Truth And Unity Text: Galatians 2:1-10 Series: No Other Gospel [Galatians, #4] Pastor Lyle L. Wahl October 16, 2011 Theme: When The Gospel Is Under Attack Unite Under Truth. Introduction This morning we are thinking about Truth And Unity. There is an inseparable and vital link and bond between real unity and truth. Unfortunately, a growing number of people in the church don t see this. Many Christians don t value truth or doctrine. If you want to see rolling or glazed-over eyes, or if you want to quickly clear a room, just mention doctrine, or even better, theology. That will do it! Some people think doctrine divides and so they say, Let s not focus on that. Rather, let s build unity on acceptance and working together. Scripture shows us that there is no real unity without truth. And yet the downward slide of the place of truth in the church has continued for a number of decades. In 1993 David Wells released the first in a five-volume series of books of his observations on the evangelical church. It was titled No Place For Truth Or Whatever Happened To Evangelical Theology? 1 His purpose was to explore why theology is disappearing. 2 Theology, doctrine, Biblical truth, he asserted, belongs first and foremost to the people of God, not scholars. 3 After teaching the first session of a class, a student said he appreciated the session because he had been petrified at having to take the course and struggled with whether it was right to spend so much money on a course that seemed so irrelevant to ministering to people in the church. 4 While that student saw the light, his initial thoughts and questions are shared by the majority of Christians in North America as we have, in Wells words, cheerfully plunged into astounding theological illiteracy. 5 Wells last book in the series appeared 15 years later, in 2008. In it he tells us, The truths of historic Protestantism are sometimes no more welcome in evangelicalism than they are in outside culture. 6 He observes, many evangelicals are indifferent to doctrine and may think doctrine is an impediment as we reach out to new generations. 7 So, what does this have to do with Galatians 2:1-10? A great deal. These verses tell us what God moved Paul and then Peter and others to do when the gospel, the truth was under attack. We have heard Paul condemn the false gospel and teachers that had wormed their way into the churches of Galatia preaching that salvation required works specifically, keeping the Jewish Law, including circumcision. They were preaching the same heresy that Luke cites in Acts 15, Some men came down [to Antioch] from Judea and began teaching the brethren, Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved (1). The false teachers infiltrating the Galatian churches apparently also came from
Jerusalem. They appeared to have been claiming they were representing Peter and the other apostles and leaders there. They attacked Paul s presentation of the gospel as being incomplete, distorted, and inaccurate. These ten verses give us a glimpse into how God defended His gospel and the role of Paul, Peter and others in doing that. We will look at what unfolded here and then at the principles that God has for us. The bottom line is that when the gospel is under attack we are to unite under truth. Paul s Mission To Jerusalem. God set Paul on a mission. Paul tells us it was after an interval of fourteen years that is, either from his conversion or his first trip to Jerusalem after his conversion, which is noted in 1:18. This trip occurred after Paul had been preaching the gospel and establishing churches for a considerable period of time. The first thing to note is the reason for this mission to Jerusalem. Look at verse 4, But it was because of the false brethren secretly brought in, who had sneaked in to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, in order to bring us into bondage. But we did not yield in subjection to them for even an hour, so that the truth of the gospel would remain with you (4-5). This entire section makes it clear that it was the same false gospel, the same kind of false teachers that were now plaguing the churches of Galatia. He tells us in verse 3 that the church in Jerusalem did not compel his Gentile associate Titus to be circumcised. Verses 7-10 tell us that God directed Peter to minister the gospel mainly to Jews, while He directed Paul to minister the same gospel mainly to Gentiles. Depending on how we date these events, this trip is referenced either in Acts chapter 11 or chapter 15. Neither option changes the central issues and truth. I think it refers to the trip in Acts 11. The reason for this trip was the great danger the false teachers were posing to the work of the gospel in Antioch and beyond, to individual believers and churches. Paul clarifies his motivation for making this trip. It was not to assert himself or his position. It was not because he had been away from Jerusalem for so long, and now eagerly wanted to visit there again. It was not from any personal motive. Look at verse 2, It was because of a revelation that I went up. We know that God brought Paul to faith by Christ revealing Himself to him, as recorded in three times in the book of Acts, chapters 9, 22 and 26. We know that Christ revealed and taught the truth of the gospel directly to him, as noted here in Galatians 1:12. God sent him to Jerusalem. And so we come to the meeting itself, the direct, personal approach and discussion between Paul, Peter and other leaders. Still in verse 2 Paul tells us, 2
