|
||||||||||||||
 |
|
|
||||||||||||
Commentary on "Paul: Apostle to the Gentiles"
Day 1: Sabbath Afternoon, September 24, 2011 - Introduction
Overview
The intended theme for this quarter is that of the gospel message of Jesus Christ as outlined in the Epistle of Galatians. We must understand that there is only one gospel message of Jesus Christ which is the same message and only gospel for both Jews and Gentiles with the Apostle Paul being Jesus’ personally selected messenger to deliver this gospel to the Gentiles.
This week’s lesson begins by presenting the credentials and short biographical sketch of the Apostle Paul before beginning our study of Galatians in the following weeks.
Memory Text: (Peter speaking to the ‘circumcision group’ in Jerusalem defending his contact with Gentiles)
When they heard this they became silent. Then they glorified God, saying, “So God has granted repentance resulting in life even to the Gentiles!” (Acts 11:18 HCSB)
Observations
In the book of Acts the Apostle Paul’s first name mentioned is ‘Saul’ which was his Hebrew name that means ‘asked for’ or ‘prayed for’ and alludes back to when the Hebrew people asked for or demand a king, King Saul. Early into his ministry of preaching the gospel message he adopts the use of his Roman Latin name of ‘Paul’ which means ‘small and humble’. Even though we find that he wrote the majority of the New Testament epistles he considered himself ‘the least of the apostles’ because of his early persecution of the church, 1 Cor. 15:9.
Paul’s special ministry was to the Gentiles but the gospel he preached was the one and only gospel intended for all those who would join the kingdom of God, both Jews and Gentiles, Gal. 1:6-9. We must keep in mind that the Jews were the one ‘fold’ Jesus was referring to in the following passage and the ‘other fold’ would certainly have been the Gentiles, all who are of ‘one flock’:
ONE FLOCK, ONE SHEPARD AND ONE GOSPEL MESSAGE
“I am the good shepherd. I know My own sheep, and they know Me, as the Father knows Me, and I know the Father. I lay down My life for the sheep. But I have other sheep that are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will listen to My voice. Then there will be one flock, one shepherd. This is why the Father loves Me, because I am laying down My life so I may take it up again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down on My own. I have the right to lay it down, and I have the right to take it up again. I have received this command from My Father.” (John 10:14-18 HCSB)
Summary
- Saul is a Hebrew name which means ‘asked for’ or ‘prayed for’ and alludes back to when the Jewish people demanded a king like the nations around them. In doing so they were rejecting God’s direct leadership of their nation through godly appointed judges and prophets, I Sam. 8:19-22 & 10:17-19.
- Paul is a Latin name which means ‘small’ or ‘humble’. The implication is that as God’s personally appointed apostle to the Gentiles Paul now considered himself as one who could only direct all glory to God.
- As we will soon learn as we begin our study the book of Galatians Paul preached one gospel message for both the Jew and the Gentile as one body of Christ the church with one Shepherd Jesus Christ.
Copyright 2011 BibleStudiesForAdventists.com. All rights reserved. Revised September 19, 2011. This website is published by Life Assurance Ministries, Glendale, Arizona, USA, the publisher of Proclamation! Magazine. Contact email: BibleStudiesForAdventists@gmail.com.
The Sabbath School Bible Study Guide and the corresponding E.G. White Notes are published by Pacific Press Publishing Association, which is owned and operated by the Seventh-day Adventist church. The current quarter's editions are pictured above.
Official Adventist Resources
Standard Edition Study Guide Week 1
Teacher's Edition Study Guide Week 1
Easy Reading Edition Study Guide Wk 1
Search the Complete Published Ellen G. White Writings
Please Support This Project
