What must you do to be saved?

It is the most important question anyone can ask, and the book of Galatians gives a surprising answer: nothing. We are saved by trusting Jesus, not by anything we do to earn it. In this first study of Galatians 1:1-10, Dr. Toby Holt begins a ten-part, verse-by-verse walk through one of Paul’s most passionate letters, written to guard that good news from people who wanted to add rules to it.

Soon after Paul left the churches in Galatia, other teachers showed up. They told new Christians that believing in Jesus was not enough, and that they also had to follow certain old Jewish laws to really be saved. Paul is stunned. He says a message like that is not good news at all. It is a different message, and it cannot save anyone. Hundreds of years later, Martin Luther would fight the very same battle, when the church of his day taught that people had to earn God’s approval.

Questions this study answers:

1. What is the book of Galatians about? Galatians is a letter from the Apostle Paul defending one simple truth: we are saved by trusting Jesus, not by following rules to earn it. Across six short chapters, Paul warns that adding anything to that good news ruins it.

2. Who were the Judaizers? They were teachers who told new Christians that faith in Jesus was not enough, and that they also had to be circumcised and keep the Jewish law to be saved. Paul stood against them because their “faith-plus-rules” message pulled people’s trust away from what Jesus had already done for them.

3. What does the word “anathema” mean? It is a strong word that means “cursed,” or cut off from God. Paul uses it twice in Galatians 1:8 and 9, saying that even if an angel from heaven preached a different message, that angel should be cursed. He repeats it to show how serious he is about protecting the true good news.

“But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed.” — Galatians 1:8-9 (NKJV)

Speaker: Dr. Toby Holt is the President of New Geneva Theological Seminary, a Reformed seminary in Colorado Springs. He is known for clear, down-to-earth Bible teaching, and his sermons have been downloaded more than 1.9 million times on SermonAudio.

Listen and go deeper: This is Part 1 of the ten-part Galatians study. Find the whole series, along with verse-by-verse studies of other books of the Bible, at newgeneva.org. To support this teaching ministry, visit newgeneva.org/give.

Is the gospel just a human idea?

No. In Galatians 1:11-24, the Apostle Paul says the good news he preached did not come from any person and was not something he made up. It came straight from Jesus Christ. In this study, Dr. Toby Holt shows why the source of the gospel changes everything.

Paul’s critics tried to discredit his message by attacking him. They claimed he was a second-rate apostle who learned the gospel secondhand. Paul answers with his own story. After God changed his life, he did not rush off to be trained by the other apostles. He spent years away, and only later met Peter briefly. His deep grasp of the truth could only have come from God. Holt compares it to suddenly being able to lecture on a subject you never studied — the only explanation would be a miracle.

Questions this study answers:

1. Where did Paul’s message come from? Paul says plainly that he did not receive the gospel from any person and was not taught it by men. It came directly from Jesus Christ, which is why no one had the right to change it.

2. Why did people attack Paul instead of his message? When people do not like what is being said, they often attack the speaker. Paul’s opponents called him unqualified so that people would stop listening to the truth.

3. What is “another gospel,” and why is it so serious? “Another gospel” is any message that adds human rules to faith in Jesus. Paul says it is not good news at all, because anything that changes the gospel destroys it.

“But I make known to you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man. For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came through the revelation of Jesus Christ.” — Galatians 1:11-12 (NKJV)

Speaker: Dr. Toby Holt is the President of New Geneva Theological Seminary, a Reformed seminary in Colorado Springs. He is known for clear, down-to-earth Bible teaching, and his sermons have been downloaded more than 1.9 million times on SermonAudio.

Listen and go deeper: This is Part 2 of the ten-part Galatians study. Find the whole series, along with verse-by-verse studies of other books of the Bible, at newgeneva.org. To support this teaching ministry, visit newgeneva.org/give.

Is God’s grace really for everyone?

Yes. In Galatians 2:1-10, the Apostle Paul shows that God welcomes outsiders into His family by grace, without making them earn it. In this study, Dr. Toby Holt explains why this was such amazing, unexpected good news.

For centuries, the Jewish people and the Gentile, or non-Jewish, nations were bitter enemies. So it shocked many to learn that God planned all along to bless “all the families of the earth,” just as He promised Abraham. Paul brought along Titus, a Gentile believer, as a living test case. The leaders in Jerusalem did not force Titus to be circumcised or to keep the Jewish law — proof that faith in Jesus needs nothing added to it. As Holt puts it, the ground is level at the foot of the cross.

Questions this study answers:

1. Did God always plan to save people from every nation? Yes. God’s promise to Abraham was that all the families of the earth would be blessed through him. Welcoming outsiders was not a backup plan; it was God’s design from the start.

