Morning Message: Works vs. Faith

Bobservations' Column

Titled - "Works vs. Faith"
Written by: Pastor Bob Lawrenz

In the Seven Letters to the Churches which were in Asia, recorded in Revelation 2 and 3, we read that each church had unique problems that warranted correction. But one thing becomes clear in every church, that is, that loving faith through grace leads us to correct doctrine.

Many churches respond to Jesus by entering into a works-based salvation, and it’s easy to follow that example because Jesus did good works throughout His ministry. But something is missing, because works becomes the goal.

In Matthew 9:20-22 we read of a specific woman. She had heard of Jesus and His ability to bring healing. He was nearby; crowds had gathered; He was teaching and healing others! But she was unclean because of a disease. If only she could get to Him, even just to touch the hem of His garment. She saw Him as her last chance to be healed. She stayed low to not draw attention to herself because of her uncleanness. She reached out to touch just His garment.

Jesus did not feel her touch, but he suddenly turned because He sensed His healing power go out to someone! “Who touched me?” He asked. He looked down to where she was and understood; “Daughter, thy faith has made the whole.” Jesus perceived her faith, and His healing flowed out to her.

We see in all of His healings that it took the faith of those healed to get to Him for the healing to begin. The man with the withered hand; the man born blind; the paralytic, and blind Bartimaeus on the road near Jericho; all had faith just to get to Jesus. Faith and works go hand-in-hand to complete God’s work in us. But God’s gift of faith comes first. Then good works follow.

We look to be healed, and Jesus looks for our faith, and in Ephesians 2, we learn that even our faith is a gift from God, so that no human can boast of their own faith. Exercise that gift of faith you have received and watch what happens. You will find His strength to endure, and your mind to understand what true healing is meant to be. (Matthew 9:18-26; Mark 5:21-43; Luke 8:40-56)

“Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.” - James 2:18

Bobservations' Column - Audio Version

Sunday Morning Message:

Galatians 2:14-21 - "Works vs. Faith"

Summary/Additional Commentary & Definitions:

Galatians 2:14-21 discusses the core of the gospel: justification by faith in Jesus Christ, not by the works of the law. Paul confronts Peter's hypocrisy in publicly distancing himself from Gentile Christians after initially fellowshipping with them. Paul argues that if righteousness could be attained through the law, then Christ's death would have been unnecessary. He emphasizes that believers are crucified with Christ, and it is no longer they who live, but Christ who lives in them.

What do the scriptures teach about justification?

First, “Justification is the ACT OF GOD whereby He declares the believing sinner righteous in Jesus Christ.” In other words, it is an act, NOT a process. No Christian is “more justified” than another. Later in Galatians we’ll talk about another fifty-cent word, Sanctification. Now that’s a process. Sanctification is the continual process God uses to conform us to the image of His Son.

Justification isn’t something we do; it’s something God has done. The Bible speaks of justification as a done deal. Paul wrote, “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Romans 5:1) He didn’t say “we are being justified,” or “we will be justified.” It was a past reality. We HAVE been justified.

Second, “Justification is the act of God whereby He DECLARES the believing sinner righteous in Jesus Christ.” In other words, it doesn’t mean God MAKES you righteous. If you don’t feel very righteous, that’s okay. In our sinful nature, there is nothing good about us. Justification involves courtroom language. The Judge DECLARES you righteous, even though you’re guilty. In justification God says, “Not guilty. Never guilty. Never guilty again!”

Third, “Justification is the act of God whereby He declares the believing SINNER righteous in Jesus Christ.” God justifies sinners, not “good people.” The reason some people haven’t been justified is because they continue to insist they’re good people; they refuse to admit they are sinners.

Finally, “Justification is the act of God whereby He declares the believing sinner RIGHTEOUS in Jesus Christ.” I’ve been talking a great deal about righteousness in this Galatians series. A few weeks ago a lady came back to the Bethany Suite after the message and said, “I’m a little confused about what ‘righteousness’ is. Can you explain it to me in simple terms?” For a second I smiled as I thought, “There are entire theological libraries devoted to that topic, and I’m going to summarize it in one sentence?” So after thinking for a second I said, “Righteousness simply means ‘right standing’ before God.” That’s it in a nutshell. A sinner standing in his or her own attempts at righteousness can’t stand before a Holy God. But when we stand before God IN Jesus Christ, we are clothed in HIS righteousness, and as Paul wrote in Ephesians 3:12, “In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence.” If you try to approach God on your own goodness, you can’t stand—you’ll die. But if you approach God in Jesus, He sees the righteousness of Jesus.

