保罗——基督亲自教导的仆人
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，惟独往阿拉伯去，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
我们在加拉太书，看见保罗为自己和福音申辩。他在第一章提及的一些细节我们在其他地方无从知悉。在他悔改信主之后，他离开大马色，却没有直接前往耶路撒冷，反而去了阿拉伯的沙漠地区，在那里住了三年。在这期间，他一定在基督和圣灵的教诲下明白了许多真理。基督不是说过么？「圣灵必带领你们进入真理。」
此外，保罗也一定领受了一些启示，包括教会的教义，详见于他后来所写的书信，特别是以弗所书。基督显然将最后晚餐和圣餐的意义告诉他，因为他在哥林多前书十一章说过：「我当日传给你们的，原是从主领受的。」保罗在基督被卖的那一夜，并没有在楼房上与门徒共进最后的晚餐，但他却从基督的口中得知它们的特殊意义。
在这之后，保罗便进入了事奉的辉煌岁月。主使用他的进取性格，将福音传遍罗马帝国，尽管他为此而吃了不少苦头。
最后，他被押送到罗马，进出监狱两次，最终被处死。透过保罗的生平，我们再次看见一个完全降服于神的人，如何被神大大使用。当我们思想自己的生命与事奉的时候，但愿保罗永远是我们的榜样。
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!