The terrorist and the fisherman
Gospel is expanding all over Judea and Samaria. A jewish guy named Saul of Tarsus is ready to go jehad on some Christian infidels (8:1; 9:1) and begins a rain of terror that is merciless. Yet, on a trip to Damascus the guy voted most likely to kill a Christian, becomes one. Proving the point that God loves irony and plots twists the likes not seen in even lifetime movies.
On that eventful road, Jesus appears to him, knocking him off his horse and blinds him. Jesus slapped him so hard the "S" in his name moved back three spaces. Jesus had Saul, now Paul's full attention. He commissions Paul to be an apostle to the nations (Acts 9; Gal. 1:15). He is taken to Damascus where he is healed and filled. After his little Damascus Pentecost, he takes a sabbatical in Arabia to think things over with the Holy Spirit (Acts 9:19, Gal. 1:16–18). After a little light travel, Paul makes a beeline for Jerusalem to tell the gospel revealed to him and get a short Jesus seminar from Peter and James (Acts 9:26–30; Gal. 1:18). He does some preaching around Jerusalem, some Jews plot to kill him so he exits stage right. Paul ends up laying low like an unemployed 30-something single man living in his mom's basement in Tarsus.
The First Development: More than just a Jewish religion
Meanwhile, as Paul was off by himself. Peter was running all over teaching and preaching and trying to keep the movement on track (9:32). He ended up in Joppa where he had a vision that he could have bacon with his kosher coffee. Peter's vision gave good reason for his love for pork chops and a sharp poke of conviction for his unwillingness to preach to Gentiles (Acts 10). The real point of the vision was to destroy any ethnocentric religion (Acts 10:28-29): to swing wide the door of the Gospel to the Gentiles. This was confirmed when the Holy Spirit was given to the house of Cornelius as Petter peaches the Gospel. So with a side of spareribs in hand he preaches to a house full of Romans and God goes all "Pentecost" on their tongues, filling them with His Spirit. God wanted to take the gospel to the nations, the gentile nations! Peter now sees that Israel's messiah is the world's savor and those ribs never tasted so sweet.
The first rumblings of controversy
Peter made a bee line to Jerusalem to tell everybody, little did he know the controversy his news would stir up. Once in Jerusalem Peter tells the church his news. A group of self-proclaimed teachers called the circumcision group, mostly made up of ex-priests who had been converted criticized him. (Acts 6:7, Acts 11:2-3). But when Peter told the that God has extended his Spirit as a conformation that the Gentiles can be saved, they reluctantly affirmed, with Peter that Gentiles can be saved. The conflict with the circumcision group was to be a foretaste of more conflict to come, for now Peter
I. Cornelius and Criticism
After the Gentile Pentecost at Cornelius' house (Acts 10). Peter defended what happened at Cornelius' house (Acts 11:1-18). When the church gathered to hear Peter's news, the circumcision groups was uncomfortable with gentile converts and criticized Peter for making himself "impure". The theological question on the table was, "Can the Gentiles be saved? Is salvation for the Gentiles or only the Jews?" Peter's vision and Cornelius' conversion answered the question, with an emphatic "Yes!"
Is the Good News also for the Gentiles or just for the Jews?
Answer: it has always been God's plan to make one people from all the nations. Yes salvation is for the Gentles. Jesus is the savor of the world not just one ethnic group.
Approaching sound of thunder: Growing conflict over gentile converts
Meanwhile in the far northern most tip of Israel, a city called Antioch, Gentile converts were already filling the church (Acts 11:19-21). Barnabas was sent to help with the multi-ethnic congregation. They had a good problem: way too many New Gentile Christians and not nearly enough able anointed well informed teachers. Barnabas needs help teaching all of them and remembers the wild eyed scholar down in tarsus. Instead of a help wanted add in the Antioch "Sentinel", Barnabas hopped a camel and convinced Paul to return with him to Antioch. Under Paul and Barnabas' ministry the Antioch church flourishes.
Opportunity, and infiltration
While teaching in Antioch, a prophetic word was given about a soon coming famine. The believers at Antioch saw this not as a time to lament the coming woe, but as an opportunity to prepare the storehouse like Joseph did in Egypt. They gathered a collection for the Jerusalem church so they could be ready as well. Paul, Barnabas and a young gentile named Titus, (we will the three P.B.T.) made a trip to Jerusalem, to give the love gift (Acts 11:27–30; Gal. 2:1–10). Paul also wanted to have a private meeting with leaders on the jewish openness to the gentile mission. As P.B.T was on the road to Jerusalem, a subversive and slavish evil slipped in the back door of Antioch. False brothers (Jewdisers), men claiming to be Christians, quietly infiltrate the Antioch church and began ground-level reconnaissance in preparation for full scale subterfuge (Gal 2:4-5).
Alliances and Allies in the Gospel
Around the same time in Jerusalem, Paul, Barnabas, James, Peter, and John have a private meeting. Private because Paul was still a wanted man in Jerusalem. Paul, having been a legalistic Jewish theologian/terrorist, could anticipate points of tension many Jews would have with his gospel and feared his work among the Gentiles would be would be in vain. He did not want to see Christ's church split in two, along racial lines. They compared notes and stories. Neither Paul nor the Jerusalem apostles had to change their gospel message, but they were fully in agreement, the gospel is good news: salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. (Gal 2:2, 6-7). They recognized the special anointing on Paul to minister to the Gentiles. They saw where God was moving in Paul's ministry like he did in Peter's Ministry (2:8). The Spirit's work was evident in the words, stories, and lives changed by the gospel. God was at work the only difference was the people groups. The men could not turn a blind eye to it, even as they met together the truth of it all, was confirming in their hearts.
