Weekly Bible Memory and Meditation

Galatians 1:18-24

 ¹⁸ Then after three years, I went up to Jerusalem to get acquainted with Cephas and stayed with him fifteen days. ¹⁹ I saw none of the other apostles—only James, the Lord’s brother. ²⁰ I assure you before God that what I am writing you is no lie.
 ²¹ Then I went to Syria and Cilicia. ²² I was personally unknown to the churches of Judea that are in Christ. ²³ They only heard the report: “The man who formerly persecuted us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy.” ²⁴ And they praised God because of me.

1.  These verses are coming at the end of chapter 1 where Paul defends his apostleship.  Surely as a newer and seemingly radical convert to Christianity Paul would have had his doubters.  For those that had a great audience to their life before Christ the same time may come for you to defend your conversion.  Are you ready to do so?

2.  Here Paul is also seeking out Peter (Cephas) and James no doubt to become acquainted with and learn from them.  This not only shows the humility of a new believer in Christ but also the desire to learn as much as possible from men who literally walked with Jesus.  Whether you are a new or old Christian, do you still desire to soak in God's Word and do you go to greater lengths to find great men of faith to humbly learn from?

3.  Even though Paul was "personally unknown" to the churches the one report that was being given of him was “The man who formerly persecuted us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy.”  That is a phenomenal testimony from witnesses of Paul life change.  Since accepting Christ has there been such a change that family and friends would say a similar statement of you?

4.  Paul ends chapter 1 with "And they praised God because of me."  Are people excited to see the old you transformed to the new you?  Why or why not?

5.  As a Christian that is more mature in the faith do you easily accept the change in a newer believer?  Or do you hang on to the knowledge of who they used to be?

6.  Paul had the torture, imprisonment and death of Christians in his past.  It would have been humanly hard to look past those things even though he appeared to have been made new in Christ.  Consider those of us whom God changed from seemingly more wicked lives to Christ honoring lives; is there any difference to our salvation change?  Or were we all sinners (regardless of the sin) and Jesus saved us all the same?

7.  If Jesus not only saved Paul from his past but also used Him in a mighty way to spread the Gospel to the Gentiles, could he not do the same thing for those that we believe are just "unable to be saved?"  If so how should this change our attitude when praying for, witnessing to and loving in grace those same people?