Paul McKenzie

Memory Verse, Friday, March 27, Galatians 1:17

"neither went I up to Jerusalem to them which were apostles before me; but I went into Arabia, and returned again to Damascus"

All scholars can do is speculate about this period. In the following verse it says that "after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter. So, the way I read it, we don't know whether he went on a three-year "sabbatical" for a period of time and then returned to Damascus, or whether he went briefly to Arabia and returned to the place of his conversion.

The scholars were no help, so all we can do is speculate. In my thinking, no matter the length of the time frame, Paul must have been living in a whirlwind. If we read his testimony right, he very well could have been sitting at the spiritual feet of Jesus, for he insists that his gospel was directly from Jesus.

It may very well have taken him a long period of time to contemplate the Scriptures he had known and synthesize them into the true Gospel. Afterward he would be going first to the Synagogues: "they came to Thessalonica, where was a synagogue of the Jews: and Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them…" (Acts 17:2).

I bring this up because this is where the Bible was preached, and the rabbis "knew their stuff", so he had to be quite prepared. In His great wisdom, Jesus picked one of their best, as we will see, to reveal Christ to them. Jesus Himself said this of the wise who become saved: "Therefore every scribe which is instructed unto the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old." (Matthew 13:52).

When I see this, I see how even before the Spirit touches the heart of a lost person and brings them to the Kingdom, he has been "pre-groomed" with the natural gifting which God prepares in them so, when they are called for His purposes, they are already equipped with abilities to accomplish that purpose.

I think of that with my own life. When I was a kid, I was a sports nut, and when I couldn't go out and play, I created games, making game boards and playing them like baseball, football, etc., and even had my own players and figured out their averages as they played.

When I came to Christ, I utilized this "gift" by making "Bible Games", so now I have games made for every book in the Bible which, when I play, I am able to memorize outlines, synopses and verses of each book by simply playing games. Later, I learned music which led me to memorize His word through song. It was by teaching a Christian friend guitar that God used to lead me to Him.

Not quite the impact the Apostle had, but it was a little talent that God has used to help not only me, but others with what little talent I possess from Him.

So when I read this, I think Paul was learning how to utilize his new nature, and formulate a systematic teaching of the Gospel, shown probably most fully in his letter to the Romans. And we will see that the great knowledge given him was commended by the Apostles as bona-fide Scripture. We'll dwell a little on that tomorrow.

What I see here gives me encouragement, how even the great Apostle would need time alone to digest what the Lord was teaching him, without distraction, probably much prayer and study as Jesus imparted unto him words that have breathed hope and knowledge to all who came after him.

And we need it too. These tiny devotionals, sitting all alone in the early morning, meditating on Scripture and prayer prepares me each morning to "set my affections on things above, not on things on the earth", so I begin each day walking in the Spirit.

Then I look and discover what works God has prepared for me. How exciting it is to be a child of the King!

Today if you hear His voice, harden not your heart.

*KJV used*

Memory Helps

"neither WENT I I up to JERUSALEM
to them which were APOSTLES BEFORE ME;
but I WENT into ARABIA,
and returned again to DAMASCUS"

(Words per line: 6-7-5-5)

Here I can learn "the end before the beginning", since three of the four lines are geographical: Jerusalem/Arabia/Damascus, with "Apostles" on the second line. "Jerusalem Apostles into Arabia/Damascus"

Making small phrases like that also helps you remember your "anchor words", from which you go back and memorize the rest of the line. Also I noticed the "went I/I went" in lines 1 and 3.

Also I noticed the "ttww" phrase in line two: To Them Which Were. And "to Jerusalem to…" linking 1 and 2.

Seeing all those "w's", personally, I might "Elmer Fudd" the word "returned" and then look at each phrase like this: "Went I, which were, I went, and weturned". Doing that gives me a chuckle and makes the verse a little more unique, which the mind loves to grasp.

Linking verse numbers:

My buddy "graduation DouG" (D or T=1, G or K=7, vowels fillers) is my memory character for verses 17. He's always in a High School graduation outfit because I graduated at age 17, and it reinforces the number for me. Here he also is wearing a big bushy bow Tie (T=1) to remind me that this is chapter 1.

For his graduation, he is going to go on a little vacation, and visit spots where Paul went. First, he is going to Jerusalem and see where the Apostles lived. Then he will go to Arabia and finish his trip in Damascus. He is holding a map showing this, which will help me link all of this to Galatians 1:17.