Audio version of the Message:
Galatians 1:11-24
Key Verse 1:12
"I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ."
INTRODUCTION:
Galatians 1:11-24 explains Paul's spiritual autobiography. Certain men from Jerusalem attacked Paul and the brand of the gospel Paul was teaching. They taught that Gentiles had to becomes Jews first in order to become Christians. They wanted to add the law of Moses to the gospel of Jesus Christ. But Paul said, they don't need to live the old way. He wrote the book of Galatians to counterattack the Judaizers' claims. He explain how the gospel affected him personally. May God help us to deeply understand the gospel. May the gift of the gospel be revealed in each of our hearts.
First, The Gospel is not man-made.
11 I want you to know, brothers, that the gospel I preached is not something that man made up.
There was a smear campaign against Paul. They wanted to brand him as a second-rate apostle with a secondhand gospel. Paul wrote that his gospel (Gal 1:1) "not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ". Now he says the same thing again(1:11). The gospel is not man's good news about God; it is God's good news for man. The gospel is the story of the Bible. It is the story of God coming down to man.
The Judaizers were saying Paul was teaching his own brand of the gospel and religion. Paul said the gospel he preaches is "not something that man made up". The religions of the world have been formulated by men. They say, "you are pretty good, when you die, nothing bad happens to you. If you do this or that, you will be ok". Religion is man's effort to reach God. But the gospel is completely different, it is God coming to man. In addition, the message of the gospel is not very pleasing. The Bible says you are wicked, full of depravity, nothing good lives in you. Would you make up some negative statements about yourself? Even as Christian we don't like to hear those things about ourselves!
We live in pluralistic society. We hear people say "All religions are different paths that eventually lead to God." or "Christianity is no different from other religions...it is religion made up by a man named Jesus Christ". Let us consider the stark differences between religion and the gospel. What is religion? Religion operates on the principle: “I obey, therefore I am accepted”. The gospel operates on the principle: “I am accepted through Christ, therefore I obey.” Religion has two effects in people's life. They can easily become proud. Because of their "good" deeds they become proud and despise others to don't perform as well as they do. This is exactly what happened to Paul. In his pride, he thought he was better than the lower-class and gullible Christians. He was determined to destroy them (13). The other effect is they despair. They think they didn't do enough. They despair because they "try to be good" but constantly fail. The message of the gospel is not what we do, but what God did. As a result, we live with thankfulness, joy and humility.
The gospel teaches what God did to bring us salvation. All other religions teaches what man does to bring salvation upon himself. In other words, the religions of this world emphasize works, what man must do to be saved, while Christianity emphasizes what God did to save us. What sets apart the gospel from other religions is salvation is by grace alone. Most other religions teach that we are saved or reach our highest potential by doing something. Here are some examples: Judaism teaches that a person is ultimately judged by how he or she keeps God's commandments. The belief regarding non-Jews is that if they are righteous (i.e. do good deeds), they have a place in "the world to come". Muslims, too, believe that a person obtains salvation by doing certain things. Buddhism and Hinduism don't teach salvation, they believe that one is released from an endless cycle of reincarnation by reaching enlightenment. In their belief, your actions in one lifetime affect how much closer you get to enlightenment in your next life. Many followers of the New Age movement and pagans follow similar beliefs.
Christianity is different from other religions for it is a personal relationship with a living God, Jesus Christ. Thus Christianity is not a religion. An Asian Christian commented,
"Being in an Asian country, where Buddhism is the main religion, I can say that the main distinction between Christianity and other religion is that other religions focus on what you can do for God. For example, food offerings, walking through fire, body piercing and going to the temple during occasions to offer prayers and doing good. These are done so that prayers can be answered or so that they can work their way to heaven. Whereas in Christianity its about what Christ has done for you, dying on the cross for our sins and giving us grace, mercy and salvation, and much more other blessings which we have all taken for granted".
