The authority of the Apostle Paul

by | Posted April 24th at 1:08am

This study of Galatians chapter 1, will make it clear that Paul’s gospel message came directly to him via a Christophany — a visionary encounter with the risen Jesus Christ, and was never derived from the agency or effort of men. It was independent of men and dependent upon Jesus Christ alone.

The scriptures indicate that the Apostle Paul was “not sent from men nor through the agency of man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised Him from the dead”. Moreover, Paul was chosen before he was born, much like David and Jeremiah claimed. (Psalm 139:16; Jeremiah 1:5; Galatians 1:1; 15-16)

In his letter to the Galatians he emphasizes his apostolic status (see also Rom. 1:1; 1 Cor. 1:1; 2 Cor. 1:1; Eph. 1:1). At the same time, he emphasizes that the divine origin of salvation is Jesus Christ from whom he received his direct illumination about the gospel. Paul begins to address his unquestionable apostleship. In v. 1 of Galatians he states that the message of the gospel is: “sent not from men nor by man.”

There was the original special class of apostles called directly by Jesus, some to whom He also revealed Himself after His resurrection (1 Cor. 15:7) Paul knew he was also an apostle authorized by Jesus, even if he was “last of all” (1 Cor. 15:8; cf. Rom 1:1; Gal. 1:1).

Paul at times had to defend his status, with firm convection, such as at Galatia and Corinth. Paul was aware that he had been called by the risen Jesus (1 Cor. 9:1; 15:7–8; Gal. 1:15–16) and that the Lord had revealed to him in that call the specifics of his ministry: Paul was to go to the Gentiles — those other than the Jewish race (Gal. 1:16; 2:7). This call was confirmed in Paul’s missionary successes and his miracles (cf. Rom. 1:5; 11:13–16; 15:19; 1 Cor 3:5–6; 4:15).

Paul’s ministry involved a personal responsibility to his churches evident by his words to the Corinthians: “you are the seal of my apostleship” (1 Cor. 9:2). Paul, along with the testimony of the church, saw the role of the apostles to be a special one in history; he knew that they performed a crucial function in the period just after the resurrection of Christ to define and articulate the teaching of gospel of Jesus Christ clearly — and to help the church rejoice in their freedom of redemption as defined by Christ in the New Covenant. Men of all races must learn that they can be free to express their faith and love together in Christ — a message not understood before Paul (1 Cor. 4:9; Eph. 2:20; 3:5–6; Col. 1:24–27). In the letter to the Galatians, he would express what this freedom looked like (Galatians 5:22-23 NLT).

Because he had been called personally by Jesus Christ on the Damascus road, he knew that he represented Jesus Christ and that he had a critical role in the church to unpack the entire message of Jesus Christ to the church as it was expanding universally into the whole world — to those outside of the Jewish circles.

He knew that his gospel was not cooked up by man, or any politicized or traditionalized group and was given directly to him by Jesus Christ. His authority to teach was freely imbued with Christ’s Spirit leading as he mapped the connecting redemptive biblical narrative, particularly, since Abraham. His authority to teach a transition from the old covenant (wherein academically he had been trained, and in which constraints he had lived) to the new revelations given by Christ becomes apparent when he argues against the Judaizers who later tried to convince the members that they had to be circumcised and follow the customs taught by Moses if they would be true Christians.

He expects the Galatians to listen; he knows that disagreement is no longer dialogue; disagreement means division from Christ’s directives when it comes to the essentials of the gospel as made known through the apostles and prophets. Even Paul himself must submit to his own gospel (1:8, 10). ¹

Paul argues that his gospel is independent of human teaching (Galatians 1:13–17), of the major churches in Judea (Galatians 1:18–19), of the Jerusalem “pillars” (Galatians 2:1–10), and especially of the apostle Peter who began to confuse the message of unity in Christ (Galatians 2:11–21). Paul eliminated other sources of his gospel. Why? First, Paul wants to make it clear that his gospel is a direct revelation from Jesus Christ. Second, he shatters opponent arguments that Paul’s gospel was not independent but was rather from the authorities in Jerusalem or at least from those connected with Jerusalem such as Peter. No, his gospel was independently handed down from Christ Himself.

The first part of Galatians1:10–2:21 states that his gospel is not, in fact, dependent on Jerusalem and its leaders. Instead, it is an independent expression. He states his independence negatively in vv. 11–12: it is not originating from people. Then he restates this positively —  it is from Jesus Christ. Moreover, his questions (Galatians 1:10) are implying that he is not seeking to please human beings but God.

“Paul’s claim … is this. His gospel, which was being called in question by the Judaizers and deserted by the Galatians, was neither an invention (as if his own brain had fabricated it), nor a tradition (as if the church had handed it down to him), but a revelation (for God had made it known to him).” ²

The term revelation describes something made known by God to humans, in this case to Paul, that would otherwise not be known or accessible. Revelation thus stands in glaring contrast to passing on of any sacred traditions, either in his day or our own.

Independence is not the most important description of Paul’s gospel. Rather, the most important description of Paul’s gospel is that it is a direct revelation from Jesus Christ and, therefore, not an indirect gospel that had come to him through the Jerusalem authorities.

Preaching and teaching of the gospel, when faithful to the Pauline gospel, is a direct revelation from Jesus Christ. It was this focus on Paul’s writings, which began the Reformation 500 years ago. There are creeds and people who have risen and will rise, who claim that they have the only interpretation of the gospel.

Even if we may have been called to any particular ministry (as Paul was), only progressive theological insights based on his gospel — not independent revelations differing from his gospel — should be assumed correctly in that calling. All teaching must align entirely or bridge with Paul’s teaching completely or be suspect of self-manufacturing.

The “I” in the “I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ” (1:12) is not an “I” that is interchangeable with our own “I.”

Every Christian needs to examine his or her convictions in the light of the Pauline writings to see if we are “seeking to gain the approval of men” or succumbing to social and peer pressure (v. 10). We must discern where our approval is based, where it is headed or locked.

We constantly need to examine our expressions of the gospel to see if they are consistent with the apostolic testimony. This is the principle of the Reformation, the revival of the church under Luther, Zwingli, and Calvin when the church sought to straighten itself out by radically committing itself to the apostolic gospel and biblical writings. It must also be the principle of our day.

¹ McKnight, S. (1995). Galatians (p. 49). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.

² Stott, Only One Way

Article posted by Glen R. Jackman, founder of GraceProclaimed.org

Glen has optimized his eldership role to teach the full scope of the New Covenant of Jesus Christ without boundaries.
You can read his testimony.