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Gal 1:1-5 8/8/99 "Paul, an apostle-sent not from men nor by man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead- and all the brothers with me, To the churches in Galatia: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen." (Gal 1:1-5) In most of his letters, Paul emphasizes that he is either a servant of the Lord Jesus Christ or an apostle. There is a lot of debate whether or not Paul should have called himself an apostle. The main issue is that the office of apostle in the eyes of some was reserved only for the twelve original apostles. Others would say that anyone who exhibited the use of miraculous powers while spreading the Gospel would be considered an apostle. I think the big problem is that most of the people are arguing about what they think the word apostle means. From what I can gather, both the Thayer's Greek Lexicon and Strong's simply define the meaning as a delegate. Thayer's continues, including "a messenger, one sent forth with orders." Both add to the definition by indicating their concept of the usage of the word. Strong's adds "specially, an ambassador of the Gospel; officially a commissioner of Christ ["apostle"] (with miraculous powers)." Thayer's adds "a) specifically applied to the twelve apostles of Christ; b) in a broader sense, applied to other eminent Christian teachers: 1) Barnabas 2) Timothy and Silvanus." After reading these definitions, I think the problem stems from the fact that both Strong and Thayer added their biases when they tried to clarify the meaning of the Greek word as used in the Bible. It wasn't sufficient to convey the meaning. I had long argued that an apostle was a person who was more like our modern missionaries. They were people who had multiple gifts to preach, teach and establish churches. However, if we stick to the meaning of the word, then anyone who is called to represent Jesus is an apostle. Christ specifically called Paul. When Jesus knocked him off of his horse, He told Paul to go into town and he would be told what he had been assigned to do (Acts 22:10). Paul was personally delegated by Jesus to spread the Word and that makes him an apostle. We shouldn't get hung up so much on the words that are used, but recognize that each of us who have become Christians are also delegates and therefore apostles or ambassadors. "We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." (2 Cor 5:20-21) Just as Paul embraced the call to be an apostle, we too, are apostles. However, because there is so much heat over the word apostle, I think I'll just get some business cards printed up that says I'm an ambassador for a foreign kingdom. The truth is, we are foreigners in an alien land and we are His ambassadors. "Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul." (1 Peter 2:11) In the book of Galatians, Paul needed to emphasize that he was called by God and not by man. In many cases, people who go into full time Christian work do so because everything works out for them to do it. Their calling is not a direct announcement from God or Jesus. Their ordination is often confirmed by men or women who have observed their lives and agree that ministry is where they should be. Paul needed to make it clear that his calling was directly from God. Jesus spoke to him on the road to Damascus, but since it was God the Father who raised Jesus from the dead, Paul's calling is from God the Father as well. His authority and his teachings had been questioned so it was important to point this out. Since God did raise Jesus from the dead, it confirmed that Jesus was who He said He was. "I and the Father are one." (John 10:30) That simple statement from Jesus had the Jews out to stone Him for blasphemy. If Jesus was not God, then the Father would have never raised Him from the dead because He would have been guilty of a very grievous sin. That may be a no-brainer for us now, who have a firm faith in the deity of Jesus, but it was important for Paul to state it at that time to remind people who Jesus is. It is again repeated when Paul pronounces grace and peace for us from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Every time he declares that Jesus is Lord, he says that Jesus is Kurios - supreme in authority. By implication, he restates that Jesus is God. In his greeting, Paul reaffirms the basic message of the Gospel. God has acted toward us with grace, giving us what we don't deserve. We don't deserve His peace. We deserve His judgment, wrath and punishment. The only reason we receive His grace and peace is because Jesus gave Himself for our sins. "He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world." (1 John 2:2) Jesus' death on the cross satisfies His justice because our sins require that the death penalty must be paid. "God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished- he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus." (Rom 3:25-26) We were once dead in our sins, and being dead, there wasn't anything we could do to save ourselves. We were captivated by the present evil age. Anyone who thinks that it was anything other than Jesus rescuing us, has another think coming. "As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient." (Eph 2:1-3) Paul says that all this occurred because it was the will of our God and Father. It wasn't an accident that Jesus died on the cross. His plan didn't go wrong. It was planned and happened according to God's will. Jesus participated in that and gave Himself. He wasn't forced to go to the cross. He did it of His own free will. "No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father." (John 10:18) This doesn't mean it wasn't a struggle for Him. He was tempted to go against God's will and do it another way. "Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. 'All this I will give you,' he said, 'if you will bow down and worship me.'" (Matt 4:8-9) "When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time." (Luke 4:13) I think that the devil's opportune time came in the garden of Gethsemane. "And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground." (Luke 22:44) He resisted the temptation to the point of sweating blood. Because of the Gospel we give God the Father the glory. Not only do we give Him glory now, but we will also give Him glory throughout all eternity for our redemption. We probably will not understand until we reach heaven what it really cost to save us, but considering the length of eternity and the fact that we will be giving glory to God forever for Jesus' sacrifice on the cross, the cost goes way beyond anything we can imagine. Let's be ambassadors for Jesus and share the good news of the Gospel, giving our God the glory. In Jesus, Ray Ruppert "I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel- which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned! As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned!" Paul was astonished that the Galatians were quickly deserting Christ and turning to a different "gospel". Paul wasn't unaware of the problems that can occur in a church. He warned the Ephesians that