Galatians
“Living Free”
Introduction:
Greetings: 1:1-2
Thanksgiving “Grace declared and defined” (verse 4): 1:3-5
Statement of Purpose: 1:6-9
“Why live in a prison without walls?”
Main Teaching: 1:10-6:10
- 1:10-2:21 Revealed Grace
- 1:10-24 Devine demonstration
- 2:1-10 Desired destination
- 2:11-21 Defended declaration
- 3:1-4:31 Reasoned Grace
- 3:1-14 Lessons learned
- 3:15-29 Logic liked
- 4:1-31 Liberty vs legalism
- 5:1-6:10 Responded Grace
- 5:1-12 Practical position
- 5:13-26 Power of performance
- 6:1-10 Practice perfected
Closing: 6:11-18 Dying to Live
Galatians
“Living Free”
Introduction: 1:1-5
“Grace declared and defined”
Intro.
Vs. 1-2a Paul’s ministry
Vs. 2b-3 Paul’s message
Vs. 4-5 Paul’s motive
Intro.
In the span of 30 years which made up Paul’s conversion outside of Damascus and his imprisonment in Rome, he traveled through the Roman empire as an ambassador of Jesus Christ. This included three famous missionary journeys where he preached the gospel and planted churches but he didn’t just leave them he returned to check on them and wrote them letters. Many believe that the earliest letter that he wrote was this one somewhere around 48 AD. This letter is addressed to a people originally from Gaul (present day France) that migrated south, settling in present-day Turkey. The name Galatians is a compound word made up of their ancestry being Gaul’s and their geographical location in the area inhabited by Grecians, hence Gal–atians.
Galatia was not a city but a region 100-175 miles wide east to west by 250 miles long north to south. Although they had been dwelling in this area since before 230 BC when they were conquered by Rome in 189 BC they remained loyal to Rome and were eventually awarded this area. Paul first encountered these people on his first missionary journey when he visited the southern cities of Pisidian Antioch, Iconium, Derbe and Lystra, (Acts 13-14). Julius Caesar reportedly said of the Galatians that they “Were, fickle, fond of change, and not to be trusted.” Something if you have read the account of Luke in Acts 14 Paul could no doubt personally attest to.
In that chapter after Paul healed a lame man in the morning the people worship him and Barnabas as a god in the afternoon only to pick up rocks and leave him for dead outside the city in the evening. That is followed up by Paul going back into the same area preaching the gospel where many come to faith in Christ. Not only were they fickle before they were believers they became fickle afterward as Paul is now addressing those who “having begun in the Spirit were now believing they could be perfected by the works of the flesh” (3:3).
Vs. 1-2a Paul’s ministry
Vs. 1-2 Paul starts with three things about him in the first 5 verses:
- Vs. 1-2 His ministry: He identifies his ministry as an apostle “not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ.”
- Vs. 2-4 His message: His message was and would always be about a person—Jesus Christ.
- Vs. 5 His motive: “To whom be glory forever and ever”. The false teachers were after the praise of man Paul was seeking people to praise God.
When Paul introduces himself in his letters he always does so one of two ways:
- To the Romans, Philippians, Titus and Philemon: He calls himself either a servant or a prisoner of Christ.
- To The Corinthians, Ephesians, Colossians, Galatians, Timothy: He calls himself an apostle.
For the most part the reason for this can be picked up in the overall tone of the letter as those who embraced and welcomed his ministry, he was a servant but to those who challenged his authority he was a person sent out by Jesus Christ. There will always be those opposed to the simplicity of the Gospel according to grace. You can always recognize them despite their many forms because they major in the “Three R’s of religion”: Rules, Regulations and Rituals! The attacks of the religious upon those who desire to “live free” generally follow a three prong attack which can be easily seen in the outline of Paul’s defense in this letter.
- 1:10-2:21 First line of attack is aimed at the messenger: Thus Paul is forced to defend his right to speak the message.
- 3:1-4:31 Second line of attack is aimed at the message: Thus defends the truth of the message, practically, logically, historically then compares what the false teachers taught next to what he taught.
