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"To testify the gospel of the grace of God" TrustingTheLordGrace 101 Bible Studies |
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Galatians Chapter Four – Part One
Acts 13:38 Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins:
Acts 13:39 And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.
But at some time after Paul left Galatia, Judaizers, in other words, preachers of the Jewish Kingdom gospel had gone there and were intimidating the believers, Paul says they “bewitched” them. The word carries the idea of being fascinated. So that is the basic reason for the Galatian letter. Paul says:
Galatians 1:6 I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel:
Galatians 1:7 Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.
The Greek word for another in verse six carries the idea of different while the word for another in verse seven carries the idea of “the same.” In other words, Paul says they were removed to a gospel of a different kind and he says there is not another of the same kind. Peter’s gospel is another gospel but it is not the same kind. Peter’s gospel calls people UNTO grace, but not INTO grace.
We also talked about the fact that in the bible there is no such thing, no such term as a “false” gospel. There are false teachers, false prophets, false witnesses and false Christ’s, but nowhere in the bible is there a false gospel. Religion today claims that this other gospel was a false gospel but we have shown that it was not a false gospel but a very real gospel. It was the Jewish Kingdom message preached by Peter and the 12. The doctrine in Peter’s message is very different than the doctrine in Paul’s message. In Galatians Paul writes about the occasion, 14 years after his encounter with Jesus Christ on the road to Damascus. He says that the Lord revealed to him that he should go up to Jerusalem for a specific reason:
Galatians 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 did that, and the reason for it was because men from Jerusalem had come to Antioch and did exactly what had now happened to the believers in Galatia. Here is what they did:
Acts 15:1 And certain men which came down from Judaea taught the brethren, and said, Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved.
Acts 15:2 When therefore Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and disputation with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas, and certain other of them, should go up to Jerusalem unto the apostles and elders about this question.
When Paul went to Jerusalem he took James, Peter and John aside privately and informed them, he said he “communicated unto them,” that gospel that I preach:
Galatians 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;
So when Paul’s gospel was revealed to Paul then Peter’s gospel became a DIFFERENT gospel. Not a false one. There is no such thing in the bible as a false gospel. Peter’s message, the gospel of the Kingdom, which here is called the gospel of the circumcision, is a continuation of the same message preached in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Peter and the 12 are carrying on the same ministry as that of the Lord[jb1] .
Romans 15:8 Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers:
So after the Lord was crucified and raised from the dead he gave instruction to the 12 for the carrying on of that same ministry. It was the message that Christ had been raised from the dead to fulfill all the things that Israel’s prophets had spoken about him, and that Israel should repent, and wait for the Lord to return so that their sins would be blotted out and their Kingdom restored, with Jesus Christ himself ruling and reigning, as the heir to the throne of David, as King of Israel and Lord over all the earth.
Zechariah 14:9 And the LORD shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one LORD, and his name one.
But Paul’s gospel was not about the fulfillment of prophecy given to Israel. Instead he calls it the revelation of a mystery:
Romans 16:25 Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began,
As Paul writes to the Galatians he reminds them of where he got his message:
Galatians 1:11 But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man.
Galatians 1:12 For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.
In the bible, Peter’s ministry is basically from Acts chapter one through Acts chapter twelve. After that you never find Peter preaching again. In fact the bible says in Acts chapter twelve that Peter went to “another place,” and the bible never says where that other place was. So the only thing you know about Peter after that time, is that he came to Antioch once, probably between the time of Acts chapter twelve and Acts chapter fifteen, and Paul rebuked him to his face in front of the whole group because Paul said “he was to be blamed.” Peter had been eating with the Gentiles before those men from Jerusalem had shown up but when they came Peter withdrew himself, and evidently the “bewitching” or the fascination was so strong that Barnabas too, who had been with Paul in Galatia was caught up in it. So Paul told Peter in front of them all:
Galatians 2:15 We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles,
Galatians 2:16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.