there would be people who would try to lead them astray. "I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them." (Acts 20:29-30) Surprisingly, these people would come from members of their own church. They would come after Paul left, but the implication is that it would be a gradual process. One reason for Paul's astonishment with the Galatians is that they were deserting quickly and heading for a different "gospel". Why do people turn away from the Gospel of Jesus? Some make a profession of knowing Jesus, but really haven't. While they like the idea of salvation being free, they don't understand that it requires us to give ourselves completely to Jesus. "For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it." (Luke 9:24-25) This is simply too much of a commitment for many people. When they find out that the Christian life requires this level of a walk with Jesus, they look for someone who will tell them that they don't have to be so fanatical. This is one of the many different "gospels". The "gospel" of easy believism can be found in churches all over the country. They will tell you that all you need to do is believe and you will be saved. They don't mention that belief has to result in actions before it is a saving faith. "But someone will say, 'You have faith; I have deeds.' Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do." (James 2:18) The real Gospel results in repentance and a changed life. The bottom line of the real Gospel is that if your life doesn't change after you have accepted Jesus as LORD and Savior, then Jesus isn't really living in you. Others get sucked into cults that preach whatever they want, including a different "Jesus". I pulled a few things off the Internet to let you see what is lurking out there, ready to grab people who are unwilling to put time into God's Word and find out what He has already said. "Welcome - you have found your way to the teachings of Jesus of Nazareth, as received through automatic writing by James Padgett in the early years of this century. In these writings Jesus states that Padgett is the first mortal through whom he has been able to successfully redeliver his teachings - which he says are not accurately represented in the present day versions of the Bible." How would you respond to a disciple of James Padgett if he were to bring you this news? I'll bet Joseph Smith turned over in his grave when he realized that James Padgett was the only one that Jesus has been able to use to successfully redeliver His teachings. Isn't it interesting that the same message was given to Joseph Smith less than 100 years before? It is a reoccurring theme that the forces of darkness have used over and over again, stating that the Bible has been messed up and God couldn't possibly keep His Word accurate over the ages. "I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished." (Matt 5:18) "For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect-if that were possible." (Matt 24:24) "As I read Galatians and the other epistles of Paul I wonder how believers can continue to insist the Good News that Paul preached was the same gospel the twelve preached." What Biblical information would you use to convince this person that the Gospel of Paul and the Gospel of the original twelve apostles are the same? Perhaps the author of this statement didn't read Acts 15 where Paul and Barnabas went to Jerusalem to clarify their teaching with the remaining Apostles and the church leaders. "Bear in mind that our Lord's patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him. He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction." (2 Peter 3:15-16) I would think that if Paul had preached a different "gospel", then Peter's words about Paul would have been very different. Note that Peter placed Paul's letters in the same category as the Scriptures. I visited the site for a church called "Angel of Hope". They stated, "We call ourselves 'Uncompromisingly Gospel.'" They also stated, "We strive to be a community of repentance, advocacy and grace." Then they also included, "We are gay, lesbian, straight, bisexual and trans-gendered." How would you respond to a member of this church as they tried to convince you that they were "Uncompromisingly Gospel"? It is astonishing that they can in one breath call themselves uncompromisingly gospel with repentance included and in the next advocate homosexuality, which is clearly condemned in the Bible. Like I said before, if you say you believe, then your life will change. If you repent from sin, you can't advocate sin. "Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God." (1 Cor 6:9-11) We all need to be humbled by these words and make sure that we are not participating in or advocating that any of these things are ok for professing Christians. Paul said that some of the Corinthians WERE doing these things. Obviously, there had to have been repentance when they came to Christ. No wonder Paul saw that the other "gospels" were throwing the Galatians into confusion. I'm sure that each of the above perverted teachings was presented in a very convincing manner. What would you do if you had an angel come to you and proclaim the Gospel? Would you know how to determine if his teaching were correct? Can you relate the essentials of the Gospel? If someone asked you what it takes to become a Christian, would your answer conform to what the Bible says? If we can't answer these questions, then there is a good possibility that we are unwittingly preaching another "gospel". Paul was so adamant about being accurate about the Gospel that he twice pronounced that anyone (including himself) who preached a different "gospel" should be eternally condemned. He probably wasn't speaking of someone who is incorrect because they are ignorant, but to those who purposely pervert the Gospel to keep others from coming to the truth. However, if we are inaccurate, we could inadvertently convince someone that they are saved, when in actuality they aren't. I have counseled many people who have wanted salvation, even though they have previously prayed to receive Jesus as their Lord and Savior. They weren't 100% sure that if they were to die that they would go to heaven. After reviewing the Gospel with them, most of them understood salvation and came to know that they already had eternal life, but some still didn't "get it". There are different reasons why they didn't understand, but I believe I would be in error to try to convince them that they were saved just because they said a prayer. "Those who obey his commands live in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us." (1 John 3:24) It isn't up to me to convince someone that he is saved if the Holy Spirit hasn't already done it. If I did, then that person may go through life thinking they were ok with God and never respond to Him. On the other hand, I've also talked with people who revealed that their life after "receiving" Jesus didn't change. They had accepted Jesus without any confession of their sin or a need for a Savior. They thought they could keep on believing and doing whatever they wanted. Repentance was a