MacArthur investigates Paul's contention of apostolic authority, maintaining its divine origin to resist the Judaizers who questioned his legitimacy. Paul stresses that his apostleship is derived directly from Jesus Christ and God the Father, not from any human source. This debate is momentous for warding off the Judaizers, who sought to undermine Paul's authority by promoting adherence to Jewish law. MacArthur explains that by analyzing as an apostle, Paul aligns himself with the original disciples, though his unique experience with Christ on the road to Damascus further validates his apostleship. This meeting, along with numerous personal appearances of Christ to Paul, gives divine endorsement of his mission to the Gentiles, kings, and Israelites. Also, MacArthur affirms that Paul's message and apostleship are divinely ordained, pointing out the distinction between divine and human authority. Paul's attention on the resurrection of Christ asserts its pivotal role in the gospel's weight, affirming that his commission comes from the God who raised Jesus from the dead. This divine commissioning is fundamental for the Galatians to grasp, as it validates the truth and divine origin of Paul's gospel. Moreover, Paul's greeting, which underlines grace and peace from God, utterly contradicts with the Judaizers' law-based teachings, highlighting the divine source of salvation over human effort. MacArthur explains that grace represents salvation's source, and peace portends its outcome, both stemming from God through Christ. Lastly, MacArthur emphasizes the profound direction of the gospel, which is to deliver believers from the present evil age through Christ's sacrificial death, indicating that salvation is rooted in God's sovereign will and not human effort. This divine origin of salvation is echoed in passages like John 3:16 and Jesus' prayer in Gethsemane, exhibiting the extent of God's love and His sovereign plan for humanity's redemption. In essence, Paul's transformation and independent ministry affirm his divine calling, reinforcing the gospel's authenticity and authority. This summary is made by Eleven Labs AI audio generated platform: elevenlabs.io/?from=partnerhall9106 Reformed Theologian GPT: https://chat.openai.com/g/g-XXwzX1gnv-reformed-theologian If you want to support this podcast's operational cost, you can do so here: venmo.com/u/edisonwu --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/edison-wu/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/edison-wu/support