As Paul shares his
persuasion toward the members of the Galatian church, he continues to
review his history after receiving Jesus Christ as his Savior. He has
already told them of his three year venue in Arabia with Jesus as his
teacher. He has shared how he only visited Peter and James after his
time in the desert, and He has referred to how the church members in
Judea glorified God because they had heard of his wonderful
conversion to Jesus Christ. But there is more. Paul continues to
reveal his past to the churches in Galatia in chapter two and verse
one where he wrote:
Then fourteen years
after I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, and took Titus with
[me] also.
Paul
says, “The fourteen years after...” Fourteen
years? Did we really just read “fourteen years?” Did it take that
long before Paul felt led to go to Jerusalem again? Indeed it did. We
who are often in such a hurry cannot imagine it taking fourteen years
for almost anything in our lives never mind a path for ministry.
Delays are not most of our favorite things. However, it was in God's
plan that Paul not make another appearance “to Jerusalem”
until fourteen years had passed.
Notice
too, he traveled “with Barnabas.” We
first read of Barnabas in the Bible in the book of Acts in chapter
four and verses thirty-six and thirty-seven:
And Joses, who by the
apostles was surnamed Barnabas, (which is, being interpreted, The son
of consolation,) a Levite, [and] of the country of Cyprus, Having
land, sold [it], and brought the money, and laid [it] at the
apostles' feet.
Then
in Acts chapter nine and verses twenty-six through twenty-eight we
read:
And when Saul was come
to Jerusalem, he desired to join himself to the disciples: but they
were all afraid of him, and believed not that he was a disciple. But
Barnabas took him, and brought [him] to the apostles, and declared
unto them how he had seen the Lord in the way, and that he had spoken
to him, and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of
Jesus. And he was with them coming in and going out at
Jerusalem.
The name
“Barnabas” means “son of consolation or of rest”, and he
lived up to his name with Paul. Barnabas' intercession for Paul made
his ministry palatable for the members of the church in Jerusalem.
Though Paul once persecuted the church, because of Barnabas he was
now a friend to the church and was later sent on a missionary journey
with Barnabas to share the gospel.
Notice
too, “and took Titus with me also.” Titus was a protege'
of Paul who had a Greek father and a Jewish mother. We first read of
Titus in the book of Second Corinthians in the Bible, and Paul refers
to him as a brother, joyful, earnestly caring, partner, fellow
helper, son in the faith and later known to be the first bishop of
the church of the Cretians. Paul found Titus on a Macedonian
missionary trip in the city of Nicopolis. Titus was saved there, and
went on to be a preacher of the gospel and pastor of a church.
Basically
Paul is sharing with the Galatians part of the team who traveled with
him during his first years as a Christian. These men would be
familiar to the church members and would add credence to his
testimony before them. Barnabas knew Jesus Christ, and demonstrated
his love for Jesus by his offering and intercession. Titus showed his
faith in Jesus by leaving his well-known culture and background to be
trained by Paul as a minister of the gospel of Jesus Christ. As Paul
continues to build his case against the false teachers in Galatia, we
notice his delays, his team and God's plan for the spreading of the
gospel. Oh and there is so much more to the gospel of grace which he
shares, but we shall have to wait till our next opportunity to share
together.
Next
time will see how Paul dealt with the people and leaders in Jerusalem
after fourteen years, so read ahead, and let us join together then.
Until
tomorrow...there is more...
Look for
the new devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to
Generation” in all major
bookstore
sites, www.amazon.com ; www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to
e-books, and find it
locally
at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore
No comments:
Post a Comment