Family of God: [FamilyofGod] What did Paul say?

What did Paul tell us? Galatians 1:15 "But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called [me] by his grace,"

Did you know, that at Galatians 1:15 Paul is not speaking about his immediate relative flesh and blood birth mother or her womb?

The mother Paul references at Galatians 1:15 is the same one he references at Galatians 4:19-31, "the bondwoman ". (Read it.)

Look at the reason Paul gives for the separation from his mother's womb: Galatians 1:16 "To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood:" The phrase, "immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood", we know means that he did not run to the Apostles in Jerusalem to get their judgement concerning his conversion or to be ordained by them in order to preach. Paul plainly tells us that as he continues on.

Look at what Paul describes his self as doing just before he alludes to this separation: Galatians 1:11-14 "But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. {1:12} For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught [it,] but by the revelation of Jesus Christ. {1:13} For ye have heard of my conversation in time past in the Jews' religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the church of God, and wasted it: {1:14} And profited in the Jews' religion above many my equals in mine own nation, being more exceedingly zealous of the traditions of my fathers."

When was this grace of God bestowed upon Paul, calling him to become separated from his mother's womb, revealing the Son in him so that he might preach God's Son among the heathen? Let Paul himself tell us: 1st Corinthians 15:8-10 "And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time. For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace [which was bestowed] upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me."

There in 1st Corinthians 15:3-10 Paul shows us that "as one born out of due time" he received the grace of God "last of all", after Cephas and then the twelve, after the "above five hundred brethren at once", after "James, then all the apostles" and to Paul's regret, after he had persecuted the church. Paul was referring to the very same thing in his letter to the Galatians.

This happened to Paul while he was journeying along the road to Damascus. Paul really appreciated God's grace which came to him and delivered him to a new mother there on the roadway to Damascus, in the very midst of him persecuting Christ's followers. This he also told the Galatians using the description, "waisting it". That was unquestionably proof of God's grace and Paul was exceedingly grateful.

The grace of God seperated Paul away from the bondwoman and her womb wherein he was nurtured and advancing in Judaism. Paul was seperated to become a child of the freewoman. Galatians 4:26 "But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all."

The heavenly woman is called, "[thou] barren that bearest not" (Galatians 4:27) Her children were called and separated to her out from the womb of fleshly earthly Jerusalem. This prospect and the barren woman's right to receive these children came into force as a New Covenant, making obsolete the Old. The New Covenant was legal because fleshly men broke the Old Covenant by sinning against it, and only Jesus completely kept the Old Covenant Laws as they were meant to be kept, thus inheriting the rights to all its promises. The New Covenant could not come to be before Jesus completed his life course as a human under that Old Law Covenant, for as yet it would not have been legal. Until such time, the "Jerusalem which is above" would remain childless.

Once you spiritually discern the complete allegory you will be able to understand that it includes this in that it is like Sarah waiting for the birth of Isaac, having to watch her bondservant prove fruitful while she continued barren. Even their old age at the time of Isaac's birth plays a part in that allegory. It foreshadowed that the "Jerusalem which is above" would wait for many years before being relieved of her childlessness.

Our sensual nature often interferes with understanding the Bible. We sometimes grasp onto the first idea we hear that rings good to us. But that is a feeling, also. It is emotional conviction whether we realize it or not. We must take care to dig deeper into God's word, never being satisfied that we think we finally understand. By remaining open, humble, and always willing to challenge our own ideas, we give the Holy Spirit our total self to work with. Remember the principle Paul expressed at 1st Corinthians 8:2 " And if any man think that he knoweth any thing, he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know."

Psalms 113:9 "He maketh the barren woman to keep house, [and to be] a joyful mother of children. Praise ye the LORD."

PS/ To the question concerning firstborn:

Whether or not a child was firstborn was considered with regard to the father. The mother had no bearing on this Hebrew birthright custom. Isaac was not the fleshly Abraham's firstborn.

I have an article I wrote on Paul's words at Galatians 4:29 and Romans chapters 9-11. I am not going to offer it at this time. But I would like to encourage you to dig into the Scriptures to see how many examples of what Paul states at Galatians 4:29 you can find. Once you see clearly that there are both children of the flesh and children of the promise, and that God has always chosen who He wills to choose independent of this firstborn fairness rule of man, then peices will begin to fall together for you for a lot of things.