PAUL GALATIANS

 ON JULY 17, 180 A.D., A SMALL GROUP FROM THE TOWN IN SCILLI IN NORTH AFRICA WAS SUMMONED TO APPEAR BEFORE THE ROMAN GOVERNOR OF THE PROVINCE. THEY WERE CHARGED WITH BELONGING TO A SEDITIOUS ORGANIZATION, THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH. DURING THE TRIAL, A BOX CONTAINING THE LITTLE COMMUNITY'S LIBRARY WAS BROUGHT INTO THE COURT.  THE GOVERNOR  ASKED THEM WHAT WAS IN THE BOX. THEY REPLIED, "OUR BOOKS, AND THE LETTERS OF PAUL, A RIGHTEOUS MAN."  THE LETTERS BROUGHT INTO COURT WERE COPIES OF THE ORIGINALS WRITTEN OVER A HUNDRED YEARS EARLIER. WHO WAS THIS MAN WHOSE LETTERS WERE USED IN EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT THE CAPITAL CHARGE BROUGHT AGAINST THOSE SCILLITAN  MARTYRS?  HE WAS PAUL OF TARSUS. IN HIS LETTER THE APOSTLE CALLS HIMSELF PAUL. (ACTS 13:9) IS A TRANSITION POINT FOR HIS NAMES. BEFORE THIS VERSE HE IS CALLED SAUL, AFTER IT PAUL. THE NAME SAUL IS USED CONSISTENTLY IN THE CONVERSION ACCOUNTS, BOTH BEFORE AND AFTER THE TRANSITION VERSE; SEE ACTS 9:4,17;  22:7, 13; 26:14( ALL REFERENCES FROM ACTS) UNLESS OTHERWISE STATED. IT WAS COMMON ENOUGH FOR JEWS TO HAVE TWO NAMES, A HEBREW ONE AND A GREEK OR ROMAN ONE. IT IS LIKELY THAT THE APOSTLE WAS CALLED PAUL FROM BIRTH, AND SAUL WAS THE "ADDED NAME" USED IN JEWISH CIRCLES. PAUL'S BIRTHDATE IS NOT KNOWN. HE IS SPOKEN OF AS A "YOUNG MAN"  AT THE STONING OF STEPHEN 7:58. HE WAS BORN IN THE HELLENISTIC TOWN OF TARSUS IN CILICIA, 22:3. HIS JEWISH PARENTS BELONGED TO THE TRIBE OF BENJAMIN, ROMANS 11:1. HE HAD A SISTER, 23;16. HIS FAMILY MEMBERS  WERE ROMAN CITIZENS, 22:25-29; 23:27.  TARSUS WAS A CITY OF CULTURE, PHILOSOPHY, AND EDUCATION. SUCH NOTABLES AS  CICERO, JULIUS CAESAR, AND CAESAR AUGUSTUS HAD VISITED THE TOWN.. ON ONE OCCASION, MARK ANTONY PROVIDED A ROYAL RECEPTION FOR CLEOPATRA THERE. PAUL HIMSELF BOASTED
OF THE FACT THAT HE WAS "A CITIZEN OF NO MEAN TOWN," 21:39. MOST LIKELY PAUL RECEIVED HIS EARLY EDUCATION THERE-BUT SEE ALso 22:3. PAUL REFERRED TO HIMSELF AS A JEW (21:39), AN ISRAELITE (2 COR. 11:22). A HEBREW (PHIL.3:5, AND A PHARISEE. WHEN HE WAS INVITED TO APPEAR BEFORE KING AGRIPPA, HE SAID....' ACCORDING TO THE STRICTEST PARTY OF OUR RELIGION. I HAVE LIVED AS A PHARISEE, " (26;5). HE WAS EDUCATED AT THE FEET OF GAMALIEL (22:3) WHO TAUGHT IN JERUSALEM DURING THE PERIOD 2O-50 A.D.  PAUL'S ASSOCIATION SUFFICIENT STATUS TO BE APPOINTED TO GO TO DAMASCUS  TO CREATE TROUBLE FOR THE CHRISTIAN CAUSE THERE. THOUGH PAUL APPARENTLY DID NOT MEET   JESUS PERSONALLY DURING HIS MINISTRY, HE CERTAINLY KNEW WHAT JESUS DISCIPLES WERE CLAIMING ABOUT HIM. LOOKING AT PAUL'S CONVERSION, WHILE SAUL THE PHARISEE WAS ON THE ROAD TO DAMASCUS TO PERSECUTE FOLLOWERS OF THE WAY, THE RISEN LORD MET HIM AND SAUL THE PHARISEE BECAME PAUL THE APOSTLE. ACTS DESCRIBES THIS EVENT THREE TIMES, 9:19; 22:3-16;  26 4:18. PAUL WROTE ABOUT IT HIMSELF. 1:15,16 AND ALWAYS ASSOCIATED WITH HIS APOSTOLIC COMMISSION, 1 CORINTHIANS 9;1; 15:8. IT WAS, AFTER ALL, THE DECISIVE EVENT IN HIS LIFE. WHICH HE BECAME A SLAVE OF CHRIST. (GAL 1;10.; ROM.1:1 ) AND ONE COMMITTED TO BE ALL THINGS TO ALL MEN, 1 CORINTHIANS 9:22. ON THE ROAD TO DAMASCUS PAUL WAS NOT CONVERTED FROM A LIFE OF AIMLESS DISSIPATION TO A VISION OF CHRISTIAN VIRTUE, BUT ONE KIND OF DEVOTION (JUDAISM) TO CHRIST).
THE VISION HE HAD ON THE ROAD TO DAMASCUS WAS VERY DIFFERENT FROM ALL OTHERS HE EXPERIENCED SEE 3 CORINTHIANS 12ff. IT WAS COMPARABLE WITH THOSE ENTRUSTED BY THE RISEN LORD TO PETER, JAMES, TWELVE, AND THE 500 HUNDRED. 1 CORINTHIANS 15:3-10. HE KNEW IN AN ACT OF SHEER GRACE, THE RISEN LORD HAD APPEARED TO HIM, THE ARCH- PERSECUTOR, 1 CORINTHIANS 15:9ff. FURTHERMORE, PAUL REALIZED TO PERSECUTE CHRISTIANS WAS TO PERSECUTE CHRIST HIMSELF. ("SAUL, SAUL, WHY DO YOU PERSECUTE ME?" 9:4). PRIOR TO PAUL'S CONVERSION, THE CHRISTIAN CLAIM THAT THE CRUCIFIED JESUS OF NAZARETH WAS MESSIAH AND LORD WAS IMPOSSIBLE TO CONSIDER., GALATIANS 3:13. NO DOUBT. IT WAS INCOMPREHENSIBLE TO SAUL THE PHARISEE THAT ANY MESSIAH WOULD HAVE IDENTIFIED HIMSELF WITH THOSE LOW-CLASS, SECOND RATE JEWS WHO CONSTITUTED THE CHURCH ( THE PHARISEES WOULD HAVE LOOKED ON THE CHRISTIANS THIS WAY).  IT WAS AN INTOLERABLE THOUGHT THAT THE ORDINARY "PEOPLE OF THE LAND " SHOULD PRESUME TO CALL THEMSELVES THE PEOPLE OF GOD. HOWEVER ON THE ROAD TO DAMASCUS THE RISEN LORD  REVEALED TO PAUL HOW WRONG HE HAD BEEN.-- AND IF HE HAD BEEN SO WRONG ABOUT THE "PEOPLE OF THE LAND,"  WAS IT NOT POSSIBLE THAT HE WAS ALSO WRONG ABOUT THE GENTILES?  THESE THOUGHTS WOULD HAVE CREATED TURMOIL IN HIS MIND.  DETAILS ABOUT PAUL'S LIFE DURING THE FOURTEEN YEARS AFTER HIS CONVERSION ARE VAGUE. AFTER PAUL'S ARRIVAL IN CAESAREA, FELIX, THE ROMAN GOVERNOR, READ THE TRIBUNES LETTER CONCERNING PAUL'S CASE. FELIX PLACED PAUL UNDER GUARD IN HEROD'S PRAETORIUM UNTIL HIS ACCUSERS  ARRIVED, TERTULLUS, THEIR SPOKESMAN, PUT THEIR CASE TO FELIX. PAUL WAS PERMITTED TO RESPOND.  FELIX DISMISSED THE JERUSALEM DELEGATION, SAYING HE WOULD DECIDE THE CASE WHEN THE TRIBUNE RETURNS.  