The Gospel Is A Revelation Of Jesus Christ

“Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that the gospel I preached is not of human origin. For I did not receive it or learn it from any human source; instead I received it by a revelation of Jesus Christ.” Galatians 1:11-12 NET

Paul’s conversion is a remarkable event, as it was a direct encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus. This encounter was not just a personal revelation but a theological turning point. Jesus, in His wisdom, revealed to Paul the intricate connection between the Old Testament, Jewish tradition, and the new narrative of Jesus. This integration, a significant theological development, shaped Paul's unique perspective on faith.

Paul, in his profound humility, made it clear that he was not to be revered. He did not see himself as unique, for his focus was solely on Christ. There were many believers that venerated the early apostles, as indicated in the following passage: “For whenever someone says, “I am with Paul,” or “I am with Apollos,” are you not merely human? What is Apollos, really? Or what is Paul? Servants through whom you came to believe, and each of us in the ministry the Lord gave us. I planted, Apollos watered, but God caused it to grow. So neither the one who plants counts for anything, nor the one who waters, but God who causes the growth. The one who plants and the one who waters work as one, but each will receive his reward according to his work. We are coworkers belonging to God. You are God’s field, God’s building.”        1  Corinthians 3:4-9 NET

What Paul is angling for here is that we are all readily and handily equipped and taught by the Holy Spirit. If we allow Him to teach us, we tend to put too much emphasis and focus on people with human knowledge, and we lose sight of the fact that this is a spiritual walk with Jesus and His people, not an intellectual pursuit. There is a lot to be gained intellectually by learning from trained pastors, theologians, and scholars of the bible, but we must never forget that Jesus isn’t after imparting head knowledge when it comes to His kingdom. He is after heart knowledge, a deep and profound understanding that comes from Him knowing us and sharing His heart with us. “You have received the anointing from him; it abides in you, and you do not need to have anyone teach you. That anointing from him teaches you about everything; it is true, it isn’t a lie. So, just as he taught you, abide in him.” 1 John 2:27 NTFE

Paul, in another context, reveals the existence of diverse gifts that enrich our conversations when we gather as believers. These are not hierarchical roles like apostle, pastor, prophet, teacher, and evangelist, but rather, they are unique manifestations of grace that the Holy Spirit bestows upon us all when we come together, these gracelets empower us, through the Holy Spirit, to meet each other's needs, inspiring and encouraging us in our faith journey. “So these were the gifts that he gave. Some were to be apostles, others prophets, others evangelists, and others pastors and teachers. Their job is to give God’s people the equipment they need for their work of service, and so to build up Christ’s body. The purpose of this is that we should all reach unity in our belief and loyalty, and in knowing God’s son. Then we shall reach the stature of the mature Man measured by the standards of the Christ’s fullness. As a result, we won’t be babies any longer! We won’t be thrown this way and that on a stormy sea, blown about by every gust of teaching, by human tricksters, by their cunning and deceitful scheming. Instead, we must speak the truth in love, and so grow up in everything into him—that is, into the Christ, who is the head. He supplies the growth that the whole body needs, linked as it is and held together by every joint which supports it, with each member doing its own proper work. Then the body builds itself up in love.”                Ephesians 4:11-16 NTFE

 I believe that it is important that I say something here specifically about Jesus; Jesus is a divine being wholly different and unique from us; Jesus is God incarnate, not just a good man who tried to make a difference. That is why Paul makes such a big deal about this by saying the gospel (good news) he received by a revelation of Jesus Christ. The good news is the revelation of Jesus Christ and His love for humankind. Paul saw the connection of Yahweh and Jesus early on in his walk with the Lord; he saw God's mercy in the Old Testament, reaching out to His people and those who would become His people. Then, as it is today, God constantly desires believing loyalty, and that has never changed.    

With the understanding that Jesus is a divine being, we become aware that He rules in a spiritual kingdom which is not of this natural world, as a ruler of this kingdom we also find that He created all things for His pleasure. His rule extends into this natural world namely because He created it, and maintains it by keeping it together. “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation, for all things in heaven and on earth were created in him—all things, whether visible or invisible, whether thrones or dominions, whether principalities or powers—all things were created through him and for him. He himself is before all things and all things are held together in him.”              Colossians 1:15-17 NET

We are sons and daughters of our heavenly Father, the Father of Jesus, who wants us to rule and reign with Jesus on the earth, and inherit everything that Jesus has so we can be just like Him in every way.

Stephen Barnett