Galatians 1:6-7
"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." It was a perversion of the Gospel that was afflicting these Galatian Churches. These Judaizers would pervert the Gospel. Just as so many churches and denominations are currently doing to this very day and only out of shear ignorance and the nature of Satan. And now look at this tremendous statement in verse 8 and 9.
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. (in Scripture that means an eternal separation and damnation, a curse) 9. As we said before, so say I now again, `If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, (that is from this man Paul) let him be accursed.'" For this man to say let alone write what is here said by way of the Holy Spirit just blows us away. How much stronger language did God have to use to bring His point home but still we have people who just refuse to listen or hear His voice in these matters. So Paul goes on to show how God's supernaturally reached down and saved him by Grace. He taught him for the time spent down in the desert, the wilderness of Mount Sinai.Where we feel he received the second blessing, that being the infilling of the Spirit of God and of Christ by way of entry into the promised New Covenant in the power of an Endless Life. For its after that God didn't send him back to the Twelve to pick up everything that they knew, which most people imagine happened. Most think that Paul was just an extension of Peter and the eleven's ministry. Heavens No! My, the Holy Spirit through the pen of the Apostle Paul makes it so plain that there had to be a total break between the Twelve and from the Jewish form of religion and the accompanying slavery of legalism and this man's ministry (as it had become an idol). Now we pick it up in verse 11 and 12. Remember this is all review, we know, but we always have for those of us who have heard it ten times or more people say, "Don't ever stop reviewing." For this is who we all learn.
Galatians 1:11-12
"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." Then Paul goes on to show how the Lord had to supernaturally saved him and took him down into the wilderness of Arabia for a time and a season. Then in chapter 2 where we left off, Paul is being confronted by the `wheels' in Jerusalem. Now we don't do that to make any snide remarks because that's what they were. In our language of today, they were the wheels. They were the head men of the Jerusalem Church. It was all Jewish, and we maintain that those Jewish believers at Jerusalem were still basically Law-keepers bond by their own doctrines of men. They had not comprehended Paul's Gospel of Grace, and we've shown our reasons for saying that. Peter in the vision of the sheet said:
Acts 10:14b
"...Not so, Lord: for I have never eaten any thing that is common or unclean." Why? "Because we've never gone contrary to the Law, we eat kosher, we have never eaten anything common or unclean." Well what is that? That's Law! That's legalism of religion! Then we've get to the very threshold of Cornelius and the moment he walked in what did he say to Cornelius?
Acts 10:28a
"And he said unto them, Ye know how that is an unlawful thing for a man that is a Jew to keep company or come unto one of another nation:..." That in an of itself was not totally true as Israel was to have been the light to the nations but it was unfruitful in that regard. For this is the meaning of the fig trees being curses as it was unfruitful (Matthew 21:19-21, Mark 11:13, 20-21, Luke 13:6-7) it symbolized Israel's unfaithfulness.
Well if Peter understood Paul's Gospel of Grace that wouldn't even have crossed his mind. He should have been thrilled to go into the house of a military officer, and a gentile but you see it was bugging him. Here he was a good Hebrew and according to the custom of Law he couldn't go into Cornelius' home, but of course God had made it plain that this is what He wanted. So this was the controversy that we saw. How that those Jewish emissaries from Jerusalem were undermining Paul's little congregations wherever he went.
Even in Corinth he had to defend his apostleship because the Jerusalem people were saying that Paul was just someone who had gone out on his own. You haven't got any official recognition from Peter and the eleven. But Paul didn't need any official recognition from Peter, because he got his from the ONE Who's in charge. He got his from the Lord who's in heaven, but those Hebrews just couldn't understand that. And so it remains to this day even within our own denominations from Judaism on up through what ever. So now let's go to chapter 2, verse 5 and this hits us directly. If it were not for this verse we as Gentiles would still be out there in paganism. But this man Paul stuck to his guns. Before we move on a thought just flashed in and it has to do with having "the mind of Christ" which obviously Paul did especially after the second blessing. We want to see how that came about before moving on. So let look at Acts chapter 9 and about verse 6.
Act 9:5-8
"And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. 6 And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do. 7 And the men which journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice, but seeing no man.8 And Saul arose from the earth; and when his eyes were opened, he saw no man: but they led him by the hand, and brought him into Damascus." Now what did Paul say in verse 6? He said, "what wilt thou have me to do" did you see that? It is just here that we need to point out an interesting fact and that is we need to get it right with our use of personal pronouns such as you and me....because the Lord has full right to demand and expect our obedience to His requests and commands. What happens in the second blessing and upon our entry into it is a change of heart, mind and spirit just as God has promised through His prophets, lets look at Ezekiel chapters 11, 18 and then 36.
Ezekiel 11:19 "And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh.....18:31 Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will ye die, O house of Israel?....36:26 A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh." These were the promises an if God meant them for another day and time then why do they take effect first in Paul and then in those who by the Holy Spirit have received the second blessing ever sense then. We call it a second blessing because the first is our receiving the Gift of the promised Holy Spirit as are tutor, trainer and teacher in all Truth and Grace. When God places us within the care of Israels tutor or corral the Law of Moses for one purpose to lead us to the knowledge of Him and then to reveal our undoneness and the evilness of sin. All this is what the first five no six chapter of Romans is all about. As it can be broke down as follows:
God's Wrath - Immoral Man - Romans 1:17-32
God Proves His Case - Moral Man - Romans 2
The Verdict is Guilty - Religious Man - Romans 3:1-23
Old Adam Crucified - Romans 3:19-22
Redemption and Justification - Romans 3:25 - 4:8
The Imputed Righteousness of God - Romans 4-5:5
Justification - God Declares Us Just as if We Have Never Sinned - Romans Chapter 5
Where Sin Abounds, Grace Much More Abounds - Romans 6:1-14
The Old Sin Nature vs The New Nature - Romans 6 & 7
Victory through the Spirit, through the purpose and action of God - Romans 8
Israel's and Gentiles in God's plan - Romans 9
Israel's failure due to ignorance - Romans 10
Israel's prospects for the future - Romans 11
Doctrinal teachings - Romans 12 -16
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