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Galatians 2:5 – No Compromise

Posted on August 30, 2007 by admin

Galatians 2:5

to whom we did not yield submission even for an hour, that the truth of the gospel might continue with you.

Truth to Learn

The truth of the gospel messages is, “believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved.”

Meaning Explained

Paul has been explaining his 2^nd trip to Jerusalem to the Galatian Christians. He went there with Barnabas and Titus to have the leaders of the Jerusalem church help settle the dispute which had arisen in Antioch over whether or not Christians had to obey the Mosaic Law in order to be saved. Paul’s contention, based on his direct revelation from God, was that we have been freed from the bondage of the Law of the flesh (the Law of Moses which had to be obeyed in our fleshly bodies). But there were others in the church in Antioch who claimed to have authority from the apostles saying that Christians had to obey the Law.

If you read through the letters that Paul sent to various churches you will find that he was not wishy-washy when it came to doctrinal teaching. Nor was he willing to compromise when it came to doctrinal issues and this was one of them. And, as he says in the current verse, he was not willing to submit to the false teaching of the legalizers at all. Not even for an hour!

He understood that the gospel message is very simple, Jesus is the Christ (the anointed one) the Son of the living God who died on the cross to pay for the sins of the whole world, was buried, and rose from the dead. Paul understood that anyone recognizing that they are a sinner who humbles himself or herself before our holy God believing this simple gospel message and accepts Christ’s payment for their sins, is a born-again Christian. There is no need for any other deeds or actions in order to become a Christian. There is no need to also follow the rites and practices of the Jewish faith. There is no need to also follow the traditions and prescriptions of any organized church.

In the book of Acts Luke recounts the events that occurred in Philippi where Paul and Silas had been thrown in jail for preaching the gospel. They sat in a cold, dark, miserable dungeon with their feet in stocks and sang hymns of praise. Suddenly there was a great earthquake that opened all the prison doors and miraculously released the chains that bound them. The jailer, thinking that all the prisoners had escaped was about to kill himself when Paul called out to him not to hurt himself because the prisoners were still there. In amazement and fear the jailer came to Paul and wanted to know how to be saved. Here’s how Paul and Silas replied:

So they said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.” (Acts 16:31)

Not, “believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and become part of the official church.” Not, “believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and obey the Law.” Not even, “believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and be baptized.” Simply, “believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved.”

That’s all it takes to be a Christian, nothing more!

Application

Do not yield to compromise when it comes to the simple truth of salvation by faith alone. Stand firm upon your faith in your Savior. You need nothing more!

In God’s service, for His glory,

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

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Galatians 2:4 – No More Bondage

Posted on August 29, 2007 by admin

Galatians 2:4

And this occurred because of false brethren secretly brought in (who came in by stealth to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage),

Truth to Learn

Legalism results in bondage. Simple faith in the blood of Jesus Christ results in freedom, which can’t be earned.

Behind the Words

The word translated “secretly brought in” is a form of pareisaktos which is derived from a verb meaning “to lead in by the side of others, to introduce along with others; and then to lead or bring in by stealth, to smuggle in.” It is used here by Paul to refer to those who had been secretly brought into the discussion at hand in order to bolster the arguments of those who opposed him.

Meaning Explained

Who these false brethren were, we do not know. Nor do we know for certain whether Paul is referring to false brethren in Antioch where this dissention first arose, or in Jerusalem where Paul is currently defending his position. He could be referring either to the false teachers in Antioch who wanted all Christians to submit to the requirements of the Law or he could be referring to Jews in Jerusalem who were pretending to be Christians. It is clear, however, that they opposed the apostle Paul, they regarded him as teaching dangerous doctrines, they perverted and misrepresented his views, and they claimed to have clearer insight into the nature of true faith than he did.

What we do know is that Paul is using this argument as a reason for something (“And this occurred because…”). Whether that something was his defense of not circumcising Titus or whether it was his reason for meeting privately with the apostolic leaders is not entirely clear. Iit seems to make more sense, however, that he is explaining why he met privately with the leaders of the church in Jerusalem.

