PARTNERS IN THE GOSPEL (GAL 2:6-10)

SERIES: FREE AT LAST, PART 5

GCEFC: OCTOBER 25, 2009

INTRODUCTION

1. As you know, the Apostle Paul had traveled through Galatia on his first missionary journey preaching the gospel. Many heard and believed.

2. The believers were assembled into 4 new churches in the cities of Iconium, Derbe, Lystra, and Pisidian Antioch.

3. It was an exciting time for Paul and these new believers and God was clearly at work.

4. Then some time later after he left the region, Paul received word that teachers infiltrated the churches, and were teaching a gospel that contradicted the one Paul had proclaimed.

5. These false teachers were known as “Judaizers,” because they attempted to incorporate Jewish laws and customs into the Christian gospel of grace.

6. The Judaizers were teaching that a Gentile must become a Jew in order to become a Christian. Circumcision and keeping the Law of Moses were required for salvation.

7. These false teachers accused Paul of being a “Johnny come lately bogus Apostle.” That he hadn’t ministered with Jesus; that he hadn’t been anointed by Jesus; and that he had never even seen Jesus!

8. Therefore Paul was no real Apostle, no genuine ambassador of Christ. They even claimed that he heard the gospel from the true Apostles, and then modified it to fit his purposes.

9. This gospel, they claimed, was not legitimate because it neglected to require keeping the Law of Moses as a requirement for salvation.

10. So Paul responds to the bad news and charges in a letter to the Galatian Christians. That letter has been cleverly and creatively entitled: Paul’s Letter to the Galatians.

11. In this letter, he has several goals.

a. First, he must defend his rightful and legitimate Apostleship. He says that he was anointed by Jesus. This happened when Paul met Christ on the Road to Damascus.

b. And Paul had seen the risen Christ in that same encounter on the Damascus Road.

c. He goes on to say that he did not receive the gospel from any man. Nor did he make it up himself. Rather—he received the gospel directly from God through revelation.

d. He shows how it was not even possible for him to have received the gospel through human avenues.

e. First of all, he was persecuting the true Church. Arresting and putting to death those who were seen as a threat to the Jewish religion and way of life.

f. Paul was not just unsympathetic toward the gospel—he was its vehement enemy.

g. But even after he was saved himself, he didn’t consult anyone on the nature and theology of the gospel. He immediately went to Arabia by himself!

h. Then, only after 3 years did he come to Jerusalem where the other Apostles were. And he only saw 2 of them and stayed a mere 15 days.

i. He then traveled up to Syria and Cilicia, hundreds of miles from the other Apostles.

j. Then it was 14 years later that he returned to Jerusalem in response to a revelation from God.

k. There it was settled at the Jerusalem Council that salvation is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone.

l. There is no requirement to keep the Law of Moses nor be circumcised.

m. The gospel has no add-ons, no addendums, no bonus points, no enhancements, supplements, or attachments. No: wait…there’s more. There is no more.

n. The gospel is simply that a person is saved by the grace of God through faith alone in what Christ has done for him. The gospel is faith in Christ—plus nothing.

o. This was clearly demonstrated in Jerusalem when Paul had brought along a man named Titus. Titus was fully Greek and totally Gentile and a believer in Christ.

p. The false teachers wanted him to be circumcised as verification that adherence to the Law of Moses was required for salvation.

q. But Titus was not circumcised—verifying instead that such adherence to the Law was not part of the true gospel, nor was it required for salvation.

r. Paul says in V5 that he stood his ground on this issue: so that the truth of the gospel might remain with you.

12. The last 5 verses of this section complete the description of the event and confirm the truth even more.

A. THE OTHER APOSTLES ADDED NOTHING

1. The first point Paul makes is that the Apostles in Jerusalem added nothing at all to the gospel he was preaching.

2. V6: As for those who seemed to be important—whatever they were makes no difference to me; God does not judge by external appearance—those men added nothing to my message.

a. It may seem like Paul is taking a sarcastic poke at the Apostles. In fact, he had referred to them in V2 as: Those who seemed to be leaders. Then he will say in V9: those reputed to be pillars in the church.

b. But this was no poke at all. The false teachers had claimed that Paul was not a real Apostle. That he was at best a pseudo Apostle if not an outright charlatan.

c. In his letter he simply refers to the Apostles this way to bring them to the same level as he is. God is not impressed with human achievement—nor is Paul.

d. He’s saying that what matters is truth—not the rank of the one proclaiming it. The Apostles were men worthy of honor because they were men accurately and truthfully representing God who sent them.

e. Now—there is a sense in which the messenger validates the message. We looked at this earlier. That credentials make a message more credible.

f. But there’s also a sense in which the message validates the messenger. Even though the other Apostles were men worthy of honor and respect, Paul was worthy of the same honor and the same respect.

g. Paul’s respect was earned not only because God bestowed it on him. But because he had been a faithful messenger of God’s truth.

13. His next point (V7) is that just as the Apostle Peter had been entrusted with preaching the gospel primarily to the Jews. Likewise, Paul had been entrusted with preaching the gospel primarily to the Gentiles.

14. In fact, he says in V8 that God had clearly been at work in the ministries of both men, just in different realms of focus.

15. Then he emphasizes that the key leaders of the Jerusalem Church—that would be John, one of the original Twelve. And Peter, also one of the original Twelve.

16. And James. This James is not the brother of John who was put to death by the sword in ACTS 12. This James is rather one of the siblings of Christ. The one who believed after Jesus rose from the dead and appeared to him.

17. These men, Paul says in V9: gave me and Barnabus the right hand of fellowship when they recognized the grace given to me.

18. In those times, an extension of the right hand meant more then fellowship and friendship and social politeness. It meant agreement and partnership. It meant that the other Apostles were in full agreement and partnership with what Paul was doing.

19. It was then determined that the other Apostles should continue their focus on reaching other Jews with the gospel. And that Paul and his team should continue their focus on reaching other Gentiles with the gospel.

20. Lastly they reminded Paul to not neglect the poor. The Jewish Christians in Jerusalem, for a number of reasons lived in crushing poverty. This was already Paul’s concern.

B. SO WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?

1. So what does this mean? Two things come to mind. At the risk of repeating myself—first—it means that there is only one true gospel of God’s grace.

2. There is not a gospel for Jews and a gospel for Gentiles. There is only one gospel for all. Grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone.

3. Peter going to the Jews and Paul going to the Gentiles was simply a strategy for reaching both. The audience was different, but the message would be the same.

4. And second, a point made last week. The gospel saves, the gospel changes lives, and the gospel determines our destiny.

5. It’s extremely important and extremely valuable. So important and so valuable that it’s worthy of our commitment to tell and live.

6. And sometimes it calls for us to take a stand. Just as Paul did so long ago.