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Commentary on "Paul: Apostle to the Gentiles"
Day 7: Friday, September 30, 2011 - Further Study
Overview
Once again we end the week by examining a quote from the pin of Ellen taken from The Acts of the Apostles, p. 124. We will examine portions of what she wrote and compare it to what scripture reveals Paul had to say about himself.
Observations
Here are samples from this Ellen White quote that contradicts what Paul has to say in scripture about his former life before Jesus Christ confronted him on his way to Damascus:
• “Courageous, independent, persevering”
Nothing is said about him being courageous prior to his conversion.
• “his talents and training would have enabled him to serve in almost any capacity”
God didn’t pick him because of his talents. Instead, he was personally molded into the person Jesus Christ intended him to be.
• “He could reason with extraordinary clearness”
We have no examples of his ability to reason given prior to him becoming an apostle. And, compared to how God changed him his old abilities are of no significance.
• “thus transferring a champion from the side of the enemy to the side of Christ”
None of us including Paul are empowered by God because of our existing personal abilities.
• “Paul…..possessed the very qualifications needed in the early church”
The only qualification Paul had was to abandon any of his old ‘self’ and fleshly qualifications and simply be directed and empowered by the Holy Spirit.
In summary, if God was looking for worthwhile abilities he would simply have done everything on his own. After all, an all knowing, everywhere present and all powerful God far surpasses and has no need of our flawed abilities. What God is really asking of us is to simply surrender our lives in faith to him.
Note well how Paul compares his old life as a ‘Pharisee of Pharisees’ with what he had gain in knowing Jesus Christ. Nothing of his old life was of any value and certainly was not why God appointed him before his birth. Nowhere does scripture say or even imply that God ordained him on the basis of his abilities.
But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead. (Phil 3:7-11 ESV)
Summary
- God appointed Paul without ever stating his reason for doing so as an apostle to the Gentiles before he was born. Therefore it had nothing to do with his abilities, righteousness or any character traits that didn’t yet exist. Remember, even Paul declares that our righteousness or fleshly deeds are as filthy rags in the sight of God, Rom. 3:9-18.
- Instead, what we see in the life of Paul is the power and wisdom of God when Paul and any other Christian is totally surrendered to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
- Each of us would do well to emulate Paul and count all things as loss for the sake of knowing Jesus Christ.
Copyright 2011 BibleStudiesForAdventists.com. All rights reserved. Revised September 19, 2011. This website is published by Life Assurance Ministries, Glendale, Arizona, USA, the publisher of Proclamation! Magazine. Contact email: BibleStudiesForAdventists@gmail.com.
The Sabbath School Bible Study Guide and the corresponding E.G. White Notes are published by Pacific Press Publishing Association, which is owned and operated by the Seventh-day Adventist church. The current quarter's editions are pictured above.
Official Adventist Resources
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