Apparently, those in Jerusalem who were opposed to Paul’s doctrine of Christian liberty had secretly brought in others to bolster their argument regarding the necessity of Christians keeping the Law of Moses. And this is why Paul approached the apostolic leaders in private to share his experiences in preaching the gospel and the miraculous conversion of Gentiles apart from works of the Law.

In the book of Romans Paul spends considerable time and effort showing how the Law brought us into bondage, and that to break even one requirement of the Law was equivalent to breaking the whole Law. Because of this, he declared “there is none righteous, no not one.” But through faith in the blood of Christ we have been freed from the bondage of sin and we have received our righteousness, not because we obey the law, but because God in his grace declared us righteous through that faith.

Application

Paul is absolutely convinced that obedience to the law is not a requirement for salvation and, as a result, is not about to let these legalizers introduce the requirements of the Law into the simple faith of Christianity.

And we should all be greatly thankful for that!

In God’s service, for His glory,

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Galatians 2:3 – Case in Point

Posted on August 28, 2007 by admin

Galatians 2:3

Yet not even Titus who was with me, being a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised.

Truth to Learn

No act of obedience or contrition is required for salvation beyond simple faith in the atoning blood of Jesus Christ.

Behind the Words

The word translated “compelled” is anangkadzō, which means “to force or compel either by authoritative command or by violence.” It implies that a person is forced to do something which he or she does not want to do.

Meaning Explained

In this verse, Paul is using Titus as an example of a born again Christian who had been accepted into the church, who was not forced to be circumcised, either through his own fellowship with the Spirit of God or because any of the leaders of the church at Antioch were spiritually convicted that it was necessary. And the reason that Paul brings it up here is because the leaders of the church at Jerusalem did not demand that Titus be circumcised either. After all, to a Jew circumcision is one of the first steps in obedience to the Law and if the leaders of the church in Jerusalem didn’t insist on Titus being circumcised, then none of the rest of the Law could logically be imposed on Titus.

In the next verse Paul will point out that there were some involved in the discussion about obedience to the Law who thought that Titus should have been circumcised. Paul did not simply resist them, he insisted that it was absolutely not necessary for salvation. Now you may ask, “Why then did Paul circumcise Timothy if he didn’t think it was necessary?” Here’s what is said in Acts 16:1-3

Then he came to Derbe and Lystra. And behold, a certain disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a certain Jewish woman who believed, but his father was Greek. He was well spoken of by the brethren who were at Lystra and Iconium. Paul wanted to have him go on with him. And he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in that region, for they all knew that his father was Greek.

This is a case where Timothy voluntarily submitted to circumcision, not to secure salvation, but to help Paul and Timothy more effectively witness to Jews who would not have even talked to Paul with Timothy present if they thought that he was uncircumcised. In Titus’ case, however, the legalizers were insisting that Titus must be circumcised in order to be saved and Paul knew that was not true. He mentions this to the Galations as a case in point, that shows that even the elders in Jerusalem agreed that although voluntary circumcision is acceptable, it is not a requirement for salvation.

Application

How many rules and traditions are there in your own church, obedience to which is insisted on by the leaders of the congregation? And, how many of these rules which have been put in place by a church or denomination to make the church more acceptable to others, have now become requirements of membership or even salvation?

Any rules, ordinances, or traditions required by your church in addition to simple faith, Paul would say, aren’t necessary for salvation or for admission into the church, period!

In God’s service, for His glory,

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Galatians 2:2 – Private Communication

Posted on August 16, 2007 by admin

Galatians 2:2

And I went up by revelation, and communicated to them that gospel which I preach among the Gentiles, but privately to those who were of reputation, lest by any means I might run, or had run, in vain.

Truth to Learn

Sharing the truth in private is often more effective, even though you may not get public recognition for it.

Behind the Words

The Greek expression for “privately” is kat idian, which literally translates as “with self.” Its root meaning is that of doing something individually with someone or doing it separate from the others. Therefore, we see Paul is telling us that he met separately with the leaders of the Jerusalem church.