- 5:1-6:10 Third line of attack is aimed at what they believe disproves the message: Thus Paul responds by demonstrating what grace looks like in everyday life.
So Paul states he was “an apostle (not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised Him from the dead). Paul’s enemies were those who said he had no credentials; he wasn’t an eye witness of the resurrection etc. There is nothing in scripture that says that a person’s calling and service can be instilled, educated and passed on by man. The only thing a human institution or organization can do is recognize what God is doing, help equip and encourage those called. Our authority like Paul’s cannot come from the state or school but only from Jesus Christ.
Paul will take the opportunity to share how that was witnessed both in the other apostles as well as in the Church in Jerusalem and was seen on equal footing when Paul corrected Peter when he had been cowered into siding with the legalists. I can’t help but think that the statement “and all the brethren who are with me” also substantiates the truth that others recognized the calling and authority of Jesus upon his life.
Vs. 2-3 Paul’s message
Vs. 2-3 There was a wide difference between North and South Galatia in respect to language, occupation, nationality, and social organization. The northern region of Galatia was made up of small cities and mostly agricultural development. The southern region of Galatia was full of cities and commerce. Paul was in southern Galatia on his first missionary journey (Acts 13:13-14:23), he went through northern Galatia on his second (Acts 16:6) and third (Acts 18:23) missionary journeys.
Paul often linked peace with grace because no one will ever truly know peace until they first experience grace. In his writings he uses the word grace 100 times and among all the other writers of the New Testament, it is only used 55 times. Grace is unmerited favor or “God’s riches at Christ’s expense.” As such we are gifted God’s riches by simply trusting in Christ’s work on our behalf alone. Rules, Regulations and Rituals we don’t need Rules, Regulations and Rituals they offer us nothing, they won’t make us more right with God, they won’t contribute anything to a more productive joyous life. In fact that will rob us from the peace that only grace can provide!
Vs. 4-5 Paul’s motive
Vs. 4-5 Think of verse 4 as a simple definition of grace, a summation of grace if you will. Jesus giving Himself for our sins, that in so doing He might deliver us from the power and penalty of this present evil age. The verb “deliver” strikes the keynote in this letter as the Gospel is a gospel of rescue an; “emancipation from a state of bondage.” The idea behind the word “deliver” is not deliverance from the presence of something, but deliverance from the power of something. And what are we rescued out of? “this present evil age.” We will not be delivered from the presence of this present evil age until we go to be with Jesus. But we can experience deliverance from the power of this present evil age right now. He doesn’t take us out of the world He takes us out of the evil that is in this world! Jesus’ death isn’t just that we would be forgiven from our evil but that having been forgiven we would live a new life amongst those still dwelling in this evil age that we may be living what we are proclaiming that those still held in this evil age may be free!
But why does Paul say “might deliver”? Why the uncertainty of the deliverance?
- Is it because of some lack in Jesus who gave Himself for my sins?
- Is it because my sins may be so great or of such a kind that even His giving of Himself may not be enough to deliver?
Listen carefully: The uncertainty lies not with Christ’s ability or willingness but with our willingness to simply receive His gift. And in receiving His gift we must do so without strings attached, without declaring that we will do better next time, without saying that we will work hard to earn His approval from here on out! The fact remains that many will not receive the gift because they would rather be deserving of it. We humans love to be able to stand on anything no matter how microscopic it may be that says that we have something of value and worth that makes us worthy.
