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Pathways Through Paul
Daily Devotional
September 5
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Today's Pathway:
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In today's passage Paul begins to expound on the specifics of the Gospel. He starts by telling his readers that what he is writing is something that he received. If you will remember, he used that same expression when teaching on the Lord's Supper in chapter 11, verse 23. From Whom did he receive this teaching? He received it from the Lord Himself. Galatians 1:11-12 states,
"But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ."
This probably occurred during the three years that he spent in Arabia shortly after his conversion (Galatians 1:17-18). He then opens his teaching by stating that Christ died for our sins. The key phrase here is not that Christ died, but that He died for our sins. The word translated "for" means 'on behalf of" or "for the sake of". It expresses the idea of substitution and thus the substitutionary aspect of the Lord’s death. In other words, Christ died instead of me because of my sins.
Paul then says that this happened "according to the Scriptures". He repeats that at the end of verse 4 as well. It is worth noting that, although he had received instructions directly from the Lord, he still appealed to the Scriptures as the authority. Obviously, no one else had been privy to his conversations with God, so there was no one who could corroborate the truthfulness of his doctrine. But the Scriptures were available to all, and thus provided a perpetual testimony to the validity of Paul's words. Peter treats the Bible in a similar way in II Peter 1:16-20, where he writes,
"For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount. We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts. Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation."
Peter, James, and John had been on the mountain when Jesus was transfigured. They saw His glory with their own eyes. They heard God the Father speak from Heaven with their own ears. They were eyewitnesses to the truth! Yet Peter says in verse 19 that he had a "more sure" word of prophecy. He had something even better than his own eyewitness experience. According to verse 20, that which was even more sure was the Scripture.
In verse 4 Paul specifically mentions that Jesus was buried. This is an important fact which is often overlooked. First, it fulfills the prophecy made in Isaiah 53:9 which reads,
"And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death".
Second, it provides additional proof that He was truly dead. The Romans would never have allowed Him to be taken from the cross to the tomb until they were sure of His passing. Joseph, Nicodemus, and the women would certainly never have buried Jesus if there was any possibility that He was still alive. Third, the fact that there was a tomb which could be sealed with a Roman seal and guarded by Roman soldiers, and which three days later was empty, gives even greater testimony to the fact of the Lord's resurrection.
Tomorrow we will look at the proof of the resurrection of Christ.
Pastor Mark J Montgomery
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