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Galatians: Passion for the Gospel (3 of 18)
Saul to Paul: He who used to persecute us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy.
Galatians 1:11-24
Today we find ourselves face-to-face with the Apostle Paul reflecting on God’s work in his life. God transformed him from a violent persecutor of the church (Saul) into a prolific missionary and the human author of roughly half the New Testament (Paul).
Galatians 1:23 (ESV) –
“They only were hearing it said, ‘He who used to persecute us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy.’”
Galatians 1:13 (ESV) –
“For you have heard of my former life in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God violently and tried to destroy it.”
A radical change occurred and reflecting on it ought to fill us with wonder as we consider the power of God! The man who relentlessly persecuted the Church became a preacher and missionary of the faith he had tried to destroy.
Considering this moves us to praise God, it ought to fill us with hope! This should move us to pray – Lord, do a similar thing in our day. Turn those who hate you and hate your followers into bold (and fearless) preachers of the Gospel.
Galatians 1:11-12 (ESV) –
“For I would have you know, brothers, that the gospel that was preached by me is not man's gospel. For I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ.”
1. Paul received the Gospel he preached directly from Jesus Christ.
Galatians 1:11-12 (ESV) –
“For I would have you know, brothers, that the gospel that was preached by me is not man's gospel. For I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it...”
Galatians 1:1 (ESV, emphasis mine) –
“Paul, an apostle—not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead...”
Galatians 1:8, 9 (ESV) –
“...let him be accursed.”
The false teachers were suggesting that Paul was inferior to the Jerusalem Apostles and he defends himself and his message by looking back to his conversion and the events surrounding it. He demonstrates that the risen Lord Jesus Christ called him to be an Apostle.
Acts 9:15 (ESV) –
Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel.
Gazing on a demonstration of God’s power should fill us with hope!
Galatians 1:13-17 (ESV) –
“For you have heard of my former life in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God violently and tried to destroy it. And 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. But when he who had set me apart before I was born, and who called me by his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son to me, in order that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with anyone; nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me, but I went away into Arabia, and returned again to Damascus.”
2. God transformed a violent persecutor into a prolific missionary.
We have front-row seats on Paul looking back on what God had done in his life according to His awesome power and grace.
Galatians 1:14 (ESV) –
“And 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.”
Acts 22:3 (ESV) –
“I am a Jew, born in Tarsus in Cilicia, but brought up in this city, educated at the feet of Gamaliel according to the strict manner of the law of our fathers, being zealous for God as all of you are this day.”
Philippians 3:4-6 (ESV) –
“If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless.”
Saul was incredibly zealous. He had sought to utterly destroy the early church through ruthless persecution. This leads to a vital observation – It’s possible to be very sincere, deeply passionate and also utterly wrong.
Acts 8:3 (ESV) –
“But Saul was ravaging the church, and entering house after house, he dragged off men and women and committed them to prison.”
1 Timothy 1:13-15 (ESV) –
“...though formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief, and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost.”
1 Corinthians 15:8-9 (ESV, emphasis mine) –
“Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.”
After meeting the risen Lord Jesus, Paul became even more zealous for the cause of Christ than he had been against it.
Acts 9:3-4 (ESV) –
“Now as he went on his way, he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven shone around him. And falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?”
Acts 26:14 (ESV) –
“And when we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew language, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’”
Jeremiah 1:5 (ESV) –
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.”
God showed unmerited favor toward Paul, this is a picture of our salvation as well. Our default human condition is spiritually dead.
Ephesians 2:1 (ESV) –
“And you were dead in the trespasses and sins...”
God according to His limitless power and His purposes in grace called Paul and saved him and if you know Jesus this is your story as well.
Ask – Is my heart thrilled by reflecting on what happened here? Seeing the limitless power of God displayed ought to thrill our hearts, move us to worship and fill us with hope.
Romans 1:16 (ESV, emphasis mine) –
“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.”
The Greek word we translate power is δύναμις from which we get our word dynamite. God is all powerful. God changes circumstances and people according to His plan!
Reflecting on the transformation of Saul into Paul ought to thrill our hearts. An appropriate response is to wonder – What violent opponents of the Gospel today will become missionaries?
Galatians 1:18-24 (ESV) –
“Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to visit Cephas and remained with him fifteen days. But I saw none of the other apostles except James the Lord's brother. (In what I am writing to you, before God, I do not lie!) Then I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia. And I was still unknown in person to the churches of Judea that are in Christ. They only were hearing it said, “He who used to persecute us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy.” And they glorified God because of me.”
3. After 3 years Paul traveled to Jerusalem and stayed with Cephas (Peter) for 15 days before traveling into Syria and Cilicia.
Galatians 1:20 (ESV) –
“In what I am writing to you, before God, I do not lie!”
Galatians 1:23 (ESV) –
“He who used to persecute us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy.”
Galatians 1:24 (ESV) –
“...they glorified God because of me.”
All of this leaves us asking – What should we take away from all of this?
• The Gospel is God’s perfect plan to save sinners like you and me. The Gospel is profoundly not a human invention.
All human religious systems focus on our performance, saying – DO these things. Christianity is the opposite – Jesus Christ Has DONE for us what we could never DO.
Galatians 1:11 (NIV) –
“I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that the gospel I preached is not of human origin.”
Galatians 1:4 (ESV) –
“...who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father...”
If you haven’t yet received God’s provision for your rescue, accept the Gospel, receive Jesus Christ.
Romans 10:13 (ESV) –
“...everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
• Bold confidence and enduring peace are found through reflecting on, embracing and personally applying the Gospel.
Paul knew he was forgiven. He knew he was accepted by God. Our security in Christ enables us to have bold confidence in God and provides true peace. Applying the Gospel personally is tremendously liberating.
• The power of God displayed here in Paul’s conversion ought to thrill our hearts, lead us to worship and fill us with hope.
God is all powerful. Remember the word – Omnipotent. There’s a lot of fear and anxiety today rather than hope and peace. We need to gaze upon and consider God’s power.
Galatians 1:23-24 (ESV) –
“‘He who used to persecute us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy.’ And they glorified God because of me.”