August 6, 2023 KCCBR Combined Worship

Galatians 2:1-5

For the Sake of the Truth of the Gospel

Brother James Szolis

 

Today, we are coming to our 5th sermon in the book of Galatians. The last two sermons were on the origin of the Pauline Gospel. I encourage all of our English members to take time to read the translations of Pastor Choi’s sermons on the church website. As we get into chapter 2, Paul continues the defense of his apostolic authority, but he also begins showing that the gospel he is preaching is the same as the apostles.

 

Introduction: “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9).

Brothers and sisters, anytime someone alters this truth and adds requirements to this salvation of grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, stay far away from that teaching.

 

I gave the title to this sermon based on verse 5 of today’s text: “For the Sake of the Truth of the Gospel”. I know that’s a long title but it is the reason why Paul wrote the epistle to the Galatians. We will get to that in a moment. I heard a story about the FBI and how they are trained on spotting counterfeit money. I’m not sure how accurate it is, but it makes sense and it will help us in grasping the focal point of our message. The story goes that the FBI trains its people with counterfeit money by letting the agents count hundreds of genuine bills. They do this over and over again and eventually a counterfeit one is slipped in. It is said that they become so familiar with the genuine bills that the counterfeit is easily identified.

 

Brothers and sisters, we all have to know the genuine gospel so when the counterfeit tries to slip in among God’s church that we too can easily identify it. That means we need to devote meaningful time in our life to God’s Word. We are not only called to be united in proclaiming truth, but united in defending attacks on the true Gospel. To defend truth, we have to know truth. We have to hunger for it and seek it. We have to know what truth is according to God and not our own interpretation. Jesus told us that He is the Way, the Truth and the Life. When it is God's grace that saves us, He leads us in truth and trains us to spot counterfeits. The Judaizers claimed to be Christians, but they rejected His Way. They were counterfeits, and Paul was shocked that the churches in Galatia were receiving them. We begin Chapter 2 today and we will be looking at verses 1-5.

 

1) After 14 years (1). Then after fourteen years, I went up again to Jerusalem, this time with Barnabas. I took Titus along also.

The text we read today will be in conjunction with Acts 15:1-6. Scholars have different opinions on whether this 14 years is after the first visit to Jerusalem or 14 years after his conversion. I think Pastor Choi’s teaching on this is best to follow which would be 14 years after his conversion (49A.D). Now, what we are looking at today, is Paul’s 3rd visit to Jerusalem as in Acts. When we look at “again” as Paul said he went up again to Jerusalem, linguistically, it can mean two or more than two.

 

So, when was the second visit? Acts 11:29-30 records it: 29 The disciples, as each one was able, decided to provide help for the brothers and sisters living in Judea. 30 This they did, sending their gift to the elders by Barnabas and Saul.

This is after the prophet Agabus foretold of a coming severe famine. Also Acts 12:25 specifically mentions their visit at that time: 25 When Barnabas and Saul had finished their mission, they returned from Jerusalem, taking with them John, also called Mark. This would have been before his first missionary journey and before he planted churches in the cities of Galatia.

 

So, he arrived on his 3rd visit on or around 49 A.D. He visited Jerusalem a total of 5 times in the book of Acts. Our text says Barnabus and Titus went with him. I think it is a good time to go to Acts 15 to see not only who went, but why they went. Acts 15:1-2 Certain people came down from Judea to Antioch and were teaching the believers: “Unless you are circumcised, according to the custom taught by Moses, you cannot be saved.” 2 This brought Paul and Barnabas into sharp dispute and debate with them. So Paul and Barnabas were appointed, along with some other believers, to go up to Jerusalem to see the apostles and elders about this question.

 

Acts 15 here, is telling us the reason why they went. Paul had been preaching the Gospel, establishing churches in Galatia with that Gospel, and doing it for many years. Then these Judaizers came and stirred up trouble with their false gospel of works. So, the church appointed Paul, Barnabus, and other believers to go to Jerusalem because of this. As we see in Galatians 2:1, Titus was one of the other believers spoken of in Acts 15:2 that went with Paul.

