Paul Accepted by the Apostles
2 Then after fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus along with me. 2 I went up because of a revelation and set before them (though privately before those who seemed influential) the gospel that I proclaim among the Gentiles, in order to make sure I was not running or had not run in vain. 3 But even Titus, who was with me, was not forced to be circumcised, though he was a Greek. 4 Yet because of false brothers secretly brought in—who slipped in to spy out our freedom that we have in Christ Jesus, so that they might bring us into slavery— 5 to them we did not yield in submission even for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel might be preserved for you. 6 And from those who seemed to be influential (what they were makes no difference to me; God shows no partiality)—those, I say, who seemed influential added nothing to me. 7 On the contrary, when they saw that I had been entrusted with the gospel to the uncircumcised, just as Peter had been entrusted with the gospel to the circumcised 8 (for he who worked through Peter for his apostolic ministry to the circumcised worked also through me for mine to the Gentiles), 9 and when James and Cephas and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given to me, they gave the right hand of fellowship to Barnabas and me, that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised. 10 Only, they asked us to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do.
2 Then after fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus along with me. 2 I went up because of a revelation and set before them (though privately before those who seemed influential) the gospel that I proclaim among the Gentiles, in order to make sure I was not running or had not run in vain. 3 But even Titus, who was with me, was not forced to be circumcised, though he was a Greek. 4 Yet because of false brothers secretly brought in—who slipped in to spy out our freedom that we have in Christ Jesus, so that they might bring us into slavery— 5 to them we did not yield in submission even for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel might be preserved for you. 6 And from those who seemed to be influential (what they were makes no difference to me; God shows no partiality)—those, I say, who seemed influential added nothing to me. 7 On the contrary, when they saw that I had been entrusted with the gospel to the uncircumcised, just as Peter had been entrusted with the gospel to the circumcised 8 (for he who worked through Peter for his apostolic ministry to the circumcised worked also through me for mine to the Gentiles), 9 and when James and Cephas and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given to me, they gave the right hand of fellowship to Barnabas and me, that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised. 10 Only, they asked us to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do.
Paul Opposes Peter
11 But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. 12 For before certain men came from James, he was eating with the Gentiles; but when they came he drew back and separated himself, fearing the circumcision party.[a] 13 And the rest of the Jews acted hypocritically along with him, so that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy. 14 But when I saw that their conduct was not in step with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas before them all, “If you, though a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you force the Gentiles to live like Jews?”
11 But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. 12 For before certain men came from James, he was eating with the Gentiles; but when they came he drew back and separated himself, fearing the circumcision party.[a] 13 And the rest of the Jews acted hypocritically along with him, so that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy. 14 But when I saw that their conduct was not in step with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas before them all, “If you, though a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you force the Gentiles to live like Jews?”
Justified by Faith
15 We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners; 16 yet we know that a person is not justified[b] by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.
17 But if, in our endeavor to be justified in Christ, we too were found to be sinners, is Christ then a servant of sin? Certainly not! 18 For if I rebuild what I tore down, I prove myself to be a transgressor. 19 For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God. 20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who livesin me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. 21 I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness[c] were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose.
15 We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners; 16 yet we know that a person is not justified[b] by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.
17 But if, in our endeavor to be justified in Christ, we too were found to be sinners, is Christ then a servant of sin? Certainly not! 18 For if I rebuild what I tore down, I prove myself to be a transgressor. 19 For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God. 20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who livesin me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. 21 I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness[c] were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose.
Footnotes:
- Galatians 2:12 Or fearing those of the circumcision
- Galatians 2:16 Or counted righteous (three times in verse 16); also verse 17
- Galatians 2:21 Or justification
English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.
- Galatians 2:12 Or fearing those of the circumcision
- Galatians 2:16 Or counted righteous (three times in verse 16); also verse 17
- Galatians 2:21 Or justification
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.
The Jerusalem Council
15 But some men came down from Judea and were teaching the brothers, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.” 2 And after Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and debate with them, Paul and Barnabas andsome of the others were appointed to go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and the elders about this question. 3 So, being sent on their way by the church, they passed through both Phoenicia and Samaria, describing in detail the conversion of the Gentiles, andbrought great joy to all the brothers.[a] 4 When they came to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and the apostles and the elders, and they declared all that God had done with them. 5 But some believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees rose up and said, “It is necessary to circumcise them and to order them to keep the law of Moses.”