In the movie “Saving Private Ryan” in which eight men lose their lives to return the only surviving brother out of four back to his mother. At the end of the movie Captain Miller on his last breath says to private Ryan, “Earn this. Earn it.” The last scene of the movie is Private Ryan visiting the grave of Captain Miller as an old man and asking his wife, “Tell me I’ve led a good life. Tell me I’m a good man.” Though we may look at that as some motivation to “earn it, to live a good life” no matter how good a life we may live we would never be able to earn Jesus’ gift because it wouldn’t be a gift it would be works. In Romans 5:7-8 Paul wrote, “For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
Don’t be tempted to move too fast when you read the little doxology of Paul’s “to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen” Your see the context of that burst of praise has to do with the gift of Jesus and if we could claim even a smidgen either before or after His sacrifice then we couldn’t say that doxology because we would be able to say some of it had to with us. So we can say this because He alone has delivered us this present evil age, only He could have done that and He could use any of my goodness or work as credit afterward. Wiersbe says, “Galatians is a dangerous book. It exposes the most popular substitute for spiritual living that we have in our churches today——-legalism.” He went on to say, “Millions of believers think they are “spiritual” because of what they don’t do—or because of the leader they follow—-or because of the group they belong to.” “When the Holy Spirit takes over, there will be liberty, not bondage—cooperation, not competition—glory to God, not praise to man.”
Galatians
“Living Free”
Statement of Purpose: 1:6-9
“Why live in a prison without walls?”
Vs. 6-7 No turning away
Vs. 8-9 Double curse
Here Paul shares the reason for the letter and what was keeping him up at night! Some had come to these precious people and perverted the truth about the person and work of Jesus causing them to move away from freedom and back into bondage in a prison without walls. After Paul’s departure folks (Judaizers) came into the region and persuaded the believers to leave a life of freedom and return again back to a life of bondage only this time in a prison without walls and bars. What they taught appealed to them like it appeals to our fallen nature; to be like Private Ryan who tries to earn the sacrifice. It sounds good: “I’ll do good: Go door to door, ride bicycles, wear special underwear, sell magazines, light candles and play with beads. I’ll EARN what God has given me!”
But think of this, if someone gives you a gift and you open your wallet and pay for it is it still a gift? If Someone gives you a gift and you now feel obligated to do something in return to earn what they gave you is it still a gift? Ah but if you, being so blessed by their gift now want to do the same for others because they have demonstrated a sacrificial love then you are not giving to get, you are giving because you have gotten! You are not giving to earn what you have gotten; you are giving because He first gave to you! (1 John 4:19)
Vs. 6-7 No turning away
Vs. 6 This is the only one of Paul’s letters where he omits any praise, prayer, thanksgiving or commendation for the church. Instead it is replaced by amazement which was not that they were merely turning away but that they were doing so soon. To make matters worse their turning was not from an ideology or point of view it was from a Person who gave up His life that they may have life. The phrase is “You are turning away so soon” literally means that they were transferring their allegiance. These Galatians who had only a short time ago willing and joyfully embraced Jesus now we’re not just leaving the team they were joining the opposition! As gentiles they had come to faith in the freedom that only Jesus could offer them but now they believed that it was best that they first became Jews, keep the law, become circumcised and follow regulations, rituals and rules.
These false teachers didn’t deny that you need to follow Jesus (they seldom do); no they said that He wasn’t enough you must let Moses do the rest. To these Judaizers and the Galatian believers, when Jesus said “It is finished” He was wrong it wasn’t really finished you must go the rest of the way on your own. The problem is that you cannot embrace the person of Jesus while rejecting the work and word of Christ. People think that they can do that all the time: Oh they like Jesus, He is a prophet, a teacher, a miracle worker but His sacrifice isn’t enough.
Notice verse 6 carefully as Paul says, “I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him” Then Paul continues in the same sentence by saying, “who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel”. The implications are clear as to what Paul was meaning, “To forsake the gospel is to forsake Jesus in whose gospel it is!” The message and the messenger are inseparable and these Galatians weren’t just turning to a message to “fill in or add too” what they were being told Jesus’ sacrifice lacked. Paul wanted them to know they were rejecting Jesus. And as is always the case when we let go of Jesus or add to Jesus we are not replacing him or adding to Him that which is better we are giving up the best.
Vs. 7 Next notice that Paul tells us three things about this “other gospel” that these Galatians had accepted from the hand of the Judaizers.
