Jackson
Snyder
1989,
updated October 30, 2002
Snyder
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Paul's
Previous Way of Life
Galatians 1:13-14 For you have heard of my previous way of
life in Judaism, how intensely I persecuted the Assembly of Yahweh and tried to
destroy it. {14} I was advancing in Judaism beyond many Jews of my own age and
was extremely zealous for the traditions of my fathers.
1) He
chose to advance in Judaism
2)
He chose to be over-zealous for tradition
3)
He chose to strive against the sect of the Nazarenes
Paul was a
compassionless legalist; Paul was a murderer; Paul was the soldier of the
status quo; Paul was a militant fundamentalist, obnoxious but effective against
the enemies of his faith. His previous life had been by his choice, and he was
successful in his career.
Some scholars tell us that Paul may have
been a member of the temple guard and one of the instigators of the death of
Jesus (Wilson). Others show Paul to be
a close relative to Herod, a friend to the Herodians and government officials,
even an associate of Caligula (Eisenman).
If these scholars are right, then Paul had a great deal of power,
influence and training – enough to completely destroy the sect of Nazarenes had
he fulfilled his chosen plan.
Paul's
Present Life
{15} But when Yahweh, who set me apart
from birth and called me by his grace, was pleased {16} to reveal his Son in me
so that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not consult any man,
{17} nor did I go up to Jerusalem to see those who were apostles before I was…
Although
Paul was on his way to fame and glory in his chosen career, Yahweh had other
ideas:
1) Yahweh
“separated him” from his mother's womb (lit.),
2)
Yahweh had called him for a purpose,
3)
Yahweh revealed his Son to him, and Paul believed,
4)
Yahweh gave him a mission in life,
5)
Yahweh required that he receive approval from no one.
6) Even his new
theological understanding, he claims, came from above rather from others (like
James).
Paul's
present life was by election, that is, by Yahweh's choice, rather
than his own. Oh, yes. He could have chosen his former path after
Yahweh’s revelation – he had plenty to gain – he had great connections. But he chose the harder road of
humiliation. He had a conversion
experience and had received a commission to work.
Acts 22:6. "As I made my journey and
drew near to Damascus, about noon a great light from heaven suddenly shone
about me. 7. And I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, 'Saul,
Saul, why do you persecute me?'
8. And I answered, 'Who are you,
Lord?' And he said to me, 'I am Jesus of Nazareth whom you are persecuting.' 9.
Now those who were with me saw the light but did not hear the voice of
the one who was speaking to me. 10. And I said, 'What shall I do, Lord?' And the
Lord said to me, 'Rise, and go into Damascus, and there you will be told all
that is appointed for you to do.'
11. And when I could not see
because of the brightness of that light, I was led by the hand by those who
were with me, and came into Damascus.
12. "And one Ananias, a
devout man according to the law, well spoken of by all the Jews who lived
there, 13. came to me, and standing by me said to me, 'Brother Saul, receive
your sight.' And in that very hour I received my sight and saw him. 14.
And he said, 'The god of our fathers appointed you to know his will, to
see the Just One and to hear a voice from his mouth; 15. for you will be a
witness for him to all men of what you have seen and heard. 16.
And now why do you wait? Rise and be baptized, and wash away your sins,
calling on his name.'
And to
fulfill his commission, he was not required to get approval or teaching from
anyone, because he had approval from the highest religious authority, Yahweh
himself. When he went to Jerusalem to
get that approval, he did not, even from the disciples of Jesus!
"I
Was" By Choice / "I Am" By Election
Clearly, there was a great division in
Paul's life, dividing the past, with its ambition, self-sufficiency, and
self-satisfaction, and the present, still with its ambition, but based on total
reliance on Yahweh, receiving the awards of grace instead of the applause of
people. Choosing to follow the election
and calling of Yahweh over personal concerns is a struggle – most will
have no part of it. Learning about
Yahweh and his ways is not an easy matter.
Following the road to righteous humility is not the choice of
champions. The choice of accepting
Yahweh's perfect plan for our lives is not a passive one, but an active,
continuing discipline. Remarkably, many
choose to live in the humility of evil than choosing the good.
In 1987, the Prince and Princess of Wales
allowed TV cameras into their home to film them as a normal couple with their
two children. During the interview
Prince Charles described his job in these terms: "It, more than anything else, is a way of life. It's more than a job. It's a complete, 24-hour-a-day business,
really." And that’s the life of a
Prince who’s King is the devil – he describes it as a complete commitment. If we are princes of Yahweh, a royal
priesthood, shouldn’t our mission be a "24-hour-a-day business,
really."
Our decision to follow the Just One (Acts
22:14) cannot be a part-time job or a hobby.
It must take first place in our lives.
I know we wrestle with his choosing us and calling us throughout life;
that we wrestle is only natural. But in
the end, Yahweh's choice must become our choice, as well. And not by coercion. Nobody forced Paul’s choice. (In fact, his cohorts in Jerusalem tried to
force him not to make such a choice.)