A FIRE BURNS WITHIN PAUL AS HE WRITES THIS LETTER TO THE GALATIANS. AS PAUL TRAVELLED AROUND THE MEDITERRANEAN WORLD PROCLAIMING THE MESSAGE ENTRUSTED TO HIM, HE STRESSED THAT THE GOSPEL WAS NOT MERELY AN ADDENDUM TO ISRAEL'S FAITH. IT WAS THE FULFILLMENT OF THE PROMISES OF GOD!  IT REPLACED THE TORAH!  FURTHERMORE, THE TRUTH GOD COMMISSIONED PAUL TO PROCLAIM WAS MEANT FOR THE WHOLE WORLD, NOT JUST THOSE WITHIN ISRAEL'S BOUNDARIES. THE GOSPEL DECLARED THAT, THROUGH THE SAVIOR OF DAVID'S LINE, EVERYONE WHO BELIEVE IS FREED (DECLARED JUSTIFIED.) " FROM EVERYTHING WHICH YOU COULD NOT BE FREED BY THE LAW OF MOSES. ," ACTS 13:39. PAUL THROUGH OPEN THE DOORS OF GOD'S SPIRITUAL TEMPLE AND INVITED ALL TO ENTER:  JEWS, PROSELYTES, AND GENTILES. HE OFFERED ALL PEOPLE DIRECT ACCESS TO GOD, BY GRACE, THROUGH FAITH IN CHRIST CRUCIFIED, RISEN AND REIGNING. IN SHORT, PAUL SPELLED OUT WHAT HAD BEEN IMPLICIT IN THE EVENTS OF PENTECOST IN THE EVANGELIZATION OF THE SAMARITANS, THE  ETHIOPIAN EUNUCH, CORNELIUS, AND THE GENTILES OF ANTIOCH. AS A RESULT OF THIS PROCLAMATION, A LARGE NUMBER OF GENTILES ENTERED THE CHURCH. THEY DID NOT ENTER BY THE WAY OF JUDAISM, OR AS PROSELYTES, OR BY SUBMITTING TO THE CUSTOMS OF MOSES. AND BEING CIRCUMCISED, BUT DIRECTLY. THEY WERE INVITED TO BECOME FULL MEMBERS OF THE NEW PEOPLE OF GOD JUST AS THEY WERE WHEN GOD CALLED THEM. ALL THIS WAS BOUND TO RAISE QUESTIONS IN THE MINDS OF JEWISH CHRISTIANS. MANY OF THEM COULD NOT, OR WOULD NOT, GRASP THE TOTAL
 NEWNESS OF THE NEW TESTAMENT-- THE IMPLICATIONS OF WHAT JOHN THE BAPTIST MEANT WHEN HE SAID, " GOD IS ABLE FROM THESE STONES TO RAISE UP CHILDREN TO ABRAHAM," MATTHEW 3:9. THEY COULD NOT COMPREHEND WHAT JESUS MEANT WHEN HE SAID, IN VIEW OF ONE GENTILE'S FAITH, " MANY WILL COME FROM THE EAST AND WEST AND SIT AT TABLE WITH ABRAHAM, ISAAC, JACOB IN THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN," MATTHEW 8:11. THE GENTILES WAS NOT TO BE DENIED ADMISSION TO THE CHURCH. THERE WA NO DEBATE ABOUT THAT. THE QUESTION WAS, " ON WHAT TERMS WAS THE GENTILE TO OBTAIN MEMBERSHIP?" WERE ALL ISRAEL'S ANCIENT ORDINANCES TO BE SET ASIDE? WERE THE TOKENS OF COVENANT RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD TO BE DISCARDED?  WERE ALL THE SACRED CUSTOMS ANNULLED BY THE NEW REVELATION IN CHRIST.?  WAS THE ANCIENT PEOPLE OF GOD, WHO CLAIMED ABRAHAM AS FATHER, SIMPLY TO DISAPPEAR UNDER THE INCREASING STREAM OF GENTILE CONVERTS FLOODING THE CHURCH?
