By Revelation of Jesus

The Apostle Paul was brought up in the strict ways of a Pharisee and was fully educated in the Law as given in the Talmud and interpreted in the traditions of the Pharisees. He knew the books of the Bible which were what we think of as the Old Testament and knew it fully. The biographical sketches he give of his life up to the Damascus experience give us a fervent religious Jew in the most orthodox tradition and his early persecution of those who were disciples of Jesus was rooted in that tradition.

For I would have you know, brothers, that the gospel that was preached by me is not man’s gospel. For I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ. For you have heard of my former life in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God violently and tried to destroy it. And I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my people, so extremely zealous was I for the traditions of my fathers. ¹

The apostles were those who had spent time with Jesus, who had learned God’s revelation directly from Jesus and who were appointed to pass that revelation on to others. This definition of apostle applied to the original twelve, then Matthias who had been one of the outer group of disciples fully exposed to Jesus, and now to Paul.

What Paul writes in his letters to the Church and to key leaders came by revelation directly from the encounters Jesus had with Paul.

But when he who had set me apart before I was born, and who called me by his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son to me, in order that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with anyone; nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me, but I went away into Arabia, and returned again to Damascus. ²

We do not receive this level of revelation from God even though we do receive insight by the Holy Spirit in applying the Word of God into our lives. Paul’s ‘revelation’ was direct from Jesus and is ‘God-breathed’ inspired by the Holy Spirit as the Word of God. It was not something that Paul thought up or was taught by other disciples. And even with the direct receiving from Jesus, Paul does submit what he has received from the LORD to the other apostles for confirmation that it completely agrees with what they also had heard from Jesus.

Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to visit Cephas and remained with him fifteen days. But I saw none of the other apostles except James the Lord’s brother. ³
Then after fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus along with me. I went up because of a revelation and set before them (though privately before those who seemed influential) the gospel that I proclaim among the Gentiles, in order to make sure I was not running or had not run in vain. ⁴

Even Paul sought to confirm the revelation from Jesus that he had understood it correctly. We can be assured he had already confirmed its agreement with the early Scriptures (our Old Testament) which he knew so well but then what was ‘new’ was confirmed with the others who had heard it directly from Jesus.

We have a Word that is more sure.