INTRODUCTION: In Galatians, Paul had to fight for his apostolic authority against the accusations of false teachers that he was not an apostle. The line of self-defense exposes the line of attack which these false brethren used to destroy Paul's influence. Making it appear that he was not an apostle would quite naturally cause the Galatians to lose confidence in the gospel he preached. Such a personal attack was essential if these false brethren would make headway with their particular doctrine where an apostle had been. So successful were they that Paul was compelled to spend the first third of the letter in re-establishing his divine appointment to the apostolic office, his consequent authority to speak for Christ, and thus the reliability of his gospel message – the major reason for his defensive efforts.
AIM OF THIS LESSON: To show that Paul's claim to have been appointed to the apostolic ministry was true and that, therefore, his words (in his epistles) are the very words of God and are to be received as authoritative.
I. HIS CLAIM: TO HAVE RECEIVED THE GODPEL BY SPECIAL REVELATION, Gal. 1: 11-12. Paul made four distinct claims for the gospel he preached:
A. It was not after man. That is, it was not a man-made gospel; it was not an invention of human wisdom.
B. Neither did I receive it from man. Paul said he did not receive the gospel through the mediatorial efforts of any man.
C. Nor was I taught it. That is, by a man. It was not acquired “by the slow and progressive method of teaching( McGarvery). The point of these claims is that he did not receive the gospel through any human instrumentality nor by any educational process which man can employ.
D. But it came to me by revelation of Jesus Christ. The “but” introduces a strong contrast between the foregoing statements and this one. This contrast is highlighted in the word “revelation” As used in the NT, this means a miracle of imparting knowledge (cf. Jno. 4:26;I Cor. 2: 1-10; Eph. 3:3). Paul's claim is that he received the gospel from Jesus in a miraculous way even as the original apostles did at Pentecost (Acts 2: 1-4).
The logic of the claim is clear, if Paul received the gospel by special revelation from Jesus Himself, even as did the original apostles, then Christ had for him a special mission, even as he did for the original apostles.
II. THE EVIDENCE: MY MANNER OF LIFE IN TIME PAST, Gal. 1:13-14. This biographical date (the historical references in the following portion of chapters 1-2) was not to sketch his own life, whether interesting or otherwise, but to prove by an historical approach which could be verified in a time-space dimension that he was in fact divinely appointed to the office of apostle.
This first argument reason form those historical facts that Saul of Tarus, in his life prior to conversion, was totally out of reach of the gospel; that no human effort to convert him to Christ
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could have by any means been successful. But the fact remains that Saul of Tarsus was reached with the gospel! Who, then could have done it? If not a man, then that leaves God, with whom all things are possible.
His argument from his manner of life in time past in Judaism was three-pronged:
1. Persecuted the church beyond measure:_______________________________________
The Galatians know what this involved. Paul was careful to remind them that they had heard of this background prior to conversion. Luke records for us in his history Saul's life as a Jew and paints for us a graphic picture of what Paul meant. See Acts 7: 58: 8:1,3 9: 1-2; 21: 4: 26: 9-13. The picture that emerges from this description of Saul of Tarsus presents no ordinary person, but one who persecuted Christians beyond the measure which anyone could – expect to the point of fanaticism! His turn of mind and spirit was such that no human being could have reached him with the gospel. In his fanaticism lies the meaning of “beyond measure.”
a. Question: How does one convert a fanatic?
b. Answer:
2. Advanced in the Jews religion:___________________________________________
He advanced as a young man socially and scholastically, and had gained powerful influence among even the Jewish hierarchy (cf. Acts 9: 1-2; 26: 12). He was quite prominent among Jews, even to the point that Gentiles heard of him and held for him a certain admiration (cf. Acts 26:24-26).
a. Question: What human dynamic could have produced such a change in such a person?
b. Answer:
3. Exceedingly zealous for the traditions of my father____________________________________ Zealous for the law as interpreted by his spiritual fathers, the Pharisees. Without a doubt, Saul was sincere. Nevertheless, his Pharisaical background had biased him against anything contrary to the law as they saw it.
a. Question: How does one deal factually with a prejudiced person? Especially one such as Saul?
b. Answer:
CONCLUSION:
Three facts combine to make a strong and reasonable argument that Saul could not be reached by the gospel – his fanaticism, his prominence, his prejudice. Yet he was reached – converted! Who go to him if not Jesus? Paul's claim is sustained by the evidence. Only Christ could have converted the former persecutor and so turned him around for the gospel and the sake of the Gentile world. Thank God for Paul---for the that event on the road to Damascus!
Original by Ed Wharton, edited by Lane