foreign word to them. One person my trainer and I visited on a Lay Witness call said, "I thought I was a Christian until you two showed up." It was our joy to see this man repent and really receive Jesus as Lord and Savior. Let's be very sure of the Gospel and communicate it faithfully. In Jesus, Ray Ruppert Pleasing People - Galatians 1:10-12 "Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ. I want you to know, brothers, that the gospel I preached is not something that man made up. I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ." I think one of the hardest things for each of us to deal with is the desire to please people. It starts almost as soon as we learn to communicate with our parents. As children, we are rewarded when we do good and punished when we don't. Some parents press it even further with comments like "Mommy and Daddy love you when you are good." The message is communicated that we are only loved when we are doing well and we aren't loved when we are bad. From there it is a simple step to make performance and pleasing people the measure of our worth. When we go to school it is reinforced that we need to get good grades and be at the top of the class. We are praised by our teachers for accomplishments, paid by our parents for each "A" and reprimanded when we fail. It doesn't get any better when we hit the world and get a job. We need to please our bosses in order to get paid. We find that in life we need to walk a tightrope of pleasing people on one hand and understanding that our worth as a human being can't possibly depend on pleasing people. To make matters even more confusing, we are instructed in the Bible to please people. "We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. Each of us should please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. For even Christ did not please himself but, as it is written: 'The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me.'" (Rom 15:1-3) "Teach slaves to be subject to their masters in everything, to try to please them, not to talk back to them, and not to steal from them, but to show that they can be fully trusted, so that in every way they will make the teaching about God our Savior attractive." (Titus 2:9-10) In these situations there isn't any conflict in pleasing God or pleasing people, but whether or not we are trying to please others or ourselves. If we are living our lives as unselfishly as possible, we will put the interests of others ahead of our own interests. There are two times when we should seek to please others. The first is when it is for another's good and to encourage and strengthen them. The second is that we are taught to please those in authority over us so that we won't be giving a bad name to Christ. Paul even went one further when he wrote the Corinthians. He stated that he tried to please everyone. "So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God- even as I try to please everybody in every way. For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved." (1 Cor 10:31-11:1) In these issues, Paul was again speaking about a life style that doesn't have any conflict with his relationship with God. His goal in pleasing people was not to determine his own self worth, but to please the Lord by being an example to others so that people would see Christ in him. "I would like you to be free from concern. An unmarried man is concerned about the Lord's affairs-how he can please the Lord. But a married man is concerned about the affairs of this world-how he can please his wife- and his interests are divided." (1 Cor 7:32-34a) Paul acknowledged that in the martial relationship (See also verses 34b, 35) there is a built in conflict with trying to please God. He doesn't say that it is wrong for a person to please his/her spouse. He simply states that there will be conflicts and they can cause problems when it comes to ministry. There can also be a great joy in marriage when both the partners want to please the Lord. When the husband and wife both have the same goals for pleasing the Lord, you have a mighty force that works wonders for the kingdom of God. Before we can overcome the desire to please others more than the Lord, we really need to overcome the desire to please ourselves. When we get our feelings of self worth from pleasing others, in reality we aren't as concerned with pleasing others as we are with feeling good about ourselves. That is the wrong motive. Even if we are trying to please God so that we feel good, it is the wrong motive. What we have to deal with is sin. "Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God. You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ." (Rom 8:8, 9) First of all, there is no way that a non-Christian can please God. As Christians our sins do not please the Lord either. We sin when there is a conflict between pleasing neighbors, God or ourselves, and we choose to please ourselves. To be correctly motivated, we need to be pleasing God and others because His Spirit is living in us and we are walking in step with the Holy Spirit. However, we also need to be careful to not fall into a trap thinking that we need to deny ourselves to the point that we neglect our physical or spiritual health. Jesus took His disciples away to a quiet place after they had gone out two by two to spread the news of the Kingdom. We also need to be careful not to think that we will always be able to please others all the time. "If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone." (Rom 12:18-19) The implication is that there are going to be people that we can't please. When to please people:
When not to please people:
How do we know what it takes to please God? Jesus gave us the best example. "By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me." (John 5:30) The first thing we need to do is to understand that we can't do anything by ourselves and that includes pleasing Him. We need to trust in Him working in us to be able to please Him. When we need to please others, we have to be careful to discern the situation because people aren't perfect and there are times when we shouldn't attempt to please them (it wouldn't be for their good). When we desire to please God, there is no question that pleasing Him comes first. To do this, we need to trust Him and know that following His commands will never be wrong. If we end up in a conflict with others because we have obeyed God instead of pleasing people, we can trust Him to work it out for good. (Rom 8:28) "So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad." (2 Cor 5:9-10) We need to make it our goal to please Him. If we wait until the Judgment to find out if we have met our goal, we'll probably be disappointed. When we establish a goal, we need to set milestones to be able to measure our progress in achieving it. "And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light." (Col 1:10 -12) Two milestones that we can set are to bear fruit in every good work and to grow in the knowledge of God. If we want to measure the fruit listed in these verses all we need to do is ask some questions of ourselves compared to a year ago.
