During the difficult days when Kim and I decided to walk away from the denomination we were part of and resign our credentials as Ministers, a friend who had previously gone through the same process suggested I read and meditate on the book of Galatians. He said it was of great benefit to him during that process. I did what he suggested, and even two years on this one book still impacts me about how I had once thought and believed the truth in one way (about covering, accountability and freedom especially), only to see in black and white the Apostle Paul skiting about doing the very opposite of what I had believed. Reading Galatians helped release me from my guilt of stepping free from constraints and gave me a different Biblical framework from that which I had previously used.
But I make known to you, brothers, concerning the Good News which was preached by me, that it is not according to man. For neither did I receive it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came to me through revelation of Jesus Christ. (Gal 1:11, 12)
This really hit me, because Paul publically declares that what he preaches comes from no man and has NOT been taught to him by man but by God. Imagine a person saying that in church today or in Bible College! I remember realising that my ministry had primarily been built on what I had picked up through being with other believers and interpreting the Bible and the world through other men and church culture. I realised that I had been lazy, and built my faith on hundreds of assumptions built one upon another, but untested by going to the true source. All I wanted God to do was answer my prayers and back up my plans and assumptions, I did not really seek true revelation. 95% of my faith was the family culture I was raised in and the churches I had been immersed in, with a smidgion of flavour from the ministry books I read and the sermons I heard. This scripture pulls us straight into one central truth, each human being must have a living two way relationship with their creator, everything else is an absulote minor.
I didn't immediately confer with flesh and blood, nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me, but I went away into Arabia. Then I returned to Damascus. Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to visit Peter, and stayed with him fifteen days. (Gal 1:16)This is the bit that I had never noticed before. Did Paul when he feels 'the call' go and check with the leaders of the church? Did he do the accountability thing? Did he make sure that he was under the covering of the Apostles? The brutal fact is he does not. And he does not excuse himself, instead, again and again in the next verses he reemphasises that he did not hook in with the Apostles for three years and even when he did he came as an equal. Later on he points out:
But from those who were reputed to be important (whatever they were, it makes no difference to me; God doesn't show partiality to man)--they, I say, who were respected imparted nothing to me. (Gal 2:6)
These passages are just a snippet of what impacted me. I encourage you to sit down and read the book from end to end in one go. Read it in its original context. For me the biggest thing that grabbed me was that Paul acted out and boasted about doing the opposite of everything I had been taught, trained, and believed was appropriate Christian leadership behaviour. It was this initial step that began the journey for me to start looking at all my "Christian Assumptions" to find out what was truth and what were just great ideas from men.
I realise that we all read the Bible in different ways and carry different convictions, these are simply mine. I am not here to argue if you see differently
