Galatians Study #2 – Not By Works – Study Notes

 

You can watch the video of this sermon on YouTube here at 8pm AEST.

Paul Accepted by the Apostles

1 Then after fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus along with me. ² I went up because of a revelation and set before them (though privately before those who seemed influential) the gospel that I proclaim among the Gentiles, in order to make sure I was not running or had not run in vain. ³ But even Titus, who was with me, was not forced to be circumcised, though he was a Greek. ⁴ Yet because of false brothers secretly brought in—who slipped in to spy out our freedom that we have in Christ Jesus, so that they might bring us into slavery— ⁵ to them we did not yield in submission even for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel might be preserved for you. ⁶ And from those who seemed to be influential (what they were makes no difference to me; God shows no partiality)—those, I say, who seemed influential added nothing to me. ⁷ On the contrary, when they saw that I had been entrusted with the gospel to the uncircumcised, just as Peter had been entrusted with the gospel to the circumcised ⁸ (for he who worked through Peter for his apostolic ministry to the circumcised worked also through me for mine to the Gentiles), ⁹ and when James and Cephas and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given to me, they gave the right hand of fellowship to Barnabas and me, that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised. ¹⁰ Only, they asked us to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do.

Paul Opposes Peter

¹¹ But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. ¹² For before certain men came from James, he was eating with the Gentiles; but when they came he drew back and separated himself, fearing the circumcision party.^[a] 13 And the rest of the Jews acted hypocritically along with him, so that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy. ¹⁴ But when I saw that their conduct was not in step with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas before them all, “If you, though a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you force the Gentiles to live like Jews?”

Justified by Faith

¹⁵ We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners; ¹⁶ yet we know that a person is not justified^[b] by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.

¹⁷ But if, in our endeavor to be justified in Christ, we too were found to be sinners, is Christ then a servant of sin? Certainly not! ¹⁸ For if I rebuild what I tore down, I prove myself to be a transgressor. ¹⁹ For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God. ²⁰ I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. ²¹ I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness^[c] were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose.

Footnotes

1. Galatians 2:12 Or fearing those of the circumcision
2. Galatians 2:16 Or counted righteous (three times in verse 16); also verse 17
3. Galatians 2:21 Or justification

 

Analysis of Galatians 2: New Testament Background

Galatians 2 is a pivotal chapter that sits at the crossroads of theology and church practice in the early New Testament church. Its background is defined by a critical controversy: must Gentile (non-Jewish) converts to Christianity first become Jews by being circumcised and obeying the Mosaic Law?

1. The Jerusalem Council Context: While the full "Council of Jerusalem" is described in Acts 15, many scholars believe Paul's account in Galatians 2:1-10 refers to the same event or a private meeting that occurred alongside it. Paul's journey to Jerusalem "after fourteen years" (v.1) was to secure apostolic confirmation that his gospel to the Gentiles—a gospel of grace through faith alone, without the requirement of the Jewish law—was the true gospel.
2. The "Pillars" of the Church: James (the brother of Jesus and leader of the Jerusalem church), Cephas (Peter), and John (the apostle) were recognized as the central leaders (v.9). Paul's interaction with them was not to seek their approval for his message, but to ensure unity in the mission. Their endorsement ("the right hand of fellowship," v.9) was a monumental affirmation that the Holy Spirit was indeed working through Paul's ministry to the Gentiles, just as through Peter's to the Jews.
3. The Core Conflict: Justification by Faith vs. Works of the Law: The incident with Titus (v.3) sets the stage. He was a living test case—an uncircumcised Greek Christian. The "false brothers" (v.4) were Judaizers, Christians who insisted on adherence to the Mosaic Law. Paul's refusal to circumcise Titus was a defense of the fundamental truth that justification (being declared righteous by God) comes through faith in Christ, not by works of the law (v.16). This doctrine is the theological heart of the letter and the entire Reformation.
4. The Antioch Incident (2:11-14): This is perhaps the most dramatic moment. Peter (Cephas) had been freely eating with Gentile Christians in Antioch, signifying their unity in Christ. However, when men from the conservative Jewish-Christian faction in Jerusalem arrived, he withdrew out of fear (v.12). This act of hypocrisy, followed even by Barnabas, implied that Gentile Christians were second-class unless they adopted Jewish customs. Paul's public confrontation was necessary because Peter's actions were compromising the "truth of the gospel" (v.14). It demonstrated that this was not a minor disagreement but a battle for the soul of the Christian message.
5. Theological Exposition (2:15-21): Paul transitions from narrative to a powerful summary of the gospel. He argues that even Jewish Christians like himself have come to understand that they are not justified by law-keeping but by faith in Christ (v.16). To return to the law after finding life in Christ is to make Christ "a servant of sin" (v.17) and to nullify God's grace (v.21). The famous declaration "I have been crucified with Christ" (v.20) signifies that the old, law-bound self has died, and the new life is lived by faith in the Son of God.

In summary, the background of Galatians 2 is the tense and critical struggle to define Christianity: would it be a sect of Judaism, or a new covenant of grace and faith open to all people? Paul's account establishes his apostolic authority, defends the doctrine of justification by faith, and shows the practical consequences of compromising that doctrine.

Bible Study Questions:

1.     In verse 2, Paul says he presented his gospel "in order to make sure I was not running or had not run in vain." What does this reveal about the importance of unity and accountability in gospel ministry?

• Cross-reference: 1 Corinthians 9:24-26

2.     Why was the fact that Titus was not compelled to be circumcised (v.3) such a significant victory for Paul’s mission and message? Did Paul do the wrong thing in circumcising Timothy?

