“For I would have you know, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me [the apostle Paul] is not according to man.” (Galatians 1:11)
This verse gets to the heart of the religious apathy problem often seen in today’s culture. It is a very small minority that have an open hostility toward the Bible, but the majority view seems to be that they can use and discard the teachings of the Bible at will. We mistreat it like a good self-help manual or financial planner. Take the parts you like; leave out the rest.
I do that with books all the time. I read a lot, and I often find myself grabbing on to sections which I find wildly useful and then dismissing the very next chapter as rubbish (or at least boring). In an era of information overload, we have to be discriminating and filter out the stuff we don’t want… right?
Except the Bible can’t be filtered. It can’t be because God wrote it, not man. It must be treasured and conserved and never dismissed. It is a holy tome and worthy of full devotion and preservation. We must take it all and apply intensity to our commitment because these words are not according to man; they are according to God.
Matthew 4:4 #Biblebites
Today’s Reading: Galatians 1:11-24
Questions to ask:
- How is Paul feeling as he writes today’s passage? What is his mood?
- What are the central themes in Paul’s preaching and teaching which are being emphasized, or how are the central themes in this epistle being emphasized in today’s reading?
- How does our reading show Paul’s people skills, especially how he handles conflict?
- What in this passage would change the lives of the believer(s) being addressed? How does it make me a better disciple?
- How does this show the “good news” of the gospel? How can I share that with someone else?
This year, #Biblebites are following the life and writings of Paul. If you would like a copy of the reading schedule, you can view it here: https://eastlandchristians.org/news-events/2023-vision