Galatians 1:15

Galatians 1:15

But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb, and called me by his grace,

1.”But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb…”

a. Psalm 71:6 “By thee have I been holden up from the womb: thou art he that took me out of my mother’s bowels: my praise shall be continually of thee.”

b. Romans 1:1 “Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God,”

c. Jeremiah 1:5 “Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.”

1). When all of these passages are studied, it seems evident that the Apostle Paul, before, during and after his time in the womb, God had separated, set him apart, sanctified and purposed him to receive and preach the gospel of Jesus Christ.

2. “…and called me by his grace,”

a. Paul’s conversion.

1). Acts 9:1-6 And Saul, yet breathing out threatening and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went into the high priest,

And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem.

And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven:

And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutes thou me?

And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutes: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.

And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.

b. The passage of course continues, but I want to focus on what Jesus said to him in verse 5.

c. “…it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.”

1). hard [4642 * skleros] [Zodhiates: Dried up, dry, hard, stiff]

2). kick [2979 * laktizo] [Zodhiates: To kick, strike with the heel.]

3). pricks [2759 * kentron] [Zodhiates: To prick, stimulate; Any thing by which a puncture is made.]

4). Paul had been dealt with by the Spirit of God before and here it is revealed that when God did deal with him, Paul resisted him as if kicking with his feet.

d. Also during this call by grace, Paul was knocked off his horse.