COMMENTARY ON GALATIANS
LESSON NUMBER 7
Gal 1:11 “ But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. 12 For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.”. . . . . . . . Galatians 1:11-12
A CERTIFIED GOSPEL
INTRODUCTION
What a person preaches is vitally important. That is, the message that he is delivering is critical, and must be true. It is of great concern that so much is being preached today that could not be classified as a valid message, news, report, or gospel. A lot of what is being declared is really nothing more than advice, or opinion, “how-to” presentations and studies. Some, like those who were influencing the Galatians are preaching what men ought to do – that is their essential and pivotal message. Take that away, and such men have nothing more to say. Some deliver a word that centers in projects for men to accomplish – a kind of refinement of what men ought to do. The intention of their word is to gather men together to do this or that. Perhaps it is to build a congregation or a building. Maybe it is an inner-city project that focuses on relieving the poor, or assisting the needy. None of these things are wrong of themselves, but they are seriously wrong as a word, message, or gospel. Godly effects can only be produced by a proper message. In fact, the power of God unto salvation, or that will result in salvation, is a message, a word, the Gospel of Christ. Men are not changed by praise, but by a message. Men are not liberated from the tyranny of sin by receiving considerate attention, but by the truth. Remember, we are speaking of what is preached – the central message that is being declared. If you get down to the core of it, what is being said? Paul will now defend what he has declared to the Galatians – a message that resulted in them being converted. He is doing this because they were being subjected to another gospel – another message. It has not produced good results among them. In fact, they had gone backward, and were teetering in the brink of eternal disaster. Paul knew that the message that men embrace determines how they live. It determines how much power they can receive from heaven, and whether or not they will experience liberty and satisfaction. Thus, Paul will remind the Galatians of the gospel that he had preached among them – a gospel that resulted in their liberty and new creatureship. That same Gospel still was filled with power – power that would enable their full recovery if received.
I CERTIFY YOU
Gal 1:11a “ But I certify you, brethren . . .” Other versions read, “I make known to you,” NKJV “I would have you know,” NASB “I want you to know,” NIV “let me make clear to you,” CJB “I give you to understand,” DOUAY “I want to make it quite clear to you,” NJB “I solemnly sware,” LIVING and “I must tell you.” WEYMOUTH
The word “certify” is lexically defined as follows: “to make known . . . to recall to one's mind, as though what is made known had escaped him,” THAYER “as the result of consideration; know,” FRIBERG and “to be acquainted with.” LOUW-NIDA In English, the word means, “to attest authoritatively, confirm, certainty, assure.” MERRIAM-WEBSTER
WHAT PAUL IS DOING. Certifying the brethren, then, is bringing them to the point of understanding, where the subject being addressed is clear , and understanding is fruitful. It is lifting the people out of the quagmire of doubt, removing them from the sea of confusion, and delivering them from the blight of ignorance. In this case, it is re-establishing clarity – clarity that had been lost due to false and competitive teaching. The Galatians had been robbed of insight – the insight that had made them free. Now Paul is dispelling the fog of delusion concerning the source of his message to them. He is not merely defending himself, but establishing the truth of what he had taught them – which teaching led to their conversion, re-creation, and possession of the Holy Spirit.
In the Old Covenant Scriptures, the word “certify” is used when the people are informed of something – made aware of a fact or circumstance (2 Sam 15:28; Ezra 4:14,16; 5:10; 7:24; Esther 2:22). That is, there were certain realities of which they were unaware, and it was necessary that they be awakened to certainty of them.
The Greek word that is here translated “certify” is used elsewhere in Scripture. It is translated “made known” (Lk 2:15; John 15:15; Acts 2:29; Rom 16:26; Eph 1:9; 3:3,5; Phil 4:6), “known” (Rom 9:22; Eph 3:10), “make known” (Rom 9:23; Eph 6:19,2; Col 1:27; 4:9; 2 Pet 1:16) “declared” (John 17:26), “understand” (1 Cor 12:3), “declare” (1 Cor 15:1; Col 4:7), “do you to wit” [to know] (2 Cor 8:1), and “wot” [give you to understand] (Phil 1:22). This is not mere academic knowledge, but involves a persuasion of the reality of what has been declared. It is the opposite of being ignorant, and the antithesis of being unlearned.
AN ECONOMY OF UNDERSTANDING. Frequently believers are told about the lethal effects of ignorance. Ignorance is what compelled the Jews to go about to establish their own righteousness, rather than submitting to the righteousness of God (Rom 10:3). Satan can gain an advantage of us if we are ignorant of his devices (2 Cor 2:11). Men are alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them (Eph 4:18). Paul persecuted the church because of his ignorance (1 Tim 1:13). Fashioning one’s life according to lust instead of faith is the result of ignorance (1 Pet 1:14). Men assess the history of the world because they are willingly ignorant (2 Pet 3:5). In fact, Jesus was crucified because the people did not know what they were doing (Lk 23:34). Often the prophets chided the Israelites for not knowing (Isa 59:8; Jer 5:4; 9:3; Amos 3:10; Mic 4:12). At least six times Paul wrote to the churches, “I would not have you to be ignorant” (Rom 1:13; 11:25; 1 Cor 10:1; 12:1; 2 Cor 1:8; 1 Thess 4:13).
