Galatians 1:15-24: God Said It, I Believe It, That Settles It

Scripture Reading: Galatians 1:15-24

Introduction

• Are you a first or second generation Christian?
• Second generation
• Because your parents are Christians
• You married a Christian
• You hang around other Christians (“guilt by association”)
• You have read the Bible and know the language
• First generation
• You have a relationship with Jesus Christ
• You read the Bible because you want to know Him better (Illustration: Letters from Ruth when I was in college)
• Prayer is a conversation with God, not a letter to “Santa”
• These things are true in spite of (see 1 Corinthians 13:12)
• Review: Paul was a first generation Christian and a first generation apostle (cf. Galatians 1:1)
• Thesis (Galatians 1:11-12)—The gospel Paul preached was:
• Not of human origin (κατὰ ἄνθρωπον)
• Not received from any man (source—παρὰ ἀνθρώπου)
• Not taught (agency)
• Received by revelation
• Thesis is developed in Galatians 1:13-2:10)
• Paul’s life prior to conversion gave no indication of what would follow
• He persecuted Christians
• He was fanatical for Judaism
• Compare Philippians 3:4-8
• GIGO: Garbage in, Glory Out—Paul, an unlikely missionary candidate

Conversion (Galatians 1:15-17)

• Acts 9:1-30
• “Set apart from birth” (Cf. Jeremiah 1:5; Isaiah 49:1-6; Luke 1:11-17 / Psalm 22:9-11; 58:3; 71:6)
• After we come to Christ, we can see how God orchestrated our lives

“Called by his grace”

• Paul does not attribute his conversion to:
• His intellect
• An emotional reaction
• An act of his will
• (though each of these are involved in Paul’s response to God!)
• Paul’s conversion is a response to God’s call
• God initiates
• The basis of God’s call: grace (independent of man’s merit)
• Man responds

"His Son revealed in me"

• A relationship Paul did not seek
• A relationship that changed everything

“Preach him among the Gentiles” (Acts 9:15; 22:21; 26:17-18; cf. Genesis 12:1-3; Isaiah 49:6)

Conversation (Galatians 1:18-20)

“After three years”

• Conversion Visit (See Acts 9:23 “after many days”; see also Acts 9:26-30)
• Forced to flee because of persecution of Jews (the persecutor becomes the persecuted)

“Get acquainted”

• What was Paul thinking?
• Unity with Jerusalem Church
• Learn more about earthly life of Jesus
• Was not seeking endorsement

Confirmation (Galatians 1:21-24)

“Went to Syria” (location of Antioch) “and Cilicia” (location of Tarsus, Paul’s hometown)

“Personally unknown”

• Active in evangelism
• Accepted

Conclusion

• A matter of revelation (1 Corinthians 2:6-16)
• The Analogy of Faith
• A Place at the Table
• What God Said, Paul Believed, and That Settled It!