Down an Unfamiliar Road

“No amount of good deeds can make up for a bad attitude.” This comes from a movie script and said by a character known as Optimus Prime, who is also known in Japan as “Convoy,” a fictional character from the Transformers franchise. However, even though spoken by a robot, it was written by a human and, therefore, is worthy of examination.

We see this played out almost everyday when someone tries to make up to a person of whom they said or did something that made them feel bad or look bad in the eyes of others. I guess it would take a huge calculator to add up all the times in history that a husband has tried to calm down his wife for something he did or didn’t do that made her angry. But until the bad attitude is taken care of, the bad words and deeds will keep on being repeated.

Not much is written about his in psychology literature because there are so many variables and situations to deal with. But there are articles on why we should apologize and say “I’m sorry.” For one thing, it helps build respect. It’s a two-way street. By saying I’m sorry it shows that you have respect for the person you offended. Then you’ll asking for forgiveness help build their respect for you.

Another thing that happens by saying I’m sorry, is that it breaks down barriers in the relationship so that both can move on to better things. Acknowledging your own mistakes helps you grow and mature. Saying I’m sorry also provides a stronger foundation for the relationship to build on. Look at it this way, offenses are like cracks in the foundation that need to be repaired before the building can continue. And the one element that can repair these cracks is Love.

And each time you say I’m sorry, it makes both of you feel more comfortable and your own integrity is improved so that others will trust you more. If they know how quickly you recognize when you’ve said or did something that embarrassed them and apologize, the more they are willing to forgive. And saying I’m sorry helps bring relief when taken as a promise that you won’t do it again. Even if they are not as quick in accepting your apology, you know you’ve done the right thing.

But there’s a trap involved in each one of these, as Optimus Prime points out, don’t apologize just to get the issue behind you. The more often you apologize and then make no changes in your attitude, the less people will believe you when you say I’m sorry. No matter how many times a person apologizes for yelling “he’s got a gun!” in a crowded theater, if they keep on doing the same thing over and over, then no one will believe them if someone does, in fact, have a gun. As Benjamin Franklin once said, never ruin an apology with an excuse.

But the Bible is not silent on this subject. Jesus explained that when we try to look religious in hopes it will cause people to respect us, when we know there is some word or deed we need to apologize for and haven’t done it, all our praise and worship, testimonies and prayers will not make up for it.¹

And the Apostle James tell us to always tell each other the wrong things we have done. Then pray for each other. Do this so that God can heal us. Anyone who lives the way God wants can pray, and great things will happen.² In other words, not being ready to say I’m sorry will affect your spiritual life as well as your daily life.

But all of this is of little value if it’s only used as a temporary fix to a bigger problem. It’s like putting a small band-aid on a ruptured artery. There must be a change in our attitude. Try to find out what makes us do these things again and again. The Bible gives us a real clues. For instance, King Solomon reminds us that what comes out of our mouth can be either that which promotes life or that which leads to violence.³ And Jesus endorses this same idea when He called the arrogant Pharisees and Sadducees a brood of vipers who were trying to use their tongues to say something nice while they were so awful inside. It’s the hurtful things you say or do that really tells us what’s in your heart.⁴

So giving you wife a bouquet of flowers or handing you children a dollar bill just to make up for something hurtful that you said or did is not enough. Even apologizing is just the start, not the finish of the needed process. We should all keep this prayer of King David in mind: Search my heart, O God, let me know what’s in my heart; test me so I can know what makes me anxious or upset. Point out to me anything that offends you or others, and lead me to the good path that goes on forever.⁵ – Dr. Robert R Seyda

YOU’RE NEVER TOO OLD TO LEARN

With schools all over the country headed toward graduation, I read this story by an individual who did not identify himself by name. But having taught in schools for thirteen years I can relate to it. But it’s more than just the story, it’s the message it brings. I hope you enjoy it.

In looking back, the young gentleman tells how on the first day of school their professor introduced himself and encouraged us to get to know someone we didn’t already know. As he stood up to look around, he felt a gentle hand touch his shoulder. He turned around to find a wrinkled, little old lady beaming up at him with a big smile that lit up her entire being.

She said, “Hi handsome. My name is Rose. I’m eighty-seven years old. Can I give you a hug?” He laughed and enthusiastically responded, “Of course you may!” and she gave him a giant squeeze.

“Why are you in college at such a young, innocent age?” he asked. She jokingly replied, “I’m here to meet a rich husband, get married, have a couple of children, and then retire and travel.” This made him almost double over in laughter. “No seriously,” he asked. He was curious about what may have motivated her to be taking on this challenge of completing her college education at such an advanced age. “I’ve always dreamed of finishing my college education to earn a degree, and now I’m getting one!” she replied with a smile.

After class they walked to the student union building and shared a chocolate milkshake. They became instant friends. Every day for the next three months they would leave class together and talk nonstop. He was always mesmerized listening to this “living time machine” as she shared her wisdom and experience with him.

Over the course of the year, Rose became a campus icon and she easily made friends wherever she went. She loved to dress up and she reveled in the attention bestowed upon her from the other students. She was really living it up.

At the end of the semester they invited Rose to speak at their football banquet. He said he’ll never forget what she taught them. She was introduced and stepped up to the podium. As she began to deliver her prepared speech, she dropped her three by five cards on the floor. Frustrated and a little embarrassed she leaned into the microphone and simply said, “I’m sorry I’m so jittery. I gave up Ensure for Lent and this Five Hour Energy Drink is making my head spin! I’ll never get my speech back in order so let me just tell you what I know.” As they all laughed she cleared her throat and began speaking:

She told them that we do not stop playing because we are old; we grow old because we stop playing. There are only four secrets to staying young, being happy, and achieving success, and they are:

1. You have to laugh and find humor in something every day.
2. You’ve got to have a dream. When you lose your dreams, you die. We have so many people walking around who are dead and don’t even know it!
3. There is a huge difference between growing older and growing up. If you are nineteen years old and were to lie in bed for one full year and don’t do one productive thing, you will still turn twenty years old, but you won’t grow any smarter. I am eighty-seven years old now and if I stayed in bed for a year and never did anything I will turn eighty-eight. So anybody can grow older. That doesn’t take any talent or ability. The whole idea in life is to grow up by always looking for opportunities that help you mature.
4. Have no regrets. The elderly usually don’t have regrets for what they did, but rather for things they didn’t do. The only people who fear death are those with regrets.

She concluded her speech by courageously singing “The Rose.” The whole room grew silent as she sang in her somewhat quivering voice:

Some say love, it is a river, that drowns the tender reed
Some say love, it is a razor, that leaves your soul to bleed
Some say love, it is a hunger, an endless aching need
I say love, it is a flower, and you, its only seed

Its the heart afraid of breaking, that never learns to dance
Its the dream afraid of waking, that never takes the chance
Its the one who won’t be taking, who cannot seem to give
And the soul afraid of dying, that never learns to live.

After she finished, she challenged each of person in the hall to study the lyrics and live them out in their daily lives.

At the years end Rose finished the college degree she began all those years ago. Then, just one week after graduation Rose died peacefully in her sleep. Over two thousand college students attended her funeral in tribute to the wonderful woman who taught by example that it’s never too late to be all you can possibly be.

Remember, GROWING OLDER IS MANDATORY, GROWING UP IS OPTIONAL.

I was thirty-four years old before I was able to go back to college to finish my undergrad education. It would take another ten years before I experienced the joy of walking across the platform to receive my doctorate degree in theology. I’ve never stopped wanting to learn. I’ve found that it gives me a purpose everyday for being here on earth.

