保罗的见证
加拉太书一章11至24节
11弟兄们，我告诉你们，我素来所传的福音不是出于人的意思。
12因为我不是从人领受的，也不是人教导我的，乃是从耶稣基督启示来的。
13你们听见我从前在犹太教中所行的事，怎样极力逼迫残害神的教会。
14我又在犹太教中，比我本国许多同岁的人更有长进，为我祖宗的遗传更加热心。
15然而，那把我从母腹里分别出来、又施恩召我的神，
16既然乐意将他儿子启示在我心里，叫我把他传在外邦人中，我就没有与属血气的人商量，
17也没有上耶路撒冷去见那些比我先作使徒的，惟独往亚拉伯去，后又回到大马士革。
18过了三年，才上耶路撒冷去见矶法，和他同住了十五天。
19至于别的使徒，除了主的兄弟雅各，我都没有看见。
20我写给你们的不是谎话，这是我在神面前说的。
21以后我到了叙利亚和基利家境内。
22那时，犹太信基督的各教会都没有见过我的面。
23不过听说那从前逼迫我们的，现在传扬他原先所残害的真道。
24他们就为我的缘故，归荣耀给神。
信息分享
他们藐视他，质疑他作使徒的位份。他们曲解他所宣讲的福音，也攻击他对外邦人的事奉。我们在这里看到保罗的部份回应──他透过讲述自己的见证，来表明自己的生命如何得着改变，并证明确是神差派他作使徒的职份。
听别人讲述自己如何在罪中得蒙神拯救的见证，实在很能激荡人心。保罗首先告诉我们，他在大马色路上遇见主之前是个怎么样的人。他说：「你们都知道我是个怎样的人。我并非在基督徒家庭中长大。反之，我憎恨基督，憎恨教会；我试图用尽方法来摧毁它。作为正统派的犹太人，我自问比其他同龄的年轻人更热心。我不单做足律法的一切要求，而且还逼迫基督徒。
「但是在某一天，我遇见了基督，发现我从前所谨守的所谓『义』，在神眼中原来是毫无价值的。于是，我接受基督，成了一个新造的人。你们如果想证明福音本是神拯救人的大能，只要看看我的生命和基督对我的改变就可以了。还有别的『福音』可以成就这事吗？你们知道是没有了。
「你们既然关心我的使徒职份，那么，你们知道我信主之后，接着发生甚么事情吗？神带领我去到阿拉伯的沙漠住了三年。那期间，神亲自教导我明白旧约圣经的意思。我终于明白旧约圣经的许多经文，原来都是预表基督。而且，我在那里领受了我所传讲的信息，以及神亲自呼召我作使徒。后来，我去到耶路撒冷的教会，全教会都为神在我身上的作为赞美神。对于我所传讲的福音，你们还需要其他证明吗？」
我们今天能否反思：神如何改变我们的生命，以致我们可以借此来证明福音的大能？神的本意是希望福音能改变我们。我们经历到这种改变吗？别人能否在我们的生命中看见耶稣呢？
PAUL'S PERSONAL TESTIMONY
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, 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
Character assassination is all too common today, isn't it? It is nothing new. That is exactly what the Jews in Galatia were doing to the apostle Paul in order to justify their position and destroy his teaching of the gospel.
They belittled his standing as an apostle. They perverted his gospel and spoke against his ministry to the Gentiles. Here is part of his answer - his own testimony of his changed life.
Isn't it thrilling to hear a man tell his story of how Christ saved him from a life of sin? Paul told us first of all what he was like before Christ met him on the road to Damascus. "You know what I was like. I wasn't brought up in a 'Christian home'. I hated Christ. I hated the church. I tried to destroy it in every way possible. And as an orthodox Jew, I was ahead of even other young men of my own age group. I did everything the Law demanded and more besides!
"Then one day I met Christ and I discovered that all my righteousness (so-called) was like filthy rags in God's sight. I accepted Christ and I became a new creation. If you want proof that the gospel is the power of God unto salvation, just think of my life and the change Christ has made. Can any other 'gospel' do that? You know it can't.
Are you concerned about my standing as an apostle? Do you know what I did next? God led me into the deserts of Arabia for three years and He taught me what the Scriptures (the Old Testament) are all about. I saw Christ in them everywhere. That is where I got my message and it was God himself who called me to be an apostle. When I finally went up to Jerusalem, the whole church praised God because of what He had done in my life. Do you want any more proof than that about the gospel?"""
Can we ask ourselves today - what changes has God been allowed to make in our lives which are real proof of the power of the gospel? That is His desire. Is it ours? Can others see Jesus in us?