- Which is not another: The word Gospel means “good news” and this other gospel that was being received wasn’t good news. The word “another” doesn’t mean of the “same kind but a different emphasis” it means a completely “different” Jesus and gospel. This new message was not of equal or greater value than the gospel of grace. There are folks all the time trying to add to or take away from Jesus. Like the witches brew they add a little Jesus to the “eye of newt” you see these false teachers aren’t opposed to religion.
- But when you take Jesus’ claims and words at face value they exclude that possibility of any human works or effort and this is what offends people. “What do you mean, that my good works are of no value? Do you know how long I’ve been gathering and doing good works?” These false teachers had brought the Galatians a completely different gospel and wrapped in the same paper calling it the same thing but it wasn’t the same in any way. It would be still false if they didn’t bring a “different Jesus” and a “different gospel” but what these Judaizers had done was similar to what Joseph Smith brought in Mormonism. That is always Satan’s method to mix the true Jesus with some false hoods.
Some who trouble you: The word “trouble” in verse 7 is a word that refers to being “sea sick” . These folks were bent upon rocking the Galatians believers boat so much so that they would toss out grace. Martin Luther said, “Heretics don’t advertise their errors”! These false teachers didn’t come out and say that their message was trouble but that is exactly what it was. Notice as well that this false gospel didn’t just come to the Galatians out of thin air it was brought to them by the Judaizers. But why would anyone let go of grace to embrace trouble? The answer is that the Galatians were caught up more in how trouble was delivered than on the fact that it was trouble! That is why churches founded upon a person’s charisma or personality can be dangerous because people are more apt to hear how something is said than what is actually being said. Folks, when you change the gospel you automatically trouble the church, these two go hand in hand!
- To pervert the gospel of Christ: This troubling gospel was really a perversion in that it didn’t start from scratch making a new god and a new savior. Instead it perverted the One they had already embraced as true. It used names, terminology and ideas that were familiar just twisted with a different definition. So these false teachers added too and took away from the good news about Jesus. The gospel of Christ offers us everything but at the cost of our pride as we can’t claim any work of our own and in fact we have to admit that we are helplessly and hopelessly lost.
- It offends our wisdom as God has become a man dying a humiliating death on our behalf.
- It offends our personal experience saying that a dead man, (Jesus Christ) rose from the dead in a glorious body and will never die again.
But though it may offend us it is nonetheless the truth!
Vs. 8-9 Double curse
Vs. 8-9 Finally notice that Paul doesn’t care who brought the false gospel. Even if it is himself, or an angel from heaven, it is to be rejected. Let all of Jesus’ Church be on notice that “The test of a person’s ministry is not popularity, miraculous signs and wonders, but their faithfulness to the Word of God.” The warning couldn’t be plainer: “Do not be persuaded by the messenger ill respective of how spiritual they may seem!” If they alter the message or the person of Jesus in any way they are to be rejected. No amount of special glasses and golden tablets can change the fact that what old Joe taught was a different gospel. I’m not saying that those who have been coerced by the slickness of Joe’s message are to be attacked or avoided, on the contrary they out to be reached as Paul was doing to these Galatians.
Twice in these two verses Paul says that the person or persons who are distorting the person and work of Jesus Christ should not only not be believed ill regardless of who they are they ought to be cut off. Paul is asking for a double curse for any and all who would distort the truth concerning the person and work of Jesus. His love for the lost was such that those who keep themselves and others from being saved he wished them removed. And that double curse included himself if he ever changed the person or work of Christ. Notice that this curse includes angels as well! I’ve noticed that people are very susceptible to outside revelation as the basis of determining if something is true or not. But Paul put up the standard as the Word of God not our human experiences.
Peter wrote in 2 Peter 1:16-19 “we were not making up clever stories when we told you about the power of our Lord Jesus Christ and his coming again. We have seen his majestic splendor with our own eyes. And he received honor and glory from God the Father when God’s glorious, majestic voice called down from heaven, “This is my beloved Son; I am fully pleased with him.” We ourselves heard the voice when we were there with him on the holy mountain. Because of that, we have even greater confidence in the message proclaimed by the prophets.