In the end, They all agree. First, that guys like Titus don't need to get "sniped". (Gal 2:1-5). Second, The pillars of jerusalem, extended the Right hand of Fellowship because They agree with Paul's understanding of the Gospel (Gal. 2:9). They also affirm God's commission on Paul as the apostle to the Gentiles. This means he has their informal blessing, apparently with the implication that Gentiles would not be required to keep the Mosaic law (Gal 2:6-10). They did make one request of him; that he remember the poor. Paul from this point on seeks to organize collections for the poor. Somethings he was passionate about doing.
Trouble brewing in Antioch and Peter's dangerous hypocrisy
While still in Jerusalem the persecution under Agrippa begins, he kills James the brother of John (Acts 12:2) and imprisons Peter (Acts 12:3). The Church prayed (including P.B.T.), Peter is miraculously set free. Peter leaves Jerusalem for other places; Leaves church in James hands, made his way through Judea ending up in Antioch. (Acts 12:23, Gal 2:11-13). In Antioch, Peter enjoys fire chicken and fat back with the Gentile Christians and encouraging the Church in the Gospel. Not long after Peter arrived some men came from James encouraged Jewish Christians to eat separately and follow kosher dietary laws (a common practice among Jewish Christians in almost exclusively "Jewish" Jerusalem church). Peter decided to go with the flow, perhaps not realizing that his example would make the Gentile Christians feel like second-class citizens in the church unless they gave up their BBQ and followed Jewish dietary laws (Gal 2:12–14), maybe holidays and festivals (Gal 4:10).
So Peter began to exclusively hangs with his kosher peps and only eats with Jewish believers, in spite of his personal conviction and love of all things with a split hoof drowned in sauce. Peter's example led to other Jewish Christians separating from Gentile Christians. P.B.T. travel back to Antioch (Acts 12:25). Paul does not see Barnabas and Peter at the Wednesday night supper, "BBQ" night and started to wonder. He thinks something maybe wrong, soon he finds out the problem. Paul anticipates how Peter’s behavior threatened the gospel of justification by faith alone because it implied that all Christians had to “live like Jews” (2:14) in order to be justified before God.
Paul publicly rebuke Peter for his hypocrisy. Paul points out that even Jews were not saved by works of the law but by faith in Christ (Gal 2:11-16). A fundamental perspective with which Peter himself would have agreed (Acts 10:1-11:18). Peter's repentance sends shockwaves though Antioch and sends the "false brothers" heading for the hills. Peter returns to Jerusalem with new found conviction.
First missionary Journy
Paul and Barnabas continue ministering in Antioch with new found strength and the church matured into a dynamic community of Word and Spirit grounded in the gospel of grace. The confrontation did not lead to the church falling apart but strengthened their conviction in the gospel. At an appointed time, The Spirit of God called Paul and Barnabas to preach and plant church's in mordern day southern turkey then known as Galatia (southern Galatia). They set off on the first missionary journey, preaching the gospel, ministering in power and planting church's from town to town (Acts 13:4–14:26). They spent around 18 months on this first mission.
The letter to the Galatians and the justification controversy
After returning to Antioch Paul gets word some so called teachers (judaizers) had come in behind them trying to make the Gentiles jump through Jewish hoops clamming it was how they could be saved (acceptable before God)? The subversive element kicked out of Antioch laid low and followed in the footsteps of Paul sowing their false gospel of acceptance with God through Jesus plus the law. Paul wastes no time, he writes the letter of Galatians in response and sends it to the churches of southern Galatia. (cf. Acts 14:26–28). In it he argues that justification is received only by faith in Christ not by circumcision, nor any other work of the law. Paul writes in the hope that the letter will turn the church from this error and back to the truth. He is battling for the hearts and minds of God's people with only parchment and a pen to win them. Yet through the Spirit's inspiration flowing through his personality ink and divine authority would mingle and truth. In Galatians, Paul would some experience the truth he would write of in few years down the road when he said, "If God be for you, who can stand against you."
The Second development: The Jerusalem Council
In Antioch, more trouble makers cause the controversy to come to a head. (Acts 15:1-2) Paul and Barnabas return to Jerusalem for a grand showdown to settle the question "how do Gentiles become Christians?" At the Jerusalem Council, Peter, Paul and Barnabas give Testimony, with the assistance of James, make it clear Gentile believers do not need circumcision to be accepted into God's people, thus implying the only requirement is faith in Christ finished work that purifies the heart (Acts 15:3–29). The regeneration of the heart is the only requirement for salvation and acceptance into the people of God (Acts 15:9-10).
II. Jerusalem Counsel
The jerusalem counsel was convened to answer the theological question that rises from affirming that Gentiles can be Christians? It is a question of method. How do Gentiles experience justification by faith or ritual? How do Gentiles experience acceptable with god by faith or obedience to the Law?In short, How do Gentiles get saved? What makes one acceptable before God?(Acts 15:1). Implicate in the question is an ecclesiological question, What makes one a Christian? Or what makes one accepted into the people Of God?
How are the Gentles justified?
Answer: Gentles are saved by Faith alone. Justification is received only by faith in Christ. Peter said to the counsel that, God "made no distinction between us and them, having cleansed their hearts by faith.... we believe that we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they will."(Acts 15:9, 11) So, Salvation is by faith alone through grace alone in Christ alone. Add anything to that and its not gospel. It is all grace: for the regeneration of the heart is the only requirement for salvation and only way sinners are made acceptable before God and gain acceptance into the people of God. Faith alone in Christ finished work purifies the heart and justifies the sinner.
In Him
J. Dawson Jarrell
No comments:
Post a Comment