Finding Christ – Galatians 1:18-24

Topic: Finding Christ

Reading: Galatians 1:18-24

18 Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to visit Cephas, and remained with him fifteen days. 19 But I saw none of the other apostles except James the Lord’s brother. 20 (In what I am writing to you, before God, I do not lie!) 21 Then I went into the regions of Syria and Cili’cia. 22 And I was still not known by sight to the churches of Christ in Judea; 23 they only heard it said, “He who once persecuted us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy.” 24 And they glorified God because of me.

Introduction and Overview

This is an interesting subject. It is a very important matter that everyone needs to do. The issue at hand here is about finding Christ. And it is of particular interest to those who come together in house churches or small church arrangements.

What we see in these words is the process of Paul finding Christ. His conversion was certainly a dramatic and unique experience. Not too many people are called so dramatically as having a Damascus Road experience like Paul. It was at that time that Jesus first appeared to Paul to call him to the Christian ministry. But it’s what Paul did next that is of interest to us today. It is how he went about finding Christ that is relevant.

Many Christians today will seek a church when they first decide to come to Christ. And when they do come to Christ, some will seek a Bible school to learn about Christ, what He taught, and how to live in Him. Basically, they go to the traditional places where one would expect to find Christ.

But Paul didn’t do any of those things. When he went about finding Christ, he didn’t go off to the church or to those who were Christians before him to learn. Let’s look at what the scripture says.

Key points from reading:

1. Finding Christ is a personal journey
2. You do not need to go off to a Bible school to find Christ
3. We must be diligent in our search to find Christ

Discussion:

1. Scripture: Galatians 1:18-20
   • After Paul’s conversion on the road to Damascus, he was led by the hand into the city. There, he was baptised and had hands laid upon him to receive his sight and to receive the Holy Spirit. You can read all of this in Acts chapter 9.
   • Now what is interesting as we see in this verse in Galatians, Paul did not go back to Jerusalem to find the church. He did not seek out the early disciples and apostle to learn the ways of the gospel and the New Covenant. Instead, he continued on his journey in Damascus and into Arabia, finding Christ as he went along.
   • Paul had a deep understanding of the Old Testament scriptures and prophecies. He had learned them in his training as a Pharisee. But like so many of the Pharisees, Paul did not understand them. He did not recognise the fullness of the prophecies that spoke about the coming Messiah until Jesus revealed Himself to Paul. And it was not until after Paul received the Holy Spirit that the scriptures were opened and revealed to him.
   • It was not until some three years after his conversion that Paul finally went up to the church at Jerusalem where he met with just a few of the early disciples, specifically Peter and James. And he only stayed there for fifteen days.
2. Scripture: Galatians 1:21
   • After a short visit with the two apostles he then left again. And we see Paul explain that he then headed off toward Syria and Cilicia, which today is southern Turkey.
   • Once again we see that Paul did not go to where the established church was located. He didn’t seek out the early church in Judea for the purpose of learning the truth. Instead he was finding Christ by direct revelation from the Lord as he traveled on his way.
   • And the Lord worked with Paul to open his understanding of the scriptures that he had learned from his earlier training. God had a plan for Paul, as it was through him that the fullness of the way the New Covenant workings were revealed. Anyone seeking and finding Christ will gain much because God revealed this truth to Paul, and had him write it down for our benefit.
3. Scripture: Galatians 1:22-24
   • The point is made in these words that Paul was not known by sight to the churches in Judea. The early church and the original Christians did not know him by sight. In fact when we read his story in Acts chapter 9 when he first went back to Judea some time after his conversion, the early church members thought he was still seeking Christians to persecute and lock them up.
   • The early church heard that Paul had been converted. They learned that he was no longer seeking to persecute the church, but instead, he was now a Christian. And it is evident that they were amazed at his transformation. Paul became a powerful teacher of the Christian covenant, especially among the Gentiles. His work among the nations of the Gentiles and his travels to many towns and cities of the Gentiles, spreading the word of truth, greatly expanded the early church.
   • The early church heard these things and discovered many were finding Christ through the work of Paul. And the church praised and glorified God for the transformation of an enemy of the church to become a great worker for the church, and for the work Paul did helping others to find Christ.
   • After finding Christ, Paul’s life showed a remarkable turnaround. And we should note that Paul did not go to those who came before him. He did not go to the first century equivalent of a “Bible school” to learn the truth. Instead, he went directly to the Lord who opened the scriptures by the power and working of the Holy Spirit.
   • And we can do the same today. We do not need to go to a Bible school to find Christ. Finding Christ is in fact best done by going to God first in prayer, asking to receive the Holy Spirit, and studying the words of God in the Bible. When we are diligent in this way, the Lord does and will open His words and the working of His gospel and the New Covenant so we can understand and grow.

Prayer Points

1. Pray and ask God to show you the fullness of the truth by the direct revelation of the Holy Spirit. And if you have not received the Holy Spirit, or are unsure of this, then pray and ask God to receive the gift of the Spirit to be your personal teacher and guide. This is a major part of the work of the Holy Spirit as you can read in John 14:26.
2. Pray and thank God that He does reveal Himself directly to His people. Finding Christ is not difficult, but it requires a dedication to the search if we are to find all that God wants us to find.