THE TENSIONS THESE QUESTIONS  CREATED LED TO THE CALLING OF THE APOSTOLIC COUNCIL AND THE WRITINGS OF PAUL'S LETTER TO THE GALATIANS . THE APOSTOLIC COUNCIL ANSWERED THE QUESTION, "MUST A GENTILE BECOME A PROSELYTE  TO JUDAISM IN ORDER TO BE SAVED? "  WITH A FIRM,  "NO!"  WHAT RELATIONSHIP IS TO EXIST BETWEEN THE CIRCUMCISED, RITUALLY CLEAN JEWS
FOR EXAMPLE, FELLOWSHIP MEALS PLAYED AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN THE LIFE OF THE EARLY CHURCH AND THE LORD'S SUPPER WAS USUALLY CELEBRATED IN CONNECTION WITH THEM. WERE JEWS AND GENTILES TO EAT THESE MEALS TOGETHER? JUDAIZERS HAD A GOOD ANSWER, "LET THE GENTILES BE CIRCUMCISED, AND BECOME GOOD JEWS!" THEIR ATTITUDE MADE IT DIFFICULT FOR PEOPLE LIKE PAUL TO CARRY OUT WHAT THEY KNEW TO BE THE WILL OF GOD. THE APOSTOLIC COUNCIL HAD ASKED THE GENTILES TO ABSTAIN FROM FOODS AND PRACTICES  WHICH HAD BEEN EASY AND A NATURAL PART OF THEIR PAGAN PAST-- FOODS SACRIFICED TO IDOLS, FROM BLOOD, FROM WHAT HAD BEEN STRANGLED, AND FROM UNCHASTITY (ACTS 15:29) LOOMED LARGE IN THE LIVES OF THE GENTILES., FOR IT PLAYED A CONSIDERABLE PART IN PAGAN WORSHIP AND FESTIVALS, IN THEIR EVERYDAY LIVES. THE APOSTOLIC COUNCIL PUT A TERRIBLE BURDEN ON THE GENTILES WHEN THEY ASK THEM TO REFRAIN FROM THESE PRACTICES. BUT, BECAUSE THEY DID, THE  OUNCILE SAVED THEM FROM BECOMING A JEWISH SECT AND SAFE- GUARDED IT FROM THE RE-IMPOSITION OF THE MOSAIC LAW. THEY CLAIMED THEY HAD NO  INTENTION OF DESTROYING PAUL'S WORK. A. FIRE BURS IN PAL'S AS HE WRITES THIS LETTER. HIS GOSPEL IS BEING ATTACKED-- GOD'S GRACE IS BEING DESTROYED. THAT CALLS FOR A DECLARATION OF WAR ON HIS OPPONENTS. PAUL THROWS A QUESTION AT THE GALILEANS: " HOW DID YOU FIRST RECEIVE SALVATION?  BY OBSERVING THE DEMANDS OF THE LAW, OR BY FAITH IN GOD'S  FREE GRACE.?" THE ANSWER THEY MUST GIVE IS OBVIOUS. THEY RECEIVED SALVATION BY HEARING WITH FAITH 3:2 IT IS RIDICULOUS TO SUGGEST THAT THEY OBTAINED BY THEIR OWN EFFORTS, FOR GOD GAVE IT TO THEM., EVEN AS HE WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR THOSE MIGHTY WORKS WHICH HAD BEEN DONE AMONG THEM. THEY CONTRIBUTED AS LITTLE TO THEIR SALVATION AS THEY CONTRIBUTED THOSE WORKS  3:1-5. THE ONLY WAY ANY  ONE HAS OBTAINED SALVATION HAS BEEN BY FAITH. CONSIDER CASE OF THE FIRST AND MOST IMPORTANT OF ALL JEWS, ABRAHAM HIMSELF. THE SCRIPTURES SAY THAT "HE" BELIEVED GOD, AND HIS FAITH WAS RECKONED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS. THOSE WHO WANT TO BE HIS TRUE DESCENDANTS MUST ADOPT HIS POSTURE BEFORE GOD.
THE  SCRIPTRES










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