So obviously the issue was being circumcised and keeping the law of Moses, and for those Galatians, to go back under the law was to be “fallen from grace.”
Galatians 5:4 Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.
Now Peter’s gospel was one of faith in Christ and works of righteousness in order to not fall, or fall away. That’s what Peter preached and that’s what he believed. And it was a very valid gospel. It was a DIFFERENT gospel because it was a tribulation message. According to prophecy, as in the book of Daniel, there was something to happen in Jerusalem and the result of that would be great tribulation, followed by the second coming of Christ. The Lord had taught them about it:
Matthew 24:13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.
Matthew 24:14 And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.
Matthew 24:15 When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)
And he goes on to tell them about the great tribulation. That was the reason for all of the believers on the Day of Pentecost in the church which was at Jerusalem to sell out all that they owned and lay it at the apostles feet. They were to have all things common and support and help each other so as not to be tempted to take the mark of the beast. But the entire prophetic program hinged on ISRAEL’S repentance. Peter preached, “save yourselves from this untoward generation.” He had said “repent and be baptized every one of you….” But Israel didn’t repent, instead they resisted the Holy Ghost at the preaching of Stephen in Acts chapter seven. Stephen was stoned to death and Israel began to fall, and all the believers were scattered abroad except the Apostles and there was great persecution against the church at Jerusalem.
But on the road to Damascus in Acts chapter nine, Jesus Christ suddenly made a totally unscheduled appearance, an unprophesied appearance, and saved Saul, who was the ringleader of the persecution, and who became Paul the Apostle. He REVEALED to Paul a secret message about a totally different purpose than restoring the earthly Kingdom to Israel. That purpose was for the forming of the church, the body of Christ. So Peter’s Kingdom message was put on hold for the formation of the body of Christ, and that gospel became a DIFFERENT gospel. Not a false one but one that was simply put on hold, and for a reason and season. So instead of the return of the Lord and the establishment of the Kingdom, and the New Covenant of Jeremiah 31 and Hebrews chapter eight being put into effect, the Lord gave Paul a different ministry and message.
So Paul spends a lot of time in the book of Galatians restating his grace message of salvation by faith alone. Abraham was a central name both in the Galatian letter and also in the Roman letter because of the covenants of promise. And Paul had to point out to the Galatians how the promise worked as opposed to what the law, the law of Moses was about. We also pointed out that the Galatians were people who were IN the covenants of promise, and not strangers from them, like the people Paul wrote to in the book of Ephesians, or people like you and I. The Galatians were people who feared the God of Abraham, and they had blessed the seed of Abraham, and Paul found them in the synagogues of the Jews seeking the wisdom of the God of Abraham. So he talks about Abraham a great deal.
Galatians 3:6 Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.
Galatians 3:7 Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham.
Galatians 3:8 And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed.
The uncircumcised Gentile named Abram had “believed in the Lord and it was counted to him for righteousness” in Genesis chapter fifteen. In Genesis chapter seventeen God changed his name to Abraham and made him a father of many nations. The Galatians then would have understood that they were spiritually connected to Abraham. They had faith in the God of Abraham and Paul had told them that they are the children of Abraham. He also talks about the blessing of Abraham. That is a reference to Genesis chapter twelve:
Genesis 12:3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.
So the Galatians, associated with Israel, in the synagogues of the Jews, believing in the God of Abraham were blessed by the God of Abraham by hearing Paul’s gospel:
Galatians 3:14 That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
The promise of the Spirit is the “promise of the Father,” as Jesus Christ had told the Apostles the day he ascended into Heaven:
Acts 1:4 And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me.
