Testimony

Galatians 1:11-24
11For I would have you know, brothers, that the gospel that was preached by me is not man’s gospel. 12For I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ. 13For you have heard of my former life in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God violently and tried to destroy it. 14And I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my people, so extremely zealous was I for the traditions of my fathers. 15But when he who had set me apart before I was born, and who called me by his grace, 16was pleased to reveal his Son to me, in order that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with anyone; 17nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me, but I went away into Arabia, and returned again to Damascus. 18Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to visit Cephas and remained with him fifteen days. 19But I saw none of the other apostles except James the Lord’s brother. 20(In what I am writing to you, before God, I do not lie!) 21Then I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia. 22And I was still unknown in person to the churches of Judea that are in Christ. 23They only were hearing it said, “He who used to persecute us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy.” 24And they glorified God because of me.

To begin his instruction to the readers, Paul reiterates his own conversion story. He was not brought to faith in Jesus Christ through the words of another person. He did not hear of Jesus saving work through one of the Apostles. His conversion happened through the work of Jesus Christ Himself, who appeared to Paul as he was headed to Damascus one day to continues his persecution of the Christians. This argument gives strength to his warnings against those who share false doctrine.

We know that Paul was knocked off of his horse on the road to Damascus and was gifted with a visitation by the resurrected (and ascended) Lord Jesus. Now, with these words, Paul fills in what happened to him next. Because of his history as a murderer of Christians, he wisely did not immediately go to Jerusalem and try to meet up with the Apostles. That took a few years. Instead, he headed into the wilderness and spent time in prayer and learning. After those 3 years, he then when to Jerusalem and met with Peter (Cephas). Those must have been a very interesting 15 days spent together as Peter shared his stories of life with Jesus and Paul shared his story of that roadside visitation. It would take time for these two men of God to learn how to trust one another but that is what happened.

I’ve never had to learn how to trust someone who had previously wanted me dead. That was the path that Peter had to walk. One can only imagine what this relationship between two powerful men was like. You have impetus Peter and strident Paul, both with viable and incredible stories with Jesus. We know from the Book of Acts that they didn’t always agree either. Those must have been explosive moments! But they did both serve the Lord with all that they were, and the church grew because of their ministries. God uses the unique aspects of each of us to further the Gospel and these two very different men prove that we don’t all have to be the same or even always agree with each other. From this reading, we do know that for a time, Paul submitted himself to Peter’s tutelage. This is how God’s kingdom works.

If you’ve been a part of a church you know that peace and harmony do not always preside. Sometimes we disagree, and God is happy to use each of our unique abilities to serve His kingdom. That’s encouraging and should perhaps cause us to look upon one another (especially those with whom we disagree) more kindly.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Excusez-moi

Image
2 Kings 23:31-37 31 Jehoahaz was twenty-three years old when he began to reign, and he reigned three months in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Hamutal the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah. 32 And he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, according to all that his fathers had done. 33 And Pharaoh Neco put him in bonds at Riblah in the land of Hamath, that he might not reign in Jerusalem, and laid on the land a tribute of a hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold. 34 And Pharaoh Neco made Eliakim the son of Josiah king in the place of Josiah his father, and changed his name to Jehoiakim. But he took Jehoahaz away, and he came to Egypt and died there. 35 And Jehoiakim gave the silver and the gold to Pharaoh, but he taxed the land to give the money according to the command of Pharaoh. He exacted the silver and the gold of the people of the land, from everyone according to his assessment, to give it to Pharaoh Neco. 36 Jehoiakim was twenty-fiv
Read more

יהוה שָׁמַר--Yahweh Shamar (God Watches)

Image
Psalm 121 1 I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? 2 My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. 3 He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber. 4 Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. 5 The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade on your right hand. 6 The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night. 7 The Lord will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life. 8 The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore. There are numerous passages I cling to when stress takes over my life. I would be hard pressed to declare a favorite, but this psalm would come close. So this morning I listened to Psalm 121 about 20 times as I meditated through the verses. First, I want to point out that the word or idea of shamar appears in every verse expect 6. The NIV uses the word "watch" while the ESV uses "keep". The
Read more

Narrow Door

Image
Luke 13:22-30 22 He went on his way through towns and villages, teaching and journeying toward Jerusalem. 23 And someone said to him, “Lord, will those who are saved be few?” And he said to them , 24 “Strive to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able. 25 When once the master of the house has risen and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and to knock at the door, saying, ‘Lord, open to us,’ then he will answer you, ‘I do not know where you come from.’ 26 Then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in your presence, and you taught in our streets.’ 27 But he will say, ‘I tell you, I do not know where you come from. Depart from me, all you workers of evil!’ 28 In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God but you yourselves cast out. 29 And people will come from east and west, and from north and south, and recline at tabl
Read more