This is God's Gospel

Introduction

Art auction. “This is my painting” it’s my style, here’s pictures, it’s my signature!

Paul is apparently being accused of selling the Galatians fraudulent goods. But he isn’t! He is forced to defend his message and his ministry in the first section of this letter.

In his defense, Paul points out the evidences that the message he preaches is God’s gospel.

This is God’s Gospel!

In Galatians 1:11-24, there are three powerful evidences of the Gospel’s divine origin that will enable you to faithfully proclaim the truth and spot the counterfeit.

1 - The Gospel is Revealed by God - vs. 11-12

Paul’s assertion - vs. 11

His gospel is not according to man; i.e., not of human origination. Paul’s gospel was distinct from Judaism. It was Judaism plus Jesus.

There was nothing human about Paul’s message. It was Christ alone by grace alone. The Gospel is about God from beginning to end.

By referring to the Galatians as brethren, Paul offers great hope that though influenced by false teaching, the churches were not lost to it. This letter is his strong hope that they will recover from their confusion.

Paul’s experience - vs. 12

compare this to verse 1

Paul is not saying he never needed the benefit of a human teacher. He is emphasizing that he understood the gospel and his calling from the Damascus road experience.

Paul did receive a revelation of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is the object of the revelation (1:12) made by the Father (1:16).

Our experience

Salvation is not something you figure out on your own. It is not received by the natural man. Paul had seen evidences and heard preaching before, but he was utterly unconvinced. It took a divine act for Paul to be saved, as it does for every person who believes.

Ephesians 2:4–5 NKJV

But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),

God must open eyes to the gospel. This is why we must pray and preach! Do you pray for sinners? Do you pray for fruit from the preaching in your church?

Matthew 16:17 NKJV

Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.

It is revelation that is convincing

Luke 16:28–31 NKJV

for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, lest they also come to this place of torment.’ Abraham said to him, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.’ And he said, ‘No, father Abraham; but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ But he said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.’ ”

When we proclaim the gospel to the lost, this is the ground we must stand on.

Romans 1:18–19 NKJV

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them.

By asserting his message is a revelation from God, Paul is not claiming no one can test his message. see vs. 9. the messages of men must be tested by the message of divine revelation.

Does our message align with divine revelation? If you want to be an effective evangelist, make sure your message aligns with God’s revelation!

2 - The Gospel Revolutionizes for God - vs. 13-17

Before his conversion - vs. 13-14

“destroy” Jesus used this same word in predicting the future treatment of his people (Lk 21:12). Josephus used the term to describe the burning of villages and towns (Schreiner, 99)

All of this was done excessively (ὑπερβολὴν, BDAG). Paul was the preeminent opponent of Christianity. For Paul to be a Christian was to be completely opposed to Judaism. He understand this before his conversion and after. That’s why the error seducing the Galatians was so egregious.

The Gospel can do what religion never could

It overthrows its enemies

It overthrows Traditions

Of all the Jews opposed to Christ’s churches he was the leader. This is an admission of extraordinary guilt. What greater crime can there be than to seek to destroy - excessively destroy - God’s church? (Lenski, 52). What Paul thought was exceedingly righteous prior to his conversion he came to see as exceedingly sinful.

How could such a fanatical traditionalist have become a proclaimer of liberty? Divine revelation.

At his conversion - vs. 15-16a

God did this without any help from man. God did it because it was according to his good pleasure.

God was pleased to act in two ways: to set apart Paul from conception and call him through his grace.

Chosen by God

“Pharisee.” Paul separated himself from God by his sins, but God set apart Paul for salvation. God had assigned Paul to a specific work from the beginning of his life, though he spend many years in the opposite pursuit. In due time, according to God’s pleasure, God called him. Here Paul lays out truths that he declares in Rom 8:29-30 and asserts them to be true in his own life. To question Paul’s calling was to question the eternal plan of God.

Called by Grace

It is an effective call - both summoning and convincing Paul. Paul saw God’s call to Paul the persecutor as an impressive display of grace (1 Cor 15:9-10). Paul earlier referred to the Galatians’ calling by grace (Gal 1:5)

Both God’s choice of Paul and his calling of Paul are connected to God’s good pleasure. Paul is preaching this message of the gospel and liberty in Christ to please the Lord not men (Gal 1:10). And he must - this is why God chose and called him.

Converted - vs. 16a - now Paul knows Jesus

"reveal” points back to Gal 1:12, reminding the Galatians that Paul saw Jesus on the Damascus road. Jesus was revealed to Paul, and revelation was due to God’s choice and calling of Paul. There’s no hint of Paul’s worthiness. Everywhere he is seen as unworthy.