• Cross-reference: Acts 15:1-2

3.     Paul describes "false brothers" who sought to spy on their freedom and bring them into slavery (v.4). What is the "freedom" we have in Christ, and what does the "slavery" represent?

• Cross-reference: Galatians 5:1

4.     Verse 5 states that Paul did not yield to the false brothers "for a moment." Why was such uncompromising stand necessary, and what was the goal?

• Cross-reference: Jude 1:3

5.     The Jerusalem leaders "added nothing" to Paul (v.6). What does this say about the divine origin and sufficiency of the gospel Paul received?

• Cross-reference: Galatians 1:11-12

6.     Verses 7-9 describe a division of labor in mission: Paul to the Gentiles, Peter to the Jews. How does this principle of different callings working toward one goal apply to the church today?

• Cross-reference: 1 Corinthians 12:4-6

7.     The one request the Jerusalem leaders made was to "remember the poor" (v.10). How does caring for the poor demonstrate the truth of the gospel in a practical way?

• Cross-reference: James 2:15-17

8.     What was the specific nature of Peter’s hypocrisy in Antioch, and why was it so damaging (v.11-13)?

• Cross-reference: James 2:1

9.     Paul confronts Peter publicly because his conduct was "not in step with the truth of the gospel" (v.14). What does this teach us about when and how to confront error in the church?

• Cross-reference: Matthew 18:15-17

10.  In verse 16, Paul states the core doctrine of justification. In your own words, what does it mean that a person is "not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ"?

• Cross-reference: Romans 3:28

11.  Paul asks a rhetorical question in verse 17: "Is Christ then a servant of sin?" How does his answer "Certainly not!" protect the character of Christ and the nature of grace?

• Cross-reference: Romans 6:1-2

12.  What does Paul mean in verse 19 when he says, "through the law I died to the law"?

• Cross-reference: Romans 7:4-6

13.  Reflect on the profound statement in verse 20: "It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me." What are the practical implications of this truth for your daily life?

• Cross-reference: 2 Corinthians 5:17

14.  How does the truth that "Christ... loved me and gave himself for me" (v.20) personalize the gospel and fuel a life of faith?

• Cross-reference: 1 John 4:19

15.  Paul concludes in verse 21 that if righteousness could come through the law, then "Christ died for no purpose." Why is it crucial to reject any teaching that adds human effort to what Christ accomplished on the cross?

• Cross-reference: Hebrews 10:10-14

Our Culture is Anti-Children

 

Here is another excerpt from my upcoming book on marriage and family. Children are one of God’s greatest gifts in this world. But our modern culture is very much against having children, in practice, if not always exactly in statement. I have seen the teaching which I share in this section of the book actually encourage people to invest in their marriages and take delight in having children. I will explore this topic in much more detail in the book.

“Since we have covered in detail how marriage is a sexual union, it is more than appropriate that we move on to talking about the blessing of children. This is the natural fruit of sex in marriage. We are still going to be looking at this from the lens of Matthew 19, and as we move forward we are going to look at marriage from various angles, we will even address the topic of singleness. But it would be remiss of me if I wrote about marriage and did not contemplate the blessing of children. Which is part of this passage anyway.

I want to state right from the start here that I understand not everyone can have children. Maybe you never married and therefore children are off the cards, unless you fall into sin of course. Maybe you are married and this just never worked out for you. If you are in this bracket, I understand that this chapter could bring up some pain and difficulty for you, but I have some stuff for you towards the end, so hang in there.

Even though things can go wrong for some people, that does not mean that we should ignore what the Bible teaches us about one of the core purposes of marriage, or of one of the greatest possible joys you can have in this world. No career matches the joys of being a parent. If you doubt that, just remember how many famous people with dream careers end themselves in tragic ways, or work themselves to the top of the social hierarchy, and find that they are still unhappy. Also consider how many successful people are lonely because they chose career over family.

I remember reading an op-ed in a prominent magazine years ago written by a woman who worked her way to the top of her industry. She was the CEO of an important company. Yet, she found herself walking down the beach one day while on holidays and she realized at that moment that she did not have anyone in the world who she could share such a moment with. It hit her in that moment that she had given up every opportunity to become a wife and mum, and she now regretted that. Sure, it is also true that plenty of parents can become depressed as well, but that is more about how they approach parenting and life, rather than it being a result of being a parent. Parenting is something powerful that God offers to the simple and the great. What a great gift.

It is also important to teach this message to push back against our freedom worshipping anti-children culture. This world goes out of its way to encourage people to avoid having children altogether. To such a degree science has even been corrupted to make it possible for people to enjoy sex without receiving the historically common fruit of sex; children. So, we are going to look at what the Bible says today about the blessings of children, but before we do that, we have to address why our culture hates children so much.

We Live in an Antichrist culture (Matt. 19:13-15)

You might think that this is a strange title for a point about why our culture hates children so much, but it really isn’t, because the passage we are beginning with says this,

“13 Then children were brought to him that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples rebuked the people, 14 but Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.” 15 And he laid his hands on them and went away.”

Jesus Christ honoured children in a way that few others have in history, probably like no other. We even see with his disciples that they disdained children because they tried to keep them away. But Jesus had already shown back in chapter 18 that we should regard children highly,

“1 At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” 2 And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them 3 and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5 “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, 6 but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.”

We are going to come back to these passages soon, but it is vital to start here because it is important to show that when we say that we live in an anti-child culture that is equivalent to saying we live in an antichrist culture. It is vital that we understand that. It is vital that you understand that. If you have disdain for children you are in opposition to Jesus, it is that simple. There is no room for ambiguity here. In some way, for whatever reason, you have been severely broken, because that is what it takes to hate that which God loves. Sadly, though, this is a common perspective amongst modern people. So why is our culture so antichildren? Well, I think there are many reasons.

Hyper-individualism

We live in a hyper-individualistic, consumeristic culture. This is not an exaggeration, either. The signs of this are all over the place. You see it in how advertising is designed to provoke the love of self. You see it in how politicians seek to put forward policies serving people’s self interest. You see it in how contracts in sport, and other parts of society, really do not mean much today. Self-interest is the highest priority of almost every aspect of our society. Even many people apply this to how they choose their own church and how they choose to leave that church.

We are also a people who want to have experiences, because we are addicted to that. Some people really want to travel overseas and see the world. Kids make that harder, much harder, even if you have money, having children in tow limits what you can do right? Some people just want to van it up and travel the country in their twenties and get their experiences in before they are bogged down with a job, family and kids. Some people just want to experience non-stop socialite culture or be perpetual adolescents.  

Have you seen that T.V. show Friends? It is an older show now, but it still rates high on modern streaming platforms. The show is funny at times, but really it is about a bunch of losers who were acting like immature 19 year olds well into their early 30’s. That is what makes the show funny. Their lives are easily made light of, because they act so ludicrously. There was a whole storyline for one of the characters about how terrified he was to turn 30, because that meant he had to “grow up.” The show should really have been called “Arrested Development”, though, of course a show called that does exist, and is also funny, because it touches on some very similar themes.

I watched Friends again not too long ago. I actually never enjoyed it when I was younger, but I wanted to see what it was like to watch one of the most popular nineties comedies in our day and age. Of course, the show is hyper-individualism incarnate. Part of the reason shows like this are funny is because the characters’ lives are a tragedy. The difference between tragedy and comedy is timing, right? But what is a greater tragedy is how many people want to emulate this way of life. You are not supposed to want to be the clown, people, just laugh with and at him. 

We are incredibly self-focused, but in a destructive way in this culture. Selfishness exists in all cultures, but at least many other cultures direct it towards production, we westerners direct it mostly towards consumption, and this influences our anti-child philosophy. In the minds of many people children make it harder to consume what they want, and therefore harder to enjoy life. Hence, for people such as this, their motivation is to avoid having children, as much as possible.  

Education

More specifically the way we do education. Our schooling system, its structure, philosophy, and emphasis is antichildren. Some people will find this incredulous, as the system is created to serve children, and the private system especially requires a steady inflow of new students to make the incredible profits that many Christian schools make. But, let me make my case and then you make your own mind.

Kids are being put into the school system earlier and earlier, and they are trained from almost day dot to answer this one question: what do you want to do when you grow up? The focus of the schooling system is to make sure that young men and women are forged into worker drones and because of this many of them often lack basic life skills. As you have heard many young people say, “Why was I never taught how to do my taxes?” This is just one example of this situation. In high-school young boys and girls are at their most susceptible position in their lives to the suggestions of those they believe to be authorities. This just happens to be exactly when they are filled with all kinds of confusing identity issues and secular values that are designed to trend them towards a sterile economic and self-indulgent existence, and away from thinking about family for some time, often well into adulthood. At this vulnerable age they are constantly asked by their guidance counsellor, career advisor, teachers, parents, youth pastors, friends, parents friends, and basically every single person that they meet: "What do you want to do?" This is because multiple generations have now been conditioned by this very system.

Socialists and communists worked out a long time ago that the longer you keep women in the education system the less children they are likely to have. Did you know that? And as many women find out, the longer you delay having kids the harder it becomes. Often, once a not-so-young-woman starts looking around to find someone, they find that it is not as easy to select someone to have children with as they thought it would be. On top of that, they often find out, quite cruelly, that their body is not as willing as it would have been if they had begun when they were younger. This leaves many women bitter. 

You do not even have to really tell these young women not to have kids, they are trained to suppress all motherly instincts by the system. The boys are also not being trained to be fathers either. How many young men enter adulthood as actual young men, and not oversized boys? This happens in large part because of our current education system. Most parents just expect the schools to teach their kids everything they need to learn. Most schools just assume parents are teaching them the things they are not. Kids sit in the middle of this and miss out on many important aspects of life that they need to be taught to be wise and functioning adults and then move on to this in marriage and family life. In fact, in many ways they are actively steered away from planning for it. And then when they finally do enter it, they are forced to learn how to approach family life while hitting the ground running and when they are already far behind the eightball.   

What impact do you think this has on their psyches as they develop? It causes a delay in development into adulthood. Instead of seeing 18 as adulthood, as it once was, or even 21, like Joey in friends, some think adulthood is for much older people. Now these ages of 18 and 21 are just the legal age where you can act like a cashed-up kid who can drink alcohol and get a credit card. Our western way of raising kids is delaying their development. We have taken Arrested Development and made it a societal strategy…”

 

Please Pray With Me

 

 

“1 In my distress I cried to the Lord,
And He heard me.
2 Deliver my soul, O Lord, from lying lips
And from a deceitful tongue.

3 What shall be given to you,
Or what shall be done to you,
You false tongue?
4 Sharp arrows of the [a]warrior,
With coals of the broom tree!

5 Woe is me, that I dwell in Meshech,
That I dwell among the tents of Kedar!
6 My soul has dwelt too long
With one who hates peace.
7 I am for peace;
But when I speak, they are for war.

