How can Galatians 1:11 strengthen our confidence in the truth of the gospel? Scripture Focus “But I certify to you, brothers, that the gospel I preached is not devised by man.” (Galatians 1:11) Why This Verse Matters • Paul states plainly that the message he proclaims has a supernatural origin. • If the gospel is not a human invention, then its truth and authority rest on God Himself, not on shifting human opinion. Paul’s Divine Commission • Galatians 1:12 continues the thought: “I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ.” • Acts 9 details Paul’s dramatic encounter with the risen Christ—direct revelation, not second-hand tradition. • 1 Corinthians 15:3–8 shows Paul passing on eyewitness testimony, reinforcing that the gospel is anchored in verifiable events. Harmony With the Rest of Scripture • 2 Peter 1:21—“No prophecy was ever brought about by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” • 2 Timothy 3:16—“All Scripture is God-breathed…” • 1 Thessalonians 2:13—Believers accepted the message “not as the word of men, but as it truly is, the word of God.” These passages combine to show that God superintended both the content and the preservation of the gospel. Implications for Our Confidence • Unchanging Source: Because the gospel comes from God, its core truths never need revision. • Infallible Authority: Divine origin means the gospel carries ultimate authority over doctrine, ethics, and personal life. • Unbreakable Promise: Hebrews 6:18 reminds us “it is impossible for God to lie.” Therefore, the gospel’s promises are utterly reliable. • Objective Truth: John 17:17—“Your word is truth.” Truth grounded in God transcends culture, feelings, and societal trends. Evidences That Undergird Belief • Eyewitness Testimony: Multiple witnesses saw the risen Christ (1 Corinthians 15:5–7). • Consistent Revelation: The same message threads through both Old and New Testaments—salvation by grace through faith (Genesis 15:6; Ephesians 2:8–9). • Transforming Power: Paul moved from persecutor to apostle, a living proof of the gospel’s divine power (Galatians 1:13–24). Living Out This Confidence • Meditate on passages affirming the gospel’s divine origin; let Scripture reshape doubts. • Compare every teaching with the apostolic message recorded in Scripture; reject anything that adds to or subtracts from it (Galatians 1:8–9). • Share the gospel boldly, knowing its power rests not in eloquence but in God’s own authority (Romans 1:16). Galatians 1:11 stands as a clear, ringing declaration: the gospel is God’s idea, God’s message, and God’s guarantee—reason enough to rest every hope upon it with unwavering confidence. |
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