"Paul's Gospel" pt. 4

"But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by His grace, TO reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood:" Galatians 1:15-16

God the Father, the Almighty Creator of both heaven and earth through Christ by the Cross, saved the apostle Paul on the road to Damascus, by His grace. God separated him from his mother's womb. When Paul says that he is not referring to his physical mother and her physical womb. Paul in the context described the Jews' religion and the tradition of "my fathers", he calls it. It is that religion and tradition that is his mother's womb. Paul received his nourishment from that religion, and grew up in those traditions. Paul is saying that God separated him from that, but not for any reason, but "to reveal His Son in me,". God chose the apostle Paul, saved him by His grace and in return separated him from his Jews' religion, in order to reveal Christ in Paul. The ultimate purpose is in the rest of verse 16, "that I might preach Him (Christ) among the heathen;". How awesome!!! God chose the apostle Paul, separated him from what God had been doing in time past and did not send Paul to preach Christ to the Jews only, whom God had been dealing with since Genesis 17, roughly, but sent him to the heathen. The heathen God gave up in Genesis to a reprobate mind (Rom. 1). Quickly, look at Paul's response when God did this, "immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood:". Paul did not confer with anyone, to see if what God showed him was really what God was doing. Why if God gave Paul the same apostleship, gospel, and ministry to him as God did Peter, would he not confer with flesh and blood? Why would he hide that? Well, Paul knew something that most don't today that what God sent him to do and that the gospel, apostleship, and ministry given to him were and still are unique and would not be understood right away. God changed the program.

Unfortunately, those in Christendom who listen and see the unique gospel, apostleship, and ministry of the apostle Paul have the same response as Paul does. They are afraid of the religious, legalistic intimidation. They flex their scholarly muscles and proclaim God has been doing one thing throughout all of history and don't even think, because their religion, tradition, and theology won't allow it, that God had and has a two-fold purpose in Christ. In return, they are caught in magnifying themselves and their own religion instead of God's manifold wisdom in Christ described clearly in His Word. May God be true and every man a liar, the Word of God is not bound by Christians scholarly attempts of theology. May we be certified in Paul's apostleship, gospel, and ministry (Gal. 1:11).

It would be 3 years before Paul would confer with flesh and blood. Notice what he says in verse 17 of Gal. 1,
"Neither went I up to Jerusalem to them which were apostles before me; but I went into Arabia, and returned again unto Damascus."
Notice here two things. 1) Paul did not confer with flesh and blood, but more specifically he notes, not with those in Jerusalem. 2) Notice the apostles, the 12, are still in Jerusalem at this time as we studied out a couple days ago.

After 3 years Paul goes up to Jerusalem and only sees Peter and James (v. 19). Paul then leaves and does not go up to Jerusalem for another 14 YEARS!!! Paul had a distinct apostleship, gospel, and ministry. It was something separate from what God had been doing in time past. However, Paul goes up to Jerusalem again, 14 years later, and it is recorded in two places, Acts 15 and Galatians 2. Paul gives us inside information from that of Acts 15. Acts 15 is written by Luke and has a Jewish perspective, however Paul has the perspective us Gentiles need to understand of what happened in that council in Jerusalem. First, Paul went up by revelation (v. 2). In fact verse 2, "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, best by any means I should run, or had run, in vain." Paul communicated to them, "that gospel" that he preached to the Gentiles. Paul educated and shared with them what Christ had revealed to Paul, throughout those 17 years. Notice a few things in verses 1 and 2. Paul takes Barnabas and Titus with him. Why is this important?

Matthew 18, the context is trespassing against each other in that kingdom church, but Paul does this when he goes up to Jerusalem. Verse 15-20,
"Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. But if he will not hear thee, THEN TAKE THEE ONE OR TWO MORE, THAT IN THE MOUTH OF TWO OR THREE WITNESSES EVERY WORD MAY BE ESTABLISHED. And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church (kingdom church): but if he neglect to hear the church let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican. Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching ANY THING that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them."

Do you notice the same pattern in Galatians? Paul goes up the first time after 3 years to Peter (the rock) whom Christ gave authority over His kingdom church, little flock. That occasion was the first time Peter heard "that gospel", also James. However, it needed to be communicated to the whole council, the whole church. So Paul, brings with him "two or three" more people Barnabas and Titus with him, so that what he is doing and the word, gospel, apostleship, and ministry of Paul may be established. Paul does not bring two or three more people for his sake, but for the Jewish apostles sake, that Paul by "two or three" witnesses may show that God changed the program. Paul is NOT going up to Jerusalem to confirm that they are preaching the same gospel, no not at all. Paul is going up to the Jerusalem council to communicate "that gospel", not the gospel of the kingdom, not the gospel of the circumcision, but the gospel of the uncircumcision, the gospel of the grace of God. Quickly note, in Matthew, the passage above, that if the men neglect or go against the kingdom church they are but like a "heathen man".
Paul goes up with Barnabas and Titus, who was a Greek and he was not compelled to be circumcised. This ought to catch your attention, Galatians 2:3. What are the Jewish apostles do to? He can't be unto them a "heathen man", he already is a Gentile. Do you see what is happening? "That gospel" that Paul preached is distinct. It is something totally new from what God had been doing with, Jews, the circumcision, and Israel, but also something totally different from what He will do with them in the future, and the Gentiles through them. Titus is already a Gentile, a Greek, and he is not compelled to be circumcised and become a Jew. Why? This was what God had been doing all along, dealing only with the circumcision and others Gentiles through them. NO, God started something new and by God's grace Paul, Titus, and Barnabas testified of the liberty that they have in Christ. They testified that they need not be circumcised, or to circumcise anyone. They testified that they were not under the law. They testified that they although able ministers of the new testament that they were not under it, but having the same spirit. They "communicated unto them that gospel which I (Paul) preach among the Gentiles."