2. Who were the Judaizers? They were teachers who said that believing in Jesus was not enough, and that people also had to be circumcised and keep the Jewish law. Paul resisted them because they were adding human rules to God’s free grace.

3. Why does Paul say there is no “first class” and “second class” in the church? Because everyone is saved the same way — by grace through faith in Christ. There is no room for ranking people by race or background, for in Christ there is “neither Jew nor Greek.”

“Yet not even Titus who was with me, being a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised.” — Galatians 2:3 (NKJV)

Speaker: Dr. Toby Holt is the President of New Geneva Theological Seminary, a Reformed seminary in Colorado Springs. He is known for clear, down-to-earth Bible teaching, and his sermons have been downloaded more than 1.9 million times on SermonAudio.

Listen and go deeper: This is Part 3 of the ten-part Galatians study. Find the whole series, along with verse-by-verse studies of other books of the Bible, at newgeneva.org. To support this teaching ministry, visit newgeneva.org/give.

Why did Paul confront Peter to his face?

In Galatians 2:11-21, the Apostle Paul publicly corrects the Apostle Peter. In this study, Dr. Toby Holt explains why Paul did it — and why it was about far more than a shared meal.

In the city of Antioch, Peter had been eating with Gentile, or non-Jewish, Christians as equals. But when a group of strict Jewish visitors arrived, Peter pulled back and stopped eating with them, afraid of what they would think. Even Barnabas followed his example. Paul saw that this was not just bad manners — it was a denial of the gospel itself, treating some believers as second-class. So Paul corrected Peter in front of everyone, because a person is made right with God by faith in Jesus, not by keeping rules.

Questions this study answers:

1. Why did Peter stop eating with Gentile Christians? Peter gave in to peer pressure. When strict visitors arrived, he was afraid of their disapproval, so he separated himself from the Gentile believers he had treated as equals.

2. Was this really worth a public rebuke? Yes. Paul saw that Peter’s actions sent the message that faith in Jesus was not enough, and that Gentiles were second-class. That is an attack on the gospel, so Paul addressed it openly.

3. How is a person made right with God? Only by faith in Jesus Christ, never by keeping the law. As Paul says, if we could be made right by our own law-keeping, then Christ died for nothing.

“I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain.” — Galatians 2:21 (NKJV)

Speaker: Dr. Toby Holt is the President of New Geneva Theological Seminary, a Reformed seminary in Colorado Springs. He is known for clear, down-to-earth Bible teaching, and his sermons have been downloaded more than 1.9 million times on SermonAudio.

Listen and go deeper: This is Part 4 of the ten-part Galatians study. Find the whole series, along with verse-by-verse studies of other books of the Bible, at newgeneva.org. To support this teaching ministry, visit newgeneva.org/give.

Can your good works add to your salvation?

No. In Galatians 3:1-14, the Apostle Paul asks the churches a sharp question: “Who has bewitched you?” In this study, Dr. Toby Holt explains why adding works to faith is not a small mistake, but a dangerous one.

The Galatians had started so well, trusting Jesus alone. But now they were being talked into adding rules, as if their own effort could finish what Jesus began. Paul reminds them that they received God’s Spirit by faith, not by works. He points back to Abraham, who was accepted by God simply because he believed. So the true children of Abraham are not those with the right background, but those who share his faith. Holt’s rule of thumb is simple: if you ever hear “faith,” and then a plus sign — whatever it is — run.

Questions this study answers:

1. What does it mean to be “bewitched”? Paul uses the word to describe how the Galatians had been talked out of clear truth, almost as if under a spell. They had traded a gospel of faith for a gospel of works without seeing the danger.

2. Why is a gospel of works so dangerous? Because it steals the glory from Jesus and gives it to us. If we add our own effort to His finished work, we are saying His sacrifice was not enough.

3. How were people in the Old Testament saved? The same way we are — by faith. They looked forward to the Savior God promised, while we look back to the work Christ has already finished.

“But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for ‘the just shall live by faith.’” — Galatians 3:11 (NKJV)

Speaker: Dr. Toby Holt is the President of New Geneva Theological Seminary, a Reformed seminary in Colorado Springs. He is known for clear, down-to-earth Bible teaching, and his sermons have been downloaded more than 1.9 million times on SermonAudio.

Listen and go deeper: This is Part 5 of the ten-part Galatians study. Find the whole series, along with verse-by-verse studies of other books of the Bible, at newgeneva.org. To support this teaching ministry, visit newgeneva.org/give.

If the law can’t save us, why did God give it?

In Galatians 3:19-25, the Apostle Paul explains why God gave His law, even though no one is saved by keeping it. In this study, Dr. Toby Holt walks through what God’s commands are really for.

