“Galatians,” New Testament Institute Teacher Manual (2025)
Galatians
False ideas introduced to the Saints in Galatia caused many to stumble in their faith. Paul reminded the Saints that he was called by Jesus Christ, who was the source of his teachings. He also taught about the role faith in Christ plays in our salvation and how to receive the blessings of the Spirit.
Additional Resources
Scripture Helps: New Testament, “Galatians”
Note: The “Introduction to the Course” provides guidance on how to use the four standard lesson elements that follow.
Encouraging Personal Study
Before class, consider sending students one or more of the following messages or some of your own:
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Do you ever feel confused by all of the different opinions and philosophies in the world? As you study Galatians 1:1–5, 10–12, think about what Paul shared that could help you avoid being deceived.
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Imagine you know someone who feels they will never be good enough for God. What messages of hope do you find in Galatians 2:16; 3:24–29?
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Sometimes we can feel torn between our desires to yield to temptation or to follow the promptings of the Spirit. As you study Galatians 5:16–26, look for Paul’s teachings that can help you follow the Spirit more frequently.
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Have you ever wondered if your efforts to follow the Savior are worthwhile? While studying Galatians 6:7–10, look for teachings that help you better understand the blessings associated with following Jesus Christ.
Questions and Sharing
Provide time for students to ask questions and share insights and truths they discovered in their personal study of Galatians.
Skill Training
Galatians 1:1–12 might be a helpful place to use the skill “Evaluating the Reliability of Sources” in Scripture Study Skills.
Learning Activity Options
Multiple learning options are provided for you and your students. Prayerfully choose which option or options will be most meaningful for your class.
Improving Our Teaching and Learning
Encourage students to live what they are learning. Remember that building faith and becoming more Christlike do not happen in an instant. All of us must act in faith on what we learn to truly internalize it. Invite students to intentionally apply what they are learning and set their own measures to stay accountable. Provide students with opportunities to review and reflect on their progress.
How can listening to the Lord’s servants help me when I hear conflicting messages about my faith?
Consider sharing the following scenario. Invite students to think of times they have experienced something similar.
After general conference, a friend sends Carlos a video posted by a social media influencer who is a member of the Church. The video has thousands of views. The influencer comments on a talk given by a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. It starts out positive but soon becomes quite critical of the Apostle’s teachings. The more Carlos watches, the more he feels …
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How do you think Carlos might be feeling?
Explain that the Saints in Galatia commonly encountered teachings that were contrary to the gospel of Jesus Christ taught through His prophets. Invite students to find a partner and read together Galatians 1:1–12. Then invite them to discuss with their partners how Paul’s message to the Galatians could be applied to Carlos’s situation.
After students finish their discussion, consider inviting a few students to share with the class what they learned. You could also discuss the following questions:
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How does Paul’s message apply to your life?
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According to verses 1 and 11–12, why can we trust what the Lord’s Apostles teach? (Help students identify a truth like the following: We can trust the Lord’s Apostles because the Lord reveals the truths of His gospel to them.)
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In what ways are you protected when you give priority to the teachings of the Lord’s living Apostles?
Consider sharing the following statement from Sister Carol F. McConkie:
We … sustain [the First Presidency] and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles as prophets, seers, and revelators. “They have the right, the power, and authority to declare the mind and will of [the Lord] … , subject to … the President of the Church.” They speak in the name of Christ. They prophesy in the name of Christ. They do all things in the name of Jesus Christ. In their words we hear the voice of the Lord and we feel the Savior’s love. …
As we prayerfully read and study sacred prophetic word with faith in Christ, with real intent, the Holy Ghost will speak truth to our minds and hearts. May we open our ears to hear, our hearts to understand, and our minds that the mysteries of God may be unfolded to our view. (“Live according to the Words of the Prophets,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2014, 77, 79)
Invite students to think of something they’ve learned recently from the Lord’s prophets and apostles that has helped them. You could ask:
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How have the teachings of the Lord’s prophets and apostles protected you from the deceptions of the world?
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How have their teachings helped you overcome doubt or confusion?
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How have their teachings helped you better understand the true meaning of the Savior’s gospel?
Invite students to share their experiences.
Conclude the activity by inviting one or two students to share their testimonies of the importance of studying and following what the Lord’s prophets and apostles are teaching. Invite students to consider what they could do to make the Lord’s words through His prophets a higher priority in their lives.
What can help me if I feel like I will never be good enough for God?
You could begin this learning activity by sharing the following scenario:
John often feels anxious about his worthiness. He diligently keeps the commandments to prove his worthiness. But despite John’s best efforts, he recognizes that he always falls short. John worries that he will never be acceptable before God.