Pay close attention to what they wrote, for their words are like a light shining in a dark place—until the day Christ appears and his brilliant light shines in your hearts.” Peter had personal experience but he says that of greater value than that is the fulfilled Word of God. So instead of the “burning in the bosom” test take the angelic revelation next to the Word of God and it clearly won’t pass the test.
Saints remember that the devil disrupts the Church as much by error as he does by evil. The ban upon all who preach an opposite gospel than Jesus is universal upon all angelic as well as Paul himself. His zealousness for the good news was even if he were to slip and begin to espouse such lies that he should also be banned. By repeating it twice within two verses Paul does so to show that this wasn’t merely an emotional moment that he lost control of but a calm well thought out statement. These are not the actions of a man-pleaser but a Christ-pleaser. By ending this section this way Paul is saying that what was at stake were not just his views or opinions but the glory of God and the only way of salvation! “I venture to say that if the church cared more for the glory of God and the souls of the lost we too would not tolerate the corruption of the gospel of grace.”
Galatians
“Living Free”
Main Teaching: 1:10-6:10
1:10-12
“Divinely certified”
Vs. 10 Nonconformity
Vs. 11-12 Testing origin
Intro.
We live in a world of conformity, every human attempt at being nonconformists turns into others conforming to their nonconformity. A philosopher once said, “We forfeit ¾ of ourselves in order to be like others.” At the ordination of men for the ministry a bishop was heard praying, “O lord, grant that these brethren never want to be like other people.” Paul’s nonconformity threatened the religious Jews who had converted to Christ. They were quick to point out his nonconformity as a reason why the gospel of grace was not to be believed. Paul declares that his nonconformity was divinely inspired and deliberately followed. The question of authority is always the first attempt at settling a conflict. Imagine watching an Olympic competition where there are no judges or referees, how would a winner be declared? But when we get into religious beliefs most people make their adherence based upon subjective feelings. Paul makes a claim to the Judaizers that the gospel he proclaimed had divine origins but how can we know? What about other religions that claim divine origins? Is the way we determine divine origins of sacred texts based upon the number of followers or the beneficial results of those who follow the truth?
Vs. 10 Nonconformity
Vs. 10 Paul says that their question of authority based upon his nonconformity reveals that he is God’s servant and not a man pleaser. There was no attempt by Paul to alter the message in order to ingratiate himself to the audience and their attack of him was proof. He could either be a servant of Christ or a popularity seeker but with the message of the gospel he couldn’t be both. There are few things more tempting to the servant of Christ as the lure of popularity and many a servant of Christ has been ruined by chasing after it! Paul’s opening statement is that what he preached had nothing to do with trying to get people to believe what he taught, instead he only taught to an audience of One, the Lord. There are two parts to what goes into a message:
- Preparation: This has to do with the study of the text, the work of reading and rereading the passage in the Bible. And Paul says that he did so only to hear from the Lord. One of the best pieces of advice I ever received was, “Never study to teach, always study to learn!” We need to approach our Bible bathed in a threefold prayer:
- Lord, reveal Who you are to me, I’ve come to see you.
- Lord, reveal who I am, how you see me, not the way I see me, or the way I want others to see me but who I really am to You.
- Lord, make me the person you want me to be.
I have spent countless hours in the Word with only that aim, to hear personally from the Holy Spirit through the Word of God so that there may be more of Him and less of me.
- Impartation: The 2nd part of teaching is communication and Paul says, “Or do I seek to please men?” The insinuation was that Paul was pandering to the audience saying things that would tickle their ears. There have always been those that sought to be “famous” instead of “faithful”. Paul says, “For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bound servant of Christ.” There are two things that startle me in this statement:
- “If I still pleased men”: His confession that at one time he did seek to please men instead of Christ. And I believe that is a reference to his activities prior to coming to faith in Jesus.
- “I would not be a bound servant of Christ”: Paul saw these two (pleasing men or being a bound servant of Christ) as mutually exclusive! The word “servant” here means a slave whose life is not their own but belongs entirely to his master. The most important person that needs to be reached today and everyday is me.