6 The apostles and the elders were gathered together to consider this matter. 7 And after there had been much debate, Peter stood up and said to them, “Brothers, you know that in the early days God made a choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe. 8 And God, who knows the heart, bore witness to them, by giving them the Holy Spirit just as he did to us, 9 and he made no distinction between us and them, having cleansed their hearts by faith. 10 Now, therefore, why are you putting God to the test by placing a yoke on the neck of the disciples that neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear? 11 But we believe that we will be saved throughthe grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they will.”
12 And all the assembly fell silent, and they listened to Barnabas and Paul as they related what signs and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles. 13 After they finished speaking, James replied, “Brothers, listen to me. 14 Simeon has related how God first visited the Gentiles, to take from them a people for his name. 15 And with this the words of the prophets agree, just as it is written,
16 “‘After this I will return,
and I will rebuild the tent of David that has fallen;
I will rebuild its ruins,
and I will restore it,
17 that the remnant[b] of mankind may seek the Lord,
and all the Gentiles who are called by my name,
says the Lord, who makes these things 18 known from of old.’
and I will rebuild the tent of David that has fallen;
I will rebuild its ruins,
and I will restore it,
17 that the remnant[b] of mankind may seek the Lord,
and all the Gentiles who are called by my name,
says the Lord, who makes these things 18 known from of old.’
19 Therefore my judgment is that we should not trouble those of the Gentiles who turn to God, 20 but should write to them to abstain from the things polluted by idols, and fromsexual immorality, and from what has been strangled, and from blood. 21 For from ancient generations Moses has had in every city those who proclaim him, for he is read every Sabbath in the synagogues.”
The Council's Letter to Gentile Believers
22 Then it seemed good to the apostles and the elders, with the whole church, to choose men from among them and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. They sent Judas called Barsabbas, and Silas, leading men among the brothers, 23 with the following letter: “The brothers, both the apostles and the elders, to the brothers[c] who are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia, greetings. 24 Since we have heard that some persons have gone out from us and troubled you[d] with words, unsettling your minds, although we gave them no instructions, 25 it has seemed good to us, having come to one accord, to choose men and send them to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, 26 men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. 27 We have therefore sent Judas and Silas, who themselves will tell you the same things by word of mouth.28 For it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay on you no greater burden than these requirements: 29 that you abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from what has been strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. Farewell.”
30 So when they were sent off, they went down to Antioch, and having gathered the congregation together, they delivered the letter. 31 And when they had read it, they rejoiced because of its encouragement. 32 And Judas and Silas, who were themselvesprophets, encouraged and strengthened the brothers with many words. 33 And after they had spent some time, they were sent off in peace by the brothers to those who had sent them.[e] 35 But Paul and Barnabas remained in Antioch, teaching and preaching the word of the Lord, with many others also.
Paul and Barnabas Separate
36 And after some days Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us return and visit the brothers in every city where we proclaimed the word of the Lord, and see how they are.” 37 Now Barnabas wanted to take with them John called Mark. 38 But Paul thought best not to take with them one who had withdrawn from them in Pamphylia and had not gone with them to the work. 39 And there arose a sharp disagreement, so that they separated from each other. Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed away to Cyprus, 40 but Paul chose Silas and departed, having been commended by the brothers to the grace of the Lord. 41 And he went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.
Footnotes:
- Acts 15:3 Or brothers and sisters; also verse 22
- Acts 15:17 Or rest
- Acts 15:23 Or brothers and sisters; also verses 32, 33, 36
- Acts 15:24 Some manuscripts some persons from us have troubled you
- Acts 15:33 Some manuscripts insert verse 34: But it seemed good to Silas to remain there
English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.
And with this the words of the prophets agree, just as it is written, "After this I will return, and I will rebuild the tent of David that has fallen; I will rebuild its ruins, and I will restore it, that the remnant of mankind may seek the Lord, and the Gentiles who are called by my name, says the Lord, who makes these things known from of old" Acts 15:15-17.
