Galatians 1:18
Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to visit Cephas and remained with him fifteen days.
What is your earliest memory? How old were you? My earliest memories are of a large front yard, a horse in a small barn out back, and playing golf with those plastic clubs with big heads and an even larger plastic golf ball. I was four and we were living in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. In terms of other memories, there are bits and pieces here and there until I was seven or eight and then I could start sharing a lot more information. Once you reach adulthood, you can tell a rather detailed history of your latter years…but would you ever essentially skip over a three-year gap?
“Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem…”
Paul experienced a radical transformation, to say the least, but instead of rushing back to the birthplace of Christianity (Jerusalem) to consult with Jesus’ original Apostles…Paul stayed put, spending at least some of those three years in Damascus preaching the Gospel (see Acts 9). What he did with the rest of his time, the scriptures do not reveal. Perhaps he went into the Arabian desert to work through his new found faith with the aid of the Holy Spirit. As well as he knew the Jewish bible—the Old Testament—the knowledge that Jesus was indeed the promised Messiah must have blown his mind as he looked back over the great messianic prophecies found throughout its pages. It was probably like going from black and white film to full-blown technicolor! It had to be quite a convicting time for Paul, as well.
Three years of preparation…that sounds familiar.
Paul spent three years being taught by the Holy Spirit and perhaps Jesus himself. The other Apostles spent three years doing ministry with Jesus and obviously being taught all along the way. None of them came away from that period knowing all there was to know…but all of them knew enough. Amazingly, although Paul had never trained alongside the other Apostles, once they came together, there was no real difference in what they were teaching. They had the same source of truth which is why they had the same message. Does your gospel match the Biblical Gospel? Do your personal opinions match God’s as revealed in Scripture? Whether the issues are cultural, political, monetary, relational, or otherwise…if your personal positions cannot be squared with God’s Word, yours are wrong. There is no room for negotiation.
One final thought.
Paul began to share the Good News right after he was converted. Yes, he spent three years learning and growing before he ever met another Apostle, but once he was saved, he wasted no time in sharing that news with others…and even contending for the faith. None of us are expected to be a Paul the day after we come to Christ, but we are expected to share the revelation that we have received ourselves. You don’t need an advanced degree in theology or three years of seclusion. Your personal testimony is enough. Are you ready to give an answer for the hope that you have (1 Pet 3:15)? Just share your story!
- This is who I was before Christ.
- This is how I met Christ.
- This is who I am now that I am in Christ!