For too long, Paul was blind to who Jesus was, but now it was clear to him.

2 Corinthians 4:4–6 NKJV

whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them. For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your bondservants for Jesus’ sake. For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

Here is the purpose of the revelation. It was not to merely save Paul or stir him up with a great experience. This revelation was intended for proclamation. Paul’s experience of seeing and understanding Christ was one all the nations needed to hear. This affirms that Christ called him to be an apostle without human intervention. His message and his ministry had a divine origin.

vs. 17 Paul’s immediate response to this calling was not to seek human confirmation or clarification. He knew he had seen Jesus alive and he was commissioned to proclaim the gospel to the nations.

Paul had no need for anyone to validate the truth he had received directly from Christ. He did not seek an apostolic authorization since he had divine authorization. The same one who had authorized the apostles had authorized him. What could they add to his message or mission?

Acts 9 records that Paul preached in Damascus after receiving his sight (Acts 9:20). Here Paul adds that he also spent time in Arabia and then returned again to Damascus. Paul’s time in Arabia was also spent preaching the gospel (which led to persecution) as recorded in 2 Cor 11:32-33 (Schreiner, 102).

So rather than appeal to others for approval, Paul points to his obedience to the heavenly vision as proof that his gospel was of divine origin. He did what he was called to do - preaching the gospel in Damascus and Arabia.

Has the gospel revolutionized your life?

2 Corinthians 5:17 NKJV

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

1 Corinthians 6:9–11 NKJV

Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.

Colossians 3:5–7 NKJV

Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience, in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them.

What evidence would you point to in order to demonstrate the kind of change that God has brought in your life? How are you different from non-Christians?

Paul provides us with a great example of how to share our testimony. Be brief, be specific, focus on God’s working and the transforming result.

3 - The Gospel Reflects God’s Glory - vs. 18-24

"then” connects with what is previous and furthers his argument: This is God’s Gospel!

Paul’s argument is based on the timing of the events that he describes here. Paul was not a second-hand or wannabe apostle. He did meet with any of them until three years after his conversion. Schreiner argues this could be calculated inclusively; that is, Paul could have been converted in AD 31 and visited Jerusalem in AD 33. This visit is in Acts 9:36-40.

The point is not that Paul had nothing to learn from Peter. It is that his ministry was not derivative of the Apostles since he had ministered three years prior to this meeting. It seems the Galatians had been told that Paul got his message from the apostles but distorted what he received from them.

The two time frames in this verse provide a strong contrast - 3 years vs. 15 days.

vs. 19 Paul notes that he did not meet the remaining apostles at all. He had seen James, but it is implied that he did not become acquainted with him in the same manner that he did Paul.

In Acts 9:27, Luke says that Paul was introduced to the “apostles” but here Paul says he only met one. The conflict fades when the wider usage of apostles is understood. The Twelve might be termed capital “A” Apostles while others are little “a” apostles. This distinction is seen in 1 Cor 15:5-7 and other places. Paul considers James an apostle in this sense based on the construction in this verse.

vs. 20-23 It seems that those who caused confusion in Galatia had questioned Paul’s trustworthiness. This oath implies that the Galatians had been told a different story which Paul now was contradicting with God as his witness.

Paul was known for his ministry in Syria and Cilicia in contrast to his limited work in Judea. This corresponds with Acts 9:30 where Paul was sent off to Tarsus from Jerusalem. He remained in the Roman province of Syria-Cilicia until Barnabas convinced him to assist him in Antioch (Acts 11:25-26).

Paul is emphasizing his limited time in Judea by saying that most Christians there could not pick him out of a crowd. The Christians did not all see Paul, but they did hear about him. There is a clear then - now contrast in this verse.

vs. 24 Though Paul did not get his gospel from Judea, the Judeans recognized Paul had heard from heaven. His ministry originated with God which caused glory to be given to God.

Jerusalem could not be proud of their missionary son because Paul’s gospel did not originate there. However, they could offer great praise to God since he had called Paul to salvation and commissioned him to preach the gospel to the nations.

This outsider and enemy preached the same gospel as the other apostles because it was made to him by God, just as to them (Matt. 16:17).

Since the gospel is from God and about God, it brings glory to God alone.

2 Corinthians 4:4–7 NKJV

whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them. For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your bondservants for Jesus’ sake. For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.

Who does your evangelistic message glorify?

Present God-centered gospel - it begins with God and ends with God

Conclusion

praise God for what he has revealed to us and in us

1 - The Gospel is Revealed by God - vs. 11-12

2 - The Gospel Revolutionizes for God - vs. 13-17

3 - The Gospel Reflects God’s Glory - vs. 18-24