ReplyDeleteDuring the council of Jerusalem, the Apostles agreed that gentile Christians could be saved without circumcision and keeping Moses’ Law. Even though, to quote Peter who said, "But we believe that we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they will" Acts 15:11, it is interesting to note that, even though Peter agreed when James quoted the Old Testament passage, there were still prejudices against and/or difficulties in association with the gentiles. The conflict of God's commands verses many Christian's original belief system was fierce. This is why the Jerusalem council was held. Also, even after the council, there were battles between wills. Peter, who would have grown up with very little interaction or affection towards the gentiles had a difficult time overcoming the shame that he felt in being with gentiles in front of other peers. This is seen when Peter was eating with gentiles, he caved to peer pressure. To quote Galatians 2:12, "For before certain men came from James, he was eating with the Gentiles; but when they came he drew back and separated himself, fearing the circumcision party." Paul, on the other hand, because he was from Tarsus and therefore was used to interacting with gentiles and God fearers, had little difficulty living out the decision of the Jerusalem council. He traveled with a gentile believer (Titus) and refused vehemently to give in to the demands of others when they insisted he be circumcised. Peter knew God’s standards on treating fellow believers, but he did not carry out his convictions. Paul knew how he should treat gentile believers, and carried it out with little difficulty. Today, whether it is against our upbringing or not, we Christians should seek to live out God's commands--no matter the cost.
“On the contrary, when they saw that I had been entrusted with the gospel to the uncircumcised, just as Peter had been entrusted with the gospel to the circumcised 8 (for he who worked through Peter for his apostolic ministry to the circumcised worked also through me for mine to the Gentiles), 9 and when James and Cephas and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given to me, they gave the right hand of fellowship to Barnabas and me, that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised. 10 Only, they asked us to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do.” (Galatians 2: 7-10)
ReplyDeleteThis passage shows me two main things: (1) It took a while for the disciples to recognize God’s working through Paul; (2) Once the disciples did recognize Paul, they gave him fantastic advice.
(1): In the beginning of the Galatians passage, Paul states that it was 14 years after a journey through Arabia, Syria, and Cilicia for the disciples to “see that I had been entrusted with the gospel to the uncircumcised.” As talked about in class, the disciples probably viewed Paul as “That Awkward Guy” because of the wicked deeds he had committed before his conversion. So, if I’m not mistaken, it appears as though there could be a small bit of resentment left over in the disciples hearts. Apparently, God had a great way to use Paul, so the disciples had to switch their viewpoints.
(2): The disciples charged Paul and Barnabas not to forget the poor. I have found out why they made such a strange request:
“Now in these days when the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint by the Hellenists arose against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution.” (Acts 6:1)
So it appears that once the disciples saw how God had chosen Paul, they sincerely tried to help him out by giving him a lesson that they learned the hard way.
While reading Acts 15 and Galatians 2, I tried to plant myself in the shoes of the people living in the days of the early church. The everyday people. The farmers, teachers, merchants, Jews, wives, children, etc. Then I tried to imagine a man named Paul coming up to me and preaching a gospel of deliverance which went against everything I was raised to believe.
ReplyDeleteThis was the first time I read those two passages with the realization that Paul’s message would’ve been completely radical to the people of his day. With this in mind, two specific points stood out to me: First of all, the gospel preached by Paul and the apostles- salvation by faith alone- completely went against the “norm.” It actually contradicted what people of their day generally believed- salvation through works of the law. Secondly, this Gospel, the true Gospel, shows that God always has the good of His people in mind. He always has something better prepared for them.
First off, the gospel preached by Paul contradicted the “norm”. Acts 15, verse 1 says, “But some men came down from Judea and were teaching the brothers, ‘Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.’” I had to read the verse twice before realizing the significance of it. These men from Judea are teaching salvation through rituals of the law. Men. Just men. They aren’t even named. Salvation through rituals of the law, or works of the law, was so common in that day, everyone knew it. When Paul and Barnabas begin arguing and debating these men about it, I’m sure they were taken by surprise. Later, when the brothers head to Jerusalem, some of the believers there even said, “It is necessary to circumcise them and to order them to keep the law of Moses” (Acts 15, verse 5). It’s easy to see that salvation through works of the law was common to everyone; from seemingly random men from Judea to Pharisee believers in Jerusalem. Salvation by faith alone in Christ alone was a radical statement- a radical Gospel- which probably left most of its hearers wondering if it was too good to be true…
Secondly, this absolutely shows God’s goodness. Paul says, in Galatians 2, verse 20, “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” It is no wonder that the early Christian church spread quickly throughout the known world of its day. Those hearers who wondered if it was too good to be true but took a leap of faith and believed and realized it was really truth, must have experienced such joy!
