Why Paul Didn't Learn From Peter — Galatians Chapter 1 Explained

Hello, and welcome to Through the Bible with Les Feldick, an Oklahoma rancher and farmer. Les Feldick has been teaching homestyle Bible classes for over 20 years in Iowa, Oklahoma, and Texas. Les Feldick's unique style of Bible teaching has made the books of the Bible come to life. When Les is teaching, it's so interesting that people say time just seems to fly by. And now, here is Les Feldick. I've used the example so often that when Tyndale was attempting to get Bibles into England way back in the early 1700's, his favorite saying was, I want to get the Word of God in the hand of every plowboy in England. Well I guess that's sort of my goal. I'd like to get every person from whatever status in society, or whatever age group, interested in the Word of God. It's still the greatest book on earth, and it's not as difficult as most people have been led to believe. The secret of course is to separate some of these things that you cannot mix, and of course this is where we come in especially with the Apostle Paul and his writings. I guess I should mention because people still keep calling, do we have literature? Do we have tapes? Yes, we do have all the past programs available. I'm not an author, we don't sell books per se, but we have transcribed the programs that are taped onto the printed page. And so if you're interested in any of those things, we don't promote them for any profit, we just send them out for whatever it costs us to produce them. But we depend on the offerings of God's people of course to pay for television time. Alright, now I think that's enough for introduction. This is Bible study time, and we're going to go right back where we left off in our last program which is in Galatians chapter 1. And we're going to jump in at verse 15, because we went down through verse 14 in our last get together. And now remember that this little book of Galatians is primarily dealing with churches that were being bombarded with a perversion of the Gospel, which Paul says is not a completely different Gospel, but it's a perversion. And what they were doing was adding law and legalism and works to Paul's Gospel of Grace. Nothing thrills us more than to get letter after letter that exclaims, "...my what a joy, like someone has taken a load off my shoulders when I came out of all that legalism and realized that it's in grace and grace alone that we have to find our salvation." And so this is the whole theme now, that the Apostle Paul is still defending his apostleship as he did all through the Corinthian letters. And I was thinking while driving up here this morning, I can see now why the Holy Spirit put the Corinthian letters where they are, why Romans is where it is, even though they were written later, they're up front because Paul has been first in Romans declaring the basic doctrines of his Gospel, and then in the Corinthian letters he had to correct and reprove them for having so many other problems, not so much like the Galatians with legalism, but they had other problems. They had divisions, some said we're going to follow Peter, and others said we're going to follow Christ or Jesus in His earthly ministry, and some said we're going to follow Apollos, and then some were true to Paul, and so he had to correct all those things, and in correcting it he had to defend his apostleship. Now you're going to get almost sick and tired of me hearing me say this, but I have to get this across, that as Paul's writings and his letters are so often totally ignored, we have to realize, and I quoted an Ivy League President from back in the latter part of the 1800's, and I haven't got the quote with me, but in paraphrasing it he said, it is either back, back, back to the doctrines of Paul, or it is on, on, on to an apostasy. I believe it more than ever. If we can't get folks back to an understanding of Paul's doctrines, then Christianity is in dire straits. Galatians chapter 1 verse 15. He's still using pretty much that same argument of defending his apostleship, and declaring his authority, and so he says, verse 15. Now that's a Paulian expression, by grace. Now all you have to do is stop and reflect for a moment. What else but grace could have done what God did with that man on the road to Damascus? Here he was trying to stamp out anyone in Israel that had proclaimed Christ as the Messiah, had believed that, and had become separated from the mainstream of Judaism, although they were still keeping temple worship and the Law. Evidently old Saul had pretty much cleansed the homeland, and now he had gone to the chief rulers, who as I pointed out several programs back, had enough clout with the Roman government that they could actually extradite Jews from foreign countries, such as Damascus, and bring them back to Jerusalem for trial and punishment, and more than often death. And so on the road to Damascus with that heart of absolute hatred for anything contrary to Judaism, which of course those who had embraced Jesus as Messiah would be, here he is trying to go to Damascus and arrest and bring back to Jerusalem for trial anybody in the synagogue that he could find who were believers in Christ. So this is what he's talking about, that on that road to Damascus the Lord called him by grace. If ever there was a man that didn't deserve what God did for him, it was Saul, but contrary to what most people think we have to do to get right with God. Saul, like Israel of old, as they stood on the shores of the Red Sea, did absolutely nothing, but helplessly called out, what would you have me to do? You know I used the example in my class again last night, and as Noah and his family were in the ark, do you remember what the picture of the sealant of those wood boards were? It was the word pitch, but in the Hebrew it's atonement, and so it was the atonement that sealed out the flood waters of Noah's ark. Now with the atonement in place, and the ark secure, Noah and his family were totally safe. Well the same way then when you come up to Israel, standing at the little kitchen table in their huts in Egypt, and the death angel is flying over, and wailing and weeping is carrying on in Egypt, and yet there those Jewish families could stand safe and secure because the blood was on the door. Then you know some time later, there they stood on the shores of the Red Sea, and