保羅——基督親自教導的僕人
加拉太書一章11至24節
11弟兄們，我告訴你們，我素來所傳的福音，不是出於人的意思，
12因為我不是從人領受的，也不是人教導我的，乃是從耶穌基督啟示來的。
13你們聽見我從前在猶太教中所行的事，怎樣極力逼迫、殘害神的教會；
14我又在猶太教中，比我本國許多同歲的人更有長進，為我祖宗的遺傳更加熱心。
15然而那把我從母腹裡分別出來、又施恩召我的神，
16既然樂意將他兒子啟示在我心裡，叫我把他傳在外邦人中，我就沒有與屬血氣的人商量，
17也沒有上耶路撒冷去見那些比我先作使徒的，惟獨往阿拉伯去，後又回到大馬士革。
18過了三年，才上耶路撒冷去見磯法，和他同住了十五天。
19至於別的使徒，除了主的兄弟雅各，我都沒有看見。
20我寫給你們的不是謊話，這是我在神面前說的。
21以後我到了敘利亞和基利家境內。
22那時，猶太信基督的各教會都沒有見過我的面，
23不過聽說那從前逼迫我們的，現在傳揚他原先所殘害的真道。
24他們就為我的緣故，歸榮耀給神。
信息分享
我們在加拉太書，看見保羅為自己和福音申辯。他在第一章提及的一些細節我們在其他地方無從知悉。在他悔改信主之後，他離開大馬色，卻沒有直接前往耶路撒冷，反而去了阿拉伯的沙漠地區，在那裡住了三年。在這期間，他一定在基督和聖靈的教誨下明白了許多真理。基督不是說過麼？「聖靈必帶領你們進入真理。」
此外，保羅也一定領受了一些啟示，包括教會的教義，詳見於他後來所寫的書信，特別是以弗所書。基督顯然將最後晚餐和聖餐的意義告訴他，因為他在哥林多前書十一章說過：「我當日傳給你們的，原是從主領受的。」保羅在基督被賣的那一夜，並沒有在樓房上與門徒共進最後的晚餐，但他卻從基督的口中得知它們的特殊意義。
在這之後，保羅便進入了事奉的輝煌歲月。主使用他的進取性格，將福音傳遍羅馬帝國，儘管他為此而吃了不少苦頭。
最後，他被押送到羅馬，進出監獄兩次，最終被處死。透過保羅的生平，我們再次看見一個完全降服於神的人，如何被神大大使用。當我們思想自己的生命與事奉的時候，但願保羅永遠是我們的榜樣。
PAUL, THE MAN TAUGHT BY CHRIST HIMSELF
Galatians 1: 11-24
11 But I make known to you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man.
12 For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came through the revelation of Jesus Christ.
13 For you have heard of my former conduct in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God beyond measure and tried to destroy it.
14 And I advanced in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries in my own nation, being more exceedingly zealous for the traditions of my fathers.
15 But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb and called me through His grace,
16 to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately confer with flesh and blood,
17 nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me; but I went to Arabia, and returned again to Damascus.
18 Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter,[a] and remained with him fifteen days.
19 But I saw none of the other apostles except James, the Lord’s brother.
20 (Now concerning the things which I write to you, indeed, before God, I do not lie.)
21 Afterward I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia.
22 And I was unknown by face to the churches of Judea which were in Christ.
23 But they were hearing only, “He who formerly persecuted us now preaches the faith which he once tried to destroy.”
24 And they glorified God in me.
Message
Paul was defending himself and the Gospel in the letter to the Galatians and in this first chapter gave us some details we might otherwise not have known. After his conversion, he must have left Damascus without going to Jerusalem. Instead he went somewhere in the deserts of Arabia and was there about three years. It must have been a time of remarkable learning, taught by Christ and the Holy Spirit. What did Christ say? The Holy Spirit will guide us into all truth.
In that period Paul must have received several special revelations, including the doctrine of the church as it is found in his epistles especially Ephesians. Christ must also have told him about what we call the Last Supper and our present communion service. If you read 1 Corinthians 11 you will find his words: “I have received from the Lord that which also I delivered unto you.” Paul was not in the Upper Room that betrayal night but he had been told by Christ Himself what the significance of the two emblems really was.
Then came Paul's years of remarkable ministry. His aggressive personality was used by the Lord to penetrate the Roman Empire with the Gospel in spite of tremendous personal suffering at times.
Then finally there came the long journey to Rome, his first and second imprisonments and his death, apparently by execution. Once more we have to recognise what God can do with one man who is fully yielded to Him. May Paul's example not be wasted as far as our own lives and service for Christ are concerned!