Hello Friends!
During
this week’s gathering, we’ll continue to work our way
through the book written to the Galatians as we consider the ONE and ONLY saving “salvation” message of “Jesus Christ” as
decreed throughout this excellent Epistle – “Only ONE Gospel!”
Galatians:
Only ONE Gospel! (Chapter 1:18-24)
18 Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and
abode with him fifteen days. 19 But other of the
apostles saw I none, save James the Lord's brother. 20 Now the things which I
write unto you, behold, before God, I lie not. 21 Afterwards I came into
the regions of Syria and Cilicia; 22 And was unknown by face
unto the churches of Judaea which were in Christ: 23 But they had heard only,
That he which persecuted us in times past now preacheth the faith which once he
destroyed. 24 And
they glorified God in me – Galatians
1:18-24
OPENING POINTS TO PONDER: On the road to “Damascus” Paul was SPIRITUALLY blinded and “God”
knocked him down to the ground with a mouthful of dirt! He is then COMMANDED to “preach”
the “gospel” of the “forgiveness”
of “sins” by “faith”
in “Jesus Christ” alone. This amazing message
was “received” by Paul DIRECTLY
from the MOUTH of our Lord
Himself! Beloved, now that’s DIVINE revelation! That was Paul’s personal “calling” unto “eternal
life” with “God”
eternal. Therefore, the Apostle Paul was indeed “called” just like ALL the 12
other “apostles” before him – No HUMAN explanation!
In
the book of Acts Paul gives “us” a snapshot of his “conversion” as he “witnesses”
to “king Agrippa” and his court...
Whereupon, O king Agrippa, I was
not disobedient unto the heavenly vision: But shewed first unto them of
Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judaea, and then
to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for
repentance. For these causes the Jews caught me in the temple, and went about
to kill me. Having therefore obtained help of God, I continue unto this day,
witnessing both to small and great, saying none other things than those which
the prophets and Moses did say should come: That Christ should suffer, and that
he should be the first that should rise from the dead, and should shew light
unto the people, and to the Gentiles – Acts
26:19-23
How
could anyone possibly BELIEVE anything else other than that “God” Himself had INVADED Paul’s life? In a MOMENT
the TRANSFORMATION was totally COMPLETE!
However, there’s still ONE MORE
step in the “Christian life” of the great
Apostle – What happened AFTER Paul’s conversion?
Paul’s POST-CONVERSION
Life!
As
we learned in our previous study, when the Lord “Jesus
Christ” had “called”
Paul, he “immediately”
journeyed into the “wilderness“ somewhere near “Damascus” completely ALONE
without the “other apostles” of “flesh and blood”
before him. And Paul had NOT
at all “conferred”
with the “Christians” in that region.
Rather, he “went into
Arabia, and returned again unto Damascus” as such.
Similarly, Paul needed NO
instructions from them. WHY?
Because he was formally – Taught BY
Jesus Christ!
And
it was on the “road” to “Damascus” that the “light
from heaven” suddenly “shined
round about him” as it literally engulfed “Saul” completely:
And as he
journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a
light from heaven: And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice
saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? And he said, Who art
thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for
thee to kick against the pricks. And he trembling and astonished said, Lord,
what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into
the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do – Acts
9:3-6
Paul
heard the words “I am Jesus whom thou persecutest”
spoken DIRECTLY from the MOUTH of “Jesus
Christ” our Lord. And the ENTIRE
time that Paul was in “Arabia”
itself for those “three years”
what do you think he was doing? He was LEARNING
through powerful PREPARATION for the PREACHING he was POISED
to provide wherever he could find people. For the Apostle Paul – Everything changed!
THEOLOGICAL THOUGHTS: The worst aspect of LEGALISM is that it is first
and foremost
a LIE about “God”
Himself. It is BLASPHEMY and it is SLANDER against the Almighty. It is not
only a WRONG view of God’s “law” itself, but a wrong VIEW of Him. And the DEVISTATING
reality is that it satanically STRIPS
our great “God” of His GLORY!
This is the WORST possible thing
that any “false teacher” could “teach” unto others. WHY?
