10 For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ. 11 For I would have you know, brothers, that the gospel that was preached by me is not man’s gospel. 12 For I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ. 13 For you have heard of my former life in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God violently and tried to destroy it. 14 And I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my people, so extremely zealous was I for the traditions of my fathers. 15 But when he who had set me apart before I was born, and who called me by his grace, 16 was pleased to reveal his Son to me, in order that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with anyone; 17 nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me, but I went away into Arabia, and returned again to Damascus. 18 Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to visit Cephas and remained with him fifteen days. 19 But I saw none of the other apostles except James the Lord’s brother. 20 (In what I am writing to you, before God, I do not lie!) 21 Then I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia. 22 And I was still unknown in person to the churches of Judea that are in Christ. 23 They only were hearing it said, “He who used to persecute us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy.” 24 And they glorified God because of me. (Galatians 1:10–24, ESV)

Overview

Three times in the book of Acts, the story of Paul's conversion is told. He was a persecutor of the church and was on his way from Jerusalem in Israel to Damascus in Syria to imprison and kill Christians when Jesus appeared to him in a bright light, knocked him down, and confronted him with the truth. And Paul believed! Now, here at the beginning of Galatians, Paul tells his story again.

Since his story is often told in Scripture, it is an account that, for you, might have lost its luster. And beyond being, quite possibly, overly familiar to us, it is a story filled here with unfamiliar places and people, along with a timeline that is difficult for even experienced Bible readers to navigate. So, as Paul shares his testimony, your mind might begin to drift.

But this passage is of great importance because it throws us into a consideration of Paul and the gospel as he preached it. And it is crucial for us to consider Paul and the gospel as he preached it because of its impact on our faith and world today.

It is not hyperbolic to say Pauline theology and doctrine affect every aspect of the Christian faith. The presence of his writings, teachings, and exhortations permeate every sermon I preach, every song we sing, the structure and organization of our local church, and what we believe about all matters pertaining to salvation. His words greatly impact how we think and feel about God.

And, beyond his influence on the church, because the church has gone out into all the world, Paul's words have also affected much in modern society. His teachings on subjects like human depravity (that we are broken in sin), human sexuality, gender roles, the role of government, marriage and family, behavioral ethics (what is right and wrong), racism and classism, what leads to a successful life, and countless other subjects have altered our modern world. We talk of influencers today, but none of our modern influencers will ever have the influence Paul had—and still has—on this world.

And sometimes, Paul's influence is questioned. It is not at all uncommon for a modern person, believer or not, to read something in Paul's New Testament letters (he wrote thirteen of them) that confuses, angers, or flusters them. And some begin to wonder, "Why do I need to listen to Paul? He was not one of Jesus' original disciples. So why does he get to be such a significant voice in Christianity? When I read the gospels and consider the life and words of Jesus, I don't see Paul's theology at all. Perhaps I'll embrace a Jesus-only Christianity. Paul is too complex, too confrontational, too argumentative, and too narrow, but Jesus is simple, loving, kind, and accepting. He is the one I will heed. As for Paul, I think I need to dispense of him."

This is similar to the challenge Paul was under from the Galatian churches. False teachers had troubled them, likely telling them Paul was not authoritative and had invented his teachings and doctrines in his own mind. When he told the Galatian believers they didn't need to keep the Old Testament Law, the false teachers said he was out of step with the accepted practices of the church and had devised these doctrines on his own.

So, in this passage, Paul retold his story to the Galatians. Paul's purpose in recounting his story was not to draw attention to himself. As an apostle, he was compelled to defend the gospel he preached. And at this point, his gospel was under attack because people were trying to discredit him. So Paul shared his testimony as a way to help them understand that his gospel is the gospel—the legitimate gospel.

This leads us to the two questions we will ask of this passage today. First, why is Paul's gospel legitimate? And second, what did Paul's gospel produce in him?

Why Is Paul's Gospel Legitimate?

Because He Received It From Jesus

Why is Paul's gospel legitimate? The passage gives us two main answers. The first reason Paul's gospel is legitimate is that Paul received the message from Jesus. He alludes to this in multiple ways.

First, at the top, he said he did not preach man's gospel (11). This means he did not receive the gospel he preached from any man and was not even taught the gospel he preached but received it directly through a revelation of Jesus Christ (12).

