Transcript

“Staking a claim” in the Old West was serious business. Doing so gave a person the rights over a mine or a piece of land. If a prospector found gold or silver on his claim, others would rush to stake claims nearby in hopes of striking it rich.

It was not uncommon for fights to break out over who had staked a claim first or over where one claim stopped and another started. Men were known to lie, cheat, gamble, steal and even kill to get and keep their claims.

“Staking a claim” is exactly what Paul is doing in Galatians 1 and 2: a claim to apostleship and apostolic authority, as well as that his message was unique and given to him by special revelation from the Lord.

Paul staked his claim not to elevate himself, but for the sake of the gospel. Paul had God-given authority and a God-given message. Thus, the Galatians were shown, as well as us the Church today, that we must not take his words lightly!

This was the case when Paul met Peter, John, and James the Lord’s brother as well. Paul staked a claim as to his apostleship to the Gentiles and his gospel of the grace of God. And they came to understand that Paul had a special calling as the apostle of the Gentiles, and in recognition of that fact, they gave to him the right hands of fellowship.

Galatians 2:1-2: “Then fourteen years after I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, and took Titus with me also.

“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.”

At the dawning of the age of grace, an important meeting took place in Jerusalem which is detailed here in Galatians 2.

Paul wrote, “Then fourteen years after I went up again to Jerusalem.” I believe Paul was basing these 14 years from a single point. The 14 years was the amount of time since his conversion on the Damascus Road.

The overall point of Paul’s timeline of events in Galatians 1:13-24 was to show the separation he had from the Twelve since his conversion.

For 14 years, Paul had little to no contact with the Twelve in Jerusalem, which Paul wrote to prove that they did not teach him his gospel, and he did not receive it from them, but that instead he received it “by the revelation of Jesus Christ” (Gal. 1:12).

Fourteen years after his conversion, Paul went again to Jerusalem, and brought two key men with him: Barnabas and Titus. Barnabas was a Jew; Titus was a Gentile, who had been converted through Paul’s ministry among the Gentiles (Titus 1:4).

Barnabas had been Paul’s preaching companion to the Gentiles. Barnabas was an eye-witness of the fact that the Holy Ghost had come upon the Gentiles in response to the simple preaching of faith alone in Jesus Christ.

Titus was a Gentile convert of the Apostle Paul, and he had never been circumcised as the law of Moses required. But he was saved, saved by the grace of God.

Titus was an important object lesson and test case of the grace of God, to show the saints in Jerusalem that God was now saving Gentiles apart from the law and apart from Jewish circumcision.

Like Paul received his gospel “by revelation of Jesus Christ,” Paul went up to Jerusalem “by revelation,” that is, the Lord directed Paul and sent him to go there by special, direct revelation. And Paul obeyed the Lord’s revelation.

The purpose that the Lord sent Paul to Jerusalem was so that the apostles would recognize Paul’s special calling and message to the Gentiles for this age of grace.

Paul went up to communicate to those in Jerusalem “that gospel which I preach among the Gentiles.”

Those in Jerusalem knew Paul was preaching, and preaching to the Gentiles, what they did not know was WHAT he was preaching among the Gentiles. Thus, the Lord by revelation sent Paul to Jerusalem for him to inform them.

And Paul did not go to Jerusalem to demonstrate that the Gospel he was preaching to the Gentiles was the same Gospel the Apostles were preaching to the Jews.

He went to tell them about “that gospel,” the new, unique gospel of the grace of God that Christ had revealed to him by revelation that he was now preaching to the Gentiles, and by which they were saved.

Paul did not go to Jerusalem seeking some kind of authorization or approval for his ministry from the apostles and leaders of the church in Jerusalem; he went to declare what God was doing through his ministry among the Gentiles, and to defend his apostleship and message of liberty from the law, and justification by faith alone.

His gospel, which came to him by special revelation by Christ, was the truth and approved by Christ. Thus, he did not need to get it approved by the apostles.

Arriving in Jerusalem, Paul began with a private meeting with “them which were of reputation.” In verse 9, we learn that these men were James, Cephas, and John.

James was the half-brother of the Lord. Cephas was, of course, Peter. And John, who along with Peter, were two of the original Twelve apostles.

Paul called these three, men “of reputation,” as he recognized their positions of leadership in the ministry and that they were deserving of respect.

