"Then after three years, I went up to Jerusalem to get acquainted with Peter and stayed with him fifteen days." (NIV)
Paul didn't return to discuss the gospel until he had had sufficient time to analyze the scriptures and develop his own theology under God's influence. After he had determined for himself that the message of Christ was true, then he went to the disciples to present his knowledge of the gospel to them and match it up against their message. When he was sure that the gospel he had received was exactly the message God had intended, he immediately began preaching alongside the other apostles (Acts 9:19b-20). Paul realized that fellowship is necessary in order to keep one another in line with the message being preached (shown later in Galatians 2), and he wanted to be positive that the apostles' message was the same God-given news he had received. He spent fifteen days with the apostles, learning their interpretations of the gospel and hearing their eyewitness accounts of Jesus' life.
The proportion of time Paul spent meditating on the scriptures, on his own and with his brothers in Christ, is a good model of what our time with the Lord should be like. Paul spent three years alone with God, then spent fifteen days with the apostles. Similarly, while we spend Sunday (and in my case, Monday and Wednesday) hearing someone else preach, we should spend the rest of our time in the Word on our own. We, like the Bereans, should be so familiar with the scriptures that we can immediately dispute anything that is contrary to the Bible. That way if something comes up in church that does not agree with scriptures, we can dismiss it as faulty human interpretation and not something from God. And in the same way, if a new interpretation comes up that stands the test of the gospel, we can praise God for His consistency and His amazing vastness that allows us to continually learn more about Him without growing bored.
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Galatians 1:17
"—nor did I go up to Jerusalem to see those who were apostles before I was, but I went immediately into Arabia and later returned to Damascus." (NIV)
Rather than going to meet the other apostles to have them explain to him what had happened, Paul went out into the desert, just like Jesus did in Mark 1:12-13. Like Jesus did in Mark 1:35, Paul went off on his own, and, using his own knowledge of the Scriptures (with God's guiding wisdom and understanding), he discerned for himself whether or not the message of Christ was true. After he had come to a conclusion, he then returned to Damascus before meeting the other apostles.
Like Paul, the Bereans in Acts 17:10-15 examined the Scriptures closely before making their decision, rather than simply accepting the words of famous men, and they were commended for it. We should do the same, always picking apart the words of the Bible to determine our own God-given understanding of the gospel. We need to own our faith and not just be genetic Christians (Christians by heredity: because our parents are Christians). Paul set a great example for us to follow, and we would do well to follow that example. god clearly knew exactly what He was doing when He chose Paul to preach to the Gentiles.
Rather than going to meet the other apostles to have them explain to him what had happened, Paul went out into the desert, just like Jesus did in Mark 1:12-13. Like Jesus did in Mark 1:35, Paul went off on his own, and, using his own knowledge of the Scriptures (with God's guiding wisdom and understanding), he discerned for himself whether or not the message of Christ was true. After he had come to a conclusion, he then returned to Damascus before meeting the other apostles.
Like Paul, the Bereans in Acts 17:10-15 examined the Scriptures closely before making their decision, rather than simply accepting the words of famous men, and they were commended for it. We should do the same, always picking apart the words of the Bible to determine our own God-given understanding of the gospel. We need to own our faith and not just be genetic Christians (Christians by heredity: because our parents are Christians). Paul set a great example for us to follow, and we would do well to follow that example. god clearly knew exactly what He was doing when He chose Paul to preach to the Gentiles.
Galatians 1:15-16
"But when God, who set me apart from birth and called me by His grace, was pleased to reveal His Son in me so that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not consult any man—" (NIV)
The Jews believed that they were God's chosen people, "set apart from birth," so when Paul makes the same claim about his apostleship, he is making a bold statement. But he makes sure to give all the glory to God by adding that he was chosen by God's grace, not because of anything he had done (Ephesians 2:8-9).
Then he continues: not only did God choose Paul to be His missionary to the Gentiles, but He was pleased for it to be so. He chose His fiercest persecutor to shine His light through him and to reveal Himself to the Gentiles.
This is a very important point to remember: Paul was a Pharisee (while he was still Saul, prior to his conversion). He believed just as strongly as any Jew that only Jews (and those who converted to Judaism) were God's people. So for Paul to go out preaching to pagans was to go against everything the Pharisees believed. And he wasn't just a missionary who gathered a handful of Gentiles along with his primarily Jewish followers; he was THE apostle to the Gentiles. That was his purpose, his calling: to go against the customs of the Pharisees and share the gospel with the Gentiles. And God was pleased to send this Pharisee of Pharisees out to spread the name of Jesus around the world.