Don't miss the gravity of this claim. Paul is saying that not only did Jesus stop him dead in his tracks one day, shine as a bright light upon him, and personally lead him to believe, but also that Jesus directly revealed himself to Paul in the years after his conversion (Acts 9:1-22). No one preached to Paul except for Jesus. And no one taught Paul except for Jesus. The other apostles, through three-plus years of time with Jesus, received directly from the Lord. So did Paul—he spent time with the resurrected and ascended Christ.

A second clue that Paul received his message directly from Jesus is that he didn't preach a message any human would, or even could, design. At the beginning of this passage, he asked, "Am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ" (10). With these rhetorical questions, Paul is highlighting how his gospel message was not a message that mankind would approve of or find pleasing (10). It was (and is) and confrontational message that first condemns all under sin and demands the blood of Jesus is the only thing that can cleanse us.

Humans make messages that cater to extremes or try to find a middle ground, but the gospel does neither. Instead, it embraces the extremes. For instance, it says humanity is irreparably separated from God (extreme). But it also says humanity is incredibly loved by God (extreme). It says we are sinners, but it also says we can be cleansed from our sin. It says we are lost but that we can be found. It both tears us down to the studs, telling us we are reprobate and dead in sin, but also says we are the crown jewel of God's creation. It is not a message people would construct. It was not a message that sought the approval of man, and this is another piece of evidence that Paul had received it, not from humanity, but from heaven.

A third clue that Paul received the message directly from Jesus is the fact that he was not at all prone to receive the message. His former life in Judaism was one filled with persecution of the church and extreme zeal for the traditions of his fathers (13-14). He advanced in Judaism more rapidly than many of his own age (14). Who had any chance of evangelizing Paul? Even when the Lord told a Christian named Ananias to go minister to Paul after his conversion, Ananias feared for his life (Acts 9:13-14). But beyond being unapproachable, Paul was clearly, staunchly, decidedly, and concretely against the message of Jesus. He was not prone—in any way—to receive it until Christ broke through and revealed himself directly to the man.

And one final clue that Paul received the gospel directly from Jesus is found in what he said happened to him after his conversion. He did not immediately consult with anyone (16). Rather than head straight to Jerusalem for a period of instruction at the feet of the apostles, or at least some Bible classes at the church in Damascus, Paul went into the far reaches of Arabia for some time alone with the Lord (17).[^1] It wasn't until three years later, after some ministry in Damascus, that Paul went to Jerusalem to visit the church leaders (17-18).

But those three years were apparently a time of great revelation from Christ to Paul. I envision those years as a replacement for the three years the other disciples got to walk and talk with Jesus. And, all throughout that time away, the Scriptures Paul had learned as a Pharisee were seen in the light of Christ. For three years, Paul's mind and soul were on overdrive, Jesus was speaking, and New Testament doctrine was forming. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John would eventually write the accounts of Jesus' life, teaching, death, and resurrection. But out there in Arabia, Paul seems to have received the implications of Jesus' life, teaching, death, and resurrection. Paul's teachings would explain the significance of what Jesus did on the cross to all future generations.

Because Jesus' People Received Him

But these evidences that Paul received the gospel directly from Jesus aren't the only reasons we can say Paul's gospel is legitimate. A complimentary and vital reason, according to this passage, is that not only did Paul receive the message directly from Jesus, but Jesus' people received Paul. Paul's gospel is legit because he got it from Christ, but also because Christ's people acknowledged Paul.

In this passage, Paul said that once he finally did go up to Jerusalem, he went so he could visit—the word indicates relationship-building—Cephas (Peter, 18). Remember, Paul had been saved—and had been forming his doctrine—for three years at that point (18). You might think Paul went to Jerusalem to get a badge or a certificate from all the apostles, verifying that his ministry was legitimate. Not on his first trip there—on this first visit, Paul was there merely to get to know Peter (18). And while he was there, he also met James, Jesus' younger brother and a leader in the Jerusalem church (19). And, note, there was no word of correction, no challenge, no rebuke from Peter or James to Paul. They accepted Paul. The first apostle and the brother of our Lord accepted Paul and his gospel as legitimate.