And we still see this today. Praise God that He gave us the Gospel of faith alone through Christ alone!
Something that stood out to me in these two passages was conflict and confrontation. The main conflict dealt with in Galatians 2 and Acts 15 is about whether people should be teaching “you are (to be) circumcised according to the custom of Moses, (or) you cannot be saved.” (Acts 15:1) This issue was causing lots of dissension in the church. A decision was made for church leaders to gather (the Jerusalem Council) and discuss this issue. The conflict was talked over and a verdict was made. In the letter sent to the Gentiles it says it is sending godly men to go with Paul and Barnabas to encourage and teach them. The letter to the Gentiles ends with, “For it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay on you no greater burden than these requirements: 29 that you abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from what has been strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. Farewell.” I find it interesting that it does not end with telling the Gentiles that they don’t need to be circumcised. It makes me wonder what made them decide not to say clearly state that in their letter as it was a main issue with which they were dealing. The letter is written in such a manner of grace that it encourages me on how one should deal with conflict. Paul in Galatians 12:14 also sets an example on how to resolve disagreements. He does not desire to stir up trouble, but graciously confronts others when he saw, “that their conduct was not in step with the truth of the gospel.” Both of these examples show me how I should deal with conflict in a manner that does not place accusations on others, but is full of grace, love, and truth.
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ReplyDeleteIn Acts 15 and Galatians 2, the Christians were faced with a problem. Paul was spreading the Gospel to uncircumcised Gentiles and the Church in Jerusalem was encouraging Paul to promote circumcision as a part of salvation. Paul, understanding that circumcision was not a means to salvation, opposed the position of the apostles and elders in Jerusalem and he advocated that God's salvation and grace was for everyone with no special requirements other than faith. Modern day Christians, naturally tend to side with Paul over this argument about circumcision. It seems ridiculous that circumcision would be a deciding factor in the salvation of the soul. However, I think it is important to put ourselves in the shoes of the New Testament leaders. They had grown up under Jewish laws and influences and then to have a man like Paul, a Jew who had previously persecuted the church, come in and say that those laws were no longer necessary to uphold would have would have been extremely difficult for the church leaders to process. How could the Gentiles, a group that had previously been shunned and looked down upon, become children of God simply through faith. However, in Acts 2 the Jerusalem council eventually came to an agreement that circumcision was not necessary to salvation. This decision led to the sending of missionarys to preach the good news to the Gentiles.
ReplyDeleteHowever, despite the decision of the Jerusalem council, there is an example of hypocrisy towards the Gentiles in Galatians 2. Peter who was a highly influential apostle, differentiated between the Jews and Gentiles during a meal because the Gentiles had not followed the Jewish table laws. A phrase that really stuck out to me was when Paul confronted Peter was, "If you, though a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you force Gentiles to live like Jews?" Peter was living like a Gentile by not regarding past food laws in the old Testament but at the same time he was requiring the Gentiles to live like Jews. Paul publicly confronted Peter for his hypocrisy in order to "preserve the truth of the Gospel" (Galatians 2:14). These seemingly small events in the history of the Church would in reality greatly impact future decisions regarding doctrine and salvation. Peter was by no means a hypocrite and God used him in many ways to spread his Gospel to the circumcised believers. However, God chose Paul to minister to the Gentiles and these two events are examples of God using him to help shift the mindset of the Jews and Gentiles alike.
When I read Galatians 2, I was struck by how human Paul was. I know he wasn’t a Martian or a lobster, but I tend to think of people in history as facts and dates instead of people like us. I also tend to think of Biblical characters, especially apostles, as perfect people. Paul obviously wasn’t perfect in his confrontation of Peter. The whole “iron sharpens iron” thing is great and Paul should definitely have talked to Peter; he WAS being hypocritical, but I don’t think Paul did it the best way. If God is leading you to talk to someone about a sin they are ignoring, would you (a) yell at them in front of a lot of people, or (b) talk to them in private (I really hope you didn’t pick (a)). Apparently Paul did choose (a), because he says that he, “opposed [Peter] to his face” (Gal. 2:11). Paul was a little too confrontational.
ReplyDeleteThis actually encouraged me because immediately after informing us (in a rather aren’t-I-great-at-standing-up-for-the-Gospel tone, I might add) of his problem with Peter, Paul goes on to write a beautiful passage about justification through Christ. Even though Paul was anything but perfect, God used him to spread the gospel to a lot of people, and to write a lot of important books of the Bible. It reminds me that even though we all make a ton of mistakes, God can still use us to do great things for him.