“Those of reputation” is translated from tois doxousin. The word tois is the personal pronoun “those” and doxousin is a form of the word dokeō, which means “to think, to imagine, or to appear.” This is an idiomatic expression meaning “those who appeared to be in charge” or “those who appeared to be the leaders.”

Meaning Explained

On the surface there seems to be a contradiction between this verse and Acts 15:2. Luke tells us in Acts that the members of the church at Antioch made the decision to send Paul and Barnabas, but Paul tells us here that it was by revelation that he was instructed to go. How do we reconcile these two? Apparently the leaders of the church at Antioch thought it was necessary for Paul and Barnabas to go up to Jerusalem but Paul must have had a personal revelation from God concerning this. Perhaps God instructed Paul to do this and, after communicating it to the church leaders in Antioch, the leaders there agreed making it an official action of the church. Or, perhaps the leaders of the church decided on this action and Paul later received a revelation from God confirming it. In either case both Paul’s and Luke’s account are truthful even though they state different facts.

Paul now tells us that he met privately with some of the leaders in Jerusalem. According to verse nine, this included the apostles Peter, James (the son of Alphaeus), and John. He gave a private testimony of his actions and views to them so that they might understand the situation thoroughly before it became a matter of public discussion. Paul does not tell us why he met with the leaders separately, but it is quite possible that he did this so that he could explain his position without the inevitable arguing that would have ensued from the former Pharisees who wanted to impose the Law on all Christians. Paul took this opportunity to share his preaching of the gospel to the Gentiles so that the leaders of the church in Jerusalem could see that even without the weighty requirements of the Law the gospel was effective and the church was growing both is size and in spiritual maturity. And, it appears that Paul was effective in his explanation, for the leaders of the church in Jerusalem eventually supported his position.

Application

Sometimes it is more effective to make your ideas on church matters known directly to the leadership privately, leaving it in their hands to carry the idea forward, than to have a big argument in a meeting of the entire assembly.

In God’s service, for His glory,

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Galatians 2:1 – Legal Dispute

Posted on August 15, 2007 by admin

Galatians 2:1

Then after fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, and also took Titus with me.

Truth to Learn

There is no room for legalism in the Christian faith.

Meaning Explained

Having justified his apostleship and his message, Paul now turns to the crux of the letter, explaining why it is wrong to add legalistic observances to Christian faith. In this verse he says that after 14 years he went back to Jerusalem with Barnabas.

These events occurred after Paul’s first missionary journey. When he and Barnabas returned to Antioch to report on the events of that trip they encountered teachers in the church who had come from Jerusalem who taught that circumcision was required in addition to faith in order to be saved. After some strong disagreement, the church in Antioch decided that Paul, Barnabas, and others from the church should go up to Jerusalem to talk to the apostles and elders about this issue.

And certain men came down from Judea and taught the brethren, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.” Therefore, when Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and dispute with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas and certain others of them should go up to Jerusalem, to the apostles and elders, about this question (Act 15:1, 2)

But, even in the church in Jerusalem there were Pharisees who wanted to force legal obedience on all who were saved.

But some of the sect of the Pharisees who believed rose up, saying, “It is necessary to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses.” Now the apostles and elders came together to consider this matter. And when there had been much dispute, Peter rose up and said to them: “Men and brethren, you know that a good while ago God chose among us, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe. So God, who knows the heart, acknowledged them by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He did to us, and made no distinction between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith. Now therefore, why do you test God by putting a yoke on the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved in the same manner as they.” (Acts 15:5-12)

After additional discussion James (the leader of the church in Jerusalem) spoke up and made a final declaration which they all agreed to:

Therefore I judge that we should not trouble those from among the Gentiles who are turning to God, but that we write to them to abstain from things polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from things strangled, and from blood. (Act 15:19, 20)

Paul informed the Galatian believers about this trip because it was this same type of legalism that had crept into the churches in Galatia.

Application

When we let legalism and tradition creep into our doctrine, we begin observing ordinances of man instead of exercising a faith walk with God, and that does not please Him!

In God’s service, for His glory,

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Galatians 1:24 – Glorify God

Posted on August 14, 2007 by admin

Galatians 1:24

And they glorified God in me.

