
5. Conclusion: A Call to Live in Freedom
The central insight of Shingirai Mudyirwa’s commentary on Galatians 5 is a call for believers to fully embrace their identity in Christ. The Christian life presented is not one of striving to adhere to an external list of religious rules (the law) but one of confidently living in the liberty that Christ has already secured. This freedom is realized by walking in the truth of God’s Word and allowing the Holy Spirit to naturally produce His fruit, which is the ultimate expression of a faith that works by love.
Study The Word
2 Thessalonians 3:1 – 5; 16 KJV
Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free course, and be glorified, even as it is with you: 2 And that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men: for all men have not faith. 3 But the Lord is faithful, who shall establish you, and keep you from evil. 4 And we have confidence in the Lord touching you, that you both do and will do the things which we command you. 5 And the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the patient waiting for Christ.
16 Now the Lord of peace himself give you peace always by all means. The Lord be with you all.
1 Now, friends, we ask you to pray for us. Pray that, because of us, more and more people will hear the Lord’s message with pleasure soon. Pray that they will believe his message. So then they will thank God for it. That is what happened among you. 2 Pray also that God will not let very bad people cause bad trouble for us. Pray like that, because not everyone believes the message about our Lord. 3 But the Lord always does what he has promised. So, he will help you, so that you continue to believe him strongly. And he will keep you safe from Satan. 4 Also the Lord makes us sure about you. We told you things that you must do. You are doing those things. And you will continue to do those things. We are sure about that. 5 We pray that the Lord will help you to know him more and more. So then you will continue to understand more about how much God loves you. And he will cause you to be patient and strong, like Christ. 16 The Lord causes us to be without trouble in our minds. And I pray that the Lord himself will do that for you at all times and in every way. I pray that the Lord will be with all of you.
ῥύομαι rhuomai delivered – to rescue for yourself with the force of a rushing current, to deliver for yourself with the force of a rushing current.
2 Thessalonians 3:1 – 5; 16 MSG
1 – 5 One more thing, friends: Pray for us. Pray that the Master’s Word will simply take off and race through the country to a groundswell of response, just as it did among you. And pray that we’ll be rescued from these troublemakers who are trying to do us in. I’m finding that not all “believers” are believers. But the Master never lets us down. He’ll stick by you and protect you from evil. Because of the Master, we have great confidence in you. We know you’re doing everything we told you and will continue doing it. May the Master take you by the hand and lead you along the path of God’s love and Christ’s endurance. 16 May the Master of Peace himself give you the gift of getting along with each other at all times, in all ways. May the Master be truly among you!
φυλάσσω phulassō keep – watchfully guard, keep watch and protect, observe to protect.
2 Thessalonians 3:1 – 5; 16 TPT
1 Finally, dear brothers and sisters, pray for us that the Lord’s message will continue to spread rapidly and its glory be recognized everywhere, just as it was with you. 2 And pray that God will rescue us from wicked and evil people, for not everyone believes the message. 3 But the Lord Yahweh is always faithful to place you on a firm foundation and guard you from the Evil One. 4 We have complete confidence in the Lord concerning you and we are sure that you are doing and will continue to do what we have told you. 5 Now may the Lord move your hearts into a greater understanding of God’s pure love for you and into Christ’s steadfast endurance. 16Now, may the Lord himself, the Lord of peace, pour into you his peace in every circumstance and in every possible way. The Lord’s tangible presence be with you all.
κατευθύνω kateuthunō direct – to make straight, guide, removal of the hindrances to coming to one, straighten completely.
Pray The Word
Heavenly Father I pray today asking that through the power of Your Spirit Your Word may have free course in and through me and through my life. I pray that You Word is also rapidly spreading around the globe being glorified eagerly and joyfully received by everyone who hears it. Heavenly Father deliver me from unreasonable and wicked men for Lord You are faithful to establish and keep me from evil. Direct my heart removing all hindrances to continually access Your love, and into the patient waiting for Christ. You are the Lord of peace, grant me Your peace always by all means in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
Speak The Word
The gospel of Christ continues to spread rapidly, freely by the power of the Holy Spirit in and through my life and is rapidly spreading around the globe being glorified and with joy is being recognized everywhere. God is always rescuing me from wicked and evil people, establishing and keeping me from evil. My heart is directed towards God and is always directed towards His love all hindrances removed to continually access His love into the patient waiting for Christ. The Lord of peace, grants me peace always by all means in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ
Study The Word
2 Thessalonians 1:11 – 12 KJV
Wherefore also we pray always for you, that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfil all the good pleasure of his goodness, and the work of faith with power: 12 That the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.
ἀξιόω axioō worthy – deserving, entitled by qualification, to think fit, right, to judge worthy
2 Thessalonians 1:11 – 12 AMPC 11 With this in view we constantly pray for you, that our God may deem and count you worthy of [your] calling and [His] every gracious purpose of goodness, and with power may complete in [your] every particular work of faith (faith which is that leaning of the whole human personality on God in absolute trust and confidence in His power, wisdom, and goodness). 12 Thus may the name of our Lord Jesus Christ be glorified and become more glorious through and in you, and may you [also be glorified] in Him according to the grace (favor and blessing) of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One).
εὐδοκία eudokia good pleasure – delight, pleasure, satisfaction
2 Thessalonians 1:11 – 12 EXB 11 ·That is why [To that end; In this regard] we always pray for you, asking our God to help you live the kind of life he called you to live [make/consider you worthy of his calling]. We pray that with his power God will help you do the good things you want [fulfill every desire for goodness] and perform the works that come from your [every work of] faith. 12 We pray all this so that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ will have glory [be glorified] in you, and you will have glory in him [in him]. That glory comes from the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.
2 Thessalonians 1:11 – 12 GNT 11 That is why we always pray for you. We ask our God to make you worthy of the life he has called you to live. May he fulfill by his power all your desire for goodness and complete your work of faith. 12 In this way the name of our Lord Jesus will receive glory from you, and you from him, by the grace of our God and of the Lord Jesus Christ.
2 Thessalonians 1:11 – 12 NIV 11 With this in mind, we constantly pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling, and that by his power he may bring to fruition your every desire for goodness and your every deed prompted by faith.12 We pray this so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ
ἐνδοξάζω endoxazō glorified – adorn with glory, decorate and enhance with splendor, honor, magnificence of divine quality
2 Thessalonians 1:11 – 12 MSG 11-12 Because we know that this extraordinary day is just ahead, we pray for you all the time—pray that our God will make you fit for what he’s called you to be, pray that he’ll fill your good ideas and acts of faith with his own energy so that it all amounts to something. If your life honors the name of Jesus, he will honor you. Grace is behind and through all of this, our God giving himself freely, the Master, Jesus Christ, giving himself freely.
Pray The Word Heavenly Father, thank You for calling me and counting me worthy of this calling. Father in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ fulfill all the good pleasure of Your goodness in me, and the work of faith with power in my life in order for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to be glorified in me, and I being adorned and decorated with Your splendor, Your honour, Your magnificence and divine qualities that come from Your grace and that of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
Speak The Word
God has considered me worthy of His calling in Christ Jesus, and fit to fulfill His call of service. I am propelled to fulfill every desire of the working of faith through His miraculous power that causes the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to be glorified in me and I being adorned and decorated with His splendor, His honour, His magnificence and divine qualities that come from the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Lord, you are my God;
I will exalt You and praise Your name,
for in perfect faithfulness
You have done wonderful things,
things planned long ago.
Hebrews 13:15 KJV
By Him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.
Pray The Word
Colossians 1: 12 – 14 – KJV
And giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of His holy people in the kingdom of light. For He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son He loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
Colossians 1:12-14 AMP
Giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints (God’s people) in the Light.
The Incomparable Christ
For He has rescued us and has drawn us to Himself from the dominion of darkness, and has transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption [because of His sacrifice, resulting in] the forgiveness of our sins [and the cancellation of sins’ penalty].
2 Corinthians 3:5 NLT
It is not that we think we are qualified to do anything on our own. Our qualification comes from God.
2 Corinthians 3:5 AMP
Not that we are sufficiently qualified in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency and qualifications come from God.
Speak The Word
Heavenly Father, Thank You for this brand new week, Thank you for qualifying me to share in the glorious inheritance of the saints in light this week and always. Thank You for rescuing me from the Kingdom of darkness and delivering me into the Kingdom of your beloved son. I have been delivered from the kingdom of darkness, therefore every darkness in my life and family has to flee, I only accept that which is consistent with the Kingdom of your beloved son to manifest in and through my life. May every blessing of the gospel be manifested in my life this week and always. Thank you for the remission and forgiveness of sins in your name. I declare that throughout this week and always my sufficiency, competence and qualification come from you. I declare that I am fruitful and successful in every good work, I am always increasing in the knowledge of God. I am blessed to be a blessing in this week, I am favoured on every side, none of my steps shall slide, goodness and mercy follow me this week. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth.
Study The Word
1 Thessalonians 5:23 – 24 KJV
And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preservedblameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 Faithful is he that calls you, who also will do it.
ἁγιάζω hagiazō sanctify – make holy, purify, consecrate, cleanse, separated and dedicated to God.
1 Thessalonians 5:23 – 24 TLB 23 May the God of peace himself make you entirely pure and devoted to God; and may your spirit and soul and body be kept strong and blameless until that day when our Lord Jesus Christ comes back again.24 God, who called you to become his child, will do all this for you, just as he promised.