Because this specific heresy FAILS
to rightly ACKNOWLEDGE that “God” Himself is “loving”
and “gracious” to us. Therefore, when a certain
“someone” come along and claims that “God will give you His grace, mercy and forgiveness”
but THEN in turn INSISTS
that you MUST DO
a particular “this or that”
they have just DIMINISHED the amazing – GRACE of God!
CONTEXTUAL COMMENTS: It is also IMPORTANT
to note that the “Mosaic law” is NOT being referred to here
in this excellent epistle. Rather, it is reminiscent of what is called the “halakah“ or the body of Jewish “oral law“ which grew up around the “Torah” from “God”
like a fickle fence made up of practical, ethical
and technical
fleshly LAWS of MAN. And once upon a time, Paul too
was super-zealous
for all of this meaningless minutia of which was NOT
found ANYWHERE in the “Scripture” but was later ADDED as an addendum to everything
else that HAD been rightly “received” from the ONE
and ONLY true “God”
Himself – LOOMINOUS Laws of Man!
Then
Paul continues
to SHARE his wonderful “conversion”
testimony:
Then
after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and abode with him
fifteen days. But other of the apostles
saw I none, save James the Lord's brother – Galatians 1:18-19
QUIZZING QUESTIONS: WHY was Paul in “Arabia” for these “three years” between his TWO visits to “Damascus”
itself? And HOW many “years” had the “twelve
disciples” been with “Jesus Christ”
our Lord? For THREE YEARS! Thus, this time period of “three years”
represents Paul’s private, personal tutorial with “Jesus Christ” in his own terrific TRAINING course! Therefore, it is no
wonder that the richness of Paul’s “theology”
and “doctrine” requires fourteen books of
the New Testament to CAPTURE
and CONVEY God’s TRUTH
to “us” today! The Apostle Paul indeed INVESTED much of his “life” receiving these DIRECT
and DIVINE God-inspired “revelations”
of which was “given” to him BY God in “Jesus
Christ” Himself through the “writing”
of these AMAZING Biblical books –
Praise the Lord!
BIBLICAL BACKGROUND: Paul spent those “three
years” in the “wilderness”
and only AFTER that did he go
unto “Jerusalem” to become
acquainted with “Peter” and “James” alike. WHY?
Because “Peter” was the great “preacher” in the early “church” and “James”
was the “Lord’s” half-“brother” in the flesh and LEADER of the “Jerusalem
Counsel” itself. And besides that, Paul couldn’t get acquainted
with the other “apostles” before him. WHY? Because they were understandably AFRAID of
him! Eventually, “Barnabas” had “accompanied” Paul to meet them where he “boldly preaches” in the city of “Jerusalem” as led by the Lord. Again, Paul
was NOT actually
“learning” any “doctrine”
at this time. WHY? Because as
soon as he arrived he “began preaching”
the “gospel” of “God”
so POWERFULLY and
BOLDY that
his ENEMIES attempted
to actually KILL him! However, the “apostles”
and “disciples” of “Jesus
Christ” grabbed him, rushed him to “Caesarea”
on a boat and back again to his home town. And that is where – The book of GALATIANS begins!
Next
Paul makes a brief common type of “Jewish”
vow concerning the “things”
of “God” Almighty of which he “writes” unto this
flock:
Now the
things which I write unto you, behold, before God, I lie not – Galatians 1:20
It’s always DIFFICULT for Paul
when he has to say “before God, I lie not” at all. WHY? Because someone is ALWAYS accusing him of “lying” about his God-given APOSTLESHIP and AUTHORITY.
But the TRUTH is, they
are the
licentious – LIARS!
