Galatians 1:18-2:10 The Father’s gathering of His Adopted ones.
Ephesians 1:3-10 Here we have the cause, the purpose, and the goal of all of human history. The Father’s Good Pleasure is to Choose a people who will be holy and without blame before Him in Love. He accomplishes His Will by predestining them to the Adoption as children by Jesus Christ TO HIMSELF to the Praise of the glory of His Grace! He is actively calling out His people (John 6:37, 44-45) from this fallen world by the Word of His Son (Hebrews 1:1-4) which is the Gospel, through the “foolishness of preaching (I Corinthians 1:21-24) to save them that believe.
Galatians 1:18-2:10 In his defense of the Gospel which he preached, Paul here gives us the genesis of the Father’s Ingathering in history. We will try to parallel his words here with Luke’s historical account in Acts and I trust we will see the Mighty Hand of God in the birthing of His Family of Adopted children. We invariably start with man in our thinking, & therefore somehow think it is up to us to fulfill God’s Will through a campaign that seeks to “save” an unknown quantity of people & it depends upon properly trained professionals, carefully worded sermons, & loads of money. The Book of Acts stands in stark contrast to that. It chronicles the Mighty Hand of God’s Spirit Blowing where He Wills!
Galatians 1:15 “But when it please God”. Do we understand that it is the Loving Father’s Good Will & Pleasure that is at the root of everything that concerns His Adopted Children? We spend way too much time as self dependant beggars when we have an inheritance in our Elder Brother, Christ Jesus that knows no Eternal end! Peter describes this in II Peter 1:3, “As His divine power has given to us ALL THINGS that pertain to life & Godliness through THE KNOWLEDGE OF HIM (CHRIST JESUS) Who has called us by glory & virtue.” This is not “Quietism” nor “let go & let Godism”. This is a faith focus that sets our affections on things above where our Jesus sits on the Right Hand of God, (Colossians 1:1-2) that transforms & impacts everything we do here below! Our “earthly behavior” is shaped by our heavenly fixation!
Galatians 1:18-24/Acts 9:30 After his 3 years in Damascus, at the Feet of Jesus, Paul travels to Jerusalem. From the context in Acts, it appears that Paul didn’t go as “the Apostle to the Gentiles. Because of the initial fear of the brethren, Barnabas took him to “the apostles” (Vs 27/Peter & James of Gal 1:19). He made his testimony known and preached Jesus. Note the language of Vs 28–“So he was with them at Jerusalem, coming in and going out.” While his time there was spent preaching Jesus powerfully in the Spirit, he was in simple fellowship with the saints. He was not wearing any “apostle badge”. Make note that just as in Damascus (9:23-25), so also in Jerusalem the Jews attempted to kill him! (Vs29) Apparently Paul needs to tone down his rhetoric! No, Paul did not seek to please man (Gal 1:10), & his Gospel ignited the same hatred that he witnessed at Stephen’s stoning!
Galatians 1:24 This is the key verse in Paul’s visit–“they glorified God in me”. Even though they did not all see Paul face to face, they had to acknowledge that only God could do such a thing!
Galatians 1:22 Paul makes a point that he “was unknown by face to the churches of Judea which were in Christ.” This is very important to the Divine order in the spread of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Consider:
Until Acts 8, the ingathering of God has been solely in Jerusalem. But notice that in 8:1, Saul’s “unwitting ministry” as persecutor led to the scattering of the believers into Judea & Samaria. Remember Acts 1:8, our Lord’s Apostolic commission?
In Acts 9, God’s chosen vessel to the Gentiles is “arrested” and begins his preparation.
Acts 10–But in 10, God is preparing for the “uttermost part of the world” expansion! Peter, the Apostle to the Jews, receives the vision of “pigs in a blanket”, at the same moment the Gentile centurion, Cornelius, is seeing the vision of an angel commanding him to send someone to Peter. Against all his Jewish instinct and prejudice, Peter learns that “God has shown me that I should not call any man common or unclean.” (Vs 28) It is significant that as Peter is preaching Jesus & His Resurrection to Cornelius’ household, that the Holy Spirit falls on them exactly like at Pentecost (Acts 10:44-48/Acts 2). This verifies the Work of God toward the Gentiles as well as Jews.