Psalm 120

 

It looks like the Warmonger Netanyahu is going to get his Iranian war, as many Warmongers in the US also want it. They appear to have been able to push the Trump administration to the threshold of a serious war with Iran.

“A large wave of American airpower is heading toward the Middle East to bolster forces already there as U.S. President Donald Trump considers an attack against Iran. Online flight trackers are showing F-22 Raptors, F-16 Fighting Falcons, E-3 Sentry radar planes and a U-2 Dragon Lady spy plane either in transit across the Atlantic or newly arrived in Europe. In addition, a seventh Arleigh Burke class guided missile destroyer, the USS Pinckney, has recently deployed to the U.S. Central Command Area of Responsibility (AOR) as well, a U.S. Navy official told us.

While we don’t know whether Trump will decide to attack Iran, these are exactly the movements we’ve been expecting, but so far not seeing, in advance of a sustained operation, both defensive and offensive. The U.S. aircraft heading east represents the most intense phase of a force plus-up that began after Trump started threatening Iran over its harsh treatment of anti-regime protesters. Taken together, the force now assembling in the Middle East, combined with the Israel Air Force’s capabilities, including hundreds of fighter aircraft, as well as USAF ‘global airpower’ bomber flights, would be enough for a major operation that could last weeks not days. We will likely see additional assets deploy in the coming days.”[1]

I say it looks like they are getting the war they want, because Trump has shown he can be unpredictable to both enemies and allies. This could all just be posturing to threaten Iran to cave in to a deal. But history shows threats can often turn into fights. So, we will have to wait and see what happens.

However, all of the necessary assets are being moved into place. The propaganda campaigns in our own country and across the West are seeking to tell people this is about "democracy" and "Peace through strength" and how these country destabilisers are different this time (they aren't). The Christian Zionists are chirping loudly about how this is a prophesied confrontation (it is not).

It all looks to be coming together. Just as many want it too.

Yes, the Iranian regime is bad. No doubt. But when has any US intervention in the Middle East succeeded in creating a more stable country? Christians are currently suffering more than ever in Syria, as a result of a past intervention.  

We can debate back and forth here about how evil or necessary this is (it is evil by the way).

But I want to invite you all to appeal upstairs with me. Pray that our Lord and God frustrates the plans of the warmongers. Pray that he turns their plans into snares. Pray that the evil forces wanting to bomb the country where the Church is growing the fastest in the world, would be halted. Pray that those who cheer on such wars will be rebuked and shamed. Pray that God opens up Iran through the spread of his gospel, not the poorly employed use of foreign interventions.

Who knows what God might do?

List of References

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[1] Howard Altman, 2026, Final Pieces Moving Into Place For Potential Attack On Iran, https://www.twz.com/news-features/final-pieces-moving-into-place-for-potential-attack-on-iran?fbclid=IwY2xjawQDdsxleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEeuCZ0gQdwzLTeU0cBJr0UE99oIc6ePvlN73xrqanRLc6ZPS-m1nBoDDalzIk_aem_fNFEdmlXis6ExqGQeZbJMA

A Sexless Marriage

 

Sadly some people live in sexless marriages. Some figures I have seen show that about 10 to 20 percent of couples live in sexless marriages. Though precise numbers are hard to nail down. However, this is a known problem, a serious problem, and a thoroughly avoidable problem. Here is an excerpt from my upcoming book on marriage about the issue:

Now, of course, there are heaps of reasons why a marriage could become a barren wasteland in the realm of sex. I want to put aside all of the health reasons for now, because that is why we take the vows “for better or for worse” remember. But if you find yourself not wanting to have sex with your husband or your wife, it is usually for one of these reasons:

Maybe the man is being…what’s the word?

You know the word? It is what you get when you cross a male donkey with a female horse…not mule, the other one. Maybe the man is being an ass.

As Mark Gungor says, “Be nice to the girl. Be nice to the girl.” By nice, I do not mean be subservient or weak either. Men you are to lead, you are to take the initiative, but don’t let this cross over into domineering behaviour or neglectful behaviour. Being excessively weak and excessively domineering will not help your wife want to love you. If she feels you are strong and your strength is there for her benefit, this will help you in incredible ways. If she feels that you cherish her, then this will also help you in incredible ways. Men should just be aware that their behaviour matters in regards to this issue.

Maybe the woman is being sexually lose

By this I do not mean actually cheating on her husband, though that can become a version of this. What I am referring to here is the woman being flirtatious, or overly friendly with other men. I have seen wives do this and it and it is awful. It undermines your husband and believe me he is not ok with it, even if he does not appear to say anything. This will kill a man’s desire for his wife as quickly as anything. It is sinful, wrong and disrespectful. A woman who cannot reign her behaviour in around other men will find her husband turn away from her. Though, if she is like this, there is probably a part of her that wants that to happen, hence you have a whole range of problems to work through in that case.  

Maybe little wounds have added up

Sometimes you have just hurt each other so many times in so many ways that you look at each other and see an open wound and there is little to no sexual desire left for either spouse. I once heard a Christian marriage counsellor advise that if you find yourself in this situation sleep naked together at night until things change. He predicted that it would not take too long for the situation to change. Remember, God created sex in part to work like a reset button. Sex and forgiveness are equally powerful for achieving regular resets in your marriage. But holding on to little hurts and allowing them to fester can become a major road block to intimacy in marriage.

