June 18
“I make known to you, brethren, that the Gospel which was preached by me is not according to man. For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came through the revelation of Jesus Christ,” Galatians 1:11-12.
The apostle Paul admonished the Galatians not to follow the so-called gospel that was being proclaimed by the false teachers who had come into contact with members of the congregations.
Then he proceeded to inform the Galatians what his source was for the true Gospel which he preached to them. First of all, he made it clear that he was not teaching a Gospel that he had been taught by other people. “I make known to you, brethren, that the Gospel which was preached by me is not according to man.” His teaching of the Gospel had nothing in common with the man-made teachings that were being circulated in the congregations in Galatia. He had not been instructed in the Christian teachings by other men. “I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it.”
Paul informed the Galatians of something which they already knew. He reminded them of his unpleasant past. He had been a zealous persecutor of Christians. He had been determined to silence the voice of the Gospel and to hinder the work of the Christian Church. Paul wanted people to revert to the Old Testament Jewish rituals and to put their trust in man-made teachings.
However, God stopped Paul (Saul) in his tracks and struck him with blindness when he was on his way to Damascus to arrest men and women who had accepted Christ as the only Savior for sinners. He was instructed by the voice of Jesus, who spoke to him from heaven, to continue on his way to Damascus, where Ananias met him. By the power of God working through Ananias, Saul’s sight was restored to him, and he received the gift of the Holy Spirit, and Ananias baptized him. (At the time of his conversion, his name was Saul. Later, his name was changed to Paul, the apostle.)
Paul was given a special revelation by Jesus Christ, through which he learned the Gospel and other Christian teachings. “The Gospel which was preached by me is not according to man. For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came through the revelation of Jesus Christ.” He also refers to that special revelation in his Epistle to the Ephesians (3:3).
Today, we teach and preach the Gospel and the Christian truths as they are revealed to us in the Bible, which is the only source and norm for all of our Christian teachings. Members of the Church should follow the example of the Berean Christians, who, “Searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so,” Acts 17:11. They searched the Scriptures daily to see whether the apostles were teaching the truth! The Bible is the source for Christian truths. Remember the words of the Lord Jesus: “You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me,” John 5:39. Search the Scriptures to find Christ!
Dig into the Bible to learn the Christian teachings about sin and the only Savior for sinners. It will result in strengthening your Christian faith, and enable you to be a faithful witness for the Lord Jesus, who suffered, died, and rose again to conquer sin, death, and the devil for all people. Believe and trust in Jesus as God’s Son and your only Savior!
“God’s Word is our great heritage,
And shall be ours forever;
To spread its light from age to age
Shall be our chief endeavor.
Through life it guides our way,
In death it is our stay.
Lord, grant, while worlds endure,
We keep its teachings pure
Throughout all generations.” Amen.