Truth to Learn

Legalism glorifies self, but a life of faith is totally submitted to God and gives Him all the glory and praise.

Behind the Words

The word translated “they glorified” is from the Greek word doxadzō which is a form of doxa, meaning “to think properly about something” or “to recognize something as what it really is.” Hence, doxadzō means “to recognize, honor, praise, or invest with dignity.” It means “to give someone esteem or honor by recognizing his honorable position.”

The expression “in me” is translated from en emoi. These are the same words as Paul used in verse 16 where he said: “to reveal His Son in me.” Even though they are the same exact words, the sense in which they are used gives them a different meaning here. According to Marvin R. Vincent in his book, Vincent’s Word Studies: “Here the meaning is that they glorified God as the author and source of what they saw in me.”

Meaning Explained

The point that Paul has been making is that he didn’t receive the gospel message from anyone except Christ himself. In the past two verses he said that he did not receive the message from anyone in the churches in Judea. In fact, he said that none of them would have recognized him. But in spite of that, he states in the current verse that they glorified God because of Paul’s conversion.

Even though no one in the churches in Judea knew him personally, they praised God because they heard about Paul’s conversion and his turning from a persecutor of Christians to a proclaimer of the gospel message. The people in the churches in Judea were convinced that Paul’s conversion was genuine and that both his conversion and his message were from God and God alone.

Paul has now conclusively demonstrated that his message and apostleship came directly from God and not as a result of anyone else’s teaching. This clearly sets him apart from the false teachers in the Galatian churches, who apparently claimed they were apostles and received their message from a heavenly angel. However, they were unable to show evidence like Paul has just done, to back-up their claims.

The result of Paul’s conversion and of his message is that God receives the glory and the praise. That is a sign of a true servant of God. As he will teach us later in this letter, obedience to the law tends to cause a person to focus on self and to be proud of one’s own accomplishments. Living by faith, however, necessarily produces humility and the recognition that we are totally dependent of God for everything. The result is that obedience to the law glorifies self whereas living by faith gives all the glory to God.

Application

Are you trying to prove yourself worthy by keeping a set of rules and practices? Or, are you living a life that is characterized by faithful submission to God? One is legalism that glorifies self whereas the other is faith that glorifies God.

In God’s service, for His glory,

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Galatians 1:23 – Wholly Transformed

Posted on August 13, 2007 by admin

Galatians 1:23

But they were hearing only, “He who formerly persecuted us now preaches the faith which he once tried to destroy.”

Truth to Learn

God can change even the most hardened opponent of Christianity into a beacon of the gospel message.

Behind the Words

The words translated “they were hearing” are akouontes ēsan. The word ēsan is the verb of being and is expressed in the imperfect tense implying continuous or repeated past action. The word akouontes is a form of akouō, meaning “to hear.” This is the word from which we get out English word acoustic. It is expressed here as a participle, implying ongoing action. Put this all together, and we see that Paul is saying, “they were continually hearing” or “they were repeatedly hearing.”

“Destroy” is translated from a form of portheō, which means “to ravage” or “to destroy.” This word is also expressed in the imperfect tense implying past, continuous or repeated activity. Hence, the end of this verse could be expressed as “the faith which he previously was ravaging.”

Meaning Explained

Even though Paul had never visited any of the churches in Judea they knew who he was. What they knew about him, however, was only by hearsay because they had never heard him preach nor had they conversed with him. The churches in Judea, and particularly in Jerusalem, knew who he was because he had persecuted them in the worst way. This persecution began at the death of Stephen which is recorded in the seventh and eighth chapters of the book of Acts:

And they stoned Stephen as he was calling on God and saying, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” Then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not charge them with this sin.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep. Now Saul was consenting to his death. At that time a great persecution arose against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him. As for Saul, he made havoc of the church, entering every house, and dragging off men and women, committing them to prison. (Act 7:59 – 8:3)

Because of this persecution, of which Paul was a key instigator, virtually every Christian in Jerusalem and all Judea knew who Paul was. In the current verse Paul tells us that he was known by his reputation; not as the one who currently was persecuting the church, but as the one who formerly persecuted the church and who now preaches the faith that he once tried to destroy. God can take even the greatest enemy of the Church and turn him or her into an instrument of blessing with the gospel message.

