Last week I talked on my vlog post about primary sources. In research it's critical to prove the veracity of a story to make sure you go to the most primary sources. This can be directly to a person, or a written document, such as a diary, a letter, or legal document.
In court cases, witnessed are called to testify. Testimony helps build a story and fill in the blanks about what needs to be known, seen, understood about the truth.
I tend to sit up straighter, tune my ear in, and listen more carefully when I hear a word more than two or three times in the same week. This week, it was primary source.
It was my turn to teach Sunday School since we all take turns each week. When I flipped to the opening chapters of Galatians, low and behold Paul is writing them that his transformation was not of man, but due to a direct encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus.
It slapped me in the face. Paul is trying to prove his story to the Galatians. He might as well be on the witness stand, in a court room, on trial.
You know all those great crime shows you've watched over the years?
Bull is a current popular one. And what about A Few Good Men?
You know that moment when the lawyer turns the corner, when he "gets" the testimony to prove point. It's the "Ah-Hah!" moment when you want to yell, "Hah!! Got him!" Proof. Beyond doubt.
Right?
What is that point, the ah-hah moment for Paul when he's writing his account?
Galatians 1: 12 (Amplified Version) "For indeed I did not receive it form man, nor was I taught it through a direct revelation of Jesus Christ."
Ah-hah! Direct Source. Jesus. Not a man. Not the Law of Judaism. Not a Jew. Or Gentile.
Then I realize something I would have passed over before. After his direct encounter, he reports that he didn't immediately consult anyone, or go to Jerusalem--in other words, he didn't post a selfie blog to tell he world what happened. Nope. So where did he go?
He went to Arabia. Some sources say--it was Mount Sinai.
Wait. Mt. Sinai? Isn't that where Moses went to be in the presence of God? To directly talk to Him?
Hmmm. Direct source. He spent three years with the Direct Source.
Apparently God had some additional revelation and transformation to do in Paul before anyone in Jerusalem would believe the truth about his story....?
He needed to show them he'd been in the presence of the One Source. Jesus.
Otherwise, don't you suppose they would have just maybe, say, stoned him for killing Stephen?
At the very least they wouldn't have easily believed him.
Now, of course, we can't dictate when God the Almighty wants to just shoot a beam of light onto our paths of darkness and speak audibly to us like happened to Paul on the road to Damascus.
But. We can go the the mountain.
We can go to the source.
We have access through His Spirit
To the Primary Source.
Have you been the Mountain lately?
Have you been with the One?
Have you spent some time with the One who wants to rock your testimony? Your Story?
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Blog post by Anne Love-
Writer of Historical Romance inspired by her family roots.Nurse Practitioner by day.Wife, mother, writer by night.Coffee drinker--any time.Find me at: www.anneloveauthor.com
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