If not, then we better start trying to find out why and take steps to change it. "Finally, brothers, we instructed you how to live in order to please God, as in fact you are living. Now we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus to do this more and more." (1 Thess 4:1) It pleases God when we live the way He wants, and even more when we continue to grow. Paul opened his letter to the Galatians by stating he was not trying to please men. He was speaking in the context of spreading his Gospel message. He also had to remind the Thessalonians about this. "On the contrary, we speak as men approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please men but God, who tests our hearts." (1 Thess 2:4) When people are in ministry, they usually have a heart for people and it is very hard for them to speak God's word because they don't want to hurt others. Since the Word of God is a sharp two-edged sword, it is bound to hurt some. The temptation is to lighten it somehow so that it is easier to swallow; however, it probably won't be as effective. Paul received the Gospel directly from Jesus. If he changed it any way so that people wouldn't be offended, he would no longer be Christ's servant but Satan's servant. Whenever we are sharing the Word of God, whether it is for salvation or for instruction, we need to be sensitive about our attitude and how we present God's Word. However, the one thing we can't do and still please God is to change what He has said. We can't waffle on sin or what it takes to be saved. How to please God:
Let's seek to please God first and remember that sometimes we need to please people to do it. In Jesus, Ray Ruppert Revelations - Galatians 1:11, 12 "I want you to know, brothers, that the gospel I preached is not something that man made up. I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ." (Gal 1:11-12) How would you respond to someone who said they had received a revelation from Jesus? Would you immediately think they were nuts or would you listen in awe as they expounded on what had been given to them? It would be even tougher to decide if you only had the Old Testament to measure his revelation against. When Paul first started preaching it sounds like that was exactly what a person would have had to decide. Consider also that Paul was the apostle to the Gentiles who didn't even have the Old Testament to guide them. It's no wonder that he got tossed out of almost every city he went to. "Surely you have heard about the administration of God's grace that was given to me for you, that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly. In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to men in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God's holy apostles and prophets. This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus." (Eph 3:2-6) This is one of the revelations that got Paul into a lot of trouble. Jews so hated Gentiles that even suggesting that God would save them started riots. In Acts 22:2-20 Paul addressed the crowd that had tried to kill him. They listened until verse 21 when he stated "Then the Lord said to me, `Go; I will send you far away to the Gentiles.'" At this the crowd would have killed him if he hadn't been in Roman custody. This revelation is also the one that has brought much joy to Gentiles ever since Jesus died for our sins. After the Jews in Pisidian Antioch had rejected Paul and Barnabas, Paul told them that he was going to take this message to the Gentiles. "For this is what the Lord has commanded us: `I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.' When the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and honored the word of the Lord; and all who were appointed for eternal life believed." (Acts 13:47-48) Paul quoted Isaiah 49:6 to explain that the Gentiles would be saved. This revelation that Paul received was confirmed in the Old Testament. This is one of the tests that we have to apply to anyone's revelations, even Paul's. God isn't going to give to someone a revelation that contradicts what He has previously said. The fact that God would grant salvation to Gentiles was promised even before there was a Hebrew race. He made this promise when He spoke to Abraham. "And through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me." (Gen 22:18) This promise was hidden from the Jews, who had drifted from God's original intentions for them to be a blessing to Gentiles. "No, we speak of God's secret wisdom, a wisdom that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began. None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. However, as it is written: 'No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him'- but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit." (1 Cor 2:7-10) God hid His purposes for Gentiles and Jews to become one in Christ from all who came before Jesus and especially from those who were in religious power when Jesus came. People have often argued what would have happened if the Jewish leaders had accepted Jesus as Messiah and turned to Him instead of having Him crucified. All these speculations aren't worth the time engaged in them. Paul clearly told us that they wouldn't have crucified Jesus if they had understood. God hid it from them so that Jesus would be crucified. If Jesus hadn't been crucified, there wouldn't have been a payment made for our sins. Our salvation depends on the fact that Jesus died for us. It is our faith in Him and our trusting that His sacrifice has paid the penalty that saves us, instead of our own righteous works. "I did not consult any man, nor did I go up to Jerusalem to see those who were apostles before I was, but I went immediately into Arabia and later returned to Damascus." (Gal 1:16b-17) Paul took a three-year sabbatical in Arabia after he was called to be the apostle to the Gentiles. There is a lot of speculation about what Paul actually did during those three years. Some have even written books about how he learned secrets from mystical masters and others. All these speculations and books do only one thing and that is cast doubt on the Word of God and lessen the miracle that occurred in his life by the power of the Holy Spirit. Paul made it clear that he received his revelations from the Lord and didn't consult with any other person. What we do know is that when he returned to Damascus, he was able to persuasively prove that Jesus is the Christ. "Yet Saul grew more and more powerful and baffled the Jews living in Damascus by proving that Jesus is the Christ." (Acts 9:22) This kind of preaching doesn't come from learning to become a great salesman from some guru, but only from the power of the Holy Spirit and knowing the Word of God. The Jews were not concerned that he was doing a good sales job, but that he was able to prove from the Scriptures that Jesus is the Christ. I'm sure that Paul spent these three years buried in the Old Testament until he knew without a doubt that his revelation was true and from God. Then, being armed with the Word of God, he was able to prove Jesus is the Christ. "Fourteen years later I went up again to Jerusalem, this time with Barnabas. I took