easing men, but God, who trieth our hearts."
             "Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we
             faint not; But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in
             craftiness, nor handling the Word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of
             the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of
             In Acts 20:24 we see Paul, on his last journey, facing bonds and imprisonment
             and affliction, but pay attention to what he said and you will see that he had not lost the
             "But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto
             myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I
             have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God."
             Paul's message for today is the undiluted, unadulterated, unconfused gospel of the grace of God!
             "But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is
             not after man. "For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught It, but by the
             revelation of Jesus Christ" (Gal. 1:11-12).
             Chapters 1 and 2 of Galatians give proof after proof of his divine calling, so that there can be no question about it. This is important; remember that Paul's words to the Galatians are also God's Word to us. This epistle is divinely inspired and his irrefutable proofs to the Galatians also apply to those today who minimize Paul's apostleship.
             "I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not
             There are two facts stand out in Galatians 1:11. First, his gospel was new and different from the gospel of the Kingdom which the twelve preached. Otherwise, why would he speak as he did so often of "the gospel which was preached of me" and "that gospel which I preach among the Gentiles," and three times, "my gospel" (Rom 16:25; 2:16; II Tim. 2:8)? Second, that gospel was not "after man;" he did not get it from men as we get the gospel. We hear others preach it, o...