COMMENTARY ON GALATIANS
LESSON NUMBER 8
Gal 1:13 “ For ye have heard of my conversation in time past in the Jews' religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the church of God, and wasted it: 14 And profited in the Jews' religion above many my equals in mine own nation, being more exceedingly zealous of the traditions of my fathers.”. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Galatians 1:13-14
MY CONVERSATION IN TIME PAST
INTRODUCTION
Paul is establishing the fact that he preached the true Gospel to the Galatians. The effects that it had wrought among them was a singular proof of its power and effectiveness. However, once blinded by an erroneous gospel, they had forgotten the effectiveness of the true one. That is one of the unavoidable results of embracing “another gospel.” The thinking that follows such an error in judgment is disastrous. It alters what people conceive to be the main thing. It removes from their thinking the pillars of reason upon which sound thinking is founded. It causes them to live for a different reason, and to see the Scriptures from a different perspective. Once diverted from the strait and narrow way that leads to eternal life, they begin to spend their time on unprofitable things, and occupy themselves with theological trivia. If, in the past, you were captured and intrigued by an erroneous gospel, you already know such things are the truth. Now, with the diverted Galatians, Paul must affirm something that ought to have been obvious. He will have to rehearse something that, when they were first turned from darkness to light, never entered their mind to question. Actually, what they had now believed had thrown them into a worse state than they were in at the first, when they were quick to believe and obey the Gospel. Men may debate about how tolerant believers should be of differing beliefs, but it is all bantering that is of no profit. It is the knowledge of the truth that makes men free (John 8:32), and it is the embrace of the lie that casts them into bondage. God will never use a lie to establish His people, and Satan will never use the truth to blind them. When the love of men grows cold, it is because iniquity abounds, not because the truth has been embraced (Matt 24:12). Thus, as a wise masterbuilder, Paul begins to the work of extricating the Galatians from error – snatching them, so to speak, out of the fire (Jude 1:23).
MY CONVERSATION IN TIME PAST
Gal 1:13a “For ye have heard of my conversation in time past in the Jews' religion . . .”
One of the tests of a true message is the past versus the present life of the one who proclaims it. At some point, an identity had to be formed between the individual and the Son of God – His exclusive Representative. That identity assumes the severance of one from his former identity, transformation, and the embrace of a new reason for living. Where this has not taken place, the message that is being delivered is open to question, to say the least. “Newness of life” (Rom 6:4) is precisely that, and Paul will now establish that the life he is living is, in fact, a new life.
YE HAVE HEARD. Other versions read, “you have heard, no doubt,” NRSV “news has come to you,” BBE “you have surely heard,” NJB and “you know.” LIVING Because of what Paul was doing, and the stark contrast of that with his former manner of life, it was general knowledge how Paul lived before. It was the contrast of that former life with his present life that sparked the report – not mere intrigue with the way Paul used to be.
MY CONVERSATION. Other versions read, “conduct,” NKJV “manner of life,” NASB “way of life,” NIV “life,” NRSV“the way . . . lived,” GWN “course of life,” MRD “behavior,” YLT “my career,” WEYMOUTH and “my . . . career . . . manner of life.” AMPLIFIED
Although what Paul DID is included in this expression, that is not its focus. He is speaking of the manner, or direction, of his life – WHY he was living, and what he was devoted to. Even at that time, he was not living strictly for himself, even though he was out of the way. Only God speaks consistently of WHY men live, and of the reason that compels them to live as they do. The Pharisees, for example, lived an outwardly spotless life (Matt 23:25-28). Yet Jesus charged them with loving “the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues, and greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi” (Mat 23:6-7). They lived for the recognition of men – that was their “manner of life” (Matt 23:5).
By using the word “conversation,” life is depicted as a kind of dialog that is speaking to those who see the individual. It is speaking of priorities, objectives, intentions, and values. There is a sense in which two differing manners of life are like an ongoing debate, presenting arguments in favor of living as men do. No one can live without this kind of conversation.
IN TIME PAST. Other versions read, ““former,” NKJV “previous,” NIV “earlier,” NRSV “ I once lived,” GWN“my earlier career,” WEYMOUTH and “my earlier career.” AMPLIFIED
Clearly, there is a line of demarcation between the past and the present, the then and the now, the previous and the contemporary, and the earlier and the latter. In “time past” there was a different and vastly inferior motivation for living. It may have been acceptable among men, but not before God. Even trying to establish one’s own righteousness, which was involved in Paul’s former life, was not a correct motive. That is because it moved one to not submit “themselves to the righteousness of God” (Rom 10:3). That is to be compared with living in such a manner as to be “found in Him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith” (Phil 3:9). Making every effort to do what is right is, from one perspective, very good. Yet, from another view, it is not at all right if it is not moved along by a quest for “the Kingdom of God and His righteousness” (Matt 6:33).
In my judgment, this is one of the most misunderstood teachings of Scripture. Men are often content to try and do their best – as though there was merit assigned to such an imagined accomplishment. God has a higher purpose for man than simply doing what is right – particularly as it regards doing what they are supposed to do. Jesus said, “So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do” (Luke 17:10). The righteousness God looks for in men is His own – the righteousness which “comes from God on the basis of faith” NASB (Phil 3:9). Paul will now contrast his former manner of life with that objective.