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ReplyDeleteAs I was reading this passage, I was struck by two things. First, I was surprised at how naive the early Christians, or “followers of the way” were. Second, I was astounded at the faith they had.
ReplyDeleteThe idea that religion was based on works was still engrained in their heads. Even now, it is hard to comprehend Jesus’ death on the cross. Wrapping your brain around the idea that God loved his people so much, that He’d send his most precious son to die in our stead is a mystery. I can’t imagine how much harder it was for the early Christians to forget the law and rely on this gift of grace. Jesus, in the blink of an eye, had wiped away hundreds of years of laws and customs practiced by the Jews. And I can only imagine that it was a slow process forgetting about those laws. Nevertheless, it took them a long time to except their faith. Christians were still disagreeing over which laws to follow and which laws could be disregarded. The early Church’s innocence also appears in how reluctant they are to except the gentiles. Christians wanted to make it difficult for them to follow Christ, as seen in these passages, “Unless you are circumcised, according to the custom taught by Moses, you cannot be saved.” (Acts 15:1b) The early church was learning, slowly, how their new religion worked.
Nevertheless, I was taken aback by the faith the converted Jews and Gentiles displayed. They had dropped everything they knew to follow a new religion that was drastically different from every other known religion. This takes a faith beyond most peoples comprehension. Yet these are the people that paved the way for us. Praise the Lord that he gave the founding of His church to such strong and dedicated men and women.
In these passages, I was really impressed with the way the church decided to treat the Gentiles. Considering that the Jews were used to being considered God’s chosen people, I would have expected more reluctance on their part to spread the gospel to the Gentiles. However, Paul notes in Acts 15:3 that news of the Gentiles’ conversion “brought joy to all the brothers.”
ReplyDeleteAdditionally, I think that the Jerusalem council’s decision that the Gentiles didn’t need to be circumcised or keep the Law Moses reflected the teaching of Jesus. Forcing the Gentiles to observe the Law of Moses would have probably cut down significantly on converts to Christianity, and it would also have been a step away from Jesus’ teaching of justification through faith not the Law. Paul summed his attitude towards gentiles in Galatians 2:15-16, saying, “We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners; yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.” This passage paints a beautiful picture of what it means to embrace the grace of God.
As I was reading Galatians 2, I was struck by a couple sections of verses. Galatians 2:4-5 "Yet because of false brothers secretly brought in—who slipped in to spy out our freedom that we have in Christ Jesus, so that they might bring us into slavery— 5 to them we did not yield in submission even for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel might be preserved for you." I was astonished when I read these 2 verses on how much the church and its members were hated. So much so that they fed "false" believers into the church to stir up trouble and such. However Paul and the others did not yield to them, and that reminded me of our world, and how cruel and evil it is. Just as Paul and the church did not submit, I pray that we will not either. That we will stand strong in the faith, strengthening each other against the evil in this world. "I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who livesin me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."
ReplyDeleteAs I was reading Acts, what stood out to me was how accepting the Jews were of the Christian Gentiles. The Jews believe that they are God's Chosen people, and they are the ones who will be allowed in God's Kingdom. Now I don't know if the Christian Jews that as well once they converted, but I assume so. So when Paul and Barnabas told them about the Gentile converts, they were troubled. But the apostles said, "7 And after there had been much debate, Peter stood up and said to them, “Brothers, you know that in the early days God made a choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe. 8 And God, who knows the heart, bore witness to them, by giving them the Holy Spirit just as he did to us, 9 and he made no distinction between us and them, having cleansed their hearts by faith. 10 Now, therefore, why are you putting God to the test by placing a yoke on the neck of the disciples that neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear? 11 But we believe that we will be saved throughthe grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they will.” This section stood out to me especially. God, who knows our hearts, bore witness to them, and gave them the Holy Spirit just as he did us. There is no distinction any longer between Jew and Gentile. We are all part of God's kingdom. I think this was a fantastic summary to conclude that argument. God loves all people, and as of such offers us salvation to be with him forever, not just the Jews. As the assembly considered it, they agreed. I hope that in this world, if we meet people that are pure evil, cruel, mean, a downright bully, that we would not look down on them and avoid them. That we will share our faith with them earnestly, so that God might change their hearts towards him. And if they do so, that we will encourage them to live strong in the faith, and not push them away because of past sin and pain.