Each morning now, my wife Aurora and I pray and tell the Lord that we are ready to serve Him in whatever way He chooses to use us. That’s why we can’t wait to wake up in the morning looking for the plans God has for us each day. You are going to grow old whether you want to or not, but continuing to grow up is your decision. We’ve decided that rather than spending our day we want to invest in our day so that instead of ending at the end feeling spent, we end up feeling enriched. – Dr. Robert R Seyda

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

by Dr. Robert R. Seyda

PAUL’S LETTER TO THE GALATIAN CHURCHES

CHAPTER ONE (Lesson XIII)

Methodist Bible scholar Adam Clarke (1760-1851), has an interesting explanation of what he feels Paul is talking about when he refers to “this wicked world.” From Clarke’s perspective, these words cannot mean created nature, or the earth and its system, nor even worldly people. Created nature is the environment in which we live; worldly people cannot be avoided. In fact, they are those who, when converted, form the Church, and by the successive conversion of sinners the Church grows and is maintained. The followers of God must live and labor among sinners in order for them to be converted. As Clarke sees it, the Apostle, therefore, must mean the Jews, and their system of legal ordinances; laws based on their customs and teachings that makes life hard to live,¹ including their whole religious structure, which mandated burdens of obligations that neither they nor their ancestors were able to carry².³

John Edmunds (1801-1874) touches on a point here in verse four not often seen in commentaries on Galatians. From what he writes, we can conclude that because God the Father “gave His Son for us,”⁴ it must be seen as different than, “He gave His Son on our behalf,”⁵ or to put it another way, “on our account.⁶ This distinctly declares the death of our Christ to be a “sin-offering,” a willing sacrifice for the sins we committed. It is only here in Paul’s salutation that the Doctrine of the Atonement is introduced, says Edmunds, and it appears that Paul did so for a special reason. His argument with the Judaizers involved convincing the Galatians to exchange the sacrifice of our Christ under grace for the sacrifices of animals under the Law. How could they come up with any rite, ritual, or ceremony that could overshadow what Jesus did for them on the cross.⁷ Furthermore, once the animals are sacrificed they were then eaten by the priests, but after the Lamb of God was sacrificed, the Father raised Him from the grave to live forever. Why, for one thing, because He never needed to be sacrificed again.⁸ Perhaps this is what passed through our Christ’s mind when He told His disciples, this is my body given for you; this is my blood shed for you as a sacrifice on your behalf.

Alvah Hovey (1820-1903) feels that it is better to retain the article (“the”) in verse five of the original text before the word “glory.” That would mean that “the glory” referred to must be either that which is due to God for His gracious will in the work of redemption, or that which “especially and alone belongs to God,” and is, therefore, a definitive glory. In this way the Apostle enriches his address and salutation to the churches of Galatia with the principal truths which he is about to defend as the only true Gospel. Among these truths are the sacrificial death of our Christ, His resurrection by the power of God, His divinity and union with the Father, His direct agency in making Paul an Apostle, and the fact that all this was done in obedience to the Father’s will.⁹ That is “the eternal glory” of God the Father that Paul is referring to.

Irish professor and theologian W. A. O’Conor (1820-1827) sees the leading doctrine of the Gospel and its practical result distinctly stated in here in verse four. It was the tendency of the Judaizers to lower the death of our Christ to the normal level of a common death. This was the reason why Paul was so vigorously opposed the introduction of Jewish practices into Christianity. Our Christ died for our sins, not in the way that a Jew, accustomed to rely on formal offerings in the Temple, would suppose, but with the view of delivering us from the kingdom of evil. Furthermore, for O’Conor. “Age” or “eternity” primarily relates to time, and is used to express the duration of this world or the next. Here it means the spirit or fashion of this world, and deliverance from it means acquiring the tastes and spirit of the world-to-come. Our Christ died to enable us to live according to the laws of eternity, not according to the immediate and urgent claims that our life here on earth is all we’ll ever have.¹⁰

American Baptist clergyman and missionary George Whitefield Clark (1831-1911), makes a good point here in verse four that we should always keep in mind. When Paul noted that the Lord Jesus our Christ “gave Himself for our sins.” But let us not forget that He also gave Himself to His ministry; gave Himself to ridicule; gave Himself to be beaten; gave Himself to be hung on a cross; and yes, gave Himself to die as a sacrifice for OUR sins. Not that He substituted for us, there was no place for us on Mount Calvary; only a spotless Lamb qualified for that cross in the middle, and so He gathered up all the sins of the world and took them to the cross as a willing sacrifice to pay the price for forgiveness and freedom from the death sentence that hung over OUR heads, not HIS head¹¹.¹²

Marvin Vincent (1834-1922) is quick to point out that when Paul talks here in verse four about how our Christ gave Himself for us that we could be saved from the influence of this sinful world, it is in an ethical sense, involving the course and current of this world’s affairs as corrupted by sin.¹³ That’s why Paul uses the Greek verb enistēmi which means “close at hand, present.” He does this in contrast with the world-to-come. We see this same word used again and again.¹⁴ Furthermore, Vincent disagrees with those expositors who say that this world implies the period of wickedness and suffering that will precede the second coming of our Christ. This would imply a limitation on our Christ’s atoning work meant only for the period before He returns to set up His millennial kingdom. It’s more than that, it is our eternal salvation tied to eternal life.¹⁵

The Reverend Frederic Rendall (1810-1906) believes we need to understand that by simply using the term “sacrifice for sin” to define what our Christ did on the cross, it does not carry the full impact that it should. The writer of Hebrews felt the need to make it clear that there were various sacrifices made on the altar in the Temple.¹⁶ He quotes from the Psalms where it says that God was not pleased with many of the sin offerings made through the sacrifice of animals.¹⁷ It involves the difference between “Forgiveness” and “Atonement.” Under Jewish ceremonial law, forgiveness was repeated each time a sin was committed, but atonement was made only once a year. The penalty one paid to cover one’s sins could be anything from a small dove to a lamb or goat. But the sacrifice for Atonement is clearly stated in Levitical Law.¹⁸ The blood of the daily sacrifices were poured out next to the Altar within the Temple Inner Court, but the blood of the Atonement sacrifice was taken into the Holy of Holies. So when John the Baptizer pointed to Jesus and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, which takes away the sin of the world,”¹⁹ he was talking about the Lamb to be slain for Atonement. And as in the case of Jesus our Christ, it would not be done once. His one sacrifice was sufficient for all time from that day on Mount Calvary on into eternity.²⁰

Scottish theologian and preacher James Denny (1856-1917), comments with admiration on the central place the death of our Christ on the cross has in the preaching of the Gospel by the Apostle Paul. But another thing that amazes him was that over time there have been many attempts made that, although Paul teaches what he does about the cross, try to dampen it down, to make it less important. This, Denny believes, can be traced to a purely individual interpretation of the death of Jesus. But what these interpreters have come up with has no Scriptural authority behind it because it is, what Denny calls “a theologoumenon.”²¹

Even a casual examination, says Denny, of what they are saying is inconsistent with itself, it represents patchwork made up of ideas from here and there with incompatible elements as an answer to what they see is as a crisis of controversy over their cloaking the cross of our Christ with doubt. But there is no denial that the words of the Apostle Paul have such virtue in them that they combine to lift us up to a higher unity in Christian testimony and theology. But it is important to point out certain characteristics in Paul’s presentation of his teaching which place an impressive barrier in the way of those liberal-minded professors and preachers who try to get around it.