Sunday Morning Audio Message:

Key Words and Definitions with Reference:

Straightforward (2:14) - Literally to walk "straight" or "uprightly." By withdrawing from the Gentile Christians, Peter and the other Jewish believers were not walking in line with God's Word.

Live in the manner of Gentiles (2:14) - Before his gradual withdrawal, Peter regularly had fellowship and ate with the Gentiles, thus modeling the ideal of Christian love and liberty between Jew and Gentile.

Sinners of the Gentiles (2:15) - In the legal sense, Gentiles were sinners by nature, and they had no revealed divine written law to guide them toward salvation or living righteously.

Works . . . Faith (2:16) - Three times in this verse Paul declares that salvation is only through faith in Christ and not by law. The first is general, "a man is not justified"; the second is personal, "we might be justified"; and the third is universal, "no flesh shall be justified."

Justified (2:16) - A basic Greek word describing a judge declaring an accused person not guilty and therefore innocent before the law. Throughout Scripture, it refers to God's declaring a sinner not guilty and fully righteous before Him by imputing to him the divine righteousness of Christ and imputing the person's sin to his sinless Savior for punishment.

Works of the Law (2:16) - Keeping the law is a totally unacceptable means of salvation because the root of sinfulness is in the fallenness of man's heart, not his actions. The law served as a mirror to reveal sin not a cure for it.

Minister of Sin (2:17) - If the Judaizers were right, then Christ was wrong and had been teaching people to sin because He taught that food couldn't not contaminate a person (Mark 7:19; cf. Acts 10:13-15).

Things which I Destroyed (2:18) - The false system of salvation through legalism was done away with by the preaching of salvation by grace alone through faith alone.

Died to the Law (2:19) - When a person is convicted of a capital crime and executed, the law has no further claim on him. So it is with the Christian who has died in Christ (who paid the penalty for his sins in full) and rises to new life in Him. Justice has been satisfied, and he is forever free from any further penalty.

Crucified With Christ (2:20) - When a person trusts in Christ for salvation, he participates spiritually with the Lord in His crucifixion and His victory over sin and death.

No Longer I who Live, but Christ (2:20) - The believer's old self is dead having been crucified with Christ (Romans 6:3, 5). The believer's new man has the privilege of the indwelling Christ empowering him and living through him.

Gave Himself for Me (2:20) - The manifestation of Christ's love for the believer through His sacrificial death on the Cross (John 10:17, 18; Romans 5:6-8; Ephesians 5:25-30).

Christ Died in Vain (2:21) - Died needlessly. Those who insist they can earn their salvation by their own efforts undermine the foundation of Christianity and render unnecessary the death of Christ.

Morning Message: "Faith Without the Law"

Bobservations' Column
Titled: "Faith Without the Law"
Written by: Pastor Bob Lawrenz

Paul’s controversy with the Judaisers continues into Chapter 2 with decisions that must be made regarding the election of the Gentiles. Many years pass before the debate comes to a head for resolution. We read today of the First Council of Jerusalem, 46 AD. The heads of Christ’s Church in Jerusalem recall how Jesus taught from the Law, and so thought therefore that the Gentile converts should also follow the Jewish Laws. What they missed was that the Mosaic Law was general, and the Levitical Law was quite specifically written to the Jews.

Even more specifically, the Law regarding circumcision was given to Abraham as a token for the Abrahamic Covenant between God and him, begun in Genesis 12 (Our reading today, Genesis 17:9-13), The verses say nothing about a Covenant token for the Gentiles. It is for Abraham, for his house, his servants and their children born under his roof, and for his progeny forever. It is specific to the Jews throughout their generations.

