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2 Timothy 1:1, John 1:4

Real Life is in Jesus!

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
January 9, 2023

Paul wrote Philippians, Colossians, Ephesians, and Philemon while in a Roman prison cell. But it is also a known fact that Paul wrote his 2nd Letter to Timothy during a later imprisonment. It is traditionally accepted as the last letter he wrote before his execution by beheading by Nero Caesar. You see several hints to this situation in his comments during these four chapters.  It was a very discouraging time for the Apostle of the heart set free (As F. F. Bruce calls Paul).  During Paul’s first imprisonment, he seemed to have been more under house arrest, with friends coming and going. It wasn’t that way during this incarceration. Hughes says, “Many think, as tradition suggests, it was the Mammertine prison in Rome. If so, it was a dismal underground chamber with a single hole in the ceiling for light and air. He was lonely. Demas had abandoned him ‘because he loved this world.’ Crescens had gone to Galatia, and Titus was off to Dalmatia. At the same time, things had deteriorated in Ephesus, where Timothy was pastoring. Not only were there desertions, but Hymenaeus, whom he had excommunicated, was still doing his evil work.” With this in mind and the fact that Paul was aware that he was facing death, it is interesting that he opens his letter to Timothy by speaking about life. He says, “Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God according to the promise of the life that is in Christ Jesus.”

According to an article by Rick Warren, Paul and Timothy went through three stages in their relationship.[1] He suggests that it begins with Paul being Timothy’s spiritual father. In his first letter to Timothy, he addresses him as “my true son in the faith” (1 Timothy 1:2). Then, he is the “Pace-setter” for Timothy, according to Warren, but I like to this of this stage as simply leadership and coach for Timothy. Paul always leads by example, and in 2 Timothy 3:10-11, Paul says to Timothy, “You know what I teach, and how I live, and what my purpose in life is. You know my faith, my patience, my love, and my endurance.” Finally, Paul considers Timothy an equal partner. We see that at the end of Romans, chapter 16, verse 21, where Paul sends Timothy’s love to the Romans. It says, “Timothy, my fellow worker, sends you his greetings.” Warren concludes, “Timothy has gone from being a son to a student and now to being a colleague and a co-laborer.”

Amid their trials in life and ministry, Paul reminds Timothy that they share in something more important than all of that; “the life that is in Christ Jesus.” A TV commercial once offered a particular credit card as the key that could open the door to the good life, flashing a definition of success on the screen: ‘Success is the freedom to live your life the way you want to.’ The scene then shifted to a couple using their credit card in a Swiss resort!” Instead of a French resort, from a prison cell in Rome, Paul defined success differently. To him, “success is to live your life the way God wants you to.”[2] John Piper closes one of his sermons with this, “So I think it is clear that when John says in John 1:4, “In him was life,” he means spiritual life, eternal life, life that saves from judgment. If you have the Son, if you have Jesus—if he is in you and you are in him—life is in you, and you are in life. You have life forever. Vital union with Jesus is everything.”[3]

[1] https://pastors.com/paul-timothy/

[2] Demarest, Gary W., and Lloyd J. Ogilvie. 1984. 1, 2 Thessalonians / 1, 2 Timothy / Titus. Vol. 32. The Preacher’s Commentary Series. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.

[3] https://www.desiringgod.org/messages/in-him-was-life

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1 Timothy 1:1, John 3:16, Romans 5:8

Standing on the Promise!

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
January 8, 2023

Paul’s opening words to his disciple Timothy in his first letter to him say, “Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope.” That Paul identifies himself as an Apostle of Christ Jesus is a standard introduction that he uses in most of his letters, but when addressing Timothy, he adds the phrase “by the command” of God and Jesus. I can’t help but wonder if Paul’s not reminding Timothy that their role as ministers of the Gospel is not something they took upon themselves but is something that they have been commanded to do. Liefeld says, “Here, where he is going to address false teaching, he uses the unusual phrase “by the command of God our Savior.” We know from several passages that Paul understood his being an apostle as a calling (cf. Rom. 1:1) “by the will of God” (1 Cor. 1:1; 2 Cor. 1:1; Eph. 1:1), but this is the only salutation in a letter where he attributes his ministry to God’s ‘command.’”[1]