Foremost is the assurance with which Paul expresses himself. The doctrine of the death of our Christ and its significance was not merely Paul’s theology, it was his Gospel as we see here in verse four. It was at the core of everything he preached. It is constantly on his mind – immediately after the mention of the Lord Jesus our Christ, who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present world with all its evils – that, he says to the Galatians later, even if we or an angel from heaven should preach another kind of good news to you that is not the one we preached, let him be cursed²².²³

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

by Dr. Robert R. Seyda

PAUL’S LETTER TO THE GALATIAN CHURCHES

CHAPTER ONE (Lesson XII)

When Paul opened this letter he mentioned that it came not only from him but from all those brethren who were with him at the time he dictated this letter. This in no way should be taken to imply that they helped him write this letter. Rather, that they were in full agreement with what he was saying in this epistle.¹ But it does not rule out that some of them informed him of what they heard concerning the Galatians churches. Paul brings his opening to an end with a big “Amen,” after having ascribed all honor and glory to God the Father forever and ever. We find this phrase of the permanency of God’s glory first in the Song of Moses where he sang: “Adonai will reign forever and ever.”² And this should be the ultimate aim of our lives, ministry, and message; doing and saying what results in lifting up the name of our God and honoring the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus our Christ.

Bruno the Carthusian (1030-1101) reminds us that since our Christ surrendered Himself to be tortured and crucified on our behalf in order to purchase our freedom from sin’s bondage so that He might fulfill the will of the Father, therefore, we should direct all honor and glory to Him for the price He paid for our redemption. The glory for our salvation does not go to the Law or to the philosophy of past or present sages. It all belongs to Him both now and forever. To this Paul says Amen, meaning that it is absolutely true and is affirmed both in heaven and on earth.³

John Calvin (1509-1564) believes that by this sudden exclamation of thanksgiving, Paul intends to powerfully awaken in his readers the contemplation of that invaluable gift which they received from God, and in this manner to prepare their minds more fully for receiving instruction.⁴ And James Haldane feels that Paul’s call for giving all glory to God includes the fact that because His handiwork in the heavens does not reveal His hidden plan of salvation, He sent His Son with the Gospel so that all of His treasures of wisdom and knowledge that is hidden in our Christ could be revealed. This was God’s doing; this was God’s will; this was God’s plan to allow those who believe to become part of the mysterious fellowship with Him that is found through union with our Christ.⁵

John Owen (1616-1683), makes the point that although grace is freely given, it needed to be purchased. That’s why Paul told the Corinthians that it cost God immensely to purchase our freedom from sin’s bondage.⁶ And the Apostle Peter said that it was the precious blood of our Christ.⁷ But this was not a new revelation, Jesus made it clear that He came to give His life as a ransom for many.⁸ As Paul would tell young Timothy, this was the price of our redemption.⁹ So yes, grace is free to us but it wasn’t free to God. That’s why He is called our Deliverer,¹⁰ So since God’s free gift of grace liberated the sinner from the bondage of sin’s captivity, is there anything greater or more satisfying than to serve Him for serving us? That was part of Paul’s declaration here in verse four. Later, he would tell the Thessalonians that part of the deliverance was to free us from the wrath of God to come upon sin and sinners¹¹.¹²

William Law (1686-1761) was a priest in the Church of England who lost his position at Emmanuel College, Cambridge when his conscience would not allow him to take the required oath of allegiance to the first Hanoverian monarch, George I. That was an important thing in those days as the translators of the Authorized Bible (KJV) found out, which caused them to dedicate it to King James in order to get it printed and disbursed. Thereafter, Law continued as a priest and when that too became impossible without the required oath, Law taught privately, as well as wrote extensively. His personal integrity, as well as his theological writings greatly influenced the evangelical movement of his day as well as Enlightenment thinkers such as the writer Dr. Samuel Johnson and the historian Edward Gibbon. Law’s spiritual writings remain in print today.

In one of those writings in which he called for all believers to live a devout and holy life, he wrote about how difficult it was for a Christian to practice humility because of the general spirit and temperament of the world. This then requires believers to live contrary to the world as it relates to ethics, morals, and religion. But he points out that many rich, great, and well-educated individuals in his time were looked upon as imposing figures. They were heralded and applauded by the world. And just in his lifetime, William Law saw many of them die and then fade quickly from view as though they suddenly disappeared into thin air. They were then discarded by the world as if they were mere bubbles of water.

So if that happened to them, then what about those who face the same fate of heaven being lost and how they must lie in their graves waiting for a miserable eternity once they are called to stand judgment. Even though they dedicated themselves to years of service, the current generation feels as though they can do without them and be just as happy as if they were never here. So why would any Christian think it worthwhile to lose even the smallest degree of virtue for the sake of pleasing such undependable peers and false friends like those in the world? Law asks: Is it worthwhile to pay homage to such an idol as this, that so soon will have neither eyes, nor ears, nor a heart, to respect you, instead of serving that great, and holy, and mighty God, that will make all His servants partakers of His own eternity?

Law wants to know, who will let the fear of a false world, that has no lasting respect for them, keep them from the fear of the God, who created them that He may love and bless them with eternal life? And finally, they must consider what behavior the profession of Christianity requires of them with regard to the world. Law says, it can be found in the words of the Apostle Paul who declared his unshakable allegiance to the One Who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil world.”¹³ Therefore, being a Christian and serving God through our Christ implies that one must be delivered from any commitment to this world in order to win their friendship. That goes for every believer who must live contrary to everything this requires to be part of their lifestyle. They and their world will one day pass away, but heaven will never pass away as it awaits all those who remain faithful until the end.¹⁴

Baptist preacher Charles Simeon (1759-1836), preaching on the subject of the great object of our Christ’s coming, focuses on what Paul says here in verse four. As Simeon sees it, the influence of Christianity has certainly raised the level of morals wherever its teachings are disseminated, but complete conformity to the Christian code is rarely, if ever, seen. Where do we find people living according to the pattern of our Christ and His Apostles? Where does the cross of our Christ stand out so clearly that those who look upon it see their sins crucified on its cross-beam, or themselves having been crucified there with our Christ?¹⁵ This feeling is utterly unknown, except among a few; who, for that very reason, are despised and hated by the world of sinners around them.¹⁶ The truth is, that when it comes to practicing what they preach, Christians, in general, differ very little from either Jews or Gentiles. Christianity occupies their heads, but heathenism rules their hearts. They pretend to have faith: but, as for “the faith that overcomes the world,” they know little about it.¹⁷

Simeon goes on to lament that their whole life, instead of being occupied in a progressive transformation of the soul into the Divine image of our Christ, it remains in a state of conformity to the world.¹⁸ Furthermore, the Apostle James says that instead of regarding “the friendship of the world” as decisive proof of their being out of harmony with God’s will end up wanting the world’s friendship, seeking it, and then glorying in it.¹⁹ In Young’s Literal Translation it reads like this: “May counsel [decide] to be a friend of the world, an enemy of God.” The Complete Jewish Bible renders it: “Whoever chooses to be the world’s friend makes themselves God’s enemy!”

