Journey Through The Bible
     Old Testament Reading: 1 Samuel 10-12
     New Testament Reading: Galatians 1

For I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that the gospel preached by me is not of human origin. For I did not receive it from a human source and I was not taught it, but it came by a revelation of Jesus Christ (Galatians 1:11-12).

Our journey through the New Testament now takes us through the shorter letters Paul wrote to churches. Galatians is the only letter we have of Paul that he wrote to multiple churches. In the first century, Galatia was the central part of Asia Minor. Today this area is western Turkey. This letter was likely sent to churches in Galatia that were established by Paul and Barnabas on their first mission journey mentioned in Acts Chapter 14. The letter to the Galatians may very well be the first recorded letter written by Paul written during the time recorded in Acts 15:1-3, before the Jerusalem council.

In the first two chapters of this letter, Paul describes details of his conversion experience and early training that are not recorded in any other place in scripture. Possibly Luke does not record these details in his account as Paul had already previously recorded them.

In verses 13-14, Paul explains that before accepting Christ, he was a persecutor of the Church and did everything in his power to destroy it. Paul, who by nature was aggressive and forceful, had been fully committed to his service to God through Judaism. Born a Jew, he belonged to the strictest sect, the Pharisees. He distinguished himself among the Pharisees for his zealousness. All this Paul says I was doing, but in verse 15, the subject changes to God. God was in charge and God alone.

Luke states Saul was with the disciples in Damascus for some time (Acts 9:19b). Here in verses 16 and 17, Paul lets us know he went to Arabia and came back to Damascus. We don’t know exactly what Paul did during these three years, but we can be sure of one thing; it was a time of retraining and rethinking. After all, he had studied and learned as a Jew, he now had to learn what Christianity was all about and change his life accordingly. Since he had no human teachers, he must have had divine instruction. Imagine taking a three-year course in Christian life and doctrine from the Messiah Himself!

Following the years in Arabia and Damascus, Paul journeyed to Jerusalem and spent 15 days with Peter and James, the Lord’s brother. Then he went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia and began his ministry.

No matter how you look at it, the conversion of Paul was a spiritual miracle. It was humanly impossible for Rabi Saul to become the Apostle Paul, apart from the miracle of God’s grace. And the same God who saved Paul also called him to be an apostle and gave him the message of the Gospel.

The Gospel revolutionizes lives that can be changed in no other way. It took an act of God to change Saul of Tarsus into the Apostle Paul. It is no wonder Paul said, they glorified God because of me (v24). This raises a question for every Christian to ponder. Has anyone congratulated God recently because of me? Can other people see evidence He has been working in my life?