Galatians 1:18-24 says,...
Today's verses are Galatians 1:18-24, which read,
v.18-20 - Then three years later I went up to Jerusalem to become acquainted with Cephas, and stayed with him fifteen days. But I did not see any other of the apostles except James, the Lord's brother. (Now in what I am writing to you, I assure you before God that I am not lying.)
This is pretty fascinating. Paul is continuing on with his conversion story. He realizes that he was chosen by God in His mother's womb; he was called by God through the salvation offered by Jesus on the Damascus road; he was commissioned by God to go the Gentiles with the gospel message; and then he was coached (taught) by God in the desert outside of Damascus. Hmmm... 3 years of training and Jesus was with the disciples for 3 years. I wonder if Paul thought that if Jesus was in public ministry of disciplining the disciples for 3 years that he did the same being coached by God for the same time period. (All my own thoughts in that last statement.)
Paul then journeys to Jerusalem after these 3 years and meets with the first disciple of all the listings of the disciples, Peter (Cephas). Peter was leader of the group and preached the first sermon on the Day of Pentecost. Paul also met with James who was the half-brother of Jesus who wrote the book of James and also lead the Christian church in Jerusalem. These are two very important men in the life of the first century church.
Paul also gives us some information that lets us know that some have been accusing him of lying about things. The enemy was trying to discredit what Paul was saying. There definitely was opposition to his sharing of the faith.
v.21-23 - Then I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia. I was still unknown by sight to the churches of Judea which were in Christ; but only, they kept hearing, "He who once persecuted us is now preaching the faith which he once tried to destroy."
After Paul's meeting with Peter and James in Jerusalem, he headed to the area of Syria and Cilicia. The main towns would have been Tarsus and Antioch. He was away from the capital city of Jerusalem and the region of Judea. They didn't even know him by sight but they were hearing about what was going on in the northern region. A revival had broken out and at the lead was a man named Paul who was preaching about a faith that can take you from opposition of Christ to proclamation of Christ.
Other passages will tell us that Barnabas is sent up from Jerusalem to check this out and he partnered up with Paul to lead the church in Antioch. Growing up in the church I never knew all this about Paul. I made the jump from his conversion on the Damascus road right to his first missionary journey with Barnabas. There was three years of training, followed by an ordination of some sorts with Peter and James, elders of the first century church; an appointment to the northern region of Israel to spread the gospel with enough time for the news to get to Jerusalem that something great was happening in the north; and then a partnering with Barnabas that would lead to heading out farther with the gospel to the known world.
v.24 - And they were glorifying God because of me.
The message that Paul was giving did not glorify himself but it glorified God. People were be saved to Christ and in Christ and not to Paul or in Paul.
I think we may always remember the person who told us about Jesus at the time that we made a decision by faith to follow Him. Mine was a traveling evangelist named Lane Loman. I had grown up in the church and had been apart of all the programs offered like Sunday School and Youth Group. My teachers and the pastors of the church were faithful to the Bible in word and deed. It was Kid's Klub every week in that little church. I walked away with a knowledge of the Bible that I now realize was far beyond what others get. Jesus was a household name in the Wolfgang home. We prayed at meals; we sang His songs; and we celebrated His birth and death and resurrection every year.
But on a certain Thursday night when I was 11 years old, sitting in the side area of the church, I listened to this traveling evangelist talk about a Jesus I already knew by the facts but did not know with my whole heart that I would surrender my life and my will to follow His life and His will. I am ever so thankful for that church bringing in that young man and sharing his passion about God. The point is that I remember Lane Loman but I follow Jesus Christ. God used that man to reach out to me so I could follow Jesus.
God will use us to proclaim His name and He will place us in places where we will have the opportunity to be at that moment when someone makes a decision by faith to answer the call of God. They will probably never forget you. You are a part of their conversion story. How humbling to know that God used you to help them see Him so they can glorify Him with their lives.
"Lord, please give me more opportunities to proclaim You to those who don't know You or even to those who know You in their head but not in their heart. I am humbled that You want to use me to spread the gospel. May Your name be praised. Amen."
