Symbolic” or “Allegory” is the word Paul uses. We are being taught, that is how we should understand scripture. Abraham, Sarah or Hagar and Mt Sinai. Matter fact read the entire book and Paul uses symbolic allegory many times to elevate or reveal a Revelation of Jesus Christ. It is Prophetic Typological Narration (PTN). That is the instructions Paul gives us on how to view and understand Abraham, Sarah, Hagar, Mt Sinai, Law, Liberty, Bondage, Slavery, Circumcision, Non Circumcision, Hearing of Faith, Scripture, Baptism, Promises, Jerusalem Below, Jerusalem Above, the Barren, Gentiles, Husbands, Children, Isaac, Ishmeal and Paul says this understanding comes one way, 1:12 For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came through the Revelation of Jesus Christ. This is the way the Gospel comes. God says thru Paul what we should be getting. But we have been “bewitched” (3:1) Someone enchanted us and itched our ears. It’s as if they cast a spell over us. This bewitching has got us “not obeying the truth”. We should have had Jesus Christ clearly portrayed and crucified when they taught us Gods word. But that is not what happened. All to often, We were fed on a bottle and told sensational stories about men. We have made every application of scripture known to man kind. You may be like me and have been told “doctrines of men”, way to often. I think it is interesting, you can pick up your Bible and major on just about whatever suits your fancy. Maybe it is whether you should speak in tounges, or have long hair, or play musical instruments at church. Maybe it is church on Saturday or Dispensationalism. Not sure what you want to use your Bible for but maybe you are a homosexual and you use it to prove your life style is okay. I’m really not sure, maybe you just beat the perverbial Calvinism drum. Why, one of our godless political leaders used my Bible the other day, contemptously, to stand over me and cast doubt at my christianity by the way I stand up for what God says is right. Really? I’m convienced, that mans crafty mind can use the Bible for just about whatever he wants. Thus man may find himself using God to forward his own mission.
The book of Galatians is a class on how to study your Bible. How to study, says God. Not some new crafty idea that looses the Revelation of Jesus Christ. Not expository or topical or line upon line. You do not need a degree at the local University. You do not need a plaque on the wall. You do not have to read books to figure this out. You do not have to spend loads of time in the library. What you need is a Revelation of Jesus Christ that bows your knee. Remember when that happened the first time? Yes you do! You were so excited! You were worshipping! You were instantly adopted as a child of God! The Holy Spirit took residence inside you, to continue to lead you to the truth in scripture about Jesus Christ. That is what we are made to do. Get to know Him! John 17:3! As you think about that moment, you see that you have had times when the Lord seemed close and times when He seemed far away. The other day the preacher was talking about a brother at church that said his spiritual walk was dull. And been that way for a long time. Was it dull when you got saved? No! So what does that brother need? Well God is telling us here how to understand your Bible so you continue in this grace and get a Revelation Of Jesus Christ. Life is not “dull” when that happens! You will see Him high and lifted up and you will worship. You will immediately be back on the mountain top. Every Morning, All Day long and before you go to sleep. Seeing Jesus is the pursuit. We have spent way to much time seeing everyone else in the Bible and then we spend the rest of the time seeing ourselves. Why have we completely skipped Jesus? He was all I was supposed to be looking for!
God teaches us in this Book to think. So we will exercise our thinking in the right order (Hebrews 5:14). We need a PTN about Jesus Christ, the fulfillment of all Prophecy. He is the quintessential Anti-Type. The One symbolically allegorically portraid in all of scripture. This Gospel is not preached according to man (3:11). We really need to drop the bottle. Oh, this we will do if God permits (Heb 5:14).
As you read, chapter 3:6-9 is a parable with an explaination. Verse 8 indicates this parable is prophesy. Do you think Jesus ran around speaking in parables because He liked word games? Remember what Jesus said? I only say and do what the Father says and does. Nothing else. He came to fulfill what was written of Him in the Book. You want to know what Jesus will say? Read the Old Testament. You want to know what Jesus will do? Read the Old Testament. You know why the book is in this order? So we will know Him when he gets here. No Guess work. No finger crossing. No 2000 years ago, old stuff. This Revelation of Jesus Christ was, is and is to come! “Was” equals, before time! “Is” equals, during time! “Is to come” equals, the rest of time and eternity! We should pick up our Bibles and see Jesus portraid. And thats it!
