05 - Galatians 1:18-20

Bible Study Time Galatians
, ,
1

:open_book: Let’s read Galatians 1:18-20 (NLT)

18 Then three years later I went to Jerusalem to get to know Peter, and I stayed with him for fifteen days. 19 The only other apostle I met at that time was James, the Lord’s brother. 20 I declare before God that what I am writing to you is not a lie.

Verse 18

During those years, he was trained by Jesus Himself. With this kind of training, Paul truly became qualified to be called an apostle and provide a trustworthy message.

After his conversion and being trained by Jesus, Paul headed to Jerusalem at last, where he consulted with the apostle Peter (whose nickname was Cephas). Paul was only there for 15 days though, because he had to run for his life after preaching about Jesus (Acts 9:29).

Verse 19

In addition to learning from Peter, Paul met with James, Jesus’ brother. James was serving as a leader in the Christian church of Jerusalem at the time. His book (James) compliments Paul’s teachings on salvation by grace alone quite beautifully.

Verse 20

Since the Judaizers were accusing Paul of being a liar and a heretic, he takes a moment to interject his story here. His saying, “I declare before God” is basically Paul saying, “As God is my witness, I’m not lying to you!” He wanted the Galatians to understand that he was truly sent out by Jesus and was sharing God’s truth.

2

:red_question_mark: Questions: Galatians 1:18-20

  1. Paul eventually went to consult with spiritual mentors. When it comes to spiritual mentorship, how can we tell who’s a good spiritual influence and who isn’t?
  2. After Paul’s conversion, he took some time to be with God, then learn under Peter and James. When is it important to step back from doing “the work” and just sit and learn?
  3. What do you think of Paul’s need to remind his audience that he wasn’t a liar?

:thinking: Things to Think About

Is there a spiritual mentor who has had a big impact on your life? How did they affect you or guide you? How do you discern those who are telling the truth and those who aren’t? Have you ever felt the need to “prove” your trustworthiness like Paul did?

:speech_balloon: Share your thoughts on any of the questions above or add your own insights!