And after his departure from Peter and James, Paul went to the regions of Syria and Cilicia, including his hometown of Tarsus, where he ministered and studied for years (21). While he was there, the church back in the Jerusalem area—Judea—rejoiced at all the reports they heard about Paul (22-23). Paul seems so happy when he writes: And they glorified God because of me (24). This all means Paul was accepted not only by the original apostles, but the original church.

For Paul to answer the Galatian challenge about the legitimacy of his gospel this way helped with both horns of a dilemma. Paul had to show that his message didn't come from any human group, even himself. His message wasn't up for debate—it came from God. But he also had to show that his fellow apostles, and the church they led, received him.[^2] If they didn't, Paul might easily be dismissed as a rogue operator. But they did receive him.

So when someone today reads back into the life of Christ and decides that Paul's doctrine or gospel doesn't jibe with Jesus' life and words, they must understand they are in disagreement with the very people who lived with Jesus. To say you cannot agree with Paul because you don't think he agrees with Jesus is to ignore the apostles and witnesses in the first century who agreed with Paul precisely because they thought he agreed with Jesus. It would be like looking at archived photographs of Abraham Lincoln preserved by the Library of Congress and deciding that even though all the photos depict him with a beard, you don't think he had one. Paul claimed to have received his gospel (and even training) directly from Jesus, and the apostles and early church all believed those claims and received Paul as being consistent with the Jesus they knew, so we should receive Paul and his theology as well.

What Did Paul's Gospel Produce?

So we've thought now, from Paul's story, about why Paul's gospel was legitimate, but let's close our time together by asking our second question: what did Paul's gospel produce in Paul? Are there things that happened to Paul that we could hope would happen to us?

1. Release From People-Pleasing

First, notice how the gospel released Paul from people-pleasing. He started this entire section by announcing that he was clearly not seeking the approval of man and was no longer trying to please man because he was serving Christ (10).

The Bible's teaching on man-pleasing, a major issue in Scripture, is summed up in Proverbs 29:25:

The fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is safe. (Proverbs 29:25, ESV)

It was the gospel that set Paul free of the fear of man. The book Dune speaks of fear as the mind-killer, a little death that brings total obliteration.[^3] And the fear of man is just that, a cancer that, if permitted to live, will end in your total demise. But the gospel can set you free of chasing people's approval, mostly because its message says that you have the approval of the one who made you. In Christ, you are righteous and completely accepted by God, just as much as he accepts his only begotten Son.

Imagine a little girl playing a softball game. Her dad is the coach, but he is a good father, so she knows that no matter how she performs, he loves and accepts her. She can't do anything to earn more of his love. But that unconditional love from her dad makes her want to do well on the field. And, if she hits a home run, she will round the bases with the knowledge that she has pleased her daddy. She has not gained his pleasure, but because he loves her, she is pleased to perform well in front of him.[^4]

This is what happens when you receive and realize the gospel of grace. You are set free from trying to please people and turn your attention to living life for the God who loves you. And, as I said, your life begins to bless others anyways. You're hitting homers, and your teammates rejoice!

2. A Better Zeal

A second way the gospel impacted Paul was that it gave him a better thing for which to be zealous (14). Before Christ rescued him, Paul threw his time and energy and mind and talent and money into religious training and leadership. He advanced beyond others his age; his passion was obvious (14). He likely thought of himself as a new Elijah—a fiery prophet of old who would expunge the land of false gods. But when Jesus came into his life, Paul's energies were placed in a new and good direction.

Zeal is not enough. Little children are often zealous about the reality of Santa Claus. And adults are often zealous to become something, to have something, or to feel something. But the zeal to be or have or feel is always a terrible foundation on which to build your life.

The gospel is not a call to be moderate. It's actually a call to be rather extreme—die to self, lay down your life, become a servant, love as Christ loved—these and other New Testament exhortations do not describe a moderate life. Instead, they describe zeal in the right direction, zeal for the only thing that won't come up short, zeal for the only thing that isn't, in the end, pointless.