Christianity is different from all the other religions because it is based on grace. We have a God that pardons us, not based on our works and "righteous effort", but based on his love for us. It is different because all other religions require the sinner to make some type of sacrifice or offering because of his/her sin, but we (Christians) have a God who made the sacrifice for us. Also, what other religion has a Savior who makes intercession for His children, or one that has promised to send His Spirit as a helper, a guide, a comforter, and a teacher. Thanks be to our Lord and Savior, the one who has saved us by grace alone.
The problem with the Judaizers were they were Christians who said you needed to do something else. John Stott says, "The church's greatest troublemakers (now and then) are not those outside who oppose, ridicule and persecute it, but those inside who try to change the gospel." This is what the Judaizers were doing. They were "distorting the gospel of Christ" (Gal 1:7). They were taking sound theology and twisting it. They wanted to add something to Paul's gospel of free grace. They were deceptive. They were saying "Paul preaching is fine," they said, "as far as it goes, we have been worshipping God for a long time, a lot longer than you Gentiles. In fact over thousands of years. If you want the full gospel, you need to be circumcised in order to get it. This is what you Gentiles need to do, to become part of God's family." The greatest danger is not the anti-gospel outside of the church, it is the counterfeit gospel inside the church. What made the Judaizers so dangerous was they knew how to talk the way Christians talked. They used all the right terminology. For example, some churches only talk about God's love, but never confronts sin and God's judgment. One theologian teaches that Jesus will save people through other religions. Not everyone who calls himself a Christian serves Christ, not everything called the gospel is the gospel. It is not mere words that save; it is the realities of one true gospel that saves-Jesus Christ in his death and resurrection for sinners.
It is very hard to distinguish the true gospel from the false gospels in our contemporary church. It is always Jesus plus something else. There is the gospel of material prosperity, which teaches Jesus is the way to financial gain. There is the gospel of family values, which teaches Jesus is the way to a happy home. There is the gospel of self which teaches the way to personal fulfillment. There is the gospel of morality, which teaches that Jesus is the way to be a good person. Martin Luther rightly warned that "there is a clear and present danger that the devil may take away from us the pure doctrine of faith and may substitute for it the doctrine of works and of human traditions. It is very necessary, therefore, that this doctrine of faith be continually read and heard in public." This means the good news of the cross, the resurrection must be preached, believed and lived. Other wise it will be lost.
Second, The Gospel is Revelation from Jesus Christ.
12 I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ.
Paul did not receive the gospel from any man. He didn't go to an evangelistic crusade nor did anyone teach it to him. While the Judaizers heard the gospel and added their own agenda and made it into a different gospel (1:6) The Judaizers came from the mother church in Jerusalem. In effect, they claimed Paul did not get his gospel from an authorized dealer.
If Paul did not get the gospel from his own fertile imagination, where did he get it from? The answer is that the gospel came from God himself. Paul said he received it "through a revelation of Jesus Christ" (Gal 1:12). The gospel is not an invention or tradition, but a revelation. That means, it was something previously unknown and that was unveiled by God.
The important thing is that Jesus was revealed to Paul. This refers to Paul's experience of Christ on the Damascus road, when he looked up into the heavens and saw Jesus in all his glory. What was unveiled form him in that moment was the essence of the gospel. When he saw the same Jesus who had been crucified, now disclosed as Son of God and the risen Lord. His eyes were opened, spiritually speaking.
This is true for us. We cannot receive this gospel the same way as Paul received it. Martin Luther said "The knowledge of Christ and of faith is not a human work but utterly a divine gift." We can teach the Bible to others, present the gospel, but sometimes they just don't "get it". We get frustrated and what to give up on them. Even our negative reaction reveals we too need the divine gift of love an patience. But we learn from Paul, that it is not our job to shake people to receive the gospel. It is ultimately God's work. It is the work of the Holy Spirit. A farmer, can sow the seed, but he can't make the plants grow. There are outside forces he can't control. Likewise, we can only plant the gospel in others and pray for God's divine gift of the knowledge of the gospel to come into their hearts as well as ours.
