A Message of Heavenly Authority

By: Pastor José Flávio Macieira — 2025

The Gospel is not a good human idea; it is a divine and unalterable piece of news.

“Paul, an apostle—sent not from men nor by a man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead—and all the brothers and sisters with me, to the churches in Galatia.” (Galatians 1:1-2 NIV)

We live in a true marketplace of ideas. We are daily bombarded by opinions, philosophies, self-help gurus, and new spiritualities. Every voice cries for our attention, every influencer defends their own "truth." In this constant noise, how can we discern what is solid and eternal from what is fleeting and superficial? Where do we find a message with real authority? It is to answer this fundamental question that the Apostle Paul opens his most passionate letter with a declaration of independence and authority that echoes through the centuries.

Before even greeting the churches, Paul establishes his credentials. And he does so emphatically, almost combatively: "Paul, an apostle—not from men nor by a man...". He draws a clear line in the sand. His authority to speak, his call to preach, did not come from a committee in Jerusalem, a theological school, or the endorsement of some religious leader. He is saying, in other words: "The message you heard from me is not a philosophy I invented, nor a tradition I inherited. It is not subject to human approval or alteration." This was crucial for the Galatians, who were being seduced by false teachers wanting to "add" human rules to the gospel. Paul establishes from the very first sentence: the pure gospel admits no additions.

If his authority does not come from men, from where does it come? Paul is explicit: "...but by Jesus Christ and God the Father...". He anchors his calling and his message in the highest authority in the universe. His commissioning was a direct act of the Trinity. It was not a suggestion, but a command from the very throne of God. This is the rock upon which the Christian faith stands. We do not follow the good advice of a wise man named Paul. We follow a divine revelation transmitted through a man called and sent by God. As Jesus Himself stated about His teaching: “My teaching is not my own. It comes from the one who sent me” (John 7:16 NIV). The message carries the weight and authority of its Sender.

To seal his declaration, Paul adds the fact that validates all of Christianity: "...who raised him from the dead." Why mention the resurrection in the very first verse? Because the resurrection is God's stamp of authenticity on everything Jesus is and did. It is the cosmic proof that Jesus was not just a master or a prophet, but the Son of God with power over death itself. The authority that commissioned Paul is the authority of a living, resurrected Christ. Therefore, the message he preaches is not just a story from the past, but a powerful and living proclamation in the present. It carries within it the same power that brought Jesus out of the tomb. In a world of uncertain voices, the gospel presents itself as a message from another world, with heavenly authority and life-transforming power.

Challenge Today, take an inventory of the "voices" you have been listening to. What ideas, philosophies, or opinions have been shaping your thinking? Consciously decide to submit your beliefs not to culture or popular opinions, but to the Word that comes directly from God.

Time to Reflect

1. Why is it so important for our faith that the Gospel has a divine, not human, origin?

2. In what ways do "teachings of men" try to infiltrate your faith today, by adding rules or diminishing grace?

3. How does the reality of Christ's resurrection strengthen your confidence in the message you believe?

4. If you truly believe the Gospel has divine authority, how should that change the way you read, live, and share it?

Prayer Father God, I thank You because the message of salvation is not a human invention, but a revelation of Your grace and power. Help me to build my life on the rock of Your Word and to discern the voices that try to lead me away from the pure gospel of Christ. May the authority of Your resurrected Son be the foundation of my faith and my life. In Jesus' name, amen.

The value of a message lies not in the eloquence of the messenger, but in the authority of the One who sent it.