If we are saved by faith, some people wonder, then why have rules at all? Paul answers that the law was never meant to save us. Instead, it shows us our sin, holds back evil, and points us to Jesus. Paul calls the law our “tutor,” like a guardian who guides a child until the time is right. John Calvin said the law is like a mirror, because it shows us what we are really like. The ceremonial rules of the Old Testament were fulfilled in Christ, but God’s moral law — such as do not murder, do not steal, and do not covet — still stands.

Questions this study answers:

1. Can keeping the law save us? No. Paul is clear that no one is made right with God by keeping the law. The law cannot give life; it can only show us our need for a Savior.

2. What does it mean that the law is a “tutor”? A tutor, or guardian, guides and protects a child until they are grown. In the same way, God’s law guides us and points us to Christ, the only one who can save.

3. Do Christians still need to keep the Old Testament laws? The ceremonial laws, like dietary rules, were fulfilled in Christ. But God’s moral law still reflects His character and shows us how to live.

“Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith.” — Galatians 3:24 (NKJV)

Speaker: Dr. Toby Holt is the President of New Geneva Theological Seminary, a Reformed seminary in Colorado Springs. He is known for clear, down-to-earth Bible teaching, and his sermons have been downloaded more than 1.9 million times on SermonAudio.

Listen and go deeper: This is Part 6 of the ten-part Galatians study. Find the whole series, along with verse-by-verse studies of other books of the Bible, at newgeneva.org. To support this teaching ministry, visit newgeneva.org/give.

Does God really love you like a father?

Yes. In Galatians 3:26 through 4:7, the Apostle Paul describes one of the most comforting truths in the Bible: through faith in Jesus, God adopts believers as His own children. In this study, Dr. Toby Holt explains what it means to call God your Father.

Many people who believe in God still struggle to believe He loves them. Paul’s answer is the truth of adoption. Everyone has a spiritual father, Holt explains, but only those who trust in Christ are brought into God’s family as sons and daughters. And it is permanent — God will not return His children or cast them away. The proof is His Spirit living in us, leading us to cry out, “Abba, Father,” the way a hurting child cries out for a dad who comes running.

Questions this study answers:

1. Are all people automatically God’s children? Not in the saving sense. Everyone is God’s creation, but the Bible says we become God’s children in a saving way only through faith in Jesus Christ.

2. Can God ever stop loving His children? No. Being adopted into God’s family is permanent. He will never cast out or give up on those He has made His own.

3. How can I know I am truly God’s child? God gives His Spirit to His children, leading them to trust Him and call Him Father. That changed heart is the evidence that you belong to Him.

“And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, ‘Abba, Father!’” — Galatians 4:6 (NKJV)

Speaker: Dr. Toby Holt is the President of New Geneva Theological Seminary, a Reformed seminary in Colorado Springs. He is known for clear, down-to-earth Bible teaching, and his sermons have been downloaded more than 1.9 million times on SermonAudio.

Listen and go deeper: This is Part 7 of the ten-part Galatians study. Find the whole series, along with verse-by-verse studies of other books of the Bible, at newgeneva.org. To support this teaching ministry, visit newgeneva.org/give.

Can you earn your way into God’s family?

No. In Galatians 4:21-31, the Apostle Paul uses the story of Abraham’s two sons to show that we are saved by God’s promise, received through faith — never by our own effort. In this study, Dr. Toby Holt unpacks the surprising lesson.

Abraham had two sons. Ishmael was born through human scheming, when Sarah grew tired of waiting on God’s promise. Isaac was born later, exactly as God had promised. Paul uses these two sons to picture two roads to God: one built on human effort, the other on God’s promise received by faith. The surprise is that the people trusting in their own rule-keeping were acting like children of the slave woman, not the free woman. Holt warns against every “faith-plus” add-on — whether circumcision, baptism, a prayer, or simply being a good person — because only faith in Christ saves.

Questions this study answers:

1. Why does Paul tell the story of Abraham’s two sons? He uses it as a picture. One son came from human effort and one from God’s promise, showing the difference between trying to earn salvation and receiving it by faith.

2. What part do our works play in being saved? None, when it comes to earning it. We are saved by God’s grace through faith in Christ, not by works, so that no one can boast.

3. Why did the Galatians need this warning? They were being pressured to add rules to their faith. Paul wanted them to see that mixing human effort into the gospel actually leaves the gospel behind.

“So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman but of the free.” — Galatians 4:31 (NKJV)

Speaker: Dr. Toby Holt is the President of New Geneva Theological Seminary, a Reformed seminary in Colorado Springs. He is known for clear, down-to-earth Bible teaching, and his sermons have been downloaded more than 1.9 million times on SermonAudio.

Listen and go deeper: This is Part 8 of the ten-part Galatians study. Find the whole series, along with verse-by-verse studies of other books of the Bible, at newgeneva.org. To support this teaching ministry, visit newgeneva.org/give.