Then Simeon makes an appeal to his listeners. Whether or not all that he said so far may not apply to everyone. Furthermore, those who claim to be dead to the world may or may not be as signs and wonders to this current age. Know this, however, that they who achieve such status are not only a light to this world and to all believers, and the only thing that keeps anyone from reaching such higher ground is that the knowledge they claim to have, or all the experience they assert to have assembled is nothing but learned ignorance, and counterfeit belief. Listen to what the Apostle John states so clearly: We know that we are from God and that the whole world struggles under the power of the Evil One²⁰.²¹ In reading this it reminded me of the Apostle Paul’s appeal to the Corinthians that ended with these challenging words from the prophet Ezekiel: “That is why the Lord said, ‘Leave them; separate yourselves from them; don’t touch their filthy things, and I will welcome you.”²²

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

by Dr. Robert R. Seyda

PAUL’S LETTER TO THE GALATIAN CHURCHES

CHAPTER ONE (Lesson XI)

We see that later on in John’s revelation, he was able to see that when the Lamb took the Book of Life from the hands of God, the four living beings and the twenty-four elders knelt before Him and begin to sing this song: “It is right for You to take the Book and break its locks. It is because You were killed. Your blood bought people for God from every family and from every language and from every kind of race from every nation. You made them to be a Holy Nation of religious leaders to work for God. They will be the leaders on the earth.”¹

Then John looked again and saw a multitude of people from all around the world, and they too stood before the throne and before the Lamb and they sang their song to Him: “We are saved from the punishment of sin by our God Who sits on the throne and by the Lamb!” Then all of the angels standing around the throne and around the leaders and the four living beings got down on their faces before God and worshiped Him. They said, “Let it be so! May our God receive worship and shining-greatness and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength forever. Let it be so!”² So our question should be, who in their right mind would surrender such freely given eternal joy for the temporary pleasures which this temporary world offers by selling their soul to Satan? Remember, Paul said that the wages of sin was eternal spiritual death.

All of this, says Paul, is not by happenstance or accident, it is all part of God’s eternal will. Like David said, “I am happy to do Your will, O my God because your Word in my heart is guiding me from within.”³ Paul told the Romans that this guidance from within is due to the indwelling Holy Spirit.⁴ Not only that, but by having the Holy Spirit living and operating in us, we are given a taste of what’s to come.⁵ And this did not come by chance. No, it came because we were chosen to be partakers in God’s promises and glory.⁶ In other words, it is all a gift. It did not come to us because of anything we were, did, or deserved. Oh how wonderful is the love, mercy, and grace of God through our Christ!

So we can only imagine how happy Paul was when he wrote the Romans and told them that they too were chosen to be part of God’s eternal plan of salvation, not only now but forever.⁷ And to the Thessalonians Paul wrote: “May our God and Father make your hearts strong and without blame. May your hearts be without sin in God’s sight when our Lord Jesus comes again with all those who belong to Him.”⁸ So we do not need to wait until the day of resurrection to feel like we belong to Him, we are already His, and His as long as we allow Him to hold us and claim us as His own.

From Augustine of Hippo’s (354-430 AD) point of view, how much more should people refuse to claim the credit for themselves if they perform any good work, when the very Son of God in the Gospel said that He did not brag on Himself.⁹ Nor did He come to do His own will but the will of Him who sent Him!¹⁰ This Will and Glory of the Father, the Apostle now commemorates so that he also, by the example of the Lord who sent him, may signal that he does not seek his own glory or the performance of his own will in the preaching Gospel. Just as he says a little later, “if I were to seek to please people, I should not be called a servant of our Christ.¹¹”¹²

Early church scholar Ambrosiaster (335-397 AD) represents our Christ’s free offer of Himself to redeem us this way: When the human race was still held captive by the devil, the Savior offered Himself to him on our behalf, and the devil was willing to take Him. Our Christ’s purpose was to deceive Satan by the strength of His power. The devil was willing to take Him but would be unable to hold Him, and in that way our Christ was able to remove from the serpent what he wrongfully held captive.¹³ In other words, after Adam and Eve were thrown out of the Garden of Eden, the devil held all of Adam’s descendants hostage while they waited for a Savior to come and redeem them by paying the required ransom. So Jesus showed up and offered Himself in their place so that they could go free. But Satan was the loser because not only did Jesus escape three days after He was taken, but by doing so provided a way of escape for any other of Adam’s descendants who are held hostage to sin as long as they believe in Him and accepted Him as their deliverer.

Furthermore, “It was God the Father’s decision” for Jesus to die. So no matter how hard the self-righteous Galatians tried to be good by their own efforts, and observe all the ceremonies, feasts and customs to be set free, they could never outdo what Jesus did for them in giving His life as a ransom for their freedom, nor improve on God’s decision to provide salvation through the obedience of our Christ. So if they were offended by Paul’s teaching that our Christ’s sacrifice superseded all the animal sacrifices of the Jewish religion, they were in fact questioning God’s decision.

In these remarks, Paul helps us better understand the difference between being certain of who we are, as opposed to being proud of who we think we are. In order to be certain of anything, we must know for a fact what we believe. I cannot remember how many times I’ve encountered believers who were not sure they were really redeemed and set free. They found too many things in their lives that did not measure up to the expectations of others, or the standards of holiness their church taught them to attain and then maintain.

One way to help them understand was by asking if there was any doubt in their mind about their biological birth. Did they have a birth certificate? Did they have the witness of their doctor, their mother and father? Maybe they didn’t turn out to be what their parents hoped for, and in some cases completely disappointed their family; but that does not cancel out the fact they were born into that family. Perhaps some don’t feel that they are all God wants them to be or that they’ve disappointed their heavenly Father. But that does not change the fact they were born again into His family. Paul was certain about his conversion, his calling, and his commission, and so should we. Is there any way a person who is uncertain can change? The Apostle Paul believes so.¹⁴

Most recently, with the growth of the Messianic Jew congregations around the world, their study of Paul’s letter to the Galatians raised concern about how converted Jews are supposed to treat the Torah and Law of Moses in light of what Paul says to the Jews who become believers in our Christ. This is why Messianic Jews are often asked: “Have you read Galatians?” One Messianic Jewish commentary notes that Paul’s use of the Hebrew term “shaliach” (English “apostle”) which means “sent one,” refers to someone on a mission. Such shaliachim were not new, since the Sanhedrin sent out such apostles to Jews who were scattered all around in the nations of the known world at that time.

So Paul was quick to point out that he was not sent by the Church’s Sanhedrin in Jerusalem, of whom James and Peter were high ranking members. But when Paul mentions all the brethren who are with him, some scholars point out that there was a synagogue in Antioch called the “Synagogue of the Christians”, or as it might be rendered, “Synagogue of the Messianics.”¹⁵ So it is important, says the Jewish writer, for any believer, whether they be of Jewish or non-Jewish backgrounds, to understand what was going on here in Galatia.¹⁶

So perhaps we can see why the Jewish converts throughout the churches in Galatia were so irritated by the presence of a growing number of non-Jews in their midst. Could it be that they were the ones who sent for these emissaries from Jerusalem and invited them to come in order to straighten out the situation. The non-Jews were sticking by Paul’s Gospel that the Law was void and no longer necessary for a believer to be true follower of our Christ, but the Jewish members were sure that circumcision and the Torah should still be followed. As a matter of fact, in many Messianic Jewish congregations today, at the beginning both Jews and non-Jews were told to keep the Torah. However, recently, the non-Jewish converts were given a reprieve and may follow the Torah only if they want to.

