I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my people and was extremely zealous for the traditions of my fathers.
Summary: Learning about Jesus can be dangerous if our knowledge becomes our god.
When Paul tells us he was “advancing” in Judaism, what do you think he means? How does one “advance” in being a Jew?
Scripture doesn’t tell us what this means, but we can guess. At the very least, it meant that Paul had earned the trust of the high priest (Acts 9: 1-2). It was the high priest who gave Paul the letters authorizing his mission to Damascus to hunt down and imprison Christians. (At this time, most Christians were Jews who acknowledged Jesus as the Messiah. The Jews who did not accept Jesus viewed the Christian Jews as traitors.)
Paul’s authority was human. He was looking to the Jewish leaders for acceptance and approval. God wasn’t even on his radar. When Paul met Jesus on the road to Damascus, his world was turned “upside down.” Suddenly, the “traditions of his fathers” didn’t carry any weight.
When we come to Jesus, we have a similar challenge. Are we going to be zealous for human traditions or are we going to be zealous for Jesus?
The question is a real one. Sadly, it is still easy to be misguided by human traditions. If we come to faith through “traditional” means, we might end up with a “traditional” view of who God is. What we need, if we want to please God, is a personal relationship with Jesus.
Application: Talk with Jesus personally.
Food for Thought: How do we know if we believe in a “traditional” Jesus or the real one?
Great devotion and great question brother.
Does the Jesus we follow align with what God’s word says about Him? We need to know the word to know the Author. Then we need to seek the Jesus of Scripture by submitting to Him daily and spending time with Him in prayer, worship and service. He calls us to follow Him as Lord in meaningful, daily relationship. Luke 6: 46 – 48; Luke 9: 23; Matthew 22: 37.
Thank you, Rich.
I put a link to the verses you shared here.
Another passage that comes to mind is Revelation 21: 6-8.
12-30-2023, How do we know if we believe in a “traditional” Jesus or the real one?
Great question and references by Rich!
Christian faith does not come from the words of men, but comes from Word of God, who firmly plants our faith into our hearts as we walk with Him.
1 Corinthians 2:14, Romans 10:17, 15:13, Ephesians 2:8-9,
Those who accept the faith given by God will seek spending more time with our Lord in studying and applying His word, His truths to our lives as we travel through the process of being transformed into the being God desires. God’s Word will become our filter of truth as we listen to the words communicated by others. God’s Word will become the power for spiritual growth, as we become small, Christ becomes big, and we seek live in the standard, the high bar of conduct which will only be achieved to the degree we submit to His revealed will and power in our lives.
As we grow we will learn to live in now, find joy in serving others, begin living within God’s Sovereign will as we look forward to our separation from this flesh and complete unity with our creator.
This life and more can only come as we walk in step with the real Jesus.
(Scripture link added – je)
Ron,
I like how you point us to the changes that happen in our lives as we come to know Jesus personally. Well said!