381 - Les Feldick Bible Study - Lesson 3 - Part 1 - Book 32 - The Gospel of the Circumcision

https://lesfeldickbiblestudy.com Through the Bible with Les Feldick LESSON 3 * PART 1 * BOOK 32 THE GOSPEL OF THE CIRCUMCISION So if there seems to be a contradiction in Scripture, see if it's under Grace or Law as the two won't mix. Now let's jump right into today's lesson in Galatians Chapter 1 and verse 15. Also 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: Galatians 1:7a It's not a completely different Gospel, But what they were doing to Paul's Gospel of Grace was adding law and legalism, and works. Paul declares in Romans the basic doctrine of his Gospel, and then in the Corinthian letters he had to correct and reprove them for having so many other problems. If we can't get folks back to an understanding of Paul's doctrines, then Christianity is in dire straits. Now verse 15. So, in this verse, Paul is pretty much still declaring his apostleship and declaring his authority and so he says: Galatians 1:15 "But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by his grace." Called me by his Grace. What else but Grace could have done what God did with that man on the road to Damascus. So on the road to Damascus with that heart of absolute hatred with anything contrary to Judaism, the Lord called Him by His Grace. If there was ever a man that didn't deserve what God did for him it was Saul. Saul, like Israel of old when they stood on the shores of the Red Sea, did absolutely nothing. Now with the atonement in place and the ark secure, Noah and his family were totally safe. Galatians 1:15,16a "But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by his grace, (Now verse 16.) In Acts Chapter 9, after that experience on the road to Damascus, we find God working both ends to the middle. He's working on Saul outside the city, He's also working on Ananias inside the city of Damascus. So now we're going to pick it up where God is speaking to Ananias, this believing Jew, somewhere in the city of Damascus. 13. Then Ananias answered, `Lord, I have heard by many of this man, how much evil he hath done to thy saints at Jerusalem: (Saul's persecutions) 14. 15. But the Lord said unto him, (Ananias) `Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles,...'" Matthew 10:5 Now there are a lot of people that 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. The Lord Jesus didn't want the Gentiles to have anything to do with the Jews' religion, and we can look at that now and see that the Lord wanted the apostle Paul to go to the Gentiles and give them pure Grace. People must understand that, from Genesis Chapter 12 to Acts Chapter 9, it's God dealing with the Nation of Israel. Now looking at verse 15 again: Acts 9:15 "But the Lord said unto him, `Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel: 16. God is going to reveal Himself to this apostle, Saul of Tarsus, who is now Paul and reading on in verse 16: Galatians 1:16b The Lord Jesus now has something totally different to show this man, and he doesn't want it mixed up. But you see, men are adept at mixing things up. Men have been mixing it ever since the apostle Paul left the scene. Galatians 1:16b "...I conferred not with flesh and blood:" Now verse 17. Galatians 1:17 "Neither went I up to Jerusalem to them which were apostles before me; (Paul never takes away the authority of Peter and the other eleven apostles, so far as their position as apostles of Israel. Galatians 4:25a "For this Agar (Paul is making an allegory here but we won't cover it now) is mount Sinai in Arabia,..." When the Lord spoke to Moses there at Mount Sinai and gave him the Law, Moses took the Law down to Israel. And only Israel received the ramifications of the Law, although the Law certainly affected the whole human race. But here we are at the time of Paul some 1500 years later, and God hasn't changed. God is still the same, as He never changes. 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. Go back to the Book of Romans Chapter 11:13. Romans 11:13 "For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office:" In other words Paul is not going to back down for anything as that role of the apostle of the Gentiles. Why can't people adhere to that? That's Paul's authority. Then, on top of that, there were several times that the Lord Jesus referred to him face to face. Paul says that He appeared unto me. Galatians 1:18 #lesfeldick #biblestudy #bible