Paul writes to the network of churches he planted in Galatia, hoping to head off the heresy that’s threatening to undermine everything God had just done in his two visits during his first missionary journey. False teachers have preached a counterfeit gospel to these new believers (Gal 1:6-9).
These are Jews teaching that to be true followers of Jesus we must become Jewish if we are Gentile and continue to practice Judaism if we are already Jewish.
The apostle doesn’t give a flip what these false teachers say about him. As a matter of fact, he doesn’t care what the Galatians think about him. He’s not out to win any popularity contests but be obedient to the assignment given him by Christ (Gal 1:10).
Paul gets the full attention of his recipients. The phrase “For I would have you know, brothers” (v11) is a way of letting them know that he has something REALLY important to say.
He uses the Greek verb γνοριζω/gnorizo. It not only means to make known or to reveal, but to certify to the truth and importance of something.
The apostle is certifying that what he’s about to write is straight up. It has his personal stamp of approval. Pay attention, boys. This is big stuff. Are you listening? Do I have your full attention? Good.
He tells the Galatians that he didn’t get the message he proclaims from any man. “The Gospel that was preached by me is not man’s gospel” (v11).
This wasn’t something he heard at some seminar. He didn’t read this in a book. It’s not something he found on the internet. He didn't get this from any preacher, teacher or rabbi. His old mentor Gamaliel didn’t teach him this.
As a matter of fact, this wasn’t from any of Jesus’ closest followers. The Good News Paul preached to them is no manmade speculation. This is God-given revelation.
This is a great reminder to each of us to be VERY careful with anyone’s opinion or interpretation of the Gospel. It doesn’t matter who it is. Luther. Calvin. Spurgeon. Edwards. Graham. Driscoll. MacArthur. Chandler. Stanley. Groeschel. Tchividjian.
If what they say doesn’t match what the Bible says about Jesus and His atoning death in our place for our sin then it must be ignored. We’re called to proclaim Jesus’ Gospel, not man’s gospel.
The English translations of this verse don’t do justice to the original language. In Greek, Paul uses both the noun (Gr. ευαγγελιον/euangelion) and verb (Gr. ευαγγελιζω/euangelizo) forms of Gospel. A more accurate and awkward rendering would be: “The Gospel which was Gospeled to you is not according to man.” It just reinforces how Gospel-centric this letter is.
In order to correct the perversion preached by the false teachers, Paul gets back to the very basics of Jesus’ message of grace. It’s all about the Good News. Nothing but the Good News. These morons have twisted the Gospel by adding works back to it. Anything added to the Good News is actually very bad news. VERY bad news.
Paul reinforces the fact that “I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it” (v11). So just where did the man from Tarsus get his radical message? “I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ.” In others words, Paul got Jesus’ message straight from Jesus! There’s no filter. There’s no middle man. Jesus is the Source of the Gospel Paul proclaims.
This goes back to his claim to be an apostle in the first words of his letter (Gal 1:1). In the first century, an apostle is personally appointed representative of the one sending who is given full authority to act on behalf of his master.
To speak with an apostle is to speak with the master. So to speak with the Apostle Paul is to speak with Jesus Christ. The Galatians can trust Paul’s Gospel because it is Jesus’ Gospel.
The apostle tells us that he got his message “through a revelation of Jesus Christ.” The Greek text uses the term αποκαλυπσις/apokalupsis. This is actually the word from which we get our word apocalypse.
Rather than describing the cataclysmic end of the world, it means to reveal something hidden or mysterious. It’s actually a compound word meaning “from” (Gr. απο-/apo-) “hiding” (Gr. -καλυπτω/-kalupto).
Jesus Himself personally revealed the mystery to Paul. Any message is only as good as its source. This message is from THE Source. We can trust what Paul preaches and proclaims because it is straight from the mouth of Jesus.
So when did this happen? When did Jesus reveal to Paul His marvelous message that He is not only the long awaited Messiah to the Jews but the light of salvation to the entire world? It would seem that it happened either during the divine mugging on the highway outside of Damascus or in Arabia (or possibly both!).
In Acts, Luke tells us that immediately after Paul regained his sight, “He proclaimed Jesus in the synagogues, saying, ‘He is the Son of God’” (Acts 9:20). In just a few verses here in Galatians, the apostle tells us that before he ever went to Jerusalem and while he was in Damascus, “I went away into Arabia” (Gal 1:17).
John MacArthur says this is Nabatean Arabia, a desert wilderness stretching from east of Damascus down to the Sinai peninsula. There’s part of me that wonders if this isn’t where Jesus appeared to personally teach Paul His incredible Gospel for both Jews and Gentiles.
We can trust Paul’s Gospel because we can trust the Source. Jesus. Paul’s Good News is Jesus’ Good News. Jesus’ Good News is Paul’s Good News. Trust the Source. Trust Jesus.
©2012
Jay Jennings
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