As we have read in Colossians 1, it is a part of the Law which was against us, and it was a work performed by human hands. Romans 2:29 speaks of God’s desire for His love for us to work a circumcision of the heart, done internally, and without hands.

This happens upon true conversion, when the hearers of His love towards all mankind take it seriously and realize that we love Him because He first loved us, even while we were yet sinners! When that happens, changes start to take hold in our lives, and we are forever changed. This is the example we read of last week, in Paul’s life (His testimony is there in Chapter 1, and in Titus 3:3-7). The incident of the First Council of Jerusalem is covered in Acts 15. There, the controversy is dealt with more in-depth, and this second Chapter of Galatians gives us an over-view of the results, for which we are most grateful.

Paul’s words are quite strong, but we are to remember that all scripture is given by inspiration of God: for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, and for instruction in righteousness. “That the man of God may be thoroughly furnished unto all good works.” (2 Timothy 3:16, 17).

The Law is imperfect: for if by following it we could be made righteous, there would have been no need for Christ to Die (Galatians 2:21 paraphrased).

Bobservations' Column: Audio Version 

Sunday Morning Message:

Galatians 2:1-21 - "Faith Without the Law"

Summary/Additional Commentary & Definitions:

Galatians 2 continues Paul’s defense of the true Gospel and his apostleship by recounting his interactions with the other apostles and his confrontation with Peter. Paul emphasizes that justification is by faith in Christ alone and not by works of the Law.

Justification by faith is central in this chapter. Paul makes it clear that human effort, even in following God’s Law, cannot save anyone. Salvation is entirely by God’s grace through faith in Christ alone.

The unity of the Gospel is also emphasized. There is no distinction in the way Jews and Gentiles are saved, and the Gospel must not be compromised by cultural or social pressures.

Christian living is rooted in union with Christ. Paul’s declaration that he has been crucified with Christ reminds believers that their old self has died, and their new life is to be lived by faith in the Son of God.

Galatians 2 calls believers to stand firm in the Gospel of grace. It warns against adding human effort to God’s finished work and urges Christians to live out their faith with integrity, avoiding hypocrisy.

The chapter also encourages believers to remember that their identity is in Christ. Their lives are no longer their own; they belong to the One who loved them and gave Himself for them.

This chapter underscores the unity of the Gospel message, the danger of hypocrisy, and the centrality of Christ in the believer’s life.

Sunday Morning Audio Message:

Key Words and Definitions with Reference:

Fourteen Years . . . Jerusalem (2:1) - This is the period of time from Paul's first visit to Jerusalem (1:18) to the one Paul references here. The Jerusalem Council (Acts 15:1-22) were called together to resolve the issue of Gentile salvation. 

Barnabas (2:1) - In the book of Acts, we find a Levite from Cyprus named Joses (Acts 4:36), whom the apostles called Barnabas. That nickname translated “Son of Encouragement” (Acts 4:36-37) or “Son of Exhortation” was probably given to him because of his inclination to serve others (Acts 4:36-37, 9:27) and his willingness to do whatever church leaders needed (Acts 11:25-30). He is referred to as a “good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith.” Through his ministry, “a great number of people were brought to the Lord” (Acts 11:24). Barnabas was Paul's first ally who vouched for him before the apostles at Jerusalem (Acts 9:27), and became his traveling companion on his first missionary journey (Acts 13:2,3).

Titus (2:1) - Titus was an early church leader, a trusted companion of the apostle Paul, and a faithful servant of the Lord. As an uncircumcised Gentile, Titus was fitting proof of the effectiveness of Paul's ministry.

By Revelation (2:2) - This revelation from God was the voice of the Holy Spirit.  He refers to the divine commissioning of his visit in order to refute any suggestion by the Judaizers that they had sent Paul to Jerusalem to have the apostles correct his doctrine.

Those Who Were of Reputation (2:2) - These are the three main leaders of the Jerusalem church: Peter, James (the Lord's brother, 1:19), and John.  This phrase was typically used of authorities and implied a position of honor.  Paul refers to them in a similar way two other times (vv. 6, 9) suggesting a hint of sarcasm directed toward the Judaizers, who claimed they had apostolic approval for their doctrine and Paul did not.  They had likely made a habit of exalting these three leaders at the expense of Paul.

