Pastor Upshaw's Daily Bible Commentary
Monday, March 1, 2010
Today we'll consider one more verse from Hebrews 13.
Hebrews 13:7 7 Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God: whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation.
Some people do not respect authority, yet authority is essential in our lives. We each have to deal with people who have authority over us, and how we do will in part determine the course of our lives.
Perhaps you've known people who lived lives of rebellion. In my observation, they seem miserable always. They"re angry at the police, the government, their boss, their spouse, and anyone else with authority in their lives. What a miserable way to live. These people are usually angry at the ultimate authority too, God.
The verse above is speaking about a particular authority figure, the pastor. In the local church, the pastor is no better than anyone else in the sense that he's human and a child of God like every other member. He does, however, hold a God-established position. His job is to be shepherd of the flock we call the local church. He searches the Word of God to feed his flock. He prayerfully guides them.
Is he always perfect? No, no one is. But the "end of [his] conversation" is to direct the flock in the right way. To give them what God wants them to have. To lead them in the right direction. In today's text, God calls on church members to respect and support their pastor. He wants us to follow our pastor's faith. He wants us to remember that the pastor is preaching the word of God so people will be more like our Lord.
Don't rebel against God, and don't rebel against the leadership he's placed in your life. You'll be miserable if you do.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Being content is a difficult task for us. The flesh always craves more, and it gets us in trouble. More money, more leisure, and more stuff will run us ragged and won't actually make us happy anyway. The Bible addresses this in Hebrews 13:5:
"Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee."
Let your conversation be without covetousness. Our "conversation" is our conduct in life. Covetousness is defined in Webster's 1828 dictionary as, "A strong or inordinate desire of obtaining and possessing some supposed good; usually in a bad sense." Covetousness is when we want something we don't have, and place an inappropriate value on it. There is nothing wrong with earning a living, having a nice house, or car, or anything else. The problem arises when we desire those things more than we should.
Desiring things you don't have will rob you of contentment. How can you feel content if your flesh is screaming at you that you need something? It could be any number of things. A lack of contentment often contributes to addictive behaviors. It certainly will distract us from dedication to the Lord and his service, because usually covetousness is towards fleshly things, things of this world.
The remedy for covetousness, and the recipe for contentment, is found in the latter half of this verse, "...for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee." Why is his presence important to remember? First of all, we have his companionship. When we feel alone, we don't have to run to the wrong people, friends, or relationships, to feel content. The wrong crowd will always hurt us and abandon us in the end anyway. Remember the story of the prodigal son? His so called friends and party pals were gone when he had nothing left to give. The Lord is the one who stays when all the others are gone.
Secondly, we have his provision. One reason we can be covetousness is when we feel like we don't have what we need. But the Lord has promised to supply our need with his unending riches. We may never have all we want, but we will have all we need.
Thirdly, we have his power. He will never leave us. When we feel powerless, perhaps like we're not as good as others, our Friend who is closer than a brother is with us. He will always be.
There is no cause for us to covet the things of this world. We have far more than they do. God help us to remember that he's more than enough for us.
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Do you serve the Lord? I pray that you do. If you do, why do you serve him? Psalms 100:2 says,
Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing.
We have so many reasons to serve him. He has done so much for us. However, even that statement is telling. Knowing what a great God we serve, our motivation could go one of three ways.
First, you might serve the Lord because of what he can do for you. Some people believe that this is a good reason to serve the Lord, but I don't. If I'm only serving God so he'll bless me, that borders on manipulation. Yet that's the motivation some preachers teach their congregations to have. If I'm only serving God so he'll bless me, I'm really serving myself, not the Lord.
Second, you might serve the Lord because of a sense of obligation for all he's done for you. This too is a poor motivation. God doesn't want us to serve out of guilt or obligation. Has he done great things for us? Yes! Has he blessed us beyond what we deserve? Of course! But when we serve the Lord, doing so out of obligation or guilt will not keep us serving him. What will happen to our service if we struggle through a hard time in life? If we're only serving him because he's been good to us, will we serve him when we don't feel like we're getting treated well? There will be times when each of us don't understand what's happening, why the Lord is allowing something, or what good could possibly come from our situation. If we only serve the Lord out of obligation, our service will fade.
Third, we can serve him out of love. This motivation is the only good one. We're not serving him to manipulate, and we're not serving him out of obligation. When whe serve the Lord out of a heart of love, we are serving with gladness and joy! That's what our text above tells us to do. Serve him with gladness. Come before his presence with singing.
Imagine we came to God singing his praises simply so he'd give us something. How shallow our so called praise would be. Imagine we came singing his praises out of obligation or guilt. How empty our praise would be. But if we come to him singing to him because we love him, it is genuine praise.
Today let us serve the Lord with gladness and singing, out of a heart of love.
Friday, February 26, 2010
I plan to continue in Galatians, but today I wanted to address another topic. In Hebrews 13:1, the Bible says, "Let brotherly love continue." We live in an age where most people are self centered. People are little interested in anything that requires giving, sacrifice, courage or committment. Brotherly love is tremendously important. Brotherly love will accomplish several things in our lives. These are just three of them.