When Paul encountered Christ on the road to Damascus, was blinded by light, and was later given his sight back, he did not go to the Pharisees to discuss what had happened. Doing so would have shown him to still be a selfish man, looking out for what would put him in a better position among the people. We see in verse 17 what he did instead.
The Jews believed that they were God's chosen people, "set apart from birth," so when Paul makes the same claim about his apostleship, he is making a bold statement. But he makes sure to give all the glory to God by adding that he was chosen by God's grace, not because of anything he had done (Ephesians 2:8-9).
Then he continues: not only did God choose Paul to be His missionary to the Gentiles, but He was pleased for it to be so. He chose His fiercest persecutor to shine His light through him and to reveal Himself to the Gentiles.
This is a very important point to remember: Paul was a Pharisee (while he was still Saul, prior to his conversion). He believed just as strongly as any Jew that only Jews (and those who converted to Judaism) were God's people. So for Paul to go out preaching to pagans was to go against everything the Pharisees believed. And he wasn't just a missionary who gathered a handful of Gentiles along with his primarily Jewish followers; he was THE apostle to the Gentiles. That was his purpose, his calling: to go against the customs of the Pharisees and share the gospel with the Gentiles. And God was pleased to send this Pharisee of Pharisees out to spread the name of Jesus around the world.
When Paul encountered Christ on the road to Damascus, was blinded by light, and was later given his sight back, he did not go to the Pharisees to discuss what had happened. Doing so would have shown him to still be a selfish man, looking out for what would put him in a better position among the people. We see in verse 17 what he did instead.
Additional Notes - Galatians 1:1-9
v. 1) John 17:14-18 says that we are to be in the world but not of it. In the same way, when Paul says that he has not been sent from men, he is saying that he has been transformed and is no longer a man of the world but a disciple of God. As Paul says in Philippians 3:20, "[Our] citizenship is in heaven."
v. 2) The fact that "the brothers" trusted Paul enough to follow him despite his life prior to his encounter with Christ proves that there was a miraculous change in his life. "The brothers" would not be with Paul if they expected persecution from him.
v. 3) Paul uses the words "grace" and "peace" here to remind the Galatians of how they should respond to their salvation. Grace is a gift given that is undeserved. Obviously, nobody deserves eternal life because no one is righteous; yet God gave us the free gift of salvation anyway. Paul reminds the Galatians of that fact. Then he assures them that they should have peace: certainty that their salvation is guaranteed. Peace can also take on the connotation of joy in that, if our peace/joy is in Christ, nothing can take it away.
v. 4) Jesus never drew upon His identity as God in the flesh, but He did everything out of pure devotion to God. Philippians 2:6-8 says, "[Jesus], being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made Himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross!"
Jesus did not draw upon His power as God to give Him the willpower to die on the cross. He simply prayed for strength to do so, and God answered His Son's prayer. Jesus was then able to give Himself up on the cross as a Man. He died a real human death. And He was happy to do it for us.
v. 6) [By] the grace of Christ—" Again we see that we have been given a gift we don't deserve. But the Galatians turned down the gift. They deserted (NIV), or turned traitor to (MSG), Christ. They were just as bad as the prodigal son (Luke 15:11-32), taking the gift, wasting it, and betraying his father. But we often do the same, dragging the cross through the mud. Thank God there's forgiveness and sanctification!
v. 8-9) Mark 9:42 sums this passage up perfectly: "And if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a large millstone tied around his neck."
v. 2) The fact that "the brothers" trusted Paul enough to follow him despite his life prior to his encounter with Christ proves that there was a miraculous change in his life. "The brothers" would not be with Paul if they expected persecution from him.
v. 3) Paul uses the words "grace" and "peace" here to remind the Galatians of how they should respond to their salvation. Grace is a gift given that is undeserved. Obviously, nobody deserves eternal life because no one is righteous; yet God gave us the free gift of salvation anyway. Paul reminds the Galatians of that fact. Then he assures them that they should have peace: certainty that their salvation is guaranteed. Peace can also take on the connotation of joy in that, if our peace/joy is in Christ, nothing can take it away.
v. 4) Jesus never drew upon His identity as God in the flesh, but He did everything out of pure devotion to God. Philippians 2:6-8 says, "[Jesus], being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made Himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross!"
Jesus did not draw upon His power as God to give Him the willpower to die on the cross. He simply prayed for strength to do so, and God answered His Son's prayer. Jesus was then able to give Himself up on the cross as a Man. He died a real human death. And He was happy to do it for us.
v. 6) [By] the grace of Christ—" Again we see that we have been given a gift we don't deserve. But the Galatians turned down the gift. They deserted (NIV), or turned traitor to (MSG), Christ. They were just as bad as the prodigal son (Luke 15:11-32), taking the gift, wasting it, and betraying his father. But we often do the same, dragging the cross through the mud. Thank God there's forgiveness and sanctification!
v. 8-9) Mark 9:42 sums this passage up perfectly: "And if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a large millstone tied around his neck."
Monday, September 27, 2010
Galatians 1:14
"I was advancing in Judaism beyond many Jews of my own age and was extremely zealous for the traditions of my fathers." (NIV)
Here Paul refers back to verse 12. "I was advancing in Judaism beyond many Jews of my own age—" This section has the word 'school' stamped all over it. Paul was "advancing in Judaism"— The wording here makes it sound like Judaism is a class, of which Paul is the Valedictorian. Now look back at verse 12: "—nor was I taught it—" If the gospel could have been taught by mere mortal man, Paul would have been the first to learn it. Yet he was the last of the apostles.
Then Paul says, "[I] was extremely zealous for the traditions of my fathers." But the Message translation of verse 12 says, "I didn't receive it through the traditions—" Again, Paul is making it perfectly obvious where he didn't get the gospel from.
Here Paul refers back to verse 12. "I was advancing in Judaism beyond many Jews of my own age—" This section has the word 'school' stamped all over it. Paul was "advancing in Judaism"— The wording here makes it sound like Judaism is a class, of which Paul is the Valedictorian. Now look back at verse 12: "—nor was I taught it—" If the gospel could have been taught by mere mortal man, Paul would have been the first to learn it. Yet he was the last of the apostles.
Then Paul says, "[I] was extremely zealous for the traditions of my fathers." But the Message translation of verse 12 says, "I didn't receive it through the traditions—" Again, Paul is making it perfectly obvious where he didn't get the gospel from.
Galatians 1:13
"For you have heard of my previous way of life in Judaism, how intensely I persecuted the church of God and tried to destroy it." (NIV)
These next five verses refer back to the previous three. Verse 13 refers specifically to verse 10 in saying that Paul's former way of life was a life of pleasing himself as a Pharisee and pleasing the masses. If he had continued to be a slave to his own pleasure, he would have continued in his self-glorifying ways as a Pharisee. But clearly he gave up that life in favor of a more rewarding one in Christ. Thus, we have the Pauline letters that make up half of the New Testament.
In this verse Paul makes sure the Galatians have no doubt whatsoever as to who he was before his encounter with Christ and his introduction to the gospel in order to prove the miraculous nature of his conversion.
These next five verses refer back to the previous three. Verse 13 refers specifically to verse 10 in saying that Paul's former way of life was a life of pleasing himself as a Pharisee and pleasing the masses. If he had continued to be a slave to his own pleasure, he would have continued in his self-glorifying ways as a Pharisee. But clearly he gave up that life in favor of a more rewarding one in Christ. Thus, we have the Pauline letters that make up half of the New Testament.
In this verse Paul makes sure the Galatians have no doubt whatsoever as to who he was before his encounter with Christ and his introduction to the gospel in order to prove the miraculous nature of his conversion.
Friday, September 24, 2010
Galatians 1:12
"I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ." (NIV)
"I didn't receive it through the traditions, and I wasn't taught it in some school. I got it straight from God, received the Message directly from Jesus Christ." (MSG)
Paul reinforces here that the gospel is not, and cannot be, an invention of man. It is obviously not something Paul picked up from tradition. The Pharisees were the biggest practitioners of tradition, and Paul (then Saul) was one of them. Yet the Pharisees rejected Jesus as the Messiah. And if the gospel could have been learned solely by observing the Scriptures and examining every excruciating detail, then the Pharisees would have realized that Jesus was the Christ. They would have studied the Scriptures and associated the Messianic prophecies with the life of Jesus. So clearly, since the Pharisees refused to accept the fact that Jesus was (and is) the Messiah, the gospel could not have been learned or passed on through Jewish tradition.