The Jews saw themselves as God’s chosen from the time of Abraham, while the non-Jews claimed no calling whatsoever, and were only invited in and treated responsibly as the Torah commanded all Jews to do, even to any stranger or foreigner who came to their village. So the Messianic Jews saw themselves as somewhat superior. Why else would they join Peter for a meal and leave their non-Jewish brethren to eat with Paul? We saw some of this in what happened to Paul as recorded in Acts of the Apostles.¹⁷ And perhaps even more, the non-Jews were proud to include the cross as a sign of their deliverance, while for the Jews it was an offensive object. This animosity seemed to follow Paul everywhere he went to establish congregations of Jewish and Gentile believers in Jesus as the Messiah.¹⁸ Therefore, we can conclude that this friction between the Jewish and non-Jewish believers started long before these teachers from Jerusalem ever showed up.

We see that the Judaizers accused Paul of being big-headed. That involves having an inordinately high opinion of oneself; being arrogant or haughty. However, they were not with Paul on the road to Damascus; they did not see the vision he saw and did not hear the voice he heard. Yes, they accepted that he went from a flaming persecutor of the Church to a fiery preacher of the Gospel, but dismissed his claim of being appointed by God. Paul doesn’t spend time putting them down or calling them liars. He offered them the evidence, gave them the facts, and left it up to them whether to accept it or not. As long as God and Jesus knew who he was and that he was telling the truth, that was enough for Paul.

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

by Dr. Robert R. Seyda

PAUL’S LETTER TO THE GALATIAN CHURCHES

CHAPTER ONE (Lesson X)

We learn from Jewish philosopher Philo (20 BC-50 AD) from Alexandria, Egypt, who adopted the Greek culture in place of his Jewish customs, that circumcision was already a hot topic in the Roman and Greek world. His discussions on circumcision, as the Jews clearly perceived it within their religion as a critical identity factor, may serve both to illustrate the tensions that existed in the early Church. This, no doubt, forced the debate that took place in Jerusalem with Paul there to defend his position that Gentiles converted to Christianity should not be forced to come in through the door after being circumcised.¹ After all, Jesus said that He was the door but never mentioned the requirement of circumcision to enter. In one of his writings, Philo acknowledges that the ordinance of circumcision is ridiculed among many people, although  it is an act which is practiced to a smaller degree among other nations, and most especially by the Egyptians, who appeared to him to be the most populous of all nations, and experts in all kinds of wisdom.

But Philo is puzzled that such an ancient custom continued in the spirit of advancement in wisdom and knowledge by Jews and other nations who practice this ritual. After all, this required that myriads of men must be circumcised in every generation, mutilating their bodies in a manner which is accompanied by severe discomfort. However, there are many reasons which might encourage men to persevere and continue a custom which was introduced by previous generations, and it would be most fitting for scholars to discard childish ridicule and investigate the real causes of this ordinance with more discretion and dignity so they might find the reasons why this custom still prevails. Furthermore, that they not be in a hurry in coming to a conclusion without a thorough examination of the facts and be laughed at for the results they present to the world. They must be persuaded to give such a study great weight and importance.

Philo then offers some suggestions that he thinks should be considered: First of all, it is a procedure which can control painful diseases which are difficult to cure. In Philo’s day one such disease was called a “carbuncle.”² The Greek word is anthrax, which also signifies a hot coal because when it becomes inflamed it burns. And this disease is very apt to be generated among those who have not undergone the rite of circumcision. It is highly possible that some would confuse a carbuncle with syphilis. Philo goes on to say that circumcision can secure the cleanliness of the whole body in a way that is suited to the people consecrated to God; with which the Egyptian priests, being extravagant in their case, shave the whole of their bodies believing that some of these evils which ought to be gotten rid of colonate in and lodge under the hair and the foreskin.³ This should give us some insight into why the Jews held the ordinance of circumcision in such high esteem, in addition to it identifying them as descendants of Abraham and children of the Covenant between him and God.

While no Christian church demands that its male members be circumcised before they can join, the rite of water baptism has surely replaced this Jewish ritual with a Christian ordinance or sacrament. And the same disregard and belittlement have been directed toward such baptism, especially the Protestant form of adult baptism. It is a symbol full of spiritual meaning, and one that Jesus our Christ made clear was to go along with preaching the Gospel to the whole world.⁴ But to demand it before accepting a person as a real Christian would take away the importance of willingness in the message of the angel Jesus sent in John’s revelation.⁵

1:4-5 I want to remind you, that in order for Jesus our Christ to set us free from the imprisonment of this wicked world He freely offered Himself to die for our sins. So I say that all glory and honor belongs to God the Father both now and throughout eternity. Amen.

Paul makes a striking statement that would have more effect on the Jewish converts than the Gentile believers in Galatia. These Judaizers were trying to add the value of all the Jewish “trying to be good” laws, ceremonies, feasts, customs and ideology to the work of Jesus our Christ. They felt it made our Christ’s work more worthwhile and effective. But Paul declares in no uncertain terms, that Jesus “chose to die on our behalf.” In the Jewish religion, all the lambs, sheep, goats, cattle, and birds that were force ably sacrificed, not voluntarily, when they were placed on the altar against their will.

When Paul wrote the Ephesians he put it this way, “Live with love as our Christ loved you. He gave Himself for us as a gift on the altar to God which was as a sweet aroma to God.”⁶ In writing to Timothy, Paul made it clear that our Christ gave Himself in exchange for those held by the chains of sin so they could go free.⁷ Then our Christ conquered sin so it could no longer have unbridled and unchallenged power over those whom our Christ set free. To Bishop Titus, Paul wrote: “He gave Himself for us. He did this by buying us with His blood and making us free from all sin. He gave Himself so His people could be clean and want to do good.”⁸

The writer of Hebrews emphasizes the same theme. He wrote that by paying the required price with His blood, our Christ’s sacrifice frees us from the worry of having to obey the old rules and makes us want to serve the living God out of love.⁹ And the Apostle Peter describes this exchange graphically by noting that our Christ took our sins and transferred them to His own body, and then went to the cross to suffer the penalty for our sin, which is death.¹⁰ By so doing, we then benefited from the wounds that He received for the spiritual healing of our own infected souls to make them whole and clean again. And the Apostle John takes it a step further by saying that the price our Christ paid to ransom us from sin’s bondage was not just for a few individuals but for the whole world.¹¹

When we compare what the Apostle John wrote in his Gospel in 3:16, and compare it to what he wrote in his first Epistle 3:16, we see a comparison. In John 3:16 the Apostle told us that our Christ gave His life for us and in 1 John 3:16 he tells us that we should be ready to give our lives for our spiritual brothers and sisters. What exactly does that mean? In my mind, it is another way of saying that any believer should be willing to defend their brothers and sisters even if it means their death. This has been done over the centuries in Rome’s Colosseum, Hitler’s concentration camps, Soviet Russia’s internment camps in Siberia, China’s prison camps, and in numerous other places. I wonder if it ever came to that in the USA, how many of us would gladly step forward?

When Paul talks about our being saved from this present wicked world, he was not talking just about our present salvation from the chains of wickedness that holds the world in bondage, but also according to His promise through Isaiah: “I will make new heavens and a new earth. The past things will not be remembered or come to mind.”¹² When it comes to living free in our present world Paul also explained it this way to the Romans,¹³ and defined it for the believers in Corinth,¹⁴ as well as the Ephesians.¹⁵ So this is not just something Paul thought up because he was upset with the Galatians for becoming so lukewarm in such a short period of time.