So the blessing of Abraham, Paul told them, came on the Gentiles through faith. Now just for one more contrast between the Galatians and the Ephesians. The Ephesians never heard anything at all about the blessing of Abraham. They had never blessed the seed of Abraham, they had never blessed a Jew. Here was their condition:
Ephesians 2:12 That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:
So from the time of the Galatian letter until the time of the Ephesian letter, Paul preached in all those nations in the synagogues of the Jews. He preached the gospel of Christ to the Jew first and also to the Greek. There were two groups of people being called by Paul’s preaching at that time:
1 Corinthians 1:24 But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.
So the Galatians, the Thessalonians, the Corinthians and the Romans were all people, both Jews and Greeks, who were in the covenants of promise. The Ephesians and the Colossians and so forth, people like you and I, were aliens from Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise. So the body of Christ was being formed during the book of Acts by Paul’s preaching. Everyone who ever heard Paul preach and believe Paul’s gospel is a member of the body of Christ. And there is only one body of Christ. So Paul shows the Galatians the difference between the Law, the Law of Moses and the promise. He says:
Galatians 3:16 Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.
Galatians 3:17 And this I say, that the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect.
The promise to Abraham was made 430 years before the Law, and the law was added because of transgressions until the SEED should come to whom the promises were made. And that is Jesus Christ. All salvation is in Christ[jb2] . The Galatians, after hearing Paul preach, believed Paul’s gospel and were saved. But they were being fascinated, being bewitched, possibly even by signs and wonders and miracles being done by those Kingdom preachers, it seems, because of what Paul said:
Galatians 3:5 He therefore that ministereth to you the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you, doeth he it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?
Now this could be a reference to someone who was preaching the Law to the Galatians and who also worked miracles among them, and it could also be a reference to the fact that Paul himself had worked miracles among them. And we know he did because he had healed a man at Lystra who was crippled from his mother’s womb. But whichever the case, they were being drawn away from the simplicity of Christ to ANOTHER gospel and were being persuaded to put themselves back under the Law. It was a message of faith plus works and it would be naturally very appealing. Men have a natural tendency to DO something in order that they can earn something. Now it was a valid message BACK THEN. It is not a valid message today. That’s why so many people have a problem with what James says in the book of James:
James 2:24 Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.
Now to James, in a tribulation setting, works of faith would be vital. Even staying alive would depend on it, because they would be in a position where they couldn’t even buy and sell, without taking the mark of the beast. If they take the mark of the beast they are doomed, and if they don’t their wives and families would starve to death. So they will most certainly be praying, “give us this day our daily bread…lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.” THE evil of the Antichrist. But Paul’s message stands in direct contradiction to what James said:
Romans 3:28 Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.
And unless you are willing to follow God’s instructions, not denominational literature and denominational teaching, and “rightly divide the word of truth,” as in 2 Timothy 2:15, the difference between what James wrote to the twelve tribes scattered abroad and what Paul wrote to the body of Christ will continue to be a problem to you. That would be especially true if you had been taught, or thought that you were a “spiritual Jew” or “spiritual Israel.” So the natural question that would have been in the mind of those Galatians is: If we are justified by faith alone without the works of the law then “wherefore serveth the law?” Good question! And a very valid one…and Paul answers it:
Galatians 3:24 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.
Galatians 3:25 But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.
Galatians 3:26 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.
Galatians 3:27 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
Now verse 27 is about the entire justification process or how it was that God was able to forgive us all our trespasses and blot out the handwriting of ordinances that were against us and to make Christ to be sin for us so that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. The key is to be baptized INTO Christ. Not to be baptized in water in the name of Jesus Christ, but baptized INTO Christ. Which is a spirit baptism by the Holy Spirit where we are all baptized into one body, and there is no difference:
Galatians 3:28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.
Now to make sure that the Galatians fully understand it, Paul goes back and talks more about the work of the law, the schoolmaster:
Galatians 4:1 Now I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all;
Galatians 4:2 But is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father.
Galatians 4:3 Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world:
Paul refers to the bondage that is in the Law and the elements of the world, such as rules about meat and drink and feast days and holy days, Sabbath days and so forth.
Galatians 4:4 But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,
Galatians 4:5 To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.
