Author: Lois

Galatians Study Part Seven: 3:10-14

NLT: “But those who depend on the law to make them right with God are under his curse, for the Scriptures say, “Cursed is everyone who does not observe and obey all the commands that are written in God’s Book of the Law.” 11 So it is clear that no one can be made right with God by trying to keep the law. For the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.” 12 This way of faith is very different from the way of law, which says, “It is through obeying the law that a person has life.”

“13 But Christ has rescued us from the curse pronounced by the law. When he was hung on the cross, he took upon himself the curse for our wrongdoing. For it is written in the Scriptures, “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.” 14 Through Christ Jesus, God has blessed the Gentiles with the same blessing he promised to Abraham, so that we who are believers might receive the promised Holy Spirit through faith.”

NASB: “For as many as are of the works of the Law are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who does not abide by all things written in the book of the law, to perform them.” 11 Now that no one is justified by the Law before God is evident; for, “The righteous man shall live by faith.” 12 However, the Law is not of faith; on the contrary, “He who practices them shall live by them.” 13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”— 14 in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we would receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.”

Paul delves more into the law and continues with Abraham. If you haven’t read Romans 4 yet, I encourage you to do so. The studies will be broken into smaller sections for now as we progress further into Galatians.

The law was a package deal. It was all or nothing. The Jews were expected to abide by every aspect of the law. A curse was pronounced on those who did not obey it. James 2:10-11 explains that a person could keep the law but mess up on one aspect of it and it was seen as breaking the entire law.

The law never made any man perfect or righteous. It took no faith at all to follow the law. It was a list of rules and regulations. One could follow them exactly and their heart could still be far from God and their character could still be carnal. Consider the Pharisees, who went to great lengths at times to follow all aspects of the law, even adding more rules than God required. Yet Jesus showed they did not know God and were full of dead men’s bones.

Following rules, whether it be the law given by God or those made by pastors and church organizations, will never change us on the inside. They can never cause us to be righteous before God. They take no faith to follow them.

We can see that these outsiders, who were confusing the people of Galatia, were causing them to be under a curse by requiring them to be circumcised or obey any other aspect of the law. Reverting to the law meant they were moving from faith in God to their own works. They were not remembering that Jesus had redeemed everyone from the curse of the law and made us righteous in God’s sight through faith in what he did.

Think about this: If Jesus rescued us from this, why would God institute another set of rules for people to follow?

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Galatians Study Part Six: 3:1-9

NLT: “Oh, foolish Galatians! Who has cast an evil spell on you? For the meaning of Jesus Christ’s death was made as clear to you as if you had seen a picture of his death on the cross. 2 Let me ask you this one question: Did you receive the Holy Spirit by obeying the law of Moses? Of course not! You received the Spirit because you believed the message you heard about Christ. 3 How foolish can you be? After starting your new lives in the Spirit, why are you now trying to become perfect by your own human effort? 4 Have you experienced so much for nothing? Surely it was not in vain, was it?

“5 I ask you again, does God give you the Holy Spirit and work miracles among you because you obey the law? Of course not! It is because you believe the message you heard about Christ. 6 In the same way, “Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.” 7 The real children of Abraham, then, are those who put their faith in God.
“8 What’s more, the Scriptures looked forward to this time when God would declare the Gentiles to be righteous because of their faith. God proclaimed this good news to Abraham long ago when he said, “All nations will be blessed through you.” 9 So all who put their faith in Christ share the same blessing Abraham received because of his faith.”

NASB: “You foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified? 2 This is the only thing I want to find out from you: did you receive the Spirit by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith? 3 Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? 4 Did you suffer so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain? 5 So then, does He who provides you with the Spirit and works miracles among you, do it by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith?

“6 Even so Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness. 7 Therefore, be sure that it is those who are of faith who are sons of Abraham. 8 The Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “All the nations will be blessed in you.” 9 So then those who are of faith are blessed with Abraham, the believer.”

As we progress into the letter Paul wrote to believers in Galatia, keep in mind that what prompted him to write was that the gospel was being perverted and some believers were turning to follow a different one. When we add to the gospel any list of things which must be done in order to be saved, we set aside the grace of God and are teaching a gospel void of the potential to save anyone. It is slavery. It will take away your freedom in Christ Jesus.

After Paul shares his background and a couple of other incidents where people were trying to add rule following to the gospel, in this chapter Paul nails it down. I imagine that when this was first read, it may have been somewhat shocking. Paul asks who bewitched them, who cast a spell on them, in order for them to turn from the gospel of faith in Christ Jesus that he had delivered. He did not candy coat their situation. Think about it. How would you have reacted, if while in your unhealthy church, you received such a letter?