ὁλοτελής holotelēs wholly – completely, complete in all respects, perfectly, absolutely perfectly,
1 Thessalonians 5:23 – 24 MSG 23-24 May himself, the God who makes everything holy and whole, make you holy and whole, put you together—spirit, soul, and body—and keep you fit for the coming of our Master, Jesus Christ. The One who called you is completely dependable. If he said it, he’ll do it!
1 Thessalonians 5:23 – 24 TLV 23 Now may the God of shalom Himself make you completely holy; and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept complete, blameless at the coming of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah. 24 Faithful is the One who calls you—and He will make it happen!
1 Thessalonians 5:23 – 24 AMPC 23 And may the God of peace Himself sanctify you through and through [separate you from profane things, make you pure and wholly consecrated to God]; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved sound and complete [and found] blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah). 24 Faithful is He Who is calling you [to Himself] and utterly trustworthy, and He will also do it [fulfill His call by hallowing and keeping you].
Pray The Word
Heavenly Father, I bless Your Holy name today, You are the very God of peace. May You sanctify me wholly; sanctify my spirit, soul and body completely. Heavenly Father, keep me, preserve me, guard and fortify me absolutely blameless and fully prepared for the glorious coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.
Speak The Word
I am sanctified, set apart and wholly consecrated to God. My spirit, soul and body is preserved sound and complete and absolutely blameless and fully prepared for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful who called me to Himself and utterly trustworthy to complete and fulfill it.
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Colossians 1:9 -12 KJV
9 For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; 10 That you might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; 11 Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness; 12 Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:
ἐπίγνωσις epignōsis knowledge – precise, exact and full knowledge; full insight of spiritual and physical things; complete knowledge of things visible and invisible
Colossians 1:9 – 12 AMP
9 For this reason, since the day we heard about it, we have not stopped praying for you, asking [specifically] that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom [with insight into His purposes], and in understanding [of spiritual things], 10 so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord [displaying admirable character, moral courage, and personal integrity], to [fully] please Him in all things, bearing fruit in every good work and steadily growing in the knowledge of God [with deeper faith, clearer insight and fervent love for His precepts]; [we pray that you may be] 11 strengthened and invigorated with all power, according to His glorious might, to attain every kind of endurance and patience with joy; 12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints (God’s people) in the Light.
σοφία sophia wisdom – divine insight into the reality of spiritual and physical things; application of intelligence and knowledge of spiritual and physical things.
Colossians 1:9 – 12 TPT
9 Since we first heard about you, we’ve kept you always in our prayers that you would receive the perfect knowledge of God’s pleasure over your lives, making you reservoirs of every kind of wisdom and spiritual understanding. 10 We pray that you would walk in the ways of true righteousness, pleasing God in every good thing you do. Then you’ll become fruit-bearing branches, yielding to his life, and maturing in the rich experience of knowing God in his fullness! 11 And we pray that you would be energized with all his explosive power from the realm of his magnificent glory, filling you with great hope. 12 Your hearts can soar with joyful gratitude when you think of how God made you worthy to receive the glorious inheritance freely given to us by living in the light.
σύνεσις sunesis understanding – intelligent understanding of spiritual and physical matters; divine intelligence of spiritual and physical things, spiritual intelligence of all things.
Colossians 1:9 – 12 BBE
9 For this reason, we, from the day when we had word of it, keep on in prayer for you, that you may be full of the knowledge of his purpose, with all wisdom and experience of the Spirit, 10 Living uprightly in the approval of the Lord, giving fruit in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; 11 Full of strength in the measure of the great power of his glory, so that you may undergo all troubles with joy; 12 Giving praise to the Father who has given us a part in the heritage of the saints in light;
Colossians 1:9 – 12 EXB
9 Because of this, since the day we heard about you, we have continued [not ceased] praying for you, asking God that you will know fully what he wants [to fill you with the knowledge of his will], and that you will have great [in all] ·spiritual wisdom and understanding [ wisdom and understanding from the Spirit] 10 so that you will live the kind of life that honors [is worthy of] and pleases the Lord in every way. You will produce fruit in every good work and grow in the knowledge of God. 11 God will strengthen you […being strengthened] with his own great power [all power according to his glorious might] so that you will not give up when troubles come, but you will be patient. 12 And you will joyfully give thanks [ …have patience with joy, giving thanks] to the Father who has made you able to have a share in ·all that he has prepared for his people in the kingdom of light [the inheritance of the saints/holy ones in the light].
κράτος kratos power – divine dominion of power, dominion of God’s strength, divine capacity, capacity of God’s might, capacity of His strength,
Pray The Word Heavenly Father in accordance with Your divine will and purpose for my life in Christ Jesus, I ask to be filled with the knowledge of Your Word in all wisdom and spiritual understanding making me a walking and talking reservoir of every kind of wisdom and expressions of Your knowledge. Heavenly Father, by this I receive the grace and empowerment the live worthy of You unto all pleasing, spiritually empowered from within by Your miraculous and explosive power in accordance with the measure of Your divine dominion and capacity of strength, and into attaining abilities of endurance and patience with joy. Heavenly Father I give You thanks for all this and for making me worthy to receive and participate in this glorious inheritance of the saints who are in the light, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
Speak The Word I am filled with the knowledge of God’s will in all wisdom and divine insight and spiritual understanding and intelligence of spiritual and physical things. Being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God, I am propelled and positioned to walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing. I am pepertually strengthened with God’s own great power according to the full capacity of His might and strength, being fruitful in every good work, and I am ever increasing in the knowledge of God increasing in faith with a clearer insight and fervent love for His precepts. I am always joyfully giving thanks with patience and endurance to the Father who has made me able to have my full share in all the inheritance that He has prepared for His people in the kingdom of light in the name of Jesus Christ.
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Philippians 1:9 – 11 KJV
And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment; 10 That you may approve things that are excellent; that you may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ; 11 Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.
ἀγάπη agapē love – affectionate & humble, patient & kind, giving & forgiving, eternal – unchanging & unending, unconditional & reliable active benevolent love of God; Benevolence of God.
Philippians 1:9 – 11 AMP
9 And this I pray, that your love may abound more and more [displaying itself in greater depth] in real knowledge and in practical insight, 10 so that you may learn to recognize and treasure what is excellent [identifying the best, and distinguishing moral differences], and that you may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ [actually living lives that lead others away from sin]; 11 filled with the fruit of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God [so that His glory may be both revealed and recognized].
περισσεύω perisseuō abound – exceed a number of measure, over and above, exist in abundance, superabound in quantity or quality, be in excess, be superfluous.
Philippians 1:9 – 11 NET
9 And I pray this, that your love may abound even more and more in knowledge and every kind of insight 10 so that you can decide what is best, and thus be sincere and blameless for the day of Christ, 11 filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ to the glory and praise of God.
ἐπίγνωσις epignōsis knowledge – precise, exact and full knowledge; full insight of spiritual and physical things; complete knowledge of things visible and invisible
Philippians 1:9 – 11 TPT
9 I continue to pray for your love to grow and increase beyond measure, bringing you into the rich revelation of spiritual insight in all things. 10 This will enable you to choose the most excellent way of all—becoming pure and without offense until the unveiling of Christ. 11 And you will be filled completely with the fruits of righteousness that are found in Jesus, the Anointed One—bringing great praise and glory to God!
δοκιμάζω dokimazō approve – test, examine, prove, scrutinise for genuity.
Philippians 1:9 – 11 MSG
So this is my prayer: that your love will flourish and that you will not only love much but well. Learn to love appropriately. You need to use your head and test your feelings so that your love is sincere and intelligent, not sentimental gush. Live a lover’s life, circumspect and exemplary, a life Jesus will be proud of: bountiful in fruits from the soul, making Jesus Christ attractive to all, getting everyone involved in the glory and praise of God.
Pray The Word Heavenly Father, thank You for Your eternal love with which You love me. Thank You for shedding Your love abroad in my heart through Your Holy Spirit. Heavenly Father, increase, grow and intensify Your love in my heart even more and more in complete and precise knowledge, with a wealth of revelation and accurate insight into all things that propels me into making accurate and faultless decisions and choices that are in line with Your will. Thank You Heavenly Father for increasing and completing filling me with the fruits of righteousness that are in Jesus Christ to the glory and praise of Your Name. Amen.
Speak The Word The love of God that is shed abroad in my heart and superabounds still more and more in knowledge and in all discernment. I approve and discern the things are excellent being sincere and without offence until the day of Christ. I am replete with fruits of God’s righteousness which are by Jesus Christ to glory and praise of God!
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2 Corinthians 13:7;14 KJV
Now I pray to God that you do no evil; not that we should appear approved, but that you should do that which is honest, though we be as reprobates. 8 For we can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth. 14 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen.
7 We pray hard that it will all come together in your lives. 14 The amazing grace of the Master, Jesus Christ, the extravagant love of God, the intimate friendship of the Holy Spirit, be with all of you.
But we pray to God that you will be flawless, not to validate our ministry among you but so that you may continue on the path of righteousness even if we are denigrated. 14 Now, may the grace and joyous favor of the Lord Jesus Christ, the unambiguous love of God, and the precious communion that we share in the Holy Spirit be yours continually. Amen!
ἀγάπη agapē love – affectionate & humble, patient & kind, giving & forgiving, eternal – unchanging & unending, unconditional & reliable active benevolent love of God; Benevolence of God.