Third, the Life-changing Power of the Gospel.
The gospel comes from God, but what does it do when it arrives? The answer is that it changes a person's whole life. Let us consider what the gospel did for Paul.
13 For you have heard of my previous way of life in Judaism, how intensely I persecuted the church of God and tried to destroy it.
The details of his story were well known to the Galatians: "For you have heard of my former life in Judaism." Before Paul came to know Christ, he was one of God's most violent enemies. Historical records show that he went from house to house, dragging Christians away by brute force, attacking and separating families. When they were brought up on charges, he cast his vote for their death sentence (Acts 26:10). In one famous incident-the execution of Stephen-he even ran the coat-checking for the firing squad (Acts 7:58). Look at his choice of words "intensely I persecuted" and "tried to destroy it". Paul was obsessed with destroying the church. The word he uses for this is "eporthoun" is the word that the Greeks used for sacking a city. Paul's goal was nothing less than the total extermination of Christianity. He was such a fanatic that no one would have even attempted to change his mind.
Paul was very passionate about his religion. He was committed in preserving the traditions of his ancestors. He was convinced that he was "doing the work of God" by destroying the church. Does sincerity, commitment, zeal in any belief make it true? No! You can be absolutely committed to the wrong thing! You can be absolutely committed to the wrong God. You can be zealous for the false gospel!
All this time, Paul was making great strides in the Jewish religion. Verse 14 explains his intense efforts.
14 I was advancing in Judaism beyond many Jews of my own age and was extremely zealous for the traditions of my fathers.
His parents reared him very well. They probably displayed a proud bumper sticker on their chariot that read "Our Son is an Honor Student with Gamaliel". Paul knew the Torah, the Old Testament law, with all its interpretation and applications.
Paul was extremely zealous for the traditions of his fathers. Most of us are not zealous for anything. Maybe zealous for a sports team, or our day off. But to be zealous for something means you are ready to die for that belief or cause. If you consider what you might be willing to die for, that list might be very short. But Saul was ready to die for his cause. He was ready to kill others who stepped in his way.
Because of his passion, he was a highly used man of God. He became a useful pastor that God can use for the early church. Most people are unwilling to commit themselves to anything. We are slaves of a "convenient" oriented society. We complain if fast food is not "fast" enough. Paul knew nothing of that. He was ready to sacrifice convenience for a greater cause.
Paul also mentions "the traditions of my fathers". The topic of tradition can be a very sensitive issue. People love their traditions. People love the way of doing things. When you think of religion, it is based on traditions of doing things. To some, following traditions are a way of righteousness.
The church is also filled with traditions. What is the point of traditions? It is to remember Jesus. If Jesus is not part of tradition, then it is totally worthless. Why do we remember Passover? It is about Jesus who became the lamb of God who was slain for our sins. Sure we can have traditions, but without tradition it becomes null and void. it is common in Christianity to hold on to tradition without Jesus. For example, if you ask the meaning of communion or why we celebrate Christmas and Easter and they give you a blank stare and say, "Well, this is what we have been doing for many years" then it is clear they committed themselves for tradition sake and not to Christ.
It is very easy to lose our first love. It is easy to fall into tradition and lose Christ. Some get interested in "religious" causes. Jesus becomes a means to accomplish our goals: Jesus becomes the way of happiness. Jesus becomes the way to become rich. Jesus becomes the way to have a good family. This is exactly why Paul wrote to the Galatians. Paul loves them so dearly that he uses very harsh language. They think Christ is not sufficient. They think they need other things such as traditions of old, human teachings and philosophies. In Christ you have everything! If you need something, then you haven't truly met Christ personally.
What happened to Paul? He met the Risen Christ on the rode to Damascus. Look at verse 15.