Paul met with these men in private, he says, “lest by any means I should run, or had run, in vain,” because a public meeting could have resulted in more harm than good, and resulted in his visit being in vain or fruitless.

So Paul felt a private meeting was important in order for the meeting to bear fruit and for recognition of his God-given ministry among the Gentiles.

This part of the verse shows how human Paul was. He was concerned with the fact that this visit might have amounted to nothing, even though he was sent there by revelation.

But the end result was that this meeting was anything but fruitless, and Paul did not run and strive in vain in his attempt to get the Jewish leaders to recognize his apostleship and message among the Gentiles.

Galatians 2:3-5: “But neither Titus, who was with me, being a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised:

“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:

“To whom we gave place by subjection, no, not for an hour; that the truth of the gospel might continue with you.”

Paul wanted the leaders in Jerusalem to see for themselves an uncircumcised Gentile who had been genuinely saved and regenerated, entirely apart from circumcision or the law of Moses. He was determined to have them acknowledge Titus as a child of God.

The belief that circumcision was necessary to be saved comes from the Bible.

Circumcision was a rite instituted by God as part of the covenant God made with Abraham. It began with Abraham and was later part of the law of Moses. Circumcision was required in order to be a part of God’s covenant and His people.

If any man was not circumcised he was to be cut off from the nation Israel. It was a rite that made Jews set apart from the Gentiles, and set apart to God as His chosen people.

The point of contention at this meeting was whether believing Gentiles under Paul’s ministry should be circumcised.

But Paul’s gospel for the age of grace is a message of justification by faith ALONE apart from the works of the law, and that we have liberty from the law in Christ Jesus.

Paul’s gospel declares that we are free from the works of the law as a means of salvation, free from its external, ceremonial, legalistic regulations as a way of living, and free from its curse and condemnation as a result of all of us transgressing and disobeying it.

Christ takes the curse of the law away from us when we trust Him alone for our salvation. As Paul wrote in Galatians 3:13: “Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us.”

Because of the liberty that we have in Christ under grace, Paul therefore took a strong stand against circumcision in any way being necessary as a condition for salvation and that it should not be required for those Gentiles who have believed under his gospel.

What was happening in Paul’s day, and at the dawn of the age of grace, was that Jews were trying to impose requirements for salvation from a previous dispensation, the dispensation of the law, upon the Gentiles under grace. This still happens!

And it seems to me like this actually happened during Paul’s meeting in Jerusalem. “False brethren,” in an underhanded manner, secretly snuck by stealth into the meeting between Paul, Titus, and Barnabas and James, Peter, and John.

And their purpose was to pull Titus, Paul, and Barnabas back under the bondage of the law of Moses, requiring Titus to be circumcised.

“Unawares brought in” means they were men who secretly and stealthily connived to get into the meeting. “Privily” means they slipped in, or came in from the side, or snuck their way inside. And “spy out” means to view closely and inspect in order to obtain information.

The way Paul describes their entrance in verse 4 reveals how much disdain he had for their unwelcome presence.

During one of the Billy Graham crusades in Los Angeles many years ago, a number of Jehovah’s Witnesses made false counselor badges and snuck in to talk with people who were coming forward to receive Christ. That is a picture of what took place here with Paul and Titus in Jerusalem, as these false brethren were spying out their liberty.

These brethren snuck in to the meeting to hear and then attack the liberty that characterized Paul’s apostleship, message of grace, and his converts and to put them in bondage to the law. They wanted to rob them of their freedom from the law.

And they compelled Titus to be circumcised. The word “compelled” means to necessitate, to constrain, whether by force, threats, or persuasion. It’s a strong word, which reveals how these Jews intimidated Titus as they attempted to force him be circumcised.

But Titus and Paul were tough and took a bold stand for the truth of the gospel. These false brethren tried to cause Titus to question his salvation.

But Paul says that Titus refused to be compelled to be circumcised. The false brethren were unsuccessful as Paul and Titus didn’t back down.

Paul says “to whom we gave place by subjection, no, not for an hour.” “Not for an hour” is an idiom similar to our modern expression “Not for a second.”

Because Christ has done everything necessary to save us from all our sins, Paul and Titus refused to back down to add anything to the complete salvation we have in Him.

