Ephesians Lesson 22 of 39 part 8

We are looking at why God is so mindful of man.

Galatians 1:11-12

"But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, (by men) but by the revelation of Jesus Christ."

The first thing you have to ask yourself, "Where is Jesus Christ when Paul gets the revelations?" He’s in heaven, He’s already finished the work of the Cross, He’s already experienced the power of the resurrection, He’s already ascended back to the Father’s right hand. And He's been given the little book and has opened the seals of that book. As seen in Revelation chapter 5:1-4, 5-10, but be careful in reading. And now some years after Pentecost, He has saved this fellow on the road to Damascus, the ascended Lord reveals these things. Whether the Lord came down as a Person to held a person to person conversation or whether He taught this Apostle back there at Mt. Sinai, or whether it was through visions or illumination of revelation, the Bible doesn’t say. But this we do know, that all of the things that this man is now proclaiming and writing were revealed from the ascended Lord in Glory. In verse 16, we find Paul’s whole purpose for coming on the human scene was this.

Galatians 1:16-17

"To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen(nations, which includes Israel by now); immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood: Neither went I up to Jerusalem to them which were apostles before me; but I went into Arabia, and returned again unto Damascus."

What is Paul saying? "I didn’t go up to Jerusalem and ask Peter, James, and John, ‘Hey fill me in. Tell me what you know about this Jesus of Nazareth.’" NO! That’s not what happened, because God did not want him to have any of their input whatsoever because they were still tainted with their Jewish legalism of religion. The Jews were now on the same ground level as any other nation for they had forsaken the faith of Abraham which we will see shortly here in Galatians. Thou the law was to bring them to righteousness they failed to apprehend that righteousness. When you are steeped in legalism as much as they were, you never get over it. In fact a verse we like to use to prove this is in the book of 2Peter. Remember Peter writes his two letters about the same time Paul writes these prison Epistles. It is just before both of them are martyred, and about 30 years after Pentecost. Peter is writing to believing Jews who are strangers scattered:

2Peter 3:15-16a

"And account (understand) that the long suffering of our Lord is salvation*; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you; As also in all his epistles (Romans through Hebrews), speaking in them of these things; (of salvation) in which (in his Epistles) are some things hard to be understood,..."

*do you realize that the major purpose of this Bible from cover to cover is to bring lost people to a knowledge of The Lord's Redemption which is to bring us through to salvation. The promise first spoken to Adam as found in Genesis 3:15. For through Redemption all have been restored when it is known and accepted to the place which Adam first held in Genesis 2 after verse 23.

 

By now you would have thought that Peter would have been such a deep thinking theologian that he would not have had any problem. My he should have been able to discern what Paul was saying and writing about, and said "He’s telling you right because I have known all of this for years." But you see that is not the case. After all that time, Peter by inspiration still says, "that in Paul’s epistles are somethings (salvation) hard to be understood." That is quite an admission isn’t it? That is a lot more than most people will say today. Peter had to admit that after his legalistic, law keeping background, would to be able to read and understand, and yes, accept, some of these things was so hard for Peter to do. For if he had he would be sharing it with his fellow believing Jews. Peter does say that he agrees with Paul's Gospel by what he says in the last part of the verse.

2Peter 3:16

"As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction."