But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ

Galatians 6:14
But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom[a] the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.

There is nothing really in us worthy of boasting about when we belong to Yshua. On the other hand there is everything to boast about Yshua, the living God, who emptied Himself for us. Then in our everyday living on earth, knowing who we are compared to who He is and what He has done for us, the choice is simply to choose between living our sinful lives, or identifying ourselves with Him, by forgoing sinful pleasures. It is natural for us to crave for pleasures if He is not the main focus of our lives.

But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ

Galatians 6:14
But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom[a] the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.

Paul has a deep understanding of Scriptures before he came to know Christ. When he encountered the Lord, all his doctrines made complete sense especially the work of our Lord on the Cross. This sacrificial work is a stumbling block to some and foolishness to others. Yet, when we go out and preach the gospel, the preaching of the work of the Cross must not be diminished in any way. To ignore what was accomplished at the Cross is to rob the Salvation message of its power and the whole reason that our Lord came to die for our sins.

You will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ

2 Peter 1:8
For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

This verse continues from talking about fruits (faith, virtue, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, love) that are developed once we are in the Lord. So when we have developed each of the virtues, we become aware of them. Of course the virtues itself does not always mean we are productive in the Kingdom. However they do indicate we become more and more equipped to serve in the Kingdom.

And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love to one another and to all

While in Athens, Paul could no longer hold off going to visit the Thessalonians, so he send Timothy instead. He was keen to hear of their spiritual journey and progress. Paul revealed that he was suffering from the tribulation where he was. However, he was greatly encouraged from the report by Timothy that the Thessalonians were proceeding very well in their faith.

Paul ends this letter with a prayer for continual direction for the Thessalonians and increase their love to everyone. It is interesting that the prayer also mentions the future event of "the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints" - a reference to the Coming Judgment.




1 Thessalonians 3
Concern for Their Faith

1 Therefore, when we could no longer endure it, we thought it good to be left in Athens alone, 2 and sent Timothy, our brother and minister of God, and our fellow laborer in the gospel of Christ, to establish you and encourage you concerning your faith, 3 that no one should be shaken by these afflictions; for you yourselves know that we are appointed to this. 4 For, in fact, we told you before when we were with you that we would suffer tribulation, just as it happened, and you know. 5 For this reason, when I could no longer endure it, I sent to know your faith, lest by some means the tempter had tempted you, and our labor might be in vain.

Encouraged by Timothy

6 But now that Timothy has come to us from you, and brought us good news of your faith and love, and that you always have good remembrance of us, greatly desiring to see us, as we also to see you— 7 therefore, brethren, in all our affliction and distress we were comforted concerning you by your faith. 8 For now we live, if you stand fast in the Lord.

9 For what thanks can we render to God for you, for all the joy with which we rejoice for your sake before our God, 10 night and day praying exceedingly that we may see your face and perfect what is lacking in your faith?

Prayer for the Church

11 Now may our God and Father Himself, and our Lord Jesus Christ, direct our way to you. 12 And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love to one another and to all, just as we do to you, 13 so that He may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints.

But even if we preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed

Paul sends a letter to the Galatians, first introducing himself as an apostle of Christ and God. Immediately he rebukes them for straying away and being led by false teachings and false gospels. Apparently some of the believers have been opened to some false gospels and may have been genuinely misled. It is most likely subtle changes to the true gospel which can easily fool people into heretical beliefs.

Paul reveals his credentials by giving a testimony of his miraculous conversion from prosecutor to apostle. He mentions the fact that he isolated himself for several years after his conversion, showing that he received an independent revelation from Christ. Yet later he was accepted by the main church in Jerusalem, hence showing that it is a consistent and true gospel that he preached.




Galatians 1
Greeting

1 Paul, an apostle (not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised Him from the dead), 2 and all the brethren who are with me,

To the churches of Galatia:

3 Grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, 4 who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, 5 to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.

Only One Gospel

6 I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, 7 which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. 9 As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed.

10 For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ.

Call to Apostleship

11 But I make known to you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man. 12 For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came through the revelation of Jesus Christ.

13 For you have heard of my former conduct in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God beyond measure and tried to destroy it. 14 And I advanced in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries in my own nation, being more exceedingly zealous for the traditions of my fathers.

15 But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb and called me through His grace, 16 to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately confer with flesh and blood, 17 nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me; but I went to Arabia, and returned again to Damascus.

Contacts at Jerusalem

18 Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter,[a] and remained with him fifteen days. 19 But I saw none of the other apostles except James, the Lord’s brother. 20 (Now concerning the things which I write to you, indeed, before God, I do not lie.)

21 Afterward I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia. 22 And I was unknown by face to the churches of Judea which were in Christ. 23 But they were hearing only, “He who formerly persecuted us now preaches the faith which he once tried to destroy.” 24 And they glorified God in me.

Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never again eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble

In Paul's time and society, as it still is now, there are various idols or spirits being worshipped as gods. The practice of worship to these idols may have involved food being offered or presented to idols, and later for human consumption. Paul points out that the Lord God who created the heavens and earth is the one true God. The other false gods do not matter at all and hence it does not matter if a believer eats the food that has been offered to idols.

Since this topic has been a great debate, Paul understands that there are believers who are unwilling to eat such food. The approach would be one of love, such that believers should not use this as a contentious issue of faith. It should be left to the individual believer to eat or not eat in peace. He urges those who feel it is free to eat, not to cause other believers to stumble by eating those food.





1 Corinthians 8
Be Sensitive to Conscience

1 Now concerning things offered to idols: We know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies. 2 And if anyone thinks that he knows anything, he knows nothing yet as he ought to know. 3 But if anyone loves God, this one is known by Him.

4 Therefore concerning the eating of things offered to idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is no other God but one. 5 For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as there are many gods and many lords), 6 yet for us there is one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we for Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and through whom we live.

7 However, there is not in everyone that knowledge; for some, with consciousness of the idol, until now eat it as a thing offered to an idol; and their conscience, being weak, is defiled. 8 But food does not commend us to God; for neither if we eat are we the better, nor if we do not eat are we the worse.

9 But beware lest somehow this liberty of yours become a stumbling block to those who are weak. 10 For if anyone sees you who have knowledge eating in an idol’s temple, will not the conscience of him who is weak be emboldened to eat those things offered to idols? 11 And because of your knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died? 12 But when you thus sin against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. 13 Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never again eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble.

The salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles, and they will hear it

Paul and the other prisoners and crew of the ship made it to land after the shipwrecked. The place was Malta and the natives were hospitable to them. Several miracles happened here. When a poisonous snake bit Paul's hand, and Paul was did not die from it, the native thought that he was a god. Then Paul healed Publius' father as well as many other sick people they brought to him.


Three months later, they sailed to Rome. Paul was allowed to have some freedom in Rome even though he was in captivity. He was allowed to see other believers and to live in his own house with soldiers guarding him. He called for a gathering of the Jews of Rome and he explained about Jesus using the Old Testament. Some of them believed Paul while others did not. This follows the same pattern of Paul's ministry where he would preach to the Jews first, but this time he could not go to the synagogues because he was under house arrest.

Paul was reminded of a passage in Isaiah that describes the people who hear and see but yet could not understand. Then Paul proclaimed he will preach to the Gentiles. For two years while under house arrest, Paul preached about Jesus very freely as he received people into his home. It is written that he preached wit "all confidence, no one forbidding him." This situation is also God's intervention to use the house arrest to protect Paul while he preached the kingdom of God, unlike other places where the people chased him out of town.

Journey:
Malta - Syracuse - Rhegium - Puteoli - Rome


Acts 28
Paul’s Ministry on Malta

1 Now when they had escaped, they then found out that the island was called Malta. 2 And the natives showed us unusual kindness; for they kindled a fire and made us all welcome, because of the rain that was falling and because of the cold. 3 But when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks and laid them on the fire, a viper came out because of the heat, and fastened on his hand. 4 So when the natives saw the creature hanging from his hand, they said to one another, “No doubt this man is a murderer, whom, though he has escaped the sea, yet justice does not allow to live.” 5 But he shook off the creature into the fire and suffered no harm. 6 However, they were expecting that he would swell up or suddenly fall down dead. But after they had looked for a long time and saw no harm come to him, they changed their minds and said that he was a god.

7 In that region there was an estate of the leading citizen of the island, whose name was Publius, who received us and entertained us courteously for three days. 8 And it happened that the father of Publius lay sick of a fever and dysentery. Paul went in to him and prayed, and he laid his hands on him and healed him. 9 So when this was done, the rest of those on the island who had diseases also came and were healed. 10 They also honored us in many ways; and when we departed, they provided such things as were necessary.

Arrival at Rome

11 After three months we sailed in an Alexandrian ship whose figurehead was the Twin Brothers, which had wintered at the island. 12 And landing at Syracuse, we stayed three days. 13 From there we circled round and reached Rhegium. And after one day the south wind blew; and the next day we came to Puteoli, 14 where we found brethren, and were invited to stay with them seven days. And so we went toward Rome. 15 And from there, when the brethren heard about us, they came to meet us as far as Appii Forum and Three Inns. When Paul saw them, he thanked God and took courage.

16 Now when we came to Rome, the centurion delivered the prisoners to the captain of the guard; but Paul was permitted to dwell by himself with the soldier who guarded him.

Paul’s Ministry at Rome

17 And it came to pass after three days that Paul called the leaders of the Jews together. So when they had come together, he said to them: “Men and brethren, though I have done nothing against our people or the customs of our fathers, yet I was delivered as a prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans, 18 who, when they had examined me, wanted to let me go, because there was no cause for putting me to death. 19 But when the Jews[a] spoke against it, I was compelled to appeal to Caesar, not that I had anything of which to accuse my nation. 20 For this reason therefore I have called for you, to see you and speak with you, because for the hope of Israel I am bound with this chain.”

21 Then they said to him, “We neither received letters from Judea concerning you, nor have any of the brethren who came reported or spoken any evil of you. 22 But we desire to hear from you what you think; for concerning this sect, we know that it is spoken against everywhere.”

23 So when they had appointed him a day, many came to him at his lodging, to whom he explained and solemnly testified of the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus from both the Law of Moses and the Prophets, from morning till evening. 24 And some were persuaded by the things which were spoken, and some disbelieved. 25 So when they did not agree among themselves, they departed after Paul had said one word: “The Holy Spirit spoke rightly through Isaiah the prophet to our[b] fathers, 26 saying,

‘Go to this people and say:
“Hearing you will hear, and shall not understand;
And seeing you will see, and not perceive;
27 For the hearts of this people have grown dull.
Their ears are hard of hearing,
And their eyes they have closed,
Lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears,
Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn,
So that I should heal them.”’[c]
28 “Therefore let it be known to you that the salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles, and they will hear it!” 29 And when he had said these words, the Jews departed and had a great dispute among themselves.[d]

30 Then Paul dwelt two whole years in his own rented house, and received all who came to him, 31 preaching the kingdom of God and teaching the things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ with all confidence, no one forbidding him.