This is something I have been thinking about recently. Why in the world would God choose a student of Gamaliel, who was one of the top Jewish teachers of the time, to go to the Gentiles? If God intended that the Law was not to be done by the Gentiles (in any form you believe: "done away with", "just for the Jews", "fulfilled at the cross", "Jesus did it for us", "no one can do it", etc...), then why send someone so versed in the Law to the Gentiles? This makes no sense whatsoever.

Then on top of that, he leaves for 3 years before starting his ministry to the Gentiles. Again, why? If all he had to do was not teach everything he had previously learned about, that seems like a very easy task to do. It wouldn't be something he would have to run off for 3 years for before starting.

However, if we read Paul and this account in context with the rest of the Bible, and even just the rest of Acts, we see that Paul WAS using his skills and learning to teach the Gentiles. He WAS teaching them the Torah. He WAS showing them God's commands, but teaching against the traditions of the elders. Those 3 years spent away before starting were most likely to restudy the Torah, Prophets, and Writings without the teachings that had been passed down to him. Those traditions of men. If you aren't aware, those traditions are taught as they are straight from God's mouth. Mark 7 references some of these. If you had been trained all your life that God said "wash your hands before eating or you sin", and God sent you on a quest to teach others His Ways, wouldn't you want to make sure that God actually said that?

Maybe we should all do like Paul and take a step back from what we have been taught and look at the Bible in the context of the Bible without those traditions passed down to us.

http://thestraightandnarrow.cfw.me/comics/496

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