Titus along also. I went in response to a revelation and set before them the gospel that I preach among the Gentiles. But I did this privately to those who seemed to be leaders, for fear that I was running or had run my race in vain." (Gal 2:1-2) Doubt doesn't attempt to crush only new believers. After seventeen years of knowing the Lord (three in Arabia and fourteen after), Paul had some concern that he may have been heading in the wrong direction with his teachings. To put it into perspective, remember that Paul had been sent to Tarsus and wasn't heard from for twelve years until Barnabas brought him to Antioch. Paul had only been in a leadership position for two years when he had to defend his message in Jerusalem. He was very much the new guy on the block and had been going full speed ahead until Jewish Christian arrived in Antioch telling him that the Gentile Christians needed to follow the laws of Moses before they could be saved. In response, he brought his message to be scrutinized by the leaders of the Church in Jerusalem. Any revelation, whether it comes to us or to others must be confirmed by Scripture. We should bring any teaching based on revelations to other Christian leaders when there is any doubt about it. If we have done our homework researching Scriptures, we don't need to doubt that our leaders will support it. Praise God that Paul was faithful to do these things. May we also be found faithful when we share God's Word. In Jesus,
Ray Ruppert "For you have heard of my previous way of life in Judaism, how intensely I persecuted the church of God and tried to destroy it. I was advancing in Judaism beyond many Jews of my own age and was extremely zealous for the traditions of my fathers. But when God, who set me apart from birth and called me by his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son in me so that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not consult any man, nor did I go up to Jerusalem to see those who were apostles before I was, but I went immediately into Arabia and later returned to Damascus." Before Paul became a Christian he would have been described as a very religious person. He had been trained in the ways of Judaism from a young age and was extremely conscious of doing everything right. Without a doubt, he believed that salvation was based on being a Jew and then by following the multitude of laws. "Then Paul said: 'I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city. Under Gamaliel I was thoroughly trained in the law of our fathers and was just as zealous for God as any of you are today.'" (Acts 22:2b-4) Zeal is defined as enthusiastic devotion; eager desire; single-minded allegiance. It is admirable to be zealous for God and it is a quality that we should all want to possess. Unfortunately, Paul was also zealous for the traditions of his fathers. He had been thoroughly indoctrinated to believe that his eternal salvation depended upon following all these rules, which took precedence over a relationship with God. As with many people who are zealous for their beliefs, he was willing to go to great lengths to encourage and even force other to conform to what he believed. This resulted in Paul's persecution of the church. Where did Paul go wrong? I think he revealed it in Romans when he described his fellow countrymen who didn't believe in Jesus. "Brothers, my heart's desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved. For I can testify about them that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge. Since they did not know the righteousness that comes from God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God's righteousness." (Rom 10:1-3) Zeal for God doesn't guarantee salvation. Many people claim to love God and attempt to worship Him in various ways, but they aren't saved. They believe that they will be saved because they are loving Him, worshiping Him and doing things for Him. When you analyze their thinking, you will discover that their love and actions are all done because they believe it will earn their salvation. I have asked people who believed this way what they believed about Jesus. Their answers revealed that they weren't concerned about Jesus because they loved God. They were shocked when I suggested to them that they couldn't be saved without Jesus. Like Paul, they had gained a lot of knowledge about God, but didn't have a relationship with Him because they hadn't accepted the fact the Jesus is God and there is no way to come to the Father except through Jesus. "Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son, that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father, who sent him." (John 5:22-23) Jesus made it clear that anyone who ignores Jesus is not honoring God and is therefore in deep trouble regarding salvation. "Jesus answered, 'I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.'" (John 14:6-7) The Jews who have not accepted Jesus as their Messiah as well as any other person who does not accept Jesus as Christ are lost because they are still trying to earn their way into heaven. As Paul said in Romans 12:3, they are seeking to establish their own righteousness. Unfortunately, zeal for God without a relationship with Him tends to lead to persecution of others who are trying to attain the same goals, but by different means. Christians have been accused of this during the inquisitions and even in Germany when Hitler was killing as many Jews as he could. While we may get a bum rap because people call themselves Christians and persecute others, we should never be involved in persecution. Rather, we should use the accusation as an opportunity to explain that being a Christian means we are not to bring evil against anyone even if they start it. "Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing." (1 Peter 3:9) We should be zealous to win souls, but not by force. "But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander." (1 Peter 3:15-16) Our behavior should be quick to befriend those in need regardless of who they are or what they believe. That is the example that Jesus gave in the story of the Good Samaritan. Paul's life is an example of how we should change when we accept Christ. Paul was a persecutor until he met Jesus. That's the way he was. What were you? "Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God." (1 Cor 6:9-11) Each of us has been set apart by God even before we were born, just as Paul stated that he was. Jesus was revealed in Paul and the Christians at Corinth and in us. Our old lives have become things of the past when we have Jesus living in us. Paul said that God was pleased to reveal His Son in him so that he could preach among the Gentiles. One of the most important things that we need to understand is that we were all guilty of something, even if we came to Christ at the age of four. It may not seem so grievous as being a persecutor or male prostitute, but we were all in the same boat and headed for the same eternal destiny without Jesus. It was Jesus who washed us and cleaned us up. He took all of our sins on Himself so that we could overcome the past and do what He called us to do. If we think