Other Bible writers were just as adamant about keeping ourselves from the impurities of the world. In fact, James accused those who did not guard themselves against the contamination of this world as being “a friend to the world and an enemy of God.”¹⁶ And the Apostle John went so far as to say that once a person falls in love with this world they fall out of love with God and His world.¹⁷ John says that all of this is unnecessary since the power of faith within us is greater than all the power of sin in the world.¹⁸

As far as our future salvation from this world in order to be with our Redeemer is concerned, the writer of Hebrews points out that God did not select angels to be leaders in the world-to-come, but that the reason our Christ came into the world was to lower Himself below the status of angels so that in the end He might elevate us to a level above the angels so that in heaven we could share in His shining brightness.¹⁹ The author goes on to say that anyone who disowns this and turns their back on such a great gift is nailing the Son of God to the cross again and again.²⁰ And the Apostle John let his readers know that we have been given the understanding to know that what we have now through our Christ is not only for this world but for the life that will last forever.²¹

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

by Dr. Robert R. Seyda

PAUL’S LETTER TO THE GALATIAN CHURCHES

CHAPTER ONE (Lesson IX)

1:3 We ask God our Father and Jesus the Messiah our Lord to grant you grace and peace.

It’s interesting to note that Paul greets the recipients of this letter by combining a Gentile greeting and a Jewish greeting. He uses chairo (grace) in Greek, which was the way Greeks said hello and goodbye, and shalom (peace) in Hebrew which the Jews used for the same purposes. Although it is not listed here, I’m quite sure that those Jews in the congregation knew of the traditional greeting that King David taught his young men to say once they reached the house of Nabal: “Say, ‘Long life and shalom to you, shalom to your household, and shalom to everything that is yours!’”¹ Nevertheless, this seems to be Paul’s greeting throughout his epistles.²

In one English version of Galatians where the translator attempts to contextualize the thought behind the words from a Jewish perspective, he renders the verse this way: “May Yahweh God our Father always keep you under the constant shower of His free, healing and unconditional forgiveness, infusing you always with the power to live according to His will, making you grow in holiness, keeping you standing in an approved condition before Him at all times, because of our Lord Jesus the Messiah.”³ St. Augustine offers this insight: “It is by God’s grace that our sins are forgiven so that we may be reconciled to God; it is by peace, however, that we are reconciled to God.”⁴

According to South African Jewish Professor William A. Liebenberg, the noun “grace,” as used in the Final Covenant was better known in the First Covenant as “favor.”⁵ Alvah O’Conor (1820-1903), professor and then President of Newton Theological Institution in Newton, Massachusetts also derives the same understanding by stating that “Favor is reconciliation with God effected by the Messiah, and Peace is the spiritual rest that accompanies it. One is the sunshine, the other is the calm.”⁶

But Paul adds a special note to his greeting. He wants the readers to know that he does not speak on his own behalf, but for the One who called him, commissioned him, and anointed him to preach the Gospel. Let’s look at it this way: if you received a letter in the mail signed by someone named, “I. M. Nasty,” you might laugh. But if at the top of the page you see the letterhead: Internal Revenue Service, I’m sure you’d suddenly take agent I. M. Nasty a little more seriously. That’s what the Apostle Paul attempted to do here. He made sure they understood that even though he signed the document, the divine letterhead read “Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.”

Early church scholar Ambrosiaster, whom we quoted earlier, give us his input on what Paul says here. For Ambrosiaster, Paul is pointing out that the human race has been blessed by both the Father and the Son. This is important because the Son is not inferior to the Father when Paul calls Him our Lord, and that the Father is not greater than the Son when Paul refers to Him as our God, because the Father will not truly be the Father unless He is also Lord, and the Son will not truly be Lord unless He is also God.⁷

Early church scholar Haimo of Auxerre pointed out that it is not a house, or a nation or an era in itself cannot be called evil, only if its inhabitants are evil. This is why Paul is praying for their grace and peace because in the next verse he sees them living in a wicked world. He also is puzzled why Paul does not make mention of bishops, priests, or deacons in the churches in Galatia as there were in other churches to whom he wrote epistles. So Haimo concludes that this is the very reason why they were so easily led astray; there was no authority there to guide them and confront these Judaizers.⁸

Bruno the Carthusian believes that part of Paul’s prayer for grace extended to those in Galatia who fell so easily for the false doctrine delivered to them by these Judaizers, and peace to those who persevered and remained faithful to the Gospel. The fact that both grace and peace were being requested from both God the Father and the Messiah the Son is because they were the only ones who could grant such love and mercy.⁹

Martin Luther finds the greeting of the Apostle refreshing. Grace settles sin rage in the mind, and peace quiets the conscience. Sin and conscience torment us, but the Messiah has overcome these monsters now and forever. Only Christians possess this victorious knowledge given them from above. These two terms, grace and peace, constitute Christianity. Grace involves the remission of sins, peace, and a happy conscience. Sin is not canceled by lawful living, for no person is able to live up to all the requirements of Law. The Law reveals guilt, fills the conscience with terror, and drives men to despair. And even less can sin be taken away by man-invented undertakings. The fact is, the more a person seeks credit for themselves by their own efforts, the deeper they go into debt. Nothing can take away sin except the grace of God. In actual living, however, it is not so easy to persuade oneself that it is by grace alone that we obtain the forgiveness of our sins and peace with God.¹⁰

I like the way that Matthew Poole presents his picture of what Paul is saying about Jesus the Messiah sacrificing Himself for sin on our behalf. Even though Jesus was put to death by Pilate at the request of the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem, yet He was not compelled to do so, He did it freely. He laid down His life without anyone taking it from Him by force. In doing so, it is said that He died for our sins,¹¹ or that He gave Himself up for us.¹² It was like a sequence of gifts: He was given as a gift to the world by His Father, then He gave Himself to the world as a gift to pay the price for their sins¹³. So is it any wonder that Jesus would ask His followers to be willing to give themselves up for Him to the glory of God the Father¹⁴?¹⁵

John Bunyan ties what Paul is saying here into his thoughts on the work of the Messiah as our advocate with the Father. There is no reason why Paul could not have heard the Apostle John say that if a believer sins they have Jesus the Messiah as their advocate to plead their case before God.¹⁶ This was one of the offices of the Messiah as our High Priest before the throne of God the Father. And who better than the one who offered Himself on the cross on our behalf as a sacrifice for our sins. Bunyan says that even those convicted of a crime may be properly represented before a judge to plead their case so as to prove them innocent of the charges. So how much better are we represented by the one who forgave us in the first place?

So the ultimate question is this: Is the Lamb of God the one from whom, or through whom, the grace of God comes to us? Bunyan sees it like this, God’s grace proceeds from His throne and down through the Lamb, who now becomes the donor. So when Paul says here in verse three to the Galatians: “Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus the Messiah,” it certainly paints a vivid picture for us to contemplate whenever we are tempted to stray from His abiding presence into the presence of sin.¹⁷

James Haldane points out that grace is important when God deals with mankind because it not only allows God to communicate with mankind but mankind with God. Furthermore, such communication goes both ways through the Messiah. God speaks to us through His Son and we speak to God through the Messiah. That’s why God spoke to Abraham, but the Messiah spoke to Paul. It was the death and resurrection of the Messiah that made all the difference. Therefore, says Haldane, grace reigns through the work of Jesus the Messiah on the cross resulting in our being given eternal life. Haldane indicates that all of the gifts were done by the giver’s free will as a spontaneous act.¹⁸

American theologian, Grant Osborne, Professor of New Testament Studies at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School implies that the true agents behind Paul’s apostolic authority were God the Son and God the Father. Paul is always Trinitarian in his theology, picturing the Godhead as acting in harmony at all times. Notice that the Messiah and the Father are found twice in this greeting – as joint agents of Paul’s apostolic commission, and as the true greeters of the Galatians. Everything Paul will say in this letter stems from the Three-in-One concept. To the Greek way of thinking, any superior could send an Apostle but Paul makes it absolutely clear that it was God and the Messiah who sent him, and they alone. His apostleship is not of human origin but is derived entirely from their divine commission.