Pastor Adam
v.18-20 - Then three years later I went up to Jerusalem to become acquainted with Cephas, and stayed with him fifteen days. But I did not see any other of the apostles except James, the Lord's brother. (Now in what I am writing to you, I assure you before God that I am not lying.)
This is pretty fascinating. Paul is continuing on with his conversion story. He realizes that he was chosen by God in His mother's womb; he was called by God through the salvation offered by Jesus on the Damascus road; he was commissioned by God to go the Gentiles with the gospel message; and then he was coached (taught) by God in the desert outside of Damascus. Hmmm... 3 years of training and Jesus was with the disciples for 3 years. I wonder if Paul thought that if Jesus was in public ministry of disciplining the disciples for 3 years that he did the same being coached by God for the same time period. (All my own thoughts in that last statement.)
Paul then journeys to Jerusalem after these 3 years and meets with the first disciple of all the listings of the disciples, Peter (Cephas). Peter was leader of the group and preached the first sermon on the Day of Pentecost. Paul also met with James who was the half-brother of Jesus who wrote the book of James and also lead the Christian church in Jerusalem. These are two very important men in the life of the first century church.
Paul also gives us some information that lets us know that some have been accusing him of lying about things. The enemy was trying to discredit what Paul was saying. There definitely was opposition to his sharing of the faith.
v.21-23 - Then I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia. I was still unknown by sight to the churches of Judea which were in Christ; but only, they kept hearing, "He who once persecuted us is now preaching the faith which he once tried to destroy."
After Paul's meeting with Peter and James in Jerusalem, he headed to the area of Syria and Cilicia. The main towns would have been Tarsus and Antioch. He was away from the capital city of Jerusalem and the region of Judea. They didn't even know him by sight but they were hearing about what was going on in the northern region. A revival had broken out and at the lead was a man named Paul who was preaching about a faith that can take you from opposition of Christ to proclamation of Christ.
Other passages will tell us that Barnabas is sent up from Jerusalem to check this out and he partnered up with Paul to lead the church in Antioch. Growing up in the church I never knew all this about Paul. I made the jump from his conversion on the Damascus road right to his first missionary journey with Barnabas. There was three years of training, followed by an ordination of some sorts with Peter and James, elders of the first century church; an appointment to the northern region of Israel to spread the gospel with enough time for the news to get to Jerusalem that something great was happening in the north; and then a partnering with Barnabas that would lead to heading out farther with the gospel to the known world.
v.24 - And they were glorifying God because of me.
The message that Paul was giving did not glorify himself but it glorified God. People were be saved to Christ and in Christ and not to Paul or in Paul.
I think we may always remember the person who told us about Jesus at the time that we made a decision by faith to follow Him. Mine was a traveling evangelist named Lane Loman. I had grown up in the church and had been apart of all the programs offered like Sunday School and Youth Group. My teachers and the pastors of the church were faithful to the Bible in word and deed. It was Kid's Klub every week in that little church. I walked away with a knowledge of the Bible that I now realize was far beyond what others get. Jesus was a household name in the Wolfgang home. We prayed at meals; we sang His songs; and we celebrated His birth and death and resurrection every year.
But on a certain Thursday night when I was 11 years old, sitting in the side area of the church, I listened to this traveling evangelist talk about a Jesus I already knew by the facts but did not know with my whole heart that I would surrender my life and my will to follow His life and His will. I am ever so thankful for that church bringing in that young man and sharing his passion about God. The point is that I remember Lane Loman but I follow Jesus Christ. God used that man to reach out to me so I could follow Jesus.
God will use us to proclaim His name and He will place us in places where we will have the opportunity to be at that moment when someone makes a decision by faith to answer the call of God. They will probably never forget you. You are a part of their conversion story. How humbling to know that God used you to help them see Him so they can glorify Him with their lives.
"Lord, please give me more opportunities to proclaim You to those who don't know You or even to those who know You in their head but not in their heart. I am humbled that You want to use me to spread the gospel. May Your name be praised. Amen."
Pastor Adam
Comments
Post a Comment