I would have you know, brothers, that the gospel that was preached by me is not man’s gospel.
– Galatians 1:11
Today we are going to look at three possibilities—that the gospel came from Paul, from the church, or directly from Jesus Christ.
1.) The gospel is not an invention
If Paul had invented the gospel, then his teaching is simply an expression of his own thinking, and we have liberty to disagree with him. But Paul was an enemy of the gospel: “You have heard of my former life in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God violently and tried to destroy it” (1:13), and since he opposed it, it stands to reason that he did not invent it.
2.) The gospel is not a tradition
If the gospel is simply the tradition of the church, then the task of each generation would be to adapt the teaching of previous generations to fit the changing needs of the church. But Paul makes it clear: “I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it” (1:12). The gospel did not come to Paul from the church. It is not a tradition to be developed, adapted, or changed.
3.) The gospel is a revelation
If the gospel did not come from Paul (invention), or from the church (tradition), then where did it come from? “I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ” (1:12). The gospel came from the highest authority. Paul’s gospel came to him by revelation directly from Jesus Christ.
What difference do you think it makes whether the gospel is an invention, a tradition, or a revelation?