Is it unusual to refer to God as “our savior?” We usually think of Jesus as our Savior, but here Paul calls God our Savior. This term is used five out of six times in the pastoral epistles. The Old Testament is full of God’s salvation of His people. It was prominent during the Exodus. It was God that raised Moses to “save” His people. God motivated Joshua to deliver the promised land to the People. God working through the Old Testament Judges, saved His people over and over again even when they continued sinning. Salvation is all part of God’s plan for His people. He used special people in the Old Testament to accomplish His salvation, but in this present age, He uses His Son, Jesus, who is called “our hope.” Lea is correct; hope is looking to a future deliverance. “In Jesus, God had begun a process of redemption which he would consummate at the last day. Christ has become our hope since we have made him the object of our trust and look with expectancy for his unveiling at the end of time. Unlike our common English usage of ‘hope,’ which implies a desire with only some expectancy of accomplishment, the biblical usage of ‘hope’ suggests a desire with an absolute certainty of accomplishment. Our hope in Jesus will become a reality.”[2] Our lives sometimes presents us with challenges that might challenge our “hope” because it doesn’t look like we have salvation in our present circumstances. But scripture tells us that something is not hope if it is seen. Once something becomes seen, I don’t hope for it—I have it. Paul says in Romans 8:24, “For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have?”

We, who believe in Jesus, can rest fully assured of our eternal destiny. God has worked out his role as “savior” for each of us in Christ. John 3:16 boldly proclaims that God’s salvation is motivated by His unique love for us. “For God so loved the world that he sent His only begotten Son so that whoever would believe in Him would not perish but have everlasting life.” As our “savior,” God loves us in His Son, Jesus. Romans 5:8 tells us, “But God demonstrated his great love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” We have assurance because our salvation is based solely on Christ’s work on our behalf, while we were utterly powerless to save ourselves. Eternal life is based on the unconditional promises of God apart from any contribution of our own, and it is received through faith alone. Our hope of eternal life rests not on ourselves but on the promise of God.

[1] Liefeld, Walter L. 1999. 1 and 2 Timothy, Titus. The NIV Application Commentary. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.

[2] Lea, Thomas D., and Hayne P. Griffin. 1992. 1, 2 Timothy, Titus. Vol. 34. The New American Commentary. Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.

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2 Thessalonians 1:1-2, Ephesians 2:19

Members of God’s Family

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
January 7, 2023

While on his 2nd Missionary journey, Paul went from Philippi to Thessalonica from which he was run out of town. He barely escaped to Berea living the believers in Thessalonica to fend for themselves. He went on to Athens where he was greatly discouraged because the “philosophical elite” laughed at the Gospel. Paul’s concern for the Thessalonian believers became intense while in Athens. He knew that the new believers were suffering for their faith. Needing to know how they were holding up & wanting to help them, he sent Timothy, giving him instructions to meet in Corinth. Timothy goes north, back to Thessalonica and Paul goes west to Corinth. Timothy then joins Paul in Corinth and brings him the good news about the perseverance of the church in Thessalonica. With great joy, Paul writes his first letter to them and sends Timothy back with it.  Timothy spends some time in Thessalonica, but eventually returns and tells Paul four things: They were continuing to grow in their faith. The majority were remaining faithful amidst trials & persecution. Some false teaching concerning the Day of the Lord was being entertained. Some had quit their jobs in expectation of the Lord’s return. Paul writes 2nd Thessalonians! He begins his letter with, “Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”

Although this is Paul’s shortest epistle, he will still address all four concerns that Timothy brought him concerning the church. But he begins the letter the same way he begins most of his letters, with commendation and praise. Like his first letter, both Paul and Silas (Silvanus) are listed as co-writers. The church knew these men well and would have been favorably disposed toward them. They were both well known. Richison describes the two. He says, “Silvanus, a Hellenistic Jew, held a prominent part of the Council at Jerusalem. The Council asked him to accompany Paul and Barnabas to Antioch to strengthen the church there. He also joined Paul on his second missionary expedition. He facilitated both, Paul and Peter, in the writing and delivery of their epistles. Timothy was a vest pocket edition of the apostle Paul and Paul’s son in the faith. His father was a Gentile and his mother a Jew. Timothy was a pastor and a troubleshooter for Paul.”[1]