Application

Do you know of someone who resists everything you try to do for God? Someone who seems intent on destroying every spiritual thing you try to do? If so, pray that God will turn that person around and make them into a vessel of blessing!

He is able!

In God’s service, for His glory,

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Galatians 1:22 – One Source

Posted on August 12, 2007 by admin

Galatians 1:22

And I was unknown by face to the churches of Judea which were in Christ.

Truth to Learn

The truth about God comes only from the Bible. We all need to be reading and studying it daily.

Behind the Words

The words “I was unknown” are from the Greek ēmēn agnooumenos. This latter word, agnooumenos, literally means “to not recognize.” The word ēmēn is the imperfect form of the first person pronoun. It could be translated as “I was” but in this case it is better translated as “I was still.”

Meaning Explained

Paul is writing this letter to the churches in Galatia because they have strayed from the simplicity of the true gospel, which Paul had most likely delivered to churches in that area on his first or second missionary journey. Since that time, however, there had crept in false teachers who taught that obeying the Law of Moses was a requirement for believers in Christ. These false teachers apparently had claimed that they were also apostles or that they had received their message from angelic beings. And, these teachers also claimed that Paul taught this same doctrine, having received it from the other apostles.

He has spent most of the first chapter of this letter admonishing the Christians in the Galatian churches for being so easily swayed from the true gospel and explaining to them that the gospel that he delivered to them did not come from other men, including the other apostles. Paul received his apostleship, his mission, and his message directly from Jesus Christ. Immediately after his conversion, he began proclaiming the good news, first in the synagogues in Damascus, then in Arabia, and then back in Damascus. During this time he did not talk to other apostles until 3 years after his conversion and then he met only with Peter and even then only for 15 days.

During the time of his visit with Peter he met up briefly with the apostle James (the younger) and spent hours reasoning with the Hellenistic Jews. Since Paul is refuting the notion that he received the gospel message from the apostles and other adherents to Judaism he now tells the Galatians that he did not spend any time with any of the churches in Judah. He spent time reasoning with the Jews, but he did not spend time with the church members in Judea.

In the current verse Paul declares that even three years after his conversion the churches in Judea still did recognize him. This is evidence that he did not spend any time with the apostles and, therefore, could not have received his message from them.

His reason for making this statement is that he is demonstrating convincingly that his message did not come from any human source as some of the false teachers were apparently claiming. Paul’s only source of his message was from the Word of God Himself.

Application

As was pointed out in the discussion of verse 18, we should be getting our spiritual instruction directly from the Word of God, the Bible. God has ordained preachers as one way of helping us know what the Bible says, but there is no substitute for personal study. If we are not reading and studying daily, then we are missing out on blessings from God and we can be easily misled, just as the Galatians had been.

In God’s service, for His glory,

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Galatians 1:21 – Spiritual Mentoring

Posted on August 9, 2007 by admin

Galatians 1:21

Afterward I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia.

Truth to Learn

Every Christian can benefit from encouragement and guidance given by an older, more mature saint.

Meaning Explained

In the previous verses Paul has been writing about the early years of his Christianity and his ministry. Immediately after his conversion he began to witness to the Jews in Damascus then he went to Arabia to continue his years of learning through experience. Three years after his conversion, as we saw in the previous two verses, he went up to Jerusalem to spend some time with Peter. After spending 15 days with Peter, Paul now tells us that he went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia.

First of all, let’s look at why he left Jerusalem, then we’ll look at where he went from there. He had come to Jerusalem because there was so much opposition to his powerful message in Damascus. Barnabas brought him to Jerusalem and introduced him to the apostles (Peter and James) where he shared his conversion testimony and the boldness of his preaching in Damascus. While spending time with Peter, Paul was not a silent witness, for he regularly disputed with the Hellenist. Hellenists are Jews who have been brought up reading the Greek translation of the Old Testament (the Septuagint). With Paul’s understanding of the Hebrew and the Jewish traditions from his schooling by Rabbi Gamaliel and his thorough understanding of Greek (the language commonly spoken in Tarsus where he grew up), he was able to argue the deeper meanings of the Scriptures. The Hellenists didn’t like Paul’s powerful arguments and they couldn’t refute them so they plotted to kill Paul. This is revealed to us in Acts 9:27-29.