Then
“afterwards” Paul
arrived in “Syria”
and “Cilicia”
where there might have been other “churches”
around. However, no one even knew him PERSONALLY but only by his “religious” rank REPUTATION:
Afterwards
I came into the regions of Syria and Cilicia; And was unknown by face unto the churches of Judaea which were in
Christ: But they had heard only, That he which
persecuted us in times past now preacheth the faith which once he destroyed – Galatians 1:21-23
POIGNANT POINT: Here in this poignant
passage Paul is giving every possible biographical argument
against the notion that he had “learned”
this “gospel” from some OTHER source than from the MOUTH of our Lord Himself. Absolutely NOTHING
in Paul’s biography has room for him to be “taught”
by “men.” And how LONG
did Paul “stay” there? For the
Biblical ANSWER, take a
sneak-peak at the NEXT chapter:
Then fourteen
years after I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, and took Titus with me
also… – Galatians 2:1
At this point in our wonderful
study, Paul is still not connected to the “leaders” in “Jerusalem”
nor is he “receiving” his “message” from them in ANY fashion. And WHAT
was Paul DOING during these “fourteen years” of his “ministry” time? He had “preached” in that part of the world and
therefore – Paul speaks FOR God!
And
in the New Testament book of 2 Peter a most remarkable
statement is made as Peter refers to our “beloved brother
Paul” and the “wisdom given
unto him” by “God”
in kind:
And account that the
longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also
according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you; As also in all
his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to
be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do
also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction – 2 Peter
3:15-16
WHAT did Peter just say Paul wrote? Scripture!
And ALL of Paul’s “writings”
belong right alongside ALL
of “prophecy” found throughout Holy “Scripture” given by “inspiration”
of the “Holy Ghost” Himself:
Knowing this first, that no
prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not
in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by
the Holy Ghost– 2 Peter 1:20-21
Finally,
Paul makes this great “glorious”
statement to the GLORY of “God” Himself:
And they
glorified God in me – Galatians
1:24
And
with THAT wonderfully rich closing remark… Let
ALL the “church” of “God” say – AMEN!
In closing:
Many
people within professing Christendom “believes”
that Paul had “preached” a “different gospel” than the “other apostles” of “Jesus
Christ” Himself. But WHAT did “Jesus Christ”
our Lord REALLY tenaciously “teach” concerning the ONLY
wonderful “way of salvation” as such?
Is it BY God’s GRACE alone
through FAITH alone or are there OTHER necessary works, morality or religious
writ to QUALIFY a LOST
wicked “sinner” to receive “salvation” from “God”
Himself? Or can one simply “come”
as a bare naked “sinner” having accomplished
absolutely NOTHING that gains false “favor” with “God”
and thus be “saved” from their stark DESPARATE spiritual
condition? – The LATTER is TRUE!
This
is the essence of Roman Catholicism and ANY OTHER
man-centered “ism” or “schism’s” dark DEFINITION of our great “God”
of which DEMANDS something as
such: “You’d better DO some good works. But
don’t GO directly God because He is much too harsh and Jesus Christ is
way too tough… Go to Mary instead!”
That
kind of NONSENSE is satanic SLANDER against our great “God”
and His NATURE as being all-loving and all-gracious
and all-merciful.
In fact, “God” absolutely “hates” looming LEGALISM
of man. WHY? Because it FAILS to
rightly “acknowledge” the GREATNESS of
His great GRACE!
In fact, getting the “gospel”
absolutely CORRECT is not only ESSENTIAL for
the sake of the “sinner” being “saved” from “spiritual
death” as such. It is the eternal ESSENCE of TRUE Biblical “worship”
of “God” Himself. Therefore, Paul is
diligently DEFENDING the amazing – ONE and ONLY Gospel of GOD!
REAL REFLECTIONS: Beloved, may God give US the courage and boldness
to “contend earnestly for the faith”
that was signed, sealed and delivered
some – 2000 years ago…
Beloved,
when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was
needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly
contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints – Jude 3
Praise the Lord Jesus Christ!
With
this information as a foundation for your personal studies, please read through verses 18-24 in the first chapter of
the excellent book to the Galatians.
We are not guaranteed tomorrow – tomorrow may be too late! If you haven't yet made that most important decision of your life, won't you make Jesus Christ your personal Lord and Savior today - before it's too late? Today is the day of Salvation!
If you have been blessed by this message or have a specific question, prayer request or testimony, please send me a note to: encouragingconcepts@live.com
I love hearing from you. Keep reading Encouraging Concepts!
Blessings!
Shane K. Morin <><
Encouraging Concepts
Truth for Today
"Living Life From a Biblical Worldview"Lighthouse Publications <><
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