Galatians, Lesson 6---Claims and Evidences (4)
Law, Legalism, and the Gospel at Jerusalem (Acts 15: 1-35)
INTRODUCTION: Much of modern Biblical scholarship has rejected the long-held idea that Acts 15 and Galatians 2:1 are accounts of the same events at Jerusalem but from different vantage points. Nor is the study of Acts 15 essential to understanding Paul's message in Galatians 2: 1-10. But the parallels are such that if the events are not the same the problems are certainly identical and therefore offer to us from the inspired vantage point more principle information on the problem and the solution which existed in the churches of Galatia, and are alive within the body of Christ even now.
PARALLELS BETWEEN GALATIANS 2:1 AND ACTS 15
1. Paul's apostolic authority questioned (Gal. 2:2; Acts 15: 1-3).
2. The same problem: legalism vs. the gospel (Gal. 2: 3-5; Acts 15: 1,5).
3. The same persons involved: Specifically Paul and Barnabas, Peter and James, the false brethren.(cf. Gal. 2:5; Acts 15:5) w as the reason for the Jerusalem gathering.
4. Paul's gospel of justification by faith in Christ apart from the law of Moses challenged by false brethren (cf. Gal. 2:5; Acts 15:5) was the reason for the Jerusalem gathering.
5. Paul and Barnabas vindicated and their gospel endorsed (Gal. 2:9; Acts 15:22-29, esp. 25-27).
If the events in both accounts are the same, the thrust or purpose of each is distinct. Luke wrote from the vantage point of a historian; Paul wrote to sustain his apostleship and the genuineness of his gospel. This will account for Paul's selection of certain events at the Jerusalem gathering which Luke did not record.
THE AIM OF THIS LESSON is to learn more of the problem (at that time existing in Antioch, Jerusalem, and Galatia) of legalism and the principal solution supplied by the apostles. From this came a practical application to us who deal with the same problem today.
Prior to Cornelius the gospel had not been preached to pure uncircumcised (unproselyted) Gentiles. By the miraculous endowment of the Holy Spirit on the Gentiles gathered at Cornelius' house, God confirmed to Jews (and to all men) for all time to come that Gentiles can be saved by faith in Christ apart from the legal system of the law of Moses (10:44-48; 15: 7-11). At first the apostles and brethren (Jewish) at Jerusalem, hearing that the Gentiles “also received the Word of God,” contended with authority lending finality to the matter, explained the situation (11: 4-17), declaring that God made no such distinctions between Gentiles and Jews. Peter therefore concluded that he himself had no right “to withstand God” in his desire to bring Gentiles into his fellowship. To this the brethren at Jerusalem agreed “when they heard these things....and glorified God, saying, Then to the Gentiles also hath God granted repentance unto life” (11:18).
This Gentile precedent resulted in the following:
1. A predominantly Gentile church at Antioch (in Syria) ( 11: 19-21).
2. Fellowship between the Jewish and Gentile churches at Antioch and Judaea (11: 22-30). The
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brethren at Jerusalem sent their best exhorter, Barnabas, to the church at Antioch to help them grow spiritually and numerically. Later the Gentile church responded to the needs of their Jewish brethren in Judaea by sending relief during a time of famine.
3. The sending out of Barnabas and Saul (Paul) to preach to the Gentiles in Asia Minor (chs. 13-14).
Such divinely directed acts should have been sufficient proof to all that God fully received Gentiles into the church without any appeal to Judaism whatever. But Judaistic legalism launched a counter offensive at Jerusalem seeking to make the law of Moses a permanent part of Christianity. Luke recounts the problem and the divine solution in Acts 15.
