Monday, June 23 13 Of course, you heard about my conduct formerly in Ju′da•ism, that I kept intensely persecuting the congregation of God and devastating it; 14 and I was making greater progress in Ju′da•ism than many of my own age in my nation, as I was far more zealous for the traditions of my fathers.—Gal. 1:13,14. Before Paul’s conversion to Christianity, he had what seemed to be a promising future. He had studied Jewish law with one of the most famous teachers of his day. He had received authority from the Jewish high priest. (Acts 9:1, 2; 22:3; 26:9,10) 1 But Saul, still breathing threat and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest 2 and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that he might bring bound to Jerusalem any whom he found who belonged to The Way, both men and women. 3 “I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Ci•li′cia, but educated in this city at the feet of Ga•ma′li•el, instructed according to the strictness of the ancestral Law, and zealous for God just as all of you are this day. 9 I, for one, was convinced that I should commit many acts of opposition against the name of Jesus the Naz•a•rene′. 10 This is exactly what I did in Jerusalem, and I locked up many of the holy ones in prisons, for I had received authority from the chief priests; and when they were to be executed, I cast my vote against them. Yet, all of that changed when Paul realized that Jehovah was no longer blessing the Jews as a nation. Paul recognized that a career in the Jewish system had no value from Jehovah’s point of view; it had no future. (Matt. 24:2) 2 In response he said to them: “Do you not see all these things? Truly I say to you, by no means will a stone be left here upon a stone and not be thrown down.” This former Pharisee went so far as to say that compared with his new, enlightened understanding of God’s purposes and the privilege of the Christian ministry, what he once thought was important he now considered to be “a lot of refuse.” Paul abandoned his pursuits in Judaism and dedicated the rest of his days on earth to preaching the good news.—Phil. 3:3-11, 15; Acts 9:15. 3 For we are those with the real circumcision, we who are rendering sacred service by God’s spirit and boasting in Christ Jesus and who do not base our confidence in the flesh, 4 though I, if anyone, do have grounds for confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinks he has grounds for confidence in the flesh, I have more: 5 circumcised the eighth day, of the nation of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew born from Hebrews; regarding law, a Pharisee; 6 regarding zeal, persecuting the congregation; regarding righteousness based on law, one who proved himself blameless. 7 Yet, the things that were gains to me, I have considered loss on account of the Christ. 8 What is more, I do indeed also consider all things to be loss on account of the excelling value of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have taken the loss of all things and I consider them as a lot of refuse, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in union with him, not because of my own righteousness from following the Law, but because of the righteousness that is through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God based on faith. 10 My aim is to know him and the power of his resurrection and to share in his sufferings, submitting myself to a death like his, 11 to see if at all possible I may attain to the earlier resurrection from the dead. 15 Therefore, let those of us who are mature be of this mental attitude, and if you are mentally inclined otherwise in any respect, God will reveal the above attitude to you. 15 But the Lord said to him: “Go! because this man is a chosen vessel to me to bear my name to the nations as well as to kings and the sons of Israel. w12 6/15 3:10, 11
Posted on: Tue, 24 Jun 2014 03:29:38 +0000
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