Consider the questions Paul poses. They boil down to one thought: Does God do things for and through us because we believe or because we observe the law? Do we attain our goal through our human efforts? I believe if Paul were here today, he would be writing similar letters, asking if God healed someone because they dressed according to church rules or if they received God’s Spirit because they tithed. The list could go on and on.

Verse three brings the issue home, “How foolish can you be? After starting your new lives in the Spirit, why are you now trying to become perfect by your own human effort?” This is what unhealthy churches and ministers do to people. They turn their focus from God and the Holy Spirit to themselves, what they might accomplish by what they do or do not do. This is another gospel.

After this, Paul brings up Abraham. He points out that because Abraham believed God, it was credited to him as righteousness. It was not through the law. (See Genesis 15:6) Faith and belief are emphasized in chapter three and mentioned more than a dozen times.

It wasn’t because of any works Abraham performed that God counted him as righteous. Leaving his land, offering Isaac, tithing on the spoils of a war and being circumcised did not accomplish this. It was his faith and belief in God. If we believe God, we are counted as righteous, just as Abraham was, and we are considered his children.

It would be good to read Romans 4 through the beginning of 5 as it goes along with what Paul is teaching in Galatians. This walk with God is all about faith and belief. (You will also see these mentioned more than a dozen times in Romans 4.) It also goes into the circumcision issue, which is pertinent to what was happening in Galatia.

If we want to be reckoned as righteous in the sight of God, it will only come through our believing God and placing our faith in him.

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Galatians Study Part Five: 2:11-21

NLT: “11 But when Peter came to Antioch, I had to oppose him to his face, for what he did was very wrong. 12 When he first arrived, he ate with the Gentile believers, who were not circumcised. But afterward, when some friends of James came, Peter wouldn’t eat with the Gentiles anymore. He was afraid of criticism from these people who insisted on the necessity of circumcision. 13 As a result, other Jewish believers followed Peter’s hypocrisy, and even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy.

“14 When I saw that they were not following the truth of the gospel message, I said to Peter in front of all the others, “Since you, a Jew by birth, have discarded the Jewish laws and are living like a Gentile, why are you now trying to make these Gentiles follow the Jewish traditions?

“15 “You and I are Jews by birth, not ‘sinners’ like the Gentiles. 16 Yet we know that a person is made right with God by faith in Jesus Christ, not by obeying the law. And we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we might be made right with God because of our faith in Christ, not because we have obeyed the law. For no one will ever be made right with God by obeying the law.”

“17 But suppose we seek to be made right with God through faith in Christ and then we are found guilty because we have abandoned the law. Would that mean Christ has led us into sin? Absolutely not! 18 Rather, I am a sinner if I rebuild the old system of law I already tore down. 19 For when I tried to keep the law, it condemned me. So I died to the law—I stopped trying to meet all its requirements—so that I might live for God. 20 My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. 21 I do not treat the grace of God as meaningless. For if keeping the law could make us right with God, then there was no need for Christ to die.”

NASB: “11 But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. 12 For prior to the coming of certain men from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles; but when they came, he began to withdraw and hold himself aloof, fearing the party of the circumcision. 13 The rest of the Jews joined him in hypocrisy, with the result that even Barnabas was carried away by their hypocrisy. 14 But when I saw that they were not straightforward about the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas in the presence of all, “If you, being a Jew, live like the Gentiles and not like the Jews, how is it that you compel the Gentiles to live like Jews?

“15 “We are Jews by nature and not sinners from among the Gentiles; 16 nevertheless knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the Law; since by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified. 17 But if, while seeking to be justified in Christ, we ourselves have also been found sinners, is Christ then a minister of sin? May it never be! 18 For if I rebuild what I have once destroyed, 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; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me. 21 I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the Law, then Christ died needlessly.'”

Paul continues in his letter with sharing of another time where people were trying to get believers to follow the law and Peter was pulled into it, which influenced other Jewish believers. It infuriated Paul and he appears to have immediately addressed it openly.

If we don’t understand how the Jewish people looked upon Gentiles, we won’t fully understand what is happening. They would not eat with Gentiles and considered them to be dogs. If you look at Acts 10 in how God prepared Peter to go to the Gentiles, he had to show him that what he had cleansed, Peter was to no longer call unclean. Even though it had been prophesied that Gentiles would come to God, the Jewish believers didn’t all automatically change. After Peter had visited the Gentiles, in Acts 11 we see that he was questioned by those in Jerusalem upon his return. They criticized him for going into the home of Cornelius and eating with him and the others. Peter had to share the entire story before they were satisfied and rejoiced that God had granted salvation to the Gentiles.

