Revelation From Heaven Series

The third president of the United States, Thomas Jefferson, is

most famous for being the author of the Declaration of

Independence. Many have pronounced it a document inspired from

heaven, and there is much reason to believe that it has the

providence of God behind it. Jefferson, however, took his authority

too seriously, and he decided to make his own version of the Gospels.

The Jefferson Bible, as it is called, reveals the gospel according to

man. Jefferson cut out all the parts he didn't like. He did not see

how the supernatural could fit into his world-view, and so all

mention of the supernatural was eliminated. He did not let the

Word of God lift him to its level, but instead he cut the Word of God

down to his level, and he created the Bible in his own image. His

Bible ends at the tomb with no resurrection.

This is the very thing the Judaizers accused Paul of doing. They

said that he has cut out the law and made a gospel according to man.

Paul labors this point in his defense, and he makes it clear that his

Gospel is not from man. Is origin is from God and not in his own

mind or the minds of others. Man is exceedingly clever, but if a

gospel has its origin in man, it is built on sand. It cannot be trusted

to last. It will perish and leave all who trust in it to be left empty.

Most all of the religions of the world have grown out of man's search

for meaning. Many have developed beliefs that are worthy of

admiration, but they have their origin in man rather than God. And

nothing less than a word from God can be adequate to give us

assurance.

Man is constantly seeking for origins. He wants to know the

origin of the universe, and of man, and of beliefs. The assumption is

that if you can know the origin of something that you can know its

purpose and value. There is truth to this, and so there is validity to

man's quest for origins, but man is so prejudice that he usually

decides before hand what he is going to prove. Many who set out to

discover the origin of the universe really only want to prove that it

didn't come from God. If you are determined to ignore the evidence

you can make most any theory sound possible. It is like the man

who set out to show that English is the oldest language of man, and

that all others were derived from it. His theory to explain the origin

of a famous Latin phrase went like this: "One day Caesar entered

the senate chamber and Brutus asked him, 'How many sandwiches

did you have for lunch Caesar?' And Caesar replied, 'Et two

Brute.'"

Those of you who doubt the truth of this theory likely do so on

the basis of history. The study of history is absolutely essential for

those who wish to avoid the snares of false but clever explanations of

origins. Paul knew this also, and that is why the longest section of

this Epistle deals with history. He gives us a fairly detailed account

of his own history and the history of his relationship to the other

Apostles. All of this was essential for the establishing of his own

authority and of the authority of the Gospel he preached. If the

Judaizers could establish that the origin of his authority was in man,

then they could force Paul to submit to that authority. Paul,

however, shows that his authority is from God and instead of him

being submissive he was used of God to rebuke Peter, who was the

highest human authority in the church.

It may be hard for us to appreciate the distinction that Paul

labors to establish. What difference does it make whether he Gospel

came through men, or direct from God? So often people argue over

distinctions that make no difference. Ogden Nash reveals the folly of

those who love excessive distinctions.

I give you now Professor Twist,

A conscientious scientist.

Trustees exclaimed he never bungles!

And sent him off to distant jungles.

Camped on a tropic riverside,

One day he missed his loving bride.

She had, the guide informed him later,

Been eaten by an alligator.

Professor twist could not but smile,

You mean, he said, a crocodile.

There is a difference, but who can be persuaded that it was

relevant to that situation? Paul, however, is dealing with a very

relevant distinction. If his Gospel is not from heaven, then it cannot

compete with the law of Moses, for he received it direct from God.

Unless the Gospel has the same origin as the law, then the law must