For when Yahweh's choice becomes our choice, then our choices become
Yahweh's choices. For Paul, Yahweh's will
happily became his will as he went forth. But it wasn't easy for him, either.
I Went
Paul's choices took him all over the place.
Gal 1:17b-21,2:1-2 {17b} But I went
immediately into Arabia and later returned to Damascus. {18} Then after three
years, I went up to Jerusalem to get acquainted with Peter and stayed with him
fifteen days. {19} I saw none of the other apostles--only James, the Lord's
brother. {20} I assure you before Yahweh that what I am writing you is no lie.
{21} Later I went to Syria and Cilicia. {2:1} Fourteen years later I went up
again to Jerusalem, this time with Barnabas. I took Titus along also. {2} I
went in response to a revelation and set before them the gospel that I preach
among the Gentiles. But I did this privately to those who seemed to be
leaders, for fear that I was running or had run my race in vain.
No wonder Paul often speaks of his journeys
as races to be run. It has been
estimated that Paul may have walked as many as 50,000 miles in his missionary
journeys. In this section of his
letter, seven places or groups of places he visited are either mentioned or
implied. They are Tarsus, Damascus,
Arabia, back to Damascus, Jerusalem, Syria and Cilicia, and finally back to
Jerusalem. These places seem to The Way
of discipleship for us as we make our own missionary journeys in life. Let's look at Paul's travels:
Discipleship
a Journey
1.
Tarsus – Like us, Paul begins his journey at home. Paul desired to serve Yahweh, but wanted to
do it in his own way instead of Yahweh's way.
Remember, Paul was a Pharisee!
He was following his own understanding and his tradition -- but not
Yahweh's will. He thought that
persecuting the Nazarenes was pleasing to Yahweh, and he enjoyed bringing them
down. He enjoyed watching the stoning
death of Stephen. But Paul's deity was
too small and narrow – too much like him.
Tarsus stands for the beginning of our awakening in faith, our seeking
to be religious.
2.
To Damascus (conversion) -- It was on this road that Paul met the Just
One. It was on this road that Yahweh
revealed his Son to Paul and set a course for him that has affected us greatly
even down to the present day. I might
add that, though there were several sects of Christians by the end of Paul’s
life, his brand of Christianity was the only one to survive into our time. Nowadays, scholars are discovering the many
varieties of Jesus’ followers; but for the vast majority, the only Christianity
most today will know is that of the Pauline school. Maybe this is as it should be.
Damascus represents our conversion, however
it may come about. Yahweh, in his love
and mercy, has chosen to reveal his Son to us, and we believe. By the way, the name Damascus has a Hebrew
meaning that is significant. Damascus
means, “Bloody Cup.” Damascus was used
as a code word in early times to refer to the Christian faith. “The cup we drink, is it not the New
Testament in His blood?”
3.
Into Arabia (zeal) - Why did Paul go to Arabia? Three ideas: a. To reflect, study, and
pray. To hear from Yahweh. To seek Yahweh's will for his life. To find out what he should do next. b.
To meet the devil in the wilderness, like Jesus did, and be tested and
tempted. "Arabia" is
synonymous with desert, or wilderness.
The Jews believed that the devil lived in the wilderness, as did all
kinds of devilish creatures, like serpents and lizards. Was Paul driven out into the wilderness as
Jesus had been? Or did Paul go because
he was anxious... c. To immediately fulfill his calling --
Knowing Paul, he may have wanted to set out immediately to fulfill the mission
Jesus had given him on the Damascus Road, to preach among the Gentiles (see
Acts 9:20). But Paul was used to doing
things on his own, rather than to follow the voice of Yahweh. And if Arabia was Paul's idea of a place to
start, it certainly was not a good idea!
10 years earlier (23
A.D.) Herod's son “Philip” had divorced the Arabian king's daughter in order to
marry his brother's wife, Herodias. We
read about this in Mark 6:17ff. John
the Baptist had condemned this marriage as incestuous. Because of this, John's head was served on a
silver platter.
The King of Arabia, to
get revenge on Philip for divorcing his daughter, attacked Galilee with his
army. The situation was still tense
when Paul went in -- for Arabs were not then any more well disposed towards
Jews then as they are now. Because Paul
was related to the Herods (Eisenman), he considered a spy, and was chased out
of Arabia by the forces of the King.
Paul certainly met his devils in the desert, but these devils were the
flesh and blood variety, armed with swords.
Arabia
represents the zeal of a new believer, taking baby steps in faith, even if
the steps are in the wrong direction.
4.
Then Paul returns to Damascus for Three Years (doubt) -- Damascus was
the location of three great crossroads.
After his failure in Arabia, Paul goes back to the crossroads of his
life, probably quite discouraged and depressed about his first bold step in
faith. Nevertheless, he can't keep
quiet about his newfound faith, and people in Damascus are amazed at his
witness. "Isn't this the man who
was arresting these Nazarenes? Now he
has joined them!" Some people were
glorifying Yahweh because Paul had so changed.
