Terrorist to Evangelist; Galatians 1:11-24

Introduction

It is easy for all of us to get defensive

sure there are some things that we might not care about

at the very least things that we can take some criticism

but each of us have one thing I am sure that would cause us to get that way quickly

I would think his position and what he preaches would be one of those things

But I do not get the sense from this passage

yes he gives his qualifications, where he received the gospel

but he is not coming across as defensive

defensive is of ourselves

Paul defends the gospel that he brings them

Galatians 1:11–24 (CSB)

11 For I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that the gospel preached by me is not of human origin.

12 For I did not receive it from a human source and I was not taught it, but it came by a revelation of Jesus Christ.

13 For you have heard about my former way of life in Judaism: I intensely persecuted God’s church and tried to destroy it.

14 I advanced in Judaism beyond many contemporaries among my people, because I was extremely zealous for the traditions of my ancestors.

15 But when God, who from my mother’s womb set me apart and called me by his grace, was pleased

16 to reveal his Son in me, so that I could preach him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with anyone.

17 I did not go up to Jerusalem to those who had become apostles before me; instead I went to Arabia and came back to Damascus.

18 Then after three years I did go up to Jerusalem to get to know Cephas, and I stayed with him fifteen days.

19 But I didn’t see any of the other apostles except James, the Lord’s brother.

20 I declare in the sight of God: I am not lying in what I write to you.

21 Afterward, I went to the regions of Syria and Cilicia.

22 I remained personally unknown to the Judean churches that are in Christ.

23 They simply kept hearing, “He who formerly persecuted us now preaches the faith he once tried to destroy.”

24 And they glorified God because of me.

PRAY!

Only the compassionate love of God would seek out a people who hate him, save them, and send them on mission to proclaim the gospel.

A Gospel Rescue

I am reminded of the passage in Isaiah that says his ways are higher than ours

If we were running things and a terrorist comes after the church, persecuting, arresting, putting to death believers, what would we desire

take them out

we would say that it is justified killing

I do not know what the believers in the early church were praying about Paul

rescue us from him, take him out

I would be surprised to find out that any were praying, make him an apostle!

Galatians 1:11–14 (CSB)

11 For I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that the gospel preached by me is not of human origin.

12 For I did not receive it from a human source and I was not taught it, but it came by a revelation of Jesus Christ.

13 For you have heard about my former way of life in Judaism: I intensely persecuted God’s church and tried to destroy it.

14 I advanced in Judaism beyond many contemporaries among my people, because I was extremely zealous for the traditions of my ancestors.

Paul was in man’s religion

v14 I advanced because I was extremely zealous for the traditions of my ancestors

he was not just in it, he was really good at it

he spent a lot of energy in it

he believed that he was doing the right thing and doing it better than anyone else

he was obeying the laws that the pharisees were touting so boldly to Jesus

that they claim he was not obeying

doing things like healing people on the sabbath

can you imagine a day that is supposed to be devoted to God and rest and you have compassion for somebody and help them

Paul lived and chased after the glory that comes from a works righteousness

this is what works salvation does, chases after your own glory

Paul was good at it and went above others

this is how he could get special assignments like being a terrorist to the believers in Jesus

he hated Jesus and his followers

Grace contradicts everything there is in a works theology

how mad do we get when we think that we have earned something

think of the parable that Jesus told in Matthew 20.

Landowner goes out and hires workers at six and tells them that he will pay them a denarius

goes back out at nine, noon, three and then at five

time to pay he pays the last ones first and gives them a denarius

Matthew 20:10–12 (CSB)

10 So when the first ones came, they assumed they would get more, but they also received a denarius each.

11 When they received it, they began to complain to the landowner:

12 ‘These last men put in one hour, and you made them equal to us who bore the burden of the day’s work and the burning heat.’

Here is where our love of works creeps in

ok, maybe save them, but I have worked hard I should get more reward, more grace more whatever!

Paul’s religion caused him to persecute the church

grace is unfathomable to those trying to earn salvation

the christians were associating with the worst sinners,

telling them they could be saved simply by repentance and belief in Jesus

they were doing what Jesus did

Paul hated him too

the persecution was not really on the followers of Jesus, but of Jesus himself

that is why in Acts 9, Jesus comes to Paul and says, “Paul, Paul, why are you persecuting me?”

