"God Pause Daily Devotional" The Luther Seminary in Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States for Wednesday, 1 June 2016 with Sciripture Galatians 1:11-24

"God Pause Daily Devotional" The Luther Seminary in Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States for Wednesday, 1 June 2016 with Sciripture Galatians 1:11-24
Galatians 1:11 Furthermore, let me make clear to you, brothers, that the Good News as I proclaim it is not a human product; 12 because neither did I receive it from someone else nor was I taught it — it came through a direct revelation from Yeshua the Messiah. 13 For you have heard about my former way of life in [traditional] Judaism — how I did my best to persecute God’s Messianic Community and destroy it; 14 and how, since I was more of a zealot for the traditions handed down by my forefathers than most Jews my age, I advanced in [traditional] Judaism more rapidly than they did.

15 But when God, who picked me out before I was born and called me by his grace, chose 16 to reveal his Son to me, so that I might announce him to the Gentiles, I did not consult anyone; 17 and I did not go up to Yerushalayim to see those who were emissaries before me. Instead, I immediately went off to Arabia and afterwards returned to Dammesek. 18 Not until three years later did I go up to Yerushalayim to make Kefa’s acquaintance, and I stayed with him for two weeks, 19 but I did not see any of the other emissaries except Ya‘akov the Lord’s brother. 20 (Concerning these matters I am writing you about, I declare before God that I am not lying!) 21 Next I went to Syria and Cilicia; 22 but in Y’hudah, the Messianic congregations didn’t even know what I looked like — 23 they were only hearing the report, “The one who used to persecute us now preaches the Good News of the faith he was formerly out to destroy”; 24 and they praised God for me.[Complete Jewish Bible]

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What if Paul, upon receiving the grace of God through Christ Jesus, went immediately to the apostles in Jerusalem? Would they have affirmed him and his new-found faith in Jesus? Or would they have seen Saul the persecutor and dismissed his call to preach? We will never know how the apostles would have responded. But what we do know, thanks to Paul's proclamation to the Gentiles, is Jesus. With the revelation of Christ still ablaze in his sight, Paul went away at once to Arabia. His brazen move to cast aside human approval for the sake of divine imperative was risky. And we Gentiles are the benefactors of this great risk.
How does the church today receive the gifts and passions of those new to the faith? As people set apart and called by the grace of God, how might our faith communities share afresh in the risk of proclaiming the good news?
Lest we get bogged down by human sources, call us again, O God, to work out your wondrous ways in the world. Let it be so. Amen.
Justin Lind-Ayres
Augsburg College Campus Ministry, Minneapolis
Master of Divinity, 2003
Galatians 1:11 For I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that the gospel that was proclaimed by me is not of human origin;
12 for I did not receive it from a human source, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ.
13 You have heard, no doubt, of my earlier life in Judaism. I was violently persecuting the church of God and was trying to destroy it.
14 I advanced in Judaism beyond many among my people of the same age, for I was far more zealous for the traditions of my ancestors.
15 But when God, who had set me apart before I was born and called me through his grace, was pleased
16 to reveal his Son to me, so that I might proclaim him among the Gentiles, I did not confer with any human being,
17 nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were already apostles before me, but I went away at once into Arabia, and afterwards I returned to Damascus.
18 Then after three years I did go up to Jerusalem to visit Cephas and stayed with him fifteen days;
19 but I did not see any other apostle except James the Lord's brother.
20 In what I am writing to you, before God, I do not lie!
21 Then I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia,
22 and I was still unknown by sight to the churches of Judea that are in Christ;
23 they only heard it said, "The one who formerly was persecuting us is now proclaiming the faith he once tried to destroy."
24 And they glorified God because of me.[New Revised Standard Version]
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