You will also see this when a woman approached Jesus for healing of her demon possessed daughter in Matthew 15. In answering her, Jesus said it wasn’t right to take the children’s bread and give it to the dogs.

The Jewish people had similar feelings toward the Samaritans. This may be seen in John 4, where Jesus asks the Samaritan woman for water to drink.

Considering these things, what Peter was doing by separating from and not eating with the Gentiles while in Antioch (Syria), was reverting to Jewish laws….Jewish laws that he was really no longer keeping as a believer in Jesus. Paul called it as he saw it- hypocrisy.

Peer pressure. Some time back, a friend reminisced with me about their time in boot camp. It was a custom that the entire platoon would be punished when one of the men did something they should not. This used the tactic of peer pressure as the rest didn’t appreciate being punished for what only one person did. That often was enough to cause the other individual to line up.

From verse 11 of chapter two until the end, Paul shares an instance of what happened with some of the Jewish believers, again because of this group that tried to force the law of Moses on the Gentiles.

This worked in the form of peer pressure. Peter, who knew better, who had seen a vision from God before he went to see Cornelius, was caught up in separating himself from eating with the Gentiles. Watching Peter, others were pulled into this nonsense. The pressure got so bad that Barnabas, Paul’s companion in spreading the gospel, was pulled into the nonsense.

People face peer pressure today- in various places. Those of us who have been involved in unhealthy churches saw it at work there. Some people claim to follow outward rules due to a conviction when it is actually peer pressure. (That isn’t at all to say that people do not have personal convictions- this isn’t a blanket statement.)

When Paul saw what was happening, he was not happy. He spoke up and opposed him since Peter was a leader and his actions were influencing others. Peter feared these keepers of the law, at least at this point in time. Prior to their arrival in Antioch, he ate and mingled with the Gentile believers. Peter was living like a Gentile, but appeared to expect Gentile believers to follow Jewish traditions and this was hypocrisy. Paul now goes on to explain that our walk with God is about faith and not following the law.

“You and I are Jews by birth, not ‘sinners’ like the Gentiles. Yet we know that a person is made right with God by faith in Jesus Christ, not by obeying the law. And we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we might be made right with God because of our faith in Christ, not because we have obeyed the law. For no one will ever be made right with God by obeying the law. …For if keeping the law could make us right with God, then there was no need for Christ to die.”

The last verse of chapter two is strong- if people could be made righteous by following all the rules of the law, which were given directly by God, then Christ didn’t need to die and his death was for nothing.

If today we can somehow be made righteous through following the law of Moses, or any other laws or rules, then Christ again would have died for nothing. We see this emphasized in Romans 9:30-32 (NLT) : “What does all this mean? Even though the Gentiles were not trying to follow God’s standards, they were made right with God. And it was by faith that this took place. 31 But the people of Israel, who tried so hard to get right with God by keeping the law, never succeeded. 32 Why not? Because they were trying to get right with God by keeping the law instead of by trusting in him. They stumbled over the great rock in their path.”

Romans 10:1-4: “Dear brothers and sisters, the longing of my heart and my prayer to God is for the people of Israel to be saved. 2 I know what enthusiasm they have for God, but it is misdirected zeal. 3 For they don’t understand God’s way of making people right with himself. Refusing to accept God’s way, they cling to their own way of getting right with God by trying to keep the law. 4 For Christ has already accomplished the purpose for which the law was given. As a result, all who believe in him are made right with God.”

This is the other gospel that Paul warned of at the beginning of his letter to the Galatians. They had started their walk with God by faith in Jesus, but were being pulled into observing the law in order to be saved. Jews and Gentiles alike are justified by faith in Christ Jesus and not by rule following. Righteousness will never come by observance of the law or any set of rules. Attempting to do so will set aside the grace of God.

Jesus didn’t die so that we could replace the law with another set of rules. If God himself could not deliver a law that would make people righteous, then why do we think we have the ability to do so? Think about it if you are tempted to follow a list of rules that are attached to your salvation, no matter how well intentioned.

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This study covers Galatians 2:1-10:

NLT: “Then fourteen years later I went back to Jerusalem again, this time with Barnabas; and Titus came along, too. 2 I went there because God revealed to me that I should go. While I was there I met privately with those considered to be leaders of the church and shared with them the message I had been preaching to the Gentiles. I wanted to make sure that we were in agreement, for fear that all my efforts had been wasted and I was running the race for nothing. 3 And they supported me and did not even demand that my companion Titus be circumcised, though he was a Gentile.