Might Run . . . In Vain (2:2) - Paul hoped the Jerusalem leaders would support his ministry to the Gentiles and not soften their opposition to legalism.  He did not want to see his ministry efforts wasted because of conflict with the other apostles.

Compelled to be Circumcised (2:3) - At the core of the Judaizers' works system was the Mosaic prescription of circumcision.  They were teaching that there could be no salvation without it (Acts 15:1, 5, 24).   Paul and the apostles denied that, and the issue was settled at the Jerusalem Council (Acts 15:1-22). 

False Brethren (2:4) - The Judaizers, who pretended to be true Christians.  Yet, their doctrine, because it claimed allegiance to Christ, was opposed to traditional Judaism, and because it demanded circumcision and obedience to the Mosaic Law as prerequisites for salvation, was opposed to Christianity.

Spy Out (2:4) - The Judaizers were Satan's undercover agents sent into the midst of the church to sabotage the true gospel.

Liberty (2:4) - Christians are free from the law as a means of salvation, from its external ceremonial regulations as a way of living, and from its curse for disobedience to the law - a curse that Christ bore for ALL believers (3:13).  This liberty is NOT, however, a license to sin (5:13; Romans 6:18; 1 Peter 2:16).

Bondage (2:4) - Slavery to the impossible system of works righteousness.

We Did Not Yield (2:5) - Paul and Titus (v. 3) did not budge from their position of salvation by grace alone through faith alone.  

Personal Favoritism (2:6) - The unique privileges of the twelve apostles did not make their apostleship more legitimate or authoritative than Paul's; Christ commissioned them all (cf. Romans 2:11).  Paul never saw himself as apostolically inferior (see 2 Corinthians 12:11, 12).

Uncircumcised (2:7) - Paul preached the gospel primarily to the Gentiles (also to Jews in Gentile lands, as his pattern was to go to the synagogue first cf. Acts 13:5).

Circumcised (2:7) - Peter's ministry was primarily to the Jews.

Worked Effectively (2:8) - The Holy Spirit, who has but one gospel, empowered both Peter and Paul in their ministries.

James, Cephas, and John (2:9) - This James was Jesus' half-brother (1:19), who had risen to a prominent role in the Jerusalem church.  Cephas (Peter) and John (the brother of James the apostle, martyred in Acts 12:2), were two of Christ's closest companions and became the main apostles in the Jerusalem church (see Acts 2-12).

Pillars (2:9) - Emphasizing the role of James, Peter and John in establishing, and supporting the church.

Grace . . . Given to Me (2:9) - The only conclusion these leaders could make was that God's grace was responsible for the powerful preaching of the gospel and the building of the church through Paul's efforts.

Right Hand of Fellowship (2:9) - In the Near East, this represented a solemn vow of friendship and a mark of partnership.  This act signified the apostles' recognition of Paul as a teacher of the true gospel and a partner in ministry.

Go to the Gentiles (2:9) - Further confirmation of Paul's divine call to ministry and a blow to the Judaizers since the apostles directed him to continue in his already flourishing ministry to the Gentiles.

Remember the Poor (2:10) - A practical reminder for Paul and the growing ranks of Gentile Christians.  The number of Christians in Jerusalem grew rapidly at first (cf. Acts 2:41-45; 6:1), and many who were visiting the city for the feast of Pentecost (Acts 2:1,5) remained and never returned to their homes.  While the believers initially shared their resources (Acts 2:45; 4:32-37), many had little money.  For years the Jerusalem church was economically pressed.

Antioch . . . to be Blamed (2:11) - The location of the first Gentile church. The incident at Antioch, recorded in Galatians 2:11–14, involved two apostles, Peter and Paul; a misrepresentation of the gospel; an unwarranted separation of Jews from Gentiles; and a public rebuke.

Certain men . . . From James (2:12) - Peter, knowing the decision the Jerusalem Council had made (Acts 15:7-29), had been in Antioch for some time, eating with Gentiles.  When Judaizers came, pretending to be sent by James, they lied, giving false claims of support from the apostles.  Peter had already given up all Mosaic ceremony (Acts 10:9-22) and James had at times held only to some of it (Acts 21:18-26).