Chapter 1, Paul starts this book off and says, all I have been doing is preaching Jesus Christ and Him crucified (BTW, what do you find when you open your bible?). Paul says, I have not been molded to preach by a man or some organization. At first, I was terrorizing everyone but now I communicate to them the gospel. Chapter 2 Paul says, They want me back in bondage but we are set free when you see the Revelation of Jesus Christ. Liberated from the Law! Because Jesus fulfilled the law on my behalf. This fact can not be denied. Paul says, Everyone is seeing that the same gospel that came to Peter, the rest of the church and me, has come to the gentiles. The gentiles have not been keeping any of our religous laws and we see that salvation has come without keeping the rituals. Even though there are some that spy out our liberty in Jesus Christ and think we should return to the legal aspects of the law. This law has been fulfilled, thank you Jesus! Paul says, And there is no respect of persons. Anyone can be lured to add to Jesus. (Don’t be shocked if your preacher opens this book and finds something or someone other than Jesus Christ and Him crucified). Paul says, Why even Peter did that and I Had to confront him to stop.
I would like to ask a question. Why have we not stopped? I know you may think that I am harping on a speck. But the problem is the big picture. Right now we have been so crippled by the order of scripture we have been fed, we think we need someone to explain the book of Revelation. Wow, I’m out on the limb now! It takes a seasoned, high educated, book worm with plaques on the wall, Genius to figure that out! Really? How about, it takes the Holy Spirit. Or are you to affraid to think that you don’t need anyone to explain? 1 John 2:27 is about as plane and simple as you can get.
But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.
Or maybe you missed the previous verse, verse 26:
These things have I written unto you concerning them that seduce you.
Would you have more faith in the preacher teaching you scripture or the Holy Spirit?
Have you been lead to understand how to execise your senses in this order?
If you have not, then it is possible you have been seduced.
Look at the first phrase Chapter 3:17 “This is what I mean”. So you think Paul has been speaking in man terms in the previous verses? Paul is about to explain in a better way the allegory and symbolism. Or, I could say the Parable. A parable is a story with a deeper meaning. Paul is about to put the cookies on the bottom shelf. Lets pay attention, listen.
This is what I mean: the law, which came 430 years afterward, does not annul a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to make the promise void.
So if you have in your subconscious, that Jesus was born 2000 years ago and you celebrate his birth every December 25th the farthest thing from your mind is Melchezidek. Do your kids even know who Melchezidek is? I’m saying, that when I read that verse, the Holy Spirit face planted me with the order of the Bread and the Wine! I’m saying that when I thought of the Bread and the Wine, I thought of the Body and the Blood of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! What I am saying is, I saw Abraham refuse the riches of this world that the KIng of Sodom offered him and he chose to abide in the Order that has no beginning nor has no end! Brothers and sisters what I’m saying is I saw my High Priest in the same order in the Wilderness, annointed in the garden and continue to fulfill this Order that superceeds the law! I see the Law ends in destruction, has no foot hold on me and the Lamb was slain at the foundation of the world. I don’t see Him born in December! I see Him in verse ONE of Genesis and every verse between, all the way to Revelation 22:21! In Galatains 3:19, I see Him as a better mediator than Moses! I see Abraham placed his faith in Jesus Christ, Moses placed his faith in Jesus Christ, All the prophets placed their faith in Jesus Christ, All of them from Abel to Zechariah. All of them from A to Z prophesied of the sufferings of Christ and the glories to come! I see the law prophesies of Him! The Prophets prophesy of Him and the Psalms! God has not missed a lick! I’m not upset that Adam blew it. I don’t think Adam and Eve could have stayed in the Garden. God had provision already in place before the fall! I see that it would be reckless thinking to consider their existence outside of Jesus Christ! So, it would be also for me today, if I were to launch my day, my life outside of Jesus Christ! What did you see? Did you see Him high and lifted up? Did you see His trane fill the temple? Did you hear Him say to you,”you are my child through faith in Christ Jesus”? (3:26) I did!
Our senses need to be exercised in the correct order. That is our job and That is the job of our leaders. Pursue the Revelation of Jesus Christ in your Bible so you will worship. This is not my idea. Jesus said do it when he referred to Jonah, David, Moses, Elijah, the Psalms, Lords supper, passover, Jerusalem, the Temple, all the prophets, the religious leaders, the miracles, its endless. Matthew does this, So does Mark, Luke and John, Paul and don’t forget Steven’s sermon in Acts. It is all this way all the time.
Bill Moyer
