DAILY, WEEKEND, AND HOLIDAY INTERNET EVANGELIZE TO THE WORLD MINISTRY

The Churches of Galatia John 4:1-45 Samaritan Beliefs The main beliefs of the Samaritans demonstrate both the close affinities with and obvious divergences from mainstream Judaism. They held in common with Judaism a strong monotheistic faith in the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. In contrast, however, there was an elevating of Mt Gerizim in the north as the only holy place for sacrifice, based on several divergent passages in Deuteronomy and Exodus in the Samaritan text. Mt Gerizim came to be identified with the site of Abel’s first altar ( Gn 4:4 ), the site of Noah’s sacrifice after the Flood ( 8:20 ), the meeting place of Abraham and Melchizedek ( 14:18 ), the site of Isaac’s intended sacrifice ( ch 22 ), and many other associations. The Samaritans held only the first five biblical books ( Pentateuch ) to be inspired and based their dogma and practice exclusively on these books. Such a narrow canon not only determined the direction of Samaritan theology but further sepa...

The Churches of Galatia Galatians 1:2 To the churches in Galatia: 1:2b The word “church” is used in two senses in the New Testament . Sometimes it refers to the whole company of all the redeemed of all ages and places, the body of Christ extended throughout time as well as space. Thus Paul spoke to the Ephesian elders of “the church of God , which he bought with his own blood ” ( Acts 20:28 ). To the same believers Paul wrote this doxology: “To [ God ] be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever!” ( Eph 3:21 ). More often, however, the word “church” is used as it is here in Galatians to refer to local congregations of baptized believers who regularly meet for worship and witness. George, Timothy. Galatians . Vol. 30. Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1994. Print. The New American Commentary.