about Paul's past, we may think that he had no chance of making an impact for Jesus. You would think that anytime someone found out about his past, they would throw it in his face and say that they wouldn't trust him anymore. The same could be said of the members of the church in Corinth or of us. The blessed truth is that when God calls us from the kingdom of darkness into the light of His kingdom, He also gives us His power to accomplish His purposes in us. (Eph 1:19-20) "Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things-and the things that are not-to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God-that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: 'Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.'" (1 Cor 1:26-31) The next time we are tempted to hide instead of serve the Lord because of our past, we need to remember that the changed life is that which testifies to the greatness and forgiveness of our Lord. God has every right to annihilate us because of our sins; instead He uses us to demonstrate His love and forgiveness. It brings glory to Him when He saves and redeems our lives. He takes what was useless and demonstrates to the world what a life surrendered to Jesus can do. This week, let's remember that He has called us to serve Him and by His grace we are able. Let's not dwell on what we were, and let's not let it stop us from giving Him glory as we live out our lives for Him. In Jesus,
Ray Ruppert "1 I went in response to a revelation and set before them the gospel that I preach among the Gentiles. But I did this privately to those who seemed to be leaders, for fear that I was running or had run my race in vain. 6 As for those who seemed to be important-whatever they were makes no difference to me; God does not judge by external appearance-those men added nothing to my message. 11 When Peter came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he was clearly in the wrong." When I first read these verses, I was puzzled because Paul seemed to be setting a tone of disrespect for the leaders of the Church. He took the Gospel that he preached to those who "seemed" to be leaders, those who "seemed" to be important. I could understand that he opposed Peter because he was wrong, but I was wondering if Paul might have been having an attitude problem. I know that all Scripture is God's Word and it has a reason for being there. If Paul was "sporting a 'tude" and it was revealed in his writings, then there was a message for us. Since I couldn't see any correction of this attitude, another conclusion is that my frame of reference was out of whack and that's why I was puzzled. It is clear from these first two chapters of Galatians that there was an essential message of the Gospel in danger of being corrupted. He simplified the basis of the message when he confronted Peter. "We who are Jews by birth and not `Gentile sinners' know that a man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by observing the law, because by observing the law no one will be justified." (Gal 2:15-16) Paul had seen people infiltrate the church with a goal of making the Gentile believers (and any Jews with them) slaves to the Law and thereby stop the spread of the Gospel (2:4). Had Paul put Peter and the other Church leaders on a pedestal, this confrontation may have never happened. If he had approached them with the conviction that the leadership is somehow blessed by God and given special guidance so that their living out of God's Word is always correct, then the good news of salvation by faith in Jesus would have died out. Christianity would have become a Jewish sect that believed the Messiah had already come and that salvation is found only in following the Law. When we put church leaders on a pedestal and treat them as someone special we create a special class of people, which goes against the warning that James provided for us. "If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, 'Here's a good seat for you,' but say to the poor man, 'You stand there' or 'Sit on the floor by my feet,' have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?" (James 2:3-4) You're probably saying that this applies to someone who visits your church but not the leaders. Is there any difference between discrimination based on outward appearances such as clothes or a person's seminary education or title? When we confer upon our leaders a special status, we open doors of temptation for them. It is possible for them to begin to believe that they deserve this treatment because they have a seminary degree or even some special insight into God's Word because of their position. I think this is what happened over centuries in the Catholic Church. I think that Peter (if it were possible for him to observe what has happened) would be shocked to see the changes, especially in the last couple of hundred years. The Catholic Church only recently declared that the Pope's official statements regarding the Catholic Church and doctrine are infallible. Based on Paul's comments and James' warning, I don't think that any of the apostles believed that they were somehow to be set apart from other people or could finally reach a state of infallibility. If in fact they did set themselves apart, it was to be servants, not rulers. Jesus emphasized this with the twelve apostles. "Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, 'If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all.'" (Mark 9:35) Obviously, the apostles had a different function in the Church than other members. "So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, 'It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables. Brothers, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word.'" (Acts 6:2-4) This however didn't elevate them to some special class of people who are unapproachable or infallible. On the other hand, it doesn't mean that we shouldn't respect the gift that God has given them or the position of authority in the Church either. We need to give them proper respect and become submissive to their leadership without creating a class of people that are somehow different that anyone else. On the other side of the pendulum, are those who think that they can criticize church leaders without the need to join a church (submit to leadership). "You know that the household of Stephanas were the first converts in Achaia, and they have devoted themselves to the service of the saints. I urge you, brothers, to submit to such as these and to everyone who joins in the work, and labors at it." (1 Cor 16:15-16) This verse and Heb 13:7 makes it clear that we are called to join a church because that is the only way that we can submit to the leadership. It also makes it clear that leadership and therefore the right to make constructive criticism is based on whether or not a person is joining in the work of the Church. It doesn't make sense to me when non-participating attendees of a church complain about the service, the leadership or the way the finances of the church are handled. They simply haven't earned the right. Paul set an example for the criteria for voicing opposition to church leaders.
"Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you. Pray for us. We are sure that we have a clear conscience and desire to live honorably in every way." (Heb 13:17-18) Our leaders are people just like us. We need to be praying for them so that they will be able to have a clear conscience and live honorably. Pray that we won't have to confront any leaders. If we are praying, confrontations certainly should be very rare. Let's pray for our leaders this week and make their work a joy and not a burden. In Jesus, Ray Ruppert "[This matter arose] because some false brothers had infiltrated our ranks to spy on the freedom we have in Christ Jesus and to make us slaves." Much of the letter of Galatians is talking about our freedom in Christ. The issue isn't so much a matter that we have been freed from sin, but the fact that we have been freed from the enslavement which forces us to work for our salvation. "Since they did not know the righteousness that comes from God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God's righteousness. Christ is the end of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes." (Rom 10:3-4) Paul spoke of his fellow Jews who had rejected Jesus because they were still working for their salvation. They didn't accept Jesus' work on their behalf. People who are trying to earn their salvation apart from surrender to Jesus will never know when enough work has been done. It is an enslavement that keeps people thinking they are doing the right thing, but leads to frustration. Star Trek Voyager is a TV program that I indulge in. The themes are very new age and as a friend mentioned last week, they have Klingon religion and all sorts of other religions, but not Christianity. However, it gives me insight into the thinking of the world. In the last episode, B'Elanna traveled into a Klingon purgatory-like place to rescue her mother who was on her way to hell (by the way, their depiction of hell was very realistic and HOT). During the rescue, B'Elanna (who has a lot of anger in her life) breaks down and wants the Voyager's captain and crew, her mother and (implied) God to "Just tell me what you want me to do." All her life she has been trying to gain her sense of value by doing what she thinks people expect of her. I digressed about this show because it can be used as an opportunity to engage people in talking about what it really takes to get to heaven and because, like B'Elanna, many people are enslaved to the concept that they need to do something to get to heaven. The people who had infiltrated the Antioch church thought they had all the rules, regulations and procedures that were required to get to heaven. They were also very willing to tell everyone what they had to do. "All who rely on observing the law are under a curse, for it is written: 'Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.'" (Gal 3:10) Unfortunately, following the rules as a means of salvation results in a curse because they can't possibly do everything that the Law demands. This certainly doesn't produce a joyful life. Like B'Elanna, they can have a simmering anger beneath the surface because they can't be sure they have done enough. For others, it can result in depression or other emotional problems. Not so for the freedom in Christ! We can know the joy of our salvation. "Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me. Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will turn back to you." (Ps 51:12-13) Our joy comes from knowing that Jesus has paid the price for our salvation. In gratitude we are then able to share with others the way to Jesus and eternal life. Our spirit is willing to do it, not because we have to do it or because we are able in ourselves, but because it is God who has given us His Spirit. "I will walk about in freedom, for I have sought out your precepts. I will speak of your statutes before kings and will not be put to shame, for I delight in your commands because I love them. I lift up my hands to your commands, which I love, and I meditate on your decrees." (Ps 119:45-48) We also have the freedom to seek God and His Word out of delight instead of fear. Can you imagine trying to comb the Bible daily trying to figure out what it takes to be saved, always fearing that you have overlooked something? Our freedom in Christ gives us a love for His Word instead. "To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, 'If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.' They answered him, 'We are Abraham's descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?' Jesus replied, 'I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.'" (John 8:31-36) As Christians, our status in the family of God is that of sons instead of slaves. Many people who reject Christianity do so because they don't want to be enslaved to a bunch of rules. Holding to Jesus' teaching is not a matter of obeying rules but learning the truth. The truth is that He and only He is the one who could pay the horrendous price for sin and to appease the Father's justice. Once we become part of the family by accepting that Jesus has already finished doing all the work, we are no longer slaves and we will be in this family forever. People who think they are maintaining their place in the family of God by obeying the rules haven't been set free. They are acting as if they are still slaves. Paul goes into much more detail about this in Galatians, chapter 3. "Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God. Show proper respect to everyone: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honor the king." (1 Peter 2:16-17) Unfortunately, there is always the risk of using our freedom as an excuse to do wrong. We know that we are forgiven, so we don't try as hard to resist sin as those who think they need to earn their righteousness. Instead, Peter clearly shows that in every area of our lives, we need to be seen as servants of God.
