Slow Walk thru Galatians April 23

General Faith
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Galatian 1:13-14

For you have heard of my former conduct in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God beyond measure and tried to destroy it. And I advanced in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries in my own nation, being more exceedingly zealous for the traditions of my fathers .Galatians 1:13-14

Day 4 of Galatians

They know Paul’s story. How he went from being a devout Pharisee among Pharisees to a servant and missionary of God’s grace in Jesus. He’s sharing his personal testimony because it speaks into their situation. If Paul, steeped in Judaism and the law, can know and embrace the grace found in Jesus, then why do they still cling to works of the flesh? They once received the message. Why are they turning away from it?

When I think about it, Paul was the perfect choice to bring the gospel to the nations. He’s intelligent, educated, zealous and was a man of reputation in Judaism. For such a man to turn to Jesus speaks volumes. People will listen to such a man and people will rebel against such a man. There’s no half way measure as we have seen. His life story is powerful and surprising.

God uses our experiences. Our failures can be the foundation on which He builds. Sharing who we were and what Jesus has done for us is compelling to someone who is also in that place needing redemption. Our failures keep us humble and they also keep us useable. Paul experienced Christ in ways that most of us never have. He carried the knowledge of his guilt and thought himself to be the least of the apostles because of it. Perhaps that’s why God could trust him.

Your turn…

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mind you, forgive me as this is coming from someone who followed and worshipped at an entirely different faith, I am not proud of who I was.

I was the leader of my kindred where I was, a strong antagonist of christians and those I deemed “inferior”.
I would go out of my way to cause them to doubt, using texts and doctrines, the eddas, the havamal, to prove them wrong or prove texts directly in line with the bible, that predated the new testament and revalations. I would cajole and exert influence and convert them to the odinist faith.
I walked a dark path with false light.
Only one God came when I called upon many when I died.
Only one God loved enough to give me a second chance, for the ones praying for me in His name.
I walk redeemed, my former kindred, I brought all 20 of them to Christ, they walk redeemed.
I use my testimony as a warning, away from false light, and sinful ways, as an example of His mercy, by all rights I should be dead ten times over, somehow I have always been spared.
God uses the right tools at the perfect moments to maximize the effect they have.
and sometime those tools come straight from the darkest pit, and polished attract more to them because the rust and grime, washed away reveal a bright gleam, and others who are broken, dirty, and rusted, are inspired to be cleansed, and taken up, by His hand.

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THE TRUE SOURCE
OF THE GOSPEL

The Gospel which was preached (euaggelizo/euangelizo) by me (Literally, “the gospel gospelled by me”) - “Paul uses the word “gospel” of two closely allied but quite distinct things, a, of the facts of the death, burial, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus, as in 1 Corinthians 15:1–3+; b, of the interpretation of these facts, as in Gal 1:8; 2:2, and here, cp. “my gospel” in Romans 2:16, et al. In a the gospel is viewed historically, in b doctrinally. Not the facts but the interpretation of them was in dispute among the Galatians. Hence b is the meaning here.”

Leon Morris - Paul makes a play on words when he refers to ‘the gospel that I gospelled to you.’ (Galatians: Paul’s Charter of Christian Freedom)

Is not according to man - Note that “is” is in the present tense which “shows the permanence and unchangeableness of his gospel of grace.” (Wuest) Amplified has “is not man’s gospel [a human invention, according to or patterned after any human standard].”; “It rests on no human foundation” - Barclay; “something that man made up.” NIV - The Greek word for “not” is “ou,” the strongest adverb to negate an allegation. Paul is seeking to “set the record straight!” The gospel I preach is ABSOLUTELY NOT “man-made.” “I did not invent it or alter it!” It is not according to a human standard and is not even in harmony with ideas of men! Human wisdom would not come with such a message. By implication, this message is completely divine in origin, and as such it counters all theories of salvation contrived by the fleshly wisdom of fallen men (who in some form always add works as a means of attaining salvation; i.e., a works based righteousness, a “religion” instead of a “relationship.”) “Both his mission and his message are independent of man, both received by direct divine revelation.” (KJV Bible Commentary)

“Not after a human standard and so he does not try to conform to the human ideal. Paul alone (1Cor 3:3; 9:8; 15:32; Ro 3:15) in the NT uses this old and common idiom.” (A T Robertson Galatians 1 Commentary - Word Pictures in the NT)

Paul received the DIVINE REVELATION through INSPIRATION.

Paul is dominated by a Gospel that is God and grace centered.
Man is dominated by a “Gospel” that is man and works centered.

J.

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THE GOSPEL OF GRACE:
NOT REASONING BUT REVELATION

But (alla) is a strong term of contrast. Paul is clearly stating that the Gospel is not of human origin, but is a divine revelation, which is about as dramatic a contrast as he could have presented!