Withdrew 2:11) - Peter's gradual withdrawal.  To eat with the Judaizers and decline invitations to eat with the Gentiles, which he had previously done, meant that Peter was affirming the very dietary restrictions he knew God had abolished (Acts 10:15) and thus striking a blow at the gospel of grace.

Fearing those . . . of the Circumcision (2:12) - This was the true motivation behind Peter's defection.  He was afraid of losing popularity with the legalistic Judaizing segment of people in the church, even though they were self-righteous hypocrites promoting a heretical doctrine.

Hypocrite (2:13) - In the spiritual sense, it refers to someone who masks his true character by pretending to be something he is not (cf. Matthew 6:1-6).  They were committed to the gospel of grace, but pretended to accept Jewish legalism.

Straightforward (2:14) - Literally to walk "straight" or "uprightly."  By withdrawing from the Gentile Christians, Peter and the other Jewish believers were not walking in line with God's Word.

Live in the manner of Gentiles (2:14) - Before his gradual withdrawal, Peter regularly had fellowship and ate with the Gentiles, thus modeling the ideal of Christian love and liberty between Jew and Gentile.

Sinners of the Gentiles (2:15) - In the legal sense, Gentiles were sinners by nature, and they had no revealed divine written law to guide them toward salvation or living righteously.

Works . . . Faith (2:16) - Three times in this verse Paul declares that salvation is only through faith in Christ and not by law.  The first is general, "a man is not justified"; the second is personal, "we might be justified"; and the third is universal, "no flesh shall be justified."

Justified (2:16) - A basic Greek word describing a judge declaring an accused person not guilty and therefore innocent before the law.  Throughout Scripture, it refers to God's declaring a sinner not guilty and fully righteous before Him by imputing to him the divine righteousness of Christ and imputing the person's sin to his sinless Savior for punishment.

Works of the Law (2:16) - Keeping the law is a totally unacceptable means of salvation because the root of sinfulness is in the fallenness of man's heart, not his actions.  The law served as a mirror to reveal sin not a cure for it.

Minister of Sin (2:17) - If the Judaizers were right, then Christ was wrong and had been teaching people to sin because He taught that food couldn't not contaminate a person (Mark 7:19; cf. Acts 10:13-15). 

Things which I Destroyed (2:18) - The false system of salvation through legalism was done away with by the preaching of salvation by grace alone through faith alone.

Died to the Law (2:19) - When a person is convicted of a capital crime and executed, the law has no further claim on him.  So it is with the Christian who has died in Christ (who paid the penalty for his sins in full) and rises to new life in Him.  Justice has been satisfied, and he is forever free from any further penalty.

Crucified With Christ (2:20) - When a person trusts in Christ for salvation, he participates spiritually with the Lord in His crucifixion and His victory over sin and death.

No Longer I who Live, but Christ (2:20) - The believer's old self is dead having been crucified with Christ (Romans 6:3, 5).  The believer's new man has the privilege of the indwelling Christ empowering him and living through him.

Gave Himself for Me (2:20) - The manifestation of Christ's love for the believer through His sacrificial death on the Cross (John 10:17, 18; Romans 5:6-8; Ephesians 5:25-30).

Christ Died in Vain (2:21) - Died needlessly.  Those who insist they can earn their salvation by their own efforts undermine the foundation of Christianity and render unnecessary the death of Christ. 

Morning Message: Change Has Come!

Bobservations' Column
Titled - "Change Has Come!"
Written by: Pastor Bob Lawrenz

Paul has been traveling in this second section of Galatians 1. He gives testimony of the changed life he has received, and gives us an abbreviated overview of how he ended up teaching of Christ, rather than persecuting Him. He assures the readers of this letter that this change has come about because of the wonderful works of God. His knowledge of Christ was not taught to him by man, not like he was taught the scriptures of Judaism. Paul says of his new preaching, that it came by “revelation of God!”

Paul is writing this letter about 60 A.D., again from Corinth. It’s been many years since he met Jesus on the road to Damascus, but that day is like it happened yesterday. His mind is clear and his memories are fresh. The days between have not been without trials, but the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit have given him clarity, and purpose.