2 Corinthians 13:7;14 AMP
7 But I pray to God that you may do nothing wrong. Not so that we [and our teaching] may appear to be approved, but that you may continue doing what is right, even though we [by comparison] may seem to have failed. 14 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
Pray The Word Heavenly Father, thank You for keeping me from evil and from doing or participating in anything evil. I thank you for your grace by which I only do that which is honest, excellent, admirable and magnificent in Your sight, doing all things for the truth of the gospel of Christ. Thank You Father for the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ that is at work in my life and thank You for Your unconditional love and the oneness and intimate friendship of the Holy Spirit that You have given me, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, amen.
Speak The Word By God’s grace I do all things for the truth, I only do that which is honest, excellent, admirable and magnificent because of the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ at work in my life, the unconditional, unambiguous love of God is at work in my life and the oneness, intimate relationship and friendship of the Holy Spirit is with me.
And I heard every created thing in heaven and on earth and under the earth [in Hades, the place of departed spirits] and on the sea and all that is in it, crying out together, To Him Who is seated on the throne and to the Lamb be ascribed the blessing and the honour and the majesty (glory, splendour) and the power (might and dominion) forever and ever (through the eternities of the eternities)!
Pray The Word
3 John 2 KJV
Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.
3 John 2 AMP
Beloved, I pray that in every way you may succeed and prosper and be in good health [physically], just as [I know] your soul prospers [spiritually].
2 Timothy 1:7 KJV
For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
Speak The Word
Thank You Heavenly Father that it is your will for me to prosper in all things and to be in health even as my soul prospers. Thank you that your will is established in my life. The Spirit of fear can no longer rule in my life, I have power to cause changes, I’m filled with your love and I have a sound mind. I live in good health physically, I live in good health mentally and emotionally and I prosper in all things that pertain to my life in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.
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Philippians 1:3 – 6 KJV
I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, 4 Always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy, 5 For your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now; 6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which has begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:
Philippians 1:3 – 6 TPT (3-4) My prayers for you are full of praise to God as I give him thanks for you with great joy! I’m so grateful for our union 5and our enduring partnership that began the first time I presented to you the gospel. 6I pray with great faith for you, because I’m fully convinced that the One who began this glorious work in you will faithfully continue the process of maturing you and will put his finishing touches to it until the unveiling of our Lord Jesus Christ!
ἐπιτελέω epiteleō perform – fulfill further, execute, bring to completion.
Philippians 1:3 – 6 ESV
3 I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, 4 always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. 6 And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.
Philippians 1:3 – 6 AMP
3 I thank my God in every remembrance of you, 4 always offering every prayer of mine with joy [and with specific requests] for all of you, 5 [thanking God] for your participation and partnership [both your comforting fellowship and gracious contributions] in [advancing] the good news [regarding salvation] from the first day [you heard it] until now. 6 I am convinced and confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will [continue to] perfect and complete it until the day of Christ Jesus [the time of His return].
Philippians 1:3 – 6 EXB
3 I thank my God every time I remember you, 4 always praying with joy for all of you. 5 I thank my God every time I remember you, I thank God for the help you gave me [your partnership/participation] in spreading the Good News [the Good News/Gospel] from the first day you believed until now. 6 God began doing a good work in you, and I am sure [confident; persuaded] he will continue it until it is finished [completed; perfected] when Jesus Christ comes again [on the day of Christ Jesus; the final day of judgment and reward].
Philippians 1:3 – 6 TLB
3 All my prayers for you are full of praise to God! 4 When I pray for you, my heart is full of joy 5 because of all your wonderful help in making known the Good News about Christ from the time you first heard it until now. 6 And I am sure that God who began the good work within you will keep right on helping you grow in his grace until his task within you is finally finished on that day when Jesus Christ returns.
Pray The Word Heavenly Father, thank You for Your grace that You have lavished upon me in Christ Jesus, which empowers me and has brought me into oneness and divine partnership together with You in the global publishing of gospel of Christ and the revelation of the Lord Jesus Christ in and through me. Thank You Father for this good work that You began in me from the first day that I believed up until now and for Your confident assurance that You have confirmed within me that You have pledged to fulfill; bringing this glorious divine work to completion, in time of the glorious return of the Lord, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
Speak The Word I have been brought into oneness and partnership with God the Father and with the Son Jesus Christ in the work of the propagation of the gospel and revelation of the Lord Jesus Christ in and through me. God who has began this good work in me from the first day I believed in Him is also executing it; He is performing it!; and bringing it into completion in time for the return of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Psalm 141:2 NIV May my prayer be set before you like incense; may the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice.
Pray The Word
Hebrews 13:15 NIV
The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.
James 3:4-5 AMP
And look at the ships. Even though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are still directed by a very small rudder. In the same sense, the tongue is a small part of the body, and yet it boasts of great things.
Colossians 4:6 NKJV
Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.
John 6:63 NKJV
It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.
Matthew 12:34 – 37 NIV
You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of. A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him.But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned
Speak The Word
Heavenly Father, thank you for the gift of words that has been entrusted to me. I don’t speak empty / Idle words. I erase every idle and evil word that I have ever spoken about my life and destiny, my health, family and finances with the blood of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, I now enact new words of life. This week and always, I only speak words of faith, love and kindness to all people and about all people. No corrupt communication comes from out of my mouth. My speech is gracious, seasoned with salt, I know how to answer each person. I speak life into this week, blessings into each day, and I receive the benefits and opportunities that are loaded for me each day. My family members and I are strengthened and protectedin each day, we are are making progress on every side and continuously growing in the grace of God.
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1 Corinthians 1: 4 – 7 KJV
I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ; 5 That in every thing you are enriched by him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge; 6 Even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you: 7 So that you come behind in no gift(charisma); waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ: 8 Who shall also confirm you unto the end, that you may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
λόγος logos utterance – Word of God, revelation of God’s Word, sayings of God, utterances of God.
1 Corinthians 1:4 – 8 TPT
4 I am always thanking my God for you because he has given you such free and open access to his grace through your union with Jesus, the Messiah. 5 In him you have been made extravagantly rich in every way. You have been endowed with a wealth of inspired utterance and the riches that come from your intimate knowledge of him. 6 For the reality of the truth of Christ is seen among you and strengthened through your experience of him. 7 So now you aren’t lacking any spiritual gift as you eagerly await the unveiling of the Lord Jesus, the Anointed One. 8 He will keep you steady and strong to the very end, making your character mature so that you will be found innocent on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
γνῶσις gnōsis knowledge – scientific knowledge, science of all things, knowledge of all things.
1 Corinthians 1:4 – 9 AMP
I thank my God always for you because of the grace of God which was given you in Christ Jesus, so that in everything you were [exceedingly] enriched in Him, in all speech [empowered by the spiritual gifts] and in all knowledge [with insight into the faith]. In this way our testimony about Christ was confirmed and established in you, so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift [which comes from the Holy Spirit], as you eagerly wait [with confident trust] for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ [when He returns]. And He will also confirm you to the end [keeping you strong and free of any accusation, so that you will be] blameless and beyond reproach in the day [of the return] of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful [He is reliable, trustworthy and ever true to His promise—He can be depended on], and through Him you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
4 I very often thank God for you because he has acted toward you kindly, acting in ways that you do not deserve. He has done this because of your having a close relationship with/being united to Christ Jesus. 5 That is, God has helped you spiritually very much because of your having a close relationship with/being united to Christ. Specifically, God has very much enabled you to speak messages that his Spirit revealed to you, and he has very much enabled you to know many things that his Spirit revealed to you. 6 In that way, he confirmed to you that what we proclaimed about Christ is true. 7 As a result, while you wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to return, within your group you truly have every ability that God’s Spirit gives to believers. 8 God will also cause you to steadfastly trust Christ to the very end of your lives. The result will be that God will not consider you guilty of any sin when our Lord Jesus Christ returns to earth. 9 You can depend on God to do that. He is the one who chose you to become intimately associated with his Son, Jesus Christ, who is our Lord.
Pray The Word Dear Heavenly Father I thank You for Your grace which You have given me in Christ Jesus. Thank You Father, that by this grace I am enriched by You in all things, in all wisdom, revelation knowledge and understanding with utterance of Your Word, and also in the knowledge and understanding of all things. By this I do not come behind in spiritual ability and grace, as patiently wait for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is confirming me unto the end that I may be blameless in the day of His appearing in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, amen.
Speak The Word The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ which enriches me in all things is at work in me because of my union with Him. I’m enriched in revelation of the Word of God, in utterance and knowledge and understanding of all things. The gifts, callings and supernatural abilities of God are at work in and through me as He confirms me unto the end blameless until the day of the Lord Jesus’s appearing.
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Romans 1: 10 – 12 KJV
Making request, if by any means now at length I might have a prosperous journey by the will of God to come unto you. 11 For I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritualgift, to the end you may be established; 12 That is, that I may be comforted together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me.
μεταδίδωμι metadidōmi impart – give over, deposit, share, give.
Romans 1: 10 – 12 EASY ENGLISH BIBLE
10 Every time that I pray, I remember you. I ask God that, after all this time, he will make it possible for me to visit you soon. That will happen if God wants it. 11 I want very much to visit you so that I can give some gift from God’s Spirit to you. That will help you to believe Christ more strongly. 12 I mean that I want both you and I to help each other. You believe Christ, and I believe Christ. So we can help each other to believe Christ more strongly.
10 every time I pray. I pray that now at last if God wants it [by God’s will] I will be allowed to come [succeed in coming] to you. 11 I ·want very much [long] to see you, to give [impart to; share with] you some spiritual gift to make you strong.