But others were set against him, and plotted to kill him. It was here that his friends had to drop him
over the city wall in a basket for him to escape assassination. Acts implies that those who wanted to kill
him were the disciples of James in Jerusalem (Acts 9:26).
Here, Damascus represents doubt. One cannot increase faith without first
doubting.
5.
To Jerusalem (discipleship) -- Paul had probably never seen Jesus before
his crucifixion. There was no New
Testament then. There was not a
common understanding about who Jesus was.
Paul next makes the journey of discipleship to Jerusalem to spend time
with Cephas and the Lord's brother James, to learn about Jesus - what he said
and did, and how it did what he did. To
fellowship with people who knew him and ministered with him, were taught by him
and whom he nurtured.
But after all these years, the teaching of
Paul and that of James the brother of Jesus (who led the Jerusalem assembly)
were vastly different. James was a
Nazarite of the Sadducees, who was thoroughly Jewish and an avid follower of
the law. Paul, as a Pharisee, had been
teaching a highly spiritualized form of Christianity; Paul had actually
denigrated the law and important traditions, like circumcision. The Bible is clear that James and Paul did
not agree on the concept of salvation at all.
However, in Acts 15 (if it is to be believed), Paul and James struck a
compromise, with James proclaiming,
Acts 15: 19,20. My judgment is that we
should not trouble those of the Gentiles who turn to Yahweh, but should write
to them to abstain from the pollutions of idols and from unchastity and from
what is strangled and from blood.
Jerusalem therefore represents
discipleship. A child of Yahweh must be
brought up in the way she is to go, so that she may not depart from that way
when she is mature. However, this is a
case in which the student outdistanced the teacher. Paul disregarded the James’ instructions about both drinking
blood when he instituted the first Communion:
1 Corinthians 10:16. The cup of blessing which we bless, is it
not a participation in the blood of Christ?
From what we
know of James and those who were with him in Jerusalem before its fall, this
drinking of blood, even if it be Jesus’ blood, would be repugnant in the
extreme. Had there been no Paul, there
would be no blessed sacrament for us, no participation in the body of Messiah,
no eucharistic power. It took extreme
gall to override the Apostles in Jerusalem who had actually known Jesus – and
it was dangerous! Likewise, it takes
courage for us today to preach and make known the revelations of Jesus that are
not commonly believed, understood or practiced. But it’s our hope that all disciples will overtake their teachers,
at least in the matter of revelation.
6.
To Syria and Cilicia – Now Paul is on mission for real – he goes back to
his home – from Damascus back to Tarsus in Cilicia through Syria – to his own
people – maybe to round up support for his mission. We don’t know much about these journeys; however, Paul
undoubtedly did a lot of talking, explaining, working, fund raising, support
building. He undoubtedly worked hard on
the conversion of his family; we know he had a sister and a nephew, and that they
may have been rather high placed.
Personal evangelism of one’s own family is
one of the hardest and most thankless jobs one can do. (Reconciliation.)
We might also add that raising money for
ministry is very difficult. What Paul
was raising money for was, at that time, considered a cult! But look what he says about giving later on
in the letter:
Galatians 6:5. For each man will have to bear his own load. 6.
Let him who is taught the word share all good things with him who teaches. … 9.
And let us not grow weary in well-doing, for in due season we shall
reap, if we do not lose heart.
How else
could I teach if you didn’t share all good things with me? Your sharing with me helps me not to lose
heart and guarantees that we will together reap in due season!
7.
Finally, Paul returns to Jerusalem (reputation and testimony) –
Galatians 1:22-24. And I was still not known by sight to the
churches of Christ in Judea; they only heard it said, "He who once
persecuted us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy." And they glorified Yahweh because of
me.
Now he is a
man with a resume of persecutions. He
has had to prove himself over and over.
And even if they still don’t agree with his teachings in Jerusalem, they
can’t fault him for his zeal, his stick-to-it-iveness, his generosity. After all, he had not only raised money for
himself to serve in the capacity of traveling evangelist, but he had brought
money back from his travels to help the poor in the Holy City. It’s hard to argue doctrine with
someone who puts his money where his mouth is.
Indeed, the messenger became the message, coming full circle, now
preparing to take the final journey – on to Rome itself and the household of
Caesar.
In what town do you dwell? Are you still in Tarsus or Arabia? Have you yet recognized that Yahweh has
chosen you from your mother's womb and called you to serve him? Yes, you!
And that you are deemed worthy to serve him, not because you have
lots of talent and money to offer, but because of his gracious choice? If you can truly recognize and realize the
privilege of Yahweh’s choice of your life, then you too may set out from
your Tarsus. There are no little
ministries in His economy; no small favors in his service. Many are called but few choose; and greater
things you may do in the eyes of Yahweh than even He.
Note:
"What Was Paul Doing in Arabia?" from Bible Review, October, 1994, p.
46-47.