We are about to hear from Paul's point of view his call by GOD to his ministry once again. So let us drop in and see what golden nuggets of revelation that we may pick up on.
Galatians 1:11-12, 13-17 "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, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.
For ye have heard of my conversation in time past in the Jews' religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the church of God, and wasted it: And profited in the Jews' religion above many my equals in mine own nation, being more exceedingly zealous of the traditions of my fathers. But when it pleased(G2106) God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called(G2564) me by his grace, to reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; 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." (KJV)
Galatians 1:11-12, 13-17 "For I would have you know, brothers, that the gospel that was preached by me is not man's gospel. For I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ.
For you have heard of my former life in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God violently and tried to destroy it. And I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my people, so extremely zealous was I for the traditions of my fathers. But when he who had set me apart (G2106) before I was born, and who called(G2564) me by his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son to me, in order that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with anyone; Nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me, but I went away into Arabia, and returned again to Damascus." (ESV)
Galatians 1:11-12, 13-17 "I want to make it very clear to you my friends that the message I proclaim is not mere speculation or the product of philosophical or religious debate. This is not my own invention, neither was I spoon-fed by human intuition; my source of reference is the unveiled mystery of Christ in me. ( [First spoken of by Mark in his Epistle in 4:11 and hinted at by the Lord Jesus in Matthew 11:25, 13:11-12, 16; 16:17, Luke in 8:10, 10:21-24; Paul in 1Corinthians 4:7, 2Corinthians 4:6; in Ephesians in 1:9, 2:4-10, and in Titus in 3:3-7, and then spoken of by James in 1:16-18 and by John in 1John 5:20.] Even though we once knew Christ from a human point of view, we know him thusly no longer. 2Corinthians 5:16.)
Everyone knows what a zealous Jew I was when I savagely persecuted GOD's church. And how I progressed in the Jewish faith beyond many of my peers in my excessive eagerness to preserve the traditions on my ancestors. GOD's eternal [1]love dream separated me from my mother's womb; his grace became my [2]identity. (The word, [1,G2106 from G2095 and G1380] uedokeo, means his beautiful intention; the well done opinion. [My mother's womb, my natural lineage and identity as a son of Benjamin.] The word, [2,G2564] kaleo, means to surname, to summon by name.) This is the heart of the gospel that I proclaim; it begane with an unveiling of his Son [1]in me, freeing me to annouce the same sonship [2]in the masses of non-Jewish people. I felt no immediate urgency to compare notes with those who were familiar with Christ from a mere historic point of view. (The Greek text is quite clear: "It pleased the Father to reveal his Son in me in order that I may proclaim him in the nations!" The word, en emoi, translates as "in me," and en ethnos translates as in the Gentile nations, or the masses of non Jewish people! Not "among" the Gentiles as most translations have it. Later, when Barnabas is sent to investigate the conversion of the Greeks in Acts 11, instead of reporting his findings to HQ in Jerusalem, he immediately finds Paul, knowing that Paul's gospel is the revelation of the mystery of Christ in the nations [look at Colossians 1:27]. No wonder then that those believers were the first to be called "Christians," or Christ-like Anointed ones! )
Jesus Christ confirms that the son of man is the son of GOD. "Call no man your father on earth, for you have but one Father who is in heaven." [in Matthew 23:9] Paul reminds the Greek philosophers in Acts 17 that we live and move and have our being in GOD; humanity is indeed the offspring of GOD. He is quoting from their own writings, of Epimenedes 600 BC and Aratus, 300 BC. The incorruptible seed of sonship is as much present in every person as the seed is already in all soil, even in the desert sands, waiting for the rain to awaken and ignite its life!
"For as the rain and snow come down from heaven and waters the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, so shall my word be that proceeds from my mouth, it shall not disappoint my purpose, it shall saturate the soil and cause it to bring forth and sprout. Instead of the thorn the cyprus and instead of the brier the myrtle!" (Isaiah 55:8-11, 13)
In Matthew 13:44, Jesus says that the kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in an agricultural field! There is more to the field than what meets the eye!
In 2Corinthians 4:4, 7, Paul says that we have this treasure in earthen vessels! But the god of this worlds order has blindfolded our minds through unbelief [believing a lie about ourselves, Numbers 13:33] to keep us from seeing the light of the gospel revealing the glory (lost) of GOD in the face of Christ (restored) who is the image of GOD (just as we all are), as in a mirror!
When Jesus speaks of the sinner he speaks of him as the lost sheep, coin, or son [Luke 15] You cannot be lost unless you belong! The inscription and image did not disappear from the coin when it was lost. How can we praise GOD and with the same mouth curse a person made in his image? [James 3:9 and Luke 20:20-26] Humanity has forgotten what manner of people they are by design; we are the image and likeness bearers of our Maker; this is exactly what Jesus came to reveal and redeem!
We may now behold him with unveiled faces as in a mirror and be immediately transformed [in our understanding] into his likeness. From the glory [opinion] of the flesh to the glory [opinion] of GOD. Legalistic religion keep the veil in place; the proclamation of the liberating truth of this Good News, removes the veil! The "ugly duckling" didn't need a face-to-face or lesson on how to fake the swan life! It only needed to know the truth about itself to be free indeed.) This is radical! I deliberately distanced myself from Jerusalem and the disciples of Jesus. I landed up in Arabia before I returned again to Damascus. (The weight of this revelation left me no choice; instead of finding out more about Christ in history, I desired to discover him more in me! [look at 2Corinthians 5:16]) (The Mirror)
OH! Praise the LORD GOD for his wondrous work in us, his creation! Now we shall be about our Fathers business of acquiring more revelation of him who IS. Until our next visit the LORD willing we shall acquire more light and glory as is our design stored to us. May you and yours to receivers of his glory and grace in ever increasing measures.
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