I was just reading Galatians 1:11-24, in which the apostle Paul describes his call to ministry and some of his early years in his new-found faith.
10-12 Do you think I speak this strongly in order to manipulate crowds? Or curry favor with God? Or get popular applause? If my goal was popularity, I wouldn’t bother being Christ’s slave. Know this—I am most emphatic here, friends—this great Message I delivered to you is not mere human optimism. I didn’t receive it through the traditions, and I wasn’t taught it in some school. I got it straight from God, received the Message directly from Jesus Christ.
13-16 I’m sure that you’ve heard the story of my earlier life when I lived in the Jewish way. In those days I went all out in persecuting God’s church. I was systematically destroying it. I was so enthusiastic about the traditions of my ancestors that I advanced head and shoulders above my peers in my career. Even then God had designs on me. Why, when I was still in my mother’s womb he chose and called me out of sheer generosity! Now he has intervened and revealed his Son to me so that I might joyfully tell non-Jews about him.
16-20 Immediately after my calling—without consulting anyone around me and without going up to Jerusalem to confer with those who were apostles long before I was—I got away to Arabia. Later I returned to Damascus, but it was three years before I went up to Jerusalem to compare stories with Peter. I was there only fifteen days—but what days they were! Except for our Master’s brother James, I saw no other apostles. (I’m telling you the absolute truth in this.)
21-24 Then I began my ministry in the regions of Syria and Cilicia. After all that time and activity I was still unknown by face among the Christian churches in Judea. There was only this report: “That man who once persecuted us is now preaching the very message he used to try to destroy.” Their response was to recognize and worship God because of me!
In verse 11, Paul refers to himself as a "bondservant of Jesus Christ" (KJV). The Message version, given above here, translates the word as "slave". Here in the United States we do not have slaves, because it is morally wrong and against the law of the land. However, in Jesus' and Paul's day, slavery was commonplace. That is why both of them made references to slaves and masters in the New Testament. A bondservant was a certain type of slave. We see the term used by Paul, not only in Galatians 1:11, but also in Romans 1:1 and Philippians 1:1. It is also used by James (James 1:1), Peter (2 Peter 1:1) and Jude (Jude 1:1).
The term "bondservant" (Hebrew: "ebed"; Greek "doulos") appears first in Exodus 21:5-6. The Mosaic law allowed a person who had been set free from slavery or servitude to voluntarily pledge to serve his master for the rest of his life. The Scripture describes how the master and slave would seal this agreement by the master piercing the servant's ear in a certain manner, so that the bondservant was "marked for life".
In the case of the apostle Paul, he was a free-born man, who grew up zealously studying the Old Testament Scriptures and practicing his Jewish faith. However, until he came into contact with Jesus Christ, he was a slave to sin. The liberating power of Christ's blood set him free from the power of sin and death (Romans 8:2). As a grateful redeemed, freed man, he voluntarily chose to serve Jesus Christ, his Savior, for life. He chose to become "a marked man", a bondservant.
This choice, submitting constantly to the will of his Savior, led him down paths that he never planned to go. The most ardent foe of the early Christian Church became its greatest 1st century missionary. The greatest enemy of Jesus Christ became His most vocal friend.
If we believers make a choice like Paul's, we will find ourselves similarly "marked" and on a "road less traveled." Jesus Himself proclaimed in Matthew 7:13 that the way to eternal life is a narrow path, while the road that leads to eternal damnation is wide and more heavily traveled.
"Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. 14"For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.
At times we may find ourselves without the company of or approval of many friends and loved ones.
The thing is - - - when we each pledge our soul to Jesus Christ, we go where He leads us, wherever that may be. His Holy Spirit speaks to us through His Word, through trusted and godly advisors, through His "still, small voice" (1 Kings 19:12). It is a sobering decision to decide to follow Christ. When we do, however, the result will be that people will "recognize and worship God"(vs. 24) through our ministries. When we submit to our Savior, HE gets the glory. Our obedience allows other people to see Him, not to see us. The Master is then the focal point, not the servant.
Dear Father, thank you for marking me with Your Holy Spirit, Who is with me all along the path to eternal life. Although the path is at times difficult to follow, You gently and faithfully lead me. Your companionship and comfort are like no other. Home is where You are. I praise You! In Jesus' name, amen.
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