Galatians 1:16b – 24 NLT
Paul’s Message Comes from Christ (Part 2)
Paul is defending his apostleship.
16b … When this happened, I did not rush out to consult with any human being. 17 Nor did I go up to Jerusalem to consult with those who were apostles before I was. Instead, I went away into Arabia, and later I returned to the city of Damascus.
18 Then three years later I went to Jerusalem to get to know Peter, and I stayed with him for fifteen days. 19 The only other apostle I met at that time was James, the Lord’s brother. 20 I declare before God that what I am writing to you is not a lie.
21 After that visit I went north into the provinces of Syria and Cilicia. 22 And still the churches in Christ that are in Judea didn’t know me personally. 23 All they knew was that people were saying, “The one who used to persecute us is now preaching the very faith he tried to destroy!” 24 And they praised God because of me.
Examine the scriptures:
Galatians 1:16b – 24 NLT
Paul’s Message Comes from Christ (Part 2) Paul is defending his apostleship.
16b … When this (Damascus Road experience) happened, I did not rush out to consult with any human being.
Galatians 1:12 NLT
12 I received my message from no human source, and no one taught me. Instead, I received it by direct revelation from Jesus Christ.
- Paul received his message by direct revelation from Jesus Christ. (Galatians 1:12)
- Paul was not influenced by human beings after receiving his revelation from Jesus Christ.
17 Nor did I go up to Jerusalem to consult with those who were apostles before I was.
Jerusalem, the birthplace of Christianity.
Paul was independent from the other apostles yet in harmony with them.
Galatians 2:6
“And the leaders of the church had nothing to add to what I was preaching.” Both preached the same Gospel.
- Paul did not consult with other human beings after receiving a revelation from Jesus.
Instead, I went away into Arabia,
- The chronology and dating of the events in Paul’s life are still disputed among scholars.
- The details of Paul’s trip to Arabia are vague.
This trip is not mentioned in the Book of Acts.
Many believe Paul went to Arabia to be alone with the Lord for personal study, meditation, and to receive further instruction from the Lord.
Paul already knew Old Testament Scriptures.
Paul’s experience may have been similar to that of the two men on the road to Emmaus.
Luke 24:27 NLT
The Walk to Emmaus
27 Then Jesus took them through the writings of Moses and all the prophets, explaining from all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.
Jesus opened Paul’s eyes to the truths of the scriptures.
Paul would have heard the claims of the first Christians.
- Paul did not form his theology by consulting with others.
and later I returned to the city of Damascus.
18 Then three years later I went to Jerusalem to get to know Peter, and I stayed with him for fifteen days.
Review verse 17
- Paul went to Jerusalem to get to know Peter.
19 The only other apostle I met at that time was James, the Lord’s brother. 20 I declare before God that what I am writing to you is not a lie.
21 After that visit I went north into the provinces of Syria and Cilicia.
After his visit in Jerusalem, Paul worked for an extended time (possibly 10 years) in Syria and Cilicia (this included his home town of Tarsus).
Paul was not commissioned for this ministry by the church or by the Apostles.
Barnabas found Paul in Tarsus.
Acts 11:25-26 NLT
25 Then Barnabas went on to Tarsus to look for Saul. 26 When he found him, he brought him back to Antioch. Both of them stayed there with the church for a full year, teaching large crowds of people. (It was at Antioch that the believers were first called Christians.)
22 And still the churches in Christ that are in Judea didn’t know me personally.
From the time of his conversion till now the churches in Judea did not know Paul personally.
- Paul’s apostleship did not derive from Jerusalem.
23 All they knew was that people were saying, “The one who used to persecute us is now preaching the very faith he tried to destroy!”
- Paul was preaching the “very faith” the Jerusalem church was preaching.
24 And they praised God because of me.
- Paul’s conversion and ministry was a source of rejoicing in the Jerusalem church.