First, it will give us understanding and longsuffering. Have you ever been angered by someone who wasn't behaving as they should. Perhaps they had a bad attitude or harsh words. While we should guard our tongues, it will help us to forgive and even understand these behaviors when we approach others with brotherly love. Wounded people wound people. Hurting people hurt people. Sad people bring grief to those around them. When someone treats you less than kindly, brotherly love will make you consider that they may be hurting themselves. They may not even be trying to lash out at you, but are not thinking clearly because of some problem in their own lives.
Second, it will give us compassion. Christ came to this world to seek and save the lost. When we see those around us with a spirit of brotherly love, we will have compassion on them and their sinful condition. Frustration and anger can arise if we simply look at the evil actions of those around us, but if we look at those people as ones for whom Christ died, if we look at them with eyes of brotherly love, we will see the needy person behind the sinful actions. We will have compassion upon them and want them to come to know our Savior who can change their lives.
Third, brotherly love will move us to action. When we see someone in need, be it spiritual, physical, emotional, financial or in any other way, a spirit of brotherly love will look for ways to assist that person. Christ loved us so much that he came and gave his life for us. Brotherly love will move us in the same way. It will make us thoughtful for the needs of others, compassionate about them and their need, and it will move us to do what we can to help.
God help us to "Let brotherly love continue," in our lives.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Thank you for allowing me some time to rest. Writing these commentaries is very enjoyable, but very arduous. I love to write them, but needed a bit of a break. I will resume the commentary tomorrow morning. Thanks!
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
As we begin chapter two, Paul recounts more of his relationship with the other apostles. While this is informative in and of itself, there is a great principle to be learned from Paul’s behavior in these verses.
Galatians 2:1-2 1 Then fourteen years after I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, and took Titus with me also. 2 And I went up by revelation, and communicated unto them that gospel which I preach among the Gentiles, but privately to them which were of reputation, lest by any means I should run, or had run, in vain.
After being in the ministry for some time, and apparently after ministering at Antioch, Paul, Barnabas, and Titus went together to Jerusalem. We learn in verse two that the Lord himself sent Paul to Jerusalem. Evidently, the purpose of this trip was to unify the entirety of Christianity in doctrine. For the most part, the Christians who had formerly been Jews continued practicing the Old Testament laws they always had. Gentile Christians who had never practiced the law didn’t keep any of the law. The question at hand was whether practicing Biblical Christianity required keeping the law or not.
Paul took Titus with him for a reason. Titus was a Greek, not a Jew. The initiation into Judaism for males is circumcision. Titus was uncircumcised. Nevertheless, he was not only a Christian, but a preacher of the gospel. In this way, Titus became a living object lesson that pure Christianity did not require law keeping by its converts. Titus was a fantastic Christian, but didn’t practice Old Testament law.
What interests me most about these verses is the way Paul handled things when he went to Jerusalem. He says that he met privately with those who “were of reputation.” That is, he didn’t go to Jerusalem blasting fiery sermons that would perhaps offend the bulk of the Jewish Christians. He used tact, and showed concern for his brethren. He spoke to the apostles, and perhaps a few other pillars of the church.
He says that he did this so that he wouldn’t “run in vain.” By this, he means that, if he hadn’t handled things properly, the reputation of his former work and future work would suffer. If he had incited trouble in the church at Jerusalem, he would have been rightly labeled a troublemaker, and perhaps even a radical or a reprobate. Seeking to avoid damage to his ability to minister, and to the reputation of the churches and Christians he’d won to Christ, he used wisdom and addressed the leadership of the church privately.
How much better off would churches be if we used more tact and had more concern for others? I can tell you from experience and from talking to other pastors that, in many churches, the poor pastor spends a great deal of time trying to keep the peace. As Christians, we are to be peaceful people. Our Savior is the Prince of Peace. Psalm 31 tells us to seek peace and pursue it. We’ve been given peace that passes all understanding.
We will use tact if we understand two things. First, we should understand our responsibility to show compassion to our brethren. Our love should make us compassionate, but, even if you have some conflict with a brother, you still have an obligation to act with Christian love and compassion.
Second, we’ll show tact if we are mindful of the things that might cause offense to others. Paul knew that he was preaching the truth, but he also knew that there were weaker brethren in the church at Jerusalem who might be offended by strong preaching on the subject of Christian liberty. He didn’t avoid that subject, but he did use tact in addressing it by speaking about it privately at first.
Friends, let’s take this lesson from Paul, and use love, compassion, and tact.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
In these verses, Paul continues to explain the origin of his doctrine and his authority.
Galatians 1:18-24 Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and abode with him fifteen days. 19 But other of the apostles saw I none, save James the Lord's brother. 20 Now the things which I write unto you, behold, before God, I lie not. 21 Afterwards I came into the regions of Syria and Cilicia; 22 And was unknown by face unto the churches of Judaea which were in Christ: 23 But they had heard only, That he which persecuted us in times past now preacheth the faith which once he destroyed. 24 And they glorified God in me.