This week, let's let the joy of our salvation shine, enjoy His word, rest in the assurance we are forever in the family of God and then live like it. In Jesus,
Ray Ruppert "If, while we seek to be justified in Christ, it becomes evident that we ourselves are sinners, does that mean that Christ promotes sin? Absolutely not! If I rebuild what I destroyed, I prove that I am a lawbreaker. For through the law I died to the law so that I might live for God. I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!" Paul has been defending our freedom from the need to be saved by obedience to the Law. Our freedom is obtained by our faith in Christ. Now, he brings together some very important logical conclusions to his arguments and defends the Gospel against claims that Christianity promotes sin. Those opposing Paul's teaching were most likely claiming that it was obvious that salvation couldn't come from faith in Jesus alone because there was still sin in the Church. Their claim didn't just say faith in Jesus can't be the sole basis for salvation, but also that Christ causes people to sin because they no longer follow the Law and therefore sin. (The sad part of this is the fact that Christians still sin, not because they aren't following the Law, but because we haven't yet understood the need for a holy life or how to live a holy life.) They insisted that Christians needed to observe the Law of Moses. Paul insists that once a person has trusted Jesus Christ for his salvation, he can't go back to trusting in the Law. If he does, he is essentially saying that Christ's death wasn't enough and that there is still more that needs to be done. In Paul's time, his opponents were saying that circumcision was one of the things necessary for salvation. In our day, we see different denominations claiming that there are additional criteria for salvation and add them to faith in Jesus. Baptism is one that stands out in several churches. Others claim that you need to belong to their church or you can't be saved. Worship on Saturday, not eating meat or obedience to the church leadership are all traditions that have enslaved people and kept them from knowing their freedom in Christ. As Paul proclaimed the Gospel to the Gentiles, it became evident that obedience to the Law of Moses would not save anyone. In this sense he destroyed the concept of salvation by works and reestablished salvation by faith as the only means of salvation. "I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile." (Rom 1:16) There is only one means of salvation and it is the same for both Jew and Gentile. "Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed ... This is why 'it was credited to him as righteousness.' The words 'it was credited to him' were written not for him alone, but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness-for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead." (Rom 4:18, 22-24) Salvation has always been by faith, but long years of traditions had robbed that knowledge from the Jewish scholars and religious leaders. All the Law could do is prove that a person is a sinner because there has never been a person on the earth (other than Jesus) who could keep all of the Law. Paul knew that the purpose of the Law was to expose sin, not bring redemption. He spoke personally about it in the book of Romans. "What shall we say, then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! Indeed I would not have known what sin was except through the law. For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, 'Do not covet.'" (Rom 7:7-8) I am intrigued by the new religions that say that we are all gods and therefore we don't sin. I don't know how they define sin, but they certainly would have to throw out all laws beside the Law of Moses. I can't imagine a person who has lived their whole life without breaking any law at all, including all traffic laws. But Paul says he has died to the law so that he might live for God. What does it mean to die to the law? Paul explains it in Romans 7:1-6 and in the following verse. "For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin- because anyone who has died has been freed from sin." (Rom 6:6-7) He explains that after a spouse dies, the survivor can marry and not commit adultery because she is free from the law of marriage. When we became Christians our sin nature was legally put to death along with Jesus when He died for our sins. Since we are legally dead, we are no longer under the obligation to obey the Law. Granted, all of this has actually happened in the spiritual realm and not in the physical because we are obviously alive and still sin. However this is important to understand because it is central to our faith, which determines how we act and how we attempt to live a holy life. Many of us attempt to live a holy life by setting a bunch of rules for ourselves and for others. As we live within these rules, we feel that we are living a holy life. We may certainly be living better than we were before we had the rules, but we are also blinding ourselves to any continuing progress in the attainment of holiness. Paul said that the life he lived in the body was lived by faith. "For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man, in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit." (Rom 8:3-4) Following rules can't help us to become holy. Only Jesus could do that and it is by faith that we live our life, not according to our sinful nature but according to the Spirit. There is some benefit to rules and following regiments to keep us from sin, but they can't replace or supercede a life in tune with the Holy Spirit. We can't keep in tune with the Holy Spirit by any formula or regiment either. It takes faith. If we don't believe that we have been crucified with Christ, then we have no basis for resisting temptation other than our own will power, which will fail sooner or later. If we don't believe that Christ is living in us, but instead we are living our own lives, then we will still live according to our sinful nature, not because we have to, but because we are not living in light of what God has been told us through Paul. Pray! "The apostles said to the Lord, 'Increase our faith!'" (Luke 17:5) "Immediately the boy's father exclaimed, 'I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!'" (Mark 9:24) May we exercise our faith and may it increase daily so that we may live our lives by faith in the Son of God and know what it means to be crucified with Christ. In Jesus,
Ray Ruppert If you would like to know how to surrender your life to Jesus, click on Eternal Net on the left.
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