WEEK TWO

Week 2

"Shackled By Your Past"
(a study in Galatians)

THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK

Have you wept over your past and been, in a sense, tormented in your thoughts because you didn’t come to know Jesus earlier? Rest, beloved child of God, for God saved you when it pleased Him. His promise is there to comfort and assure you that the Sovereign God—the God of all flesh—is able to cause all things, even your “before Christ” days, to work together for good. He will use them to make you like Jesus. 

So, like Paul, take God at His Word. He does not lie. He stands by His Word to perform it. Forget those things which are past and press on toward the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:7-14). You are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works which God has foreordained for you to walk in (Ephesians 2:10). Go forward in faith.

DAY ONE

This week we want to take a good look at Paul, the one who wrote the epistle to the Galatians. Not only is there much to learn about Paul, there is also much to learn from his example. Paul challenged the Corinthians to be imitators of him, even as he was of Christ Jesus (1 Corinthians 11:1).

Read Galatians 1. Watch the progression of events in Paul’s life. Mark every reference to time in a distinctive way. You may want to put a clock like this next to the time phrase. List in your notebook what you learn about Paul from this chapter. Save space for other insights you’ll want to add to this list later.

DAY TWO

Read Galatians 2. Once again, observe the references to time and the sequence of events. Add what you learn about Paul to your list.

To gain a good overview of Paul’s life and ministry, study the chart called “SEQUENCE OF EVENTS IN PAUL’S LIFE AFTER HIS CONVERSION” (end of document). Then look at the map to note many of the places Paul journeyed. If a place noted on the chart is mentioned in Galatians, highlight the location on the map. (You will not find the region of Judea.)

DAY THREE

Read Galatians 1:11-17 again. This time as you read, think about when God really knew Paul. When did He set Paul apart? What was He going to do with Paul? Compare this passage with Ephesians 1:1-5. Think about what you learn about salvation from these two passages.

Then read Psalm 139:1-17. What do you learn about God and yourself in these verses? Does this passage relate in any way to what you just read in Galatians and Ephesians? Think about it, Beloved.

DAY FOUR

Read through Galatians 1:11-17 again. Then read Acts 9:1-25 and note how the verses in Acts complement and expand your understanding of Paul’s conversion.

As you do this week’s study, you may want to write the cross-references you study today and the next two days in the margin of your Bible. In days to come, you’ll be glad you did this. You don’t always have all your notes with you, but if you write the cross-references in your Bible you don’t have to be concerned. They are there for a ready reference.

To mark cross-references, you would write Acts 9:1-25 in the margin somewhere next to Galatians 1:11-17. Then at Acts 9:1-25 you would write Galatians 1:11-17. This is how you do cross-references.

DAY FIVE

As you continue to take a closer look at Paul, read Galatians 1:18-24 and Acts 9:26-30. As you read and think about Paul’s beginning as a new creation in Christ Jesus, keep in mind the chart: SEQUENCE OF EVENTS IN PAUL’S LIFE AFTER HIS CONVERSION (end of document).

DAY SIX

Read through Galatians 2 again marking every occurrence of the word “justified” and not how a man is justified. The word “justified” means “to be declared righteous.” Compare Galatians 2 with Acts 15:1-33.

How would you summarize the content of Galatians 1 and 2? What is the main theme of subject of each of these first two chapters?

DAY SEVEN

Store in your heart: Galatians 1:15, 16.

Read and discuss: Galatians 1:11-24; Philippians 3:4-7; Acts 9:1-22.

QUESTIONS FOR INDIVIDUAL STUDY

• What about Paul’s conversion interested you most? Why?
• What was Paul like before he became a Christian? Remember to look at Philippians 3:4-7.
• According to Galatians 1:15-16, why was Paul not saved earlier—for instance, when Jesus was still living? What can you learn about salvation from this account?
• Would the same timing of salvation (when it pleased God) apply to you? Although you may not understand the full theological ramifications of this truth, does this knowledge comfort you in any way? How?
• As Paul gives his personal testimony and account of some incidents that occurred after his conversion, why do you think he shared the controversy he had with Peter with the Galatians? What was his purpose?
• Look at the chart “SEQUENCE OF EVENTS IN PAUL’S LIFE AFTER HIS CONVERSION” (end of document), and note what you see about Paul’s faithfulness to God’s calling on his life. What do you see that you can “imitate”?

SEQUENCE OF EVENTS IN PAUL’S LIFE AFTER HIS CONVERSION

SCRIPTURE	YEAR A.D.	EVENT
Acts 9:1-25	33-34	Conversion, time in Damascus*
	35-47	Mostly silent years, except we know that Paul:
Galatians 1:17		Spend time in Arabia & Damascus
Acts 9:26; Galatians 1:18		Made first visit to Jerusalem
Acts 9:30-11:26; Galatians 1:21		Went to Tarsus, Syria-Cilicia area
Acts 11:26		Was with Barnabas in Antioch
Acts 11:29-30, 12:23		With Barnabas took relief to brethren in Judea; Paul’s second visit to Jerusalem; Herod Agrippa I dies
Acts 12:25	44	Returned to Antioch; was sent out with Barnabas by church at Antioch
Acts 13:4-14:26	47-48	First missionary journey: Galatians written; Preconsul Sergius Paulus on Paphos is datable
Acts 15:1-35; Galatians 2:1	49	Apostolic Council at Jerusalem—Paul visits Jerusalem (compare Acts 15 with Galatians 2:1)
Acts 15:36-18:22	49-51	Second missionary journey: 1 and 2 Thessalonians written; 1 ½ years in Corinth (Acts 18:11)
	51-52	Gallio known to be proconsul in Corinth
Acts 18:23-21:17	52-56	Third missionary journey: 1 and 2 Corinthians and Romans written
Acts 21:18-23:35	56	Paul goes to Jerusalem and is arrested; held in Caesarea
Acts 24-26	57-59	Appearance before Feliz and Drusilla; before Festus—appeals to Caesar; before Agrippa—datable
Acts 27-28; 15	59-60	Paul goes from Caesarea to Rome
Acts 28:16-31	60-62	First Roman imprisonment; Epheisans, Philemon, Colossians, and Philippians written—2 years in prison
	62	Paul’s release; possible trip to Spain
	62	Paul in Macedonia: 1 Timothy written
	62	Paul goes to Crete: Titus written
	63-64	Paul taken to Rome and imprisoned; 2 Timothy written
	64	Paul is absent from the body and present with the Lord*

*—There are differing opinions on these dates. For continuity’s sake this chart will be the basis for all dates pertaining to Paul’s life. Others put Paul’s conversion about A.D. 35, his death at A.D. 68.

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