Vs. 11-12 Testing origin
Vs. 11 Having defended the way he studied as well as the way he communicated Paul moves to a natural question of origin. You can be 100% faithful in your preparation and impartation but that would be only as good as the material you began with. The phrase “I make known to you” is literally “I certify”. Paul was “certifying” that the saving good news was not to be measured or accounted for by human standards in its origin or development! “What is the origin of Paul’s gospel that it should be considered the standard by which all other messages and opinions should be assessed and judged?” Paul said that though he proclaimed the gospel he was not its author or originator! There are only three possibilities with regards to religious material it is either:
- Invention: Fabricated by the mind
- Tradition: Handed down from person to person
- Revelation: Made known by God
Paul declares that it was neither his invention nor a tradition but that Jesus took him into His classroom. It was not his message, it was God’s message and God’s words! Paul denies three possible origins with regards to the gospel he proclaimed:
- Vs. 11b “Not according to man”: The phrase “according to man” can mean not according to human authority or it can mean not “made up by man” which is probably what Paul is referring to. The cross and resurrection of Jesus do not figure in any man made religion as they always prefer that which flatters their good work and personal goodness.
- Vs. 12a “Neither did I receive it from man”: Not only was it not “made up by man”, Paul says that he did not gather the information being passed down from generation to generation with oral traditions. He is not saying that such teaching is wrong or can’t be trusted, he is simply saying that he didn’t receive the gospel by this method. In fact Paul was passing on the gospel to those that he spoke by this method so clearly he wasn’t speaking against this method.
- Vs. 12b “Nor was I taught it”: The phrase denies instruction as the channel in which he came to possess this truth. This is the normal method which we come to truth and the very one we are using now but nonetheless it was not the way in which Paul himself received the truth of the gospel.
Paul’s declaration with regards to the gospel is that it came to him by way of personal revelation from none other than Jesus Christ himself. This experience can never be our experience with the gospel and is unique. There are many who claim that their message has divine origins but how can we tell? What test can we apply to determine if the message we hear is nothing more than man’s quest for his creator or something worse, his human invention? There is a fourfold test you can apply to determine divine origin:
- Reliability of the text: By studying and comparing the proposed divinely inspired text to other known ancient documents with regards to people, places and events we can see if they are in agreement. Archaeology has consistently confirmed and supported the Biblical record in fact there has never been a single contradiction.
- Continuity of the text: The Bible is unique among every book that has ever been written: Although written over a period of 1600 years by over 60 generations, by more than 40 different human authors, on three different continents, in varying circumstances and situations, in different places and times, in three different languages and communicating on countless subjects it has done so with one voice!
- It is unique in its circulation, being the most published and popular book in human history.
- It is unique in its translation being the most translated book into other human languages in human history.
- It is unique in its survival, having survived time, transcription, persecution and criticism.
- It is unique in its honesty, as it deals with sin and failures of its heroes in a manner unknown among ancient literature.
- Finally it is unique in its influence; it has had the single most influence of any literature in human history upon every culture and society it has been involved in.
- Predictability of the text: Predictive material can be found in passages from Genesis to Revelation. 28% of the Old Testament is predictive and 21% of the New Testament is predictive. Of the 31,123 verses of the Bible 8,352 of them or 27% contain predictive material. As divinely in origin it would have to be 100% accurate in its predictions. The only way that could be possible is if the One who authored it existed outside of time, space and matter. For instance there are over 108 specific prophecies in the Old Testament about the first coming of Jesus and in all 108 we can verify their fulfillment in the New Testament. The odds of all 108 of these being fulfilled by one person are beyond the realm of probability! Another example of this is the prediction of the rise and fall of four world empires (Babylonian, Persian, Grecian and Roman) and all the critics can do is claim that the prophecies were written after the events which can be proven is a false assumption.
- Functionality of the text: The final test is to look at what the divinely originated text does in those who have read it? Applying the multiple variables in the millions of readers, with the different times in which people read the text, their different cultures, social standing, age, ethnicity, geographical locations etc. All those who have trusted the words of this document singularly proclaim to have had the same transforming encounter! Where the text has been applied by each and every individual in the above variables every aspect of their lives has been made better!
