Paul's Participation in the Jerusalem Council
Book Galatians Chapter 2 Verses 1 through 10
From Chapter 1 we learned that the Apostle Paul's preaching of Salvation by the "Grace of God" had met much criticism, but this criticism was mainly from the Jewish religion.
This criticism had reached a point where it was determined that the Church leaders would come together to make a final decision on this matter.
It had been the Jews known as Judaizers, who had called for this council hoping the leaders of the Church in Jerusalem would side with them.
Though there were many Church councils over the years, the first Jerusalem Council was the most important.
What we find is that our old friends the Pharisees are stirring up trouble again.
In reality, there was a large number of Pharisees who accepted Jesus as the true Messiah after His death and resurrection.
In fact, this would be a natural result for an honest-thinking Pharisee.
Most of the Pharisees were looking for the Messiah to come.
The Pharisees knew the Scriptures better than the average Jew.
When the Apostles proved that Jesus was the Messiah from the Scriptures, the Pharisee was bound to see the evidence.
If a Pharisee had an honest and open heart he would be convicted by the Holy Spirit as much as any other Lost Soul.
However, the Pharisees would tend to see Jesus as the fulfillment of Judaism, not a replacement of it.
The Pharisees would see Jesus as an addition to the Law of Moses, not replacing it.
The Pharisees would see Jesus as adding belief to their rituals, not replacing them.
The Pharisee would see Jesus adding Baptism to the ordinances, not replacing the ordinance.
Because the Pharisees had extensive training and had made a lifetime commitment to the keeping of the Law, oral and traditional, they would be very slow to give up the Law.
They would be very slow to rely on the Righteousness of Jesus the Messiah and not the righteousness of the Law.
But we do see where some of them made a complete break with Judaism.
It is these things that caused the First Council of the Church.
Act 15:5 But there rose up certain of the sect of the Pharisees which believed, saying, That it was needful to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses.
Act 15:6 And the apostles and elders came together for to consider of this matter.
We will immediately be able to see that the question at the Council in Jerusalem had grown much greater than circumcision from the Church at Antioch.
The question at Jerusalem became "does a man have to keep the whole law to be saved" and accepted into the Church?
We would be wrong to believe these questions have disappeared today!
1) Can a person earn favor with God? Or do they receive the favor of God?
2) Are they acceptable to God because they keep the Law? Or are they saved by confessing that they have broken the law and are dependent entirely upon the Lord Jesus Christ?
3) Do we work to make ourselves righteous or do we cast ourselves upon the righteousness of Jesus?
4) Do we pray to the Lord saying Lord I come on my own righteousness, or I come on your righteousness?
5) Do we pray Lord I come with my own package of works, or I come seeking your mercy and grace?
6) Do we pray to the Lord I came to be praised for my own works, or do we praise the Lord because He did all the work?
7) Are we to receive glory because we have done good, or is the glory to be lifted to Jesus for who He is and what He has done?
8) Is the Lord Jesus God, who came down from Heaven to save us or not?
Martin Luther broke with Catholic Doctrine on some of these same issues!
Rom 1:17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.
Do we believe what the Bible says or not?
Luther came to realize that works have no part in our salvation.
It is a fact that there are no works to do to receive the Grace of God but there are some works that should happen after salvation.
Jas 2:20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?
We need to study every question that is asked about salvation in order to properly lead someone to the Lord!
*****Gal 2:1 Then fourteen years after I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, and took Titus with me also.
At the end of last week's lesson, Paul had returned to his hometown of Tarsus and then to Antioch Syria where the first Church outside of Jerusalem had been established.
Now in the first verse of Chapter Two, Paul is returning to Jerusalem for the first council of the Church and fourteen years have passed.
This first council at Jerusalem could easily have stopped the Church before it ever got started.
The Apostle Paul was faithful to give a full account of the Gospel he had preached among the Gentiles, who were still known as Heathen to the Jews, indicating a lower class of people.
