The Gospel in Galatians (4Th Quarter, 2011)
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Pine Knoll Sabbath School Study Notes Fourth Quarter 2011: The Gospel in Galatians Lesson 1: “Paul the Apostle to the Galatians” Read for this week’s study Acts 6:9–15, 9:1–9, 1 Sam. 13 16:7, Matt. 7:1, Acts 11:19–21, 15:1–5. Memory Text “When they heard these things they became silent; and they glorified God, saying, ‘Then God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance to life’” {Acts 18 11:18, NKJV}. Lesson Outline from Adult Sabbath School Study Guide I. Introduction II. Persecutor of Christians III. Saul’s Conversion IV. Saul in Damascus V. The Gospel Goes to the Gentiles VI. Conflict within the Church VII. Further Study Questions for Consideration From Moderator: Kendra Haloviak Paul – the Jew raised in a Diaspora synagogue would have been particularly influenced by: • special privileges in Roman society • syncretistic environment (Hellenistic), maintaining behavioral boundaries “Awareness of being something utterly different and unique, and strict maintenance of its own way of life while living among Gentiles, were, and continued to be, Judaism’s prime characteristics.” • mission activity of Pharisees – “a highly esteemed lay movement” {Günter Bornkamm, Paul, NY: Harper & Row, 1969, pages 9 & 11} 1 Study Collection Prepared June 2011 |© Pine Knoll Publications Read the three accounts of Paul’s conversion in Acts: Acts 9:1‐22, Acts 22:3‐21, Acts 26:12‐18 Why does the author of Acts include Paul’s conversion so many times? How does the conversion account change with each repetition? Which conversion account do you find most helpful? Why? Now read Paul’s own account of his conversion: Galatians 1:11‐24 Do you prefer Luke’s versions or Paul’s? Why? What parts of Paul’s thinking are challenged by his encounter with Christ? Did you have a conversion experience? Did it cause you to re‐think many of your previous assumptions? What if you never had a conversion experience? How do you relate to hearing the conversions of others? E. P. Sanders: “Much of Paul’s theology is autobiographical” {Paul, Oxford: University Press, 1991, page 101}. Do you agree with Sanders? How is your theology autobiographical? Thoughts from Graham Maxwell When Paul went out to do this, was this a religious commission? This was a sacred assignment? Yes, this was to win souls. This is the same spirit as the spirit of the inquisition. How do you win souls? Is it all right to use a little force? Well, he had a god who demanded obedience under penalty of death. That's the way he read the Old Testament. So what's wrong with using the same method in evangelism? When you have Saul's picture of God, which he thought he got right out of the 39 books and all the stories we've been reading, then you see nothing wrong with delivering as many souls bound hand and foot to the heavenly penitentiary as possible. At least get them there somehow! Well, had they not crucified Christ in God's name? They saw nothing wrong with that, nothing wrong with the use of force. And Jesus came, and was so gentle that they were frustrated by His gentleness. And He said, "If you've seen Me, you've seen the Father." Their hopes sank. "If that's the way He is, we're never going to beat the Romans! Do You mean God is as soft as You are?" And they denied it. They said, "Our God is 2 the God of Sinai". Saul went out as an evangelist to defend his god, carrying the 39 books of the Old Testament and all the key texts therein. And he went out to use force. "Obey God and Study Collection Prepared June 2011 |© Pine Knoll Publications live. Disobey God and He will destroy you. Do I make myself clear?" And he went out to stamp out heresy. He saw nothing wrong with it. And how did God win him? Well, I like the thought that Stephen started it. {Graham Maxwell, excerpt from audio series The Picture of God in All 66 – Acts, Riverside, California, 1981‐1982} How had Paul changed? After the Damascus Road, did he have a different Bible? Had he changed the Decalogue? Had he switched his Sabbath? Had he changed his diet? Had he changed anything except his picture of God? He was very concerned about saving people before the Damascus Road, but the God that he worshipped before the Damascus Road required things that the God he worshipped after the Damascus Road experience would not. He worshipped a fearsome deity before that experience on the Damascus Road that we discussed last time. And so he saw nothing wrong with using force and persecution. That was the way to settle things. To be saved, then, would be understood in that light. {Graham Maxwell, excerpt from audio series The Picture of God in All 66 – Romans, Riverside, California, 1981‐1982} You know that the paragraph in Desire of Ages where Ellen White says that most of us cannot point to an occasion like the Damascus road and speak of a dramatic time of conversion. She says that does not mean we’re not converted. With most people there’s been a long and gentle wooing, there’s been long exposure to the truth, maybe from scripture, from the preaching of the word. She has quite a description in the paragraph. Then she says the day comes when the Spirit comes with special persuasion, and we cast our vote yes or no. And some say “I had a great dramatic conversion!” She says “on the contrary, it may have been years in the making.” And it was with Saul, as we read back. {Graham Maxwell, excerpt from audio series Galatians session 3, Loma Linda, California, 1978} But on the Damascus road Christ appeared to Saul. Think how this fits in with the Old Testament. Do you think the still small voice would have arrested Saul on his energetic program? He was going out under a full head of steam to his first evangelistic series. He was in no condition to listen to the still small voice. So the God who loved talking to Elijah softly at the mouth of the cave, knew that He’d have to take Saul to Sinai to get his attention. And He appeared dramatically to Saul, and he fell on the ground, brilliant light, his eyesight taken away. It took all that to get Saul’s attention. And I’m glad to think that God is willing to do that. {Graham Maxwell, excerpt from audio series Romans – chapter 5, Loma Linda, California, 1977} Further Study with Ellen White To those who heard him, Paul demonstrated that his change of faith was not prompted by 3 impulse or fanaticism, but had been brought about by overwhelming evidence. In his presentation of gospel truth, he sought to make plain the prophecies relating to the first advent Study Collection Prepared June 2011 |© Pine Knoll Publications of Christ. He showed conclusively that these prophecies had been literally fulfilled by Jesus of Nazareth. The foundation of his faith was based on the sure word of prophecy. In the solitude of the desert, Paul had ample opportunity for quiet study and meditation. There he calmly reviewed his past experiences, and made sure work of repentance. He sought God with all his heart, resting not until he knew for a certainty that his repentance was accepted, and his great sin pardoned. He longed for the assurance that Jesus would be with him in his coming ministry. During his sojourn in Arabia, he emptied his soul of the prejudices and traditions that had shaped his life, and received instruction from the Source of truth. Jesus communed with him, and established him in his faith, bestowing upon him a rich measure of divine wisdom and grace. When the mind of man is brought into communion with the mind of God, the finite with the Infinite, the effect on body and mind and soul is beyond estimate. In such communion is found the highest education. It is God's own method of development. "Acquaint now thyself with him," is his message to mankind. {Review and Herald, March 30, 1911} The light and power and glory that had arrested Paul at his conversion did not cease its operations upon him after he was converted to believe in Christ as the first and the last, the Alpha and the Omega. He became an effectual missionary worker. He proclaimed the truth as it is in Jesus. He was a clear, eloquent speaker, and could meet his adversaries on almost any ground on which they chose to approach him. He met every class of people, from men of renown to the heathen idolaters, setting before them the evidences of Christianity. His religion came from God, and no power on earth could extinguish the light of Heaven. Listen to the testimony of the persecutor, after his conversion. Addressing the church in Galatia he said: "I marvel that ye are so soon removed from Him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel; which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the Gospel of Christ. But tho we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.