10 And that I am ever making prayers that God will give me a good journey to you. 11 For I have a strong desire to see you, and to give you some grace of the spirit, so that you may be made strong;
Pray The Word
Heavenly Father, thank You for Your Word, and the precious gift of Your Holy Spirit. Thank You Father, that as I study and meditate on Your Word and fellowship with Your Holy Spirit in worship and in prayer my heart is open and positioned to receive impartations of spiritual graces, spiritual abilities that strengthen, fortify and establish me in Your salvation that is Christ Jesus. Heavenly Father, I ask and receive impartation from the power of Your precious Holy Spirit the word of wisdom, the word of knowledge and impartation of faith from Your precious Holy Spirit. Thank You Father for the impartation of the gifts of healing and the working of miracles from Your precious Holy Spirit. I receive impartations of prophecy, discerning of spirits divers kinds of tongues and the interpretation of tongues by which I am further strengthened and established by Your precious gift of the Holy Spirit who is at work in me, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, amen.
Speak The Word
As I study and meditate on the Word of God and fellowship with the Father and with the Son Jesus Christ in worship and prayer daily, my heart is open and positioned to always receive impartations of spiritual graces and spiritual abilities that empower and establish me until the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. By faith I receive impartation by the power of the Holy Spirit the word of wisdom, the word of knowledge and impartation of faith from the power of the Holy Spirit. In the name of Jesus Christ I receive the impartation of the gifts of healing and the working of miracles from Your precious Holy Spirit. I receive impartations of prophecy, discerning of spirits divers kinds of tongues and the interpretation of tongues by the power of the precious gift of the Holy Spirit who is at work in me in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
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Ephesians 3:14 – 19 KJV
14 For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; 17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; 19 And to know the love of Christ, which surpasses knowledge, that you might be filled with all the fulness of God.
14 Because God has done all this for you, I kneel and pray to God our Father. 15 He is the one who is like a father of all the believers who are now in heaven and those who are still on the earth. 16 I pray that, using his unlimited resources, he will cause you to be strengthened by his Spirit {cause his Spirit to strengthen you} in your inner beings/hearts with all God’s power. 17 That is, I pray that because of your trusting in Christ, his Spirit may live in your inner beings/hearts (OR, he may live in your hearts). And I pray that because you love Christ firmly and faithfully/continually, you, 18 along with all other believers, may be able to know how very much Christ loves us. 19 I want you to experience how very deeply he loves us, even though it is not possible for us to understand fully how much he loves us. And I pray that God will enable you to be filled with {have a full measure of} all the qualities of his character that he himself has.
καταλαμβάνω katalambanō comprehend – to take eagerly, seize and possess, apprehend.
Ephesians 3:14 – 19 REMEDY
14 It is for your healing and transformation that I kneel before the Father, 15 from whom his entire family in heaven and on earth derives its character, methods, and principles. 16 I pray that out of the glorious riches that emanate from his being, and through the working of his Spirit in your minds, you will be fully transformed into Christlikeness and so settled into God’s methods and principles that you cannot be shaken, 17 so that Christ will dwell in your hearts through trust. And I pray that you, rooted and transformed by love, 18 will have your minds enabled (together with all the saints) to grasp how immense, and wide, and long, and deep, and high is the love of Christ, 19 and to know in every fiber of your beings this love that surpasses intellectual knowledge, that you may become living showcases of God’s loving character.
πλήρωμα plērōma fulness – to fill up, filled to repletion, filled to fullness.
Ephesians 3:14 – 19 TPT
So I kneel humbly in awe before the Father of our Lord Jesus, the Messiah, 15 the perfect Father of every father and child in heaven and on the earth. 16 And I pray that he would unveil within you the unlimited riches of his glory and favor until supernatural strength floods your innermost being with his divine might and explosive power. 17 Then, by constantly using your faith, the life of Christ will be released deep inside you, and the resting place of his love will become the very source and root of your life. 18-19 Then you will be empowered to discover what every holy one experiences—the great magnitude of the astonishing love of Christ in all its dimensions. How deeply intimate and far-reaching is his love! How enduring and inclusive it is! Endless love beyond measurement that transcends our understanding—this extravagant love pours into you until you are filled to overflowing with the fullness of God!
Pray The Word Thank you Father for granting me according to the riches of Your glory that I be invigorated, strengthened and supernaturally empowered with Your miracle working explosive power by Your Spirit in my inner man, in order for Christ to dwell in my spirit, and in my soul by faith. Thank you Father for grounding me rooted in Your love and enabling me to comprehend with all the saints the width, length, depth and height of the love of my Lord Jesus Christ which surpasses intellectual knowledge that I may be filled to overflowing with all the fulness of God having the full measure of His character in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
Speak The Word I am strengthened with God’s miracle working explosive power in my inner man. The Spirit of Christ dwells in me, in my spirit, in my soul and also fills my body by faith. I’m rooted and grounded in the love of God experiencing all of its dimensions, and empowered to comprehend what is it’s width, length, depth and height of the love of the Lord Jesus Christ which surpasses intellectual knowledge being filled to overflowing with all the fulness of God in the full measure of His character.
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Ephesians 1:16 – 21 KJV
16 Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers; 17 That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: 18 The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, 19 And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, 20 Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, 21 Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:
σοφία sophia wisdom – divine insight into the reality of spiritual and physical things; application of intelligence and knowledge of spiritual and physical things.
Ephesians 1:15 – 21 EXB
That is why ·since [ because] I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all ·God’s people [the saints], I ·have not stopped [never cease] giving thanks to God for you. I always remember you in my prayers, asking the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, to give you ·a spirit of wisdom [ spiritual wisdom; the Spirit of wisdom] and revelation so that you will know him better. I pray also that ·you will have greater understanding in your heart [the eyes of your heart may be enlightened] so you will ·know [comprehend] the hope to which he has called us and that you will know ·how rich and glorious are the blessings God has promised [the riches of his glorious inheritance for; the glorious wealth of an inheritance that God possesses in] ·his holy people [the saints]. And you will know that God’s power is ·very [exceedingly; overwhelmingly] great for us who believe. That power ·is the same as [ was demonstrated in] the great strength God ·used [exerted] to raise Christ from the dead and ·put [seat] him at his right ·side [hand; ; ] in the heavenly ·world [realm; places]. God has put Christ ·over [far above] all rulers, authorities, powers, and ·kings [lords; dominion], and every other ·title given [name that is named] not only in this ·world [age] but also in the ·next [coming one].
ἀποκάλυψις apokalupsis revelation – appearing, manifestation, physical uncovering of hidden spiritual things, be revealed.
Ephesians 1:15 – 23 MSG
That’s why, when I heard of the solid trust you have in the Master Jesus and your outpouring of love to all the followers of Jesus, I couldn’t stop thanking God for you—every time I prayed, I’d think of you and give thanks. But I do more than thank. I ask—ask the God of our Master, Jesus Christ, the God of glory—to make you intelligent and discerning in knowing him personally, your eyes focused and clear, so that you can see exactly what it is he is calling you to do, grasp the immensity of this glorious way of life he has for his followers, oh, the utter extravagance of his work in us who trust him—endless energy, boundless strength! All this energy issues from Christ: God raised him from death and set him on a throne in deep heaven, in charge of running the universe, everything from galaxies to governments, no name and no power exempt from his rule. And not just for the time being, but forever. He is in charge of it all, has the final word on everything. At the center of all this, Christ rules the church. The church, you see, is not peripheral to the world; the world is peripheral to the church. The church is Christ’s body, in which he speaks and acts, by which he fills everything with his presence.
εἴδω eidō know – see, be aware, behold, look upon, perceive, see with understanding.
Pray The Word God and Father of glory, I thank you for giving me the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of You. Thank you for giving me illumination, experiences and visual encounters of the Lord Jesus Christ and of the Word of God. Thank you for enlightening the eyes of my understanding that I may know, see and experience our Lord Jesus Christ, and know the hope of Your calling for my life, and the glorious riches of Your inheritance in the saints. Grant me today, wisdom, knowledge, understanding and revelation of the exceeding greatness of Your power at work in us who believe, according to the working of Your mighty power which You worked in the Lord Jesus Christ when you raised Him from the dead and set Him at your right hand in the heveanly places far above all principality, all power, all might, all dominion and every name that is named, not only in this world but the world which is to come in the name the Lord Jesus Christ, amen.
Speak The Word The spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of God is at work in me. The eyes of my understanding are flooded with the revelatory light-knowledge of God and of the hope of His calling, and the glorious inheritance that He has given to His saints. This light-knowledge of God empowers me to see, encounter and experience our Lord Jesus Christ. The wisdom, knowledge and understanding of God’s resurrection power is at work in me, according to the same degree that God worked it in Christ when He raised Him from dead and sat Him at His right hand in the heveanly places far above all principality, power and might and dominion and every named that is named, not only in this world but in the world which is to come.
The key theological themes and interpretations from Shingi’s Bible Commentary: Galatians Chapter 4, specifically focusing on the transition from the Old Covenant (Law) to the New Covenant (Grace) and the concept of sonship in Christ.
1. Core Argument: Freedom from Bondage through Sonship in Christ
The central theme is the stark contrast between the “bondage of the law” under the Old Testament and the “freedom” and “sonship” available through the New Covenant in Christ. Shingi, asserts that adherence to the Law leads to spiritual bondage, akin to being a child who “differs nothing from a servant, though he be Lord of all.” True freedom and inheritance come through the Spirit of God, which raises believers into sonship.