If anyone were to take the academic approach to proving Jesus' identity as the Christ, Paul would have been the one to do it and succeed. But he was one of Christianity's fiercest opponents. It took a miracle of God, an encounter with Jesus Himself, to connect the dots in Paul's heart and mind, to make him realize the truth in the apostles' preaching. He did not examine the Scriptures and suddenly think, "Hey, that Jesus guy fulfilled a lot of the Messianic prophecies. Maybe those Christian nutcases are on to something." No, he came to the conclusion that Jesus is God when Christ revealed Himself to him in a blinding light with a booming voice. There was no adding things up. The answer just came to him. It was a moment of God-inspired intuition. And because God is the ultimate authority, pure Truth, Paul's testimony must also be true. There is no falsehood in his words to the Galatians.
"I didn't receive it through the traditions, and I wasn't taught it in some school. I got it straight from God, received the Message directly from Jesus Christ." (MSG)
Paul reinforces here that the gospel is not, and cannot be, an invention of man. It is obviously not something Paul picked up from tradition. The Pharisees were the biggest practitioners of tradition, and Paul (then Saul) was one of them. Yet the Pharisees rejected Jesus as the Messiah. And if the gospel could have been learned solely by observing the Scriptures and examining every excruciating detail, then the Pharisees would have realized that Jesus was the Christ. They would have studied the Scriptures and associated the Messianic prophecies with the life of Jesus. So clearly, since the Pharisees refused to accept the fact that Jesus was (and is) the Messiah, the gospel could not have been learned or passed on through Jewish tradition.
If anyone were to take the academic approach to proving Jesus' identity as the Christ, Paul would have been the one to do it and succeed. But he was one of Christianity's fiercest opponents. It took a miracle of God, an encounter with Jesus Himself, to connect the dots in Paul's heart and mind, to make him realize the truth in the apostles' preaching. He did not examine the Scriptures and suddenly think, "Hey, that Jesus guy fulfilled a lot of the Messianic prophecies. Maybe those Christian nutcases are on to something." No, he came to the conclusion that Jesus is God when Christ revealed Himself to him in a blinding light with a booming voice. There was no adding things up. The answer just came to him. It was a moment of God-inspired intuition. And because God is the ultimate authority, pure Truth, Paul's testimony must also be true. There is no falsehood in his words to the Galatians.
Galatians 1:11
"I want you to know, brothers, that the gospel I preached is not something that man made up." (NIV)
After Paul calls out the Galatians for being so fickle, he gets straight to the point and begins defending his reasons for preaching what he preached and why the Galatians should accept it as truth.
He begins by stating simply that the gospel was not an idea thought up by humans. As the Message puts it, "—this great Message I delivered to you is not mere human optimism." The gospel is not some fairy tale a random guy thought up to make people feel good and give them false hope. It is 100% true.
Pay attention to the way Paul begins this sentence:
After Paul calls out the Galatians for being so fickle, he gets straight to the point and begins defending his reasons for preaching what he preached and why the Galatians should accept it as truth.
He begins by stating simply that the gospel was not an idea thought up by humans. As the Message puts it, "—this great Message I delivered to you is not mere human optimism." The gospel is not some fairy tale a random guy thought up to make people feel good and give them false hope. It is 100% true.
Pay attention to the way Paul begins this sentence:
"I want you to know, brothers—" (NIV)
"For I would have you know, brother—" (ESV)
"Know this—I am most emphatic here, friends—" (MSG)
In all of these translations, Paul uses the word "know." He wants the Galatians to have confidence in what they have heard from the apostles, to be certain that their testimony is true. He does not say, "I want you to believe with all your heart—" The term "belief" implies a possibility of falsehood. I could believe wholeheartedly that I have 20/20 vision, but that wouldn't help me read my professor's notes on the whiteboard at the front of the room without my glasses. Paul seeks to eliminate any and all uncertainty that what he originally preached to the Galatians was the truth. He wants them to have no doubt in their hearts and minds about the sufficiency of Christ alone.