Paul preached that Christianity must be free from all mixture of Judaism.
This would have seemed ungrateful to some because even the Lord Jesus was a Jew.
Joh 4:21 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father.
Joh 4:22 Ye worship ye know not what: "we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews".
Notice Jesus claims to be a Jew just like the disciples who were with Him.
We should understand that Christianity is the New Testament, the New Covenant, God has made with all the people of Earth.
We should also notice that Paul was very careful and going to extra pains, to list his contacts with the Church in Jerusalem.
It had to be understood that the Doctrine of Salvation that Paul preached had come from Jesus Christ and not from the leaders of the Church of Jerusalem.
It was for the benefit of the Jews that these precautions were made and not so much for the benefit of the Gentiles.
Paul was not going to change the way he preached so easily.
Likewise, the Jews were not going to accept the Gentiles so easily.
We must also understand the other Apostles had to recognize that the calling of the Apostle Paul had met the basic qualifications for being an Apostle being called by Christ Himself.
Paul's calling and his service had now proven itself for fourteen years.
Paul did not enter Jerusalem to answer his critics.
Nothing that happened in Jerusalem would change the calling of Paul, because Paul was God-called and not man-called.
1Co 15:3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;
1Co 15:4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
1Co 15:5 And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve:
1Co 15:6 After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep.
1Co 15:7 After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles.
1Co 15:8 And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time.
*****Gal 2:2 And I went up by revelation, and communicated unto them that gospel which I preach among the Gentiles, but privately to them which were of reputation, lest by any means I should run, or had run, in vain.
Paul's intent was for him to defend his work in the Gospel.
If the other Apostles disagreed with Paul, it would not have changed Paul's calling.
God intended for the Church to survive at all costs.
What had Jesus told to Peter?
Mat_16:18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
I think it is almost every message that our Pastor says he will not back down, and we had better be prepared to stand with him.
No preacher is to run in vain!
Every evangelist, Pastor, preacher, and missionary, must preach the "Gospel" and only the "Gospel" and he must build upon that ministry as the truth and it is.
We are not to allow ritual, rule, ceremony, or law to be added to the Gospel!
People are saved and people grow only by the Gospel, the "Good News" of God's love for the world, His creation!
Joh 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Joh 3:17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
Joh 3:18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
*****Gal 2:3 But neither Titus, who was with me, being a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised:
Gal 2:4 And that because of false brethren unawares brought in, who came in privily to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage:
Gal 2:5 To whom we gave place by subjection, no, not for an hour; that the truth of the gospel might continue with you.
We must never be intimidated into giving up the truth of the Gospel as our own government has been trying to do lately!
There are as many so-called preachers who have only enough truth to be called a man of God when they are lost as Job's Turkey and causing damage to the Church and they don't care, they just buy themselves another Jet plane or they write another book but we can be sure they will answer to God.
There is only one Gospel and there will never be a modern version because God never changes!
The Lord Jesus Christ will never come back to this Earth, (His Creation) to face another cross!
The Apostle Paul's version of the Gospel is still the Gospel that saves!
There is only one "Gospel" and there will never be another "Gospel" that is the "Good News" for mankind!
The 'Gospel" of the "Grace" of God and "Grace Alone" that Paul preached did arouse many of the Jews.
Every practicing Jew was circumcised when they were eight days old and they leaned heavily on the Law of Moses all the days of their lives.
When they accepted the truth of Jesus Christ, they still refused to reject Judaism.
In their minds the Lord Jesus only changed a few things and Judaism was still the key to life with Jehovah.
They proclaimed that every Christian would first have to become a practicing Jew.
Only after becoming a Jew could, they then accept the teachings of Christ and be baptized.
Paul rejected this and Paul was right even though Paul was a practicing Jew.
The Church would have failed before it got started if this had been true.
The Jews were shocked that Paul taught such a thing.
These Jews were called Judaizers.
