“For you have heard of my former life in Judaism, . . . “But when he who had set me apart before I was born, and who called me by his grace . . ..” (Galatians 1:13, 15, ESV).
Paul's aim was to establish the fact that after he was saved, he did not learn from men about the Gospel of the message he was supposed to proclaim. ". . . I did not immediately consult with anyone," [1] he writes. But in his discussion he reminds the readers that he was a zealous Pharisee. He honored the Law. Luther points out that Paul's agenda is that "if the righteousness of the law had been anything worth, [he] had not turned back from it: in the keeping whereof, notwithstanding, before [he] knew Christ [he] did so exercise [him]self, and so profit therein, that [he] excelled many of [his] companions of [his] own nation." [2]
Paul describing his great salvation, bringing him from a persecutor of the Church to a proclaimer of the Gospel, now describes his early journey.
“I did not go up to Jerusalem to see those who were apostles before I was, but I went into Arabia. Later I returned to Damascus. Then after three years, I went up to Jerusalem to get acquainted with Cephas and stayed with him fifteen days.” (Galatians 1:17–18, NIV)
Luther understands Paul's trip to Arabia as a preaching mission. "And here he witnesseth that straightway, after he was called by the grace of God to preach Christ among the Gentiles, he went into Arabia, without the advice of any man, to that work whereunto he was called." [2] Others suggest Paul went into Arabia to be taught, alone, by God. [3] I favor the latter.
It is in this testimony we get a hint of Paul's understanding of the sovereignty of God. “But when God, who set me apart from my mother’s womb and called me by his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son in me so that I might preach him among the Gentiles, my immediate response was not to consult any human being.” (Galatians 1:15–16, NIV). "This is an Hebrew phrase. As if he said: Which had sanctified, ordained, and prepared me. That is, God had appointed, when I was yet in my mother’s womb, that I should so rage against his Church, and that afterwards he would mercifully call me back again from the midst of my cruelty and blasphemy, by his mere grace, into the way of truth and salvation. To be short, when I was not yet born, I was an Apostle in the sight of God, and when the time was come, I was declared an Apostle before the whole world." [2] It is here that Paul is dismissing any human intervention. This is all of God!
And the point of Paul's salvation is clearly stated: "To reveal God's Son." "This is a doctrine quite contrary to the law, which revealeth not the Son of God, but it showeth forth sin, it terrifieth the conscience, it revealeth death, the wrath and judgment of God, and hell." [2] The goal and aim of the Law versus the Gospel is different. And the recipients of the Gospel always have a purpose. For Paul this purpose was to preach to the Gentiles.
But in his defense of the origin of the Christian faith, Paul makes sure his readers know that he was not taught by humans nor did he have much contact with any human, but Peter. "Paul granteth that he was with the Apostles, but not with all the Apostles. Howbeit he declareth that he went up to Jerusalem to them, not commanded, but of his own accord, not to learn any thing of them, but only to see Peter." [2] He saw none of the apostles except Peter and James, and this he affirms by oath (Galatians 1:20).
Paul then describes his ongoing journeys "as though he would say: I appeal to the testimony of all the churches, yea even of those which are in Judaea; for the churches do witness, not only in Damascus, Arabia, Syria and Cilicia, but also in Judaea, that I have preached the same faith which I once withstood and persecuted." [2]
And then as a parting salvo, he writes, “And they praised God because of me.” (Galatians 1:24, NIV).
Father, in the midst of this passionate defense of where he went, who he saw, and what they said, we also understand the amazing blessings of the Gospel. None of this we know upon our own conversion. None of this is familiar to us until we learn of Your ways, in Your words. That decision that we thought occurred because of our obvious impression and desire, we find, is all of God. Thus far, not only is our salvation all of grace, but our lives and ministries have been prepared for us long before we were born. What can we but do but join the folks in Syria and Cilicia and praise God for such a great and marvelous salvation.
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1. The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. 2001 (Ga 1:16). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.
2. Luther, M. (1997). Commentary on Galatians (Ga 1:13). Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.
3. KJV Bible Commentary. 1994 (E. E. Hindson & W. M. Kroll, Ed.) (2376). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
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