The Origin of Paul’s Gospel

Paul’s desire was to correct the heresy being taught to the believers in Galatia

One of the main arguments against Paul’s gospel was an attack on his apostleship

This section makes a case for Paul’s apostleship and where the Gospel he teaches came from

One commentator gave an overview of the Paul’s letter to the Galatians that I feel will be very helpful

Biographical: What God Has Done

Chapters 1-2

A biographical history of Paul’s life and conversion

This section is explaining why Paul is authoritative and should be trusted

Theological: What We Should Believe

Chapter 3-4

A theological defense and establishment of salvation by faith alone through Christ alone

Ethical: How We Should Live

Chapter 5-6

Paul discusses how the truth of salvation by faith alone through Christ alone affects our everyday life

Paul’s Gospel Came From God

One of the major problems with religion is the rules and beliefs man puts in place

For Paul, it was important the Galatians knew what Paul was teaching was not his own idea or the idea of other fallible man

Paul makes it clear that he did not receive the Gospel from other men, but directly from God

Paul Received the Gospel When He Was Saved

To prove Paul’s point, that the Gospel he taught, was not from him or from man Paul points back to his conversation

In verse 12, Paul refers to the “revelation of Jesus Christ”

Jesus was revealed to Paul

Paul did not believe in Jesus

Jesus was revealed as the Messiah and Lord to Paul

Jesus revealed the Gospel to Paul

In saving Paul, Jesus revealed the Gospel to paul

It was the teaching of Salvation by Christ Alone that was revealed to Paul

to drive this point home, Paul calls back to his former life and to his conversion

His persecution of the church v13

His advancement in the religious hierarchy of Judaism v14

He zealousness v14

his election and calling in verse 15

The grace that saved him v15

the revelation of Jesus in 16

for the purpose of preaching to the Gentiles v15

The conversion of Paul is evidence that the Gospel Paul teaches did not come from man

He did not believe in a Gospel presented to him by man, but by god

It wasn’t the Romans Road or 4 Spiritual Laws, it was the Son Himself that brought Paul to grace

In verse 16 Paul turns

after discussing his Conversion Paul steps away from that moment and into the years that follow

Paul Went to the Desert

Paul went into Arabia

We don’t know much about what happened during this time

but we know that Paul did not go to the apostles to learn

It’s reasonable to believe Paul spent this time searching the Old Testament scripture

In fact, if we if we look at much of Paul’s writing what we see is a teaching on how the doctrines of justification by faith alone and prophecies of Jesus are in the Old Testament

Things he wrote:

Galatians 3:6–9 ESV

6 just as Abraham “believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”? 7 Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham. 8 And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “In you shall all the nations be blessed.” 9 So then, those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.

Romans 4:3 “3 For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.””

Paul’s Gospel Brings Glory to God

When I say “Paul’s Gospel” I mean “The Gospel of Christ”

I am referring to it as Paul’s gospel to emphasis that it was what he taught

in contrast to the false gospel of the judaizers

Paul’s gospel was Christs Gospel

It was the teaching that Christ is the only way to salvation

Now, back to this point, the Gospel brings Glory to God

After 3 years, Paul goes to Jerusalem and meets with Peter and James, Jesus brother

At this time, the rest of the church did not know Paul, but had heard of him

And they Glorified God because of Paul

The gospel is not man’s good news about God; it is God’s good news for man.

Philip Graham Ryken, Galatians, ed. Richard D. Phillips, Philip Graham Ryken, and Daniel M. Doriani, Reformed Expository Commentary (Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R Publishing, 2005), 28.