Lesson 3 for October 15, 2011

“Then after fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, and also took Titus with me. And I went up by revelation, and communicated to them that gospel which I preach among the Gentiles, but privately to those who were of reputation, lest by any means I might run, or had run, in vain” Galatians, 2: 1-2

The Holy Spirit had sent Barnabas and Paul to preach to the Gentiles and to found churches in some places over the Roman Empire. Then, they were sent to Jerusalem through revelation, with an extremely important mission. Paul was accused of teaching doctrines that were different from those that the principals of the church (those who were of reputation) taught. It was necessary that Paul and the leaders of the Church had a meeting to clear up their doctrinal points. If that meeting had not taken place, the Church would have been seriously affected. The Holy Spirit had sent Barnabas and Paul to preach to the Gentiles and to found churches in some places over the Roman Empire. Then, they were sent to Jerusalem through revelation, with an extremely important mission. Paul was accused of teaching doctrines that were different from those that the principals of the church (those who were of reputation) taught. It was necessary that Paul and the leaders of the Church had a meeting to clear up their doctrinal points. If that meeting had not taken place, the Church would have been seriously affected.

“Yet not even Titus who was with me, being a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised. And this occurred because of false brethren secretly brought in (who came in by stealth to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage), to whom we did not yield submission even for an hour, that the truth of the gospel might continue with you” Galatians, 2: 3-5

For the Judaizers, circumcision was a basic doctrinal point, so there could be no controversy on it. For Paul, it was a Jewish custom; therefore, it should not be imposed to the Gentiles. “Therefore circumcise the foreskin of your heart, and be stiff- necked no longer” (Deuteronomy, 10: 16) “Circumcise yourselves to the Lord, and take away the foreskins of your hearts” (Jeremiah, 4: 4) “And the Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants, to love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live” (Deuteronomy, 30: 6) We can see that circumcision was not a doctrine also in the Old Testament; it was a symbol of surrendering our heart to God.

Even though Paul was respectful to the Jewish in relation to circumcision as a Jewish custom (Acts, 16: 3), he was not willing to accept it as a doctrine “even for an hour”. Are we running the risk of mixing up costums and doctrines? Are we able to distinguish between what things we must tolerate and what things we cannot accept “even for an hour”?

“But from those who seemed to be something-- whatever they were, it makes no difference to me; God shows personal favoritism to no man-- for those who seemed to be something added nothing to me. But on the contrary, when they saw that the gospel for the uncircumcised had been committed to me, as the gospel for the circumcised was to Peter (for He who worked effectively in Peter for the apostleship to the circumcised also worked effectively in me toward the Gentiles), and when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that had been given to me, they gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised. They desired only that we should remember the poor, the very thing which I also was eager to do” Galatians, 2: 6-10

When the doctrine Paul taught was compared to the one taught by James, Peter and John, it was very clear that all of them taught the same gospel. The apostles acknowledged that God had called Paul to preach the gospel to the Gentiles, just as He had called Peter to preach to the Jews. In both cases, the gospel was the same, but the way it was presented depended on the people the apostles were trying to reach. When each of us does our part according to the gifts the Holy Spirit wanted to give us, the Church grows and the Gospel is effectively preached all over the world.

“The Lord desires His chosen servants to learn how to unite together in harmonious effort. It may seem to some that the contrast between their gifts and the gifts of a fellow laborer is too great to allow them to unite in harmonious effort; but when they remember that there are varied minds to be reached, and that some will reject the truth as it is presented by one laborer, only to open their hearts to God’s truth as it is presented in a different manner by another laborer, they will hopefully endeavor to labor together in unity. Their talents, however diverse, may all be under the control of the same Spirit. E.G.W. (Evangelism, cp. 5, “Unity in diversity”, pg. 99) In every word and act, kindness and love will be revealed; and as each worker fills his appointed place faithfully, the prayer of Christ for the unity of His followers will be answered, and the world will know that these are His disciples”

“Now when Peter had come to Antioch, I withstood him to his face, because he was to be blamed; for before certain men came from James, he would eat with the Gentiles; but when they came, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing those who were of the circumcision. And the rest of the Jews also played the hypocrite with him, so that even Barnabas was carried away with their hypocrisy” Galatians, 2: 11-13

Peter had received a divine revelation; he wouldn’t have been able to come in a Gentile’s home without that vision (Acts, 10) “Then he said to them, "You know how unlawful it is for a Jewish man to keep company with or go to one of another nation. But God has shown me that I should not call any man common or unclean” (Acts, 10: 28) Since then, the barrier that separated Jewish and Gentiles was broken for Peter and the other disciples. Nevertheless... “if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall!” (1 Corinthians, 10: 12 NIV). Peter was afraid of being unpleasant to the Jewish that James had sent, so he pretended to separate from the Gentiles. He dragged some other believers with his hypocrisy. If he had kept acting like that, he would have driven the Church to a serious rupture between Jewish and Gentiles.

“But when I saw that they were not straightforward about the truth of the gospel, I said to Peter before them all, "If you, being a Jew, live in the manner of Gentiles and not as the Jews, why do you compel Gentiles to live as Jews?” Galatians, 2: 14

It was pretty clear that if the Gentile believers wanted to have friendship with Peter, they had to become Jewish and accept Jewish customs. That was a seemingly small problem, but its consequences could be enormously damaging to the Church if it wouldn’t be corrected in time. We must ask God constantly for the necessary wisdom to distinguish the traps that the Devil uses to split God’s Church nowadays. It was pretty clear that if the Gentile believers wanted to have friendship with Peter, they had to become Jewish and accept Jewish customs. That was a seemingly small problem, but its consequences could be enormously damaging to the Church if it wouldn’t be corrected in time. We must ask God constantly for the necessary wisdom to distinguish the traps that the Devil uses to split God’s Church nowadays. As Paul saw it, the problem was not that Peter had decided to eat with the visitors from Jerusalem. Ancient traditions about hospitality certainly would have required as much. The issue was “the truth of the gospel.” That is, it wasn’t just an issue of fellowship or dining practices. Peter’s actions, in a real sense, compromised the whole message of the gospel.

“No distinction on account of nationality, race, or caste, is recognized by God. He is the Maker of all mankind. All men are of one family by creation, and all are one through redemption. Christ came to demolish every wall of partition, to throw open E.G.W. (Prophets and Kings, cp. 31, pg. 369) every compartment of the temple courts, that every soul may have free access to God. His love is so broad, so deep, so full, that it penetrates everywhere. It lifts out of Satan’s influence those who have been deluded by his deceptions, and places them within reach of the throne of God, the throne encircled by the rainbow of promise. In Christ there is neither Jew nor Greek, bond nor free”