I submitted to them the gospel which I preach among the Gentiles, but I did so in private to those who were of reputation, for fear that I might be running, or had run, in vain. The English Standard and New International Versions render that phrase set before them. The term does not mean to present something to a higher authority for a ruling, but simply to place before. So it basically means to state, or to tell. Paul did not go to Jerusalem to have the apostles there rule on his doctrine. He talked with these leaders personally and privately. Why? The party of the circumcision (2:12) was always around and, verse 4 tells us, false believers secretly snuck into the fellowship. Paul was seeking a united front, a united declaration of what the gospel is and is not. He was not directed by God to go there and start a free-for-all debate with false teachers. God directed, and Paul followed, so that Paul would not be running in vain. What does that mean? Paul never expressed doubt about the accuracy or the power of the gospel he preached. Again, he was converted through Christ revealing Himself and declaring the truth to him. He was taught the gospel by a revelation of Christ, as we saw in back in 1:12. Paul s fear was that if there was not a clear statement from all the church leaders about what the gospel is and is not, the false teachers would bring greater and growing confusion among Jews and Gentiles alike, that he would not see the large numbers of people coming to Christ as he had seen, and that those who did come to faith could be sidetracked by the false message. So, how did all this go? What was the outcome? When Paul was in Jerusalem and some suggested that salvation came through the gospel plus the Law, he did not yield in subjection to them for even an hour, that is not at all, not even a moment (5). He did not accommodate their false views, nor did he keep quiet as if it were a secondary doctrine rather than the primary doctrine it is. Paul, Barnabas and all the leaders in Jerusalem knew they had the same gospel, the same grace from God working in and through them those who, like Peter, ministered primarily to Jews and those who, like Paul, ministered primarily to Gentiles. So Paul reports in verse 9 that James, Cephas (Peter) and John gave him and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, endorsing them as brothers and their ministry to the Gentiles. The Jerusalem church also asked Paul and Barnabas to remember the poor (10). In addition to famine, the Jewish church in Jerusalem and all Judea suffered because they were by and large disowned by the non-believing Jews. Paul and Barnabas had brought a contribution from the believers in Antioch for the relief of the church in Judea on the trip recorded in Acts 11. The outcome? The church was united. They had unity based on the truth of the gospel. That gave them a united position, a united front with which to refute the false teachers. When the gospel is under attack unite under truth. 3
God s Principles For Us. God gave us this paragraph for our instruction, not just a history lesson. There are a number of principles for us here. This morning let s consider four. First, the gospel is a hill worth dying on. Ancient and contemporary military commanders have known the value of controlling high ground in a battle. So the question has often been asked, in one way or another, Is that hill worth dying on? Is it worth dying for? In the spring of 1969 U.S. forces mounted a direct frontal assault on an approximately 900 meter or 3,000 ft. high mountain in Vietnam labelled Hill 937 on their maps. The hill had rugged terrain, was covered with a canopy jungle with dense bamboo and elephant grass. It had little strategic value in the war. The U.S. reported its loses in the difficult battle to take the hill as 72 killed and 372 wounded. They also estimated 630 of the enemy had been killed. The U.S. quietly abandoned the hill about two weeks after it was taken. There was wide ranging debate and a review of U.S. strategy in light of the battle for Hill 937, which became known as Hamburger Hill. 8 In Galatians we are talking about primary, not secondary truth. All Biblical truth or doctrine is important. All of it is essential in that it all of it is part of God s revealed truth. But some is secondary, meaning, it does not have to be believed for one to be saved; it is not the heart and soul, the substance and essence of true faith. And so, it is not worth dying on the hill, for example, of how we do baptism or communion; how we do evangelism; how we see the events of Christ s second coming; how we conduct our worship services. The gospel, on the other hand, is primary truth. The gospel is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, 9 and without which no one is, no one can be saved. It is truth which is the heart and soul, the substance and essence of true faith. It is truth that demands zero tolerance of any and all distortions and corruptions. Truth that is worth, demands standing for, dying for. Paul did not yield, he did not give the faintest ray of hope to false teaching, but clearly stood against it and pronounced God s judgment on it 10 while he proclaimed the true gospel. He warned the elders from Ephesus about false teachers whom he described as savage wolves who would come to ravage their flock of believers. 11 The believers in Philippi were to keep standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel and not to be alarmed at those who would oppose them, but to accept God s gift of suffering for Christ as well as His gift of salvation in Christ. 12 The gospel is a hill worth dying on. We must stand firm in spite of so many who have so little tolerance or time for certain truth, being intoxicated by acceptance, by pleasing people, by success. We need to boldly take our stand for the faith which was once for all handed down to us in the Scriptures. 13 We can stand with those of earlier generations such as Martin Luther who, when he was on trial for declaring the gospel, is reported to have said Here I stand, I cannot do otherwise. 14 4
Then, like Paul and Peter, we should be actively and always building unity based on the truth. Remember, Paul did not give the slightest consideration to building unity with those who held a false gospel. The principle comes from Jesus Himself. When He prayed for the disciples and us before His arrest and crucifixion, He asked the Father to keep us in His name, that we may be one even as He and the Father are. 15 That s unity. He said He had given the disciples the Father s word. 16 And He prayed, Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth. 17 True unity and holiness are based and built on truth. Ephesians chapter 4 opens with Paul imploring believers to walk worthy of our calling. He lists some of the qualities which are part of that worthy walk. He reminds us that we are to be one, that the church is only one body. And he tells us to be diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace (3). God creates unity between all believers when we are saved based on the truth of the gospel. We are to be diligent to preserve that unity, and we can only do that in the truth relying on God. God even structures Christ s church to help us do this. Later in the same chapter Paul tells us, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ, from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love. (15-16) True unity is built on much more than people feeling or thinking the same way. True unity is never experienced by papering over falsehoods, conflicts or sins with nice smiles and super-sized wishes. So in every place, in every situation and relationship in the home, at school, work and the community (and, yes, with non-believers as well as believers), and in the church, actively, always be building unity based on truth. Paul in this mission to Jerusalem also displays God s heart and expectation that we handle issues directly and appropriately. Jesus said that when a fellow believer sins, go to him in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother. 