not
of men, neither by man
The book of Galatians opens with :
“Paul, an apostle, not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, and
God the Father, who raised him from the dead;…”
Paul was an
apostle by Jesus Christ. The Greek word
transliterated apostle is
apostolos which means “one sent with a message or one sent with a task
to do.” Paul was sent by Jesus Christ with a
message: the gospel of
grace.
It is of great importance to note that in the very first sentence of
this letter Paul emphasizes that he was not an apostle of men or by
men. He was not sent as a religious representative of some
organization with a religious message. He was not
ordained as we would think of it as an apostle by a local church or a
church organization. Paul had been an apostle of and through
Jesus Christ for years before he went to visit the supposed church
leaders.
The reason Paul makes this point so directly is that the believers in
Galatia were being led astray by religious representatives sent by a
religious organization in Jerusalem.
The false teachers were representing men’s religion. Paul was
a representative sent in and by the power of God by Jesus
Christ.
As a young man I became first a licensed preacher and later an ordained
minister. My licensing and ordination was by and
through a religious organization. I have made
countless thousands of “house calls” inviting people to one church or
another. Almost all of those visits were not as a
representative of Jesus Christ but instead as a sales person selling a
church program or seeking to increase the membership of the
organization.
Of course the elders that I respected and the professors at the
religious universities I attended all equated the religious
organization and hierarchy with God’s plan. Paul would beg to
differ. I was taught well and learned to build religious
organizations and lead others into the bondage of performance based
religion.
Christian religions are very well organized. There are many
denominations with varying doctrines. They each claim to have
the best method to become acceptable to God. But,
according to Paul’s gospel, it is God that has called us and made us
acceptable to himself by way of Jesus Christ.
Religion is absorbed in qualifications and levels of
achievement. What degrees do you have? Do you have
valid credentials sanctioned by your denomination? Have you
been duly appointed, licensed and ordained after successfully meeting
the scholastic requirements of your hierarchical leadership?
Have you metaphorically received the scepter of the clergy from the
blessed leadership? This kind of inbred
accreditation was equally common in the Jewish religion as it is in the
Christian religion. These are apostles of men and by men.
What a world apart from the God-called son or daughter of God, with the
spirit of Christ in them, manifesting the love of God while they carry
out their God-given ministry of reconciliation. These are
apostles, not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the
Father, who raised him from the dead. Whose message do you
carry?
Paul’s letter to the believers in Galatia (and to us) is not a pleasant
hi-how-are-you letter. It is a “Have-you-gone-mad?”
letter. He asks: “O foolish Galatians,
who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth?”
(Gal 3:1) This letter to the young believers in the
Roman colony of Galatia is the first New Testament document
written. It is significant that the first written
revelation from God to the early church comes out aggressively against
religion. Yes that is right, religion. Christianity
is not a religion. Christianity is the result of our being
ransomed and set free from religion.
Christianity is Christ in you, living in and through you, carrying out
the Christly ministry of reconciliation. That is our calling,
our life, our ministry. All who have the spirit of Christ are
sons or daughters of God. Each has been graced with the power
of Christ, with the authority of Christ, and the liberty of
Christ. Man cannot give that to you. Only
God has the ability and desire to bless us so.
Religious representatives of human organizations abound. They are
credentialed and sent by men to tell you that they can impart the power
of God to you if you meet their conditions and follow their
rules. To put it kindly, they are liars.
They seek to ensnare you and entice you into bondage. Paul
said: Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ
hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.
(Gal 5:1)
Neil