I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ - Note that “I received it” has been added to the NAS (and also by several other translations like ESV). Literally it reads “but through a revelation of Jesus Christ.” Through is dia which is a preposition expressing the intermediate agent of an action, in this case the “intermediate agent” is Jesus Christ and the “action” is Paul’s reception of the revelation. To reiterate, human beings had nothing to do with Paul’s reception of the Gospel, even as they had nothing to do with his appointment as an apostle (Galatians 1:1+)! So both his calling (apostle) and his message (Gospel) were from Heaven, not earth!

Revelation (602)(apokalupsis from apó = from + kalúpto = cover, conceal, English = apocalypse) literally means “cover from” and so the idea is to remove that which conceals something. Apokalupsis conveys the idea of “taking the lid off,” removing the cover and exposing to open view that which was heretofore not visible, known or disclosed. In all its uses, revelation refers to something or someone, once hidden, becoming visible and now made fully known. In this case it was the Gospel which had been a mystery to Paul until he had been regenerated and given specific revelation from Jesus, the Highest Authority! The gospel was not an invention, or a tradition, but a revelation. How then could the Galatians question his own authority and the authenticity of the Gospel he proclaimed?

Vine says Paul got “a direct communication of the mind of God.”

Wuest - Revelation therefore is the act of God the Holy Spirit uncovering to the Bible writers truth incapable of being discovered by man’s unaided reason, this revelation being accompanied by the imparted ability to understand what is uncovered. (Wuest Word Studies - Eerdman Publishing Company Volume 1, Volume 2, Volume 3 - used by permission)

Criswell: “This message is a sermon on dogmatism, on finality, on authoritarianism, which is an unusual message to hear today in the midst of our studied broad-minded liberalism… The revelation of the Lord is not double-faced nor is it deceptively speculative. It is not as though we were selecting opinions. It is not as though we were in dilemmas choosing theories. It is not as though we were listening to blind, metaphysical gropings. The sound of the trumpet is clear in the Word of God. It is final. It is superlative, never comparative. The authoritarianism of the Gospel! 'My brethren, though I or an angel from heaven preach any other gospel unto you than ye have heard, anathama ‘Let him be accursed.’ One faith, one Lord, one baptism, one God and Father for us all, one Book, one way – just one!” (Quote from Paul Apple)

Luther says: This passage constitutes Paul’s chief defense against the accusations of his opponents. He maintains under oath that he received his Gospel not from men, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ. (Galatians 1 Commentary)

Of Jesus Christ - That is to say Jesus Christ was the One who did the revealing of the Gospel to Paul (but see the technical note below). Paul attributes his Gospel to the highest authority possible, the Lord Jesus Christ. Yes, he had heard Stephen’s great speech in Acts 7 and he had had contact with other believers like Ananias and Barnabas but he did not credit them with having revealed the Gospel to him.

TECHNICAL NOTE ON OF JESUS CHRIST - If it (“of Jesus Christ”) is a subjective genitive, the meaning is “a revelation from Jesus Christ” but if objective genitive, it is “a revelation about Jesus Christ.” Most likely this is objective since the explanation in Galatians 1:15–16 mentions God revealing the Son to Paul so that he might preach, although the idea of a direct revelation to Paul at some point cannot be ruled out. (NET Note)

ADDENDUM - I would add that it is notable that several translations are rendered in a way that favors this revelation coming FROM Jesus Christ, rather than being a revelation ABOUT Jesus Christ. (See these translations above - Amplified, Wuest, NLT, CSB, NIV). So we cannot be dogmatic and in a sense both “from” and “about” are true.

Martin Luther - “Paul did not receive instruction from Ananias. Paul had already been called, enlightened, and taught by Christ in the road. His contact with Ananias was merely a testimonial to the fact that Paul had been called by Christ to preach the gospel.” (Galatians 1 Commentary)

The question naturally arises when did Paul received this revelation from Jesus? Most commentators favor that the time of this revelation of the gospel of grace to Paul was during his sojourn in Arabia (Gal 1:17) which served to supplement his initial revelation on the Damascus Road (Acts 9:3-22+). Recall that in Gal 1:1 Paul had asserted the divine origin of his apostolic mission and now adds that his message was also of divine origin. Neither his mission nor his message had been from man, but both were from God! God also spoke to Paul at Corinth (Acts 18:9+), at Jerusalem (Acts 23:11+), and even in the instructions concerning the Lord’s Supper (1 Cor. 11:23).

If this is too technical, tell me @Bestill.

Johann.

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I want for everyone to respond to the Word in whatever way it strikes them. There are no wrong answers and if nothing relating to the text comes to mind, then perhaps it reminds them of something in their life. What I hope for is a personal response or what it says to you. I appreciate everyone who responds in whatever way they respond. Many thanks.

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