2. Key Concepts and Distinctions:
A. Bondage vs. Sonship:
The Law and Bondage: Mount Sinai, where the Law was given, is allegorically linked to the “bondwoman” Hagar, giving “birth to bondage.” The Old Testament is consistently presented as a “testament of bondage.” “Mount Sinai, Moses and Mount Sinai is like the bond woman that gave birth to bondage. So it says Ishmael was bondage and then Isaac was what? Was freedom!” “Why do you desire to be under the bondage of the law?”
Sonship through the Spirit: Shingi teaches on how receiving the Holy Spirit after believing is crucial for escaping bondage and entering into sonship.“The Spirit of Christ comes into your heart and now raises you, and now brings you, and raises you into becoming a son, places you into the place of the sonship of Christ.”
“Only the Spirit of God can do that for you. Have you received the Holy Spirit since you believed? Because if you have not received the Holy Spirit since you believed, you’re going to be in bondage.”
“Wherefore you are no more a servant, but a son. And if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.”
B. The Allegory of Hagar and Sarah:
Ishmael (Bondwoman/Flesh/Law): Hagar and her son Ishmael represent the Old Covenant, born “after the flesh,” leading to bondage. Those who adhere to the Law are likened to Ishmael, whose destiny, as prophesied, was to be a “wild man” whose “hand will be against every man, and every man’s hand against him.” This is prophetically linked to the historical persecution faced by Israel.
“He who was of the bond woman was born after the flesh. The one from Mount Sinai, it says, which gendereth – it gives birth to bondage.”
“The destiny of those that were under the law, he says that, he shall be like a wild man. Your hand is going to be against every man, and every man’s hand is going to be against you.”
Isaac (Free Woman/Promise/Spirit): Sarah and Isaac represent the New Covenant, born “after promise,” leading to freedom. Believers in Christ are “children of promise,” like Isaac, and are “of the free.”
“But he who is of the free woman was born after promise. Now we brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise.”
C. Two Jerusalems:
Earthly Jerusalem (Hagar/Bondage): The Jerusalem that “now is” (referring to the physical Jerusalem at the time of Paul’s writing, and prophetically, to the present day) is in “bondage with her children.” This is linked to Hagar and Mount Sinai. “For this agar is Mount Sinai in Arabia, and answers to Jerusalem, which now is and is in bondage with her children.” Shingi points out that this prophecy is “still playing out today before our eyes.”
Heavenly Jerusalem (Sarah/Freedom): The “Jerusalem which is above, is free,” and is “the mother of us all.” This represents Sarah, the free woman, and signifies the spiritual origin of believers in Christ. “But Jerusalem, which is above, is free, which is the mother of us all.” “We that are Christ are of the heavenly Jerusalem.”
D. Redemption and Adoption of Sons (Huiothesia):
Christ was born “under the law” to “redeem them that were under the law” (specifically Israel).
The “adoption of sons” (Greek: Huiothesia) is clarified as not simply adopting a child, but the formal placement and training of a son (heir) to inherit the father’s estate or throne. This training is accomplished by “His Word and His Spirit.”
“To redeem them that were under the law that we might receive the adoption of sons, the Huiothesia.”
“The adoption of sons is speaking about the Huiothesia… with a child being placed under tutors and governors and being trained to become the son that is the heir to the father’s estate, inheritance or throne.”
“The tutors and governors that the Holy Spirit and the Lord now gives us is His Word and His Spirit.”
E. Baptism and Immersion in Christ: Shingi explains how the Greek word baptizo (baptize) literally means “to dip into” or “to sink into,” rather than specifically referring to water baptism.
Being “baptized into Christ” means being “put into Christ,” “immersed into Christ,” and “sunk into Christ,” indicating a complete spiritual union where “Christ is now all around you.”
“The word baptize is from the Greek word baptizo, and the English just borrowed the word baptizo and, you know, decided to use it to mean. To translate it directly to mean to put into water… But the Greek had really nothing to do with putting some. Someone in water.”
“For as many as of you have been put into Christ, right? They have been put into Christ. And then he says, you have put on Christ… it means to sink into Christ.”
F. Equality in Christ: Shingi highlights Galatians 3:28 (“There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus”) as establishing equality among believers.
No Racial/Ethnic Superiority: “In Christ, they are not racial groups. There is no race that is superior to the other.”
No Classism: “There’s no classism in Christ, all right? No matter your ethnic background, your racial background, your social status and the class.”
No Gender Inequality: This refers to the equal blessing and dominion given to male and female by God in Genesis 1:28, not to gender roles within marriage, which Shingi distinguishes as a “different context.”
“God blessed them. Them who? Them male and female. So man and woman was blessed equally by God.”
“He’s not talking about the context of where you have some people are now in our day between the man and the woman. Because in the context of marriage now, he later went on to now emphasize certain things, certain conditions that have to do with man and woman in marriage.”
3. The Apostle Paul’s Concern and Message:
Paul expresses concern and “travails in birth again until Christ be formed” in the Galatian believers due to their desire to return to observing the Law. “I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labor in vain.” “My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you.”
Paul identifies the “infirmity of the flesh” he experienced as an issue with his eyes, inferring from his statement that the Galatians “would have plucked out your own eyes and have given them to me.”
He warns against false teachers (Jews) who were “zealously affecting” (zealously pursuing/enticing) the Gentile Christians to abandon his gospel and observe the Law. These teachers sought to “exclude you that ye might affect them,” meaning they wanted to isolate the Galatians from Paul’s teaching so they would seek spiritual guidance from them, leading them back into bondage.
“They zealously affect you, but not well. Yea, they would exclude you that ye might affect them.”
“They’re zealously trying to entice you away from me and from my message and from my preaching and from the gospel that I’m teaching you so that they can isolate you from this message that I’ve been teaching you.”
4. Conclusion:
Shingi Mudyirwa strongly advocates for the new life in Christ, emphasizing that Christians (both Jews and Gentiles) are not under the Law but are sons and heirs through faith in Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit. Adherence to the Law is portrayed as a return to bondage, symbolized by Hagah as the earthly Jerusalem, in contrast to the freedom and blessings found in Christ, symbolized by Sarah as the heavenly Jerusalem. Shingi further emphasizes how the epistles, particularly Galatians, are presented as powerful, prophetic scripture guided by the Holy Spirit.
Study Guide “Galatians 3: Abraham’s Seed – Heirs According To The Promise”
Teacher Shingi summarizes key theological concepts from Galatians chapter 3, “Abraham’s Seed: Heirs According To The Promise,” focusing on the nature of sonship in Christ, the purpose and limitations of the Law, the significance of Abraham’s blessing, and the dismantling of societal barriers in Christ.
1. The Transformation to Sonship in Christ (Huiothesia)
The core message revolves around the concept of “sonship” (huiothesia) being raised by the Holy Spirit and being placed into the “sonship of Christ”, contrasting it with a prior state of a Christian being “children
(of God)” (teknon) which is being just offspring that are born of Him.
Baptism and “Putting on Christ”: Being “baptized into Christ” means to “put on Christ,” which is “put[ting] on the sonship of Christ.” This has nothing to do with water baptism but an immersion or being “dipped into, to put into” Christ/the Spirit of Christ through being born again.
Teknon vs. Huios (Sons): Initially, Christians are “teknon” or “children of God” as in “offspring” by being “born again of the Word of God.” However, the receipt of the Holy Spirit elevates them to “sonship” (huiothesia).
Teknon (Children): This state implies immaturity and a need for guidance, akin to being “in bondage under the elements of the world” and “under a schoolmaster.”
Huios (Sons):The Holy Spirit “places you into sonship,” signifying maturity, readiness to “reign,” and the ability to “dominate and reign over the elements of the world.”
Huiothesia- Not Adoption (as commonly understood): Shingirai Mudyirwa strongly refutes the common English translation of huiothesia as “adoption” in the sense of taking on a child not previously one’s own. Instead, it signifies a “placing into sonship from being a child who was under a schoolmaster, which was the law of Moses.” It’s a maturation process, not an external legal adoption.“No, it’s not adoption like as you go there to say, this was not my child, and now I want to adopt them to become my child. No, no, no, that’s not what he’s talking. That’s not the adoption of sons.”“The adoption of sons that the that the King James translated the huiothesia, the adoption of sons is talking about the placing into sonship from being a child who was under a schoolmaster, which was the law of Moses.”
The Role of the Holy Spirit: The Holy Spirit is crucial for this transition to sonship. “When you are filled with the Holy Spirit, you are brought into the huiothesia where the spirit of God takes you from being just teknon offspring and now places you into sonship.”
2. The Purpose and Limitations of the Law
The Law of Moses is presented as a temporary, preparatory measure, ultimately replaced by Christ.
The Law as a “Schoolmaster”: The Law served as a “schoolmaster” or “caretaker,” “nanny,” “tutor,” or “guardian” to humanity, specifically the children of Israel. Its purpose was to “guard” them, “reveal sin, to expose sin in us,” and demonstrate humanity’s inability to achieve righteousness through their own efforts.
“Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ that we might be justified by faith, it says the law was a schoolmaster.”
“God wanted to show the world and wanted to use the law as an example to show us that you cannot, out of your own ability, out of your own ability, you cannot meet the requirements of God’s righteousness by doing things, by fulfilling laws, by obeying laws and commandments.”
The Law and the Curse: Both Jews and Gentiles were under a “curse” related to the Law.
Jews: Cursed because “they couldn’t keep it. They couldn’t keep the law they couldn’t fulfill.“The law was “impossible to keep.”
Gentiles: Cursed “by exclusion, by not even being involved in even having the opportunity… to receive a blessing.” They were “alienated from the covenants of promise… having no hope and without God in the world.”
