I Want to Be a Disciple of the Apostle Paul

June 9, 2013, 3rd Sunday after Pentecost


Galatians 1:11–24
[Paul is called by God’s grace to preach to the Gentiles.]
For I would have you know, brothers, that the gospel that was preached by me is not man’s gospel. For I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ. For you have heard of my former life in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God violently and tried to destroy it. And I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my people, so extremely zealous was I for the traditions of my fathers. But when he who had set me apart before I was born, and who called me by his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son to me, in order that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with anyone; nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me, but I went away into Arabia, and returned again to Damascus. Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to visit Cephas and remained with him fifteen days. But I saw none of the other apostles except James the Lord’s brother. (In what I am writing to you, before God, I do not lie!) Then I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia. And I was still unknown in person to the churches of Judea that are in Christ. They only were hearing it said, “He who used to persecute us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy.” And they glorified God because of me.

I think I would like to be a disciple of the Apostle Paul. If he were alive today, I would want to become his student. I would want to learn at the feet of the master. I would sit in the front row of the classroom. He would be my mentor in the ways of the Christian life: in the way of life itself. I would choose Paul because he is one of the heroes of faith. I think he would inspire me! I think a good Bible passage that describes him is Galatians 1:23, "The man who formerly persecuted us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy." In his heart, the Holy Spirit worked the miracle of faith that utterly changed his life. It can change your life, too.

Paul was born a Jew in Tarsus of Cilicia and studied the Jewish religion in Jerusalem from the Rabbi Gamaliel, taught according to the strictness of God's law and the traditions of the Jews (Acts 22:3). He was at the head of his class at the seminary and he was one of the most zealous of the students. I suppose that in today's thinking, he would be a strict, orthodox Jew, a Pharisee. He was so zealous that, in fact, he was there on the day when Stephen, the first Christian martyr, was stoned. Although he didn't throw any stones himself, he watched the coats of those who did, thus agreeing with their actions (Acts 7:58-8:1). Later Paul persecuted the believers in Christ. He had authority to bring them to prison even (Acts 8:3). I don't know if the words "fanatic" or "religious bigot" would be accurate or not, but close.

And then Paul became a Christian. He became what he had formerly hated. Like a bolt of lightning, God sent a vision of light from heaven. Like a big charge of electricity, it shocked him so much that it changed the magnetic poles of his mind, of his heart and of his soul. He became a new, changed, charged man. Christians at first didn't trust him. Can a leopard change its spots? It was a trick to infiltrate their meetings, they thought. It was a long time until they could confidently say, "The man who formerly persecuted us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy."

It is very hard for a person to change their thinking and life style. People who want to quit smoking, drinking or drugs, or who want to exercise more, lose weight or organize their lives all know that it is hard to change their way of life. We all know how hard it is to change our way of thinking, too. Prejudices and bigotry are so deep in our hearts that they are nearly impossible to get rid of. We know our own experiences, so we doubt or look with suspicion anyone who says they have changed. We doubt that anyone can give up smoking or stay on a diet. We wonder whether someone who starts a new hobby will continue for very long. We don't trust anyone who changes political parties, who changes philosophies, or who changes religions, even denominations. Because to change radically, it takes a radical stimulus. Like the health threat from the doctor, the fear of the police or a parent, a vision of a better world, a bolt of lightening, the fear of hell, or the work of the Holy Spirit.

St. Paul tells the people of Galatia that the change that took place in his life and heart was the work of the Holy Spirit. They knew the story from when they had met Paul when he was doing missionary work among them. But he reminds them. He had been a very strict Jew, but that was the plan of God. Because, as he says, "God, who set me apart from birth and called me by his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son in me so that I might preach him among the Gentiles" (Gal. 1:15). He had a special revelation of Jesus Christ on the Road to Damascus. God gave him a special mission, that he might preach Christ among the Gentiles (Gal. 1:16). This Gospel message was not his own thinking and it was not given to him by Peter and the other disciples. The Gospel message too was the revelation of the Holy Spirit. In the next couple of weeks we will talk more in detail about the content of that Gospel message, but it all is based on the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

From his youth, Paul had studied the Scriptures and the traditional interpretations. Surely he had memorized much of it. He was an expert. He was satisfied with the Jewish religion. And then he discovered Jesus Christ. At first he may have thought that Christ had destroyed all the Jewish religion. But then he discovered that Christ had fulfilled the Law. Actually, Christ made the Law even more strict than Paul could have imagined. Because God knows our hearts and thoughts, hate becomes murder, jealousy becomes theft, and lust become adultery. Paul never relaxes the Law, he never makes it easier to keep the Law, and he does not throw it away. Rather, in Jesus Christ, the law is fulfilled. Through His sacrifice on the cross, sin is forgiven, the punishment demanded by the Law is fulfilled. We Christians don't live as Christians because we are good folks naturally or by our own hard work, but rather because the grace, mercy and love of God are so abundantly given to us by God.

That is what I want to learn from St. Paul. Let’s sign up for his class together! I want to learn how to live that life, totally depending on the mercy of God. I want to learn from St. Paul how to be filled with the Holy Spirit so that I can change my sinful life. I want to be like St. Paul: filled with confidence that comes from faith, filled with boldness that comes trusting in God. That is why Paul is my hero. He is also the hero for all of us who want the courage and peace to live the Christian life.

Amen.

Michael Nearhood, Pastor
Okinawa Lutheran Church


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