Acts 11 It is not until after Peter’s declaring God’s visitation to the Gentiles and the rest of the Apostles acknowledgment, “that God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance to life”, that we are introduced to the “charity messengers”, Barnabas & Saul. (Vs 19-30) Notice that Barnabas’ name is recorded first, & Paul is still Saul.
Galatians 2:1/Acts 13:1-14:28 Apparently, these two chapters covers the 14 years of ministry spoken of in Gal 2:1. Only the Grace & Protection of God can explain why it took 14 years before the Judaizers came from Judea to add circumcision to Jesus! But this too is in the design of the Father to vindicate His Grace before “those who seemed to be something” (Gal 2:6 and all the Apostles in Jerusalem.
Remember: Paul’s gospel did not come from a study guide prepared by the Apostles in Jerusalem! He received it by Revelation from Jesus Christ at the Right Hand of the Father! His 3 years as a humble worshiper & learner in Damascus led to 14 years of ministry in which many of the Gentile churches were established. But God does all things in decency & in order. He would not allow two “competing gospels” to damage the spread the message of His resurrected Son! The Book of Acts precisely lays out God’s means of spreading His Gospel into the uttermost part of the world!
Galatians 2:7-8 Paul did not need the “stamp of approval” from the Apostles in Jerusalem, but their acknowledgment in these verses is most significant. “For HE WHO WORKED EFFECTIVELY IN Peter for the Apostleship to the circumcised also WORKED EFFECTIVELY IN ME toward the Gentiles.”
It is the Holy Spirit of God that is the EFFECTIVE WORKER! Paul & Peter were the vessels, but God the Spirit was (and IS) the Worker! The Book of Acts has rightly been called “The Acts of Holy Spirit. The Spirit’s work is always to “reveal His Son in me.” The Spirit worked effectively in Peter and Paul in their unique Apostolic ministries, but He works no less miraculously in every one of His children to reveal Jesus in them. Christ in us is what people must see! It’s not about our gifts, our “testimony”, even our knowledge of Scripture. It is Jesus they must see.
Let the Beauty of Jesus be seen in me,
More His wonderful Power & Purity.
Oh Thou Spirit Divine,
Melt this cold heart of mine,
Let the Beauty of Jesus be seen in me!
Ephesians 1:3-10 Here we have the cause, the purpose, and the goal of all of human history. The Father’s Good Pleasure is to Choose a people who will be holy and without blame before Him in Love. He accomplishes His Will by predestining them to the Adoption as children by Jesus Christ TO HIMSELF to the Praise of the glory of His Grace! He is actively calling out His people (John 6:37, 44-45) from this fallen world by the Word of His Son (Hebrews 1:1-4) which is the Gospel, through the “foolishness of preaching (I Corinthians 1:21-24) to save them that believe.
Galatians 1:18-2:10 In his defense of the Gospel which he preached, Paul here gives us the genesis of the Father’s Ingathering in history. We will try to parallel his words here with Luke’s historical account in Acts and I trust we will see the Mighty Hand of God in the birthing of His Family of Adopted children. We invariably start with man in our thinking, & therefore somehow think it is up to us to fulfill God’s Will through a campaign that seeks to “save” an unknown quantity of people & it depends upon properly trained professionals, carefully worded sermons, & loads of money. The Book of Acts stands in stark contrast to that. It chronicles the Mighty Hand of God’s Spirit Blowing where He Wills!
Galatians 1:15 “But when it please God”. Do we understand that it is the Loving Father’s Good Will & Pleasure that is at the root of everything that concerns His Adopted Children? We spend way too much time as self dependant beggars when we have an inheritance in our Elder Brother, Christ Jesus that knows no Eternal end! Peter describes this in II Peter 1:3, “As His divine power has given to us ALL THINGS that pertain to life & Godliness through THE KNOWLEDGE OF HIM (CHRIST JESUS) Who has called us by glory & virtue.” This is not “Quietism” nor “let go & let Godism”. This is a faith focus that sets our affections on things above where our Jesus sits on the Right Hand of God, (Colossians 1:1-2) that transforms & impacts everything we do here below! Our “earthly behavior” is shaped by our heavenly fixation!
