“For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ” (Galatians 1:10 NKJV). Doctrine and direction are two areas where men often seek to be in control. Throughout history, man has observed God’s instructions and found them insufficient, unsatisfactory and offensive. Out of a desire to have a better world in their worldview, they have changed and manipulated the revelation of God and turned it into nothing more than the revelation of men.
When a person manipulates the Gospel message to declare another gospel, God declares them “accursed” (Galatians 1:9). The person who claims God’s message is His bondservant. So then, how do we determine what Gospel message, doctrine and direction we need to hold?
A Revealed Message
“But I make known to you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man. For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came through the revelation of Jesus Christ” (Galatians 1:11-12). Paul demonstrated that if his message originated from men, it was not from God. Not only did it not come from men, but it came directly from the source of authority and standard of judgment, Jesus Christ.
A Miraculous Message
For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came through the revelation of Jesus Christ. For you have heard of my former conduct in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God beyond measure and tried to destroy it. And I advanced in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries in my own nation, being more exceedingly zealous for the traditions of my fathers. But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb and called me through His grace, to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately confer with flesh and blood, nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me; but I went to Arabia, and returned again to Damascus. Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and remained with him fifteen days. (Galatians 1:12-18)
Paul did not go to a human “central authority” for his message. God revealed to him the message and the purpose of his ministry for the remainder of his life on this earth. The message dictated his decisions, his future and ultimately his demise at the hands of those who hate God and His message.
An Authorized Message
Then after fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem… And I went up by revelation, and communicated to them that gospel which I preach among the Gentiles… when they saw that the gospel for the uncircumcised had been committed to me… and when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that had been given to me, they gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised. (Galatians 2:1-9)
Independent of the church, the apostles and any human authorities, Paul received his revelation and preached the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The exclusive authority for the doctrine and direction of the church today is Jesus Christ’s revealed message as given through the Scriptures – rather than a man or even the consensus of the church.