And Paul’s motivation was not just to prove he was right and they were wrong, but that “the truth of the gospel might continue with you.” He took a firm stand so the truth of the gospel of grace might continue, so that the gospel’s integrity might remain, so that the Galatians and others might hear and know the pure gospel of grace.

Paul had received this gospel by revelation from Christ. It is authoritative and true. It is wrong to add any works to it, any part of the law to it. We are saved by grace through faith ALONE in Christ, just trusting that Christ died for our sins and rose again.

And we too, like Paul and Titus should not give an inch when anyone tries to add anything to the glorious gospel of God’s grace.

Galatians 2:6-7: “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:

“But contrariwise, when they saw that the gospel of the uncircumcision was committed unto me, as the gospel of the circumcision was unto Peter.”

Every 4 or 8 years, the United States of America experiences a change and a transition when a new president is installed into office. The former administration is replaced with a new administration.

Not all voters like it, but whether they are happy about it or not, things often change subtly or dramatically with a new administration’s agenda. Then things can be considerably different than they were before in the previous administration.

Galatians teaches about the change in God’s administration, from law to grace. We learn about people who were not happy about it, and how things are now considerably different under grace than they were under the law.

The leaders of the two administrations of law and grace meet here, and those of the previous administration come to an understanding and acceptance of the change that has taken place in God’s dealings with mankind.

“But of these who seemed to be somewhat [or somebodies],” Paul wrote. Paul addresses James, Peter, and John this way to show that they were not superior in authority as apostles to him as an apostle. Christ chose Paul to be an Apostle as much as them.

And the authority God had given these men was being withdrawn and there was now a new authority for the age of grace: Paul. You see this change taking place in verse 9, where James, the Lord’s brother, is listed first and before Peter.

Peter had been given the keys to the kingdom, and was Christ’s chosen leader of the kingdom church, but with the change in dispensations, Peter’s authority waned and decreased, to the point that James, who was not even one of the twelve, was now before Peter and the leader of the Church in Jerusalem.

Paul was not awed by the past or present stations of James, Peter, and John. Paul’s words are neither a denial of, nor a mark of disrespect for, their leadership and ministry.

He was simply indicating that, he was not overawed by their person. Before men and the church in Jerusalem, these men might have been somebodies and esteemed, but God accepts no man’s person, Paul says. God is impartial. He plays no favorites and He treats all alike.

These men of reputation “who seemed to be somewhat in conference added nothing to me [Paul].” Because what could these men have possibly told Paul about prophecy and the law, the Messiah and the promised kingdom, that he didn’t already know?

Paul was a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee (Acts 23:6), who had been taught the Scriptures by the revered teacher Gamaliel. He knew the Old Testament and the law backwards and forwards. Their message had been revealed since the world began.

Therefore, those who were esteemed as leaders in Jerusalem added nothing to Paul, either to his message or to himself as an apostle.

In the previous chapter, he had emphasized that his contact with the other apostles had been minimal. Now when he finally did confer with them, “in conference” they added nothing to Paul. “But contrariwise,” Paul wrote, he definitely added something to them.

He told them about a gospel with its hope that they had never heard before, which Christ made known to Paul in the revelation of the mystery, a message that had been kept secret since the world began.

This gospel of the uncircumcision, a gospel apart from circumcision and all the works of the law, and salvation by grace through faith alone in Christ was committed to Paul. This is the gospel Christ revealed to Paul for this age.

In Romans 4:9-10, Paul wrote: “for we say that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness. How was it then reckoned? when he was in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision.”

In this passage Paul pointed out that Abraham was declared righteous by God before he ever received the sign of circumcision. Abraham was justified by faith at least 14 years before he was ever circumcised. Abraham was not righteous before God because of the rite of circumcision, but because of his faith in God.

Paul’s gospel is a message of justification by faith alone, and that like “Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness” (4:3), it’s the exact same for us. And just by faith alone in Christ we have an eternal hope and home in heaven.

While this gospel of the uncircumcision was committed to Paul, Paul wrote that the gospel of the circumcision was given to Peter, not to James. Paul recognized the authority that Christ had vested in Peter for this gospel.

The gospel of the circumcision was a message concerning God’s good news for Israel. Abraham was given the rite of circumcision to separate himself and his seed from the Gentiles. This separated out nation was to then be a blessing to all other nations.

