October 12, 2014
Evening Service

In chapter one, Paul reveals to the Galatians the journey God led him on after his conversion on the road to Damascus.  He spent three years alone with God where the Holy Spirit revealed to him the gospel message that he had been well prepared to teach.  He then spent 15 days with Peter no doubt building his faith in that the Holy Spirit had taught him the same things Jesus had taught the apostles.  He then traveled to Syria and Cilicia.

 Gal 2:1-2 Then through fourteen years, I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, and took Titus with me also.  (2)  And I went up by revelation. And I put before them the gospel which I preach among the Gentiles, but privately to those seeming to be pillars, lest I run, or I ran, into vanity.

·         This is the trip we read about in Acts chapter 15, where Paul and Barnabas attended the first council meeting of the early church’s leadership.  The main topic of the meeting was to address the false doctrine some of the Jews were teaching.  They were teaching that everyone had to keep the Law of Moses in order to be saved which included circumcision. 

 

Gal 2:3-10 Yet not even Titus, the one with me, a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised.  (4)  But because of those false brothers stealing in, who stole in to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus; they desiring to enslave us; (5) to whom not even for an hour did we yield in subjection that the truth of the gospel might continue with you.  (6)  But from those who seemed to be something (what kind they were then does not matter to me; God does not accept the face of man), for those seeming important conferred nothing to me.  (7)  But on the contrary, seeing that I have been entrusted with the gospel of the uncircumcision, as Peter to the circumcision;  (8)  for He working in Peter to the apostleship of the circumcision also worked in me to the Gentiles  (9)  and knowing the grace given to me, James, and Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, gave right hands of fellowship to Barnabas and me, that we go to the Gentiles, but they to the circumcision.  (10)  Only they asked that we remember the poor, which very thing I was eager to do.

·         This was a tremendous show of unity of the faith.  The council met together and proclaimed that the Gentiles were not to be held to the burden of keeping the Law. They asked the Gentiles to abstain from four things.

 

Act 15:19-20  Therefore my judgment is that we do not trouble those who have turned to God from among the Gentiles,  (20)  but that we write to them that they should abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood.

·         Notice also that the apostles gave “the right hands of fellowship” to Paul and Barnabas.  They had faith that God would guide them along the path He wanted them to go and did not need their “Micromanaging” of Paul’s ministry.

·         This is a huge change for a Jew to be able to go against the lifelong teaching they had received of being “God’s only chosen people” and looking at the Gentiles now as equals to them in the Kingdom of God.   There was no jealousy involved only the desire to proclaim the gospel message to both groups effectively.

·           The same needs to be true of the church today as well.  Each fellowship should be doing their best with what God has given them to spread the gospel with no competing or jealousy; we are on the same team (unity).

·         However, where people are involved they will always be mistakes made.

 

Gal 2:11-13  But when Peter came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he was to be blamed.  (12)  For before some came from James, he ate with the Gentiles. But when they came, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing those of the circumcision.  (13)  And the rest of the Jews also dissembled with him, so as even Barnabas was led away with their hypocrisy.

·         Even after all that had been agreed upon, some spontaneous decisions made quickly and within a peer group is not always the correct one.  Old habits die hard.  Have you been there done that?

·         Paul continues and explains why he had to correct Peter on this.

 

Gal 2:14-18  But when I saw that they did not walk uprightly with the truth of the gospel, I said to Peter before all, “If you, being a Jew, live as a Gentile, and not as the Jews, why do you compel the Gentiles to live as Jews?  (15)  We Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles,  (16)  knowing that a man is not justified by works of the Law, but through faith in Jesus Christ; even we believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith in Christ, and not by works of the Law. For all flesh will not be justified by works of law.  (17)  But if, while we seek to be justified in Christ, we also were found to be sinners, is Christ therefore a minister of sin? Certainly not!  (18)  For if I build again the things which I destroyed, I confirm myself a transgressor.”

·         Paul explains that we are not under the legalism system of the Law, but under a new covenant based upon faith.  We can in no way ever “earn” our way to heaven but are simply “justified by our faith in Jesus Christ.”

·         We have been born again to live a life ruled by allowing Christ into our heart.

 

Gal 2:19-21  For through the Law I died to the law, that I might live to God.  (20)  I have been crucified with Christ, it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. And the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by faith toward the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.  (21)  I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness is through law, then Christ died in vain.

·         What a tremendous statement that Paul makes here.  We as Christians have died to ourselves and live to Christ.  Life is no longer all about me, it is all about Christ, “who loved me and gave Himself for me.”  Look at Isiah 53:12. 

·         The word Christian means Christ follower.  We have given our lives to Him and now seek to follow Him because He gave His life for us.

 

Lord, may our surrender to You be complete and may Your will be done in our lives.