Redemption from the Curse:“Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law being made a curse for us.” This redemption applies to “both the Jews and the Gentiles.”
The Law’s Temporality: The Law “was added because of transgressions… till the seed should come.” Once “faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.”
3. Abraham’s Blessing and the Promise of the Spirit
The Abrahamic covenant is presented as foundational, preceding and superseding the Law.
The Covenant’s Unchangeability: God’s covenant with Abraham and his “seed” (Christ) is unalterable, much like a confirmed human contract cannot be “disannulled” or have terms added later. The Law, coming 430 years later, “cannot disannul that it should make the promise of non effect.”
“Saying that even you as men, that is us as people, us as human beings, as men, all right? When we write contracts, covenants, agreements, and we sign to it, okay? And if it is confirmed, and if it is signed by both people, no man can disannul that covenant.”
“The law that came 430 years later cannot now override and disannul this agreement that God made with Abraham.”
Abraham’s “Seed” is Christ:The “seed” in the Abrahamic promise refers specifically to Christ, not to his physical descendants.
“Now, to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He said not, and to seeds as of many, but as of one, and to thy seed, which is Christ.”(Galatians 3:16)
The Blessing through Faith: The “blessing of Abraham” comes “on the Gentiles through faith in Jesus Christ that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith,” not “through observing the law and the commandments with its ordinances.”
4. Dismantling Societal Barriers in Christ
A significant theme is the breaking down of divisions — racial, class, and gender — by Christ.
Neither Jew nor Greek (Racial Barriers): Paul’s message directly challenges the “exclusivity” and “superiority issues” of Jewish Christians who wanted to impose their traditions (circumcision, dietary laws, Sabbath observance) on Gentiles.“So now he says there is neither Jew nor Greek. So what he’s talking about? And why did he specifically address the Greeks there specifically? And not only just that, why didn’t he just say Gentiles, okay. What was the Greeks issues? Okay, now he’s talking about the societal and the identity issues. That is what he’s saying, that Christ came to break those identity barriers, those identity strongholds that men had at the time to say, ‘I’m a Jew’, all right? And this one is saying, ‘but I’m a Greek’.”
This is extended to modern racial divisions: “Even now in our time, you can say there is neither black nor white. There is neither African nor American… There is neither African nor Asian. All right? There is neither European or American. There is neither American or. It says, we are all one in Christ. Hallelujah.”
Neither Bond nor Free (Classism and Slavery): Teacher Shingi vehemently denies that the God of the Bible sanctioned slavery, arguing that God actively works to free people from bondage. The type of “slavery” seen in the Roman Empire, which stripped individuals of all rights, was a human invention, not a divine one.“God is not the one that sanctions slavery. The people at the time had been raised up in a world where man had created this slavery thing. God is the one that was sending people to free people from slavery.” “Christ comes and sets the slaves free.”
The Old Testament terms “bondman” or “bondwoman” are clarified as “servant,” not “slave” in the Roman sense, with Abraham cited as an example.
“He destroys classism. Christ destroys all classism everywhere and anywhere in the world. There’s nobody that is a more superior race than one person. There’s nobody that is of a more superior class than the other person.”
Neither Male nor Female (Gender Roles): Christ’s coming “reimagines gender roles.” This is presented as an attack on the brutal marginalization of women prevalent in society at the time of Paul’s writing. “No more marginalizing women. Hallelujah. He says we are all ONE in Christ.” While emphasizing unity, Shingi Mudyirwa clarifies that “we are all one” does not mean men and women are “equal” in a way that negates distinct gender roles that are distinguished in the bible, hinting at a nuanced understanding beyond simple “equal rights.”
5. Conclusion: Heirs According to the Promise
Ultimately, being “in Christ” means being “Abraham’s seed and heirs according to the promise.” This implies inheriting the blessings promised to Abraham, not through legalistic observance, but through faith and the transformative power of the Holy Spirit that brings believers into mature sonship. “You are the seed of Abraham. If you belong to Christ, if you are in Christ, if you are baptized into Christ, then you have put on Christ, and you are Abraham’s seed according to the promise. You are the children of Abraham, you are the sons of Abraham, and you are heirs. Heirs according to the promise. You are heirs of the blessing of Abraham in Christ Jesus.”
Study Guide “Galatians 3: Faithfulness and the Promise of Christ”
Teacher Shingi provides key themes and facts from the provided source, “Galatians 3: Faithfulness and the Promise of Christ,”. The overarching message emphazises salvation and righteousness through faith in Jesus Christ, contrasting it sharply with adherence to the Mosaic Law. A significant portion of this commentary is dedicated to re-defining “faithfulness” in a biblical context, particularly as it applies to God and Abraham.
Key Themes: 1. “Justification by Faith, Not by the Law:“
The central argument of Galatians 3, and the core message of the commentary, is that salvation and righteousness are received solely through faith in Jesus Christ, not through adherence to the Mosaic Law. The Apostle Paul’s epistle to the Galatians is presented as an attack on those who tried to “mix the law of Moses and the faith of Jesus Christ.”
1. “Paul calls bewitchment to mix the the law of Moses and the faith of Jesus Christ.” O foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ has been evidently set forth, crucified among you?” (Galatians 3:1)
2. “You cannot impose things of the law of Moses to those who are of the faith of Jesus Christ.” 3. The reception of the Holy Spirit is cited as proof of justification through faith in Christ alone: “Received you the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?” (Galatians 3:2) 4. Miracles and transformation are attributed to:the “hearing of faith,” not “works of the law.” (Galatians 3:5) 5. “For if righteousness came by the law, then Christ died in vain.” “That no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident. For the just shall live by faith.” (Galatians 3:11)
2. Abraham as the Archetype of Faith:
Paul presents Abraham’s faith in God as the foundational example of justification by faith, predating the Mosaic Law. His faith in God’s “word of promise” was “accounted to him for righteousness.” “Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” (Galatians 3:6)
1. Teacher Shingi references Genesis 15, where Abraham believed God’s promise of a seed.
“And he believed in the Lord, and he counted it to him for righteousness.” (Genesis 15:6)
2. This faith in God’s Word is contrasted with attempts to keep the Ten Commandments as a means of salvation. “You didn’t fulfill any part of the law or try to fulfill any part of the law to be saved… not the observing of the law, but the hearing of faith.” (Galatians 3:5)
3. Christ as Abraham’s “Seed” and the Fulfillment of the Promise:
The “seed” promised to Abraham is identified as Jesus Christ. Through Christ, the blessings promised to Abraham extend to all nations (Gentiles), not just the Jews, and are received through faith.
“And the Scripture foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the Gospel unto Abraham, saying, in you shall all the nations be blessed.” (Galatians 3:8)
1. The repeated phrase “and to your seed” in God’s promises to Abraham (Genesis 15, 22) is interpreted by Paul as referring to “Christ.”
“And if ye be Christ, then are you Abraham’s seed and heirs according to the promise.” (Galatians 3:29)
2. “Christ is the fulfillment of the promise that God made to Abraham.” Through Christ, the blessing of Abraham comes to the Gentiles, allowing them to receive the “promise of the Spirit through faith.” (Galatians 3:14) “And it says, and the scripture foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In you shall all nations be blessed. In you shall all nations be blessed.”
4. Redefining “Faithfulness” (Pistos/Emunah):
Shingi provides a significant and detailed explanation to distinguish the biblical meaning of “faithfulness” from its common English dictionary definition (loyalty, dependability).
“Faithfulness! We need to get into Seven Miracles of Righteousness again by the grace of God, so that we can really, really, package it and put it out for the people. Because the body of Christ needs that message even more so now. And one of those miracles, one of those great miracles of righteousness is faithfulness.”
1. Biblical faithfulness, particularly as it relates to God and “faithful Abraham,” means “being filled with faith” or “being full of faith.”
2. It is not about loyalty or commitment in a human sense, but about the “character” of God and the “power of God’s faith.”
“When God says it, you can take it to the bank, even just as when you have seen it written in the word of God. When you say God is faithful, what you mean is that God, because he is God, His Word is All Powerful and when He has declared His Word over your life… it will come to pass, it will come to pass, it will come to pass! That’s the faithfulness of God. It has to do with His Faith, not loyalty.”
Teacher Shingi further explains scripturally God’s faithfulness in that “God is only faithful to Himself in that He is only loyal to Himself and only loyal His Word and in no one and in nothing else”.
“That’s what He means in Genesis 22 when He says…by Myself have I sworn, saith the Lord, that in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, ….and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed!” (Genesis 22:16 – 18)
“That’s the faithfulness of God. God is not faithful to you, He is faithful to His Word”.
3. God’s faithfulness means His Word will come to pass because He is full of faith in His Own Word. “God believes in His Word. God Is Faith. The Word of God is faith.“
4. Teacher Shingi also describes faithfulness as “a miracle of righteousness,” where one receives the “creative ability to be able to speak a word… and that word to come to pass.” This is because the child of God’s “words have now been filled with God’s faith, because of the righteousness of God that is now in your human spirit.”
5. Abraham’s “faithfulness” was not loyalty, but his being “so full of faith” when he believed God’s Word, even when it seemed impossible (e.g., having a child at old age, sacrificing the child trusting that God would raise him back to life).
“We have believed God! We have believe God, who calls things that be not as though they were! And say, I am blessed, I am blessed even when everything around looks like its not blessed, we say I am blessed haha!!”
“That is the faithfulness of God at work in us”
6. The Hebrew word “emunah” (faith/faithfulness) and the Greek “pistos” (faithful/trustworthy) are explored to support this definition, both deriving from words meaning “to believe” and “to trust.”