Any people associated with the Lord are expected to be a people of understanding. That is one of the marks of their distinction. Whether it was under the Old Covenant, in the interim between the covenants during which Jesus ministered, or during the administration of the New Covenant, understanding has been a necessary and critical matter. This is because true affiliation with God is attended by revelation from Him. And, where there is revelation on a matter, it is unlawful and improper to be ignorant of it.
The fact of the matter is that eternal life itself is defined as knowing God, and Jesus Christ whom He hath sent (John 17:3). The process of conversion is referred to as being “enlightened” (Heb 6:4), “illuminated” (Heb 10:32), and being given an “understanding” (1 John 5:20). Spiritual growth is related to having the eyes of our understanding enlightened (Eph 1:18), obtaining “spiritual understanding” (Col 1:9), and knowing “the good and acceptable and perfect will of God” (Rom 12:2). Solemnly the saints are admonished, “Be not children in understanding . . . in understanding be men” (1 Cor 14:20). Believers are to grow “in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Pet 3:18).
Sin and flawed teaching necessarily thrust people into a state of spiritual ignorance, which robs them of all of the benefits of redemption. In certifying the Galatians, Paul is reestablishing their foundational knowledge, for error always erodes the pillars of knowledge, making it impossible to think correctly. Furthermore, when people thing wrongly, they cannot live rightly. A man’s character is shaped and refined by the way he thinks, not by the habits he develops, as some falsely allege. Paul’s words are especially timely in our day, where there is a prevailing and inexcusable ignorance concerning both the nature and the will of God. Too little is known by professing Christians of Christ and His Gospel. Certification is needed!
THE GOSPEL I PREACHED IS NOT AFTER MAN
1:11b “ . . . , that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man.“
Paul now brings to their mind the message that he had declared to them. Because they had heard and embraced it, he does not go into the details of that Gospel at this point. He rather deals with its origin. He is accounting for the stark difference between what he preached and what those who had captured the ears of the Galatians were preaching. That difference is not accounted for in the personality of the teacher, but in the source of the message being delivered. These differing messages came from differing sources. This reality, of course, will have some rather arresting implications. Paul has already declared that there really is no other gospel. Such a message is a perversion of the real gospel (1:6-7). That is why they should let anyone delivering a different gospel, be “accursed” – whether himself, some other man, or even an angel from heaven (1:8-9).
THE GOSPEL WHICH WAS PREACHED. This is the good news that Paul proclaimed, announced, reported, or declared. It was not a message of what could be, or ought to be, but of what had been accomplished in and by the Lord Jesus Christ. It was a message that bore directly upon the universal condition of man, and what sin had wrought. It was not a message that dealt with the social state or the potential that was resident within man. It was not a word that announced men would at last be able to do what they had wanted all along. This was the Gospel through which men are “begotten” (1 Cor 4:15). Men are said to “partake of the promise in Christ by the Gospel” (Eph 3:6). Life and immortality have been brought to light “through the Gospel” (2 Tim 1:10). We are told that “the word of the Lord” that “endures forever” is found in the word by which the Gospel is preached (1 Pet 1:25). The Gospel sheds light on all of the rest of God’s word, as well as on the human condition, and eternity itself. Men know no more of Scripture than they know of the Gospel. Their knowledge of God is within the confines of the Gospel. His will and His purpose are delineated in the Gospel. If the Gospel is not preached, people will not be begotten of God, nor will they grow and advance in the faith.
If you were to ask the nominal Christian what Gospel he heard – what message it was that converted him – you might be astounded at the answers you would receive. I have found very few people who relate their transformation to the Gospel. I have found fewer still who have even a rudimentary knowledge of what you are talking about when you refer to the gospel that was preached to them. There has been a shift from the powerful message of the Gospel, to an analysis of human need, and how it can be met. Paul could not write these words to the average American church. They would not have the slightest idea what he was walking about. It is a different way of thinking, but it is the only proper way of doing so.
IS NOT AFTER MAN. That is, the gospel that Paul preached, or the message that he delivered, was “according to man,” NKJV “something that man made up,” NIV “not of human origin,” NRSV “is not man’s gospel,” RSV or “is not man’s gospel [a human invention, according to or patterned after any human standard].” AMPLIFIED
What Paul preached was not the compilation of human opinions, nor was it a message designed to promote a certain text, or elevate a specific sect. He did not preach an interpretation of the Gospel, but the Gospel itself. When it comes to the message that is preached, sectarian preaches are cast on the horns of a dilemma. They are devoted to promoting and expanding a sect, but the Gospel itself will not accomplish such ignoble objectives. In order to fulfill their objectives, they need a special message – for it is the message that produces and shapes the effects. Certain Judaizers had a gospel that included, “Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved” (Acts 15:1). Other had a message of self-imposed restrictions “Touch not, taste not, handle not” (Col 2:21). Such heresies were necessary if the sect they represented was to be valued and preferred.
