BRAIN CELL WALKING

I WAS ABLE TO FIND ONE BRAIN CELL STILL WORKING AND PUT IT TO WORK ON VERSE 12. HERE WE SEE PAUL SAYING THINGS FROM TWO MAJOR EVENTS IN HIS LIFE. THE FIRST IS THE MAJOR BUTT KICKING HE GOT ON THE DAMASCUS ROAD. THE SECOND IS HIS BEING CAUGHT UP TO THE THIRD HEAVEN. OFTEN THE THINGS NOT SAID ARE JUST AS IMPORTANT AS THE THINGS SAID. HERE WE SEE SEE PAUL STATING THE EVENTS IN HIS LIFE AS FACTS. WHAT IS MISSING IS THE FALSE PIETY THAT IS COMMON IN OUR CHURCHES TODAY. PAUL NEVER SAYS WOE IS ME, LOOK HOW BAD I HAVE IT? I AM SURE YOU HAVE HEARD PREACHERS SAY SOMETHING LIKE, "IF JESUS SUFFERED ALL THAT FOR ME, I NEED TO DO IT ALSO" THIS SELF CENTERED PIETY IS SOMETHING PAUL NEVER DOES. WITH HIS DISCIPLINE AND THINKING CORRECTED, HE NOW KNOWS HIS PURPOSE AND FINDS MANY WAYS TO CARRY IT OUT. AS IN THOSE DAYS AND TODAY, PRISON GUARDS KEEP THEIR EARS OPEN FOR WHAT THE PRISONERS ARE UP TO. PAUL GIVES THEM THE GOOD NEWS KNOWING THAT THEY WILL GO BACK AND TELL THEIR SUPERIORS. MANY WOULD THINK THERE WERE ESCAPE PLANS IN THE WORKS, THEY WOULD REALLY EAT UP WHAT THE GUARDS SAID. NO DOUBT THAT SOME OF THOSE THAT HEARD WERE THE ELECT AND NOW KNEW HOW THEY COULD RESPOND POSITIVELY TO THE GOSPEL.
JUST IN CASE PEOPLE DID NOT UNDERSTAND HIS CONDITION OF BEING IN JAIL, HE POINTS OUT THAT HIS REAL POSITION IS IN CHRIST, AND THE ROMAN CHAINS MEAN NOTHING. BECAUSE OF THIS POSITIONAL TRUTH HE IS BOLDER WITH NO FEAR IN HIS ACTIONS AND EXPECTS ALL CHRISTIANS TO FOLLOW LIKEWISE. NOW IN VERSE 15 WE SEE PAUL MENTIONS FALSE TEACHERS AND THEIR EFFORTS WOULD BE IN VANE. HOW DID HE KNOW ABOUT THEM? HE COULD HAVE SEEN IT HAPPEN TO JESUS OR LEARNED ABOUT IT ON HIS LITTLE TRIP TO THE THIRD HEAVEN. IN VERSE 17 WE SEE THAT PAUL CONFIRMS HE IS A CALVINIST AND TELLS US THAT HE WAS THE CHOSEN NOT THE CHOOSER. BEING CHOSEN AND POSITIONALLY IN CHRIST IS WHAT MADE PAUL A HAPPY CAMPER.
IT IS INTERESTING TO NOTE THAT IN THESE FIRST 19 VERSES, THIS IS REVELATION THAT WAS GIVEN TO PAUL ONLY. KEEP IN MIND THAT PAUL NEVER SAID THE SAME THING THAT JESUS SAID WHEN HE WAS ON EARTH. JESUS NEVER SAID WHAT PAUL SAID AND VICE VERSE. THIS IS IMPORTANT IN UNDERSTANDING THE THINGS PAUL SAYS AND WHY.