In much of our western world, history is divided into two parts. The dividing line between those two was originally intended to be the advent of Jesus into the world. In the sixth century, the Roman monk Dionysius Exiguus (sometimes called Dennis the Small—Hmmm…how would I like to be called “Edward the Little”) tried to calculate the year of Jesus’ birth, and designated everything after as anno domini (“in the year of our Lord”). We just say “A.D.” The problem was, while his calculations were incredibly accurate after over 500 years, it is almost universally accepted that he was four to six years off. Jesus was probably born in 4-6 B.C.
But the dividing line is important. With the coming of Jesus everything changed. He is the focal point of history, even if not everyone agrees on the details.
In Galatians 1:13-17 Paul recounts the change from BC to AD. Obviously he doesn’t use that terminology, and he doesn’t go into details (we can find those in Acts 9:1-30), but for him everything changed when he met the living Jesus on the road to Damascus. His life could literally be divided in two: before he knew Jesus, and after.
Not all of us have some big, miraculous conversion account, but this is a tool each of us can use when telling our own story. (The old-fashioned word is our “testimony.”) It’s like Mary Magdalene’s description in The Chosen. “I was one way, and now I am completely different. And the thing that happened in between…was him.”
Who have you told your BC/AD story to lately?
BC / AD
September 27, 2022 • Ed Green • Galatians 1:13–17, Acts 9:1–30
Who's your favorite?
September 30, 2022 • Ed Green • Galatians 1:11—2:10
Kevin Beavon, who has written some of our devotions, writes this as part of his bio: he is “the father of one good kid (he likes to keep both his kids guessing which one it is).” That’s great! Paul consistently pushes back against the idea that God plays favorites. He notes that there were some who were esteemed to be leaders of the church in Jerusalem (2:2). He then makes this comment in 2:6 of those leaders: “whatever they were makes no difference to me; God does not show favoritism.” He refers to James, Cephas (Peter), and John, as “those esteemed to be pillars.” In the end, they didn’t add to Paul’s message (2:6) and agreed that he and Barnabas would go to the Gentiles. Respect and honor, yes. Blind submission because of who they were? No. Earlier, the apostle made it very clear: “Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ” (1:10). God didn’t play favorites, and neither did Paul. His goal was to please the Lord, and not men. Many of us struggle with a desire to please others. What kind of damage can be done when others’ opinions matter so much to us? And when do we seek to be seen and recognized, we end up making poor decisions. What would it look like if all of us sought to please the Lord most of all, and not necessarily others we hold in high esteem?
I Spy
September 29, 2022 • Ed Green • Galatians 2:4–5, Acts 15
Here is a controversial question, even as the powers that be decide on the next 007. Six different actors have played the British spy and we are waiting to find out who the seventh will be. So, who is your favorite Bond? History has known some very successful spies. Think Mata Hari, Aldrich Ames, the Rosenbergs. The ability to present a false persona and be totally believable is a scary thing because we always want to be able to trust those around us. In Galatians 2:4-5 Paul says that some false believers had “sneaked in to spy out our liberty” (NASB) and “infiltrated our ranks” (NIV). Their purpose seemed to be to find a way to disrupt the life and faith of the growing Gentile churches and undercut the freedom these new believers were living in. But Paul was not fooled, even though these “false believers” caused no small uproar. The result was what we now call the Jerusalem Council, which is described in Acts 15. These so-called believers, no doubt, felt they were doing God’s work (like Paul had BC), but in reality, were fighting against the truth of the gospel (2:5). It's hard to think that people would do things like that. But is it really THAT hard to believe? We’ve seen people in the past several years say and do some pretty crazy things because they believed they were on God’s side and doing what they thought he wanted for the greater good. But the result has been to further damage the reputation of the Church (and the faith) in our day.
Is anyone beyond God's reach?
September 28, 2022 • Ed Green • Galatians 1:13, 1 Timothy 1:13–16
As a teacher, one of the most powerful tools is that of an object lesson. It helps people to visualize the point you are trying to get across. (The danger, of course, is that they might remember the object, but not the lesson!) There have been times I’ve used a rubber snake, a bicycle wheel, and a Lazy-boy in my sermons. The apostle Paul viewed his own life as an object lesson of God’s grace. In Galatians 1:13, he says “For you have heard of my previous way of life in Judaism, how intensely I persecuted the church of God and tried to destroy it.” When he met the Lord on the Damascus Road, Jesus said that Paul was actually persecuting him. He will later write to his disciple Timothy that “even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief. The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life” (1 Timothy 1:13-16). Paul believed that God saved him as an example of God’s mercy, grace, and patience. He ends the chapter with, “and they praised God because of me” (1:24). It’s like if anybody thinks God can’t (or wont’) save them because of what they’ve done, or how evil they’ve been, God will just hold up Paul as an example, that “See, you are not beyond the reach of my grace!” *Picture is of Drew Peterson, lead pastor at Vibrant, a Christian Church, using bread as an object lesson!