3. A Strong Sense Of God's Calling

A third way the gospel impacted Paul was that it gave him a strong sense of God's calling. Once Jesus delivered him from his blindness and transferred him from the kingdom of darkness to light, Paul because aware that God had set him apart before he was born and called him by his grace (15, cf. Acts 26:18). And with that calling came God's purpose for Paul, that he would preach Jesus among the Gentiles (16). In short, the gospel gave Paul meaning and purpose in life.

And the gospel of Christ can do the same in you because now you have access to your Father in heaven. He made you, and now you can engage with him to learn of his plans for you.

4. A Hunger For Growth

A fourth way the gospel impacted Paul was that it gave him a hunger for growth—he wanted to learn all about Jesus and walk with him! For the first three years of his Christian life, he went to Arabia and Damascus to learn from the Lord (17-18). Then, after his trip to Jerusalem, he went far away to the regions of Syria and Cilicia for almost a decade (21-22). All that time allowed Paul a chance to grow into the mighty and dynamic apostle we all know and love.

Those years were the embodiment of the phrase measure twice, cut once. Paul was measuring—studying, learning, praying, practicing, serving, and growing—for years before his first missionary journey with Barnabas and his contribution of at least thirteen letters to the New Testament.

J.I. Packer said that faith and preparation go together because God does not bless a goofy perspective that dispenses with planning and personal preparation. When Martha complained to Jesus that her sister, Mary, should stop listening to Jesus' teaching and help her in the kitchen, Jesus told Martha that Mary had chosen the better thing (Luke 10:38-42). God is looking for those who will sit at his feet and grow in him, and the gospel releases us to do so.

5. Hard Work And Service (21-24).

Finally, the gospel impacted Paul by giving him both the desire and the resources to work hard for God's kingdom. For years, he was preaching the faith he once tried to destroy (23). Even far away from Tarsus, people heard of Paul's hard work and service, glorifying God because of Paul (24).

I have found the cross of Christ is the only perpetual source of inspiration, motivation, and energy required to work hard in the service of his church. The gospel is the message that propels us forward into lives of self-sacrifice and service.

Conclusion

Our passage today helps us to consider Paul's gospel (and, thus, the theology that stemmed from his gospel) as legitimate. Neither he nor any other apostle in the first century delivered a man-made message but a divinely inspired and conspired plan of redemption through Christ's cross. It's an inconceivable message in that humans could and would not fully conceive of it. And we have a decision today—do I receive Paul's gospel and all the theology that flows from it, just as the early church, those closest to Jesus, did? Or do I reject Paul, his gospel, and his gospel theology in favor of how I see the world, truth, or even Jesus?

But, for those who have received the gospel message Paul (and others) preached, our passage also helps us consider the impact of that message on our own lives today. We aren't apostles. How we receive the gospel isn't vital to the underpinnings of Christianity. But Paul's testimony should reawaken in us an appreciation—not only for his gospel story—but ours. Paul's past life had a stranglehold on him, driving him even to the zealous murder of Christians, but Christ broke through and created a new man in place of the old. And, for as powerful as our pasts are, we must remember that Jesus makes all things new. If you are in Christ, you are a new creation, old things have passed away, and all things have become new (2 Cor. 5:17). For far too many of us, the past defines who we are today, and while it certainly is a factor, it is not the only factor. As Matthew Harmon wrote, "Our past has a profound role in shaping who we are. But it does not determine who we are. One encounter with Jesus is enough to change the entire direction of a person's life."[^4]

With that all in mind, we are now commissioned to not only receive Paul's gospel and celebrate Paul's testimony but to share our testimony with others. We never want to share it in a way that distracts or detracts from the gospel—Look at me! I am an amazing case! No, instead, we want to share our story to say, Look at him! He has amazing grace!

[^1]: Campbell, Donald K. 1985. “Galatians.” In The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, edited by J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, 2:592. Wheaton, IL: Victor Books. [^2]: Bruce, F. F. 1979. New International Bible Commentary. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House. [^3]: Herbert, Frank. 1981. Dune. London, England: Oxford University Press. [^4]: Keller, Timothy. 2013. Galatians For You. New Malden, England: Good Book Company. [^]: Harmon, Matthew S. 2021. Galatians. Edited by T. Desmond Alexander, Thomas R. Schreiner, and Andreas J. Köstenberger. Evangelical Biblical Theology Commentary. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Academic.