There is a good deal of historical chronology in these verses, especially verses eighteen through twenty-one. Paul explains bit by bit the early years of his ministry. Some of these events are better known than others, because some are mentioned in other places. Nevertheless, the design here is keeping with the same purpose Paul has maintained over the last half of this chapter. He is establishing that he received his doctrine straight from the Lord. He proves using this chronology that he could not have been taught by the apostles in Jerusalem, because he barely spent any time in Jerusalem. Even then, the time he spent was several years after he’d begun his ministry.
In verses twenty-two through twenty-four, he emphasizes that the churches in the region around Jerusalem hadn’t seen him, but had only hear of his testimony. Paul hadn’t been to visit them.
While this passage may seem to have purpose only to convince the Galatian churches of the source of Paul’s doctrine and authority, I find a practical application as well.
I find it heartbreaking that Paul needed even to explain these things to the Galatians. He had preached the gospel to them and had a leading hand in establishing these churches. Many of the Galatian believers came to know Jesus Christ because of Paul’s preaching, yet they had no sense of loyalty or consistency. They very quickly turned aside into strange, false doctrine, and they rejected the very man God had used to bring them to Himself.
Before I continue with this thought, let me interject this truth. We have no apostles today. We have two Bible named offices within the local church: Pastor and deacon. No Pastor should exceed his authority, and no deacon should exceed his either.
Nevertheless, too many people are like Galatians. He comes to know Christ through the ministry of a good pastor and a good local church, but soon he turns elsewhere. He’ll go to Uncle Joe’s church or Aunt Suzie’s church, never minding that those churches cared nothing for his soul when he was lost, never considering the source God used to bring him to Christ.
Others may come to church, but rebel against the God given authority the pastor has to lead, to shepherd, the church. Shame on Christians with a rebellious spirit! If you have a spirit of rebellion, you’re not rebelling against a pastor or a church, you’re rebelling against the local church God established and the leadership God called for that church.
It’s just that kind of spirit that led the Galatians to leave the plain truth of the gospel and turn to untruth. It’s that kind of spirit that led the Galatians to reject the authority of Paul, an apostle of God. God help us not to have a spirit of rebellion and carnality.
Monday, February 22, 2010
In the verses we’ll study today, Paul explains his calling and training for the ministry.
Galatians 1:15-17 But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by his grace, 16 To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood: 17 Neither went I up to Jerusalem to them which were apostles before me; but I went into Arabia, and returned again unto Damascus.
The primary intent of these verses is to demonstrate to the Galatians that Paul’s calling and training for the ministry came not by men, but by God himself. As you will recall if you’ve been reading the commentary daily, Paul’s authority had been impugned. Some had suggested that Paul was less of an authority than the original disciples, now apostles, in Jerusalem. It is Paul’s intent to explain how he came to be an apostle. God himself called Paul, just as God had called the other apostles. God himself had taught Paul, just as Christ had the other apostles. There was no difference in knowledge or authority between the older apostles and Paul, save the matter of seniority, which in this case didn’t matter in any way whatsoever.
Paul mentions in verse sixteen his calling was to preach Jesus Christ “among the heathen.” In this regard, Paul had a special burden placed upon him by God. Previously, the work of the early church had been among the Jews only. In fact, God had to speak to Peter in a vision just to get him to go see a Roman named Cornelius. Paul’s primary ministry was to gentiles, not Jews. He often is called the apostle to the gentiles.
Also in verse sixteen, we see the urgency with which Paul obeyed his calling. “Immediately,” he began his preparation to this ministry. He did not “confer” with “flesh and blood.” He didn’t need any man to either confirm or deny his calling. He had received it directly from the Father. Additionally, as verse seventeen teaches, he didn’t go to Jerusalem to be taught by the other apostles.
He went to Arabia to preach for three years. The Lord instructed him in his ministry, not the apostles in Jerusalem. This gave him a clearer perspective than others did on the matters of the keeping of the Old Testament law. While the other apostles had worked almost exclusively with Jews, Paul had hands-on experience with gentiles. First, he knew that Christ hadn’t commanded Christians to keep the law. In fact, Christ said that he had fulfilled the law. If we have the righteousness of Christ, and we do, then we are viewed by God as having already kept the law. Christ did it for us. It was and is unnecessary for Christians to keep the law.
Secondly, he knew not only that it was unnecessary for Christians to keep the law it also was impractical. Gentiles had no knowledge of the multitude of Old Testament legal requirements and traditions. Asking to keep them would be a huge burden, especially when they were unnecessary for salvation. Grace frees us from the law. Seeking to bring people under the burden of the law is not a part of Biblical Christianity.
After departing Arabia, he returned to Damascus and preached mightily, and was providentially spared the wrath of the governor of Damascus, as 2 Corinthians 11:32-33 explain.
Paul’s ministry was not dependent upon men, but upon the Lord. In the same way, while we should work under the authority of our local church, and we should work in harmony with our brethren, the work of God for our own lives is unique to us. None today are apostles, but each of us has a God-given purpose and ministry for our lives. Every Christian should be diligently doing the work of God. We are all members of one body, and every member of the local church needs the other so that the body functions as God designed.
Sunday, February 21, 2010
In today’s text, Paul recounts his personal history.
