Paul’s
Gospel Derived Not From Men, But From God,
1:11-24
Synopsis:
The gospel Paul preached was not
invented by men. Men did not teach Paul the gospel; he received
it through the revelation of Jesus Christ. Before Paul became a
Christian, he was a zealous Jew who persecuted the church of God.
When Paul obeyed the gospel, he did not go immediately to Jerusalem
to seek men’s advice, he went to Arabia and then returned to
Damascus. Three years after his conversion Paul went up to Jerusalem
to visit Peter for fifteen days. He saw none of the other
apostles at that time except James, the Lord’s brother.
Leaving Jerusalem Paul went to Syria and Cilicia. He remained
unknown by sight to the churches of Christ in Judea. The
Christians in Judea glorified God for the change they saw in Paul.
11
For I make known to you, brethren, as touching the gospel which was
preached by me that it is not after man.
Paul
explained why the gospel was unique and must not be changed.
The gospel Paul preached did not originate with men. Men did
not invent the gospel by their own wisdom. Paul will tell them
how he received the gospel.
12
For neither did I receive it from man, nor was I taught it, but it
came to me through revelation of Jesus Christ.
Paul
did not receive the gospel from men. He was not taught the
gospel by men. He received it as a direct revelation from Jesus
Christ exactly as the other apostles had received it (Galatians 1:15,
16; I Corinthians 9:1; 15:8). Paul related certain parts of his
life to prove this.
13
For ye have heard of my manner of life in time past in the Jews’
religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the church of God, and
made havoc of it:
Paul
seeks to show from his past life that he had not originated the
gospel of Christ. Before he became a Christian, Paul opposed
the church. He was a dedicated Jew. He believed the
church was contrary to the will of God and was the enemy of God.
Paul tried to destroy the church. The church originated in the mind
of God and was God’s church. Paul was wrong and worked
against God instead of for him. Paul was wrong, but honest.
Paul did not originate the gospel; God did.
14
and I advanced in the Jews' religion beyond many of mine own age
among my countrymen, being more exceedingly zealous for the
traditions of my fathers.
Paul
related what he did to the church (Acts 9:1). Paul revealed his
motivation for persecuting the church. He was a zealous
advocate of Judaism. He had advanced in Judaism far beyond his age.
Paul was especially zealous of the traditions of the fathers. My
fathers refer to the Pharisees. Paul was a Pharisee. It was
from the Pharisees’ point of view that Paul viewed the law and
Christianity.
15
But when it was the good pleasure of God, who separated me, even from
my mother’s womb, and called me through his grace,
God
had set Paul apart for the work he was to do even from his birth.
The same was said of Isaiah (Isaiah 49:1), Jeremiah (Jeremiah 1:5)
and John the Baptist (Luke 1:15). When Paul was at the height
of persecuting the church, Christ appeared unto him on the road to
Damascus (Acts 9, 22 and 26). He was told to go into the city
and there it would be told him what he must do (Acts 9:6). Paul
told Herod Agrippa, “I did not disobey the heavenly vision” (Acts
26:19). Luke records Paul obeyed the gospel when Ananias told
him what to do (Acts 22:16-17).
16
to reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the Gentiles;
straightway I conferred not with flesh and blood:
God
revealed Christ to Paul so he could preach Jesus to the Gentiles.
It was necessary for Paul to be an eyewitness of the resurrected
Jesus to be an apostle. Paul was an eyewitness of the
resurrected Christ (Acts 9:5; 22:8; 26:15). Paul was to preach to the
Gentiles. When Paul received this call, he did not go to
Jerusalem to confer with the apostles because Jesus revealed the
gospel to him directly.
17
neither went I up to Jerusalem to them that were apostles before me:
but I went away into Arabia; and again I returned unto Damascus.
After
Paul obeyed the gospel, he did not go up to Jerusalem to confer with
the apostles to get them to accept him, or to learn from them. Rather
Paul went away into Arabia and then returned to Damascus. In
Damascus, he preached Jesus was the Son of God in the synagogues
(Acts 9:19-20). He did not receive the gospel he preached from
men. He received the gospel directly from Jesus Christ. He did
not say how long he was in Arabia.
18
Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to visit Cephas, and
tarried with him fifteen days.
Three
years after his conversion Paul went up to Jerusalem to get to know
Peter. He stayed with Peter fifteen days. Whether the three
years was three full years or one full year and part of two other
years, one cannot tell. The Jews counted time as a part for the
whole. If Paul was converted in A.D. 34, it was probably A.D.
37 when he went to Jerusalem. It was three years after his baptism
that Paul went to Jerusalem (Acts 9:20). Paul did not go to
Jerusalem to get the gospel he preached, as he was already preaching
it with power.
19
But other of the apostles saw I none, save James the Lord’s
brother.
While
in Jerusalem, Paul saw only Peter. He saw no other apostle. It
is not known if the apostles were absent or why he did not see them.
The only other person of importance Paul saw was James, the Lord’s
brother. Paul does not say James was an apostle.
Certainly, James was not one of the twelve. He was an important
person in the early church (Acts 12:17; 15:13-29; 21:18; Galatians
2:9, 12). James had not been a believer in Jesus during the
earthly ministry of Jesus (John 7:5). He became a believer
after Jesus arose from the dead (I Corinthians 15:7; Acts 1:14).
20
Now touching the things which I write unto you, behold, before God, I
lie not.
Paul
solemnly affirmed that what he had written was true.
21
Then I came into the regions of Syria and Cilicia.
Luke
recorded that Paul left Jerusalem because there was a plot on his
life. He went to Caesarea and then to Tarsus, the chief city of
Cilicia (Acts 9:30; 22:17-21). Where he went in Syria and
Cilicia is not known. Paul did not receive his gospel from
men. After three years, he went to Jerusalem, but he did not
stay long enough to receive the gospel. After he left
Jerusalem, he was not associated with the apostles while preaching in
Syria and Cilicia.
22
And I was still unknown by face unto the churches of Judea which were
in Christ:
Since
Paul spent just fifteen days in Jerusalem and then went to Syria and
Cilicia, he was unknown to the Christians in Judea. The idea of
“churches” meaning “denominations” finds no warrant in the
Scripture. There was one church in the first century; however,
there were many congregations of the one church in Judea at this
time. Paul was referring to the churches of Christ in Judea.
23
but they only heard say, He that once persecuted us now preacheth the
faith of which he once made havoc;
Paul
was unknown by face to the churches in Judea, but they knew him by
reputation.
24
and they glorified God in me.
The
Christians in Judea glorified God that the great persecutor of the
church had been converted to Christ and is now a preacher of the
gospel. The Christians accepted Paul as a Christian and a
gospel preacher because he was preaching the gospel and living the
Christian life.
OPEN:
- At age 18, what career were you preparing for or starting? How does that relate to your life now?
- How important is it to you to consult others on major decisions you make?
DIG:
- In a letter of correction like this, how significant is it that Paul still refers to the Galatians as "brothers" (Galatians 1:11)?
- How was Paul's life changed?
- By whom (and what) was Paul called (Galatians 1:15)? What was he specifically called to do (Galatians 1:16)?
- Why did Paul stress the fact that he functioned independently from others? How does that independence relate to Paul's major point here?
REFLECT:
- If you had to argue for the reality of the Gospel by giving one example of how you have changed as a result of your faith, what would you share?
- How do you include your personal experience of Christ changing your life in your witness to others?