The Gospel will never produce a sectarian: a Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian, Catholic, Charismatic, Christian Church member, or Catholic. If you want to produce those results, you have to distort the Gospel, or come up with another message. Perhaps a sect is not your aim, but rather the resolution of some social deficiency – like flawed marriages. Eventually, even that gets down to forming some kind of sect. However, to meet the objective of resolving flawed marriages, a message other than the Gospel will be required. Although this is not often acknowledged, every thinking person knows this is the case. These are all gospels that are “after man,” or “something man made up.” In the most favorable view, they are an interpretation of the Gospel, and not the Gospel itself. I was subjected to this subtlety, from which I have graciously been delivered. The institution taught me that the Gospel “consisted of facts to be believed, commandments to be obeyed, and promises to be enjoyed.” I was also given the good news, “God casts a vote for you, the devil casts a vote for you, and you cast the deciding vote.” The good news I heard also said, “The preaching of the Gospel is for the lost, and teaching is for the church.” Thank God for deliverance from such things!
RECEIVED BY THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST
1:12 “For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.”
Paul continues to divorce his message from anything of human origin. He now declares that he was not sent out with a message that was actually given to other men, then transmitted to him by means of their teaching. While his message did not differ from that of the other apostles, that circumstances was not because the apostles had taught him.
IT WAS NOT RECEIVED FROM MAN. Other versions read, “did not receive it from any man,” NIV “did not receive it from a human source.” NRSV This differs slightly from what he had previously stated: “the gospel which was preached of me is not after man.” That is, the source of the message itself was not man. This expression – “neither received it of man” – speaks of how he came to a knowledge of the message. Unlike all other non-apostles, he was not taught the Gospel by another man. Jesus spoke of His apostles as those through whom men would believe: “Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on Me through their word” (John 17:20). For example, when Ananias came to Saul of Tarsus, he did not preach the Gospel to him. That is not why he came. By his own words, he was sent “that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost” (Acts 9:17). He did not tell Saul why Jesus died, but why God had called him: “(Acts 22:14-15). He was already a believer at that time, for Ananias told him, “And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord” (Acts 22:16). When Jesus Himself first appeared to Saul on the road to Damascus, He also told him only WHY he was being called, and WHAT he was being commissioned to do (Acts 26:16-18).
IT WAS NOT KNOWN THROUGH TEACHING. Most versions read in this way: “nor was I taught it.” Some read, “nor did I learn it,” DOUAY/MRD/NET The idea is that of coming to an understanding through instruction – which is the ordinary mode of learning the Gospel.
These are most arresting words: “neither was I taught it.” With the single exception of the other apostles, God has given “ministers” to “every man,” to teach them the truth of the Gospel, and “by whom” they have believed (1 Cor 3:5). But this is not how Paul came to an understanding of the Gospel. Men ministered to him, but they did not teach him what he preached. They labored with him, but they were not given special revelations concerning the gospel, that they then taught Paul.
Considering that Paul was converted at least eight years after Pentecost, this is a most challenging thought. He was one “born out of due time,” apparently not being exposed to, or hearing the teaching of Christ personally (1 Cor 15:8). When Stephen was stoned, at least 5-6 years after Pentecost, Saul was described as “a young man” (Acts 7:58). Although he was probably in his late teens or early twenties during Christ’s ministry, he was not apparently personally exposed to Jesus – at least he makes no reference to such a thing. It appears to me that this was orchestrated by the Lord, in order that his total understanding of Christ and the Gospel concerning Him, would come by special revelation. An earlier exposure to either Christ or the apostles would have actually worked against this Divine intention.
Care must be taken not to make this mode of learning the standard for all disciples, as some have been wont to do. Although those who are in Christ are taught by Him (Eph 4:20; 1 John 5:20), that does not refer to the initial awareness of the Gospel, which is the subject of Paul’s remarks. Apart from the apostles, including Paul, every other person has learned the Gospel by messengers sent to them by God (Rom 10:14). The role of Paul, however, forbade this standard mode of instruction. Furthermore, the Galatians had forgotten the source of Paul’s message, even though it was thorough, and unique from what they were then hearing..
BUT BY THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST. Other versions read, “through the revelation,” NKJV “by revelation from,” NIV “through a direct revelation,” CJB and “ but [it came to me] through a [direct] revelation [given] by Jesus Christ (the Messiah).” AMPLIFIED
After the day of Pentecost, this is the only example in all of the Bible of the Gospel being made known directly by the exalted Jesus. That is why it is so remarkable. The eunuch desired to comprehend something of the prophesied Messiah, but a man was sent to him to “preach Christ” (Acts 8:26-38). Cornelius was a devout man whose prayers were heard, and whose alms were noted in heaven. Yet, when it came to the Gospel, he had to send for a man to hear it (Acts 10). The people in Macedonia had a thirst for God, but Paul and company were sent to them to “preach the Gospel” (Acts 16:9-10). But such was not the case with Paul. Jesus personally and directly taught him the Gospel. Further, he revealed to him more of the scope of the Gospel than is reflected in any other writing.
Thus Paul underscores the importance of the ultimate source of a message purported to have come from God – a message that is said to bring valid advantages to men. Hearers must be convinced that what they are hearing did originate with God, and not with man.