This section covers an incredible transformation in the faith. Paul's truly shows that the Gentiles are just as guilty of sin and in need of a savior as any other Jew. I think he breaks this down perfectly. He said that if the Jews cannot fulfill the law perfectly, how can anyone expect a Gentile to do better. He also states that if he was already holy and righteous in the law, Jesus died for no reason. " I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose." Peter also stands up and shows that the Gentiles are in need of the good news. He declares the Gentiles are the same as Jews after faith has cleansed them. "He made no distinction between us and them, having cleansed their hearts by faith. This being said, the eyes of many believers were opened. God truly doesn't see any distinction between a Jew or a Gentile. If they believe and have faith, they are white as snow and are freed from the shackles of sin and death. Jesus came to save all, not some. His grace has spread over the whole world. It is then up to the children of God to share it. This was new to many in the faith. The council in Jerusalem solidified God's grace into the minds of many.
ReplyDelete“17 But if, in our endeavor to be justified in Christ, we too were found to be sinners, is Christ then a servant of sin? Certainly not! 18 For if I rebuild what I tore down, I prove myself to be a transgressor. 19 For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God. 20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. 21 I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose.”
ReplyDeleteGalatians 2:17-21
When I read these verses I was struck by the requirement for Paul to write these things to the Galatians. Verse 17 shows that the Galatian church was attempting to justify their faith through their own works. The only way our righteousness could be justified through works is by living a perfect life. But this cannot be done. We are a fallen race and born into sin. In Verse 21, Paul had to address the church because they believe that true righteousness can be found in the obedience to the law. Have they forgotten the good news of the gospel? Both verses 17 and 21 show that the Galatians were falling away from the truth because they believed their actions were enough to prove their righteousness.
Also when reading these chapters I was brought back to the realization that it is so easy to see the things that led Christians in the past astray from truth. These issues with the Christians in the Bible seem ridiculous, and we ask ourselves what they were thinking. But when I look to the modern day church, all the difficulties early Christians faced are just as prevalent in our world today. This makes me ask, why are we so blind to the the problems in the modern world? I believe the only logical answer is our sin. Humanity is proud and everything is right in our own eyes. We as Christians need to humble ourselves knowing we are wrong, have sinned against our Father, and there is no hope for everlasting life without Christ’s life, death and resurrection.
ReplyDeleteTime has sainted Paul to modern eyes. The missionary who covered thousands of miles and dozens of gentile cities, the author who wrote much of the New Testament, the man with the original “light-from-heaven” conversion story- what a gentle, kind, easy-going, accepting sort of man he must have been!
When one looks at Biblical accounts of Paul, however, the picture painted is quite a different one from our modern saint. In Galatians 2:11-14, Paul recounts his disagreement with Peter: “But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned.” Paul notes that he opposed Peter “before them all.” The story makes Paul seem almost abrasive. Nor is that the only story of its kind. Acts 15 tells about the time Paul and Barnabas had “a sharp disagreement” over who to take with them on their missionary journey, and ended up separating over it. Paul chooses to let something so apparently small separate him from a close friend. This is not the gentle saint we pictured. Why is Paul so harsh, so unyielding?
The answer is not hard to find. In Galatians 2, Paul saw that their conduct was “not in step with the truth of the gospel”. The same sort of problem can be found in the Acts passage: “Paul thought best not to take with them one who had withdrawn from them in Pamphylia and had not gone with them to the work.” (Acts 15:38) Again, Paul is concerned for the moral integrity of those around him.
Paul’s harsh unwillingness to yield his beliefs is startling to us today. However, this stubbornness was in fact a passionate defense of God’s truth. Such a trait is more a virtue than a fault!
OK so everyone has been talking about the gentiles and circumcision and everything, which is great and i do enjoy reading all of the posts but id like to talk about how Paul and Barnabas separate. why i like this passage is because it shows that Christians/followers of Christ can have different opinions and still be believers!! i think that's important for us to understand now as Christians. we don't all go to the same church and God is not calling us to all do the same thing, we all have our personal beliefs on Eucharist, saints, baptism and a lot of other things but we all call our selves Christians and i think we can look at other believers who do stuff a little differently and be like "they aren't really Christians because they don't do things the same way i do" but at the end of the day what i think makes a Christian a Christian is by believing that Jesus is the son of God and excepting him into your heart. trust me i know its cliche but it really is important that we think like that, and I'm not saying your personal beliefs on Eucharist and stuff isn't important that's not what I'm trying to say at all, what I'm trying to say is that we are ALL still Christians. and we can kinda see this in acts how Paul is explaining to everyone that whether or not you are circumcised Jesus still died on the cross for you and you are his and you can become a christ-follower!