The only difference in the opening of this letter from his first letter to them is the addition to “our father” when referring to God. Jesus wanted his disciples to pray to “Our Father who art in Heaven.” The point is we are all part of a larger family. Green observes, “God is not viewed simply as the one to whom humans owe their existence and who sustains all human life, but as the God with whom these former pagans have come into intimate familial relationship. At the same time, the designation of God as our Father draws the Thessalonian believers into one family and joins them together with Paul and his associates, as well as with the church throughout the world. The foundation of the Christian family and of Christian unity finds its bedrock in this prayer/confession.”[2] When we pray “Our Father” we are acknowledging our part in a larger, grander family of believers from the days of Jesus through our day even to the time of Jesus’ return. Paul is speaking to all of us in Ephesians 2:19 when he writes, “So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God.”

[1] Richison, Grant. 2006. Verse by Verse through the Books of 1 & 2 Thessalonians. Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems.

[2] Green, Gene L. 2002. The Letters to the Thessalonians. The Pillar New Testament Commentary. Grand Rapids, MI; Leicester, England: W.B. Eerdmans Pub.; Apollos.

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Grace to You and Peace!

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
January 6, 2023

It’s not unusual for Paul to include others in letters he writes to various churches. In 1 Corinthians he includes, Sosthenes. In his second letter, he includes Timothy. These men are included most likely because the people in Corinth are familiar with them in some way. The same must be true for Silvanus and Timothy concerning Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians. It begins, “Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace.” Silvanus is the Latin spelling for “Silas.” Most of us readily recognize that name. The interesting thing about Silas is that he served as secretary or “amanuensis” for both Paul and Peter. As we see in the book of Acts, Silas was an important figure in the churches of Macedonia, especially in the Church at Thessalonica. Paul includes him in both of his letters to them.

Paul opens his letter with a very familiar greeting that commended “Grace and Peace” to his readers. Grace always appears first in these greetings because there can be no real peace with it. Grace is what God freely gives to those who put their faith in Jesus Christ. One website defines grace correctly. It says, “In Christian terms, grace can be generally defined as ‘God’s favor toward the unworthy’ or God’s benevolence on the undeserving.’ In His grace, God is willing to forgive us and bless us, despite the fact that we fall short of living righteously.”[1] Grace must come first because without it we can have no real peace with God. Possibly, it’s impossible to have peace with others without it as well. Richison adds, “Peace is the consequence of appropriating grace to our life. We cannot reverse this order. If we bypass grace, we cannot possibly have peace in our life. We can have neither grace nor peace without accepting the gospel of Jesus Christ. When we have a personal relationship with Him, we have His grace and thus His peace.”[2]

There is another aspect of grace that’s important to understand. Paul makes it clear to the Ephesians and others that “we are saved by Grace….” There is nothing we can do to earn or deserve salvation. Wikipedia has an interesting article on this issue regarding synergistic and monergistic theologies. It reads, “In Christian theology, synergism is the position of those who hold that salvation involves some form of cooperation between divine grace and human freedom. Synergism is upheld by the Roman Catholic Church, Orthodox Churches, Anabaptist Churches and Methodist Churches. It is an integral part of Arminian theology.”[3] Monergists, like myself and Martin Luther, and John Calvin, hold that salvation is totally God’s work. The completed verse quoted above goes, “It is by grace you are saved, through faith, it is not of works lest any man should boast.” I see man’s work involved in living a healthy and happy life in this world but not as a basis for gaining admittance into heaven. Another author says, “The Bible irrefutably states that God is solely responsible for salvation and entirely sovereign in His election. As much as a single idea can attempt to describe salvation, monergism is the only biblically viable option. Yet synergism, while perhaps not ‘as correct,’ is not entirely wrong in every facet.”[4] Paul writes to the Romans, “So too at the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace. But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise, grace would no longer be grace” (Romans 11:5-6).

[1] https://www.christianity.com/theology/what-is-grace.html

[2] Richison, Grant. 2006. Verse by Verse through the Books of 1 & 2 Thessalonians. Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems.

[3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synergism#.

[4] https://www.gotquestions.org/synergism-and-salvation.html

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Colossians 1:1, 1 Corinthians 15:10

God Made Me Who I Am!

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
January 5, 2023

Paul has no trouble introducing himself in his letters as an Apostle. He does that in nearly all of his books. His letter to the Colossians begins, “Paul, an Apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother.” I love the way Paul begins his letters to the churches. He often introduces himself as a servant or slave of Christ Jesus. It is often taken to be a statement of humility and it sure is that, but it is also a statement of authority. It is one of both humility and authority. Moses and other huge figures in the Bible call themselves “servants” and what they mean is often someone who speaks with authority from God. It appears that this is the way Paul intends his claim to Apostleship to be understood here. He was directly appointed as such by Jesus Christ on the road to Damascus. It’s an undeniable reality. When I retired from the Navy, I was a Chief Petty Officer. They called me “chief.” Many of my Navy friends will still do that on occasion and the correspondence I get from the Navy always refers to me as “chief.” I have the promotion certificate, the entries in my service record, and every other evidence that I am indeed a “chief.” I was appointed to that rank by the proper authority and am confident in that status. Paul was appointed to his role as an Apostle of Jesus Christ, by the appropriate authority and he is confident in his status.

He accepts himself and God’s plan for his life. This is an important concept for us all. We might not be what we once thought we would be. We might not be all that someone else is. We might not be what others might want us to be. But, like Paul, we are what we are, “by the will of God.” Elizabeth Elliot, in her book “Let Me Be a Woman”, records the story of Gladys Aylward. She was a lady who was unable to accept her physical appearance and was disappointed in the way God made her.  Ms. Aylward told how when she was a child she had two great sorrows. One, while all her friends had beautiful golden hair, hers was black. The other, that while her friends were still growing, she had stopped. She was about four feet ten inches tall. But when at last she reached the country to which God had called her to be a missionary, she stood on the wharf in Shanghai and looked around at the people to whom He had called her. “Every single one of them,” she said, “had black hair. And every one of them had stopped growing when I did.” She was able to look to God and exclaim, “Lord God, You know what you’re doing!”

He knows what He’s doing with you and me also! The Mississippi Mass Choir sings this song with an upbeat melody and inspiring lyrics.  “God made me. He made me who I am. Come on and say it with me God made me! God made me. He made me who I am (He made me). Put a smile on your face, and lift your head and say God made me (He made me) He made me who I am. You may be feeling down, but pick yourself up! God made me (and sing), made me who I am! So repeat these words after me and sing it: I’m a conquer, I’m victorious, I won’t be stopped. Come on say it to yourself,  I won’t be stopped (say it) I’m a believer. I’m an achiever, I won’t be blocked, I won’t be blocked. Don’t let the devil steal your joy, and you know why? Because God, God made me. He made me who I am. God made me He made me who I am!” In his first letter to the Corinthians Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15:10, “By the grace of God, I am what I am.” And so am I. And so are you!! Yep, God knows what He’s doing and it will all become clear someday for each of us.

 

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Philippians 1:1, Acts 16:10

The Joy of a Clear Vision

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
January 4, 2023

When Solomon, the wisest man in the world, is giving his end-of-life advice in the book of Ecclesiastes he says in 8:15, “I commend joy, for man has nothing better under the sun but to eat and drink and be joyful, for this will go with him in his toil through the days of his life that God has given him under the sun.” The book of Philippians is Paul’s commendation of joy to us also. James Boice introduces his study of the book by saying, “The letter to the Philippians is one of the most joyous books in the Bible. All the way through the letter Paul speaks of inner joy, of inner happiness—sixteen times in four brief chapters. And he does it in such an artless way we know that the one who advised the Philippians to ‘rejoice in the Lord always’ had himself found the true source of joy. He had not only learned in whatever state he was to be content; he had learned to rejoice in whatever state he was. He overflowed with rejoicing.”[1] We can too!

It was a dream in which Paul had a vision that moved him to travel to Philippi. On his 2nd missionary journey, he found himself back in Asia Minor looking for a destination to the east. But he didn’t feel at peace about any of his choices. He never even considered going west into Macedonia. That would take him to Europe! He didn’t want to go to Europe! But God wanted him to! In the vision Paul saw a man crying out to him for help, pleading with him to come to Europe. Acts 16:10 says, “And when Paul had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go on into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.” It’s interesting to me that in Acts 10 it took three visions from God to motivate Peter to answer the call for help from a gentile outside his comfort Zone. Paul seemed to grasp the significance right away. He became the New Testament’s greatest visionary. He had the vision to reach people in Rome and as far west as Spain.

