Friday 25 January 2008
- Bible Book:
- Galatians
"For I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that the gospel that was proclaimed by me is not of human origin; 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". (v.11-12)
Background
Today is the feast of the conversion of St Paul. This passagefrom his letter to the Galatians establishes his credentials as anapostle of Christ and also gives some interesting historicalbackground for the period immediately following his apparentlydramatic conversion on the road to Damascus (
Paul must have known, prior to his meeting with Jesus on theDamascus road, the content of the Christian gospel. But as a JewishPharisee, he simply did not believe it, regarding it asblasphemous, hence his zealous persecution of the early followersof Jesus. His conversion then becomes, in his meeting with Christ,a realisation of the truth of that which he had previouslydenied.
Paul describes himself as set apart by God "before I was born andcalled …through his grace" (verse 15). There are parallels with thecalling of the prophet Jeremiah, who also felt called by God beforehe was born (
So the period of Paul's opposition to the early Church was stillpart of his journey to Christ, culminating with the experience onthe Damascus road. Also coming through this passage very stronglyis the sense of Paul's conversion and faith as revelation - Godrevealing "his Son to me" rather than something taught orlearnt.
Paul is called and chosen by God to proclaim Christ among theGentiles (non-Jews). The implication is that this is God's choosingand commission for him, for Paul emphasises that he "did not conferwith any human being" (verse 16) but went to Arabia and Damascusand then, three years later, to Jerusalem, before going into theregions of Syria and Cilicia (modern day Southern Turkey). We canwell imagine the power of the proclamation of the former persecutor- "The one who formerly was prosecuting us is now proclaiming thefaith he once tried to destroy" (verse 23).
To Ponder
Is God calling you to any particular life orministry?
How much of your experience of faith is revealedand how much is taught?
How do we proclaim the faith today, in a worldwhere the idea of revelation is suspect and people generally do nothave a basic knowledge of the Christian story?