with no hope, and when God spoke, He didn't say, well do something, build a raft, find boats, what did He say? Stand still, and see the power of God, which of course was the opening of the Red Sea. Now this is exactly where Paul had to find himself, just exactly like Israel. There was only going to be one place of safety for the man, and that is the blood of Christ, and how was he going to appropriate it? Not by doing something, but once the Lord spoke to him, all he could do is say, Lord what will you have me to do? And it hasn't changed one iota. So this is what he's referring to when he says, that it pleased God to call me by His grace, to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him among the heathen, and remember the word heathen in your New Testament is anybody that's not a Jew, anybody that's not of the twelve tribes, or the sons of Abraham, and so he is going to be sent to the non Jew. Now let's go back and see the account in Acts, because after all with Bible study we have to use references as much as possible to see that all of Scripture agrees. We're not just picking up a verse here and there in order to build some ideas, but all of Scripture will substantiate hopefully what we're teaching. Back in Acts chapter 9, after that experience on the road to Damascus of course, God always works both ends to the middle, and while He's working on Old Saul outside the city, He also is working on Ananias in the city, and so now we're going to pick it up where He is speaking to Ananias, this believing Jew somewhere in the city of Damascus, and He says in Acts chapter 9, verse 11, "...Arise, and go into the street which is called Straight. Inquire in the house of Judas, for one called Saul, for behold he prayeth, and he hath seen in a vision a man named Ananias coming in." In other words you're not going to surprise him Ananias, I've already implanted this thought in his mind, and that you can put your hand on him that he might receive his sight. And Ananias answered, "...Lord, I have heard by many of this man, how much evil he hath done to the saints of Jerusalem." His persecution you see, and Ananias says, "...and here he is with authority from the chief priests, to bind or arrest all that call on thy name." Now here it is, and oh we want people from one end of this country to the other to understand this. But the Lord said to Ananias, "...Go thy way, go and find Saul, for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles." Now a lot of people don't realize this, but you see when Christ came in His earthly ministry to the nation of Israel, and He chose the Twelve. Now let's go back and look at it again, some of these things have been long time in the past. Come back with me to Matthew chapter 10, and when Jesus began His earthly ministry and called the Twelve, here in Matthew 10, He gives instructions that I have shocked people more than once when I read it, because they just don't know it's in their Bible. But it is in every translation, and in every version. I've never had anybody yet tell me, well unless it's not in my Bible, it's in there. Matthew chapter 10, and verse 5. After naming the Twelve that He had chosen, these Twelve Jesus sent forth and commanded them. Now I haven't got this Bible underlined, but in my older ones I do. That's an important word. He commanded them. He didn't suggest it, it was a commandment. And He said, "...Go not into the way of the Gentiles." See how plain that is? "...Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and in any city of the Samaritans, but rather go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." Now that was a commandment. They were to go to no one but Jews, and they never lost sight of that. Now you're just in Acts chapter 9 for a moment. I hope you can come back there, but I also want you to jump ahead to chapter 11 to see how those early Jewish believers adhered to that commandment that Jesus gave to the Twelve. Now a lot of people think that as soon as Jesus began His ministry, the Church began, and God's grace and the Gospel went out to the whole world. Not according to this Book. According to this Book He ministered only to the nation of Israel for the whole three years, and even after His ascension and Peter begins at Pentecost, then for several years it was that same format where they would go only to the Gentiles. Now in Acts chapter 11, verse 19. It's been a long time since we taught this, so this is review. "...they who were scattered abroad upon the persecution that arose around Stephen," now it was caused by Saul of course, "...they traveled as far as Phenis, out to the island of Cyprus, and up to Antioch in Syria, preaching the Word," and you remember there's no New Testament written yet, so what Word have they got? Old Testament. "...and so they went everywhere preaching the Word from the Old Testament to none, but Jews only." See how plain that is? Now this is long after Pentecost. I figure seven years after Pentecost. They are still adhering to the commandment that Jesus gave in Matthew, "...go not in the way of a Gentile, but go only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." Now if you'll come back to chapter 9, maybe this will be a little enlightening as to why the Lord Jesus had to make such an emphasis to this man Ananias, as to what the purpose of saving this Jewish zealot, who had been putting Jews to death for having embraced Jesus of Nazareth as the Messiah, and yet he has to understand that now there's going to be a change of direction. And this is what people have to understand. When you read your Bible you've got to understand that from Genesis 12 until here in Acts chapter 9, it's God dealing with the nation of Israel. Not exclusively, but almost. There will be exceptions, but now there's going to be a change. There's going to be a fork in the road, and we're going to see it explicitly as we go on in Galatians. But in Acts chapter 9 we read down to where it says, "...and he's going to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and of course he's still going to minister to the children of Israel." Then in verse 16, "...for the Lord Jesus is speaking to Ananias, and Christ says, For I will show him how great things he must suffer for my name's sake." And did he? Oh did he! That's what we've been seeing in the last several months in our study in the Corinthian letters. How he