Derek Thomas

And Paul has said this is a damnable plus.

And anyone who preaches a gospel of this nature is not preaching the true biblical gospel and should be anathematized.

And he was very passionate in that opening introduction.

Now, he wants to open this up a little bit more because not only are these Judaizers suggesting that Paul's gospel is insufficient, they're actually questioning Paul himself.

That's not a new tactic to go after the person and to make an ad hominem argument in effect.

So, who is the Apostle Paul?

Well, of course, we know who the Apostle Paul is.

We have the benefits of hindsight, and we know that Paul, his Greek name, Saul, his Hebrew name.

Some people think that Saul was given that name by Jesus on the Damascus Road.

That's probably not true.

He always had these two names.

One is a

Hebrew name and one is a Greek name.

And I think that Paul, when he's ministering now in Hellenist Greek places like Galatia, he uses Paulus.

He uses his Greek name.

It would be a point of entry for him to advance the gospel.

We know that he is the author of 13 of the New Testament books, but the Galatians didn't know that.

Indeed.

Their minds were filled with prejudice as to who Saul of Tarsus was.

And Paul is now on the defensive, and he has to defend his name, and he has to defend his reputation, and he has to defend his right to impose on the Galatian church a certain view of the gospel.