Galatians 1:13-14 For ye have heard of my conversation in time past in the Jews' religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the church of God, and wasted it: 14 And profited in the Jews' religion above many my equals in mine own nation, being more exceedingly zealous of the traditions of my fathers.
Here Paul describes his life before his salvation. You may recall the story of Paul’s conversion on the road to Damascus. Before becoming a Christian, Paul despised Christ and Christianity. He was part of “the Jews’ religion,” a leader of the Jews and a persecutor of all who followed the Lord Jesus Christ.
Paul uses several strong words to describe the nature of his animosity and actions against the church. He persecuted them “beyond measure.” He “wasted” the churches. The word underlying the phrase “beyond measure” means “to excess.” Paul’s persecution wasn’t just an attempt to stop Christianity; it was full of hatred. He wanted to destroy individual Christians.
We read in Acts 7:58 that those who stoned Stephen laid their coats at his feet. Paul, then called Saul, watched as Stephen’s life was taken away by this cruel torture. A few short verses later, in Acts 8:1, the Bible says that Saul “was consenting unto his death.” Imagine the anguish poor Paul must have felt later when he would recount such scenes in his mind.
Paul persecuted the church and “wasted” it. That word means that he ravaged and destroyed individual churches. The persecution was so fierce that entire churches were torn apart. No doubt there were some families who fled for their lives from the places they’d always known as home. As Paul recounts these facts to the Galatians, he is not doing so with pride. He could think back to occasions when those who he now counted as brethren were terrified of him and the persecution and destruction he brought as a representative of the Sanhedrin.
Not only had Paul been the supreme persecutor of Christianity, he was a zealous student and obedient practitioner of Judaism. In verse fourteen, he says that he “profited in the Jews’ religion above many” of his equals. This phrase is saying that he advanced in his skill and knowledge of the Jewish religion far above those of his own age. Paul had learned at the feet of Gamaliel, one of the most esteemed rabbis of that day. He not only studied, he excelled. He was a brilliant pupil. He was “exceedingly zealous” of the Jewish traditions. He was more exceedingly like a zealot than anyone else of his generation.
Paul speaks of these things not as reasons to boast, but as a testament to the change the Lord had brought to his life. Friend, think of the change that God brought to your life when you were born again. Whenever I read about Paul’s former life, I’m reminded of several things.
First, each of us who know the Lord was changed just as much as Paul was when he became a Christian. We may not have the same background as Paul, but we passed from spiritual death unto spiritual life just as he did. You may occasionally hear someone give a testimony of how wicked he was before he was saved. If that person is giving the right kind of testimony, he’s not rejoicing in his former sins, but in the grace of God that saved him despite his sinful living. Perhaps you don’t have as colorful a background as some others do, but God transformed your life in the same way he did anyone else’s.
Second, I believe we should emulate Paul’s boldness. If he had been timid, and if he’d let the Devil discourage him, Paul never would have become the warrior for Christ that he was. Satan will do everything he can to bring your old sins to memory. He will do his best to discourage you. Can’t you imagine the Devil whispering into Paul’s ear? I can imagine Paul thinking that there was no way God would want to use him after all the wrong things he’d done. I can imagine Paul thinking that no Christian would want to hear him after the persecution he’d given to Christians.
Don’t let the Devil convince you that God can’t use you. God wants to take your transformed life and use it for his glory. He will gladly take even the chiefest of sinners, as Paul called himself, and transform them into heroes of the faith. God wants you. He has plans for you. He has purpose for you. Don’t let your past wrongdoing hang over your head and defeat you.
Third, I see Paul’s zeal. Paul was fully dedicated to those ideals he believed. When he believed the Jewish traditions he’d been taught, he was a zealous practitioner of those beliefs. After he became a follower of Christ, he was even more zealous, and for the right reasons. People are zealous for all sorts of beliefs and causes. How much more should we Christians be full of fire and conviction about the life changing truth of the Gospel? While Paul may have been a zealous persecutor, he much more was zealous as a preacher. My prayer is that we would each let God have full control of our lives. We need to serve the Lord with the same sort of fiery zeal that Paul had, and let nothing discourage us from a whole-hearted pursuit of Biblical Christianity.
Saturday, February 20, 2010
As we look into Galatians today, we learn an important fact about our own doctrinal beliefs.
Galatians 1:11-12 11 But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. 12 For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.
The people who convinced the Galatian churches to adopt legalistic teachings had evidently downplayed Paul’s authority. They emphasized the fact that the other apostles had been with Christ, had been Christians longer, or something of that sort. They must have also suggested that Paul had been taught by others rather than receiving his doctrine from the Lord himself. Paul sets out to clear the record in that regard.
In previous verses, Paul had stated that his authority had come directly from the Lord. Here he states that his doctrine had also come directly from the Lord. This is an important truth. Whenever information is passed down through multiple sources or multiple layers, the potential for error is increased. That’s why we go directly to the Word of God for our teaching and instruction.
Remember that in the early days of Christianity, the time in which Paul wrote this epistle, the Bible wasn’t complete. The only source for doctrine in that day was the preaching, teaching, and writing of the apostles. Matthew 18:18 is a clear reference to the authority that Christ gave the apostles. While Christ established the church, it wasn’t empowered until Pentecost, and didn’t really begin to grow until then. After Pentecost, churches exploded numerically and expanded geographically. The apostles’ authority was necessary to establish proper doctrine and order in the churches.
Paul was an equal member of the apostles, and he’s helping establish that fact with these verses. He’d received his doctrine directly from the Lord himself, and had the truth. All the instruction to follow in this book was authoritative and accurate. Truthfully, Paul was on the leading edge on the doctrine of salvation by grace. The other apostles eventually affirmed what Paul preached and taught.
Since the Bible was completed, direct revelation is unnecessary and has ceased. God has given us everything we need to know in the Bible, and we can now go directly to the source. The application I see for us from these verses is that very fact. We need to go to the source, to the Bible, for our doctrine.
An incredible number of denominations base their doctrine on things other than the Word of God. I heard a spokesman for one of them once state that his denomination’s doctrine sat on a three-legged stool. They took their doctrine equally from the Bible, tradition, and the modern age in which they lived. Friends, that’s not Biblical Christianity. Traditions not rooted in the Bible are destructive. Worse is the idea that our doctrine should conform to social norms. Biblical Christianity has always been and must always be based solely upon the Bible. Just as Paul got his doctrine and practice from the Lord himself, we must do the same.
That doesn’t mean that we can’t use modern means to preach the Word. It doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t relate compassionately to the evils of our time. But we must not change our message to fit the traditions of the past or the times in which we live. We must draw our doctrine from the Bible. We must measure every sermon by what the Bible says. If the message isn’t Biblical, if it doesn’t conform to the only true source of truth, we must reject it.
Friday, February 19, 2010
Today’s scripture presents a key element of Paul’s argument to the Galatians, but it also provides us with a great bit of instruction concerning our own purpose.
Galatians 1:10 For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.
Tacitly, Paul admits in this verse that, before he was a Christian, his aim had been to please those around him. Let us think back to when Paul was still Saul, before he met Christ on the road to Damascus. He persecuted Christians. Churches were terrified of him. The Sanhedrin had given him authority to carry out this persecution, so Paul’s authority rested upon the Sanhedrin. Undoubtedly, he had done a great deal of work to prove himself to the members of the Jewish community and to rise to the position of power and prominence he held. Before his salvation, Paul sought the favor of that council, and derived his authority from them.
As an apostle, Paul’s authority was not dependent upon men. Men didn’t issue his calling. Men didn’t teach him his doctrine. Men didn’t control his ministry. There are a few lessons to learn from this verse, but perhaps the primary one is that Paul was expressing his complete dependence upon God, and his complete desire to please only God.
Paul clearly understood the chain of command under which he operated. He understood the structure God had established for the apostles in their ministry to the early churches. This liberated Paul from the fear of offending men. It allowed him to please the only one he truly needed to please.
The exact point of putting this assertion at this point in the text is unclear. It seems that it refers back to Paul’s opening statement back in verse one, that he was an apostle, “not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father.” However, this verse certainly applies to the verses that follow as well. As verse twelve states, he didn’t receive his gospel from men, “but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.” A third purpose that I see is that Paul was making clear that, while he wanted the Galatians to receive what he was about to teach, he wasn’t dependent upon them. He wanted them to believe it, but his responsibility wasn’t to please them. So long as he preached what God had given him to preach, he had done his job.
To apply this verse, we need to examine ourselves. What are our motives? Why do we do what we do? If we are working in the church or serving the Lord because we want the attention and accolades of men, then we are doing it for the wrong reason. Not only that, but if we are interested in pleasing men, we will inevitably change our message and methods from those God prescribes to those men prefer.
We could also fall into the trap of pleasing ourselves rather than our Lord. That kind of motivation is quite common, and explains why so many people don’t fully accept, believe, or obey the Bible. Many people measure the Bible against their own opinion and intellect and choose to believe the Bible only so far as it agrees with them. Others pick passages out of context to try to prove their own opinion or pet doctrine.
Friends, great danger lies in pleasing men, whether it be others or ourselves. We must determine as Paul did that we want to be the servants of Christ. As the last phrase of our text explains, if we seek to please men, we are the servants of men, and not of Christ. While we should always desire to treat others with honor and respect, our allegiance is to Christ. He is our boss, so to speak. The chain of command doesn’t go from us to others, but from us to our Lord. He is the one we must seek to please and honor first. If others are pleased, that’s wonderful. If they’re displeased and the Lord is pleased, that’s all he asks of us.
Thursday, February 18, 2010
How serious is false doctrine in the matter of salvation? Today’s text makes things pretty clear.
Galatians 1:8-9 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. 9 As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.
My commentary today will bear strong resemblance to yesterday’s installment. It’s an expansion of the truths in the previous verses.
As we read these verses, the force of the Lord’s wrath is unmistakable. The very heart of the Gospel message is at stake. For those who have a mushy worldview, these verses would make no sense. Popular philosophy insists that the world floats on a sea of moral relativism. That philosophy promotes the concept that none of us should be sure of religious beliefs, that no one should be dogmatic about anything.
