Paul is resting from his journey and doing his taxes when someone knock on his door. It is a friend he made on his journey though Galatia. The friend looks relieved to see him but worried quickly washes over his face. Paul was protective of his young flocks, he had planted only a few months earlier (Acts 13:1–14:28) and this unexpected visitor makes him fear the worst. As they greet one another, Paul asks about the churches in Galatia. Paul motions for him to sit down, relax and goes to get him some water. As Paul returns, his friend lists the cities he traveled through. Paul only interrupts him to ask about various believers, naming many from memory as if they where his own family. "How is Alphios the tanner, the one Barnabas called rawhide." "What about Tullius of Iconium?" "How is Lois of Lystra? Now she knows her Torah!" "How about her daughter Eunice, is her marriage still solid? Greek men can be hard to deal with." Paul's care and concern was evident on his face and in every question.
The two laughed and shared stories into the night. Yet there was a sadness begins the man's eyes, an urgency in his voice that compelled Paul passed such nostalgia and on to more pressing matters. "So why are you really here?" Paul asked in a inviting voice. Sinking into his chair, he tells Paul the reason for his visit. His friend tells him that teachers had come in behind Him teaching things contrary to what was told them, even criticizing Paul's gospel as inadequate.
Paul asks, "Who are these men? And more importantly what exactly are they teaching?" The man begins "I have been to many of the church's, and the Testimony is the same in each of them." He goes on to describe in great detail what he knows.
At first many did not believe them. When we told them you were a good man, who was almost stoned to death for the sake of Christ. They did not disagree. One man, an Ex-Priest said he was sure, You believed in Jesus just like he believes in Jesus, that you loved Jesus like he loved Jesus but in your zeal you had forgotten wisdom. You abridged the authentic Gospel to make it more appealing to us, "God fearing" Gentiles. He told us Jesus was the messiah and he died for our sins just as you did, but then he added to be accepted by God we must become Jewish and live as a law-keeping community.
"Sounds like they want to impress the Jews and conform to roman law by making us look like a sect of Judaism and not the fulfillment of it." Paul realizes he is thinking out loud, "Sorry, please continue"
Ok, well - Paul, they told us your gospel was received from man, not from God. They clammed your Gospel was from Jerusalem given to you just before Agrippa's fury turned on the church. But because of your abridging of the message, it is their duty to give us the gospel that truly brings acceptance and surely bring us into the people of God.
They said, "Paul is preaching cheap grace, Grace without the law, acceptance from God without submission to God." They said, "Paul preaches a gospel that does not include the cost of Jerusalem and the law. Jesus may have died for us but becoming Jewish makes you part of God's people."
Another, kind of stout fellow said, "You preached a watered down gospel that did not make Gentiles count the cost of becoming a disciple of Christ. He clammed Circumcision is necessary for true conversion, and entry into the people of God. Which he said was measured by being circumcised and be disciplined to follow all the law. He said, only if we follow the law and get circumcised will God accept us. Jesus may have died for us but becoming Jewish makes you part of God's people.
Paul was mad but he held his composer as not to upset the man anymore than he was already. Yet, Paul's is visibly upset in the same way, a new father is when they hear the first cried of pain and panic coming from his newborn child. Paul reassures his friend that the Gospel he preached to them is the gospel of Jesus Christ. The good news of salvation in Christ alone, in whom we gain acceptance from God by faith alone, and through whom we participate as members of God's people. The Gospel, which God himself gave him by revelation. The gospel that was affirmed by Peter James and John not taught to him by them.
The two talk long into the night, Paul encouraged his friend in the Gospel then retired to think and pray. Paul thinks to himself, "sounds like the false brother that encouraged Peter's hypocrisy. It may be them, same false teaching, or maybe some of their disciples."
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Later in the silence of the night, Paul pulse quickened as he thought about their gospel and its implication. He deliberated with himself and to God, "They believed in the necessity of circumcision for conversion, and living as a law-keeping community to gains acceptance before God. Is their Gospel, Jesus plus Moses? If the law and circumcision are the means of sinners being granted access into God's people (the Jews) and if only God's people are accepted by God. Then they believe you have to become a Jew to be a Christian." In a moment it all became clear to him. If they believed in the necessity of circumcision for conversion, for entry into God's people. If they believed in the centrality of doing the works of the law for acceptance from God. Then they are Usurping the work of Christ and power of the Spirit by trusting in circumcision and the Law. Then Christ is made to be no longer sufficient for salvation. For them circumcision is needed for conversion and the law is necessary for acceptable because they don't fully trust Christ to save them. They are preaching a false Gospel.
He sits down in the dead of night and feverishly begin to writes. His words aimed at countering the false teachers teachings and clarifying his own position.
In Him
J. Dawson Jarrell
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