As he continues to preach Christ, he has learned how to maintain against the error of the Jews, and of the Judaisers. This is not new wine poured into old wineskins. This is a completely new doctrine revealed to him by the Holy Spirit; that the redeemer of the Jews has already come, and his former teachers missed it! And He speaks of one of the great mysteries of the faith, that Christ lives within us.  “Immanuel,” God with us! (Isaiah 7:14 & verse 16 of this chapter.)

The Apostle apparently preached in Damascus for a while before going to Jerusalem to meet with Peter, one of the pillars of the Church. His zeal for Christ and His gospel have thoroughly replaced the zeal he once held for Judaism. He has overcome the precepts of men that were taught as doctrines of faith, and follows the teachings of Christ through his love for God’s Word as revealed to him during his days in the desert of Arabia. A change has come!

“Preach the Word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.” - 2 Timothy 4:2

Bobservations' Column:  Audio Version

Sunday Morning Message:

Galatians 1:11-24 - "Change Has Come!"

Summary/Additional Commentary & Definitions:

We are continuing our study in Galatians chapter 1 from verse 11. 

To recap, Paul is writing to the churches in Galatia because they fallen away from the gospel of grace and were embracing the claim that Gentiles must first submit to all the Mosaic Law before they could become Christians.  Shocked by the Galatians' openness to this damning heresy, Paul not only counters these Judaizing false teachers to defend justification by faith (which is the heart of the gospel), but to warn the churches in Galatia of the dire consequences of abandoning this essential doctrine. 

Paul then defends his position as an apostle and explains to them that his authority comes from Christ alone.  Paul's authority as an apostle came by the authority of Christ Himself, and the Gospel he has received and is now preaching is the same Gospel given to Him by Christ.

As we finish chapter one, we get a small version of Paul’s conversion story where Paul lays out how the Gospel transformed his life.  The Gospel brings us freedom and power to change! And no greater example of that freedom to change exists than in the testimony of a former Jewish rabbi named Saul of Tarsus, or as we most commonly know him, Paul the Apostle.

One of the things we learn as we hear Paul’s heart and story, is the power our testimony has to impact other people. While your story may not be as dramatic as Paul’s was, (actually few are), it is still your story. You need to know that more people will respond to the Gospel by your testimony than by your efforts to argue or reason someone into a decision. People will reject your arguments. They cannot ignore your testimony, and the way that following Jesus has affected and transformed you.

As they say, the proof of the pudding is in the eating.

Saul, this fervent, Jewish rabbi who was living and breathing hatred for all things Christian and who wanted to destroy anything remotely connected to this renegade Jesus, was changed by God’s grace. “But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by his grace . . . " “To reveal His Son in me….” - Galatians 1:15-16.

When God calls, you don’t say “just a minute.” It stops you in your tracks. The call and the deed are simultaneous. The strength to do what He calls comes.

What stopped Saul, the angry and violent rabbi in his tracks, was a vision of the risen Christ just outside of Damascus. Acts 9 tells us it happened in the middle of the day; the risen Lord appeared to Saul. As we understand it, only he saw Jesus…none of those with him. The appearance and power of the resurrected Jesus knocked him to the ground, and He said, “Saul, Saul why are you persecuting ME?”

And because of that encounter with Jesus, Saul came away a new person with a new mission and direction in his life. He was transformed…changed by the grace of God.

Sunday Morning Audio Message:

Key Words and Definitions with Reference:

Make Known to You (1:11) - The strong Greek verb Paul used here often introduced an important and emphatic statement.

The Gospel . . . Not According to Man (1:11) - The gospel Paul preached was not human in origin or it would have been like all other human religion, permeated with works righteousness born of man's pride and Satan's deception (Romans 1:16).

Neither Received it from Man, Nor Was I Taught It (1:12) - This was in contrast to the Judaizers, who received their religious instruction from rabbinic tradition. Most Jews did not study the actual Scriptures; instead, they used human interpretations of Scripture as their religious authority and guide. Many of their traditions not only were no taught in Scripture but also contradicted it (Mark 7:13).