We hear this type of philosophy all around us. Those who believe the Bible is the perfect, preserved Word of God are marginalized as intellectually backward. The predominant thought is that all religions are okay, and that religion itself is mostly only useful as a means of helping people cope with harsh realities or maintaining a sense of morality. If all religions lead to the same destiny or serve the same purpose, then these verses make no sense.
God, through Paul, is pronouncing damnation upon those who preach a false gospel. God himself here curses those who teach anything other than the Biblical doctrine that faith in Jesus Christ and him alone brings salvation. All other spurious ideas are not just wrong, they’re damnable.
Notice that these two verses repeat themselves. This was not by accident. Repeating it emphasizes this truth to the greatest degree. Lest anyone should think that the first verse was just hyperbole, the Lord repeats it. God is serious about protecting and preserving his Word. He sees false teachers as the worst kind of evil men, and he pronounces his judgment upon them.
The word accursed means that God has pronounced these false teachers as doomed to eternal hell. No stronger terminology could be used. Beware of false teachers. Beware of those who would pervert the gospel message. Beware of those who soften the truth, or deny the message of repentance and faith in our Lord.
Friends, the truth is important. It is essential. Over the centuries countless Christians have died for their unwavering faith, and countless more have lived to deliver it to the next generation of believers.
Truth exists. It is not a false notion of angry dogmatism. God himself, in the person of the Holy Spirit, moved Paul to pen these warnings. If there were no truth, if the gospel were only one of numerous means of salvation, these verses would be silly. Don’t let anyone convince you that there are alternate paths to God. God himself declares that there is only one way to him, and that anyone who says otherwise is accursed.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
In today’s text, Paul moves into the core message of this epistle.
Galatians 1:6-7 6 I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: 7 Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.
Evidently, the Galatian churches hadn’t been in existence for a long period of time. Paul comments that they were “so soon removed” from the truth they had been given. How quickly false doctrine can creep in! We must keep constant vigilance over our doctrine. While there is nothing new under the sun, there seem to be false doctrines that run a cyclical path. Every so often a new pet subject, doctrine, or emphasis becomes the rage. When everyone jumps on the bandwagon of some new craze, beware.
In the case of the Galatians, the problem was with the very core of the Christian message. The method of salvation, the gospel message, had been perverted. That’s the very word Paul used. Some desired to “pervert the gospel of Christ.” If that were true in the first century, how much more is it true today? There seems to be a human tendency to steer away from the doctrine of salvation by grace. All the other world religions teach that some kind of good works, penance, the keeping of sacraments, etc., are necessary to gain acceptance or forgiveness.
Man always wants to fix things by himself and in his own way. The problem is that if a man could reconcile himself to God, man would be the one receiving the glory. God established salvation the way he did because if salvation is by grace, rather than by works, God is the only one to receive glory. Salvation is by God’s grace. It’s because of God’s love. It’s a reflection of his goodness and mercy. Anything that diminishes the grace of God in the matter of salvation, anything that emphasizes the works of man, is a perversion of the truth.
Paul is obviously expressing tremendous concern. The false doctrine that has swept through the Galatian churches is no small matter. This is not a matter of competing but equally valid opinions. One doctrine, the one Paul had taught them, was true, and the other doctrine was false. He says plainly in verse seven that this new teaching was “not another” gospel. It was a perversion of the truth.
This brings us to an important fact. In today’s post-modern philosophical climate, differing, even opposite, opinions are treated as equally valid. Such philosophy is outright foolish. How can two competing, opposite ideas both be correct? How can every competing theory stand on equal footing and be equally valid? Friends, that’s just confusion. An animal can’t be both a cat and a dog. A person can’t be both male and female. A color can’t be both blue and orange. There are absolutes, and denying that they exist doesn’t make them go away.
Don’t be afraid of the truth. God deals in truth and in absolutes. His Word states plainly that a person either goes to Heaven or Hell when he dies. It states plainly that Jesus Christ is the only way to Heaven, and that no man can come to the Father except he come through Jesus himself.
We should not be surprised when people pervert or attempt to pervert the core, fundamental doctrines of God’s Word. The Devil has done this from the beginning of human history. He cast doubt upon the veracity of God’s Word to Adam and Eve. He made Eve believe that there was much to be gained by disobeying God, and indicated that God was hiding the best from her. Deception and lies have been the Devil’s tactic all along. He used those tactics in the Galatian churches, and he still uses them today.
Don’t fall prey to the false teachers and foolish philosophers. Believe the Word of God.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
In today’s text, we read the continuation of the greeting of this epistle. Don’t overlook this passage as unimportant.
Galatians 1:3-5 Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ, 4 Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father: 5 To whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
I’m afraid that many of us overlook passages like this greeting, the closing, or other sections of scripture. These are not just fillers designed to take up space, nor are they nice words to open and close a book. Remember, all Scripture is given by inspiration of God. Every word is important.
