his faith in all his children and to reunite all the nations under his faith by his Spirit. The jealous devil always fights against the church. He wants the persecution of all Christians and tries to destroy the interior knowledge of the faith that grows within the human heart. The Lord gives us his Spirit within. Yet the devil makes people abuse those who have the Spirit of the Lord. But far from being astonished and afraid when this happens, we must, to the contrary, rejoice and hope. Even after the strong storm of persecution, we live in the calm hope of the Lord. In all times, we hold firmly to the gospel preached by Jesus Christ and by his disciples. They preached about the purity of the Spirit of the Lord within us and warned not to go to another. If we preach another, that one be cursed! The gospel teaches us that we can speak through power of the Spirit. If we in faith repudiate error and abuse, we have increased within us Jesus Christ’s truth and the interior spirit.
Am I now seeking human approval, or God’s approval? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still pleasing people, I would not be a servant of Christ. (Gal 1:10)
Anyone who examines the words of Paul will see that he is the servant of Jesus Christ. Alas, the way he lives is very rare! Where do we find a person who does not want to please other humans and who does not instead search to find self-glory? Where do we find a person indifferent to hatred and contempt as well as love and approval? Where do we find a person who is dead to all creatures and does not skillfully aim to get their esteem? Where do we find a person who keeps God in view in all things? Yet Paul assures us that the moment we will to please people is the same moment we stop being the servant of Jesus Christ.
For I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that the gospel that was proclaimed by me is not of human origin; 12 for I did not receive it from a human source, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ. (Gal 1:11–12)
Paul describes his own life and says without hesitation that God in his mercy gave him the revelation of Jesus Christ. Paul shows us in this passage how we are to live the Christian faith. At all times we are to keep our sight on the pure glory of God in all situations. God inspires us to witness to him. We are never to keep secret what the Lord has done for us. When God acts, we witness about this to others and tell them about the Lord’s mercy to us. Also, at all times, we reverently worship the Spirit of God and watch for the movements and actions of the Spirit.
We also see in this passage that Paul testifies to the good and holy revelations of Christ given to us. Because of the persecutions against Christians, there are people who condemn Christ’s revelations saying that they are false. Corrupt ideas like this are never to be believed because they are deceptions planned by evil.
You have heard, no doubt, of my earlier life in Judaism. I was violently persecuting the church of God and was trying to destroy it. 14 I advanced in Judaism beyond many among my people of the same age, for I was far more zealous for the traditions of my ancestors. 15 But when God, who had set me apart before I was born and called me through his grace, was pleased 16 to reveal his Son to me, so that I might proclaim him among the Gentiles, I did not confer with any human being, 17 nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were already apostles before me, but I went away at once into Arabia, and afterwards I returned to Damascus. (Gal 1:13–17)
Here Paul talks more about his life and freely witnesses to the grace that God gave him. Even while he describes his tradition and life, he confesses openly to his sins and faults. He does this because simple truth never hides anything. We need to speak truth because we glorify God with words of truth. We also strengthen others when we speak words of truth.
Paul describes his call from Jesus Christ and in this, we see both the goodness and strength of God. Paul openly states that he formerly opposed God’s grace and violently persecuted the early church. Yet through the grace of God, Paul became the most glorious of the apostles. We see Paul’s faithfulness in his response to God’s call and grace by following Jesus Christ without consulting with flesh and blood.
We know that not everybody answers the call of Jesus Christ. In fact, some people called evade this call, and do not live for Jesus Christ. They do this because they think that their temporal interest, attachment to flesh and blood, or social situation is more important than God. Instead of doing this, they should have a trusting faith to follow the grace of God, like Paul did.
Then after fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus along with me. 2 I went up in response to a revelation. Then I laid before them (though only in a private meeting with the acknowledged leaders) the gospel that I proclaim among the Gentiles, in order to make sure that I was not running, or had not run, in vain. (Gal 2:1–2)
We see again in this passage how Paul was following the Spirit of the Lord and revelation. Therefore, he must conduct himself with faithfulness by following where the Lord shows him to go. He must not deceive others about this, but be honest and witness to others about this. When Paul speaks the truth, he is obedient to God. This applies to all faithful people.
Some wonder about revelation and how we know them to be true. In this situation we look to the witness of Scripture. If a revelation goes against Scripture, than it is to be suspected. Yet in those circumstances, we must act humanely and show others the true witness of the Lord expressed in Scripture.
No one was better led by the Spirit of the Lord than Paul. No one was more faithful to following God’s movements and His grace. However, Paul does not consult other apostles because he has inside himself the light of the Spirit. Truly, he vigorously follows what is the will of God. Finally, he powerfully succeeds for the good of the church.
But because of false believers secretly brought in, who slipped in to spy on the freedom we have in Christ Jesus, so that they might enslave us—5 we did not submit to them even for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel might always remain with you. (Gal 2:4–5)
It is amazing to see how God uses Paul who had been the greatest zealot of the law. He had forcefully and violently demanded the exact observance of the law. Now after his conversion, Paul becomes the most powerful defender of the freedom of Jesus Christ. He now ardently lives the simplicity and freedom of the Gospel. He refused to change his conduct, even if others wanted or even demanded him to change.
Paul openly admits that the church included false brothers who had come to spy on them so that they would find a way to condemn him and other believers. Yet Paul continued to witness to Jesus Christ. O the heart of a true apostle! Where does one find a person that, far from seeking to please people, actually through faith confronts them? Paul trusted the Lord, even when persecutors surrounded him.
But we wonder, how do we live our faith and help our neighbor? Paul shows us how to do this. He first established the truth of the Gospel and then he reached out to his neighbor. He lived the Gospel and made that most important. Yet in things unimportant, he cooperated and deferred to others. An example of this is when he writes, “Therefore, if food is a cause of their falling, I will never eat meat, so that I may not cause one of them to fall” (1 Cor 8:13). There is a great difference between living for propriety and self-advantage or living for the glory of God and the good of human beings. We see how Paul decided about his life and that helps us decide about ours. When he thought the issue was unimportant, he sacrifices everything for the good of his brothers. Yet Paul springs into action when he thinks the issue harms the glory of God, the foundation of the Gospel, and the community of faithful believers. O God! At that time he will not defer or change for anyone.
But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood self-condemned; 12 for until certain people came from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles. But after they came, he drew back and kept himself separate for fear of the circumcision faction. 13 And the other Jews joined him in this hypocrisy. 14 But when I saw that they were not acting consistently with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas before them all, “If you, though a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you compel the Gentiles to live like Jews?” (Gal 2:11–14)
In this passage, Paul defends the truth of the Gospel by confronting Peter’s treatment of the Gentiles. Righteousness, which is following the will of God, is absolutely necessary. To have righteousness, we must never hide the truth. Peter, the chief among the apostles, along with the other apostles, believed