In Epistolam D. Pauli Apostoli ad Galatas notae

12 For I did not receive it from man, nor was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.

13 For you have heard of my former conduct in Judaism, that I persecuted the Church of God beyond measure, and ravaged it:

14 And I advanced in Judaism beyond many of my own age in my nation, being more exceedingly zealous for the traditions which I had received from my fathers.

He proves from the history of his conversion that he received the Gospel from Christ through revelation. The history exists in Acts 9 and 26. Heavenly power appears there directly from Christ. For although he is baptized by Ananias, and it is signified to him what he ought to do, nevertheless he had already received the Gospel from Christ before that. 1. The heavenly power appears in the very fact that he who was persecuting is converted in such a way that he preaches. Then, he who burned with zeal for his own righteousness now holds it as refuse. Such great and sudden things were accomplished not by the power or voice of men, but of Christ.

1 Observation: Note the candid confession of Paul, so that he denies himself and gives glory to Christ. Thus also true ministers should deny themselves and their own honors, so that Christ may be glorified.

2 Observation: He holds his own righteousness of the Law as an abomination: in Philippians 3, he considers as refuse what he had previously esteemed highly. And yet exter-
nally they seemed to be good works according to the Law, but while he places confidence in them, they are dung. And indeed, for this very reason, the doctrine of gratuitous justification must be certain to us, as most true, because it takes away all praise of righteousness from man, and extols only that of Christ, so that He may be glorified. For if we consider how dangerous it is to attribute anything to one's own righteousness, we will say that the righteousness of Christ alone is the true righteousness. Luke 16: Whatever is exalted among men is an abomination before God.