The Gospel
Birth Mark
May 25, 2010 · David McLemore · 1 min read
"For I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ." - Galatians 1:12 In Paul's letter to the Galatians, he spends a bit of time explaining the way in which he was called. As many of us know, his experience came on the road to Damascus when Jesus stepped in front of him, blinded him, and saved him. The entire account is remarkable but what strikes me most is Paul's statement in verse 12 of chapter 1 where he says he was not taught the gospel but received it.
It might be fair to say then that the gospel is not something we learn like we would mathematics, with each piece building to a more complicated whole, but rather it is something we receive like a birth mark. If we've received the gospel, it never leaves us.
More like this
Subscribe to David McLemore
Scripture-centered essays about the gospel, Christian hope, and the places where biblical truth meets ordinary life.
Subscribe on Substack →Read next
The Gospel
The Gospel is the Entire Meal
When the gospel comes first in our message, obedience flows from it. When obedience comes first in our message, the gospel becomes a side dish rather than the entire meal.
Christian Life
Dying to Racism, Living to God
Remember Galatians 2:11-14, when Paul opposed Peter to his face. Why did Paul oppose him? When certain Jews came from Jerusalem, Peter withdrew from eating with the Gentiles to eat with the Jews. Peter, who knew the…
Christian Life
According to the Flesh or Through the Promise
Sin makes us illogical. It muddies our mind, causing us to choose things contrary to the right path. Paul highlights this lack of logic in selecting the law over Christ.
Join the conversation
Leave a public comment below, or reach me privately — whichever you prefer.
Email me privately