Galatians Study Part Three: 1:11-24
NLT: “11 Dear brothers and sisters, I want you to understand that the gospel message I preach is not based on mere human reasoning. 12 I received my message from no human source, and no one taught me. Instead, I received it by direct revelation from Jesus Christ. 13 You know what I was like when I followed the Jewish religion—how I violently persecuted God’s church. I did my best to destroy it. 14 I was far ahead of my fellow Jews in my zeal for the traditions of my ancestors.
“15 But even before I was born, God chose me and called me by his marvelous grace. Then it pleased him 16 to reveal his Son to me so that I would proclaim the Good News about Jesus to the Gentiles. When this happened, I did not rush out to consult with any human being. 17 Nor did I go up to Jerusalem to consult with those who were apostles before I was. Instead, I went away into Arabia, and later I returned to the city of Damascus.
“18 Then three years later I went to Jerusalem to get to know Peter, and I stayed with him for fifteen days. 19 The only other apostle I met at that time was James, the Lord’s brother. 20 I declare before God that what I am writing to you is not a lie.
“21 After that visit I went north into the provinces of Syria and Cilicia. 22 And still the churches in Christ that are in Judea didn’t know me personally. 23 All they knew was that people were saying, “The one who used to persecute us is now preaching the very faith he tried to destroy!” 24 And they praised God because of me.”
NASB: “11 For I would have you know, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man. 12 For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ.
“13 For you have heard of my former manner of life in Judaism, how I used to persecute the church of God beyond measure and tried to destroy it; 14 and I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries among my countrymen, being more extremely zealous for my ancestral traditions. 15 But when God, who had set me apart even from my mother’s womb and called me through His grace, was pleased 16 to reveal His Son in me so that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with flesh and blood, 17 nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me; but I went away to Arabia, and returned once more to Damascus.
18 Then three years later I went up to Jerusalem to become acquainted with Cephas, and stayed with him fifteen days. 19 But I did not see any other of the apostles except James, the Lord’s brother. 20 (Now in what I am writing to you, I assure you before God that I am not lying.) 21 Then I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia. 22 I was still unknown by sight to the churches of Judea which were in Christ; 23 but only, they kept hearing, “He who once persecuted us is now preaching the faith which he once tried to destroy.” 24 And they were glorifying God because of me.”
This discussion covers the remaining passages in Galatians 1. Why do you think Paul decided to share about his past as he did in this letter? Might it be due to the fact that those who had been throwing the Galatians into confusion were attempting to incorporate following the law as part of the gospel? From what he shared, he shows he was well acquainted with Judaism and its teachings and thus more than capable of speaking about matters of the law. If any apostle was qualified to speak on the law, it was Paul. Since he also was used to following traditions of Judaism, he could understand what the Galatians were facing.
Some may want to read Acts 9 along with this portion of Galatians as it covers Saul’s conversion. He didn’t come to belief in Jesus due to his contact with other believers. Instead, he was converted directly by Jesus when he was on his way to Damascus, on one of his campaigns against Christians. Saul so persecuted believers that when he was first converted, they were very leery of believing him. I can understand that. What better way to bring them down than to pose as a new convert?
Paul shares in verse 11 that the gospel isn’t something he made up. No man taught it to him. It happened through revelation from God, due to his personal encounter with Jesus. You may wish to read Ephesians 3, where Paul writes more about the gospel, grace and faith. Faith is something the Galatians were moving away from as they started following rules. Who needs faith when you can check off a list of rules to be followed? Yet faith and grace are essential to believers.
In Ephesians 3 he shares a wonderful prayer (NLT): “16 I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. 17 Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. 18 And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. 19 May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.”
“And they praised God because of me.” – This verse has stood out to me in the past.
Unfortunately, there are many ministers (& others in leadership roles) that think too highly of themselves. They would be saying something like, “They praised me because of God.”
Paul wasn’t taking all the credit and saying look at me, I am a big new star in the Christian circles! I am the greatest!
Instead, Paul knew very well who caused the change inside of him. It wasn’t due to all the prayers he prayed or all the rules he followed completely. He didn’t try to take the limelight. He always gave the credit & glory to God alone and always pointed people to faith in Christ.
In one of my Bibles, I have a note next to this where I wrote, “nowadays he would have been paraded around the churches!”
It reminds me of when I was in NJ. A friend of mine from the United Pentecostal Church married a man that had been incarcerated in Angola Prison, who had converted in jail to UPCI teachings. Those in the organization paraded him around to various churches to give his testimony. An article even later appeared in one of the UPCI publications. Before you knew it, he held license and was the assistant pastor of a small store front church in northern NJ. Then he had his own home missions church.
But then he ended up getting in trouble with the law again and became incarcerated in the NJ State Prison system. I think much of this has to do with how he was quickly made a star, so to speak, in the UPCI world.
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