“4 Even that question came up only because of some so-called believers there—false ones, really—who were secretly brought in. They sneaked in to spy on us and take away the freedom we have in Christ Jesus. They wanted to enslave us and force us to follow their Jewish regulations. 5 But we refused to give in to them for a single moment. We wanted to preserve the truth of the gospel message for you.

“6 And the leaders of the church had nothing to add to what I was preaching. (By the way, their reputation as great leaders made no difference to me, for God has no favorites.) 7 Instead, they saw that God had given me the responsibility of preaching the gospel to the Gentiles, just as he had given Peter the responsibility of preaching to the Jews. 8 For the same God who worked through Peter as the apostle to the Jews also worked through me as the apostle to the Gentiles.

“9 In fact, James, Peter, and John, who were known as pillars of the church, recognized the gift God had given me, and they accepted Barnabas and me as their co-workers. They encouraged us to keep preaching to the Gentiles, while they continued their work with the Jews. 10 Their only suggestion was that we keep on helping the poor, which I have always been eager to do.”

NASB: “Then after an interval of fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus along also. 2 It was because of a revelation that I went up; and I submitted to them the gospel which I preach among the Gentiles, but I did so in private to those who were of reputation, for fear that I might be running, or had run, in vain. 3 But not even Titus, who was with me, though he was a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised. 4 But it was because of the false brethren secretly brought in, who had sneaked in to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, in order to bring us into bondage. 5 But we did not yield in subjection to them for even an hour, so that the truth of the gospel would remain with you.

“6 But from those who were of high reputation (what they were makes no difference to me; God shows no partiality)—well, those who were of reputation contributed nothing to me. 7 But on the contrary, seeing that I had been entrusted with the gospel to the uncircumcised, just as Peter had been to the circumcised 8 (for He who effectually worked for Peter in his apostleship to the circumcised effectually worked for me also to the Gentiles), 9 and recognizing the grace that had been given to me, James and Cephas and John, who were reputed to be pillars, gave to me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, so that we might go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised. 10 They only asked us to remember the poor—the very thing I also was eager to do.”

The second chapter of the letter continues with Paul telling about his past. This is where he starts to show the Galatians the problem that these people were causing with their false teachings. What was happening in Galatia was not the first time that the subject of circumcision had arisen. On one of Paul’s visits to Jerusalem, when he brought the Gentile Titus, it was addressed. Some believe Paul is speaking of the trip mentioned in Acts 15 and others feel he is speaking of Acts 11:27-30. More on this in my next post.

Take note of verse six as it shares a couple important points. I know there are some who try and portray Paul in a negative light and I disagree with them. Here we see that Paul shared with the apostles in Jerusalem what he had been teaching. The apostles were approving and did not tell him to change anything, nor did they add anything to what was being taught. They recognized and approved the ministry God had given Paul.

The other aspect of verse six is how Paul shows that though a person may seem to be important, that it shouldn’t make any difference to us. For me, this goes along with what Paul taught in one of his letters to the believers in Corinth, where he shared how we are all part of the body of Christ and equally needful. (See 1 Corinthians 12:12-27.) Believers in Jesus are all members of the same one body, though we will have differing functions or abilities. The Holy Spirit places us into this one body, gifting us as he desires. The believer who is an apostle cannot look down on the believer who is an encourager. The believer who helps others is not to feel they are anything less because they are not a teacher. I love this area of Corinthians and if believers would get this message deep in their hearts, many things would change.

Paul uses a powerful illustration and shows what adding rules and laws to the gospel would do. Let’s look at verse four again, “Even that question came up only because of some so-called believers there—false ones, really—who were secretly brought in. They sneaked in to spy on us and take away the freedom we have in Christ Jesus. They wanted to enslave us and force us to follow their Jewish regulations.”

First, note that Paul calls them false believers. If you will recall back in chapter one, he shares that those who teach a different gospel pervert the gospel of Christ and are, in actuality, teaching a different gospel that is not any good news. If the gospel is distorted, it is no longer true, and those teaching it are not real believers in the true gospel message as taught by the apostles. This is strong stuff.

Second, these false believers had taken note of the liberty and freedom that Christians had. They infiltrated the group in Jerusalem, with the desire to bring them into bondage to the law and rules. Galatians 4:17 shares how in the instance with the Galatians, these people wanted to win them over, but their purpose was not for good. They had much zeal, but wanted to build their own following. They were not happy with people being free in Christ Jesus.

Third, these false teachers wanted to enslave believers. No wonder the Galatians had lost their joy (you will see this in chapter 4). They changed from freedom in Christ to being in slavery. This is a powerful illustration. Can you relate to that state and feeling?