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What incorrect assumptions might John have made about God?
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What would you want John to understand about God?
Invite students to think of times when they may have felt like John. Explain that in his letter to the Galatians, Paul taught important principles about how we can stand blameless and with confidence before God. Provide students with the handout “How Can We Be Justified before God?,” and invite them to look for truths that could help John. Students could do this activity individually or in small groups.
After students have had time to discuss, invite them to share their responses. Help them identify the truth that we are justified before God by our faith in Jesus Christ and by the faithfulness of Christ. (Consider reading together “Galatians 2:15–16. How does ‘the faith of Jesus Christ’ justify us?” in Scripture Helps: New Testament.)
It may be helpful to share the following statement by Elder D. Todd Christofferson as part of your discussion:
Justification and sanctification are the fruit of the Atonement’s “infinite virtue,” which virtue we also refer to as mercy or grace. …
Thus, it is not that we earn these gifts, but rather that we choose to seek and accept justification and sanctification. Since the Savior paid for our sins and satisfied justice for us, we become debtors to Him rather than to justice. We must therefore meet the stipulations He has established for forgiveness and cleansing. … One must choose Christ to receive what Christ offers. (“Justification and Sanctification,” Ensign, June 2001, 18, 23)
Consider how the following questions can deepen students’ understanding of justification:
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How can understanding the Savior’s role in justification bring us peace and hope instead of anxiety and uncertainty?
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How do you feel about the Savior, knowing that He suffered for your sins so you could be justified before God?
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What can you do to show your gratitude to Jesus Christ for what He is willing to do for you? (Students could record their thoughts.)
How can the Holy Ghost increase my capacity to control the desires of my body?
Display the following image and read together Galatians 5:16–17. Invite students to share how this image of a tug-of-war can be used to represent Paul’s message.
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Why do you think there is a struggle between the flesh and the Spirit for all people?
You could read together the following statement by Elder David A. Bednar:
As sons and daughters of God, we have inherited divine capacities from Him. But we presently live in a fallen world. The very elements out of which our bodies were created are by nature fallen and ever subject to the pull of sin, corruption, and death. Consequently, the Fall of Adam and its spiritual and temporal consequences affect us most directly through our physical bodies. (“We Believe in Being Chaste,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2013, 42–43)
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What did you learn from Elder Bednar about the struggle between the flesh and the Spirit?
Consider inviting students to work with a partner. Provide each pair with a piece of paper (or have them use an electronic device). Then have them write two headings on the paper: Fruits of the Spirit and Lusts of the Flesh. Invite students to study Galatians 5:18–26 and list words or phrases under the appropriate heading. (Encourage students to use the “Define” feature in Gospel Library to help them with any words they don’t understand.) Have students discuss with their partners what words or phrases stood out to them and why.
Consider discussing as a class the following questions:
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What can make it difficult to avoid “works of the flesh”? (verse 19).
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According to Paul, how can we conquer the desires of the flesh? (Students could identify a truth like the following: As we walk in the Spirit, we can overcome the temptations of the flesh.)
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What do you think it means to “walk in the Spirit”? (verse 25).
Students could form small groups and then share experiences when they have felt the fruits of the Spirit listed in verses 22–23. Or students could record a recent experience with the Spirit, and you could then invite some students who are willing to share what they wrote.
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How has experiencing the fruits of the Spirit influenced your relationship with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ?
To conclude the activity, you could ask students to consider what they will do to enjoy the fruits of the Spirit more in their lives.
How do I reap what I sow?
You could display the following image and invite some students to share what message they see being represented.
Explain that in Galatians 6, Paul encourages the Saints to walk in the Spirit and help bear each other’s burdens. He then taught a profound lesson using the imagery of planting and harvesting. Point out that Paul used the words sow (plant) and reap (harvest).
Invite students to study Galatians 6:7–10, looking for the lesson Paul taught using the imagery of sowing and reaping.
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What is Paul’s message in verse 7?
You could have students write on the board their own version of Paul’s message. For example: Don’t deceive yourself. God cannot be mocked. What you get out of your life (harvest) is what you put into your life (plant).
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What are some examples of these truths in our daily lives?
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What is the difference between sowing to please the flesh and sowing to please the Spirit?
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What do you think it means to “not be weary in well doing”? (verse 9).
It might be helpful to consider how Jesus Christ is the perfect example of not being weary in doing good.
Give students an opportunity to consider how they can apply the truths they have learned to their lives. One way to do this is to provide students with the handout “Where Are My Thoughts and Actions Leading Me?” and give them time to complete it.