1. Galatians 1:17. What did Paul do in Arabia?

The boundary of “Arabia” in Paul’s day was definitely not the same as today. Some include Damascus itself to be within those boundaries, meaning that Paul could easily have traveled just a few miles down the road into the desert area outside the Syrian capital.

Some imagine that Mt. Sinai was included in Paul’s travels at this time. It was definitely inside the “Arabia” of history, and it was a significant place for the man who would carry the message of the New Covenant beyond “Sinai” literally and figuratively.

What was he doing during this time? Some say preaching in villages throughout the region. Some say this is where so many of his revelations originated. For Paul did receive much from the Lord that is not recorded in the Gospels or by apostles to the Jews. So much about our life now and in the future was entrusted to the apostle to the Gentiles!

2. Galatians 1:19. Was Jesus’ half-brother an apostle?

That’s what it says! I like to use “small a” and “capital a” designations when talking about apostles. But that is me, and that is those who, like me, want to differentiate between the “twelve” and all the rest. Of course, a distinction like that excludes Paul from the mix, too, for there is no definitive text that tells us Matthias was not the 12^th apostle and that Paul was. Indeed, the only one that defines this matter at all, includes Matthias in the number.

So, dare we say that “the first century” is the dividing line? Then we must include James and several other men as actual apostles.

The water gets muddy when we try to make rules that aren’t necessarily revealed from heaven. I have done it, and I feel reasonably comfortable with it, but defending it consistently is not easy.

Perhaps we need to define apostle as Paul does in II Corinthians 11, and not in terms of a select number or a select century.

3. Galatians 2:1. Fourteen years from when?

His use of the word “again” lets us believe that it was fourteen years from one Jerusalem trip (visiting with Peter) to the next. This latter trip seems to coincide with the Acts 15 accounting of the Jerusalem Council.

4. Galatians 2:4. What should be our attitude toward those who bring in questionable doctrines?

Those who bring in false teachings are false brothers. That was his attitude, and should be ours. We are not a philosophical society. We are not Athenians who just love to hear this and that theory, proving our openness and tolerance. We are the ground and pillar of an unchanging truth. Try to change it, you will be excluded. Period.

5. Galatians 2:6, 9. What was Paul’s attitude toward the “pillars” of the church?

He had respect, but was not overawed by them, or worshipful. “God shows no partiality” was his thinking. Paul himself had received revelations from God, and a commission from Jesus, and he would never be drawn into hero worship or that denominational spirit that causes restless sheep to go after under-shepherds at the cost of following the Great Shepherd.

6. Galatians 2:14. How did Peter “live like the Gentiles”?

Here he was in Antioch eating with Gentiles. Their food, some of it, was simply not “kosher” for him, yet he was free inside and knew that the Law could not bind him in this way. Yet when other Jews showed up he immediately surrendered his liberty, but for no reason. Paul called him out on this.

7. Galatians 2:19. How do I die to the law, through the law?

It was in trying to keep the Law that I discovered I cannot keep the Law. I give up. The Law is holy, and I am not. I must not attempt in my flesh to keep this Holy Law.

8. Galatians 3:8. How was the Gospel preached to Abraham?

God knew that one day any Gentile who believed in Jesus would be saved. This message was hidden in the word that God gave to Abraham, “In you all the nations of the earth will be blessed.” Abraham’s seed was the key to it all. Someone would come from Abraham that would bring salvation, not only to Abraham’s people, but to all people. It was good news.

9. Galatians 3:19, 20. How did the Law come to mankind?

There was more going on, on that mountain called Sinai, than you can see by watching a Charlton Heston movie. Deuteronomy 33:2 says that 10,000 “holy ones” were present at Sinai. Psalm 68:17 mentions thousands of thousands of chariots at the same location. Hebrews 2:2 talks about a word spoken through angels when referring to the giving of the commandments.

So, Paul is in good company when he suggests that the Law was “ordained through angels”.

But he also says that it came via the agency of a mediator. This one we believe must be Moses, the human recipient of these gifts from God. What an awesome day it was when God spoke to man. But even this great glory is surpassed by the Voice of the Father via the Son, when the New Covenant came to us!

10. Galatians 3:24. How is the Law our “tutor”?