"For I would have you know, brother—" (ESV)
"Know this—I am most emphatic here, friends—" (MSG)
In all of these translations, Paul uses the word "know." He wants the Galatians to have confidence in what they have heard from the apostles, to be certain that their testimony is true. He does not say, "I want you to believe with all your heart—" The term "belief" implies a possibility of falsehood. I could believe wholeheartedly that I have 20/20 vision, but that wouldn't help me read my professor's notes on the whiteboard at the front of the room without my glasses. Paul seeks to eliminate any and all uncertainty that what he originally preached to the Galatians was the truth. He wants them to have no doubt in their hearts and minds about the sufficiency of Christ alone.
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Galatians 1:10
"Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ." (NIV)
This is the story of Paul's life in a nutshell. Paul spent the early part of his life serving himself and seeking the approval of the Pharisees by persecuting Christians. But then he encountered Christ and turned his life around. He no longer serves men, but God. A quote I like, though I am unfamiliar with the source, says, "People will think we are ruined if we live out the gospel. There is no higher calling than to be ruined for the gospel." Being a Christian is not a decision for physical well-being. It is an invitation for suffering. And it is with this knowledge that Paul boldly proclaims that only as a servant of God is he able and willing to accept that challenge. It's not a socially acceptable choice, but it's the best choice. ("Man" (ESV) can also be interpreted here as "flesh" or "sinful nature." We cannot serve both God and our flesh.)
This is the story of Paul's life in a nutshell. Paul spent the early part of his life serving himself and seeking the approval of the Pharisees by persecuting Christians. But then he encountered Christ and turned his life around. He no longer serves men, but God. A quote I like, though I am unfamiliar with the source, says, "People will think we are ruined if we live out the gospel. There is no higher calling than to be ruined for the gospel." Being a Christian is not a decision for physical well-being. It is an invitation for suffering. And it is with this knowledge that Paul boldly proclaims that only as a servant of God is he able and willing to accept that challenge. It's not a socially acceptable choice, but it's the best choice. ("Man" (ESV) can also be interpreted here as "flesh" or "sinful nature." We cannot serve both God and our flesh.)
Galatians 1:8-9
"But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned! As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned!" (NIV)
Here Paul gives an excellent description of Christ. He does not say it point blank, but the message is there: "Jesus is the same yesterday and today and forever" (Hebrews 13:8). People change, but the gospel is always constant, never changing. So if anyone teaches anything other than the original gospel, that person is a liar, a deceiver. This statement is so important that Paul feels the need to reemphasize that if anyone, even one of the apostles, tries to teach a different gospel, he is not to be trusted.
It's interesting to me how Paul says verse 9a: "As we have already said, so now I say again—" It sounds to me like "all the brothers with [Paul]" (v.2) warned the Galatians against accepting false gospels the first time they visited them, and now Paul is repeating the warning, reaffirming his belief that the gospel is always the same, no matter what anyone says.
And it's amazing that Paul mentions angels in this passage. Any angel preaching a false gospel is not from God, but from Satan. "And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness. their end will be what their actions deserve" (2 Corinthians 11:14-15). This is clearly a warning against Mormonism, among other religions... nearly 2000 years before they emerged! This warning must be from God Himself, as we can see now, because no mere human could have predicted such a thing.
Here Paul gives an excellent description of Christ. He does not say it point blank, but the message is there: "Jesus is the same yesterday and today and forever" (Hebrews 13:8). People change, but the gospel is always constant, never changing. So if anyone teaches anything other than the original gospel, that person is a liar, a deceiver. This statement is so important that Paul feels the need to reemphasize that if anyone, even one of the apostles, tries to teach a different gospel, he is not to be trusted.
It's interesting to me how Paul says verse 9a: "As we have already said, so now I say again—" It sounds to me like "all the brothers with [Paul]" (v.2) warned the Galatians against accepting false gospels the first time they visited them, and now Paul is repeating the warning, reaffirming his belief that the gospel is always the same, no matter what anyone says.
And it's amazing that Paul mentions angels in this passage. Any angel preaching a false gospel is not from God, but from Satan. "And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness. their end will be what their actions deserve" (2 Corinthians 11:14-15). This is clearly a warning against Mormonism, among other religions... nearly 2000 years before they emerged! This warning must be from God Himself, as we can see now, because no mere human could have predicted such a thing.
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