 

2) I went in response to a revelation (2). I went in response to a revelation and, meeting privately with those esteemed as leaders, I presented to them the gospel that I preach among the Gentiles. I wanted to be sure I was not running and had not been running my race in vain.

Paul went to Jerusalem in response to a revelation. I think this revelation had to do with when the Judaizers came to Antioch stirring up trouble with their gospel of works as I just mentioned. After the church appointed Paul and others to go to Jerusalem, we can pick up from Acts 15 what happened during this time. Look at Acts 15:3-4 3 The church sent them on their way, and as they traveled through Phoenicia and Samaria, they told how the Gentiles had been converted. This news made all the believers very glad. 4 When they came to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and the apostles and elders, to whom they reported everything God had done through them.

As Paul traveled on his 3rd visit to Jerusalem, Gentiles were being converted with the same gospel Paul had been preaching since Christ revealed the true gospel to him at his conversion. Acts 15:3-4 shows how Paul met with the church, the apostles and elders. It agrees with Galatians 2 that God was converting Gentiles through the gospel he preached. That gospel was saving souls and it required no works like the Judaizers taught. When Paul said that he “wanted to be sure I was not running and had not been running my race in vain,” what do you think he meant? I think Paul was confident that he was preaching the true gospel. Paul shared with the apostles the gospel he was preaching.

 

Remember Paul had spent very little time at all with the apostles in the past 14 years. He didn’t learn the gospel from them. Acts 15:1 says that men came to Antioch from Judea preaching a gospel of works. Which gospel is right? What did the apostles and elders think? Was Paul running his race in vain? Paul wanted to insure his gospel harmonized with the church and the apostles and elders. He wanted to make sure the Judaizers were not infecting the church. Let’s go to Galatians 2:3-4.

 

3) Not even Titus was compelled to be circumcised (3-4). 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 believers had infiltrated our ranks to spy on the freedom we have in Christ Jesus and to make us slaves.

Let us look at Acts 15:5-6 5 Then some of the believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees stood up and said, “The Gentiles must be circumcised and required to keep the law of Moses.” 6 The apostles and elders met to consider this question.

 

Let us remind ourselves that this visit to Jerusalem is about 19 years after the establishment of the church. The revelation that God gave to Paul to go to Jerusalem becomes clear now. He was sent there to show the Church would proclaim what is the true gospel. Paul brought circumcised Barnabas with him and uncircumsized Titus, both were believers. In this time, the Judaizers stood up and said that Gentiles had to be circumcised and keep the law of Moses. The Judaizers remind me of the serpent in the garden telling lies and Satan trying to twist the truth when he tempted Jesus in the wilderness. There are those who submit to what God says and those who are working for Satan. The Judaizers were Satan’s workers. They sow tares in the wheat.

 

Conclusion: So that the truth of the gospel might be preserved (5). We did not give in to them for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel might be preserved for you.

 

Paul wouldn’t give the Judiazer’s an inch of his freedom. The church gathered for the Jerusalem council. When it was all finished, the best summary of their decision can be seen spoken by James in Acts 15:18-19 19 “It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God. 20 Instead we should write to them, telling them to abstain from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled animals and from blood. The church decided to reject the Judaizers and to declare that salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. The things they were asked to abstain from was more as to not offend Jewish believers. Paul would actually have Timothy circumcised after this council in Acts 16. He didn’t do it for salvation issues, but so that it would open doors for him and Timothy to the Jewish people. The Jerusalem Council decision was a crucial one for the survival of the church.

 

I am sure Pastor Choi will be bringing up more of Acts 15 next week. But, the decision by the church was one which submitted to the truth of God’s Word. When the church follows this pattern, it will be blessed to endure to the end. When it bows to those like the Judaizers, who corrupt the true gospel, it will be accursed. Paul didn’t give an inch to false teachers and his reason was so that the truth of the gospel might be preserved for you. That’s why Paul wrote this book we are reading. Brothers and sisters, just like Paul, don’t give an inch either to anyone who claims to be a Christian but follows another gospel. Do it for the sake of the truth of the blessed gospel.