Galatians 1:18-24/Acts 9:30 After his 3 years in Damascus, at the Feet of Jesus, Paul travels to Jerusalem. From the context in Acts, it appears that Paul didn’t go as “the Apostle to the Gentiles. Because of the initial fear of the brethren, Barnabas took him to “the apostles” (Vs 27/Peter & James of Gal 1:19). He made his testimony known and preached Jesus. Note the language of Vs 28–“So he was with them at Jerusalem, coming in and going out.” While his time there was spent preaching Jesus powerfully in the Spirit, he was in simple fellowship with the saints. He was not wearing any “apostle badge”. Make note that just as in Damascus (9:23-25), so also in Jerusalem the Jews attempted to kill him! (Vs29) Apparently Paul needs to tone down his rhetoric! No, Paul did not seek to please man (Gal 1:10), & his Gospel ignited the same hatred that he witnessed at Stephen’s stoning!
Galatians 1:24 This is the key verse in Paul’s visit–“they glorified God in me”. Even though they did not all see Paul face to face, they had to acknowledge that only God could do such a thing!
Galatians 1:22 Paul makes a point that he “was unknown by face to the churches of Judea which were in Christ.” This is very important to the Divine order in the spread of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Consider:
Until Acts 8, the ingathering of God has been solely in Jerusalem. But notice that in 8:1, Saul’s “unwitting ministry” as persecutor led to the scattering of the believers into Judea & Samaria. Remember Acts 1:8, our Lord’s Apostolic commission?
In Acts 9, God’s chosen vessel to the Gentiles is “arrested” and begins his preparation.
Acts 10–But in 10, God is preparing for the “uttermost part of the world” expansion! Peter, the Apostle to the Jews, receives the vision of “pigs in a blanket”, at the same moment the Gentile centurion, Cornelius, is seeing the vision of an angel commanding him to send someone to Peter. Against all his Jewish instinct and prejudice, Peter learns that “God has shown me that I should not call any man common or unclean.” (Vs 28) It is significant that as Peter is preaching Jesus & His Resurrection to Cornelius’ household, that the Holy Spirit falls on them exactly like at Pentecost (Acts 10:44-48/Acts 2). This verifies the Work of God toward the Gentiles as well as Jews.
Acts 11 It is not until after Peter’s declaring God’s visitation to the Gentiles and the rest of the Apostles acknowledgment, “that God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance to life”, that we are introduced to the “charity messengers”, Barnabas & Saul. (Vs 19-30) Notice that Barnabas’ name is recorded first, & Paul is still Saul.
Galatians 2:1/Acts 13:1-14:28 Apparently, these two chapters covers the 14 years of ministry spoken of in Gal 2:1. Only the Grace & Protection of God can explain why it took 14 years before the Judaizers came from Judea to add circumcision to Jesus! But this too is in the design of the Father to vindicate His Grace before “those who seemed to be something” (Gal 2:6 and all the Apostles in Jerusalem.
Remember: Paul’s gospel did not come from a study guide prepared by the Apostles in Jerusalem! He received it by Revelation from Jesus Christ at the Right Hand of the Father! His 3 years as a humble worshiper & learner in Damascus led to 14 years of ministry in which many of the Gentile churches were established. But God does all things in decency & in order. He would not allow two “competing gospels” to damage the spread the message of His resurrected Son! The Book of Acts precisely lays out God’s means of spreading His Gospel into the uttermost part of the world!
Galatians 2:7-8 Paul did not need the “stamp of approval” from the Apostles in Jerusalem, but their acknowledgment in these verses is most significant. “For HE WHO WORKED EFFECTIVELY IN Peter for the Apostleship to the circumcised also WORKED EFFECTIVELY IN ME toward the Gentiles.”
It is the Holy Spirit of God that is the EFFECTIVE WORKER! Paul & Peter were the vessels, but God the Spirit was (and IS) the Worker! The Book of Acts has rightly been called “The Acts of Holy Spirit. The Spirit’s work is always to “reveal His Son in me.” The Spirit worked effectively in Peter and Paul in their unique Apostolic ministries, but He works no less miraculously in every one of His children to reveal Jesus in them. Christ in us is what people must see! It’s not about our gifts, our “testimony”, even our knowledge of Scripture. It is Jesus they must see.
Let the Beauty of Jesus be seen in me,
More His wonderful Power & Purity.
Oh Thou Spirit Divine,
Melt this cold heart of mine,
Let the Beauty of Jesus be seen in me!