18 Only after three years did I go up to Jerusalem to confer with Cephas, and I stayed with him fifteen days. 19 But I saw none of the other apostles except James, the Lord’s brother. 20 I assure you before God that what I am writing to you is no lie.

21 Later I went to the regions of Syria and Cilicia. 22 I was personally unknown, however, to the churches of Judea that are in Christ. 23 They only heard the account: “The man who formerly persecuted us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy.” 24 And they glorified God because of me.

REFLECTIONS

Written by Yuan Vongsavanh

When something amazing happens that brings you into a very exclusive group of people – say if you’ve just been accepted into the fellowship of medical surgeons (the last census reported 668 surgeons in NSW) or given the title of Kings Counsel as one of the top barristers in the Commonwealth countries (last report 382 in NSW) – people would expect you to immediately celebrate with your fellow cohort, share experiences, or at least attend the gala dinner.

Not Paul. After he was appointed by Jesus himself as the apostle to the Gentiles, he went straight to work. In yesterday’s passage, Paul recounted his amazing conversion story. In verse 17 he explained that he did not go straight back to Jerusalem to meet with the other apostles and recount how Jesus appeared to him in the most dramatic way. Instead, he went straight to Arabia and Damascus to do what God instructed him to do: preach Christ among the Gentiles (v16).  In verses 18-19, he says that he didn’t return to Jerusalem until 3 years later – only for 15 days, and he only saw 1 other apostle (James) before going on to other cities to keep preaching about Christ. Very few people in the “mother church” in Jerusalem knew him, but they had all heard the report about him: “The man who formerly persecuted us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy” (v23). God used Paul’s conversion story and his life to bring people to Himself.

Paul knew the task that he was given and the purpose of his life, and he went straight to the work that he was set apart for – heading into 5 cities in the short space of 6 verses. Paul is able to say at the end of the chapter that “they glorified God because of me”. Let’s pray that we too can see our purpose and mission as clearly as Paul and take action without distraction, so that others hear about Christ through us and God is glorified!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Yuan is a member of our Bossley Park morning congregation.