Osborne goes on to say that Paul’s authority is attributed to the God “who raised the Messiah from the dead.” The center of Paul’s theology is not the Mosaic law or circumcision, as is the case with his opponents, but the Risen One. Behind his Gospel is the power of the resurrection. The power in the true Gospel is exclusively centered on the Lord Jesus who was raised as the firstfruits for God’s people and inaugurated the new age of the Spirit and the church.¹⁹ When the Galatians surrendered to the false teachings of the Judaizers and returned to the law, they were rejecting this new age and the law’s fulfillment in the Messiah for the unenforceable promises of the Mosaic commandments.²⁰

Marian Wright Edelman is an American activist for children’s rights. She has been an advocate for disadvantaged Americans for her entire professional life. She is president and founder of the Children’s Defense Fund. She made this statement: “Service is what life is all about.” I wonder how many people wake up every morning with the thought: What can I do to help someone today? It is more likely to be: What can I do to make me happy today!”

David Friedlander, of the United Kingdom who is involved in “The Collective,” which offers Whole System Design Living, wrote that earlier in the last century – and up until today, in some places people pumped water from central wells, ground their wheat at central mills, baked their bread at central ovens and even bathed at centralized bathhouses. Primitive manufacturing technology was limited private ownership for many common things to the very rich. The things people needed most were accessed, not owned. However, as manufacturing technology and the ability to exploit the earth’s resources advanced, nearly everyone got his or her own water, oven, and bath.

As a boy living in Germany after World War II, I remember the village where I lived there was a village bakery oven where the women came to bake their bread. In other words, at one time people relied on a central source for many of their needs. We see this today in many villages in Africa and South America. The point here is that these venues were meant to be places of service to everyone, regardless of their name or position in society. As the Apostle Peter said that God showed us His grace in many different ways. So be good servants and use whatever gift He has given us in a way that will best serve each other. ”¹

There is no doubt that we are meant to serve others. Not only does God call us to do so, but serving others is good for our emotional well-being. When we help others, we feel more confident in our abilities. We feel like we have something valuable to offer the world. And that naturally makes us happier as individuals.

Attorney and columnist for “Beliefnet,” Meerabelle Dey, wrote that sometimes we serve others in the wrong way. We serve others in a way that isn’t authentic to who we are. Women are particularly susceptible to this issue. Women are expected to naturally be able to cook, take care of a home and rear children. But not all women are suited to that kind of service. Likewise, men are expected to take care of fixing things around the house, keep the car running in good shape, bring home the family paycheck. But asking people to do what does not come naturally to them is like trying to fit a square peg in a round hole. It doesn’t work.

The key to living an authentic life of service is to use the unique gifts that God gave each of us, not try to copy or emulate the gifts of others. No one has the same exact gifts as you. No one! God gave each of us special talents for a reason – to bless others. So our challenge is to avoid getting caught up in the world’s or the church’s expectations of how we should serve. Instead, we each need to figure out our unique way to make the world a better place.

So what does the Bible say about this? There are many, many verses but here are a few that make the point very well. King Solomon said that the person who blesses others is abundantly blessed; those who help others will end up being helped.² And the prophet Azariah, son of Obed during the time of King Asa in Judah, was moved by the Holy Spirit to go out to meet him. He then gave the King this word from the LORD: You, O King, and the people of Judah and Benjamin be strong! Don’t be weak and don’t give up, because you will get a reward for your good work!³

And Jesus left no doubt in the minds of His followers when He told them that even the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve others and to give His life as a ransom for many.⁴ With this in mind, what would you think – if inanimate objects and animals could speak, if you went in to buy a beautiful candle to light as part of a holiday, and the candle said, “I wasn’t made to burn, just to look pretty?” Or if a lumberjack went to cut down a cedar tree and the tree told him, “Leave me alone! I’m here to soak up nutrients from the ground and rain from the sky so people will take pictures of me!”

After the Apostle Paul met with the elders from the church of Ephesus and headed on to Jerusalem to an uncertain destiny, he wrote his young protégé Timothy who no doubt was worried about him and said: “I have fought the good fight. I have finished the race. I have served the Lord faithfully. Now, a prize is waiting for me – the crown that will show I am right with God. The Lord, the Judge who judges rightly, will give it to me on that Day. Yes, He will give it to me and to everyone else who is eagerly looking forward to his coming.”⁵

Also, the Apostle Peter clearly understood that he, as well as the others, were called by Jesus to be more than just followers and listeners, but doers. That why he wrote that God showed them His grace in many different ways. So be good servants and use whatever gift He gave you in a way that will best serve each other.⁶ And the Apostle James was not hesitant to tell his readers that just as a person whose soul left their body is dead, so the believer whose faith never moves them to do anything is spiritually dead.⁷ And the Apostle John gave a similar warning when he told his readers that our love should not be only words and talk. No, our love must be real. We must show our love by the way we serve others.⁸

So always keep this in mind every morning when you wake up and as you have prayer before starting your day that God called you, redeemed you, chose you, and empowered you to be a light to this world, to let Him use you as His hands, His feet, His ears, His eyes, His touch, and His voice to help others. Think of every day as another opportunity to make the One who died on your behalf on the cross proud of you as the apple of His eye. – Dr. Robert R Seyda

THE SEVEN WONDERS

Having had the privilege of teaching in Bible Schools and Seminary in Europe, Asia, and the USA, this story really rang a bell. Sometimes when asking students to reply to a question for which both I, as the teacher, and the class itself anticipated that I was looking for a particular answer. So it was always refreshing to hear a student express their response from a whole new perspective.

A group of students was asked to list what they thought were the present “Seven Wonders of the World.” Though there were some disagreements, the following places received the most votes:

1. Egypt’s Great Pyramids
2. Taj Mahal
3. Grand Canyon
4. Panama Canal
5. Empire State Building
6. St. Peter’s Basilica
7. China’s Great Wall

While gathering the votes, the teacher noted that one student had not finished her paper yet. So she asked the girl if she was having trouble with her list. The girl replied, “Yes, a little. I couldn’t quite make up my mind because there were so many.” The teacher said, “Well, then, tell us what you have, and maybe we can help.”

The girl hesitated, then read, “I think the ‘Seven Wonders of the World’ are”:

1. To See
2. To Hear
3. To Touch
4. To Taste
5. To Feel
6. To Laugh
7. And to Love.

The room was so quiet you could have heard a pin drop.

The things we overlook as simple and ordinary and that we take for granted are truly wondrous!

A gentle reminder: The most precious things in life cannot be built by hand or bought by man.

After reading over this list, I felt an urge to add what I feel are the Nine Wonders in a Christian believer’s life.

