Posted by DaJahVeu [DaJahVeu] on November 07, 1999 at 12:09:37 {zExURjw8QA0hi4VK0MIQoEhE92Gn1k}:
In Reply to: Very fine food posted by NewT on November 07, 1999 at 10:55:01:
I'm sure glad you weren't telling me I needed to start keeping the LAW. You had me worried there for a second. I was about to go back and reread what Paul wrote to the Galatian. I have been missing a lot lately.
One more thing is interesting in the book of Galatians also, and that is: If there was ever a headquarters, organization, or any form of Christan government in Jerusalem, the Paul taugh us how to have contempt for it.
HOW SO???
. Paul stated immediately that he received the Gospel from Jesus Christ himself, not from Jerusalem. Did Paul feel compelled to go to Jerusalem to get the blessings of the brothers there when Jesus gave him the Gospel?
Look at Galatians 1:16 & 17, here we find Paul telling us he went to Arabia, not to Jerusalem.
Well if there was a Governing body in Jerusalem, then Paul must have been eager to go there after Arabia? NOT. Look at verse 17, Paul after returning from Arabia went, not to Jerusalem, but to Damascus.
You'd think by now if a governing body existed in Jerusalem Paul would be eager to see them right? Look at verse 18, it wasn't until 3 years later that Paul went to Jerusalem. WOW!!!
Why did he go to Jerusalem at this time? Was it to report to a governing body? Was it to get approval from some officials there as to the correctness of his doctrine? Look at verse 18 & 19 of Galatians, ch 1. Paul went there to see Peter, and James, Christ's brother.
We can only speculate why he saw only those two, but my speculation is that Paul knew Peter's closeness to Jesus, and he knew James was of the blood family.
Some of the Galatians were also having problems believing this. We know this because of Paul's words in verse 20. Paul knew these early Christians were in Jerusalem, because he persecuted them there. He was present when Stephen was stoned.
Now, do we see Paul directing attention toward or in some quandary about those apostles in Jerusalem? Look at chapter 2 of Galatians, verse 1. It wasn't until 14 years later that Paul returned to Jerusalem.
The famous letter of Acts Ch 15 was nothing more than an apology letter sent to the Gentiles from some who wanted to be leaders.
Why were the disciples in Jerusalem anyway? If we look in Acts Ch 1:4, we see that Jesus commanded them to remain in Jerusalem until the Holy Spirit came upon them. Jesus knew, and had forewarned his disciples of the destruction that was coming upon Jerusalem. He never commanded them to set up headquarters there or anywhere else.
We see in all of Paul's writings the individual churches having autonomy. Paul constantly warned Christians about power seeking individuals who would seek to organize, thus giving power to themselves. SOUND FAMILIAR???