Galatians 1: 17b-18 I went into Arabia. Later I returned to Damascus. Then after three years, I went up to Jerusalem.
“It’s never too late to learn.”— Malcolm S. Forbes
It is not too late to unwind the wrong thinking and theology and rewire our brain with godly understanding. Many struggle to let go of the doctrines and denominational beliefs. Even the slightest diversion to the Word of God is still polluted theology. There is no age bar to learn, unlearn, relearn, and reverse wrong dogmas at any stage in life.
The Apostle Paul after his dramatic conversion went to the 3-year graduate school of the Holy Spirit. He went to Arabia for three years. Dr. Robert Smith states, the term “Arab” is equivalent to the ‘Nabatean Kingdom’ on the east side of the Jordan; It does not mean Saudi Arabia. Paul refers to the king of the Nabatean region who tried to kill him in 2 Corinthians 11:32-33. Paul was preaching the gospel in Arabia, but he also had a retreat in the desert. Bible scholars believe that Paul marinated in the presence of the Lord, reflecting on his calling, and meditated on the scriptures. The head knowledge of Paul had to be transferred from the head to his heart as revelations. This was the period Paul was able to decipher the scriptures and discover the Messiah in the Mosaic scrolls.
It’s never too late to learn:
- Unlearn: It is never too late to unlearn wrong beliefs, traditions or cultural practices. It is certainly never too late to unlearn doctrinal differences that are not supported by the scriptures. I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city. (Acts 22:3).I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my people and was extremely zealous for the traditions of my fathers (Galatians 1:14). The pride of his ethnicity and the educational qualification that made him to be a fire breathing murderer of anyone who opposed Judaism had to be unlearnt. Paul had to unlearn the “legalism” and understand the “love”. Unlearning is more difficult than learning. Allow the truth to replace the unauthenticated beliefs.
- Learn: It is never too late to learn the truth. Paul was about 30 years old when the Lord Jesus transformed his life. Paul was steeped in the canon that connived the crucifixion of Jesus. Revisiting the scriptures would have exposed Paul also as a murderer. The three years were spent to munch and mull on the Word and to reconcile with the Lord before he was launched as a missionary. Set time with the Lord to learn every day. Be sensitive and attentive to the divine teacher, the Holy Spirit.
- Relearn: It is never too late to relearn the twisted truth. Paul’s ‘zeal’ for annihilating Christ followers had to be channelized to win souls for Christ. The calling of Paul was to preach Him(Christ) among the Gentiles (Galatians 1:16). It was unlawful for a Jew to associate with a Gentile. The expert in the law, Paul had to relearn the wrong theology to become the greatest missionary of Christendom.
It’s never too late to learn.
Galatians 1:16 My immediate response was not to consult any human being.
Prayer: Father God, I submit to sit at your feet and learn the depths of the scriptures. May my first response be to consult you and not call people. Amen.
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