The Gospel of Jesus Christ, not of Man
“For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ. But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.” Galatians 1:10-12
Of whom was Paul seeking approval? Was he attempting to persuade people that he was some sort of god who could do no wrong? Of course not. He was trying to persuade people of the truth of the gospel in order to please and be obedient to God. Was his aim to please men and women to make them feel good about their sin? If that was true, then Paul’s entire mission as an evangelist was a sham. How could he serve Christ if he pandered to people, allowing them to justify their sin, and not calling them to follow the true gospel of Christ, that is, Christ alone with nothing added. Christ’s sacrifice was the complete atonement for man’s sin. For born-again believers, there is no going to a place after death where one will “finish” paying for their own sins. Either Christ’s sacrifice paid for all sins, or His sacrifice didn’t pay for any. To think that a true believer must suffer after death for a while before he or she enters heaven is to negate Christ’s suffering, death, and resurrection. It matters what one believes.
As was the case in other churches where Paul had preached, some of the members would begin to question Paul’s authority particularly when false teachers would infiltrate the church body and begin teaching things contrary to the true gospel that Paul preached. This certainly wasn’t the only time Paul had to defend himself. He wrote to “certify” or to declare that his authority to preach the gospel came from Christ Himself and not from some committee of men who decided to ordain Paul as a minister. The only true preachers of God’s word are those whom God calls. A man cannot decide for himself, nor can other men decide who can preach and represent God’s word before others. By the many today who are misleading their congregations with the various forms of man-made gospel, such as the prosperity gospel or a works gospel, these preachers were likely never called by God to preach, or, if they were called, they have likely been influenced by fame and fortune. I read about a well-known television preacher who lives in a mansion and is worth millions. I wonder what Paul would say about that. However, I don’t think that a preacher should have to live in poverty. God will provide for him and his family as he stays true to his calling.
Paul then brought up his past before his conversion to Christ in order to show the miracle that brought him from a persecutor of believers to becoming one of them. He was very zealous for the law and determined to search out and punish Christians. He was, I suppose, an intellectual, yet ignorant of the real reason for the law, which was to show people their sin and their need for a Savior. Those that he was persecuting understood that the law could not save them, only Christ could. However, Paul finally understood the need for Christ when he met Him on the road to Damascus (Acts 8-9). It was God’s prerogative to stop Paul in his tracks. God knew him from the womb and had chosen him as the one who would carry the gospel to the Gentiles.
Paul’s conversion was an extraordinary conversion. Most, not all, but most folks who are saved have heard the gospel over and over again. They have been prayed for by concerned Christians, and, at some point, God sends the Holy Spirit to convict them of their sins. Those who are obedient to the gospel repent and place their faith in Christ, committing to live for and serve Him. The change from lost sinner to saved saint is immediate, but the change from the old lifestyle to the new is usually more of a gradual experience. On the other hand, Paul had likely not heard the gospel, at least not the entire gospel. What he knew of it, he considered completely contrary to the law on which he was dependent. To him the gospel was a lie and a deception which had trapped many in its web. He was a man filled with hate who thought he was doing God a favor in persecuting all those whom he saw as heretics. However, when Christ revealed Himself to Paul, that encounter immediately hit him with such force that he knew instantly that he had been wrong all along, and all those he persecuted had been right. That was quite an awakening for Paul.
After Paul became a follower of Jesus Christ, he had to be discipled. He knew all about the law, but very little about the new life in Christ. Rather than meeting with other believers, some of whom would have been leery of associating with him because of his past, he went to Arabia where he could find a quiet and uninterrupted time of fellowship with Christ, learning directly from Him through prayer. (Preachers, teachers, and other Christians are invaluable as tools to progress in the Christian life, but there is nothing more expedient than personal Bible study and prayer, as led by the Holy Spirit, to discover the mind of God.) After his time in Arabia, Paul returned to Damascus, the city wherein he originally planned to arrest Christians, but now his goal was to arrest, spiritually speaking, sinners by way of the gospel of Christ. He then traveled to Jerusalem and stayed with the apostle Peter for 15 days. He also saw James, Jesus’ brother, who was the pastor of the church in Jerusalem.
Not very many believers have such an exceptional conversion as Paul, but nevertheless, all conversions to Christ are miracles. Just as God had a plan for Paul, He has a plan for everyone who will come to Christ in repentance and belief. His plans for you and me may not be as far-reaching as Paul’s, but there are no insignificant tasks for those who believe in Christ. We are called to serve in our sphere of influence whatever that may be. It is not the amount or size of our service that counts, but that we are obedient to God’s call.