Paul knew his mission well: to preach the Gospel! Paul had a divinely appointed mission, but no divinely inspired vision. That’s why he was frustrated on his 2nd missionary journey until God gave him the vision to go west into Europe. Nothing ever happens if there is no vision fueled by the conviction that this is what God wants “us” to do. Each Christian has a divinely appointed mission; to contribute their time, energy, and resources to the overall mission Jesus gave the church to “make disciples.” It is vision that energizes the fulfillment of a mission. Vision is strategic. It gives us direction! It clears the confusion. It informs us on how we as individuals can uniquely fulfill our mission. Vision enables us to understand how we as individuals are distinct from other Christians. It informs us of where our life is taking us. It is a vision that inspires and energizes us. It also makes life meaningful and fills us with joy! That’s why Paul said, “…immediately we sought to go on into Macedonia.” With a clear vision of what God wants us to do with our lives, joy will, “go with us in our toil through the days of our life that God has given us under the sun.”

[1] Boice, James Montgomery. 2000. Philippians: An Expositional Commentary. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books.

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Ephesians 1:1

Call me “Saint Chuck”

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
January 3, 2023

In his letters to the Corinthians, he includes another believer in his “from” column. He includes Sosthenes in his first letter and then Timothy in the second letter. But Ephesians doesn’t include anyone else. It is simply from Paul. It begins, “Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints who are in Ephesus, and are faithful in Christ Jesus.” He emphasizes the fact that his apostleship is not of his own making but an appointment by Jesus Himself according to the will of God. Then, he calls his addressees “saints.” The final phrase “faithful in Christ Jesus” has been understood in several ways. The emphasis is on their behavior on the one hand and a focus on the object of their faith on the other. I take the latter view. This describes what Paul means by “saints.” He’s not talking about behavior. He’s talking about their faith. Therefore, you might say Paul is addressing all believers in Jesus in Ephesus. This of course has a practical extension for you and me as well as believers.

Las Vegas is known for gambling and the main strip of buffets and entertainment. Hollywood is the home of movie stars. Salem, Massachusetts is well known for the witch hunts of the past. Washington, D.C. is the seat of our national government. Milwaukee is the home of brewers. Detroit makes cars. And Ephesus during Paul’s day was known for Satanic Activity. Paul’s address to these believers focuses on spiritual warfare ending with instructions on how to dress for battle. When I preached through this book over 20 years ago, I divided it up into three major sections as I felt they dealt with spiritual warfare. The first three chapters deal with what I called “Basic Training” for the foot soldier of Christ. This part teaches us what a believer needs to know to be a good soldier. You must know who you are in Christ, and what you have. The second section, Chapters 4, 5, and part of 6, deal with the campaigns themselves while the final part, Ephesians 6:10 and following deal with outfitting the troops for warfare.

The first thing we need to know is that faith in Jesus makes us saints! It’s not some declaration made by some ecclesiastical authority years after your death, but it is declared here and now. Every believer in Jesus is a saint. Every commentator worth his salt has observed that the phrase “in Ephesus” is missing from several of the oldest and most reliable manuscripts of this book. The evidence has been considered so strong by some that they have left this phrase out in their translation. (check the Revised Standard Version, the Jerusalem Bible, Goodspeed’s translation, Moffatts translation, and several others.) Nonetheless, this letter was a circular letter. It was written to be sent to several, maybe many, churches in Asia. This would explain the old manuscripts with the space for the geographical location left blank. Further, one ancient collector of the books of the Bible, Marcion, called this letter the one “to the Church at Laodicea.” Now, I have to tell you about the churches in Rev 2 & 3. Seven churches are addressed. The first on the list is Ephesus the others follow the order of a traveler coming from the seaport of Miletus, traveling north; first Ephesus, then Smyrna, then Pergamum, then traveling west to Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and finally to Laodicea. In the letter to Pergamum, John says that he knows that they are sitting on the throne of Satan. Remember the town officials in Acts 19 who settled the crowds down by reminding them that all Asia worships the Goddess Artemis. Satan’s control through idolatry was experienced in all these cities. Spiritual warfare is commonplace everywhere! THE POINT IS: The most ancient texts give us a form letter from God to (a blank geographical place.) Thus for our purposes, it’s perfectly appropriate to translate the text “to the saints living in (Just fill in your city). God preserved this book for us because of its specific application to all Christians everywhere. This letter is addressed to you and me as believers and it calls us “saints.” You can call me “Saint Chuck.”

