11 For I want you to know, [d]believers, that the gospel which was preached by me is not man’s gospel [it is not a human invention, patterned after any human concept]. 12 For indeed I did not receive it from man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a [direct] revelation of Jesus Christ.
With the full authority of an apostle of Christ, sent by Christ, Paul has just rung the necks of his audience. They’ve quickly deserted the Gospel and turned to a false gospel peddled by Jewish religious folks. The false gospel tells them that Christ is not enough, they need to follow Jewish traditions and OT laws. Paul addresses this fatal failure quickly and sternly. In the last section, he told them he is not a brown-noser but bond-servant (slave) of Christ. “The first of the three major sections of the epistle begins here. We could classify them as history (1:11—2:21), theology (chs. 3—4), and ethics (5:1—6:10).” (planobiblechapel.org)
Man’s gospel
Paul continues validating the gospel he preaches. His is not “man’s gospel”. He’s probably referring to the false, deadly, gospel promoted by the Jewish religious folks when he says, “man’s gospel”. Certainly what these Jewish religious leaders teach is based on the OT. But that’s the issue, it’s based on the OT; it does not recognize the new covenant that Christ instituted – salvation by grace (which is actually not new). They incorporated Jesus as Messiah, yet still insisted on good works for salvation – as he will elaborate later.
Their own brew
As we’ll see in the next passage, Paul originally was an ardent believer in the OT law and opposed the new teachings of salvation by faith. He knows exactly what these Jewish religious folks believe and why. And he can clearly see the error of merging works back into the salvation equation. They mix the true gospel with OT traditions that were intended to only point to the true gospel. It’s their own concoction, their own brew.
Gospel by revelation
To set apart the gospel he preaches, he here emphasizes that it is not from any man nor based on any human wisdom. Rather, he received it through direct revelation from Jesus Christ. What higher source of truth and good news could there be? That’s the implied question, of course, in Paul’s message. Yet, why can we believe Paul? Anyone can say that they “got the message from God.” His testimony is next. But even that requires faith to believe.
RЯeflection
Based on what do we believe the Gospel? Is it just the word of man, even “enlightened” men? No, it’s based on revelation from God in His Word. Why do we believe the Bible?
And it’s not just the Bible. God Himself, His Spirit, draws us to Himself, quickens our dead bodies to understand the gospel and believe. It’s by His grace alone, through faith alone in Christ alone. Thank God for this grace!