THE JEWS’ RELIGION. Until Christ, “the Jews’ religion” was the only valid religion in the world. That is because it was a revealed religion. Moses said of it, “And what nation is there so great, that hath statutes and judgments so righteous as all this law, which I set before you this day?” (Deut 4:8). Only the Jews had a religion that accurately represented God. Only they had a law that precisely defined right and wrong, bringing “the knowledge of sin” (Rom 3:20). Only their religion had ceremonies that were “the example and shadow of heavenly things” (Heb 8:5), and a law that was “a shadow of good things to come” (Heb 10:1).
This is the religion to which Paul, then Saul, was devoted. He was not serving the Roman gods, or any other gods of man’s making. He gave no honor to the laws of the Assyrians, the Babylonians, or the Egyptians, or the Grecians. He was singularly devoted to what God had revealed to the Jews, thereby separating them from all other nations. He was not a moral profligate or degenerate, purposeful deceiver, or practitioner of curious arts.
I PERSECUTED THE CHURCH OF GOD
1:13b “ . . . , how that beyond measure I persecuted the church of God, and wasted it.“
Paul now focuses on a particular activity to which he had devoted himself. It was a paramount transgression, although, at the time, he was not aware of it. Jesus said the eternal destiny of men would be determined, in part, by how men treated His brethren, the saints (Matt 25:40,45). The love of the brethren is also said to be evidence that one has passed from death unto life (1 John 3:14). It is Paul’s grasp of these things that compelled this candid confession of something that was generally known, but had been forgotten by the Galatians.
BEYOND MEASURE. Other versions read, “how intensely,” NIV “violently,” NRSV “cruel without measure,” BBE “did my best to,” CJB “an extreme degree,” CSB “excessively,” DARBY “savagely,” NET “no limit,” NJB “mercilessly,” LIVING “furiously,” WEYMOUTH and “furiously and extensively, and [with fanatical zeal did my best].”AMPLIFIED
In “time past,” Paul was not content to debate, speak against believers, or simply malign their character. He knew that this is not how God had directed the Jews to deal with false religion. Concerning a false prophet the Jews were commanded, “But thou shalt surely kill him” (Deut 13:9). When confronting those of their number who served other gods, the people were to “stone them with stones, till they die” (Deut 17:5). This is precisely how Paul viewed the Christians, particularly those who were Jews. It is why he reasoned that he “ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth” (Acts 26:9).
By saying he did this “without measure,” he meant there was no extent to which he would not go to stamp out what he believed to be a religion that promoted a false god. He did it with zealous fury, without mercy, and with consistent cruelty. All the while, he was doing it with a good conscience before God, even though his conscience was not bearing a valid witness (Acts 23:1). In an extraordinary way, he fulfilled the word Jesus delivered to His apostles on the eve of His betrayal: “They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service” (John 16:2).
I PERSECUTED THE CHURCH OF GOD. This is a unique phrase, used only by Paul (Acts 20:28; 1 Cor 1:2; 10:32; 11:22; 15:9; 2 Cor 1:1; Gal 1:13; 1 Tim 3:5). He alone also used the expression “church of the living God” (1 Tim 3:15). This is the God Paul formerly thought he was serving, when actually he was opposing Him. Such a sin ranks high on the spectrum of transgression when those who commit it think they are serving God in such opposition. From a human point of view, this makes recovery the more difficult.
A person can oppose God no more directly than when he launches an initiative against His people. This is a paramount sin, transcending all forms of moral depravity. Yet, I have rarely heard any sinner confess the transgression involved in their former hatred and rejection of the people of God. Somehow, this does not rank high on the order of sin as perceived by men.
Saul of Tarsus, Paul’s former identity, initiated a persecution against believers after the martyrdom of Stephen. “As for Saul, he made havoc of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison” (Acts 8:3). He continued, “breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord.” He even went to the high priest desiring letters of authorization to seek out “any of this way,” and bring them bound to Jerusalem (Acts 9:1-2). Some time after his conversion he testified to the Jews who were opposing him, “And I persecuted this way unto the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women. As also the high priest doth bear me witness, and all the estate of the elders: from whom also I received letters unto the brethren, and went to Damascus, to bring them which were there bound unto Jerusalem, for to be punished” (Acts 22:5). When appearing before Agrippa he confessed, “many of the saints did I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I gave my voice against them. And I punished them oft in every synagogue, and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted them even unto strange cities” (Acts 26:10-11). He wrote to the Corinthians the identical words of our text: “I persecuted the church of God” (1 Cor 15:9). To the Philippians he referred to the zeal that characterized this endeavor: “concerning zeal, persecuting the church” (Phil 3:6).
