The Testimony & Task of Great Believers | Galatians 1:1

Paul, an apostle—not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead — Galatians 1:1

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We would be remiss not to read the first verse very slowly because hidden in it are clues to the problems Paul would address in Galatia and the secret to Paul's emotional fortitude that gave him the courage and strength to address it.

Have you ever been attacked for something untrue, knowing that you needed to correct it, yet knew it would take a lot of personal strength to do it? Well, that's what's happening with Paul. In verse one, we see how Paul handled this and learn how we can handle it, too.

As we mentioned yesterday, Paul wrote this letter to combat a form of legalism being taught by Jews who had converted to Christianity. These false teachers were called "Judaizers." They taught that Gentile believers needed to hold to Jewish customs to be considered true followers of Christ. They were attempting to blend Jewish customs with the Gospel. In the process, these false teachers attacked Paul's teachings by attacking his legitimacy as an apostle and teacher. This is a typical counterattack when a false teaching is broke and under attack by the truth. The false teacher turns from proving their position to pounding a person and their credibility, diverting attention from the truth. In this situation, Judaizers attack Paul and his legitimacy as an apostle.

Simply put, the Judaizers perpetuated the false propaganda that Paul was an illegitimate apostle, so people should ignore his teaching. And it was true that Paul was not one of the original twelve apostles. But this is not concerning to Paul because being one of the original twelve is irrelevant when it comes to the truth of the Gospel. In fact, the Gospel truth has nothing to do with our resume. It has everything to do with Christ's resume. But rather, what gave Paul strength in this moment was the resume of Jesus Christ and his resurrection from the dead, which led to his testimony spoken to him by Jesus on the Damascus Road, calling him to preach the Gospel to the Gentiles.

Note this here: the certainty of Paul's testimony and task anchored in the resume and title of Jesus were the anchors for his rebuttal to these false teachers and their attacks. Another way to say this would be that Paul is not about to stand for a personal attack on his legitimacy as an apostle and let their false propaganda convince him or anyone else that his life and Gospel are not 100% legitimate.

For believers who right now are under attack, what Paul declares in verse one is a potent reminder for you. First, remember your testimony and be anchored to the truth of what Jesus did and is doing in you, and don't let anyone convince you that what Jesus Christ did in you was illegitimate. Second, remember your task because with every testimony comes a task, and be faithful to follow through on this to the very end of your days.

#Galatians #PaulineTruth #AnchoredInChrist #GospelResilience #TestimonyStrength #LegitimacyInChrist

ASK THIS:

How can we emulate Paul's unwavering confidence in the truth of Christ's resurrection and its relevance to our own lives when faced with attacks on our faith or character?
In what ways can we ensure that our testimony of Christ's work in our lives remains steadfast despite challenges or doubts raised by others?

DO THIS: Remember and strengthen your testimony and task.

PRAY THIS: Lord, anchor me firmly in the truth of Your resurrection and the legitimacy of Your work in my life, empowering me to withstand attacks on my faith and testimony. Grant me the strength and resolve to remain faithful to Your calling, trusting in Your grace and guidance every step of the way. Amen.

PLAY THIS: Anchor.