Summary: Previous to this passage it is hinted to us that it is very likely that Paul’s apostleship has been challenged because he was not with Jesus during the heart of the Gospel times. In challenging Paul’s apostleship the people who were troubling the Galatians probably wanted to discredit his Gospel account in creating their own. Now as Paul picks up in this passage, he is now beginning long defense of his apostleship in Christ, not for his own glory but rather so that he may defend the true Gospel.
Timeless Principle: Paul now begins his rather long defense. He opens by declaring, in a straight forward manner, that this Gospel that he has shared with them is not “man’s” Gospel but rather it is from the very God-man himself, Jesus Christ. It is important that Paul opens this way. He is providing the thesis of his argument, being that the Gospel he had preached probably as little as a year or two before writing this letter is indeed the truth. We should ponder on the point that Paul makes about the mere fact that the Gospel is not man’s Gospel. It can’t be man’s Gospel, for no man could have possibly conceived it. It was perfectly laid out from before the foundations of the Earth and the things that have been made [Eph. 1]. The plan of salvation in Christ that was set into motion in Genesis 3 by the condemning sin of Adam and Eve, which was foretold by many prophets, which can be seen perfectly through all of the law, which has now been revealed in Christ Jesus is too perfect for it to of possibly been thought up by even the most brilliant thinkers in the whole of history. Just a short study of God’s perfect plan would leave even Einstein dumbfounded and on his knees humbled, by the Glory of the almighty God.
It should be noted, as will be revealed later in chapter two that though Paul had not been with Christ during His earthly ministry, he had in fact been directly appointed by Christ to proclaim the good news in dramatic fashion on the road to Damascus.
Hymn: In order to focus on the Gospel that caused Paul to write this letter, read this hymn by Isaac Newton and be reminded of the humility of Christ.
The deity and humanity of Christ, John 1. 1-3 14.
Col. 9. 16. Eph. 3, 9 10.
“1 Ere the blue heavens were stretch'd abroad,
From everlasting was the Word;
With God he was; the Word was God,
And must divinely be ador'd.
2 By his own power were all things made;
By him supported all things stand;
He is the whole creation's head,
And angels fly at his command.
3 Ere sin was born, or Satan fell,
He led the host of morning stars;
(Thy generation who can tell,
Or count the number of thy years?)
4 But lo, he leaves those heavenly forms,
The Word descends and dwells in clay,
That he may hold converse with worms,
Dress'd in such feeble flesh as they.
5 Mortals with joy beheld his face,
Th' eternal Father's only Son;
How full of truth! how full of grace!
When thro' his eyes the Godhead shone!
6 Archangels leave their high abode
To learn new mysteries here, and tell
The loves of our descending God,
The glories of Imannuel.”
My Prayer: Father, my prayer is that the Gospel which drove Paul to write this letter with the vigor in which he wrote it would so drive me. May it and it alone drive me. Remind me that it was not given by any man nor could any man have possibly conceived it but rather you planned it perfectly according to your perfect foreknowledge. You pre planned the violent death of your son to save a deprived human race. May this ravenous love that dramatically sought me out be my only conviction to pursue holiness and may it alone compel me to reach the lost. Father please continue to kill my pride and give me strength to seek your face and wage war against my sin. Thank you for giving namely yourself, coming down from an eternal throne and to be found in a the form of a man to converse with worms such as myself. I thank you and love you oh Lord, in Christ’s name I pray, Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment