THE BOOK OF GALATIANS – CHAPTER 2:1-10 - MESSAGE 4 – PAUL’S STRATEGIC POSITION AS APOSTLE TO THE GENTILES
[A]. INTRODUCTION TO THIS MESSAGE
(a). Let’s look at the background so far we have covered in the previous messages. Paul had been commissioned by God to preach to the Gentiles the gospel of grace and God gave much fruit among the churches of Galatia. All the time while spreading the gospel he was dogged by false teachers trying to overturn his work which was the work of the Holy Spirit.
(b). The Galatian churches were being troubled and diverted from the truth by these same false teachers who were trying to force the believers into adopting certain facets of the law of Moses. These men were known as Judaisers and they seemed to be of mixed origins. The ones most troubling to the churches were those who probably had been saved initially from among the Pharisees and scribes and priests and notable men of Israel, but were the false teachers trying to marry Law and Grace. That can not be done and the books of Romans and Galatians absolutely refute that idea.
(c). They were zealot Jews and had been circumcised as was every Jewish male. They kept the Law as they best could. That was the keeping of the Sabbaths and certain Rituals, especially circumcision. It perhaps included the Feasts. Most probably it did not include the sacrificial Law.
(d). These Jews saw it their duty to impose those Jewish practices upon the Gentile Christians as an addition to faith to make it perfect in their eyes. By doing so they were bringing the Gentiles into bondage under the Law. They could see no separation between Law and Grace. They tried to merge the two.
(e). They opposed Paul and Barnabas at every opportunity. They claimed Paul was not a true apostle, that he had never seen the risen Christ and was not called by God. They claimed he had no authority from the apostles in Jerusalem for what he was preaching and that he had not been sent from the Apostles.
[B]. PAUL IN THE SPOTLIGHT IN JERUSALEM
We will look at the first three verses to begin this account.
{{Galatians 2:1 “Then after an interval of fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus along also, Galatians 2:2 and it was because of a revelation that I went up, and I submitted to them the gospel which I preach among the Gentiles, but I did so in private to those who were of reputation, for fear that I might be running, or had run, in vain, Galatians 2:3 but not even Titus who was with me, though he was a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised.”}}
The timeline of Paul’s visits to Jerusalem is a bit confusing but this seems to have happened after one or two missionary journeys by Paul and Barnabas. This visit to Jerusalem was the time of the Council in Jerusalem to discuss the problem that had arisen because certain ones were teaching that the Gentiles could not be saved unless they were baptised according to the Law of Moses and kept circumcision. It is covered in Acts 15 and we take it up later on here.
When that had been resolved, Paul and Barnabas journeyed to Antioch for a while. After that the split came between these two great Apostles, Paul and Barnabas went their separate ways. The expression is this {{Acts 15:39 “and there arose such A SHARP DISAGREEMENT that they separated from one another, and Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed away to Cyprus.”}}
It is tragic when brethren disagree and a split comes. Churches are affected by this sort of thing all the time. Could Paul and Barnabas have resolved it satisfactorily? Was one of them at more fault than the other one? We don’t know. However in the grace of God He sometimes takes divisions and uses them for extended ministry and I think that was so here (I hope so). That would not be the case though if a split occurred, say, over the matter of homosexuality. God will never support those who support that perversion.
We notice in verse 2 that Paul went to Jerusalem by revelation (not by invitation or by a church agreement). These were Apostolic times and God communicated directly with this tiny handful of chosen Apostles.
While Paul was there he had private meetings with the disciples – those he called “those who were of reputation” and I assume that meant several of the Apostles who were still in Jerusalem. This was done privately because many did not understand Paul’s gospel to the Gentiles. Maybe the gospel to the Jews and that to the Gentiles though basically the same, had differences that might have caused misunderstanding had Paul shared with a lot of mixed people. It was all done privately.
This here seems a strange statement we have in verse 2 – “for fear that I might be running, or had run, in vain.” Who was thinking that, Paul or the other Apostles in Jerusalem? Paul had to prove a point to the other Apostles for they knew nothing of his work and did not know what sort of gospel he preached or what fruit was coming from the preaching of the gospel. It would seem this private meeting was to calm the souls of the Jerusalem Apostles. At that stage the original disciples who were still in Jerusalem were looked on as the great leaders of the church and the main Apostles. Paul was still unknown relatively, even though he was to become the greatest of the Apostles.
[C]. PAUL AND BARNABAS REMAINED FIRM BEFORE FALSE TEACHERS
{{Galatians 2:4 “It was because of the false brethren who had sneaked in to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, in order to bring us into bondage, Galatians 2:5 but we did not yield in subjection to them for even an hour, so that the truth of the gospel might remain with you.”}}
All the problem stemmed from these false brethren. Were these Christians? No, they were not. They were false. They may have claimed the name “brethren” but they were not at all. Even Satan can appear as an angel of light. There were no ifs or buts. Paul did not give any ground to them. He was decisive and nipped it all in the bud. Sometimes Christians are too tolerant towards those things that would harm them. Let us put all this in context -
[1]. 14 years after Paul went and saw Peter and James in Jerusalem, he is returning now the third time (in between he went to take money for the poor saints). He had Barnabas and Titus with him.
[2]. Why was he going to Jerusalem? Look at verses 4 and 5 for that answer. This argument is the same as we have in Acts 14 v 25 – Acts 15 v 1-2.
[3]. Paul calls them false brethren who had sneaked in to spy out the liberty of the Gentile Christians. These may have been unconverted Jews or ones who were assumed to be Christians but “false brethren” they were. They certainly were legalisers; ones who wanted the Gentile Christians to adhere to portions of the Mosaic Law. They wanted to spy out to see how they could overcome to get their way. It might be human ambition that does that, but it is the devil’s agenda they follow. Always be aware of those who have ambition and dominance in their lives.
[4]. I admire Paul for defending the faith. He did not put up with wrong practices (verse 5) (Acts 15:2) and neither should we. Our faith is not to be compromised or destroyed. You do not give way for the sake of peace and acceptance and tolerance when it is going to affect God’s people. These false teachers are in the churches too, today, with all manner of unconventional doctrines and practices. Don’t forget in the previous chapter of Galatians Paul says let them be accursed.
[5]. Paul’s journey to Jerusalem came about by revelation (verse 2). The Lord revealed to him that it was to happen. Paul then obeyed.
6. Galatians 2:2. Before the conference Paul had spoken privately to all those of “reputation” so they would understand the gospel to the Gentiles. This allowed the matter to be debated and to have full understanding from the Apostles. At that time it was recognised by all those privately that the Gentile Titus did not have to be circumcised.
7. This journey to Jerusalem is the same one recorded in Acts 15. We will look at part of the account – {{Acts 15:1-4 Some men came down from Judea (especially to Antioch 14:26) and began teaching the brethren, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved,” and when Paul and Barnabas had great dissension and debate with them, the brethren determined that Paul and Barnabas and certain others of them should go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and elders concerning this issue (because they were Jews coming from Judea, mainly Jerusalem). Therefore, being sent on their way by the church, they were passing through both Phoenicia and Samaria, describing in detail the conversion of the Gentiles, and were bringing great joy to all the brethren. When they arrived at Jerusalem, they were received by the church and the apostles and the elders, and they reported all that God had done with them.”}}
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[D]. PAUL RECOUNTS THE JERUSALEM COUNCIL
Here is Paul giving his short account of that conference in Jerusalem to sort out the matter of these false teachers. {{Galatians 2:6-10 but from those who were of high reputation (what they were makes no difference to me - God shows no partiality) - well, those who were of reputation contributed nothing to me, but on the contrary, seeing that I had been entrusted with the gospel to the uncircumcised, just as Peter had been to the circumcised (for He who effectually worked for Peter in his apostleship to the circumcised, effectually worked for me also to the Gentiles), and recognising the grace that had been given to me, James and Cephas and John who were reputed to be pillars, gave to Barnabas and me the right hand of fellowship, that we might go to the Gentiles, and they to the circumcised. They only asked us to remember the poor - the very thing I also was eager to do.”}}
Let us consider a few things from what Paul has just written.
[1]. “High reputation”. There is nothing popish here nor anything clerical. The “high reputation” meant they had an honourable name among the Christians and that is because they were the disciples of the Lord on earth. They were looked up to in a special way because of their connection with the Lord.
[2]. Verses 7-10. Men have a tendency, especially governments, to make simple matters difficult through rules and regulations. Sadly this is done also in some church business meetings. It is not the Christian way. There was bit of concern about Jew and Gentile and the disciples resolved it simply – Peter to the Jews, and Paul to the Gentiles; only remember the poor. It was that simple. That is why the bible is simple. It comes from God and is not written on “lawyer manuscript.” We have a simple faith and it must not be complicated by rules of man.
[3]. Now we move to Acts 15 to see how this Jerusalem Council dealt with the matter of trying to make the Gentiles keep the Law – to be circumcised and keep the Sabbath and Mosaic regulations:-
{{Acts 15:5-12 but certain ones of the sect of the Pharisees who had believed, stood up saying, “It is necessary to circumcise them, and to direct them to observe the Law of Moses.” The apostles and the elders came together to look into this matter, and after there had been MUCH DEBATE, Peter stood up and said to them, “Brethren, you know that in the early days God made a choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe. God, who knows the heart, bore witness to them, giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He also did to us, and He made no distinction between us and them, cleansing their hearts by faith. Now therefore why do you put God to the test by placing upon the neck of the disciples a yoke which neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear? But we believe that we are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, in the same way as they also are.” All the multitude kept silent, and they were listening to Barnabas and Paul as they were relating what signs and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles.”}}
I suppose in a way I am surprised that there was “much debate” about the matter of reverting to the Law of Moses and the desire of some to force this onto the Gentiles. I would have expected that 15 years or something at least of the Christian gospel going forth, that grace should have been understood a lot better.
We continue with the account of the Council –
{{Acts 15:13-21 and after they had stopped speaking, James answered saying, “Brethren, listen to me. Simeon has related how God first concerned Himself about taking from among the Gentiles a people for His name, and with this the words of the Prophets agree, just as it is written, ‘After these things I will return and I will rebuild the tabernacle of David which has fallen, and I will rebuild its ruins, and I will restore it in order that the rest of mankind may seek the Lord, and all the Gentiles who are called by My name,’ says the Lord, who makes these things known from of old. Therefore it is my judgment that we do not trouble those who are turning to God from among the Gentiles, but that we write to them that they abstain from things contaminated by idols and from fornication and from what is strangled and from blood, for Moses from ancient generations has in every city those who preach him, since he is read in the synagogues every Sabbath.”
Acts 15:22-30 Then it seemed good to the apostles and the elders, with the whole church, to choose men from among them to send to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas - Judas called Barsabbas, and Silas, leading men among the brethren, and they sent this letter by them, “The apostles and the brethren who are elders, to the brethren in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia who are from the Gentiles, greetings. Since we have heard that some of our number to whom we gave no instruction have disturbed you with their words, unsettling your souls, it seemed good to us, having become of one mind, to select men to send to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore we have sent Judas and Silas, who themselves will also report the same things by word of mouth, for it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay upon you no greater burden than these essentials: that you abstain from things sacrificed to idols and from blood and from things strangled and from fornication. If you keep yourselves free from such things, you will do well. Farewell.” When they were sent away, they went down to Antioch and having gathered the congregation together, they delivered the letter.}}
Even in spite of this decision from the Council, these false teachers a bit later went to Galatia and began to pervert the gospel. Paul now is writing to the Galatian churches overcome this great error. Grace is so strong with Paul that he will not let anything interfere with God’s pure grace in the Lord Jesus Christ.
For the Apostle Paul, the concept of the Church was revealed to him by God and it became a central theme of his teaching because the Church is precious to the Lord Jesus Christ having been purchased by His blood. The Church is also known as the Body of Christ, and the Bride, and a Spiritual House, and the Pearl of Great Price. Paul embraced the Church as one Body - meaning that all believers were part of the Church.
In writing to the Corinthians he said this – {{1Corinthians 12:13-14 “For by one Spirit we were all BAPTIZED INTO ONE BODY, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit for the body is not one member, but many.”}}
When we are saved many things happen to us, spiritual blessings from God. One of them, and a totally essential one, is the baptism of the Spirit. The purpose of this baptism of the Spirit is to unite all believers into one Body. It is for unity in the Body. The word for “baptized” is in the aorist tense – done once only but the effects continue. Paul was very protective of the Body knowing how precious the Church is to its Head, the Lord. The bible knows not a thing about official membership of a local church. It never speaks about that but knows only one membership, that of the Body of Christ, and all saints have all things in common. To impose rules and practices that are not of God is to put people under bondage and only serves the cause of sectarianism.
The Lord’s Supper also symbolises the oneness of the body. There is one loaf, one bread, not fragmented bread. The early church had the one loaf meaning the one Body. {{1Corinthians 10:16-17 “Is not the cup of blessing which we bless a sharing in the blood of Christ? Is not the bread which we break a sharing in the body of Christ? Since there is ONE BREAD, we who are many are one body for we all partake of the one bread.”}}
This message has had a lot of scripture and Paul’s personal history in it. Paul was very careful with the Galatians to set the groundwork correctly before he set to in the following chapters to lay out the position of the Law. God bless you all
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