Ask the Pastor

By Pastor Scott Denham of Harvest Fellowship, Shambaugh, IA

Clarinda Herald Journal Publication Date : 01/31/2007

 

I Did It My Way?

 

            "In the book of Galatians, Paul received his teaching by direct revelation from God. Is this the pattern to be followed by all believers? To what degree do we need taught be others?

            Frank Sinatra's "I Did It My Way," is the definitive anthem of the self-reliant. Some have sung to proclaim their need of neither man, nor God.

            As Christians, we must find some healthy middle ground, growing in the grace and knowledge of God through the teaching and preaching of God's word, combined with a daily, personal, and growing revelation of God. To put it another way, we must be both able to be self-taught and yet remain teachable by others.

            A careful study of how Paul became mature in his understanding of God reveals both aspects. One the one hand, in Galatians 1:16, Paul writes; “I did not consult any man.” If you read this verse in context, you see that he means that he did not consult with the Apostles (v17-18) or any one person in particular.

            On the other hand, we read in Acts 9:20-23 that Paul spent an extended period of time with the disciples in Damascus. Galatians 1:17 then speaks of his time in Arabia, in which it appears he was actively engaged in ministry (Acts 9:20-27). His total time in Damascus among the believers, and his time in nearby Arabia totaled three years time (Gal 1:18-19).

            When recalling Paul's Arabia excursion, it is common to connect his time in Arabia with the fourteen years mentioned in Galatians 2:1, and conclude that Paul spent that time alone in the desert, sitting on a rock, avoiding the teaching of others, and attending only to the revelation of God.

            This kind of rugged individualism appeals to our Americanism. “I am a rock. I am an island,” Paul Simon sang. I'll do it my way! However, American values do not always rise to the high ideals of Scripture that call us into community and relationship. Paul himself promotes the ideal of the believers as a "body" whose parts are interdependent (1 Cor 12).

            Remember, in Galatians, Paul is merely sharing a portion of his personal testimony, not setting forth dogma encouraging us to shun the teaching of the church. Paul’s understanding of God’s revelation was not divorced from a diligent study of the Scriptures (1 Cor 15:3). His testimony needs to be balanced by the testimony of the early church that “continued in the Apostles teaching” (Acts 2:42). We must also remember that God has appointed Christian leaders to "prepare God's people for works of service" (Eph 4:11-16).

            Nonetheless, we must not minimize the importance of personal, one-on-one time with God. As we spend private time with him, God will reveal, by His Spirit, wisdom that will help us to "know Him better” (Eph 1:17). Learning from God directly, and learning from Him via others, is God’s plan for His people. As in all other things, the wise choose to do things God’s way.

            --Pastor Scott (www.askpastorscott.com)