A BATTLE FOR TRUTH (GAL 2:1-5)

SERIES: FREE AT LAST, PART 4

GCEFC: OCTOBER 18, 2009

INTRODUCTION

1. This being our fourth Sunday in the Book of Galatians, I think it’s time for a brief review.

2. The Book of Galatians is a letter of the Apostle Paul, written to a group of churches in a region of the world known as Galatia—essentially modern day Turkey.

3. Paul had been a dyed-in-the-wool religious zealot for Judaism and the traditions of his ancestors. Paul was as devoted to his faith as a person could possibly be.

4. He was not only a serious student of the Old Testament, but he was a Pharisee, and so committed to the Jewish way of life and the Kingdom of God that he attempted to eliminate anything that stood in its way—including Christians.

5. But while Paul was trying to exterminate Christians and the Church, Jesus himself appeared to Paul on the Road to Damascus—and his life was radically changed.

6. Paul realized that by persecuting Christians and the Church, he was attacking the very things that were near and dear to the heart of God.

7. When the voice from heaven on the Road to Damascus said to Paul: Why do you persecute me—Paul responded with a question: Who are you?

8. The answer came back: I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. Paul then knew that he had actually been an enemy of the God he so desperately wanted to serve and worship.

9. After his own conversion to faith in Christ, Paul went on to grow in that faith and grow in his understanding of the things of God. His understanding grew not only through personal study, but through direct revelation from God.

10. Eventually Paul was called into ministry partnership with Barnabus, and the two of them were sent by the Antioch Church on an evangelistic missionary journey to Asia Minor.

11. There in the region of Galatia, Paul and Barnabus preached the gospel and 4 churches were established as a result of the response.

12. But later, after Paul had left the region and returned to Antioch, false teachers came in and began to preach a different gospel than the one Paul had preached.

13. This gospel proclaimed that salvation was not by grace alone through faith alone in what Christ had done. It also required adherence to the Law of Moses.

14. Which began with circumcision, which signified entrance into the covenant community. And it continued through keeping the Old Testament Law of Moses.

15. For all practical purposes they were teaching that a Gentile had to become Jew to become a Christian. Faith in Christ was insufficient for salvation—Moses was also required.

16. Paul was greatly distressed over what had happened to the Galatians as many of them had been duped by these false teachers, known as Judaizers. He was deeply concerned for their spiritual health—and for the integrity of the gospel message itself.

17. So he writes the churches a letter, explaining what the gospel really is, and how they have been misled by a false gospel that only condemns rather than delivers.

18. He explains that they’re confused about the true nature of the gospel. That the gospel is not a blending of Jewish law and ceremony with God’s grace in Christ.

19. That the gospel declares that salvation is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. And that any required elements added to the gospel simply invalidate it.

20. That what God has done through Christ is complete, it’s sufficient, it’s perfect—and it’s enough. To add to it is to say that Christ is insufficient payment for our sin.

21. Not only is the spiritual life and redemption of the Galatians at stake. The entire gospel message is at stake because it’s being perverted to fit man’s purposes.

22. So far we’ve seen the following from chapter one.

a. Paul claims that he is an authentic, qualified, genuine, and legitimate Apostle.

b. He’s shocked that the Galatians have been duped so quickly and deceived by the false teachers into believing something that is really a perversion of the real thing.

c. He places an eternal curse on anyone who preaches a gospel that is something other than the true gospel. He includes himself in the curse.

d. He gives a brief autobiography that substantiates his claims and addresses the charge of the false teachers that Paul had made up his own gospel.

e. The charge that he heard the gospel from the other Apostles—then altered it to fit his own purposes. This was not true, and much of chapter one proves it.

23. Now in chapter two there is a major shift in focus. In chapter one Paul goes to great lengths to show that he is independent of the other Apostles.

24. That he didn’t consult with them after his conversion. That he didn’t speak with them to get their theology of the gospel. That he didn’t even meet the other apostles until 3 years after his conversion—and then for only two weeks.

25. He then explains that the gospel he received didn’t come from a human source at all—he received it through direct revelation from God. So the gospel he is preaching is not tainted by human philosophy nor altered to meet personal preferences.

26. The gospel he preaches is from God, through God, sanctioned by God, approved by God, and reflects the will and purposes of God.

27. But now in chapter 2, Paul needs to make another equally valid point. He’s shown that he’s independent of the Apostles and did not consult with them.

28. Now he must show that he’s in harmony with them, that they agree with him, and that they are supportive of him.

29. So we might be thinking: Paul make up your mind! Are you independent of the other Apostles or not? Do you need their support or not?

