But what of this "revelation of Jesus Christ," on which Paul lays so much stress? Does he mean a revelation made _by_ Christ, or _about_ Christ? Taken by itself, the expression, in Greek as in English, bears either interpretation. In favour of the second construction--viz. that Paul speaks of a revelation by which Christ was made known to him--the language of ver. 16 is adduced: "It pleased God to reveal His Son in me." Paul's general usage points in the same direction. With him Christ is the _object_ of manifestation, preaching, and the like. 2 Cor. xii. 1 is probably an instance to the contrary: "I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord."[16] But it should be observed that wherever this genitive is objective (a revelation revealing Christ), _God_ appears in the context, just as in ver. 16 below, to Whom the authorship of the revelation is ascribed. In this instance, _the gospel_ is the object revealed; and _Jesus Christ_, in contrast with man, is claimed for its Author. So at the outset (ver. 1) Christ, in His Divine character, was the _Agent_ by whom Paul, as veritably as the Twelve, had received his Apostleship. We therefore assent to the ordinary view, reading this passage in the light of the vision of Jesus thrice related in the Acts.[17] We understand Paul to say that no _mere man_ imparted to him the gospel he preached, but _Jesus Christ revealed it_. [16] This genitive is, however, open to the other construction, which is unquestionable in 1 Cor. i. 7; 2 Thess. i. 7; also 1 Pet. i. 7, 13. Rev. i. 1 furnishes a prominent example of the _subjective_ genitive. [17] Acts ix. 1-19; xxii. 5-16; xxvi. 12-18. On the Damascus road the Apostle Paul found his mission. The vision of the glorified Jesus made him a Christian, and an Apostle. The act was a _revelation_--that is, in New Testament phrase, a supernatural, an immediately Divine communication of truth. And it was a revelation not conveyed in the first instance, as were the ordinary prophetic inspirations, through the Spirit; "Jesus Christ," in His Divine-human person, made Himself known to His persecutor. Paul had "seen that Just One and heard a voice from His mouth." The appearance of Jesus to Saul of Tarsus was in itself a gospel, an earnest of the good tidings he was to convey to the world. "Why persecutest thou Me?" that Divine voice said, in tones of reproach, yet of infinite pity. The sight of Jesus the Lord, meeting Saul's eyes, revealed His grace and truth to the persecutor's heart. He was brought in a moment to the obedience of faith; he said, "Lord, what wilt Thou have me to do?" He "confessed with his mouth the Lord Jesus"; he "believed in his heart that God had raised Him from the dead." It was true, after all, that "God had made" the crucified Nazarene "both Lord and Christ;" for this was He!