59 - Les Feldick Bible Study Lesson 3 - Part 3 - Book 5 - Introducing Paul

https://lesfeldickbiblestudy.com LESSON 3 * PART 3 * BOOK 5 Old Testament Progress: Introducing Paul Grace! Then we noticed God had to providentially get Paul out of Damascus. Galatians 1:1-6 "Paul, an Apostle, (not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead;)" The Resurrection. "And all the brethren which are with me, unto the churches of Galatia: Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ (always watch your punctuation marks), Who (speaking of Christ) gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father: To whom be glory forever and ever. I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel:" Notice how he doesn’t say they were called into the Law, but Grace of Christ, and he said you’re going to (what’s the next word) ‘another’ – a different gospel. Galatians 1:7,8 "Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you,and would pervert the gospel of Christ." Let’s look at that word, pervert. In verse 9, he repeats it. Every word Paul writes in his Epistles is as inspired by the Holy Spirit as any other portion of Scripture. This is God speaking through this man to us. Galatians 1:9 "...If any preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed." Let’s go back to I Corinthians 15 and pick up what Paul calls his Gospel. Or, as I pointed out several lessons ago in Romans 16:25, Paul calls it the preaching of Jesus Christ according to the revelation of the mystery which had been kept secret since the age began. What is that mystery Gospel? I Corinthians 15:1-4 "Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. Look what he says: "I declare unto you THE GOSPEL." There’s only one Gospel! Let’s look further at these verses in 1 Corinthians, Chapter 15. In verse 1 Paul says, "I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand (positionally):..." Saved!!! From the ascended, glorified Christ. Let’s go on: "...how that (and here comes the Gospel) Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures..." Now, what scriptures is Paul referring to? Old Testament! All of this was promised in that prophetic program, that Christ would die. Christ was really dead! ...according to the scriptures." Luke 18:31-34 Now, let’s read on. Now, lest someone says we’re just using one verse, on your way back to Galatians, let’s stop at John’s Gospel, Chapter 20. John 20:8,9 I’m getting more and more definitive on that use of the word, Church, because few people understand the Church is the Body of Christ. Granted, the local church is certainly a God-given entity. Every church I’ve ever known has a mixture of believers and unbelievers.But there are no unbelievers in the Body of Christ. Now, back to Galatians. Paul is defending his apostleship: Galatians 1:10 "For do I now persuade men, or God? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ." You cannot be a servant of Christ and yet please men. Galatians 1:11 Paul says, what I’ve got, I didn’t get from man. By the revelation of Jesus Christ. The Ascended Lord. II Corinthians 5:16 "Wherefore..." in other words, because of the Gospel, "...henceforth know we no man after the flesh,..." "Wherefore..." because Christ died and rose from the dead. What's required for Salvation is: believing that this Christ, this Son of God, The Creator God went to the Cross and died for our sins and arose from the dead. Let's reconstruct. Saul was, no doubt, about the same age as Christ. As near as I can discern from Scripture, he was probably contemporary with Christ in age. He was probably 30 or 35 when Christ was crucified. Which means that during Christ’s earthly ministry, Saul of Tarsus was in the very prime of life. Just what Paul says here: We're not saved by knowing His earthly ministry, but by His death, burial and Resurrection. And again, let me repeat what Paul says, "...we preach Christ crucified." Here’s where we have to understand that our Gospel is not based on His earthly ministry, nor on His miracles, nor signs and healings. #LesFeldick #BibleStudy #Bible