Then, according to Acts 9:30, members of the church in Jerusalem escorted him out of Jerusalem to Caesarea, and from there to Tarsus. Tarsus is in the region that was, at that time, called Cilicia. Tarsus was Paul’s home town, and he continued doing there what the Lord had called him to, witnessing about Jesus being the Christ. It was in Tarsus that Barnabas later met up with him again and brought him to Antioch (in Syria) where he spent at least a year.

Acts 11:25, 26a Then Barnabas departed for Tarsus to seek Saul. And when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. So it was that for a whole year they assembled with the church and taught a great many people.

We know very little about Barnabas except what is in the passages above and later verses in the book of Acts describing the joint mission that Paul and Barnabas embarked on to spread the gospel message. What is significant is that Barnabas seemed to take Paul under his wing to guide him and help bring out the best in Paul’s obvious skills in preaching the word.

Application

Is there a younger person (spiritually speaking) in your church who needs a little encouragement and guidance to help him or her grow in their Christian walk and witness? Perhaps God wants you to be a Barnabas for that person.

Is God calling you to be a spiritual mentor for someone else?

If so, are you spiritually mature enough yourself to be a mentor? Are you willing?

In God’s service, for His glory,

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Galatians 1:20 – Swear to God

Posted on August 8, 2007 by admin

Galatians 1:20

(Now concerning the things which I write to you, indeed, before God, I do not lie.)

Truth to Learn

There are times when it is appropriate to swear an oath and there are times when it is not.

Behind the Words

The expression, “before God, I do not lie” is more than a strong assertion. This is a declaration of a formal oath with
God as Paul’s witness standing before him.

Meaning Explained

Paul has just explained that he did not receive the gospel message from any man and certainly not from the other apostles of Jesus. However, he is teaching against the legalizers who have crept into the churches in Galatia. Their claim appears to be that they got their message either from an angel or from the apostles. These same false teachers who would make such a claim would also likely try to discredit what Paul has just written to the churches in Galatia. Therefore, Paul does an interesting thing; he swears an oath concerning the truthfulness of what he has just written.

This is consistent with other things Paul has written, for instance:

I tell the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Spirit, (Romans 9:1)

On the surface, this oath of Paul’s appears to be in opposition to the teaching of Christ. According to Matthew’s gospel, Jesus said:

But I say to you, do not swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is God’s throne; nor by the earth, for it is His footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. Nor shall you swear by your head, because you cannot make one hair white or black. But let your “Yes” be “Yes,” and your “No,” “No.” For whatever is more than these is from the evil one. (Matthew 5:34, 37)

Jesus’ teaching at this point, however, was against the practice of the Pharisees in which they would swear an oath on almost any occasion and had numerous ways of legally rescinding the oaths. They were known to even going so far as to have the high priest declare the oath null and void. Jesus was not teaching that swearing an oath (as Paul has done here and as is done in a court of law today) is forbidden, but that frequent and frivolous swearing of oaths was wrong. In fact, even an angel is seen swearing an oath in Revelation 10:5, 6.

It is in this same manner that Paul now swears an oath before God, that he received neither his commission nor his message from the other apostles or an angelic being.

Application

Today it is not unusual to hear people say “I swear to God” and it is usually done in a flippant or frivolous manner. That’s the type of swearing that Jesus taught against and it is wrong for us to do. It is usually a person of questionable honesty who resorts to frequent swearing in order to support what is being said. When a person of great integrity swears and oath, however, it has meaning.

The next time you are tempted to swear an oath, imagine that Jesus is standing next to you and that you are looking Him in the face as you proclaim the honesty of what you are saying.

In God’s service, for His glory,

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –