Paul met with some form the circumcision controversy in city
after city where he established churches. As a Jerusalem-trained rabbi, Paul
would be asked to speak in synagogues of the Jewish Diaspora. From his extensive
command of the Old Testament Scriptures (there were no New Testament Scriptures
yet), he would prove that Jesus is the promised Messiah. Though he would
eventually be ejected from the synagogue, his followers would include some Jews
and larger group of "God-fearers," Gentiles who were attracted by the moral tone
of Judaism, but who had not submitted to circumcision so as to become full
converts to Judaism.
But again and again, his churches were troubled by
Jewish-Christians who couldn't seem to let go of circumcision. After Paul had
left the Galatian churches, a small group of Judaizers had gained dominance and
were in the process of convincing the Gentile Christians to be circumcised --
thus perverting the gospel of Christ (1:7).
Paul's dilemma was that he would assert his Jewish
credentials and the Jewish Christians would assert theirs -- and the Gentile
Christians would see this as an argument between Jews. Moreover, Paul was
hundreds of miles distant, but the Judaizers were right in the community! Guess
who wins that argument?
So to convince his spiritual children among the Galatians
that he should be believed, Paul goes beyond comparing Jewish credentials -- or
even credentials from the Jerusalem church. He asserts something that his
opponents cannot: that Jesus had appeared to him personally, appointed him as an
apostle, and given him a personal revelation. His gospel wasn't derived
primarily from the Old Testament, or from the teachings of the apostles and
elders in Jerusalem. He received it directly from Christ.
And so Paul begins relating his amazing story.
These two verses constitute the thesis that Paul supports in
1:13 to 2:10. The phrase translated variously "something that man made up" (NIV)
or "of human origin" (NRSV), is literally "after man" (KJV), using the
preposition kata, "according to, in accordance with, in conformity with."[30]
He didn't model his preaching after anyone's teaching. He neither received[31]
it from some prior apostle nor was he taught it. Rather it came by revelation
through the personal agency of[32]
Jesus Christ himself.
"I did not receive [the gospel] from any man, nor
was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ."
(1:12)
"But ... God ... was pleased to reveal his
Son in me so that I might preach him among the Gentiles...." (1:15-16)
"Before this faith came, we were held prisoners by
the law, locked up until faith should be revealed." (3:23)
All this may seem pretty remote to you until you realize that
finding an authoritative and accurate source is the foundation of not only
careful history, but also modern-day reporting and research.
Judaism is full of references to authorities. The Mishnah,
for example, includes thousands of references to the sayings of the ancient
rabbis to support some position or another. But Christian teaching is based on
these sources:
The Roman Catholic tradition places the authority of
Scripture alongside the authority of church tradition; Protestants usually go
back to the Scripture itself to support their doctrines. Members of the LDS
Church look to a supposed special revelation to Joseph Smith, whom they believe
to be a prophet. Some groups emphasize the special insights (sometimes called
"revelations") of their founders, which they quote extensively in their
literature. Do you believe something because Evangelist X teaches it, or Pastor
Y? What is the authority on which you base of your Christian beliefs? How
reliable is this authority? What Paul is saying here is tremendously important
to our belief system!
Q1. (Galatians 1:11-12) What is the source of Paul's
gospel? How do we know that it is a true revelation? How does it conform to our
other foundational sources of Christian teaching? What is the danger of taking
the teaching of contemporary leaders as our doctrinal basis without checking it
with the Scripture?
http://www.joyfulheart.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=1122
Now Paul begins a brief biographical account of his
background and conversion. We know that as a young man Paul had been a student
of Rabbi Gamaliel in Jerusalem (Acts 22:3); he had thoroughly learned the
traditional interpretation of Scriptures through this discipline. Paul (who was
from Tarsus in Cilicia), was part of the early persecution against the
Christians:
"Opposition arose, however, from members of the
Synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called) -- Jews of Cyrene and Alexandria as
well as the provinces of Cilicia and Asia." (Acts 6:9; cf. 9:29)
After the stoning of Stephen, we read:
"But Saul began to destroy[34]
the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off men and women and put them
in prison." (Acts 8:3)
As Paul recounts to the Galatians here:
"13 For you have heard of my previous way
of life in Judaism, how intensely[35]
I persecuted[36]
the church of God and tried to destroy[37]
it. 14 I was advancing in Judaism beyond many Jews of my own age and
was extremely zealous for the traditions of my fathers." (1:13-14)
Paul shares this so the Galatians can see that
his previous devotion to traditional Judaism had been thorough -- and to contrast
it with his experience of Jesus Christ appearing to him! Jesus struck him to the
ground outside of Damascus, where he had gone to arrest more Christians.
"'Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?'
'Who are you, Lord?' Saul asked.
'I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,' he replied. 'Now get up and
go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.'" (Acts 9:4-6)
Paul looked at this violent encounter as an act of God's
grace, pure and simple.
"15 But when God, who set me apart from
birth and called me by his grace, was pleased 16 to reveal his Son in
me so that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not consult any man,
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."
(1:15-17)
Notice the three verbs Paul uses to describe this:
"Set apart" (NIV, NRSV), "separated" (KJV) is
aphorizō, "to select one person out of a group for a purpose, set apart,
appoint."[38]
This wasn't a spur-of-the-moment idea in God's mind; Paul had been born for this
purpose.
"Called" is kaleō, "call." From the meanings
'summon' and 'invite' there develops the extended sense, "choose for receipt of
a special benefit or experience, call."[39]
God had something special in mind for Paul. Our understanding of a "call to the
ministry" or "vocation" (from Latin vocare, "to call," from which we also
get our word "vocal") comes from this idea.
"Reveal" is the verb apokalyptō, "to cause
something to be fully known, reveal, disclose, bring to light, make fully
known."[40]
Notice the wording, "reveal in[41]
me" referring to an inward experience. But it could be translated "in my case."[42]
Finally, Paul shares the purpose of this revelation:
"... so that I might preach[43]
him among the Gentiles." (1:16b)
The mission to the Gentiles was different from anything
encountered previously by the Christian church. And preparation for the primary
missionary to the Gentiles needed to be unique as well. The original apostles
knew how to proclaim the gospel effectively to the Jews, but they had little
experience communicating it to Gentiles.
Some missionary friends of mine went to Bangladesh in the
1970s to reach out to Muslims. They had hoped to be mentored by a missionary
couple that had been in the country for years. But unexpectedly that couple left
before the mentoring could begin. It turned out that this "tragedy" was a
God-send. Mentoring by this couple who had had little success reaching Muslims
would have prevented my friends from learning from God and pioneering new and
fruitful approaches that have since brought tens of thousands of Muslims into
the Kingdom. God was preparing Paul for something new.
According to the account in Acts, this preaching began
immediately -- though it was directed for now to the Jews living in Damascus.
"Saul spent several days with the disciples in
Damascus. At once he began to preach[44]
in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God.... Yet Saul grew more and more
powerful and baffled the Jews living in Damascus by proving that Jesus is the
Christ." (Acts 9:19-20, 22)
Immediately[45]
after his conversion, he "baffled"[46]
the Jews by "proving"[47]
from the Scriptures that Jesus must be the Christ. During Paul's three-day
blindness, we know that he had visions (Acts 9:12). No doubt he also had
revelations from Jesus about how he fit into the Old Testament scriptures,
perhaps much as Jesus had done with the disciples on the road to Emmaus after
his resurrection (Luke 24:27). Without time to study with the disciples at
Damascus, he was convincingly preaching Jesus as the Messiah.
Q2. (Galatians 1:13-16) What factors in Paul's background
made him an ideal apostle to the Gentiles? How did God use his being different
from others? To ponder: How has your unique background fitted you for ministry?
What uniqueness has God given you? What will it take to see that uniqueness as a
God-given strength rather than as an embarrassment?
http://www.joyfulheart.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=1123
Paul has explained that he received a specific commission,
call, and revelation. Now he denies that man had any substantive part in the
formation of his understanding of the gospel -- a point which he will develop in
detail over the next several verses. Speaking of the period right after his
conversion, he asserts:
"16c I did not consult any man, 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." (1:16c-17)
"Consult" (NIV), "confer with" (NRSV, cf. KJV) is
prosanatithēmi, "to take up a matter with, consult with someone,"[48]
literally, "to lay upon oneself in addition, to betake oneself to another, to
confer with."[49]
The only other appearance in the New Testament is at a related passage a few
verses later:
"Those men added nothing (prosanatithēmi) to
my message." (2:6)
Nor did Paul stay in Damascus for long, but left for Arabia,
then returned to Damascus, from which he fled due to a plot on his life. Arabia
in that day included the territory west of Mesopotamia, east and south of Syria
and Palestine, to the Isthmus of Suez.[50]
The point is that he didn't go immediately to the seat of Christianity at that
time -- Jerusalem.
18 Then after three years, I went up to
Jerusalem to get acquainted with Peter and stayed with him fifteen days. 19
I saw none of the other apostles -- only James, the Lord's brother. 20
I assure you before God that what I am writing you is no lie." (1:18-20)
His purpose of the trip was specific. Paul felt it was
important to spend some time with Peter (NIV, his Greek nickname), that is,
Cephas (NRSV, KJV, his Aramaic nickname).
"Get acquainted with" (NIV), "visit" (NRSV), "see" (KJV) is
historeō, "visit" (for the purpose of coming to know someone or something)[51]
"to gain knowledge by visiting," from histōr, "one who knows by inquiry."[52]
In Acts 9:26 his purpose is described as trying to "associate with on intimate
terms, join"[53]
the disciples there. We know from Luke's account that he only obtained an
audience with Peter through the intervention of Barnabas (Acts 9:26-27), since
up to that time the apostles were afraid of him due to his former reputation.
The other apostle Paul mentions is "James, the Lord's brother" (Matthew 13:55;
27:56; Galatians 2:12), who later becomes leader of the Church of Jerusalem,
presides over the Jerusalem Council (Acts 15:13-20), and writes the Epistle of
James in our New Testament.[54]
James was known as "James the Just" for his careful keeping of the Mosaic law.
James and Peter enter our story a bit later in 2:11-12, which we'll discuss in
Lesson 3.
It's interesting that Paul had to underscore his account with
this sentence:
"I assure you before God that what I am writing you
is no lie." (1:20)
"Before God" is a solemn oath. Apparently, Paul's story
had been questioned by his opponents who claimed that his gospel was derived
from the Jerusalem church, not independently.
"21 Later I went to Syria and Cilicia.
22
I was personally unknown to the churches of Judea that are in Christ.
23
They only heard the report: 'The man who formerly persecuted us is now
preaching the faith he once tried to destroy.' 24 And they praised
God because of me." (1:21-24)
We know from Luke that, when a plot by Grecian Jews against
Paul's life was discovered in Jerusalem, he was taken to the port at Caesarea
and sent by ship to his hometown of Tarsus in Cilicia (Acts 9:29-30). Later,
Barnabas found him in Tarsus, and recruited him to help with the ministry to
Gentile Christians in Antioch in Syria (Acts 11:25-26).
Here in Antioch, the gospel had reached the Gentiles. Prior
to that, with a few exceptions, it had been contained pretty well within the
Jewish world. Now, however, it had broken out into the vast Gentile world.
Map of Tarsus, Antioch, Damascus, and Jerusalem.
Larger image. |
Paul is still answering his opponents' claim that his gospel
derived from the Jerusalem church.
"Fourteen years later I went up again to Jerusalem,
this time with Barnabas. I took Titus along also." (2:1)
Paul's various trips to Jerusalem are confusing, so
follow closely. (See the Introduction and Appendix 2 for a detailed study of
Paul's different trips to Jerusalem.) The primary purpose of this trip was
famine relief, as we see in Luke's account.
"27 During this time some prophets came
down from Jerusalem to Antioch. 28 One of them, named Agabus, stood
up and through the Spirit predicted that a severe famine would spread over the
entire Roman world. (This happened during the reign of Claudius.) 29
The disciples, each according to his ability, decided to provide help for the
brothers living in Judea. 30 This they did, sending their gift to the
elders by Barnabas and Saul.... When Barnabas and Saul had finished their
mission, they returned from Jerusalem, taking with them John, also called Mark."
(Acts 11:27-30; 12:25)
Since his first post-conversion trip to Jerusalem, Paul
had spent years in Tarsus, and then further time in Antioch working alongside of
Barnabas. This second trip was prompted "in response to a revelation" (2:2a) --
apparently in response to Agabus's prophecy of the coming famine. But Paul took
the opportunity of this visit to discuss in depth the approach that he and
Barnabas had developed to reach the Gentiles in Antioch.
"I went in response to a revelation and set before
them the gospel that I preach (kēryssō) among the Gentiles. But I did
this privately to those who seemed to be leaders, for fear that I was running or
had run my race[55]
in vain." (2:2)
This wasn't the public debate with the Judaizers that
occurred during the Jerusalem Council (if you follow an early dating of
Galatians), but a private meeting.[56]
Was Paul really afraid that his presentation of the gospel wasn't correct? I
don't think so. "For fear" (NIV) is probably over translated. The phrase is
better rendered, "in order to make sure" in the NRSV.[57]
Perhaps Paul called for this meeting because some were raising questions about
uncircumcised believers in Antioch -- something we know happened later (Acts
15:1).
Paul is making the point that he didn't learn the gospel from
the Jerusalem leaders, but "set before" (NIV), "laid before" (NRSV), "communicated" (KJV)[58]
his "good news" to them for their consideration -- to see if they would call it
into question. They did no such thing.
The upshot of the meeting was entirely positive, so far as
Paul was concerned. He reports,
"3 Yet not even Titus, who was with me,
was compelled[59]
to be circumcised, even though he was a Greek."4 [This matter arose]
because some false brothers had infiltrated our ranks to spy on the freedom we
have in Christ Jesus and to make us slaves. 5 We did not give in to
them for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel might remain with you."
(2:3-5)
The matter of circumcision arose regarding Titus, one
of Paul's converts, presumably from Antioch (Titus 1:4), and a later co-worker.
Bruce comments:
"Luther suggested that Paul regarded Titus as a test
case: 'He took him along then in order to prove that grace was equally
sufficient for both Gentiles and Jews, whether in circumcision or without
circumcision.'"[60]
Apparently, Paul's enemies raised
the issue of Titus' uncircumcision in a sneaky way,[61]
trying to discredit Paul's ministry and restrict the liberty[62]
Paul and Barnabas were exercising to reach the Gentiles without imposing the
Mosaic law upon them. But the Jerusalem leaders hadn't required Titus to be
circumcised, which seemed to support Paul's position.
Q3. (Galatians 2:1-3) Paul is arguing that the Jerusalem
leaders support his position on circumcision, rather than that of the Judaizers.
What is the significance of Paul's mention that Titus was not required to be
circumcised?
http://www.joyfulheart.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=1124
It's interesting how Paul refers to the apostles in
Jerusalem. Instead of warmly endorsing them as beloved apostles, he uses a kind
of arm's-length expression in verse 2, 6, and 9.
"Those who seemed to be leaders...." (2:2)
"As for those who seemed to be important -- whatever
they were makes no difference to me; God does not judge by external
appearance...." (2:6)
"James, Peter and John, those reputed to be pillars[63]...." (2:9)
The verb in each instance is dokeō, "to consider as
probable," then, "to appear to one's understanding, seem, be recognized as,"
here, "be influential, be recognized as being something, have a reputation."[64]
Paul is taking some pains to distance himself from
acknowledging their actual authority, since his opponents in Galatia are
claiming that their
authority comes from the leaders in Jerusalem. Here Paul only grants that others
considered them to be leaders.
But while Paul doesn't acknowledge the leaders' authority
over him, he reports that they approved of his message. Paul is trying to have
it both ways: being independent of their message, but receiving approval of his
revelation and ministry to the Gentiles. And he seems to have succeeded -- and
least in relation to the Jerusalem church.
"6b Those men added nothing to my
message.
7 On the contrary, they saw that I had been entrusted with the task
of preaching the gospel to the Gentiles,[65]
just as Peter had been to the Jews. 8 For God, who was at work in the
ministry of Peter as an apostle[66]
to the Jews, was also at work in my ministry as an apostle to the Gentiles.
9 James, Peter and John, those reputed to
be pillars, gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship when they
recognized the grace given to me. They agreed that we should go to the Gentiles,
and they to the Jews. 10 All they asked was that we should continue
to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do." (2:6b-10)
According to Paul, this meeting provided the approval of the
Jerusalem church leaders upon his and Barnabas's mission to the Gentiles. This
approval contained several elements:
- Recognized theirs as a legitimate calling of God. The apostles saw them as
"entrusted"[67]
by God with a ministry to the Gentiles (2:7) and as recipients of God's "grace"
in this mission (2:9).
- Recognized as equals in different fields. Paul portrays them as equal in
apostleship but assigned to different fields -- Peter to the Jews and Paul to the
Gentiles.
- Offered friendship and fellowship. To offer the "right hand of fellowship"
is to pledge mutual friendship, a custom that is confirmed in both secular and
Jewish writings.[68]
- Asked for relief for the poor. On this trip to Jerusalem, Paul and Barnabas
had brought gifts from the church in Antioch (Acts 11:30; 12:25), and Paul
continues this practice of helping the poor saints through offerings from
churches in Macedonia and Greece later in his ministry.
Q4. (Galatians 2:1-10) Why do you think Paul seems to
distance himself from the leaders of the Jerusalem church (2:2, 6, 9)? Why does
he at the same time write of their approval of his ministry? How does this
further his argument to the Galatians in this letter?
http://www.joyfulheart.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=1125
Prayer
Lord, thank you for saving Paul! And thank you for giving him
the humility to both be taught by you -- and to stand up for it when he was
challenged. Please give us the kind of strength and perseverance that we'll
stand up for you, even when those around us criticize and ostracize us. Help us
to be faithful to our calling. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.
Key Verse
"I want you to know, brothers, that the gospel I
preached is not something that man made up. I did not receive it from any man,
nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ."
(Galatians 1:11-12, NIV)
End Notes
Galatians Bible Study:
Discipleship Lessons
Copyright © 1985-2012, Ralph F. Wilson. <pastor
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Galatians Bible Study
Christmas Incarnation