Lets finish Galatians 2:5-10,

To whom we gave place by subjection, no, not for an hour; that the truth of the gospel might continue with you. 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; (For He that wrought effectually in Peter to the apostleship of the circumcision, the same was mighty in me toward the Gentiles;) abd when James, Cephas, an 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. Only they would that we should remember the poor; the same which I also was forward to do."

There is so much here and we will not cover it all today, but will in the future. Paul went up to Jerusalem by revelation. God is orchestrating this. He goes up to communicate "that gospel", to share not that it is the same gospel, but that it is unique, distinct, unprophesied, and a mystery that Paul is revealing to all mankind. It speaks about the liberty that we can have in Christ, however, the 3 (James, Peter, and John) are compelling Titus to become circumcised. Titus is not compelled to, because he knows through the apostle Paul that God changed the program and he does not need to be circumcised in order to have spiritual access unto God, but that he now as a Gentile has that access because of the Cross. Paul does not give place to them even for an hour, to be subject unto that. Paul notes that they seemed to be somewhat in conference, but added nothing to me. Paul does not end there, he says, "contrariwise" Paul adds something to them. Paul is communicating "that gospel" of Jesus Christ "according to the revelation of the mystery." The mystery that God hid in Himself about His Son and through Israel's fall He would send salvation to the Gentiles apart from the nation Israel. And by two or three witnesses Paul, Titus, and Barnabas did not subject themselves unto the kingdom church, however they added to James, Cephas, and John as they "saw that the gospel of the uncircumcision was committed unto me (Paul), AS the gospel of the circumcision was unto Peter." Two different gospels (good news) of Christ, to two different people's. (For He (Christ) that wrought effectually in Peter to the apostleship of the circumcision, that same (Christ) was might in me toward the Gentiles;)", (v. 8). They PERCEIVED the grace that was given unto me (Paul), not the law, not the new covenant, but pure grace.

There is only one gospel today that saves, that is the gospel of the grace of God, that by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone that He died for your sins, was buried, and rose again the third day, that one is saved. However, the Jerusalem council was a meeting that Paul was commanded to go in order to communicate "that gospel" and for the Jewish apostles to perceive the grace that was given to Paul. Also, for the Jewish apostles to see that it was Christ who is effectually working this in Paul as He effectually worked in Peter for the apostleship of the circumcision.

I pray today that we all recognize Paul's distinct, unique, and set apart gospel, apostleship, and ministry as did the Jewish apostles did, although it was hard for them to understand. I pray that we recognize, believe, and stand firm in God's manifold wisdom in Christ. I pray that we recognize, believe, and stand firm that God is not forming the Body of Christ to fulfill all His promises that He promised the nation of Israel, but that we are a part of the "one new man" "the church, which is His body", the Body of Christ. I pray that we walk worthy of our calling by which we are called, to walk worthy of our vocation, to make all men see the fellowship of the mystery, not the fellowship of Israel, but the mystery. To the intent that now unto principalities and powers might be known the manifold wisdom of God, by the church. What a calling we have!!!

Lastly, I want to quote 2 Peter 3:13-18,
"Nevertheless we (Jews), according to His (Gods and Christs) promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, where in dwelleth righteousness (fulfilled in revelation, not today). Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of Him in peace, without spot, and blameless. And account that the longs-suffering of our Lord is salvation; (their kingdom had not come, the wrath had not come, nor the new heavens and the new earth, Peter is telling them why) even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom (what wisdom, 1 Cor. 2, the hidden wisdom of God hid in a mystery) given unto him hath written unto you; as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood (because they are new and different from what God had been doing all along) which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction. Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own steadfastness. But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be glory both now and for ever. Amen."

It is evidently clear today under the umbrella of Christianity that many men unfortunately do not see the distinct, unique, and set apart gospel, apostleship, and ministry of the apostle Paul. In return they become men unaware, unlearned, and unstable resulting in "wrest"-ing the scriptures not only to others destruction, but "unto their own destruction". They become men unapproved of God not fully knowing that, because they have the approval of so many men. They may not be ashamed now, but will be when they reach the judgment seat of Christ, not losing salvation, but losing their reward as through fire, because their works are not built upon Paul's gospel, apostleship, and ministry who is our wise master builder (1 Cor. 3). May we build upon the foundation of Christ that Paul has laid as given instruction from Christ Himself from heaven's glory; and may we not build upon another man's foundation of Christ such as laid by Peter as given instruction from Christ during His earthly ministry to Israel. How vitally important it is to "rightly divide" the Scriptures. 2 Timothy 2:15, "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."

Next time we will quickly look at Galatians 2:10, "Only they would that we should remember the poor; the same which I also was forward to do." Were the Jewish apostles just telling them to remember the poor, because they thought they did not have to, because of their new liberty in Christ? Was this just a good work, a noble thing to do, to remember the poor? Who are these poor that is being talked about? Why was Paul and the Jewish apostles forward to remember them?

Until next time...
In Him,
Joshua Strelecki