Whether it is forcing people to follow Jewish regulations or any other list of rules, it not only perverts the gospel, but it brings one into slavery. Though they tried, these false believers did not persuade Paul or the other apostles to change and Titus was not circumcised.

In verse five Paul emphasizes, “But we refused to give in to them for a single moment. We wanted to preserve the truth of the gospel message for you.” If we want to preserve the gospel message, we must not add to it.

Can we see why Paul pronounced a curse upon those who would pervert and distort the gospel? If the gospel message is distorted, it is no longer good news. It is no gospel at all. There is either the one gospel or no gospel as it cannot be changed and yet be good news. The gospel brings freedom in Christ Jesus. Changing the gospel brings bondage and slavery.

Slavery. That is what your faith will turn into if you make the change from following God by faith to trying to make yourself righteous by any works.

In Romans, Paul shared that we did not receive a spirit that makes us a slave again to fear…but that we received the Spirit of Sonship. (Romans 8:15) Following a list of rules brings with it fear. It places the emphasis on your deeds and actions.

And that is what rule following is all about- YOU. The focus shifts from Christ in you to what YOU do and don’t do. You turn from being justified by faith in Jesus to seeking to be justified by your actions. No matter how much you try and how many rules you follow, not one soul will ever be justified by these deeds.

And, no, this isn’t at all about easy believism or greasy grace. It isn’t about living however you want. It is about a changed heart. A heart where God writes his laws inside us, where it isn’t about following a list of rules, but doing what we do because we love God and wish to please him.

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This is a continuation of our coverage on United Pentecostal Church minister Audley F. Castro, who was the long-term pastor of the Apostolic Pentecostal Church Of Pickering (APC) in Ontario, a legally affiliated UPCI church. It appears to be one of the largest UPCI churches in Ontario. (See Part One.)

Audley Castro resigned on July 9, 2025 amidst allegations of sexual misconduct allegedly spanning years. Until they vote on a new pastor, UPCI Ontario District Superintendent Arnold MacLauchlan and UPCI minister Winston Samuel Stewart, who has preached at the church in the past, will be serving as the interim pastors. For anyone who may disbelieve that he resigned as pastor, attached is a screenshot taken on July 16, 2025, showing he is no longer listed on the UPCI’s website. It is still unknown if he has turned in his UPCI license.

Prior to this, it had been shared that Castro had not been preaching at the church services since some point in late 2023 or early 2024, though he was still regularly seen on the platform and would appear in brief videos speaking about various topics. It had been alleged that he had been suspended from preaching and this was later verified to be true.

It has also been shared that many people were angry at the church member meeting on July 14, 2025 as questions were not allowed and some facts were allegedly misrepresented.

In the previous post I wrote, “This is not the first time he, and some others in the church, have been accused of wrongdoing.” Let’s look into this.
Attached are two screenshots of official announcements made by the church board back in 2021, which addressed allegations of moral wrongdoing that had been circulating.The first, dated November 23, 2021, stated in part, “Between August 14, 2021 and November 7, 2021, former members of our congregation published a series of videos on YouTube making several statements about the Apostolic Pentecostal Church of Pickering (‘APC’) and Reverend Audley Castro (‘Rev. Castro’).

“The statements contain serious allegations of moral wrongdoing which could undermine both Reverend Castro’s leadership and APC’s reputation in the community. The Board of APC takes these allegations very seriously and an investigation is underway to ascertain whether there is any factual basis to the statements. At this point, the Board has no knowledge of any truth to the allegations.”

They then shared a glowing report of Castro and said they would continue to support him and his family throughout their investigation.

Less than ten days later, on December 2, 2021, another letter was released and their investigation was completed. It was announced that, “All of the allegations with respect to Rev. Castro and APC have been determined to be both factually untrue and unfounded. The accusations have been unsubstantiated, and all appear to be entirely devoid of merit that were made with intention to damage and undermine the integrity, character and operations of APC ministries and Rev. Castro. It has also come to light that the publisher of these statements has made the same allegations against others within the last six months. At this time, the Board is seeking legal counsel about the best path forward.”

They reminded people of their previous glowing report on Castro and said that he and his family “continue to have our abiding love and support.”

Unless there was very compelling evidence to the contrary, nine days seems insufficient for a thorough and comprehensive investigation. Did they speak with those who made the videos, as well as the woman who allegedly became pregnant? Did they attempt to view medical records? Internal church investigations can be problematic, especially if those involved are loyal to the accused.

It should be noted that the YouTube videos were removed at some point.

This will be continued in a subsequent post.

I originally posted about this on July 16, 2025 on our Facebook Page.

You will find a complete list of articles in this series by clicking here.

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