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Galatians 1:1, Acts 13

Set Free By God’s Grace

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
January 2, 2023

F.F. Bruce names his book on the life of the Apostle Paul, “The Apostle of the Heart Set Free.” Bruce, one of the most respected theologians of the 20th century, was profoundly moved by the author of Galatians and “the exhilarating release effected by his gospel of redeeming grace.” Bruce wrote, “Paul’s pre-eminent contribution to the world has been his presentation of the good news of free grace—as he would have put it (rightly), his re-presentation of the good news explicit in Jesus’ teaching and embodied in his life and work. The free grace of God which Paul proclaimed is free grace in more senses than one—free in the sense that it is sovereign and unfettered, free in the sense that it is held forth to men and women for their acceptance by faith alone, and free in the sense that it is the source and principle of their liberation from all kinds of inward and spiritual bondage, including the bondage of legalism and the bondage of moral anarchy.”[1] The message Paul proclaimed of the free grace of God is best seen in his writing to the believers in Galatia.

The first word in the letter is “Paul.” Up to Acts 13:9, The Apostle was called by his Jewish name, Saul. It made him acceptable to his Jewish audiences. His role changed radically when he joined Barnabas and John Mark on the first missionary journey to Galatia. To begin with, the trip was led by Barnabas, who brought his cousin, John Mark, along. Both Barnabas and John Mark were solid Jewish believers. I would argue that they intended to go to the Jews only, but while on the Island of Cyprus, a “Jewish” false prophet attempted to prevent the governor, Sergius Paulus, a Roman Official, from accepting the faith. Then, Paul stepped up and cursed the false “Jewish” prophet with blindness. Sergius Paulus became the first gentile convert under the Apostle Paul’s ministry. It is interesting that after Acts 13:9, Saul becomes Paul from that point on. Some early church fathers think Saul took his gentile name at that time to honor his first convert, who had the same name. But I see it as part of God’s plan to move Paul from a Jewish focus to a gentile focus. Being of the tribe of Benjamin (As we read in Philippians), I’m reasonably sure that his parents named Saul after the first King of Israel. Saul, the King, was head and shoulders taller than most of the men in Israel at that time, making him stand out. It is interesting that “Paul” means “small” or “little.” Maybe that was an intentional change for this proud Pharisee who was humbled, knocked to his knees, and blinded by the Lord. Paul’s blindness led to his salvation, but not so with the “Jewish” false prophet. Instead, it led to the salvation of Paul’s first gentile convert. The Jews who insisted on forcing the Law into the salvation equation were as furious with Paul’s message as the Religious leaders of Jesus who put Himself above the Law. Religious people hated Jesus. Religious people hated Paul. Religious people are violently opposed to a salvation message freely offered to irreligious people.

The second thing worth noting in Galatians 1:1is that Paul calls himself an “Apostle – not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised Him from the dead.” Paul’s apostleship to the gentiles came directly from God. As Rushdoony observes, “Paul is emphatic because there was a major effort to belittle his calling, his teaching, and his person.”[2] This attack on Paul came from the Judaizers who insisted on connecting obedience to the law with salvation by grace through faith. Paul preached a Gospel that put the person and work of Christ at the center. It forced each person to see their sinfulness and their need for a savior. It took God’s divine intervention to get his attention in this hyper-religious Pharisee’s life. It takes divine intervention today as well for religious people to get the truth of the Gospel. Jesus did not come to set up another religion but to destroy all religion. It always takes divine intervention to set man free from the law of sin and death.

[1] Bruce, F. F. 1977. Paul: Apostle of the Free Spirit. Milton Keynes, UK: Paternoster.

[2] Rousas John Rushdoony, Romans & Galatians (Vallecito, CA: Ross House Books, 1997), 315.

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