It was determined by these Judaizers that Paul could not have gotten his message from Jehovah, and they were wrong.
If anything is added to the Gospel, then it is no longer the Gospel.
If anything is taken away from the Gospel, then it is no longer the Gospel.
Jehovah was very serious about this!
Rev 22:18 For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:
Rev 22:19 And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.
Paul took with him Barnabas and Titus who were fellow workers with him in the Gospel.
Barnabas was a Jew who had been converted in Jerusalem.
Titus was a Heathen Gentile, and he was not about to become a Jew.
Titus had never been inside the Jewish Temple, and he had no desire to enter into it.
Titus had not been circumcised!
Titus had not committed himself to the Law of Moses nor the rituals of Judaism.
Titus was a perfect example of salvation by "Grace Alone".
Titus had answered the calling of Christ to become a Preacher.
Judaizers are just "Legalists".
Legalists are those people who add to the salvation plan of God.
Christianity is not now and never will be a blend of Judaism and the teachings of Christ.
Christianity is not now and never will be a blend of the Muslim and the Koran, and the teachings of Jesus Christ.
Christianity is not now and never will be a blend of Hinduism and the teachings of Jesus Christ.
In fact, Christianity can only be the "Good News" of Jesus Christ and nothing but salvation by the free gift, of the "GRACE" of God.
Though many Jews even today are impressed with Jesus Christ, they will not give up their religion for Him and therefore they cannot be saved.
This was the first great battle for the existence of the Church!
This is the message of Christianity!
Legalism still exists today along with many of the teachings of a false Gospel, which is not the Gospel.
*****Gal 2:6 But of these who seemed to be somewhat, (whatsoever they were, it maketh no matter to me: God accepteth no man's person:) for they who seemed to be somewhat in conference added nothing to me:
Gal 2:7 But contrariwise, when they saw that the gospel of the uncircumcision was committed unto me, as the gospel of the circumcision was unto Peter;
Gal 2:8 (For he that wrought effectually in Peter to the apostleship of the circumcision, the same was mighty in me toward the Gentiles:)
The Christian Preacher and teacher must defend the "Gospel" before any and all persons or they are not who they say they are.
We as Christians must ask ourselves:
1) Are we seeking the approval of church leaders over the approval of God?
2) Are we seeking the call of the Church or the call of God?
3) Are we seeking favor of the church or answering the call of God?
4) Are we seeking to build a reputation or seeking to serve God who called us?
How many of us add our own ideas, our own rituals, our own rules instead of the Pure Gospel?
God treats all of us alike!
God has no favorites, He loves you as much as He loved the Apostle Paul!
Everyone in Heaven are there because they are saved by the same Gospel that Paul preached!
Every true Preacher, Pastor, Evangelists, or Missionary are called by the same Lord!
*****Gal 2:9 And when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given unto me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship; that we should go unto the heathen, and they unto the circumcision.
Gal 2:10 Only they would that we should remember the poor; the same which I also was forward to do.
If we take notice, we will see that the leaders of the Church in Jerusalem did not agree with those Judaizers nor could they, as the Judaizers had hoped they would.
On the contrary they stood with the Apostle Paul!
They saw firsthand that Paul had indeed been called of Christ Jesus to preach the Gospel.
They saw that Paul had been called to preach the truth just like every other man called of God.
They saw that Paul had been called to preach to the Gentiles.
This means that everyone called of God, are called with a specific purpose in mind.
Every person called of God is called to preach to the poor just they are called to preach to the rich still having the same message.
Paul promised to try to help the Church in Jerusalem because every Christian who felt the same as Paul would be excommunicated.
James the step-brother of the Lord Jesus was the lead Pastor at the Church at Jerusalem.
James and Jude both the step-brothers of our Lord did also write a book of the New Testament being lead by the Spirit of Jesus their step-brother.
Are we going to have faith in God or are we going to trust what man can do for us?
Amen
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