Because circumcision was part of God’s covenant program for Israel, it was good news. This was God’s divinely-sanctioned method for being part of His chosen people, under His covenant, and to have a relationship with Him.

And under the covenant God made with Abraham, the believing in Israel were promised a land on the earth and to dwell in it forever and to have rich blessings in it.

Verse 7 says that James, Peter, and John “saw” that Christ had revealed and committed to Paul a new gospel. They “saw” the difference between their gospel of the circumcision and Paul’s gospel of the uncircumcision. And the light bulb went on!

Paul’s meeting with them was not in vain. It gave these men an understanding they did not have before, that to Paul was given by Christ a new message for the world.

Galatians 2:8-9: “(For he that wrought effectually in Peter to the apostleship of the circumcision, the same was mighty in me toward the Gentiles:)

“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.”

Not only were their messages different, in verse 8, Paul points out that his apostleship was separate from Peter’s apostleship.

Most denominations follow Peter’s apostleship, and much confusion has come from this. To properly understand God’s Word and His dealings with mankind today, we need to follow Paul’s apostleship and message.

Peter’s apostleship is based on his authority in Christ’s Kingdom Church, not in the Church the Body of Christ. Peter never mentions the Body of Christ in his writings.

But God’s church today is the Body of Christ, and it is Paul who writes of this church and gives instruction for it.

Paul states plainly that God, in the Person of Christ, wrought effectually in Peter to be the apostle of the circumcision, or Israel. And the same God, in the Person of Christ, who gave Peter his apostleship to Israel, also mightily gave Paul his apostleship to the Gentiles.

Peter’s apostleship was to Israel in accordance with the law and the prophets. Paul’s apostleship was to the Gentiles in accordance with grace, apart from the works of the law.

Paul is our apostle today. Paul wrote in Romans 11:13: “For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office.” We are Gentiles under grace, and the writings of Paul speak to us and teach us of God’s will for our lives.

James, Peter, and John “saw” that a different gospel and message had been committed to Paul in verse 7. In verse 9, they “perceived” that Paul had a different God-given ministry from theirs as well.

They “perceived” that grace was given to Paul, that is, the grace in his calling as the Apostle of the Gentiles, and the grace gospel that was given to him to take to the nations.

Paul writes that they “seemed to be pillars,” again, because their authority was waning as God’s program was transitioning to grace.

In the authority that they still had at that time, they entered into a formal agreement with the Apostle Paul, and they gave to Paul and Barnabas “the right hands of fellowship.”

Many teach that this agreement meant that they would divide and conquer, that Paul and Barnabas would take the gospel to the Gentiles, and James, Peter, and John would take the same gospel to the Jews. But this is not the teaching of this passage.

When these men gave Paul and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship it meant that they understood and agreed that they were working under a different commission related to a different and new age and dispensation, which is the dispensation of grace.

By this historic handshake at the dawn of this age these leading apostles understood and acknowledged that Paul was the Apostle of the Gentiles, and that he was sent to the nations with a new message, the gospel of the uncircumcision, a gospel that did not require circumcision, but required simply faith alone in Christ.

James, Peter, and John also agreed to attend to their own commission according to their specific calling. But in addition, they recognized that their great commission, which sent them to all the world and to teach all nations, was now suspended.

Because by their handshake they agreed to take their gospel of the circumcision to the circumcision, or the Jews, only.

And this agreement also teaches that the writings of these three men in the Bible, the Book of James, the Epistles of 1 and 2 Peter, the Epistles of 1,2,3 John are written to the circumcision, or to believing Israel, in accordance with their kingdom hope.

And Paul’s 13 epistles were written to “unto the heathen,” or us Gentiles under grace in the Body of Christ. And Paul’s wonderful message and the grace of God revealed in his letters, shows us that Christ is our all and all we need.

Paul teaches us that Christ, not the Law, is our righteousness. Christ, not the Law, is our life. Christ, not the Law, gives us strength for living a life pleasing to God. And Christ by His grace, not the law, is what transforms our lives.

Understanding what happened at the dawn of this age of grace with Saul’s conversion, and calling as the apostle of the Gentiles, and how Christ then revealed a new message to him for this age is key to understanding, enjoying, and applying your Bible.

With this series of messages, please do what the Bereans of old did, with how they received the Word with all readiness of mind, and then searched the Scriptures whether those things were so.