01.24.2010 Galatians 2 and Mortgage Burning

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Galatians
Heavnely Father, thank You that You are with us and love us. We are a grateful people. We don’t want to forget your great blessings. You always come through – you bless, love and enjoy us. We are your children – our sins are forgiven. Help us to put everything else aside and allow You to speak through Your word – may we have ears to hear what Your spirit woud say – may we be open to receive Your grace and mercy – in Jesus’ Name – amen.

There are several churches – the Chapel has organized this – when I first heard this – preaching the same series as the other churches – we got together and talked about the different sections and you got everyone else’s notes – and didn’t have to work as hard. But then I heard we are doing Galatians. Galatians. It is like a lot of theology and deep stuff. Scot McKnight – one of my favorite authors – came in and spoke to us – there is some important theology – but it is really a story – the story of a crisis that threatened to destroy the church at the beginning of this movement we call Chrisitanity. Were it not for one man, it may have worked. Paul stepped up – and we have his story of how he did that. God will always preserve His work.

Today – we’ll look at that crisis –
Gal. 1: 11 I want you to know, brothers, that the gospel I preached is not something that man made up. 12 I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ.

Last week, Paul defended his apostleship
This week, we are looking at how he is defending his message
13 For you have heard of my previous way of life in Judaism, how intensely I persecuted the church of God and tried to destroy it.
He begins telling his story – Paul’s story is critical to understanding and resolving the crisis. His former life in Judaism--- there were Jewish Christians who were coming in and saying that Jesus was good and important – but not enough. They were saying that the new believers needed to become Jewish – to become circumcised and to follow the Jewish law. Paul was like that – persecuting the church and trying to destroy it. He was going house to house hunting down believers that he might imprison and kill some.
13 For you have heard of my previous way of life in Judaism, how intensely I persecuted the church of God and tried to destroy it. 14 I was advancing in Judaism beyond many Jews of my own age and was extremely zealous for the traditions of my fathers.
Just like the Judaizers trying to destroy things – in Philippians he calls himself a Pharisee of Pharisees.
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Galatians 1: 18 Then after three years, I went up to Jerusalem to get acquainted with Peter and stayed with him fifteen days. 19 I saw none of the other apostles--only James, the Lord's brother. 20 I assure you before God that what I am writing you is no lie. 21 Later I went to Syria and Cilicia. 22 I was personally unknown to the churches of Judea that are in Christ. 23 They only heard the report: "The man who formerly persecuted us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy." 24 And they praised God because of me.

So Paul is out preaching the gospel – somewhat on his own – God had spoken to him – He is reaching the Gentiles with the gospel. He is having tremendous success and some questions started coming up –
2:1 Fourteen years later I went up again to Jerusalem, this time with Barnabas. I took Titus along also. 2 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.
So Paul wants to make sure – am I doing the right thing? He has a long time of preaching the message to the Gentiles and the questions come up – is he doing it right? But while he is there, something significant happens…
3 Yet not even Titus, who was with me, was compelled to be circumcised, even though he was a Greek. 4 [This matter arose] because some false brothers had infiltrated our ranks to spy on the freedom we have in Christ Jesus and to make us slaves. 5 We did not give in to them for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel might remain with you.
Paul is in this meeting with the apostles – and what is interesting – There is stuff not said… - v. 2 – Privately – before those who seemed influential – that is loaded.

6 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. 7 On the contrary, they saw that I had been entrusted with the task of preaching the gospel to the Gentiles, just as Peter had been to the Jews. 8 For God, who was at work in the ministry of Peter as an apostle to the Jews, was also at work in my ministry as an apostle to the Gentiles. 9 James, Peter and John, those reputed to be pillars, gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship when they recognized the grace given to me. They agreed that we should go to the Gentiles, and they to the Jews. 10 All they asked was that we should continue to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do.

People came in – and basically started – well, the Bible doesn’t say exactly – if some of the apostles were tied in with that – there is a good chance they were - but they were saying Jesus is not enough – you need to be circumcised. But Paul stands firm and does not allow them to impose the Jewish culture on Gentile believers. He stops it. You should you should you should --- and that happens in life a lot. There are Christians who have hobby horses and say you should you should you should – that people should conform and be like us. Paul understands the devastation it will cause…

5 We did not give in to them for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel might remain with you.

If he gave in a little – to these who wanted to impose the Jewish law on the Gentile believers, the gospel would have been lost. I wanted to look at two practical things before closing – two statements – Paul was a Pharisee – zealous for the law…
“They were willing to obey MORE than what the Bible says in order to PROTECT what the Bible says” – Paul is saying, “That thinking will destroy the gospel.”

A lot of Jews would not SAY the name of God. They were afraid they would take it in vain. They would take the Sabbath – and so concerned were they about going against that – that they would add to it. If a Sabbath’s journey is a mile – then you can walk ½ mile. If you walk an entire mile – you might go over it! I think we do this in a lot of ways. We set up rules for one another – so that we don’t step beyond the rules God has set up for us.

A great example is alcohol. I understand there is a problem with alcohol today, so I am all for an individual choosing to not drink ANY alcohol. The issue comes in when you try to impose this on other people.
It is okay for me to hold myself to certain disciplines – to protect myself – but it is not okay for me to impose that on you – if it goes beyond what the Bible teaches. When Paul talks about the Law – we look to sin – morality – areas of righteousness – but that is not what is being discussed here. The issue – you don’t live righteously by focusing on the laws – you live righteously by focusing on the Spirit of God. Focusing on the laws does not work. The second statement – is by Scot McKnight – on legalism from the NIV Application Commentary. Usually – there are good motives – like with alcohol – if that is a concern – it is a good thing to draw the line.
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Third, a Galatian legalism usually develops barriers between people groups, races, denominations, and opinions. These barriers are not simply “Christian options” but true barriers to mutual fellowship. They are human constructions that particularize what one group believes is God’s ordained will for human beings. They become social rules regulating behavior for all in the group. At Galatia, the Judaizers believed (I’m sure with full integrity) that God wanted these new converts to socialize into Judaism. But Paul saw these social rules as barriers to fellowship and as human constructions contrary to God’s will. We must remember that the social rules we create are not simply options. We give off a message by our social conventions, namely, that this is God’s will for all. What happens in this manifestation of legalism is that the essential message becomes “join our group” and not “live in Christ.”
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That really sums up this passage.
When we look at Galatians and this concept of grace – we are looking at two things:
1) How to get right with God – by grace. There is nothing we can do to get right with God. We can’t be good enough or go to church enough or whatever – as evangelicals, we understand that.
2) in order to STAY right with God – is the same way you get right with God – by grace. As you can’t do anything to get right with God, you can’t do it by the Law – but by the spirit. That is what we will look at. Walk in a way that is pleasing to God.
“If you give people that kind of freedom, what will happen to the church?!” We need to trust the Spirit of God to change people – like Paul was changed. It is the same with us – Christ has to do it – and we have to learn to walk in that freedom and spirit.

Lord, thank You and help us – help us to understand the freedom in the Spirit you have given us. We are unworthy – help us to live by grace – help us to live as humble people who only stand because Christ was nailed to the cross for us. Our worthiness is wrapped up in the cross – thank You for that.