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GALATIANS 1:11-17 I. REJECT THOSE WHO TEACH YOU a DIFFEENT DOCTRINE A. Because My Doctrine Is Not from Men 1. for I Did Not Rece

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GALATIANS 1:11-17 I. REJECT THOSE WHO TEACH YOU a DIFFEENT DOCTRINE A. Because My Doctrine Is Not from Men 1. for I Did Not Rece GALATIANS 1:11-17 I. REJECT THOSE WHO TEACH YOU A DIFFEENT DOCTRINE A. Because My Doctrine Is Not From Men 1. For I did not receive it from a man nor was I taught [it] Introduction After beginning his letter with a passionate appeal to the Galatians not to turn away from the Gospel of Grace he had taught them, Paul proceeded to give them five reasons why they should respond positively to his appeal (Gal. 1:11-4:20). Then he gave them a Scriptural illustration to help them understand his appeal (Gal 4:21-31), and finally he repeated the appeal one more time (Gal. 5:1-12). The first reason he gave them for responding to his appeal was that he had received the doctrine he taught them from God and not from men. His explanation of how he received his doctrine from God is the longest single section of the book. It extends from Galatians 1:11 through Galatians 2:21. He told of five events in his life that confirmed that his doctrine came from God. The first was that he had learned that doctrine initially through an appearance to him of Jesus Christ Himself. He reminded them that formerly he had opposed Jesus and His teachings fiercely and had persecuted those who accepted it. He had changed his mind, not because of the witness or work of any man, but because Jesus came to him while he was on the road to Damascus to persecute Christians there. Jesus’ appearance had been too dramatic and His commands too specific for him ever to doubt or forget them. He had told the Galatians about that experience, probably many times; and it should be enough to convince them it had come from God and they should not ever accept any contradictory doctrine. Outline 1. For I did not receive it from a man nor was I taught [it] (1:12a-14) . 2 a. But [I received it initially] through a revelation of Jesus Christ (1:12b). 2 b. For you have heard of my past life in Judaism (1:13-14) . 2 (1) That I persecuted the church of God excessively, and wasted it (1:13b) . 2 (2) So [that] I prospered in Judaism (1:14) . 2 (a) Above many contemporaries of my age (1:14b) . 2 (b) Emerging more and more [as] a zealot for the traditions of my fathers (1:14c). 2 c. But when God (1:15-17), . 3-4 (1) Who (1:15b-15d) . 3 (a) Separated me to Himself from my mother’s womb (1:15c) . 3 (b) And called me by His grace (1:15d) . 3 (2) Was pleased (1:15e-16c) . 3 (a) To reveal His Son to me (1:16b) . 3 (b) That I might preach Him among the Gentiles (1:16c), . 3 (3) I did not consult immediately with flesh and blood (1:16d-17). 3-4 (a) I did not go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me (1:17a). 3 (b) Instead, I went to Arabia and returned again to Damascus (1:17b). 3-4 A Related Issue: Comparison with Acts 9:1-25; 22:1-25; 26:1-20 . 5 GALATIANS 1:11-17 – SECTION I.A Page 2 Comments honor and that he was unimpressed by people who were given honor. It would have been totally out of After urging the Galatians not to accept any character for him to say he cared nothing about other doctrine than the one in which they had human authority in the midst of a long section of believed, he proceeded to give them five reasons this letter written to prove his authority. In his letter why they should not abandon the doctrine he had to the Galatians, he was not seeking to defend taught them. Paul’s five reasons were: himself or his authority but to defend the truthfulness of the message God had given him. To 1. His doctrine came from God (1:11-2:21) do so, He told of certain experiences he had had that 2. Their experience with grace (3:1-5) showed how the doctrine he preached had been 3. Teachings of the Scripture (3:6-29) given to him by God. Paul was highly selective in 4. Christ had set them free (4:1-11) the events he related. He selected them to show 5. Their confidence in him (4:12-20) how his doctrine came directly from God. The experiences he related were not for the purpose of Paul followed those five reasons with: (1) an writing a record of his life but to show that his illustration about Abraham’s two sons to help them doctrine came from God. understand why his appeal was so urgent (Gal 4:21- 31) and (2) a concluding appeal for them to stand Verse 12. For I did not receive it from a firm in the doctrine of grace (Gal. 5:1-12). Paul’s man nor was I taught [it], but [I received it appeals and the reasons for them encompass almost initially] through a revelation of Jesus Christ . the whole letter. His appeal to them was the reason he was writing to them. The warning he gave to The first evidence Paul gave to show that his them at the end of the book was simply a precaution doctrine came from God was that initially it had not to keep them from overreacting and concluding that been taught to him by men. Instead, it had been freedom in Christ meant license to live in any way revealed to him by Jesus Christ. He was referring they chose. That warning was briefer, because to his conversion experience on the road to accepting libertinism was not a threat at that time Damascus, which opened his eyes to salvation by like legalism was. Paul really had only one major grace (Gal. 1:12-16). He learned to accept salvation point in his letter, and efforts of interpreters to find by grace by revelation from God without the several major points have led them to assistance or teaching of any person. The revelation misunderstand some of the statements he made. Jesus gave him turned his life completely around. Verse 11. I declare to you, brothers, that Verses 13-14. 13 For you have heard of my the Gospel preached by me is not according to past life in Judaism, that I persecuted the church men. of God excessively, and wasted it, 14 So [that] I prospered in Judaism a bove Paul’s first reason for his appeal to them to many contemporaries of my age, emerging more reject any other doctrine was that the doctrine he and more [as] a zealot for the traditions of my preached did not come from men but from God. fathers . Then he gave them five evidences that showed his message came from God. The discussion of those Paul reminded the Galatians that he had five evidences extends to the end of Chapter 2. It is strongly opposed Christians and persecuted them. the longest single section in the book. Because of his zealous opposition to Christians, he gained recognition among the Jewish religious Because of the length of this section of Paul’s leaders that exceeded the recognition given to letter, some interpreters see it as a separate major others of his generation. What he had learned from division of the book. They describe it as Paul’s men was the exact opposite of what Jesus revealed autobiography and say he was defending his to him. When Jesus revealed the truth to him, he apostleship and authority. Not so! In Galatians 2:6, rejected what men had taught him because Jesus Paul said he cared nothing about authority and showed him a better way. GALATIANS 1:11-17 – SECTION I.A Page 3 Verses 15-16. 15 But when God, who Instead, I went to Arabia and returned again to separated me to Himself from my mother’s Damascus . Instead of going to Jerusalem, Paul womb a nd called me by His grace, went to Arabia, and then he returned to Damascus. 16 W as pleased to reveal His Son to me that Neither of those places was even in Israel, and I might preach Him among the Gentiles certainly neither was a recognized center of the newly budding Christian movement. If he did not God Himself completely turned Paul’s life go to Jerusalem to learn to accurately understand around by calling him by His grace. He did so by Jesus but instead went to Arabia and then back to revealing Jesus to him. Paul did not describe the Damascus, it must mean that he chose those places circumstances by which Jesus was revealed to him. to do his learning. It was a wise decision. Both his He did not need to, because he surely had described time in Arabia and his time in Damascus were it to the Galatians when he was with them, probably important in developing his understanding of the many times. They knew how God had turned his revelation Jesus had given to him. In Arabia he life around. learned by studying the Scriptures, and in Damascus he learned by preaching and witnessing to Gentiles. Paul said the initial experience He had with Jesus was not something done on the spur of the Probably Paul’s time in Arabia was spent in moment. God had been planning it since before the north of that nation, which was not extremely Paul was born.
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