Any belief system that proclaims divine origin must be able to stand up to all four of these criteria. If they can’t then they would be only believable by their followers based upon “feelings” alone and not upon facts! Though the critic may still be able to claim that this fourfold test doesn’t prove divine origin it does tell us that such a belief need not be “blind faith”. Instead is a step that is intelligent, informed and can stand continual scrutiny! Friends Christianity is only valid if what Paul says about its divine origins is true. Because what is known about the person and work of Christ is made known in the Bible without the assurance of divine origin we have good morals to live by and lively stories to read but we don’t have absolute truth to follow!
Galatians
“Living Free”
Main Teaching: 1:10-6:10
1:13-24
“Divine demonstration”
Vs. 13-14 The Persecutor
Vs. 15-16b The Believer
Vs. 16c-24 The Preacher
Intro.
Paul set forth that this gospel that he proclaimed didn’t have its source in men but in God but how’s he going to prove it to the Church? The answer was for Paul to share his personal history (the three stages of his life to illustrate the continual power of the gospel for transformation) his condition before his conversion, immediately after his conversion and since his conversion.
Vs. 13-14 The Persecutor
Vs. 13-14 The Persecutor: Paul begins this section of the power of the gospel by retelling his life prior to his encounter with the gospel of Christ. Acts chapters 9, 22 and 26 give this story in greater detail. The story of Paul’s transformation from Christian persecutor to Christ follower was well known especially among the churches he had served and founded as he no doubt shared his testimony. One of (if not THE) most effective evidences of the truth of the resurrection of Jesus is our own personal transformation from as Col. 1:13 says “the power of darkness … us into the kingdom of the Son of His love”. Paul was not seeking a new spiritual truth when he was first confronted by Jesus. He describes his Judaism as “former conduct” and the Greek phrase means “way of life”. Paul says that his Judaism was not just something that he donned on the Sabbath or on holy days, it involved his life 24-7 365 days a year. This was seen in two things:
- The Church: Persecuted and tried to destroy it as he saw it opposed to his way of life.
- Judaism: Advanced beyond many of my contemporaries in my own nation, being more exceedingly zealous for the traditions of my fathers.
Paul mentions this to say that he wasn’t looking for a way out, he was concentrating on a way up and these words set the stage to marvel at the fact that God would save such a sinner as he.
Vs 15-16b The Believer
Vs. 15-16 The believer: Something happened to Saul of Tarsus, “the persecutor” and as we read in Acts chapter 9 the change was not gradual, it was sudden and without warning. He was on his way to Damascus because he had run out of Christians to persecute in Israel and a few days later he was in Damascus proclaiming to the Jews that Jesus is the Christ. How could these Judaizers explain such a transformation? Saul’s conversion was an embarrassment to them so how could these same folks claim that he was an imposter now, they knew the story? What had caused this about face, Paul’s answer is God! He was only preaching the same message that had caused his transformation. Paul reveals five things about his conversion and indirectly every conversion:
- Vs. 15 16 God did it: “It pleased God….” Whenever Paul wrote or spoke of his conversion he always emphasized the fact that God did the work. Paul says that his transformation was not at the pressure of men, nor was it because God lacked something that He believed would be fulfilled in choosing Paul. No, it was because God saw a lost soul that He could lavish his love upon even though his hatred towards His only Son caused him to persecute those who had received the very love that was being offered to him. Paul says that he first received that call from his “mother’s womb.” What an amazing statement as it not only says that such a call had nothing to do with us it also reveals how God sees all of humanity, in need of salvation.
- Vs. 15b By grace: “and called me through His grace”. His salvation like every other salvation was not based upon his effort or character but solely upon God’s. After our birth into this world we are all too quickly ushered into a life of self worth based upon performance. Paul says for him it was: “I persecuted … .tried to destroy…and I advanced in Judaism beyond my contemporaries.” But notice the difference after Paul became a follower of Christ as he writes: “when it pleased God who separated me…and called me through His grace…revealed His Son in me” here the emphasis isn’t upon what Paul had done but upon what God had done! Here then is the amazing truth that all of fallen humanity needs to understand with regards to God’s call: It is certain that God didn’t call us on account of our holy life and goodness and it is equally true that He didn’t NOT call us because of our sinful life. So then what prompted God to call us has nothing to do with what we are or aren’t and everything to do with WHO HE IS! Thus we are called only in His amazing grace.