We were the same way

you might be thinking, I am was not an enemy

maybe even now, maybe you are not saved, or your checking this out and your thinking, God is not my enemy, I do not hate him

Romans 5:10 (CSB)

10 For if, while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, then how much more, having been reconciled, will we be saved by his life.

reconciliation does not come because we are friends with God

in Ephesians 2 it tells us that we were following the ways of the evil one

Jesus came in revelation to a sinner such as this

this is the rescue

as enemies of God, he has such compassion for us that he came

he came for you no different than he came for Paul

we were in no better way than Paul, sinners bound for hell

and we have the same grace and rescue that Paul received

God through his mercy and grace calls sinners to repentance and invites them to follow him

A Gospel Calling

A calling is something that we have made scary

scared because we have made it all about special people to do special things

this person is called to be a Pastor, this one called to be a missionary,

as in a calling is a special thing from God that only a select few get

so then we do not know how we are supposed to get a special calling

does God speak audibly, does he send an angel, a note

does he pick the best available

is he looking around the church and going, well I guess I will take that one

Galatians 1:15–20 (CSB)

15 But when God, who from my mother’s womb set me apart and called me by his grace, was pleased

16 to reveal his Son in me, so that I could preach him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with anyone.

17 I did not go up to Jerusalem to those who had become apostles before me; instead I went to Arabia and came back to Damascus.

18 Then after three years I did go up to Jerusalem to get to know Cephas, and I stayed with him fifteen days.

19 But I didn’t see any of the other apostles except James, the Lord’s brother.

20 I declare in the sight of God: I am not lying in what I write to you.

Paul is telling us this because the over all meaning of the text is that he is showing that the gospel did not come from man but from God

that is why he is clear that he did not go to these different places where men would have taught it to him

A transformed life is a called life

Your life has been transformed if you are a believer in Jesus

You are not the same sinful enemy of God that you were

you were a dead person, now made alive in Christ Jesus according to Eph 2.

this is why we can say that there are no boring testimonies, your salvation is just as much a miracle as Paul’s

as a transformed person, you too have a calling

called to preach the gospel

maybe you will not preach from the pulpit, or on a mission field in another country

but there are people all around you that need to hear your testimony

they need to know about the grace that you have experienced

they need to know about the mistakes that we have made and the forgiveness that God has lavishly poured out on us

Not a calling out of nowhere

God knew all along

I love this about Paul’s story

set him apart and called him according to his grace from his mother’s womb

it tells me that God did not just randomly select him for this task

it was not reactionary, because Paul tortured all of these people I am going to call him to this life in ministry where he will be stoned, shipwrecked, left for dead

if that is true for Paul it is true of us as well

God called you from your mother’s womb to be his child and proclaim his gospel

he did not react because of something that you did or did not do

Paul was surprised by his calling I am sure

the one that you were persecuting, that you said was dead, came to you and blinded you

others were just as surprised I am sure

God gives us all we need to so this

his word and his spirit

God has called you, and equipped you to point others to himself.

A Gospel Mission

Some might think that a mission is the same as a calling

mission is the overall point, the main thing that we are shooting for

Example - FFC we want to love God and love People

but we all have a different part in that

each part is to share the grace and love of God with people

each in their different ways and different roles

Paul’s calling was to preach the gospel that was revealed to him from Jesus himself to the gentile world

His mission was to glorify God

Galatians 1:21–24 (CSB)

21 Afterward, I went to the regions of Syria and Cilicia.

22 I remained personally unknown to the Judean churches that are in Christ.

23 They simply kept hearing, “He who formerly persecuted us now preaches the faith he once tried to destroy.”

24 And they glorified God because of me.

Notice the change in Paul with Jesus

he remained personally unknown

in his former life, he wanted to be famous

Paul is saying he did not get anything from the Judean church

the gospel he preaches

orders of what to teach

orders on who to teach to

but they glorified God because of him

living out our calling, others will glorify God

for him to be glorified by the gospel that we live out

living on mission does not mean that everyone will love us

my flesh wants to tell you to get past that

do not care what others think, live for God

doing so I would be the biggest hypocrite

pastors are always worried what others are thinking

the truth is that we are not to stop caring what others think, but care more about what God thinks

what I mean is that we strive to live for him, sharing his gospel by loving people as ourselves

though those that hate him will hate us

this will happen when we live out the gospel

proclaiming his grace with the world

extending his grace to the world

Exalting Jesus in Galatians (Reflect and Discuss)

Reflect and Discuss

1. What were Paul’s critics saying about him? Summarize his response.

2. From where did the gospel come? How do most religions typically propose a person can find salvation or fulfillment? How is the true gospel different?

3. Describe Paul’s conversion. What amazes you about it?

4. Some people today claim that they have received a direct message from God. How should you respond to them?

5. Why should Paul’s conversion and commission encourage us?

6. Does Paul attribute his conversion to his own efforts or to God’s grace? Explain.

7. What were people saying about Paul’s conversion? What does this suggest about the grace of God?

8. Paul’s conversion story is traumatic and dramatic, but how is it similar to the conversion experiences of all Christians?

9. Compare this text to 1 Timothy 1:12–17. What about these two testimony accounts most stands out to you?

10. What is the most important lesson you have learned from chapter 1?