Galatians 1:11-12 “But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.” (KJV) St. Paul was not one of the original apostles. The New Testament church was at least ten years old before we hear of him. He persecuted the church, and even tried to wipe it out completely. He must have been pretty successful before the Lord Himself intervened, see Acts 9. In Galatians 1:17-24 he tells the story of how he immediately went down to Arabia and didn’t check in with the Jerusalem church for three years. That must be the time he spent learning from God the revelations which he shares with us in his letters.
Every scripture is revealed by the Holy Spirit or it wouldn’t be in the Bible at all. And no matter what the world says, there are no other “secret” books of the Bible. It they are not in there, then we know absolutely that they are not inspired by the Holy Spirit.
No one knew the deep things of God the way he did. Thank God He had a man like Paul. It took a man so learned in the Hebrew law, history and culture to be able to teach the Jewish people how Jesus fulfilled the scriptures. He had to be a man they respected as being knowledgeable and fully accredited in the things he was sharing.
In the book of Acts, in every city he traveled to, the first place he went was to the synagogue. He says in the book of Romans how he longed for the conversion of his fellow Jews. The whole book of Ephesians focuses on mysteries, one being that gentiles and Jews are one. That was the major issue that caused him the most trouble.
Unity. One of the deepest of the deep things of God. Only in God Himself is it even remotely possible. I was at a prayer meeting once where different people got up and presented petitions like usual. They were praying for nations, governments, education, health and welfare, marriages; just lots of different really huge problems. After each one finished, the Lord spoke in my heart, “That’s a small thing.”
A small thing? A small thing! These are major issues all over the earth! After hearing Him repeat it several times, I asked Him, “Then, what do You consider a big thing?” He said, “My people being one.” Hmmm. Yes, I can see that being a big thing. If we were truly one, it sure would solve a lot of big problems. Wars, finances, health, education, governments.
He didn’t mean “one” like we understand it. After all, we are the “United” States! He means “one” in love. Talk about a deep thing of God. If we would be able to understand and work together in the agape love of God, could we even have a chance of solving all these huge problems? Even in a large church with thousands of people, is it even possible? Look at Acts 6. It seemed there was some discrimination in the distribution of food. The Apostles had to appoint people to straighten that out. The source of that was still some left over Jewish customs about separation.
Ephesians 3:14-21 “For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.” (KJV)
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