Through the Revelation (1:12) - This refers to the unveiling of something previously kept secret - in this case, Jesus Christ. While he knew about Christ, Paul subsequently met Him personally on the road to Damascus and received the truth of the gospel from Him (Acts 9:1-16).

Judaism (1:13) - The Jewish religious system of works righteousness, based not primarily on the OT text, but on rabbinic interpretations and traditions.  In fact, Paul will argue that a proper understanding of the OT can lead only to Christ and His Gospel of grace through faith (Galatians 3:6-29).

Persecuted (1:13) - The tense of this Greek verb emphasizes Paul's persistent and continual effort to hurt and ultimately exterminate Christians.

Profited . . . Above (Advanced . . . Beyond) (1:14) - The Greek word for advanced means "to chop ahead," much like one would blaze a trail through a forest.  Paul blazed his path in Judaism (cf. Philippians 3:5, 6), and because he saw Jewish Christians as obstacles to its advancement, he worked to cut them down.

Exceedingly Zealous (1:14) - Paul demonstrated this by the extent to which he pursued and persecuted Christians (cf. Acts 8:1-3; 26:11).

Traditions of My Fathers (1:14) - The oral teachings about OT law commonly known as the Halakah.  this collection of interpretations of the law eventually carried the same authority as, or even greater than, the law (Torah) itself.  Its regulations were so hopelessly complex and burdensome that even the most astute rabbinical scholars could not master it by either interpretation or conduct.

Separated Me From My Mother's Womb (1:15) - Paul was being separated or set apart to God for service from the time of his birth.

Called Me Through His Grace (1:15) - Chosen for salvation.

Reveal His Son In Me (1:16) - Not only was Christ revealed to Paul on the Damascus Road, but in him as God gave him the life, light, and faith to believe in Him.

Preach Him Among the Gentiles (1:16) - Paul's specific call to proclaim the gospel to non-Jews.

Conferred Not with Flesh and Blood (1:16) - Paul did not look to Ananias or other Christians at Damascus for clarification of or addition to the revelation he received from Christ (Acts 9:19, 20).

Jerusalem . . . Arabia . . .Damascus (1:17) - Rather than immediately travel to Jerusalem to be instructed by the apostles, Paul instead went to Nabatean Arabia, a wilderness desert that stretched east of Damascus down to the Sinai Peninsula.  After being prepared for ministry by the Lord, he returned to minister in nearby Damascus.

Three Years (1:18) - The approximate time from Paul's conversion to his first journey to Jerusalem.  During those years he made a visit to Damascus and resided in Arabia, under the instruction of the Lord.  This visit is discussed in Acts 9:26-30.

Up To Jerusalem (1:18) - Travelers in Israel always speak of going "up" to Jerusalem because of its higher elevation.

Peter (1:18) - The apostle who was the personal companion of the Lord and the most powerful spokesman in the early years of the Jerusalem church (Acts 1-12).

James, the Lord's Brother (1:19) - James was a son of Mary and Joseph and therefore a half-brother to Jesus and brother to Joseph, Simon, Judas, and their sisters (Matthew 13:55). In the Gospels, James is mentioned a couple of times, but at that time he misunderstood Jesus’ ministry and was not a believer (John 7:2-5). James becomes one of the earliest witnesses of Jesus’ resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:7). He then stays in Jerusalem and forms part of the group of believers who pray in the upper room (Acts 1:14). From that time forward, James’ status within the Jerusalem church begins to grow. James is still in Jerusalem when the recently converted Saul arrives to meet with him and Peter (Galatians 1:19).

Syria and Cilicia (1:21) - This area included Paul's hometown of Tarsus.  He was preaching in that region for several years.  when word of revival in that area reached Jerusalem, they sent Barnabas (see Acts 11:20-26).  Paul stayed on in that region as a pastor in the church at Antioch.  With Barnabas, they went from there on the first missionary journey (Acts 13:1-3) and afterward returned to Antioch (Acts 14:26) from where they were sent to the Jerusalem Council (Acts 14:26-15:4).

Judea (1:22) - This is the region in which Jerusalem was located.

They Glorified God in Me (1:24) - Proof that the gospel Paul preached was the same one the other apostles had taught the Judean believers.