““The faithfulness that comes from righteousness, which has got nothing to do with loyalty, but has got everything to do with being filled, Hallelujah., with faith in God’s Word to the full, being filled with the Word of God to the full!”
5. The Law’s Purpose as a “Schoolmaster”:
The Mosaic Law was not given to provide life or justification, but was “added because of transgressions” until Christ, the promised “seed,” came. It served as a “schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ that we might be justified by faith.” Once faith in Christ arrived, the role of the schoolmaster ceased.
Important Ideas/Facts:
1. Galatians 3 Context: The Apostle Paul’s letter to the Galatians was a direct response to a sect of “Christian Jews” from Jerusalem who were pressuring Gentile Christians to observe the Mosaic Law (e.g., Ten Commandments) in addition to faith in Christ for salvation. Paul calls this a “bewitchment.”
2.The “Gospel preached before Abraham”: The promises God made to Abraham regarding his “seed” and “all nations being blessed” are revealed by Paul as God “preaching the gospel” to Abraham in advance of Christ’s coming.
3.“Just shall live by faith”: This crucial statement (Habakkuk 2:4, quoted in Galatians 3:11) is central to the doctrine of justification by faith. 4.Christ’s Redemption from the Curse of the Law: Jesus becoming “a curse for us” by hanging on a tree (crucifixion) redeemed believers from the curse associated with failure to keep all aspects of the Mosaic Law. 5.Unity in Christ: In Christ, distinctions such as “Jew nor Greek,” “bond nor free,” “male nor female” are abolished, as all believers are “one in Christ Jesus” and “children of God by faith.”
6.Righteousness: Accounted vs. Cashed Out:While Abraham’s righteousness was “accounted” (postdated) to him through faith, believers in Christ receive the righteousness of God “cashed out,” becoming the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus.
7.The Power of Speaking the Word: Consistent with the definition of faithfulness as being “full of faith,” believers, as “children of Abraham,” are encouraged to “call things that be not as though they were,”speaking words that align with God’s promises, even when physical circumstances contradict them. This is presented as an “expression of faithfulness.”
“We have believed God like our father Abraham. We believe God who calls things that be not as though they were. This is our character. This is our life. This is our calling. This is who we have been made to be. We are the children of Abraham, and we are blessed with faithful Abraham in that we speak. We call things that be not as though they were. Just like our father. God is our Father. Hallelujah. That is faithfulness. That is the faithfulness of righteousness where we call things that be not as though they were. Hey, hey yeah yeah!.”
Study Guide “Galatians Chapter 2: The Gospel of Identification”
In this commentary, Shingi reviews key themes, arguments, and facts from Galatians Chapter 2, focusing on the Apostle Paul’s theological stance against mixing the Law of Moses with the Gospel of Christ.
1. Core Argument: Salvation by Faith Alone, Not by the Law
The central and most important theme in Shingi’s commentary is the vehement opposition to the mixing of the Law of Moses with the faith of Jesus Christ for salvation. Teacher Shingi repeatedly stresses that “There is no Christian who has the business mixing the law of Moses with the faith of Jesus Christ.”
Lesser vs. Greater Glory:The Law of Moses is described as a “lesser glory” compared to the “greater glory that the Lord Jesus Christ brought to us with the Gospel.” Shingi questions, “Why do you want to live according to a lesser glory?”
Justification by Faith, Not Works: Paul’s argument, as expounded in Galatians 2:16, is highlighted: “knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ… For by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.” This is presented as the foundational truth for Christian life. Christ’s Sacrifice in Vain if Law Justifies: The commentary concludes by quoting Galatians 2:21: “I do not frustrate the grace of God. For if righteousness came by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.” This underscores the radical incompatibility of the two systems for achieving righteousness.
2. Paul’s Apostolic Authority and the Revelation of the Gospel
Teacher Shingi emphasizes the unique source of Paul’s gospel message, validating his strong arguments against the Law. Divine Revelation: Paul’s gospel was “by revelation, by apokalupsis of Jesus Christ.” He explicitly states, “No man taught me this message.” This direct divine instruction distinguishes his gospel from that propagated by others. Three Years in Arabia: Paul spent “three years in the desert of Arabia, where he said by apokalupsis, he received the gospel message for three years.” This period is presented as Jesus’s personal teaching of Paul. Judas’s Replacement: A provocative revelation is offered: “Paul, not Matthias, was Jesus’s replacement and choice for the bishopric of Judas,” because Jesus appeared to Paul after his resurrection for three years, mirroring the time the other disciples spent with Him. This further validates Paul’s unique authority and divine calling. Boldness from the Word:Paul’s confidence in his message stems from having “received the word of God by apokalupsis of Jesus Christ.” Shingi presents this as a model for Christians today: “When you receive the Word of God, it comes, and it gives you the boldness that you require to be able to deliver it and to stand for it.”
3. The Antioch Confrontation: Paul Withstands Peter
A significant portion of the commentary details the conflict between Paul and Peter in Antioch, highlighting Peter’s hypocrisy and Paul’s unwavering commitment to the truth of the gospel.
Peter’s Hypocrisy:Peter is “to be blamed” because he “did eat with the Gentiles, but when [certain Jewish Christians] were come, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing them which were of the circumcision.” This inconsistent behaviour contradicted the earlier agreement reached at the Jerusalem Council. Paul’s Public Rebuke: Paul “withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed.” He publicly challenged Peter: “if you, being a Jew, live after the manner of Gentiles, and not as do the Jews, why compel you the Gentiles to live as do the Jews?” This demonstrates Paul’s passionate defence of gospel freedom. Barnabas Carried Away: Even Barnabas, Paul’s companion, was “carried away with their dissimulation,” underscoring the pervasive pressure to conform to legalistic practices.
4. The Jerusalem Council and the False Brethren
Shingi contextualises Galatians 2 within the broader narrative of the early church’s struggle against legalism, particularly focusing on the Jerusalem Council described in Acts 15.
The “Gospel Mixture” Challenge: The core issue at the council was the attempt by “some of the Jewish Christians… to force the Gentiles church to also observe and follow the law of Moses in order to be saved.” This was seen as a “false” gospel. “False Brethren” and Pharisees: Teacher Shingi identifies the primary antagonists as “false brethren unawares brought in” who were “certain of the sect of the Pharisees which believed” (Acts 15:5). These individuals “came in privily to spy out our liberty… that they might bring us into bondage.” Paul’s Resistance to Subjection: Paul asserts that he “gave place by subjection. No, not for an hour, that the truth of the gospel might continue with us,” indicating his firm refusal to compromise the gospel. Pillars of the Church Affirm Paul: James, Cephas (Peter), and John, “who seemed to be pillars,” “perceived the grace that was given unto me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship.” This signifies their acknowledgement and support of Paul’s mission to the Gentiles, and their agreement that “we trouble not them which from among the Gentiles are turned to God.”
5. The Gospel of Identification: A New Identity in Christ
The culmination of Paul’s theological exposition Teacher Shingi presents Galatians 2:20 as “The Gospel of Identification,” a fundamental aspect of Christian identity.
Joint Crucifixion (Sustoro): Paul declares, “I am crucified with Christ.” The Greek word ‘sustoro’ is highlighted, meaning “joint crucified,” signifying a Christian’s joint-crucifixion with Jesus Christ. Teacher expounds that in the legality of God’s justice, when Jesus Christ was being crucified, every man was crucified on that day in a “sustoro: joint-crucifixion.” Christ Lives in Me: The direct consequence of this identification is, “Nevertheless, I live. Yet not I, but Christ lives in me.” As a result the Christian’s life is no longer their own, but an expression of the very life of Christ. Life by the Faith of the Son of God: “And the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” This means that the Christian’s life is lived by identifying with the crucifixion of Christ which is a stance of receiving the deposit of the measure of the faith that Jesus Christ possessed and demonstrated by committing to the death of the cross in faith that God would raise Him up from the dead, and also that we would in the day that we hear what He did would believe. That is the faith of the son of God, it is the faith of Jesus Christ Himself in the gospel. Joint Identification With Christ: This identification encompasses: Joint Death: “When Jesus was dying, I was dying.” Joint Burial: “Therefore we were buried together with him.” Joint Resurrection: “Like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so, we should walk in this newness of life.” (Galatians 2:20, Romans 6:4, Ephesians 2:5-6). Joint Ascension and Joint Enthronement: “And has raised us up together… and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:6). New Creation: This process leads to a “new identity in Christ,” where “if any man be in Christ, he’s a new creation where old things have passed away.” This new creation has “no place for circumcision and the law of Moses”
6. Historical Context and Paul’s Visits to Jerusalem
The commentary provides historical context for Paul’s travels and interactions, particularly his five recorded visits to Jerusalem.
Timeline of Visits:First Visit: Three years after conversion, to see Peter and James (Galatians 1:18).
Relief Visit:To deliver aid during a famine in Jerusalem (Acts 11:29-30).
Council Visit: The main focus of Galatians 2, where the issue of Gentile circumcision was debated (Acts 15).
Report Visit: A brief stop to report on his second missionary journey on his way back to Antioch.
Arrest Visit: Where he was arrested in the temple, leading to his imprisonment in Rome.
Dating of Galatians: The letter to the Galatians is estimated to have been written between AD 50 and AD 55.
In conclusion, Shingi’s Bible Commentary on Galatians Chapter 2, passionately argues for the supremacy of salvation by faith in Jesus Christ alone, vehemently rejecting any attempt to incorporate the Law of Moses into Christian doctrine. It highlights the divine source of Paul’s gospel, his unwavering defence of this truth, and the profound implications of our “Identification With Christ” for the child of God’s new identity and life in Christ.
