Many throughout history have challenged the teachings of the Apostle Paul. Thomas Jefferson regarded the Apostle Paul as a corrupter of the teaching of Jesus. The false teachers who were disturbing the churches in Galatia were saying that Paul was leaving out part of the gospel message as they taught that Gentile converts to Christ has to come under the Jewish law, including circumcision. These false teachers claimed that their teaching was the true apostolic teaching and implied that Paul did not share equal status with the apostles in Jerusalem.
In our passage for this week Paul defends his teaching by recounting how he was personally called and taught by Christ. Because Jesus is the source of his call and his message he does not need approval or instruction from anyone else — not even the apostles in Jerusalem.
This passage challenges the reader to decide whether Paul's gospel is from God, and then what his personal response will be to Paul's gospel.
This passage also reminds us that the glory in salvation belongs to God alone who was pleased to set us apart from before we were born and to call us to Himself by His sovereign grace.
Finally, our text encourages us that if God can save Paul, who was a hardened persecutor of the church, and if He can save us, then He can save anyone. This should encourage us as we share our faith with others (including at the Street Faire) that God is mighty to save by means of His powerful gospel.
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