AND WASTED IT. Other versions read, “tried to destroy it,” NKJV “made havoc of it,” ASV “did great damage to it,” BBE “ravaged it,” DARBY and “spoiled it.” PNT He approached this effort with the zeal required for a single man to stamp out the church of God, ridding the world, as it were, of the followers of Jesus. He did not see this as an impossible task, although such a thing was not possible, because God has established the church. But Saul of Tarsus did not know this. He set out to destroy the church like Israel did the Canaanites that were in the land. He treated them as though they were Amalekites, or Philistines, or Midianites. At the time, the utter impossibility of his mission was not known to him because of how he regarded believers.
I PROFITED IN THE JEWS’ RELIGION
1:14 “And profited in the Jews' religion above many my equals in mine own nation, being more exceedingly zealous of the traditions of my fathers.”
Paul will now compare his former life with the Judaizers who were corrupting the Galatian church (Gal 3:1; 4:17; 6:12-13). They were not as zealous and committed as he was “in time past.” They too are wasting the church in a different kind of way – and it is only in order to maintain Jewish tradition. The maintenance of a good conscience was apparently not involved in the matter. They were rather driven by a factious spirit, which is a terrible taskmaster.
PROFITED IN THE JEWS RELIGION. Other versions read, “advanced in Judaism,” NKJV “was advancing in Judaism,” NASB “went farther,” BBE “made progress,” DOUAY “went much farther,” MRD “outstripped,” NJB “was far ahead,” NLT “prevailed,” TNT “one of the most religious,” LIVING “was becoming a leader,” IE and “advancement in study and observance of the laws of] Judaism.” AMPLIFIED
Here, “profit” does not refer to financial or institutional benefit. It rather refers to the progress and advancement that results from a hearty devotion to the subject at hand – “the Jews’ religion.” Paul was never mediocre, going along with the crowd, and merely blending in with the group. He describes himself as a devoted Pharisee, being “the son of a Pharisee” (Acts 23:6). He “lived as a Pharisee,” which was the “most straitest sect of” the Jews’ religion (Acts 26:5). Other versions read “the strictest sect,” NKJV “the most exact sect,” YLT and “obey the laws of the Jewish faith more carefully than any other group.” IE He was more serious, more precise, and more diligent among that extraordinary group of men. He was not among the customary men of that sect, as were many whom Jesus upbraided for their hypocrisy (Matt 23).
ABOVE MANY MINE EQUALS. Paul advanced far beyond his “equals.” Other versions read, “my contemporaries,” NKJV “of my own age,” NIV “of my generation,” BBE “my equals,” DOUAY and “my companions.” GENEVAThis refers to those living at the same time, and devoted to the same cause. Generally it was all Jews, specifically it was the Pharisees themselves.
I know by experience that there is a certain loneliness that attends such commitment. Most religious men settle for being like their peers, or emulating some other champion of the cause that they embrace. However, there are very few men who excel their contemporaries in the embrace of what they feel to be true. Paul was to his peers what the twelve-year-old Jesus was to the other twelve year olds. He was to his generation what Moses, Joshua, and Caleb was to theirs. He was like Mary compared to Martha, and like the twelve apostles when compared to the multitude of disciples who followed Jesus.
Many professed laborers and ministers are quite content to be locked into mediocrity, and actually fear being noted for excelling, which puts them at odds with the average and commonplace. I am not persuaded there is even a place of leadership available in the real church for those who do not excel their peers. That circumstance is what makes a leader a leader. Such a person is leading people to places he has occupied, but they have not seen before.
BEING EXCEEDINGLY ZEALOUS. Other versions read, “more extremely zealous,” NASB “Having a more burning interest,” BBE “more abundantly zealous,” DOUAY “fanatical,” GWN “limitless enthusiasm,” NJB and “a very fervent maintainer.” TNT
Convinced of the superiority of Jewish wisdom, Paul fervently sought to absorb it, understand it, and carry it out. He was not content with mere second-hand knowledge, nor was he satisfied with simply belching out the party line. The status-quo meant nothing to him. He sought out what he perceived to be the best teaching, the most prolific teachers, and the most profound observations. He was not an average student of the Law, nor was he half-hearted in his commitment to “the Jews’ religion.” He went farther than the others, was more diligent in his pursuit, and was not content to just be a member of the most strict sect in Judaism.
And what is the point of bringing up this matter? The reasoning to me seems to be clear. Will a man so heartily and zealously was devoted to an inferior covenant be half hearted in embracing a superior covenant? Will someone who was so wholehearted toward the teachings of the Jewish fathers be lukewarm and spiritless toward the teachings of the King of kings and Lord of lords? Will he be less devoted to Jesus than he was to Moses? Indeed not!
Paul had proved the level of commitment he had to the Lord from the time he was a young man. There was never any question about his commitment to what he considered to be the truth, or the level of his opposition to what he considered to be a lie. It was totally unreasonable to think of him as a man who was uncommitted to Christ and the truth of the Gospel.
Over the years I have observed the extreme rarity of this kind of individual. I also know of many men who have risen above the lowly plains of mediocrity. To a person, they regret the time they spent in the lowlands of averageness. They will tell you that their religion contributed to their lack of zeal. Although they did not sense it at the time, there was little ring of truth in what they heard, and even less satisfaction. It simply was not worth a hearty and extended effort. But it was not so with Paul, who had the advantage being exposed to God’s Law.