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"To reveal His Son in me..."

Text: Galatians 1:16

DIVINE REVELATION

The apostle Paul strongly defended the fact that his spiritual knowledge was very much by revelation from God. The following text is the second time the word “revelation” was employed.

To reveal His Son in me,
that I might preach Him among the Gentiles,
I did not immediately confer with flesh and blood.

Galatians 1:16

1. “To reveal”

a) Paul first mentioned this with reference to his knowledge of the gospel (Galatians 1:12).

b) This time he mentioned “revelation” with reference to the Son of God (Galatians 1:16).

2. A special nuance

a) The normal expression would be “to reveal (to) me”.

b) In this instance Paul wrote “to reveal His son in me”.

i) Paul was very conscious that God had done more than reveal great truths to him.

ii) Christ would indwell Paul and the latter would display the Saviour in his life.

iii) This was much more than just having knowledge being given to him.

3. “That I might preach Him among the Gentiles”

a) Paul was entrusted with the message of the gospel.

b) His special ministry was to preach Christ among the Gentiles.

c) This however does not preclude him from preaching the gospel to the Jews.

d) What was the manner of Paul’s preaching of the gospel?

i) He would preach Christ as One who indwelt him.

ii) He would not preach the Gospel mechanically or impersonally.

iii) This became the special way in which Paul proclaimed the gospel.

iv) People would not only hear the gospel of Christ; they would be able to see that Christ lived in him.

4. “I did not immediately confer with flesh and blood”

a) This is historically true.

b) Because of the lack of contact and communication with the apostles, Paul did not obtain his knowledge of the gospel through his contact with them.

c) The only way he could have known so much was because of Divine revelation.