As he often does in greeting his readers, Paul prays for the grace and peace of God to be imparted to them. True grace and peace don’t come naturally. They are derived from, and given by, God himself. The Christian needs God’s grace and peace. We need his grace to face the challenges that come day by day, whether they be the challenges of temptation and the lusts of the flesh, or the challenges of opposition and persecution. It has been said that we are our own worst enemy, and I believe there is much truth to that statement. As if we didn’t have enough opposition from those who hate Christ and Christianity, our own flesh opposes the spiritual aspect of our existence. The flesh works against the Spirit in our lives. We must have the grace of God to overcome the temptations of the flesh.
We also must have the peace of God. If a Christian has God’s peace, no amount of external strife will shake us. Paul gave a perfect example of this while on the Mediterranean on a ship in the midst of a horrible storm. He came topside and informed everyone aboard that God had told him that, while the ship would be wrecked, everyone onboard would be spared alive. He had peace in the midst of impending catastrophe, and he was the only one who did. This kind of peace comes only from the Lord, and proves to those around us that our faith in God is secure.
Next he reminds the reader of the greatness of our God and Savior. He “gave himself for our sins that he might deliver us from this present evil world.” While we may be pilgrims and strangers here, we have a sure and lively hope that this life is not the end. We have a home in Heaven awaiting us, and we have a God who will deliver us from this “present evil world.” These words were a comfort to the Galatian churches, and to all those in the early days of Christianity. They faced extreme opposition, and in many cases, extreme persecution. Paul reminded them that the Lord’s will was to deliver us from this earthly abode and bring us safely to the shores of Glory. What a great, encouraging truth!
Thirdly, he honors the Lord in verse five. “To whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.” One of the great attributes of our eternal existence will be the continuing praise of our great Lord. We will live to glorify our Savior forever. He died to save us, he works to preserve us from those who hate Christianity, and he will one day deliver us safely into his presence. We need to glorify God now, while here on this earth, and we will glorify him forever when we’re in his presence in Heaven.
Monday, February 15, 2010
As we continue in Galatians today, we see another means that Paul uses to reinforce his authority as an apostle.
Galatians 1:1-2 Paul, an apostle, (not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead;) 2 And all the brethren which are with me, unto the churches of Galatia:
We looked at verse one yesterday and discussed the fact that Paul was called of God, not of man. He had apostolic authority, which God gave a handful of men in the early days of the Christianity so that they could order and establish the churches. As Paul writes this essential epistle to the Galatian churches, he needs to establish the fact that he has grounds to speak with God-given authority on this subject.
As we move to verse two, we find another important truth. This one is not as important as the first, but bears weight. If we remove the parenthetical statement that makes up most of verse one and look at the sentence outside those parentheses, we read, “Paul, an apostle, and all the brethren which are with me, unto the churches of Galatia…”
The primary statement of authority is the parenthetical one, that he was called of God to be an apostle, empowered by Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised him from the dead. But the secondary statement is that Paul’s letter is written with the agreement of “all the brethren which are with” him.
Why is this important? It establishes that Paul isn’t writing something that is only his opinion. Now, we know this is true because Paul was writing what God gave him to write by inspiration through the Holy Spirit. But to the original readers of the epistle, the Galatian churches, that fact may not have been apparent. What was apparent was that other good Christians, the brethren who were with Paul, agreed with what he was writing.
Ordinarily when Paul wrote an epistle, he would mention his co-laborers in the closing of the letter, not in the greeting. Here he mentions his fellow servants of the Lord right at the beginning of the epistle. This gave added weight to what he wrote.
Understand that the majority isn’t always right. We know that they aren’t always right. However, I believe that it was important for the Galatians to know that other solid, faithful Christians were in agreement with what Paul was about to express in this epistle. It added authority to Paul’s words for the Galatian churches to know that this wasn’t just what Paul had to say, but was seconded by other Godly men.
What bearing might this have on us today? I believe there is a principle here that can help those in leadership and all of us in decision-making. First, let me say that we should always do what we are convicted by the Holy Spirit and taught by the Word of God to do. However, it is always a good idea to discuss our opinions, decisions, and convictions with other men of God to get their counsel. Unfortunately, I’ve seen people strike out on their own with some pet doctrine or some ill-advised idea and fail miserably. The problem is that we don’t always see things clearly or completely. All of us have blind spots that others can help us see. None of us has the ability to see every aspect of every situation or problem by ourselves.
Our first source of advice and counsel must be the Word of God, but seeking the input of other Godly men, who also look to the Word of God for guidance and instruction, can help keep us from making poorly informed decisions.
If you ever wonder about a particular doctrine in the Bible, if you ever face a big decision, or if you ever have a problem to navigate, find someone who knows the Bible and loves the Lord, and seek Godly counsel from him. That’s one of the responsibilities of your pastor, so go to him especially when facing these types of situations.
While not everyone will give you perfect advice, Proverbs 11:14 teaches us, “Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counsellers there is safety.”
Sunday, February 14, 2010
As we enter Galatians, Paul begins this epistle by making strong statements to establish his authority and credibility.