Love

Joy

Peace

Patience

Kindness

Goodness

Faithfulness

Gentleness

Self-Control.¹

These are not your ordinary virtues or ethical properties, but each is a gift from God through His Holy Spirit who transforms our love into different expressions. That means these wonders will never end being a wonder to even the most heartless skeptic. – Dr. Robert R Seyda

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

by Dr. Robert R. Seyda

PAUL’S LETTER TO THE GALATIAN CHURCH

CHAPTER ONE (Lesson VIII)

Christian Jewish writer Avi ben Mordechai notes that the Hebrew word for an Apostle is Shaliach. This is one who is dispatched to carry out the will of the sender. He finds a comparison between the Shaliach and Apostle in Isaiah where it reads: “For just as rain and snow fall from the sky and do not return there, but water the earth, causing it to bud and produce, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater; so is my word that goes out from my mouth — it will not return to me unfulfilled, but it will accomplish what I intend, and cause to succeed what I sent it to do.”¹

The Apostle Paul, being a Jew, knew much about being a Shaliach. He too insisted that he was sent by Yahweh to teach the truths found in the Torah that was now more fully revealed in the Gospel. Mordechai points to the words of John who said, “For the One whom Elohim has sent speaks the words of Elohim. For Elohim did not give Him the Spirit in a limited amount.”² This means, of course, that the one who Yahweh sent must say what Yahweh wants Him to say. And since Yeshua was the replacement that Moses spoke about, that is, the Messiah,³ when the people saw what Jesus did they said that He must be the one Moses was promised.⁴ And just as Moses said to the people of Israel to pay attention to every word of warning he was giving them,⁵ so Yeshua warned His disciples of what was coming in the last days. So surely, says Mordechai, Paul saw the connection between what Moses taught as God’s Word and what Yeshua taught as God’s Word and that Paul was sent to pass on this same God’s Word to the world – the Gospel.⁶

Philip Ryken says that Paul’s epistle to the Galatians has been called the Magna Carta⁷ of Christian liberty. Its theme verse is a Declaration of Independence: “We know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus the Anointed One.”⁸ Whenever the Jews understood this Gospel message, it brought life and freedom to recovering Pharisees of Paul’s era. But it has also worked the same down through history, such as in the case of Martin Luther, Charles Wesley, and others that God used to revitalize the Church as a beacon of freedom from sin through faith, not works.⁹

British scholar Ralph Martin (1925-2013 AD) noted that right at the beginning of his letter, Paul strikes the characteristic note. He is, by God’s own appointment, an Apostle, charged with an authority which no one can dispute. This appointment came to him on the Damascus Road as he both encountered and was commissioned by the living the Anointed One.¹⁰ That’s why Paul’s reference to God was the “One who raised Jesus from the dead.” The Gospel which Paul is commissioned to proclaim has a uniqueness which means that it can tolerate no rival,¹¹ even though those spreading a false “gospel” claimed to have a special revelation¹².¹³

Then Ronald Fung, professor of Biblical Studies at China Graduate School of Theology in Hong Kong, sees the emphatic contrast with which Paul describes his apostleship and that of others was intended to underline its divine origin. This was not to diminish the importance of the Apostles in the Jerusalem Church, reflects a controversial situation in which the dignity, indeed the validity, of his apostolic status is being challenged by the false teachers that invaded Galatia. There is also the possibility that the difference between “not from men” and “nor through man” in verse one might be a reference to the Church at Antioch who set him forth,¹⁴ along with Barnabas who came from Damascus to introduce him to the Church Council in Jerusalem¹⁵.¹⁶

Chinese preacher and writer Vincent Cheung points out that when Paul writes about how the Anointed One gave Himself for our sins, we must realize how relevant that is to us. For one thing, as a positive statement about the Gospel, it counteracts any false gospel that suggests we simply found mercy in God’s eyes because we knew what we did was wrong and wanted the guilt taken away. Cheung says emphatically that we have been “rescued” because, and only because, the Anointed One died to save us.¹⁷ That means, even if we could swim a little, that didn’t matter. It’s not like we were just floating in the river of sin, but without possibly being aware of it, we were floating toward a dangerous and fatal waterfall. The current was already beyond our ability to escape, it would have easily overwhelmed us. No! the Anointed One went over that fall and paid with His life on our behalf so that God could rescue us from eternal damnation.

And then Professor Don Garlington of Toronto Baptist Seminary and Tyndale Seminary tells us that because Paul’s opening is crisp and lacking in the usual mild complimentary greetings that are found in his other Epistles, it should have alerted the readers in Galatia of his dissatisfaction with their sudden turn from what he taught them to what others were teaching them to the contrary. That’s why he turns immediately to address the crisis that is causing him such distress and concern.

Dr. Garlington goes on to say that there are three matters are of importance in Paul’s opening. First, his assertion of the divine origin of his apostleship. The fact that he was commissioned directly by God the Father and the Lord Jesus the Anointed One precludes any human intermediaries or authorities who might want to place an imprimatur upon his mission, most notably the original apostles and/or the church in Jerusalem.

Secondly, Paul is committed to stressing the cross from the outset because of the way it was being downplayed by the Judaizers. It must be emphasized as a matter of great importance that the Anointed One’s death took place “according to the will of our God and Father,” not as an afterthought on the part of God, an accident of history or even a tragic mistake on the part of Israel. For Paul, no Cross, no Gospel.

And thirdly, the threefold mention of God the Father. If we read this greeting in the light of the whole epistle, the repeated reference to the Father is intended to pave the way for one of its outstanding themes, namely, the adoptive sonship of believers in the Anointed One. Thus, our Father is none other than the Father of the Lord Jesus himself. He is the Father who lavished grace upon us through His uniquely beloved Son¹⁸.¹⁹

And Duncan Heaster feels that Paul is really pointing out the authority for his spiritual ministry. That’s why he does not point to any human authorization. As such, he links it specifically to the fact that God raised Jesus from the dead. That resurrection led to the great commission and the Lord’s empowerment of all witness to Him as risen and exalted. But this empowerment is given not only to Paul. Any ministry that is authorized to perform baptisms, offer communion, and declare that a repentant sinner’s sins are forgiven must have God’s blessing and the Anointed One’s approval. Not everyone was given the great commission, only those who learned the teachings of the Anointed One and are empowered by the Holy Spirit have such authorization.²⁰

The Contextual Bible Version renders these first two verses this way: “This letter is from Paul, an Apostle of Jesus the Anointed One, appointed directly by Yahweh God the Father who raised the Anointed One from the dead, and not by any human or by any body of men; and from all the other brothers with me. To the congregations in Pisidian Antioch, Iconium, Lystra, Derbe and other cities in the province of Galatia.”²¹ Another Jewish scholar renders these verses as follows: “Sha’ul, an emissary – not from men, nor by a man, but by Yeshua Messiah and Elohim the Father who raised Him from the dead – and all the brothers who are with me, to the assemblies of Galatia.”²²

Aramaic scholar Andrew Roth in translating verse two has: “To all the brothers who are with me in the congregations that are in Galatia.”²³ This may suggest that there were a number of Galatian believers who went with Paul on his way back to Jerusalem. So now its time for Paul to pray his prayer. J. B. Lightfoot seems to agree.²⁴ Irish professor and scholar Alvah Hovey also believes that this does not mean all the members of the church where Paul was or all the Christians that happened to be present with Paul when he dictated this letter, but rather “all the brethren who are at present my companions in travel and preaching.” Thus, when writing to the Thessalonians, he associated himself with Silvanus and Timothy in his salutation to the church. In the present case, he holds back giving out the names of his associates in the ministry, though he must have communicated to them his purpose of writing the letter, and very likely the substance of the letter itself.²⁵

One reason for their not being mentioned may have been not to jeopardize their position with the Galatians should they be given an opportunity to go back with Paul’s blessing to help their fellow believers in Galatia to reconnect with the Gospel Paul brought them. That way, they would not be seen as spies or undercover agents sent to cause chaos in their thinking and commitment to Jesus the Anointed One. In any case, it was Paul’s decision not to publish their names and no doubt for a very good reason.