Maybe you have just forgotten to delight in each other

Maybe neither of you have done anything drastic or terrible to each other, but simply from busyness, or distraction, or the complexities of life, you have just neglected each other. This is a dangerous and all-too-common possibility in our double income, extra-curricular, middle-class society. After you have both worked, picked up the kids from their expensive school, done the swimming lessons, music lessons, sport sessions, done the washing, mowing, cooked dinner, watched 3 more episodes on Netflix than you intended, after all of that, delighting in each other just doesn’t sound all that delightful sometimes. But remember this is a vital part of marriage, as the Bible tells us:

Proverbs 5:18-19, “18 Let your fountain be blessed, and rejoice in the wife of your youth, 19 a lovely deer, a graceful doe. Let her breasts fill you at all times with delight; be intoxicated always in her love” (Prov. 5:18-19).

Song of Solomon 1:2-4 , “2 Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth! For your love is better than wine; 3 your anointing oils are fragrant; your name is oil poured out; therefore virgins love you. 4 Draw me after you; let us run. The king has brought me into his chambers.”

Song of Solomon 5:1, “Eat, friends, drink, and be drunk with love!”

Solomon made sure he did not forget this, and he had a thousand wives. You think you are busy? But in all seriousness to neglect this is to wave a flag to the devil and draw his attention.

Flirt with each other. Show affection to each other throughout the day. And don’t neglect this area of your life.

One or both of you is addicted to porn

This can kill desire. Boy can this kill it. Some people argue that porn is even a legitimate reason for divorce. Jesus does after all say “sexual immorality,” and porn is sexual immorality. Many sexual predators in jail began with porn addictions. I have heard of wives turning on their husband’s computer and finding not just sinful but criminal stuff on there. How is that not a legitimate example of “sexual immorality”? In any measure porn can kill sexual desire in a marriage. So, you need to head this off at the pass, remember the words of Johnny Cash, “You can run on for a long time, run on for a long time, you can run on for a long time, but sooner or later God will cut you down.”

There are probably other things, aside from medical issues, that can cause this. Some mothers become distant during the early years of having children. Some people simply feel much less need for sexual intimacy and this can cause issues. Whatever the causes, remember that regular sex with each other will draw you closer together, it will make your marriage a stronger place for your children, it will help relieve stress, it will help you sleep better, it will help you fight temptation. If you are struggling to sleep well try this before you try medication or anything like that.

Even though this is a book, this is not simply an academic exercise. So, if you are having issues in this area you need to speed, as a couple, to trusted friends, family, your pastor, or an experienced and respected elder in your church to begin working on this area. Because sex is powerful and the devil can run riot in your life if you don’t steward this well.

This is an area that you can easily avoid if you approach it with wisdom and godly intentionality. God designed us to flourish with regular affection. Allowing this area of your marriage to be neglected is very dangerous. It is known to have broken the foundations of many marriages. Therefore, don’t neglect this area.

 

Marriage is a Sexual Union

 

 

I am currently working on a book about marriage, but I think it might be helpful to people to share some of what is in it from time to time as I continue to work on it. Here is a section where I am discussing the sexual nature of marriage. Something that needs to be emphasized in our day and age.

Because sex makes marriage different to any other relationship Jesus says that if you are not interested in sex, marriage is not for you, “10 The disciples said to him, “If such is the case of a man with his wife, it is better not to marry.” 11 But he said to them, “Not everyone can receive this saying, but only those to whom it is given.” There are those who read this to mean that staying single is the superior way of living. For example, Augustine says, “…but those who live at the higher level, who are not entangled in the meshes of marriage life…”[1]

The Apostle Paul even seems to agree with this, as he says, “38 So then he who marries his betrothed does well, and he who refrains from marriage will do even better.” (1 Cor. 7:38). Paul and Augustine appear to agree. Paul seems to imply that marriage is a concession for those who cannot control themselves. And that to be unmarried is the higher state of living, as you can focus on serving God. So, you can read Paul as teaching this. And many have. I would argue that what he says here is tied to a “present crisis” that Paul addresses in Corinthians, but many Christians have read him and Jesus to teach that single life is superior to marriage life.

But I think it is better to read Jesus to mean this, “If you are not prepared for the sexual covenant you have entered, then you are not fit for marriage. If you are not prepared to stay faithful, don’t marry. If you are not prepared to enjoy sex with only your husband or wife, and to fulfil this part of your relationship, don’t marry. If you are not prepared to tie yourself to that person relationally and sexually for life, marriage is not for you.” Marriage is not just about companionship. If you want companionship get a dog, join a knitting club, or get a roommate.

Companionship IS a big part of marriage, please don’t misunderstand me. But that is not all that it is. The problem is that some people only want that, and they hoodwink their husband or wife into thinking they wanted a marriage, when all they wanted was someone there when they come home. Jesus drives this home with what he says next,

“12 For there are eunuchs who have been so from birth, and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. Let the one who is able to receive this receive it.”

(Now we all remember what a Eunuch is right?) In other words:

Jesus says that there are some who are born with no sexual desire or ability. I believe Jesus uses this word Eunuch here both literally and metaphorically at the same time, which is something the Bible does more than we would all like. These people are effectively like Eunuchs. 

He then says there are some who are made Eunuchs. This was a common practice in the ancient East. Court Eunuchs were often the highest rank of slaves, even sometimes being next in line to a king in terms of practical power. It is likely that this is what happened to Daniel and his three friends, as they were given to the chief Eunuch. Sometimes this was a form of punishment by cruel rulers. Even up to very modern times there still existed castrati who were made that way to be singers. Modern sex change surgery is like being made into a Eunuch, and many find this out the hard way.

He also says that there are some who become Eunuchs for the sake of serving God. This is why I think Jesus uses this word both literally and metaphorically. Because some people are made Eunuchs, and others, like Paul, choose a life of celibacy to serve God. I do not believe Jesus would affirm somebody literally making themselves a Eunuch. He is not encouraging self-harm here, which was a pagan practice, never a Christian or Mosaic Law practice.[2] Jesus is telling us that if you can accept what he is saying, you can choose the right path, to marry or not to marry. Some people cannot accept that marriage is a life-long sexual commitment. Or that it at least is meant to be.

This is not just true of the sexually unfaithful.[3] There are both men and women in marriage who come to resent their wife or their husband’s desire for regular sexual connection. They scorn it. This can come in various extremes.

Such a marriage is a contradiction in terms. Marriage is a sexual relationship. That is not all it is, of course, but it is central. Sex in marriage is both a gift and an obligation. If it feels more like an obligation for one or both of you, then you are doing something wrong, I would say. And you really need to work on this area. Especially if one or both of you were sexually active before you were married. This can leave all sorts of relational and even physical scars in your marriage that you need to keep on top of. Don’t just expect things to get better, you need to take intentional steps to improve in this area. The quality of your marriage depends on it. Maybe even the existence, or lasting nature of your marriage, depends on it. In fact, in many cases you can say that many marriages fail because people do not actively seek to heal in this area.

Look I need to reiterate this too, we also take vows, “for better or worse.” If there is a medical reason why someone is not able to have sex then that is part of your cross to bear. We live in a fallen broken world, and sometimes really bad things happen.

This idea obviously needs more unpacking and I do so in the book, including bringing in what Paul says in 1 Corinthians 7 which reinforces what Jesus says here. However, I think it is important for people to reminded that marriage is a sexual union, not simply a union. Too often Christians forget this. Don’t neglect this area, don’t give the devil the opportunity to mess with your marriage.

List of References

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[1] Augustine, City of God, p12.

[2] C.F. 1 Kings 18:28 where we see the prophets of Baal cutting themselves.

[3] Might need to reword this part.

You Are Not American Bro

 

Our society has done a lot of people a great disservice in many ways in recent years, especially by telling them they are entitled to things that they are not: like expecting a foreign country to submit its will to their feelings, rather than living according to the rules of the country they want to live in.  

This man only has himself to blame for his situation,

“An Irishman who overstayed his 90-day tourist visa more than 15 years ago has been held in a Texas immigration detention facility for nearly five months rather than be deported, despite calling it a form of “torture.”

Seamus Culleton, who is married to an American woman, told Irish media that he has a valid US work permit and a pending green card application when he was suddenly picked up by agents in Boston, where he runs a construction company.

He was cuffed and eventually flown more than 2,000 miles from home to a camp facility at Fort Bliss Army base in Texas, where he alleges he’s been locked in the same “filthy” room.

“It’s a nightmare down here,” Culleton complained to RTE, caiming he is “in fear for my life.”

“It’s just a torture, I just don’t know how much more I can take.”

The Kilkenny native claimed that he did not know why he was being held — while admitting that he refused to sign papers approving his deportation.

Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin cited that as proof that the Irishman chose to stay in detention, while stressing he was only in the country by overstaying his initial tourist visa.

“He entered the United States in 2009 under the visa waiver program, which allows you to stay in the US for 90 days without a visa. He failed to depart the US,” she said in a statement on X.

“He received full due process and was issued a final order of removal by an immigration judge on September 10, 2025,” McLaughlin continued.

“He was offered the chance to instantly be removed to Ireland but chose to stay in ICE custody, in fact he took affirmative steps to remain in detention,” she stressed.[1]

“The Kilkenny native claimed that he did not know why he was being held — while admitting that he refused to sign papers approving his deportation.” Seriously bro, it is simple, you are not American and therefore have no right to stay in America. They have every right to ask you to leave and then make you leave when you don’t want to. Your ability to dodge being sent home for so long does not change this.

He stayed illegally. He was offered a quick flight home. And he refused it, because he feels like America is his home. But what people feel about their situation is not the reality of their situation.

Nor is it cruelty or injustice to send people home, even those who don't want to go.

The central narrative of the Old Testament proves this. It was injustice to keep the Hebrews in Egypt, but it was not injustice to send them home.

Some will say, “But they wanted to leave? Because they were slaves in Egypt remember.”

They did?

Read it again. Read how many times they wanted to be back in Egypt. Seriously, many had no desire to leave.

Here is one example, “Numbers 11:4–5 “4 Now the rabble that was among them had a strong craving. And the people of Israel also wept again and said, “Oh that we had meat to eat! 5 We remember the fish we ate in Egypt that cost nothing, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic” (Numbers 11:4-5). The Hebrews tried to go back before they crossed the Red Sea, as well. They even tried to stop Moses from agitating for their freedom.

Sending people home cannot be called injustice, because it was part of a central act of justice in the Bible to send people home. This man should take his free ticket, thank them for their gracious offer, and repent for creating a situation where his family could be sundered like this. He should also apologize to his family and their extended family for what he is seeking to put them through.

The entitlement of foreigners to come to another country and then expect that country to mould their laws around their desires has gone way toooo far for way toooo long. It is not cruel to turn this around.

List of References

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[1] https://nypost.com/2026/02/11/us-news/irishman-seamus-culleton-in-ice-custody-for-overstaying-visa-16-years-ago/?utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=nypost&utm_source=facebook&fbclid=IwY2xjawP6Us1leHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFnMzRhRlBySVNZY2xIWU9Oc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHohmN99WwJ1SuXO89Dozy0a0gH3_ZOeX04-rUdFEFavmUJch4YoohabH88cM_aem_p2qNbwXANqE2jN5Ul5eVkw#Echobox=1770827994-1

A Den of Thieves

 

Image source: https://madainproject.com/antonia_fortress_according_to_josephus

Jesus said to the Jewish religious leaders in Matthew 21, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you make it a den of robbers.” What is here talking about here?

Some have argued that this means you should not have a book stall, or coffee shop at Church. But this is talking about something much more profound than that. Jesus is saying that the religious leaders of his day had turned his Father’s house into a corrupt business precinct that was being overtaken by thieving merchants, money lenders/money changers, and other corrupt people. They were taking advantage of people who were coming to worship God at his Father’s house, the temple in Jerusalem.

But he was also talking prophetically here. He was also talking about what would happen in the days when Jerusalem was destroyed by the Romans. Jesus is prophesying who would take over the temple. 

Here is an extended quote from Josephus’ book The Wars of the Jews, that helps explain this:

CHAPTER 3. Concerning John Of Gischala. Concerning The Zealots And The

High Priest Ananus; As Also How The Jews Raise Seditions One

Against Another [In Jerusalem].

1. Now upon John's entry into Jerusalem, the whole body of the people were in an uproar, and ten thousand of them crowded about every one of the fugitives that were come to them, and inquired of them what miseries had happened abroad, when their breath was so short, and hot, and quick, that of itself it declared the great distress they were in; yet did they talk big under their misfortunes, and pretended to say that they had not fled away from the Romans, but came thither in order to fight them with less hazard; for that it would be an unreasonable and a fruitless thing for them to expose themselves to desperate hazards about Gischala, and such weak cities, whereas they ought to lay up their weapons and their zeal, and reserve it for their metropolis. But when they related to them the taking of Gischala, and their decent departure, as they pretended, from that place, many of the people understood it to be no better than a flight; and especially when the people were told of those that were made captives, they were in great confusion, and guessed those things to be plain indications that they should be taken also. But for John, he was very little concerned for those whom he had left behind him, but went about among all the people, and persuaded them to go to war, by the hopes he gave them. He affirmed that the affairs of the Romans were in a weak condition, and extolled his own power. He also jested upon the ignorance of the unskillful, as if those Romans, although they should take to themselves wings, could never fly over the wall of Jerusalem, who found such great difficulties in taking the villages of Galilee, and had broken their engines of war against their walls.

2. These harangues of John's corrupted a great part of the young men, and puffed them up for the war; but as to the more prudent part, and those in years, there was not a man of them but foresaw what was coming, and made lamentation on that account, as if the city was already undone; and in this confusion were the people. But then it must be observed, that the multitude that came out of the country were at discord before the Jerusalem sedition began; for Titus went from Gischala to Cesates, and Vespasian from Cesarea to Jamnia and Azotus, and took them both; and when he had put garrisons into them, he came back with a great number of the people, who were come over to him, upon his giving them his right hand for their preservation. There were besides disorders and civil wars in every city; and all those that were at quiet from the Romans turned their hands one against another. There was also a bitter contest between those that were fond of war, and those that were desirous for peace. At the first this quarrelsome temper caught hold of private families, who could not agree among themselves; after which those people that were the dearest to one another brake through all restraints with regard to each other, and every one associated with those of his own opinion, and began already to stand in opposition one to another; so that seditions arose every where, while those that were for innovations, and were desirous of war, by their youth and boldness, were too hard for the aged and prudent men. And, in the first place, all the people of every place betook themselves to rapine; after which they got together in bodies, in order to rob the people of the country, insomuch that for barbarity and iniquity those of the same nation did no way differ from the Romans; nay, it seemed to be a much lighter thing to be ruined by the Romans than by themselves.

3. Now the Roman garrisons, which guarded the cities, partly out of their uneasiness to take such trouble upon them, and partly out of the hatred they bare to the Jewish nation, did little or nothing towards relieving the miserable, till the captains of these troops of robbers, being satiated with rapines in the country, got all together from all parts, and became a band of wickedness, and all together crept into Jerusalem, which was now become a city without a governor, and, as the ancient custom was, received without distinction all that belonged to their nation; and these they then received, because all men supposed that those who came so fast into the city came out of kindness, and for their assistance, although these very men, besides the seditions they raised, were otherwise the direct cause of the city's destruction also; for as they were an unprofitable and a useless multitude, they spent those provisions beforehand which might otherwise have been sufficient for the fighting men. Moreover, besides the bringing on of the war, they were the occasions of sedition and famine therein.

4. There were besides these other robbers that came out of the country, and came into the city, and joining to them those that were worse than themselves, omitted no kind of barbarity; for they did not measure their courage by their rapines and plunderings only, but preceded as far as murdering men; and this not in the night time or privately, or with regard to ordinary men, but did it openly in the day time, and began with the most eminent persons in the city; for the first man they meddled with was Antipas, one of the royal lineage, and the most potent man in the whole city, insomuch that the public treasures were committed to his care; him they took and confined; as they did in the next place to Levias, a person of great note, with Sophas, the son of Raguel, both which were of royal lineage also. And besides these, they did the same to the principal men of the country. This caused a terrible consternation among the people, and everyone contented himself with taking care of his own safety, as they would do if the city had been taken in war.

5. But these were not satisfied with the bonds into which they had put the men forementioned; nor did they think it safe for them to keep them thus in custody long, since they were men very powerful, and had numerous families of their own that were able to avenge them. Nay, they thought the very people would perhaps be so moved at these unjust proceedings, as to rise in a body against them; it was therefore resolved to have them slain accordingly, they sent one John, who was the most bloody-minded of them all, to do that execution: this man was also called "the son of Dorcas," in the language of our country. Ten more men went along with him into the prison, with their swords drawn, and so they cut the throats of those that were in custody there. The grand lying pretence these men made for so flagrant an enormity was this, that these men had had conferences with the Romans for a surrender of Jerusalem to them; and so they said they had slain only such as were traitors to their common liberty. Upon the whole, they grew the more insolent upon this bold prank of theirs, as though they had been the benefactors and saviors of the city.

6. Now the people were come to that degree of meanness and fear, and these robbers to that degree of madness, that these last took upon them to appoint high priests. 4 So when they had disannulled the succession, according to those families out of which the high priests used to be made, they ordained certain unknown and ignoble persons for that office, that they might have their assistance in their wicked undertakings; for such as obtained this highest of all honors, without any desert, were forced to comply with those that bestowed it on them. They also set the principal men at variance one with another, by several sorts of contrivances and tricks, and gained the opportunity of doing what they pleased, by the mutual quarrels of those who might have obstructed their measures; till at length, when they were satiated with the unjust actions they had done towards men, they transferred transferred their contumelious behavior to God himself, and came into the sanctuary with polluted feet.

7. And now the multitude were going to rise against them already; for Ananus, the ancientest of the high priests, persuaded them to it. He was a very prudent man, and had perhaps saved the city if he could but have escaped the hands of those that plotted against him. These men made the temple of God a strong hold for them, and a place whither they might resort, in order to avoid the troubles they feared from the people; the sanctuary was now become a refuge, and a shop of tyranny. They also mixed jesting among the miseries they introduced, which was more intolerable than what they did; for in order to try what surprise the people would be under, and how far their own power extended, they undertook to dispose of the high priesthood by casting lots for it, whereas, as we have said already, it was to descend by succession in a family. The pretense they made for this strange attempt was an ancient practice, while they said that of old it was determined by lot; but in truth, it was no better than a dissolution of an undeniable law, and a cunning contrivance to seize upon the government, derived from those that presumed to appoint governors as they themselves pleased.

8. Hereupon they sent for one of the pontifical tribes, which is called Eniachim, and cast lots which of it should be the high priest. By fortune the lot so fell as to demonstrate their iniquity after the plainest manner, for it fell upon one whose name was Phannias, the son of Samuel, of the village Aphtha. He was a man not only unworthy of the high priesthood, but that did not well know what the high priesthood was, such a mere rustic was he! yet did they hail this man, without his own consent, out of the country, as if they were acting a play upon the stage, and adorned him with a counterfeit thee; they also put upon him the sacred garments, and upon every occasion instructed him what he was to do. This horrid piece of wickedness was sport and pastime with them, but occasioned the other priests, who at a distance saw their law made a jest of, to shed tears, and sorely lament the dissolution of such a sacred dignity.

9. And now the people could no longer bear the insolence of this procedure, but did all together run zealously, in order to overthrow that tyranny; and indeed they were Gorion the son of Josephus, and Symeon the son of Gamaliel, who encouraged them, by going up and down when they were assembled together in crowds, and as they saw them alone, to bear no longer, but to inflict punishment upon these pests and plagues of their freedom, and to purge the temple of these bloody polluters of it. The best esteemed also of the high priests, Jesus the son of Gamalas, and Ananus the son of Ananus when they were at their assemblies, bitterly reproached the people for their sloth, and excited them against the zealots; for that was the name they went by, as if they were zealous in good undertakings, and were not rather zealous in the worst actions, and extravagant in them beyond the example of others.

10. And now, when the multitude were gotten together to an assembly, and every one was in indignation at these men's seizing upon the sanctuary, at their rapine and murders, but had not yet begun their attacks upon them, [the reason of which was this, that they imagined it to be a difficult thing to suppress these zealots, as indeed the case was,] Ananus stood in the midst of them, and casting his eyes frequently at the temple, and having a flood of tears in his eyes, he said, "Certainly it had been good for me to die before I had seen the house of God full of so many abominations, or these sacred places, that ought not to be trodden upon at random, filled with the feet of these blood-shedding villains;…”[1]

When Jesus said his fathers house had become a den of robbers, he was being very literal. That is exactly what had begun to happen already in his day, probably before it really. And this culminated in the temple becoming an open den of an actual band of roving thieves who were some of the main antagonists in the Wars of the Jews against Rome. These thieves took over the temple because it was the most secure fortress possible in Jerusalem. And in doing so they brought into the house of God “so many abominations.”

Many Christians just assume the abomination of desolation was the Roman’s marching up on Jerusalem. But they are in correct. The abomination of desolation began with the revolutionaries of Israel who defiled the temple. The high priest, who was also a revolutionary, tried to stop them, so did many of the other people of Jerusalem. But they were not able to. The Romans of course played their part by utterly destroying the temple once they had beaten the revolutionaries.

But the abomination began when God’s own people allowed themselves to become corrupted. Let the Church understand the lesson for us today, as we are now the temple of God.

“19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, 20 for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body” (1 Cor. 6:19).

List of References

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[1] Josephus, Flavius. The Wars of the Jews; or the history of the destruction of Jerusalem (pp. 305-310). Kindle Edition.