WHY DID PAUL MAKE THE CHANGE?

The answer is in verses 15 and 16

But when God, who set me apart from birth and called me by his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son in me so that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not consult any man

Where did Paul get the gospel he preached? He learned to obey the gospel from Ananias. That much we know from Acts. But Paul's preaching wasn't like mine. Mine comes from study - my own study of the Scripture, whatever I can learn from library, plus what I've learned from other Christians. Paul didn't go to a library. He didn't sit in a classroom with Peter and John. He said, "I did not consult with any man." The message he preached was a revelation from God.

According to verse 17, he went into Arabia. We have no record of Paul's activities in Arabia. We only know that three years passed from the time of his conversion, his return to Damascus and his ultimate trip to Jerusalem. I am prone to think that God used the time in Arabia to prepare, mold and develop Paul for the work of preaching the gospel. Whether that's the case or not, Paul made a strong case for a certified gospel.

CONCLUSION

But what does all this have to do with us?

• I ask, "How do we treat the gospel?" Do we consider it a certified message that was delivered from heaven and bears the seal of God's endorsement?
• Do we view the gospel with casual indifference? Are we afraid to deny it and at the same time unwilling to allow it to make a significant impact on our lives?
• Do we see the "gospel" as it was really intended - good news about what God has offered us? Or do we tend to think of the bad news as the gospel? Are we using the gospel as a weapon to browbeat people or as medicine to save people from the disease of sin?
• Are we in danger of deserting the gospel for something that looks more attractive, but actually contains hidden traps to enslave us?

Here's the message from Paul - "Don't give up the good news. Don't let some smooth talkers take it away from you."

Norman Bales
Southern Hills Church of Christ
Norman's e-mail address: nlbales@allaboutfamilies.org

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