The adoption that Paul is speaking about here is not in the same sense as we think of adopting a child today. When we think of adoption, we think of adopting the child of a stranger and then raising it as our own child. But that’s not what Paul has in mind. The adoption here speaks of a full grown son ship. It literally means placing, as the heir. Now the heir of all things is Jesus Christ. He is the promised seed. He is the heir. So where is your inheritance? In Christ. As many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
Galatians 4:6 And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.
Galatians 4:7 Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.
So Paul has spelled it out for them. This is who they are and what they are in Christ. But in Christ is a spiritual, not a physical realm. Their body, their physical human body, is not in Christ. But THEY are in the body of Christ. Now Paul goes back and addresses the legalism again:
Galatians 4:8 Howbeit then, when ye knew not God, ye did service unto them which by nature are no gods.
Now when Paul says “them which by nature are no gods” some say that what Paul is referring to is Gentile idol worshippers. God is a spirit, and they that worship him must worship him IN spirit and in truth. So Paul is making a reference to the bondage of the law. There is no indication at all in the bible that these Galatian Gentiles were idol worshippers. The only idol worshipper Paul had an encounter with at this time was the Priest of Jupiter in Acts 14. They were the ones who had seen Paul heal the impotent man at Lystra and wanted to do sacrifice to Paul and Barnabas. Paul stopped them and said that they should turn to the living God who made heaven and earth and all things. But as far as the record in the bible, Paul didn’t preach a salvation message to them at all. Before he could, if in fact he would have, the Jews show up and stone Paul and drag him out of the city for dead.
The Galatians were in the synagogues of the Jews. They were fearing the God of Abraham, seeking the wisdom of the God of Abraham, and were being taught the law and the prophets. Here is basically the pattern of Paul’s preaching, not only in Galatia but for most of the time of the book of Acts. He would go first into the synagogue of the Jews, as in this example:
Acts 13:14 But when they departed from Perga, they came to Antioch in Pisidia, and went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and sat down.
Acts 13:15 And after the reading of the law and the prophets the rulers of the synagogue sent unto them, saying, Ye men and brethren, if ye have any word of exhortation for the people, say on.
In Acts thirteen Luke has recorded Paul’s entire speech in the synagogue and he preached a message of justification by faith alone. When the Jews were gone out of the synagogue they wanted to hear more:
Acts 13:42 And when the Jews were gone out of the synagogue, the Gentiles besought that these words might be preached to them the next sabbath.
Acts 13:43 Now when the congregation was broken up, many of the Jews and religious proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas: who, speaking to them, persuaded them to continue in the grace of God.
And the bible says that the next Sabbath day almost the whole city came together, obviously to the synagogue of the Jews, to hear Paul preach. In the next town they go to, they go directly to the synagogue:
Acts 14:1 And it came to pass in Iconium, that they went both together into the synagogue of the Jews, and so spake, that a great multitude both of the Jews and also of the Greeks believed.
So I don’t see where the Galatians were idol worshippers and they certainly were not the aliens like the Ephesians. These people knew the law, they had been taught the law. Paul preached grace to them, they were saved, and now they were wanting to go back to the law:
Galatians 4:9 But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage?
Galatians 4:10 Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years.
Galatians 4:11 I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain.
Galatians 4:12 Brethren, I beseech you, be as I am; for I am as ye are: ye have not injured me at all.
So Paul is not injured. He said I am as you are. Paul is saved and sealed and so are these Galatians. They haven’t lost their salvation. So he says “be as I am.” In other words, realize your position in Christ, your liberty in Christ and don’t be entangled again with the yoke of bondage, the yoke of the law.
Now he talks about his infirmity:
Galatians 4:13 Ye know how through infirmity of the flesh I preached the gospel unto you at the first.
Galatians 4:14 And my temptation which was in my flesh ye despised not, nor rejected; but received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus.
Galatians 4:15 Where is then the blessedness ye spake of? for I bear you record, that, if it had been possible, ye would have plucked out your own eyes, and have given them to me.
Galatians 4:16 Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth?