Galatians 1:1-2 Paul, an apostle, (not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead;) 2 And all the brethren which are with me, unto the churches of Galatia:
As Paul begins this letter, he first establishes his apostleship. Why would this be necessary? Well, we must think back to the situation in which Paul lived. He had been a persecutor of Christians. He was not a disciple of Christ when Jesus was alive. He was late to the party, so to speak. Evidently, Jewish converts had convinced the Galatians that Paul was less than a full-fledged apostle. While it may seem strange to us now, let us remember that Paul was indeed the last of the apostles.
Jewish Christians often carried with them many of the tenets of the Old Testament law as they converted to Christianity. In the first century of the church age, these Jewish believers often attempted to force gentiles to believe that they needed not only to believe in Christ, but also to keep the law. Since Paul was plainly opposed to this type of doctrine, they apparently attempted to discredit Paul. It seems that they emphasized the authority of the other apostles and demoted Paul to second-class status.
Before Paul could address the problems in the Galatian churches, he had to establish his authority. Apostles were different from preachers and pastors of today. They had been given special authority, as evidenced by Matthew 16:19:
Matthew 16:19 And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
The indication here is that the apostles had special authority and wisdom from God to set in order the early church. Paul had to prove that he was an apostle on the same order as the others, and therefore had the authority to set in order doctrine and practice in the churches.
In verse one Paul asserts his apostleship. He was indeed an apostle, one specially ordained by God himself to this important work. We have no apostles today because we have the completed Word of God to direct us. The early church didn’t have that luxury, and God had ordained the apostles to order the churches. The first verse says, “Paul, an apostle.” This is a definitive statement.
Paul goes on to explain parenthetically how he received his authority. He was an apostle, “not of men, neither by man.” That means that he did not have his authority conferred upon him by other men. His apostolic charge was not based upon the call of men. He was neither man called or man sent.
The next expressions go into further detail. Paul was an apostle called, “by Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead.” No higher calling could be claimed than that. While a pastor today is certainly called of God to that ministry, no one today is called of God to be an apostle in the strict sense. Apostles were set for the specific season in which Paul lived, and for the specific reason of instructing and ordering the church.
It seems odd to us that Paul had to establish his credibility. Let us remember that Paul was nothing without the call and power of God on his life. The same is true of us. We must have the power of God and the will of God for our lives.
Saturday, February 14, 2010
Today we embark on the study of another of Paul’s epistles, this one to the churches in Galatia. This epistle is different in many ways from the one to the Philippians, the study of which we just completed. Galatia was a region in Asia Minor, not a singular city but numerous cities. Most likely the region was similar in size to the state of New Jersey. Its inhabitants were heathen Gauls who had invaded the region centuries before. Their traditions and religion were not at all Jewish.
This background is important to know because the problem that this book addresses is Jewish in origin. Most likely Paul had established the Galatian churches. The issue that had arisen among the Christians in this region was Legalism. By that I mean that Jewish Christians had come in after Paul’s establishment of the churches and insisted that these new Christians begin keeping tenants of Old Testament law. They believed that justification required keeping of the laws and rituals prescribed in the Old Testament in addition to faith in Christ.
In Jerusalem, among Christians who had been Law-keeping Jews, it was common for those Christians to maintain their adherence to those Old Testament customs they’d always practiced. There was a bit of controversy in the earliest days of Christianity as to whether Christians were required to keep the Law also. Paul actually confronted Peter on this issue, as Peter had falsely taught that the Law should be kept, even among those who had never kept the Law in the first place. There are numerous references to this controversy and its resolution throughout the New Testament
This book to the Galatians is a defense of Christian liberty. It explains thoroughly that the keeping of the Law is not necessary for salvation or for being in right standing with God.
Before Paul could issue instruction on this important issue, he had to reinforce his authority to do so. In the first chapter of this book, Paul establishes his standing to speak as an authority on the issue. Paul’s authority came directly from God. It was God himself who called Paul to be an apostle. Without this calling from God, Paul would have had no right to speak authoritatively on this issue. He would have had no right to confront Peter. He would have had no right to write the Galatians with this letter of rebuke and instruction.
As we study this book, keep this background in mind. To understand what Paul is saying, you’ll need to understand why he’s saying it. I’ll leave this explanation up so you can refer back to it as long as we study this great epistle.
Why I call it a "Commentary"
Some of you may wonder why I call this a daily Bible commentary. Perhaps I think too much about the meaning of words. Most folks would call what I'm writing a "devotional." That word doesn't fit what I'm writing for two reasons. First, devotional is usually an adjective, not a noun. To call a thing a devotional isn't gramatically correct, even though we do it all the time. Secondly, when devotional is used as a noun, it refers to a short religious service some denominations hold.
The word commentary comes from the word comment. Webster's 1828 Dictionary defines commentary as: "A comment; exposition; explanation; illustration of difficult and obscure passages in an author." That's what I try to do every day. I'm commenting on the Scriptures. We've come to think of a Commentary as volumes of large books, but even these daily comments can be considered commentary.
I explain this because I don't want anyone to think that I use the term commentary out of pride. My writing is feeble compared to the great scholars who have written large volumes of great depth. I seek only to give my humble comments with the hope that their practicality will help each of you grow daily in the Lord.