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LEADER'S GUIDE NOTE: Answers are provided for only some of the questions. Many questions are primarily to stimulate discussion and there are no right or wrong answers. 1. Paul tells the Galatians that when God called him to preach among the Gentiles, he "did not receive [the gospel] from any man, nor was I taught it" (v.12) and that he "did not consult any man" (v.16). Why is that information important in the context of this chapter? He is answering the implied question of why should the Galatians listen to Paul instead of the Judaizers? He answered it by furnishing his credentials: (1) his message was received directly from Christ (v 12), (2) he had been an exemplary Jew (v 13-14), (3)he had a special conversion experience (v 15-16, Acts 9:1-9), (4) he had been confirmed and accepted by the other apostles (v 18-19 and 2:1-9). 2. Paul says in vs. 15 that God set him aside from birth and called him to preach. What well-know prophet was also called from birth? (Jeremiah 1:5) Jeremiah 3. Does God know you from birth? How about today? (Psalm 139) Yes. God is all-knowing, all-seeing, all-powerful, and everywhere present. God knows us, God is with us, and His greatest gift is allowing us to know Him. 4. If you felt called by God to preach, what would you do first? Why? Pray? Go to seminary? Talk to other preachers? Try to get a job in a church? Listen to tapes of great preachers? Get involved with planting a new church? Start preaching out on a street corner? Talk about this with group members and read James 3:1-2. 5. Paul says in vs. 16-17 that he did not consult any man or go to Jerusalem, but went immediately to Arabia to preach. Was this appropriate? Paul was already schooled in The Law and prophets, through study with Gamaliel, the best Hebrew scholar of the day. But he lacked guidance by The Holy Spirit when he was a Pharisee, which Christ gave him through His disciple Ananias at Damascus (Acts 9). Some people seem to think that when they get baptized, and receive The Holy Spirit, they then know all of God's Word, and then have no need of study. Even very smart people who have read the Word for many years don't know it all and need to continue with studying it. In the case of Paul, once he received proper understanding by The Holy Spirit, his knowledge of Messiah from the Old Testament was all pulled together in his mind. No doubt, being a persecutor of Christians before, he was also somewhat familiar with Christian doctrine. So don't think that once someone who receives The Spirit, and without knowing The Written Word, that they can just go out and properly teach. 6. What would you think if a person came up to you in church and told you that God had revealed to her that, for example, people who dance are not really saved? What would you say to her? 7. If you want people to believe what you say, do you normally tell them good things or bad things about yourself? Honest testimony is much more powerful than a message of "look at me; I don't drink, I don't do drugs, I'm a good person, I read the Bible every day. You should be like me." 8. Twice in this passage (v. 13 & v.23), Paul reminds the Galatians of his past. What is his purpose in doing so? Many of the Christians well knew about Paul, as he was a great persecutor of their brothers before Christ appeared to him. But as he immediately began preaching Christ, the Churches soon heard that this great persecutor had been turned, and was now doing great works for Christ. 9. Do you know anyone who was once hostile to Christ but is now His follower? 10. If you had to convince someone that Christ is real by giving an example from your own life, what would you say? |
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