Paul was clear about the source of his message. The message itself was not unique to Paul, nor was the origin of it different than that of the other apostles. But he was not dependent upon the other apostles for the core message of the gospels. To be sure there were many things he received from them. For example, “Now I praise you because you remember me in everything and hold firmly to the traditions, just as I delivered them to you” (1 Cor 11:2). The word “traditions” literally means “that which is passed down.” He was probably referring to things which the official twelve witnesses (Acts 1:8) had passed on to him through the perfect recall given them by the Holy Spirit (John 14:26), and which he passed on to others. Even his writings refer to things he was not personal witness to (1 Cor 11:23, 1 Tim 5:18, Matt 10:10, 1 Cor 9:14, etc.).

However, one of the most strenuous points Paul makes to the Galatians is that he specifically did not receive the message of the gospel from the other apostles, even though he himself was not one of the twelve. It came by direct revelation from Jesus Christ. Why was it so important for him to make this point so strenuously?

Clearly his authority as an apostle was under attack. The so-called “Judaizers,” those who dogged his ministry with charges that he was undermining the Mosaic Law, kept trying to pervert the message to a law-based system, to essentially make the new converts to Paul’s message into Jewish proselytes. In arguing against this false message, the purveyors of which are to be cursed (Gal 1:8-9), his first argument has to do with his authority. He teaches the gospel as one who has received it directly from God personally. It has not been mediated by any human being, not even the 12 apostles. In modern vernacular we might say he is pulling rank by appealing to a higher authority. His standing as an authority will be established in the following chapter and a half as he outlines his dealings with the twelve, especially with Peter.

Then in chapters three and four he presents the doctrinal basis for the purity of the gospel, that salvation comes by grace apart from the works of the law. He will show that circumcision is not only unnecessary for salvation but also detrimental to salvation. This is not just something manmade or the result of theological deliberation—this truth comes directly from Jesus Christ!