15 But when God, who set me apart from birth[a] and called me by his grace, was pleased 16 to reveal his Son in me so that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not consult any man,
Again Paul states that his calling was only "by his grace". It was revealed to him by God above. What happened to Paul was such a radical transformation that it made people extremely nervous. His reputation was well known in verse 23. The change in Paul's life proved to be genuine and it proved total. Not only did he stop persecuting Christians, he also started to promote Christianity. He began to preach the very gospel he once tried to destroy. What could account for his radical transformation? It was certainly not his religious background. The only thing that could explain it is the supernatural work of God.
Notice that when Paul describes his life before Christ, he used the first person as the subject of his sentences: I persecuted the church, I advanced in Judaism, and so forth. His life afterwards was totally different and when he described it, he uses "God" as the subject: God chose him, God called him, and God revealed is Son to him. Paul says "God's son was "reveal his Son in me" It refers to the fact that Jesus Christ actually entered Paul's heart. In Gal 2:20, he says "Christ...lives in me". When Paul met Christ, he was changed from the inside out. His knowledge of Christ was not just historical and factual; it was also spiritual and personal.
Fourth, Jesus Teaches Paul the Gospel
The gospel will do the same thing in our lives that it did in Paul's life. Not exactly the same thing, of course there is only one Paul. But it is the same gospel. We have never persecuted anyone or kidnapped people or voted for their execution. But we are still sinners who need the gospel. We are slaves of sin that is killing us. We are zealous for the wrong things. Thus we need the gospel to take us from what we are to where we ought to be. After his conversion, what did he do?
17 nor did I go up to Jerusalem to see those who were apostles before I was, but I went immediately into Arabia and later returned to Damascus. 18 Then after three years, I went up to Jerusalem to get acquainted with Peter[b] and stayed with him fifteen days. 19 I saw none of the other apostles—only James, the Lord's brother. 20 I assure you before God that what I am writing you is no lie.
It is interesting to note that Paul did not go running to the apostles in Jerusalem for confirmation. But went to Arabia and later to Damascus. Some scholars have thought that this refers to the region around Mount Sinai. Perhaps like the prophet of old, Paul retreated to the wilderness to commune with God and study what the Scriptures taught about the Messiah.
After three long years, he visited Jerusalem. He got acquainted with Peter for fifteen days. Undoubtedly, the two apostles talked about Jesus and the gospel. Presumably Paul interviewed Peter, taking his personal history to learn more about the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. To show that he was serious, he said, "Before God, I do not lie!" It was the kind of oath someone would swear in the court of law. It is not surprising that Paul did not meet any other apostles, we should remember that they were still afraid of him. Perhaps some were very angry for they felt personally affected by his personal attacked towards the young church.
21 Later I went to Syria and Cilicia. 22 I was personally unknown to the churches of Judea that are in Christ. 23 They only heard the report: "The man who formerly persecuted us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy." 24 And they praised God because of me.
In verse 21-23, Paul denied that he had picked up his gospel anywhere else in the church. He went to the regions of Syria and Cilicia. These areas were well to the north. Paul preached to the Gentiles there with apparently with some success. But as for the rest of the Christians in Judea, they did not even know Paul by sight. "I was still unknown in person to the churches of Judea that are in Christ." This completes Paul's airtight alibi. He neither invented nor inherited his gospel. He did not make it up on his own and he did not get it from anyone else-not before his conversion, not during his conversion, and not after.
Paul's conversion is like Osama Bin Laden coming to Christ. Paul's life testimony was truly amazing. He was once a hater of Christ, now he has become a lover of Christ. He was once a persecutor, now he has become a pastor. He was zealous destroyer of the church, now he was planting churches at the cost of his life. He concludes by saying, they "praise God" because of me. It was nothing, Paul did, but what God did in Paul's life. We praise God because of what God did in Paul's life and in others we know. We must praise God for his work in our church and the lives of other Christians outside our church. We must learn to bragging and boasting about Jesus. This is not the arrogant boasting, but one filled with joy and thankfulness for what God has done. May your lives forever change when the gospel enters your heart. May God fill you hearts with the joy of the gospel.