I. THE PROBLEM, 15: 1-5.
Pharisaic ignorance of the nature of law and grace. Certain “Pharisees who believed” in Christ as Messiah nevertheless apparently did not understand the following:
A. THE NATURE OF LAW. Law condemns and cannot justify. See Deut. 27:26; Gal. 3:10. It is in the nature of any legal system to condemn lawbreaking; otherwise law is powerless as a system of regulation. It is not in the nature of law to justify. See Rom. 3:20; Gal. 2:16; 3:21. Paul's “ if there had been a law (any legal system) given which could make alive...” is tantamount to saying that no law of a legal nature which naturally condemns can possible make the dead in sin alive (or justify). That would be a sheer contradiction. It would be like a law enforcement officer stopping a speeding motorist to give him a license to speed. Thus, to bind law on Jews or Gentiles would be to condemn them for certain at the next transgression. These Jews did not understand this.
B. THE NATURE OF GRACE. Grace is simply a favor which one bestows. It indicates that no merit has prompted the gift, whatever it may be. The reason for bestowing the favor lies with the giver. In God's case he bestowed his favor on us when he sent Jesus Christ to Calvary to provide redemption (Eph. 2:8). The reason for that great unspeakable gift was that he love us (Jno. 3:16; I Jno. 4:10).
The condition God has placed on man for receiving his gift of salvation is obedience of faith through Christ Jesus, not an attempt to make oneself righteous by keeping a legal law system which by its nature condemns our sinful imperfections. Neither did these Pharisees understand that nature of God's gift of Christ by grace which was totally sufficient in itself to save all men. It is a simple matter (for those who will receive it) of one system canceling out the other. Of this all legalists are ignorant.
II. THE SOLUTION, 15: 6-29
The gospel as sufficient in and of itself to save all men was preached by Paul in Asia Minor even as Peter preached it to Cornelius. It was that sufficiency which was challenged. Luke records the four points which the apostles argued was that pure Christianity was sufficient to save:
A. PETERS'S APOSTOLIC ENDORSEMENT, 7-11.
1. God gave the Gentiles (Cornelius) the Holy Spirit as proof that “he made no distinction” (9) between Jews and Gentiles, and saved them by faith in Christ without any appeal to the law of Moses.
2. He emphatically states the official position of the apostles at this time that Jews were saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus in like manner as Gentiles – i.e., without the law of Moses (11).
B. GOD'S DIRECT ENDORSEMENT BY MIRACLES, 12.
Jesus promised the truth of his word wold be confirmed or endorsed by signs following the disciples (Mk. 16: 15-20). When Paul and Barnabas preached only Christ and him crucified among the Gentiles (in Acts 13-14), God confirmed that doctrine by working miracles among them.
C. THE PROPHETS' ENDORSEMENT AND THE JUDGEMENT OF JAMES, 13-21.
1. The prophet James tells us that Amos predicted what Peter had affirmed, and that by saving Gentiles God was thus fulfilling Amos 9: 11-12 by taking “out of them (the Gentiles) a people for His name.
2. James concluded on that basis not to “trouble” the Gentile Christians by requiring them to keep the law. To determine the seriousness of this “ trouble” see Gal. 1: 6-7.
D. THE APOSTOLIC DECREE, 22-29. Cf. 16: 4
The Holy Spirit inspired an epistle to be read to the churches among the Gentiles where the problem existed. In the epistle the error was condemned (24), Paul and Barnabas were endorsed (25-26), and their gospel declared as genuine (27).
CONCLUSION: The historian records that when Gentiles who had been victims of this legalistic heresy received the epistle and had read it, that “they rejoiced for the consolation.” Another statement fraught with meaning says that the prophets Judas and Silas, after they had confirmed the brethren in the gospel, “ were dismissed in peace from the brethren” (15:33). Rejoicing and peace are the fruits of a pure gospel. Legalism always divides the church and replaces peace with fear and frustration. It is our judgment together with James that we trouble not the churches with death dealing legalism. It is our obligation together with Paul that when Pharisaism raises its head in modern days to bring us into bondage that we give “ place in the way of subjection, no, not for an hour; that the truth of the gospel might continue with you (Gal. 2:5).
This is the paradox of Christianity: we must wage war both offensively and defensively if we are to maintain peace in Israel (the new Israel). How can it be otherwise if we are to survive this battle?
Warren L Rogers