Now Paul’s infirmity seems to be an eye problem. This could also be the same “messenger of Satan” Paul mentions:
2 Corinthians 12:7 And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.
In 2 Corinthians Paul is talking about a time, he says above 14 years ago, when he was caught up to the third heaven.
2 Corinthians 12:2 I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) such an one caught up to the third heaven.
That seems to put the time he is talking about right here:
Acts 14:19 And there came thither certain Jews from Antioch and Iconium, who persuaded the people, and having stoned Paul, drew him out of the city, supposing he had been dead.
This looks like the time Paul is talking about in 2 Corinthians. If it is then we know that Paul was caught up to heaven, whether in the body or out of the body he didn’t know. I believe that he saw the rapture of the church right here. I believe he saw the whole truth of the rapture when he was caught up here. Now he gets up and goes right back to every town he had been to before:
Acts 14:20 Howbeit, as the disciples stood round about him, he rose up, and came into the city: and the next day he departed with Barnabas to Derbe.
That word there, “he rose up” is VERY akin to the word for resurrection. And I believe that it is so close that it would blow your mind!
Acts 14:21 And when they had preached the gospel to that city, and had taught many, they returned again to Lystra, and to Iconium, and Antioch,
Acts 14:22 Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.
Paul suffered much tribulation, and evidently these Galations did too. Especially since they were being troubled by the Jewish legalists. Look at chapter six:
Galatians 6:12 As many as desire to make a fair shew in the flesh, they constrain you to be circumcised; only lest they should suffer persecution for the cross of Christ.
So to glory in the cross, like Paul did, causes persecution. Paul wrote to Timothy that “all who will live Godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.” But Paul has seen the rapture of the church. He gives all the details about the rapture in the first letter to the Thessalonians, which is the place he goes to next. But notice that after he was stoned he went right back to all the places he had been to before “confirming the disciples.” I believe he then taught them about the rapture, because it is certainly here:
Galatians 1:4 Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father:
Paul says, “Am I now become your enemy because I tell you the truth?” And you do become the enemy of people in religion when you try to show them the truth of the grace message and the truth of right division and salvation by grace alone through faith alone. They don’t want to hear you, they want you to hear them and to join them:
Galatians 4:17 They zealously affect you, but not well; yea, they would exclude you, that ye might affect them.
Zealously affect is to have a warm feeling, to desire something or to covet something. There’s nothing wrong with warm feelings. Paul says that’s good when it’s about a good thing.
Galatians 4:18 But it is good to be zealously affected always in a good thing, and not only when I am present with you.
But our salvation is not based on feelings. There is not a verse in the bible that says “feel on the Lord Jesus Christ.” It says “believe on” not “feel on.” We don’t go by feelings we go by facts. And the facts, the testimony of God about His son, Jesus Christ is that he died for our sins and that he was raised again for our justification and we have been forgiven all trespasses. That little word all means all then, all now, and all later on. We are complete in Christ. By grace are ye saved through faith. Now watch this next statement:
Galatians 4:19 My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you,
Paul calls the Galatians “my little children.” He referred to the Corinthians as babes:
1 Corinthians 3:1 And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.
1 Corinthians 3:2 I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.
The Galatians and the Corinthians and the Texans and the Floridians and the Americans and the others for the most part are babes in Christ. Why? Because we don’t know the doctrine. We spend our time listening to motivational speakers and health, wealth and prosperity messages and good singers, and go to “eatin’ meetin’s” and so on, and so little time really, really sitting with an open bible and studying the word of God. It that condition we are too easily tossed about with the wind of doctrine. A new doctrine or a new teaching, or a new teacher comes along, and it sounds good or it looks good and we add it to the list that makes up “what I believe because it sounds right to me.” We like to say we take the meat and leave the bones…when actually we are being served prime, boneless fillet mignon. God has given us everything we need and all we need to know in order to please him. God would have all men to be saved and come unto the knowledge of the truth. The truth of God is in the written word. But like the old saying goes, you can lead a horse to water but you can’t make him drink.
Peter’s ministry in the book of Acts in from Acts chapter one through Acts chapter twelve basically. Some time after Acts chapter twelve, and I believe, before the time of the meeting in Acts chapter fifteen. Peter goes to Antioch. It seems to me that Peter, after the meeting in Acts 15 would have a clear understanding of the difference between his ministry and Paul’s ministry. But Paul had withstood him to his face, because he was to be blamed. Peter had come very close to preaching ANOTHER gospel. He had come close to the same thing that was occurring with the Galatians. And he had done it because of the “bewitching” or the fascination of the Judaizers:
Acts 15:1 And certain men which came down from Judaea taught the brethren, and said, Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved.
Peter had been eating with the Gentiles, but when these men came he withdrew himself. He caused Barnabas to be carried away with the dissimulation, the disassembling, and Paul said he was not walking uprightly according to the truth. He had told Peter, “Peter we are both Jews and we both believe in Jesus Christ.”
Galatians 2:15 We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles,
Galatians 2:16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.
So Peter knew that he was not justified by the works of the law. He knew that his justification depended on the faith of Christ. That was his message, that Christ would come again and that Israel’s sins would be blotted out at the second coming. So there was a big dispute about circumcision and keeping the law. At that time the Lord revealed to Paul that he should go up to Jerusalem and declare to them all “that gospel that I preach.” I am sure that when Paul got James, Cephas, (that’s Peter) and John in private that he had told them all these things that are written here in the book of Galatians.
And no doubt, Paul would have taken them to Genesis chapter fifteen and have shown them the justification of Abram the Gentile, before he was circumcised. He would have taken them to Genesis chapter seventeen and verse five and shown them that God calls things that are not as though they were. He would have shown them that God made Abraham the father of many nations, and changed his name to prove it.
He would have told them that there are people out there, in all those nations who fear the God of Abraham and God will save them just like he will save you. And they don’t even have to be circumcised or keep the law of Moses. He would have said, now Peter, I know you have preached to Israel to repent. To repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ to receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, the promise of the Father. But you can see from what I am telling you here that the very thing that God said to Abraham, our father, is available to those Gentiles:
Galatians 3:8 And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed.
Galatians 3:9 So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham.
Paul would have said, Peter those Gentiles who have faith in the God of Abraham are in line to receive the blessing:
Galatians 3:14 That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
So those men in that private room in Jerusalem would have to acknowledge that the Lord had given Paul a totally different message than their gospel of the kingdom. The would have to acknowledge that their ministry pertained to Israel as a royal priesthood and holy nation and that they would receive the kingdom at the coming of the King. It is clear that there are two different messages here:
Galatians 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;
Galatians 2:8 (For he that wrought effectually in Peter to the apostleship of the circumcision, the same was mighty in me toward the Gentiles:)
In other words, Peter is carrying on the same ministry as that of Jesus Christ in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John:
Romans 15:8 Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers:
But the Lord has given Paul a different ministry:
Romans 15:16 That I should be the minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, ministering the gospel of God, that the offering up of the Gentiles might be acceptable, being sanctified by the Holy Ghost.
So Paul would tell Peter, here’s the way it is. I know that the kingdom is going to be restored, I know that Israel will have the land promised to Abraham and I know that they will have the Kingdom and the priesthood, but because of their blindness they have fallen:
Romans 11:11 I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy.
They saw, then, the truth that the Lord had committed to Paul:
Galatians 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.
So while they agreed to confine their ministry to the circumcision, preaching the gospel of the circumcision, they had to agree with what Paul communicated to them, what Paul had said, although Peter said that it was hard to understand:
2 Peter 3:16 As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.
If we really desire to be approved unto God, then God has given us every thing that is needed, nothing left out, to do that. Let me suggest this to you. If you really want to know God, read his book. Study his book. God reveals Himself to you as you study and simply believe the words of the Spirit written down and preserved from this generation forever.
Next time we will continue in Galatians with the allegory and the two covenants. Meanwhile why not take the time to get into the word yourself. Read it. Study it.
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