18 This is God s way handle it directly, handle it personally. Dealing with those who preach a false gospel certainly fits here. But the principle should also be applied to all conflicts and disagreements. Paul dealt directly with false teachers and refuted them. We will see next time, as Pastor Tyler takes us through the second part of this chapter, that Paul confronted Peter when he lapsed into hypocrisy. His meeting with Peter and the other leaders in Jerusalem also was done in a direct and appropriate manner. The false teachers were Jews from Jerusalem who directly or indirectly gave the impression that their gospel, a gospel of Christ plus works was from Peter, James and John. So Paul talked with these leaders privately to make sure they understood this and his concerns so that all of them as leaders could support the truth together. Sometimes I laugh, many other times I cry when I see and hear the thoughts and results of people not doing this. One time when I led some people through making a difficult 5
decision was like that. They all said they were on the same page. Then I began to hear, not directly of course, that some weren t happy with the direction and they had all sorts of reasons for me leading them in this. Some of the suggested reasons were hilarious, while others preposterous. None of them were accurate, and it was a lengthy list that is just the ones I heard, second hand of course. The end result of the process was not what it could have been or, in both action and relationships, what it should have been. That is the way it is when we don t do it God s way. So if you ever think, He won t listen to me. Or, It s too hard, I can t talk to her. Stop! Then do it God s way: speak the truth personally in love. Preserve the unity of the Holy Spirit in the bond of peace based on the truth. Finally, always remember that there is one, only one gospel but there are many gifts, callings, methods and personalities. Paul and Peter are great examples of this. They were united in the gospel. They had great differences in their personalities and ministries. They affirmed and blessed each other in their very different scopes of ministry. In 1 Corinthians 12 Paul tells us the church is one body with many different members. He paints word pictures of feet, hands, ears, eyes, the senses of hearing and smell. If you could be just one part of your body, what part would it be? What part would you definitely not want to be? Whether you like the looks, personalities, type or methods of ministry of another believer or not, does not change the reality that you both are parts of the one body of Christ. Both of you are valuable and needed. Both of you are given grace and strength by God to build up the church and glorify Him. Sadly, sinfully, there are some individuals and even churches that have the single focus of finding and fighting the faults they see in others. I saw that when I was at a large conference of pastors in the States for several days some years ago. Every day there they were a small church group protesting with their signs saying we were wrong and condemned. Why? Because we were attending this conference of evangelical pastors. Closer to home, there are some methods and models of ministries you and I might not like. We may even think they think they are not the best. But as long as they are built on the true gospel and carried out in line with the truth of Scripture, we should praise God for what He accomplishes in and through them. They are not our competitors and certainly not our enemies. Always remember that there is one gospel but there are many gifts, callings, methods and personalities. Conclusion. Truth and unity are inseparably and vitally linked, bonded together. True unity is preserved by embracing God s truth and repudiating false teaching. When the gospel is under attack unite under truth. 6
Is David Wells correct? Is the interest in theology, doctrine, Biblical truth disappearing from the landscape of the evangelical church? 19 Has the church cheerfully plunged into astounding theological illiteracy. 20 The more I hear and read, the more, sadly, I don t think that he is too pessimistic. In the next moments with God, thank Him for His truth and unity. Commit to champion God s truth. To live it positively, to share and teach it enthusiastically. Commit to be diligent to preserve the unity God has created. And commit that when the gospel, when truth that is primary, truth that is part of the heart, soul and essence of the faith is under attack, to unite under the truth. Do that now. 1 David F. Wells. No Place For Truth Or Whatever Happened to Evangelical Theology? Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1983. 2 Wells, No Place For Truth, page 12. 3 Wells, No Place For Truth, page 5. 4 Wells, No Place For Truth, page 4. 5 Wells, No Place For Truth, page 4. 6 David F. Wells. The Courage to Be Protestant Truth-lovers, Marketers, and Emergents in the Postmodern World. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2008, page 1. 7 Wells, The Courage to Be Protestant, page 3. 8 Battle of Hamburger Hill. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/battle_of_ Hamburger_Hill>. Last modified 01 September, 2011. Accessed 13 October 2011. 9 Romans 1:16. 10 cf. Galatians 2:5; 1:6-9. 11 Acts 20:28-30. 12 Philippians 1:27-30. 13 Jude 1:3. 14 Roland H. Bainton. Here I Stand: A Life Of Martyn Luther. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 2009, page 180. 15 John 17:11. 16 John 17:14. 7
17 John 17:17. 18 Matthew 18:15. 19 Wells, No Place For Truth, page 12. 20 Wells, No Place For Truth, page 4. 2011 Lyle L. Wahl Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE, Copyright 1960, 1962, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. 8