Who Says?

Galatians 1:1-9 Because he was not among the original twelve, Paul needed to defend his apostleship in ways that they did not. In I Corinthians 15:6-8 he states that he met the same requirement for seeing the risen Lord as they. However, in Gal. 1 he adds other arguments because his attackers, the Judaizers, were undermining his ministry in the Galatian churches. They claimed that he was a spurious, self-appointed preacher and therefore, his "strange teachings" needed not to be listened to. Contemporary liberal Bible scholars and theologians join them in maintaining that none of the apostles were special. Like other humans what they taught and wrote was based on their own human insight and understanding. Every believer has his own experiences of what is often called “the Christ event.” The Roman Catholics join evangelicals in denying that liberal teaching. However, Roman Catholic dogma adds a different and equally damaging doctrine. It maintains that the church wrote the Bible and is therefore a higher authority than the Bible. The church can therefore add to or modify Scripture as it sees fit, and its ecclesiastical pronouncements are held to have the same spiritual and moral authority as Scripture-even when they clearly contradict scriptural teaching.

Questions to Ponder:

1. How do you think Paul would answer the liberals of today who deny any special divine inspiration and authority to the writings of the apostles?
2. How do you think Paul would answer Roman Catholic dogma who claim that the apostles spoke to the church on behalf of the church?

Truth on Trial

Christians are forced to defend their faith. They always have. But it's different today. We no longer live in the biblically oriented America that existed for the past four centuries. Ours is atheistic, pagan and cultic. Pluralistic, our culture tolerates false doctrine. The belief is that every person is his own authority. Each of us is independent; we determine truth for ourselves. There is no central authority for truth; there is no absolute truth. This is no small matter; it is a critical problem. Eternal life hangs in the balance. "We are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish: To the one we are the savour of death unto death; and to the other the savour of life unto life. And who is sufficient for these things?" (2 Cor. 2:15-16) How we live and what we teach will make a difference in whether people obey the gospel or meet Jesus in the fire of judgment, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ."(2 Thess. 1:7-8) This is why Paul was so provoked at the false teaching in Galatia. It was another gospel and would bring eternal ruin to those who embraced it. What strong words he spoke, "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." (Gal. 1:8)

This means that the question of authority is a most critical one for us today. Who are we to believe? Who or what has the right to command our obedience? To whom has God delegated His authority? Paul answered the question for the Galatians by asserting his authority as an apostle of Jesus Christ (Gal. 1:1, 11-12, 15-16). Paul's answer can help us today. The church of God is built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets (Eph. 2:20). It is an apostolic church. It bases its teachings, not on human ideas and traditions, but on the teachings of its Lord's apostles. The Bible is God's own Word. It follows then that they who subject themselves to the Bible, subject themselves to God. The Bible is not a mixture of human opinion but the repository of divine truth.

Questions to Ponder:
1. Paul defends himself in Gal. 1:11-2:14. Why must he do that?
2. What evidences of true apostleship does Paul present in Gal. 1-2?

Raising the Standard of Absolute Truth (Rev. 2:12-17)

We are in great company when we raise the standard of absolute Truth. The Lord Jesus is the One who consistently did it. We learn from Him. In Revelation 2:12-17 He addresses the church of Pergamos and identifies Himself as the One who "hath the sharp sword with two edges." In 1:16 that sword comes out of His mouth. This would be grotesque if taken literally. It is God's symbolic way of describing His holy Word coming out of Christ's mouth with power (Eph. 6:17; Heb. 4:12). God's Word is extremely sharp and, when used defensively, it protects the Christian against Satan and false teachers. But it is used offensively too, cutting down enemies and destroying them and their principles. This application of God's Word was what was needed by the congregation in Pergamos for they were tolerating false teaching. In applying His Word, Christ was raising the standard of absolute Truth (John 17:17). It is what we need to do in our day of religious pluralism.

In Rev. 2:13, then, His Word is encouraging. (1) He knew that they lived in a hostile and difficult place - "even where Satan's seat is." Pergamos was an idolatrous center; and to declare oneself in that place a Christian who worships the one true God and Savior, Jesus Christ, would certainly provoke hostility. (2) Also He commended them for their loyalty to His "name." His name refers to all that He is revealed to be. In this context the name of the martyr Antipas (lit. "against all") is brought up. He is mentioned between the two references to Satan, indicating that his death was instigated by the enmity of pagans in Pergamos. On the one hand Satan persecutes the saints to undermine their loyalty to Christ; but on the other hand, Christ's Word strengthens that loyalty by commending those who are true to Him and by exposing those who are deceitful. God's Word does that. It is meant to encourage us.

In Rev. 2:14-15 His Word is rebuking. Although some in the church had followed Antipas and did not deny Christ's name, others followed a different path. They held to the teaching and practice of the Balaamites and Nicolaitans that Christ hates (2:6). These two doctrinal systems could very well be the same. Their names mean the same. "Balaam" can mean to "conquer the people" (Heb. ba'al'am), which means the same as Nicolaitans. And they are mentioned together in this letter. In fact, the error in the church at Thyatira through the teaching of the woman Jezebel may also be similar to this one. In both letters the compromising practices of fornication and idolatry are named as the deadly effects of the false teaching (Rev. 2:14, 20). Like Israel in the days of Balaam and Jezebel, the church in Pergamos was being deceived; it was an unconscious revolution. Apparently some Christians at Pergamos were still participating in the pagan, holiday festivities and saw no wrong in indulging in the "harmless" beds in the temples and the sexual excitement everyone else was enjoying. Since Satan's chief method is deception , his devices are not known until they are clearly pointed out. The Word of Christ does just that (2 Cor. 4:2-4). He clearly points out their sin; He rebukes them; He exposes sin. When the Word of God is faithfully taught, Christians will be encouraged and sin will be exposed.

In Rev. 2:16 His Word is correcting. The Word of God tells sinners that they must "repent." The saints in Pergamos must repent or the Lord would come in personal judgment. They were to turn about from their evil practices, repudiate their wrong and practice the right. Since those who did not indulge in either religious fornication or idolatry tolerated their practice among them, they, too, along with the guilty, needed to repent. The Lord would "come unto thee quickly." This is not His Second Coming but a personal visitation of judgment on the church. Those who taught and practiced evil would suffer the consequences. Here again the Word of God shall be used, for the Savior said He would "fight against them" with the sword of His mouth. Men may deny absolute Truth today but they must deal with it in the day of accounting (John 12:48).

Finally in Rev. 2:17 His Word is challenging. Using three symbols of "hidden manna," "a white stone," and "a new name," Christ offers Himself to Christians who are tempted to compromise their loyalty to Him in order to gain the favor of the pagan gods. The Bible is filled with promises and invitations to lure Christians from the world to receive Christ as the power needed to overcome.


The Bible Verses for Today: 2 Tim. 3:16-17: "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works. "



Your Step for Today: Write down any sin that the Lord is now exposing in your life. Name ways that he wants you to correct it.



Prayer for Today: Father, your Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. Guide me in the ways of holiness that you my be pleased in me.