2 Corinthians 8:9 KJV
For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that ye through His poverty might be rich.
Philippians 4:19 KJV But my God shall supply all your need, according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
Affirmation:
I have unlimited wealth, and access to limitless resources.God set me up for a life of endless possibilities, glory, excellence and superabundance. I am walking in that light. I refuse to be limited in any way.I have been brought into a place of wealth untold. I am enjoying all that belongs to me in Christ. The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places and I have a goodly heritage. I live and walk in prosperity even as goodness and mercy follow me all the days of my life. I carry blessings with me everywhere. Whatever projects that I am involved with prospers and are highly profitable.
3 John 2 KJV Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.
2 Thessalonians 3:2-4 KJV And that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men: for all men have not faith.But the Lord is faithful, who shall establish you, and keep you from evil.
Affirmation: I am full of the Holy Ghost and power. By the authority vested in me in Christ Jesus, I cut off any form of sickness or disease that tries to invade my body and I declare that there is no influence of Satan in my life. Jesus is the Lord of my life!
I am blessed with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ Jesus and I take a hold of my inheritance in Christ. My health, strength, and wealth are assured in the Name of Jesus! Christ is mingled with my spirit. So, I refuse to be sick any day, anytime. I am invigorated with strength always!
I have the life and nature of God in me; I’ve put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. I’m excited about my new life in Christ. I’ve passed from death to life; from sin to righteousness; from sickness to health; from poverty to wealth.
I’m the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus; I’m dead to sin but alive unto God. My members are yielded to God as instruments of righteousness; therefore, sin cannot reign in my body, for the nature of sin has been supplanted with God’s nature of righteousness in the mighty name of Jesus. Amen.
Philippians 1:6 KJV
Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.
Hebrews 13:21 KJV
Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
Affirmation:
The wisdom of God is mightily at work in me, causing me to deal wisely in the affairs of my work, purpose and financial matters. I am enjoying good success. I am at rest, no reason for anxiety or fear about my future. The Lord loads me with benefits daily. Limitations have been removed from my path. On every opportunity, I maximise and get the best that God has prepared for me ahead of time. I take advantage of the measure of grace that has been given to me and increase it. The Lord also gives me more grace. I’m favoured, preferred and mightily helped by the Lord throughout 2025.
Ephesians 3:14-19 KJV
For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man.That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God.
Ephesians 1:17-18 KJV
That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints.
Affirmation:
I confess and declare that Christ has settled and made His home in my heart because I have consciously and openly submitted to the Lordship of Our Lord Jesus Christ! The Name of Our Lord Jesus is named upon me, and I am enjoying fully, without any compromise, my inheritance in Christ. I’m like a tree which is planted by the river side, my leaf is evergreen and does not wither, I yield fruit in season, and whatsoever I do prospers. I experience luxuriant growth all year round. I am submitted to the Lordship of Jesus Christ.
Psalm 65:11 KJV
Thou crownest the year with thy goodness; and thy paths drop fatness.
Proverbs 16:9 NIV
In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps.
Lamentations 3:22-23 ESV
The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.
Affirmation: My faith is working and producing results, and Great Faith is stirred in my heart as the Holy Ghost launches me into 2025.I am strengthened in my spirit and positioned for a life of excellence that has been commissioned in my life in this New Year.
I am working in God’s timing for my life; therefore, none of my steps shall slide.My going out and coming in are preserved by the Lord Himself and God’s Wisdom is at work in me, and I am confident that I’ll consistently make progress and walk in victory throughout the New Year.
I have no consciousness of need, because Christ is in me, and He is my all ! With Him, I have everything I require for an excellent life in 2025 and My life consistently becomes one of ever-increasing Glory as I live in, and by, the Word of God,in the Precious,Name of the Lord Jesus Christ! Hallelujah!!!
STUDY GUIDE “Galatians chapter 1: Paul’s Apostolic Authority”
Shingi’s Bible Commentary on the Epistle of Paul to the Galatians, Chapter 1, focuses on establishing Paul’s apostolic authority, the true nature of the Gospel, and the historical context of the early Christian church. Teacher Shingi, emphasises Paul’s bold declaration of his apostleship and his unique revelation from Jesus Christ, arguing that Paul, not Matthias, was the divinely chosen 12th apostle.
Key Themes and Most Important Ideas/Facts:
1. Paul’s Apostolic Authority and Divine Calling:
Bold Self-Declaration: Paul immediately introduces himself as “Paul, an apostle, not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father” (Galatians 1:1). This is presented as a bold declaration in the face of widespread uncertainty and fear surrounding his conversion, given his past as a persecutor of Christians.
Direct Appointment by Jesus Christ: The core argument for Paul’s authority is that his apostleship was “by the revelation of Jesus Christ” (Galatians 1:12). This is distinguished from human teaching or study of scripture, implying a personal appearance of Jesus Christ to the apostle Paul. Shingi uses the Greek word “apokalupsis” to highlight this direct, personal encounter, being Jesus’ post-resurrection appearances to the apostles.
The “Apocalupsis of Jesus Christ” vs. “Apocalupsis in the Knowledge of God”: Shingi meticulously differentiates these two types of revelation. The “apocalupsis of Jesus Christ” refers to direct, personal appearances of Jesus Christ post-resurrection, like those experienced by the original 12 apostles and, as argued, by Paul himself. “Apocalupsis in the knowledge of God” refers to revelation gained through studying scripture study and the Spirit of God (Ephesians 1:17). Paul’s claim is the former, signifying a foundational and unique authority.
Paul as the True 12th Apostle: A central and strongly asserted idea is that Paul was God’s chosen replacement for Judas, making him the rightful 12th apostle, not Matthias. Teacher Shingi argues that Matthias’s selection by casting lots (Acts 1:26) was a human decision made “before the Holy Spirit had come to start the church” and was therefore questionable. Paul’s apostleship, conversely, was a direct divine appointment, fulfilling the scripture in Psalms about Judas’s bishopric being taken by another (Acts 1:20).
Three Years in Arabia as Divine Training: Paul’s account of spending three years in Arabia (Galatians 1:17) is interpreted as a period of direct, personal training and “apocalupses’ of Jesus Christ”, mirroring the three years the original disciples spent with Jesus during his earthly ministry. This further solidifies Paul’s direct tutelage from Christ.
2. The True Gospel and its Content:
“Another Gospel” and Perversion: Paul expresses “marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you to the grace of Christ unto another gospel which is not another, but there be some that trouble you and would pervert the gospel of Christ” (Galatians 1:6-7). This “another gospel” refers to the contention that Gentile believers needed to adhere to Jewish customs (like circumcision) in addition to faith in Christ for salvation.
Accursed for Preaching a Different Gospel: Paul issues a stern warning: “But though we, or an angel from heaven preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed” (Galatians 1:8). This highlights the singular and unchanging nature of the true Gospel.
The Gospel is a Specific Message:Teacher Shingi stresses that “the Gospel of Christ is a particular message. It’s a specific message that… Jesus Christ communicated and taught the apostle Paul”. It is not simply any “good news” from the Bible.
Contents of the Gospel (1 Corinthians 15:3-4): Paul explicitly defines the core message of the Gospel he received directly from Jesus: “For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received. How that Christ died for our sins, according to the scriptures says, and that he was buried and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures. This is the gospel” (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). This is presented as “the power of God unto salvation”.
Salvation is by Faith in the Gospel: Faith in this specific message of Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection is essential for salvation. “If you believe something else, you have believed in vain. If you do not, if you believe something else other than the contents of this message that I shared with you says, you are not saved because this is the one that saves”.
3. Historical and Contextual Understanding:
Early Church Challenges: The commentary provides crucial context for Paul’s letter, explaining that Christianity was illegal in its early years, leading to “underground churches” and persecution. Paul’s own past as a persecutor made his conversion and apostleship a point of contention and doubt among early believers.
The Gentile Question: The ongoing debate about whether Gentiles should be “partakers of the salvation… of the faith of Jesus Christ” and adhere to Jewish customs was a major issue that Paul addresses directly in Galatians. This highlights the early church’s struggle with its identity and inclusivity.
Paul’s Humility in 1 Corinthians:While in Galatians, Paul is “flexing his muscles” to assert his authority, Shingi points to 1 Corinthians 15:8-10 where Paul humbly states, “And last of all, he was seen of me also… For I’m the least of the apostles that I am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persist, I’m not even worthy to be called an apostle because of my persecution of the church before my calling”. This offers a nuanced view of Paul’s character.
Overall Significance:
Teacher Shingi’s expose in this commentary establishes the Epistle to the Galatians as a foundational text for understanding Paul’s unique role and authority in the early Christian church. It argues that Paul’s apostleship was divinely ordained through direct revelation by appearance from the resurrected Jesus Christ, setting him apart from human-appointed leaders like Matthias. Furthermore, the commentary clarifies the precise content of the Gospel, as revealed to Paul, emphasising its saving power and warning against any perversion of its core message. This detailed examination provides valuable insight into the theological and historical debates that shaped early Christianity.
A teaching about how faith and the name of Jesus are weapons for the sons of God to live triumphantly in this season. We look at the what the word says using the following scriptures Ephesians 6:10 – 18; 1 John 5:4-5; 2 Corinthians 4:7 – 18; Hebrews 11:1;3;32.
An insightful teaching for this season. Learn about the season that the body of Christ is currently in and also how to position yourself rightly in response.
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