"I want you to know, brothers, that the gospel I preached is not of human origin. I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ."

Galatians 1:11-12

In defending his ministry, Paul describes himself before his conversion, then his encounter with Christ and his actions after God had called him. In the description of his former life, Paul himself is the subject of the verbs: ‘I persecuted … [I] tried to destroy … I was advancing in Judaism … [I] was extremely zealous’ (vv. 13, 14). Yet, when defining his conversion and subsequent calling, God becomes the subject of the verbs: ‘God, who set me apart … called me … [revealed] his Son in me’ (vv. 15, 16). For those who are in Christ, this is your story too. To the Galatians, Paul’s appeal is to rely fully on the completed work of Christ.

The conclusion of Paul’s conversion account centers on the source of his revelation. Paul’s argument is that, in turning away from the gospel that he had declared, the Galatians are actually turning away from God, since the gospel revealed to Paul came to him directly from God. It could be implied that this received teaching from God came to Paul when he was in Arabia for three years (vv. 17, 18). It was the time of deepening the understanding of the gospel and the time of prayer for his future ministry.

Apply

Take a few minutes to consider who you were before Christ saved you. Rejoice in whose you are now.

Closing Prayer

Holy Spirit, I am grateful for your work that brought me to faith in Jesus and for the many ways you are transforming me. Continue revealing to me who he is and giving me vision to change into his likeness (edited from Encounter with God).