Saturday 8 June, 2013

11 Brothers and sisters, here is what I want you to know. The good news I preached is not something a human being made up. 12 No one gave it to me. No one taught it to me. Instead, I received it from Jesus Christ. He showed it to me.

Paul is defending himself, the origin of his message – perhaps even his salvation.

He’s making it very plain to the Galatians that the Gospel message he proclaims has not come by his culture or upbringing, training or traditions passed on to him by others but from a personal encounter directly with Jesus.  (see Acts 9)

This makes me think of my salvation – I may have been brought up in a ‘Christian’ culture, my family may have taken me to Sunday School & Church but none of those made me a Christian.  It was only my own personal encounter with Jesus that changed me completely and forever and has given me an authority to tell others about Him.

I know my encounter with Jesus is totally different to Pauls’ but I needed it as much as he did.

Jesus, I pray that I would never loose sight of that personal encounter I’ve had with you, how completely it has changed my life and how it now qualifies me to tell others about you.

Written by Suzie Hodgson