30. But we must understand something. The gospel Paul is preaching is not something he was dependent upon the other Apostles to know and understand.

31. But the gospel Paul is preaching must be consistent with what the other Apostles are preaching. Simply because the true gospel of the true God cannot contradict itself.

32. If Paul is a true Apostle of the true gospel of the true God. And the other Apostles are true Apostles of the true gospel of the true God—then their messages must be harmonious and congruent and compatible.

33. This is the focus of chapter 2. Does the gospel Paul is proclaiming agree with and find support from God’s already established and authenticated ambassadors?

A. THE BACKGROUND

1. So in V1 of chapter 2 we read: Fourteen years later I went up again to Jerusalem, this time with Barnabus. I took Titus along also. I went in response to a revelation and set before them the gospel that I preach among the Gentiles. But I did this privately to those who seemed to be leaders, for fear that I was running or had run my race in vain.

2. There’s debate among scholars as to whether Paul means fourteen years after his first visit to Jerusalem or 14 years after his conversion.

3. I will let the scholars settle the matter. I’m not overly concerned with it at this point. The point is that it was many years later that Paul returned to Jerusalem.

4. So why did Paul go to Jerusalem? He certainly had plenty to do as he had been preaching the gospel and doing ministry in Syria and Cilicia for more than a decade.

5. But the reason he went is given in V2: I went in response to a revelation. In other words he went because God told him to go.

6. Which works great for Paul because Paul was an Apostle. It doesn’t work so great for you and me because we are not.

7. It’s also important to understand what is not the reason he went to Jerusalem. He didn’t go to be validated by the other Apostles in the sense of being approved.

8. Paul heard the gospel, believed the gospel, knew the gospel, and was preaching the gospel. He wasn’t insecure or uncertain about his calling or his message.

9. Paul needed no one to give him the Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval. Paul had God’s seal of approval—and that was enough for him.

10. He went because God told him to go. But unity was extremely important to Paul. And all things being equal, he understood that at some point there would need to be a meeting of the minds on some important issues.

11. Jerusalem, among the designated and recognized and authenticated Apostles, was the best place for this to happen.

B. THE SIGNIFICANCE OF WHAT WAS DONE THERE

1. So what happened in Jerusalem on Paul’s visit? Let’s just say that one of the most important meetings in the history of the world took place there.

2. At the meeting that became known as the Jerusalem Council, it was established unequivocally among the Apostles that the requirement for salvation and redemption is simply this: Grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone.

3. There are no other attachments, addendums, add-ons, or fine print. Salvation is a free gift of God’s grace received through an act of faith.

4. No one—Jew or Gentile—is required to be circumcised or keep the Law of Moses in order to be saved.

5. V3 tells us that Titus was brought along with Paul. Probably as a test case. A test case to see whether it would be required that he be circumcised.

6. Why was this an issue? Because Titus was a full-blooded Greek. He was fully Gentile with no Jewish blood at all. But he was also a professing believer in Christ.

7. If Titus was required to be circumcised in keeping with the Law of Moses, then it would mean that a Gentile must become a Jew to become a Christian.

8. Paul and Barnabus stood their ground. The other Apostles concurred that they were right.

9. Titus was not circumcised and it testified to the truth that salvation requires no additional adherence to the Mosaic Law. It’s by grace alone through faith alone.

10. V5 is worth the price of the letter all by itself: We did not give in to them for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel might remain with you.

11. Some things in life are not worth fighting for. They just don’t matter that much. But some things are very important and worth doing battle over.

12. Way back in 1776 a very important document was penned known as the Declaration of Independence. It was essentially a charter—guaranteeing certain rights and privileges.

13. You will recall that Great Britain did not come to the shores of the colonies, read this document and say—We see you have this Declaration of Independence here. So we will turn our ships around, take our soldiers home, and give you the freedom you seek.

14. Not quite—we had to fight a war to secure our freedom.

15. The same is true with the freedom that the gospel secures for you and me. It was declared a very long time ago. But it has required re-declaring and fighting for many times since.

16. And we will need to continue re-declaring it and fighting for it.

17. The redemption of a condemned sinner brings immense glory to God. But not everyone is happy with God’s glory.

18. So the truth of gospel will always be subject to attack, perversion, alteration, denial, and derision. This should not surprise us at all.

19. Some battles must be fought or we may lose something of great value. I’m so glad that Paul was not afraid to fight for the truth of the gospel.

20. As he says in V5: We did not give in to them for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel might remain with you.