- Vs. 16a Through Christ: “to reveal His Son in me”. Read this verse very carefully it DOESN’T SAY: That God revealed His son TO me; it says that He revealed His Son IN me. “TO”, would suggest that this revelation was from the outside on the surface. But “IN” tells us this revelation is from the inside out as the Son dwells in us and becomes the habitation of the Holy. In Philip. 3 Paul said that as an unsaved person he had plenty to boast about, religion, self-righteousness, reputation, recognition but none of those mattered because the one thing he didn’t have was the only thing that mattered, he didn’t have Jesus. All of the things that he used to brag about before Christ he now saw as a pile of manure when he compared it to the one thing that he had now, Jesus. As we look at Paul’s life we see the difference that Jesus makes as he was revealed three ways IN, TO and THROUGH Paul.
Vs. 16-24 The Preacher
Vs. 16-24 The preacher: Here we get a glimpse into Paul’s preparation in ministry. First he says he made no personal contacts with the leaders of the movement until 3 years ago. Secondly we note that his education where he received his D.D. (doctorate in the desert). Then he went back to Damascus where instead of just being able to proclaim Jesus as the Christ he could now prove Jesus as the Christ. Next, he did go up to Jerusalem as a tourist not to be questioned and not to question for 15 days. Finally he went back home to Tarsus for as much as 10 years, no doubt sharing Jesus with everyone he could. Dear ones the next time you are going through a “dry spell” consider this that perhaps you are getting your degree as God wants to refresh you in your desert with “Living Water”.
That is what happened to the apostle John when he was on his deserted Island of Patmos and had a fresh unveiling of Jesus Christ, you can read all about it in the 22 chapters of his book called “Revelation”. It wasn’t until three years later that Paul met Peter, and James the half brother of Jesus. What is remarkable about this statement is that one would have expected that a new convert, especially one who had been the foremost persecutor of believers, would have touched base with those he was not aligned with if for no other reason than to make sure he understood the Christian movement, but Paul didn’t do this for three years. This reveals two things:
- That as far as Paul was concerned he knew all he needed to know with regards to the gospel and that no one else could have added anything further.
- That the early church founders didn’t feel the need to examine Paul and didn’t summon him to Jerusalem he came as a tourist on his own accord.
Vs. 16 For others: “among the Gentiles”. God’s calling didn’t just include his salvation; it was to save him in order to use him to reach others. To give us a practical understanding of the difference between “TO” and “IN” Paul goes on to say what this IN was able to do: “That I might preach Him among the Gentiles”. Having Jesus revealed in him was able to produce a transformation so amazing that it was able to change a man who had for his whole life hated Gentiles, preached against Jesus to a man who loved the Gentiles enough that now he preached the One he hated formerly preached against in order to save them. God has a great sense of humor as he chose to use the very man who hated Gentiles to now reach Gentiles. Seeing Paul spend time with Christians’ would have been comparable to seeing Hitler attending a synagogue!
Vs. 24 For His glory: “And they glorified God in me”. Prior to his conversion Paul was up and coming, famous and though he told himself it was for the glory of God in reality it was for his own glory. But afterward his service was with one aim to glorify God and here were these Judaizers now doing just as he had prior to knowing Christ they were doing so as knowing Christ. It seems as though what got Paul’s foot into the door of the churches of Judea was his testimony as all they knew was that “He who formerly persecuted us now preaches the faith he once tried to destroy.”
Though they glorified God for his radical transformation he was to them just a normal follower of Christ and the work to which Paul had been called to wouldn’t develop for another 13 years. And during those years he was not famous; he served in human obscurity as God continued to work his calling in his life.