10 Am I now trying to gain the approval of people, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a slave of Christ!
11 Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that the gospel I preached is not of human origin.
12 For I did not receive it or learn it from any human source; instead I received it by a revelation of Jesus Christ.
This starts a long section of this letter in which Paul gives personal history (See verses 1:13-2:14). He is defending and justifying his apostleship. He is giving his background to Christians of Galatia who may not have met him.
Vs. 10 “trying to please people?” - Paul was committed completely to God even before he believed in Jesus. He was sure the early church was blaspheming God. He was so sure that he hunted them down, arrested them under the authority of the Jewish leaders to punish and execute them if necessary. All to please God!
Paul was flabbergasted when he met Jesus face-to-face on the road to Damascus. (See: Acts 9:1-5 )
God (Jesus) said, “Why are you persecuting Me?”
Paul’s response, “Wait. What?”
Paul knew this encounter was with God. No one else comes in blinding light! He knew, or at least thought he knew, persecuting Christians was serving God. Consider the confusion therein: he was passionately serving God, yet God just revealed He was being persecuted!
Paul asked, “Who am I persecuting, really?” (A rough paraphrase of, “Who are you?”)
The answer knocked Paul even further off balance, “I am…”
Instantly, Paul knew who was speaking! Jesus was God Himself.
The Jews knew Jesus’ claimed to be God. Jesus answered some question concerning His authority and the Jewish leaders parsed every sentence, every word Jesus uttered. See John 8:57-59. They knew exactly what Jesus meant. They were not confused. Up until this moment, neither was Paul!
The point is: Paul’s passion to serve God was not diminished by the encounter near Damascus, only redirected.
“I would not be a slave of Christ!” - We can desire to get approval from those around us, or seek God’s approval first. A man cannot serve two masters. (Luke 16:13, Matt. 8:21-22, Luke 14:16-24, 1 John 2:15-16) If people are pleased because we serve Christ, great. ( Col. 3:23-24 ) Sometimes in movies, a character saves another by some action. The second guy says, “I owe you one.” We are the second guy. We don't owe just one. We owe Jesus ALL.
Can we ever repay? Our mind, our soul, our spirit, and our body are His.
He paid for them. We can accept that fact and live for Jesus.
Or, we can reject Him and lose it all.
Being Christ’s slave is not onerous.
What a paradox: we are free, and we are slaves!
vs. 11 “not of human origin” - Paul did not receive the gospel from Barnabas, Ananias, Peter or any other human.
He learned the Law from Gamaliel.
He learned the gospel from Jesus.
That is one definition of ‘apostle’ - having learned God’s message of salvation from Jesus. Paul is unique. All the other apostles - Peter, James, John, and others - has personal contact with Jesus. They walked, talked, and learned from Him during His time here on earth. They were present during the sham trial and the real crucifixion. They met Him and talked with Him after the resurrection - in the upper room at Pentecost. They received the Holy Spirit, and preached in Jerusalem. Paul was not there for any of it. No wonder there was some skepticism about his commitment!
vs. 12 “revelation of Jesus Christ.” - The Good News was given to Paul by Jesus. See: Acts 9:15, 16. Think about that for a moment. Paul who was intelligent, learned, schooled in the scriptures (our Old Testament) after the encounter on the road to Damascus was taught by Jesus. I think he met Jesus face-to-face.
There is a cryptic reference in 2 Cor. 12:1-7, in which Paul refers to a man who was taken up into the third heaven.
Three Heavens! Per my understanding, are as follows:
- Earth’s Atmosphere
- Starry Night, the visible universe
- In the presence of God and Jesus
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