was beaten, and scourged, and was cold, and naked, and many times sick, and living in fear for his life, all because of what the Lord Jesus had promised him here. Well now then if you'll come back to Galatians chapter 1 where we just were, and so this is what he's making reference to, that he's going to reveal himself in this man, this apostle, Saul of Tarsus, who we now know as Paul. So we'll come back to Galatians 1, and again verse 16 reading on, "...immediately as soon as Saul up there in Damascus had heard the words of the Lord Jesus, and probably Ananias rehearsed it with him, immediately he says, I went up to Jerusalem to check it out with the twelve." No it doesn't say that. See I do this purposely to make people look twice. That's not what it says. Now that's what a lot of people think it should say. That would have been the logical thing wouldn't it? To go back to Jerusalem and say, Hey Peter, you guys were with him for three years, and I want to know everything that he taught you. But you see the Holy Spirit is making it so positive here, that He's not going to let this man be tainted whatsoever by what the twelve had learned at the feet of Jesus. Jesus the Lord now has something totally different to show this man, and He doesn't want it mixed up. But you see men are adept at it aren't they? Men have been mixing it ever since the poor apostle left the sea, and I'm trying my best to unmix it, and to bring it back again to this clearly divided division between what God did with Israel, and what He's doing with the Gentiles, and the Body of Christ. So he says immediately in verse 16, I conferred not with flesh and blood, in other words with other human beings. Why? Because he's dealing with the flesh and bone, the Lord Jesus up in glory. So then he says in verse 17, for emphasis now, to make sure that we get it straight. When he realized that he was going to be an apostle of the Gentiles, he did not go up to Jerusalem to them who were apostles before him. See now he never takes away the authority of Peter and the other eleven apostles. He never denigrates their authority so far as their position as apostles of Israel. But he's never going to let them usurp his authority as apostles of the Gentiles, and this is what you have to watch for. So neither did I go up to Jerusalem to them who were apostles before me, but I went into Arabia, and then returned again to Damascus. Now the first thing I like to do when you see that word Arabia in verse 17 is here in Galatians, just turn the page to chapter 4, verse 25. Galatians 4. For this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia. Now from that little statement, and I may stand all alone, but I have to feel that since this man is going to be delegated to receive a whole new body of truth from the Ascended Lord, and he is going to be given the responsibility to take it out to the whole Gentile world. Well what does it remind you of? Well when God did much the same thing with Moses at that same Mount Sinai, and you've spoke to Moses there at Sinai, and I would like to put it this way. God gave Moses the Law, and Moses took the Law down to Israel, and only Israel received the ramifications of the Law, although certainly the Law affected the whole human race. But here we are now 1500 years later, and God hasn't changed. God is still the same, and He never changes. So the same God, but now He's dealing with a different individual. He now says to Paul, He now gives to Paul these doctrines of grace, which of course are embedded in what Paul is always referring to as the Mysteries. And then the Apostle Paul is not instructed to take it down to the nation of Israel, but instead he is instructed to take it far hence to the Gentiles, and of course the Jews. And that I think just answers all of our questions as to what part of the Scripture are we to depend on. Now it's all God's Word, don't ever take that away from me. Every word in this Book is the inspired Word of God, but He has made it so plain that this man is the Apostle of the Gentiles. In fact seeing Jerry back there, I've got to use this verse. Go back to Romans chapter 11, verse 13. And oh, this says it so plainly. There's no arguing over it. Romans 11, verse 13, "...for I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the Apostle of the Gentiles, and I am the Apostle of the Gentiles." And he says, I magnify my office. In other words, he's not going to back down for anything as that role of the Apostle of the Gentiles. And why can't people adhere to that? That's his authority. And that's why we saw in the Corinthian letters, he was always defending that authority. Now come back with me quickly to Galatians. I thought we'd get 5 or 6 verses, and we're only going to get 1 or 2. Galatians 1. So he went down evidently to Arabia, Mount Sinai, and of course there's a difference of opinion amongst Bible scholars and theologians whether he spent the whole three years at Sinai as I believe he did, or did he spend a portion of time at Sinai and then went back to Damascus, and then at the end of the three years is now ready to begin his ministry. But I have to feel that the Lord took that whole three years of dealing with this man all by Himself down there in the desert at Mount Sinai. Now the reason I take that approach is that when you understand all the trials and tribulations that this man went through, most men would have given up long, long ago. But he always kept pressing on, always pressing on. Why? Because I think this three year experience was so embedded in the man's makeup that he could do nothing less. And then of course on top of that there were several times that the Lord Jesus referred to him face to face. He said it, and he appeared unto me. So all of these things contributed to his constant pushing forward against all the opposition. So after a three year stint which I think was down at Arabia, he finally now gets up to Jerusalem for the first time, and he's going to meet the Apostle Peter face to face. Now I imagine that was quite a meeting, because after all they're coming from two totally different backgrounds, but we'll carry it on further in our next program. That's Route 1, Box 760, Kenta, Oklahoma, 74552. Through the Bible with Les Feldick is viewer supported, and your gift is appreciated. Thank you, and be sure to tune in next time for Through the Bible with Les Feldick.