ReplyDeletei hope you guys reply so you can tell me what you think
I agree. Take the evolution vs. creation debate. I firmly believe that God created the world from nothing in 7 literal 24-hour days, and I think that it is really important. But I don't believe that if you believe in evolution or an old earth that you can't be a Christian. Romans 10:9 says, "If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." That's the most important thing.
ReplyDeleteOne thing that amazed me about this time period was how well the early church handled the dispute of whether or not Judaism was a necessary stepping stone for Christianity. When the conflict arose, Paul and Barnabas headed straight for Jerusalem to the elders and apostles to plead their cases and make a decision (Acts 15:1-2). They gave their accounts of God working in the Gentiles and a discussion began. James summarized the reports and drew up the decision (Acts 15:13-21). A letter was then sent to Antioch to let them know the verdict. This was an efficient and wise way to organize this issue. They consulted elders and made an official decision in a concise and systematic manner. (Another thing to be noted is that instead of pretending that everything was okay and that the Jews had no problems with the Gentiles, they actually confronted the issue and attempted to resolve it.) It was also a crucial moment for Christianity and Judaism, as the decision could have completely split the church. But they made the right call, by consulting the church leaders and God's Word. This compromise helped the church grow without being hindered by the cultural differences between the Jews and the Gentiles. Having read the entire book of Acts for the first week of church history class, it was insightful to study these passages (as well as the Galatians passage) more deeply. The council at Jerusalem is an example of the early church beginning to adhere to a more structured and organized fashion, which would help them resolve disputes and handle other matters more efficiently. Maybe this was one of the earliest and simplest examples of Christian Church councils before their official emergence around the 4th century?
ReplyDeleteActs 15 narrates a time in church history which is very tense. During this time the Apostles debate the requirements to become a Christian. (namely over there issue of circumcision) unable to settle the dispute themselves, the Apostles send Paul and Barnabas to take the issue to the Jerusalem council. On their way to Jerusalem, Paul, Barnabas, and the church in general shocked me in two major ways: 1) Paul and Barnabas' choice to spread encouragement and joy to their fellow brethren. There were a number of issues that Paul and Barnabas could have chosen to discuss with their brothers, but they chose to lay aside some of the most pressing matters of the day and share the success of God's progressing kingdom! Not only that, they choose to encourage their brothers, whose response to the news of a growing church became one of my greatest take-aways from the passage. 2) Joy. The brethren of the early church were joyful. Joyful under tension and because the church of God was growing. This response of Joy posed a question that every Christian at some point has to wonder: Would I be as joyful as the early church to hear that the kingdom of God is growing, or do I take it for granted?
ReplyDeleteGoing off what Charlie put forward, the passage about Paul and Barnabas separating is incredibly important to me, for a few reasons. Not only could Paul and Barnabas both be Christians even though they disagreed, it also didn't seem to affect the unity of the early church in a negative way. These days it seems impossible for the global Church to be unified because Lutherans, Evangelicals, Pentecostals, etc all believing different things, but in Paul's day the Early Church wasn't clear on many of the same things we are! They didn't agree on who Jesus was, what the New Testament should be, how one was saved, but nevertheless they were still unified and I think that is a great example of how the global Church should be right now. Along with that, the passage says Paul didn't want to bring John called Mark because he abandoned them. This is encouraging in that these early Christians who seemed so empowered and unified were still depraved and they messed up, got afraid like we do. Even after that, John called Mark appears to be a respected member of the church and Barnabas wants to take him on another trip. He wasn't looked down on for his failings.
ReplyDeleteOne interesting thing that stood out to me was the Justified by Faith section. It's interesting that the word faith pops into my homework again. Just earlier this morning I read Lord's Day 7 out of The Good News We Almost Forgot. The commentary dealt with what true faith actually means. It was very interesting to be able to read this passage in light of what the commentary had to say about faith. In the same way, reading the New Testament descriptions of faith (especially Hebrews 11:1) helps to get a better picture of what faith really is.
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