Commentary on the Epistle to the Galatians Part 5

VERSE 1. Then fourteen years after I went up again to Jerusalem.

Paul taught justification by faith in Christ Jesus, without the deeds of the Law. He reported this to the disciples at Antioch. Among the disciples were some that had been brought up in the ancient customs of the Jews. These rose against Paul in quick indignation, accusing him of propagating a gospel of lawlessness.

Great dissension followed. Paul and Barnabas stood up for the truth.

They testified: "Wherever we preached to the Gentiles, the Holy Ghost came upon those who received the Word. This happened everywhere. We preached not circ.u.mcision, we did not require observance of the Law. We preached faith in Jesus Christ. At our preaching of faith, G.o.d gave to the hearers the Holy Ghost." From this fact Paul and Barnabas inferred that the Holy Ghost approved the faith of the Gentiles without the Law and circ.u.mcision. If the faith of the Gentiles had not pleased the Holy Ghost, He would not have manifested His presence in the uncirc.u.mcised hearers of the Word.

Unconvinced, the Jews fiercely opposed Paul, a.s.serting that the Law ought to be kept and that the Gentiles ought to be circ.u.mcised, or else they could not be saved.

When we consider the obstinacy with which Romanists cling to their traditions, we can very well understand the zealous devotion of the Jews for the Law. After all, they had received the Law from G.o.d. We can understand how impossible it was for recent converts from Judaism suddenly to break with the Law. For that matter, G.o.d did bear with them, as He bore with the infirmity of Israel when the people halted between two religions. Was not G.o.d patient with us also while we were blindfolded by the papacy? G.o.d is longsuffering and full of mercy. But we dare not abuse the patience of the Lord. We dare no longer continue in error now that the truth has been revealed in the Gospel. The opponents of Paul had his own example to prefer against him. Paul had circ.u.mcised Timothy. Paul defended his action on the ground that he had circ.u.mcised Timothy, not from compulsion, but from Christian love, lest the weak in faith should be offended. His opponents would not accept Paul's explanation.

When Paul saw that the quarrel was getting out of hand he obeyed the direction of G.o.d and left for Jerusalem, there to confer with the other apostles. He did this not for his own sake, but for the sake of the people.

VERSE 1. With Barnabas, and took t.i.tus with me also.

Paul chose two witnesses, Barnabas and t.i.tus. Barnabas had been Paul's preaching companion to the Gentiles. Barnabas was an eye-witness of the fact that the Holy Ghost had come upon the Gentiles in response to the simple preaching of faith in Jesus Christ. Barnabas stuck to Paul on this point, that it was not necessary for the Gentiles to be bothered with the Law as long as they believed in Christ.

t.i.tus was superintendent of the churches in Crete, having been placed in charge of the churches by Paul. t.i.tus was a former Gentile.

VERSE 2. And I went up by revelation.

If G.o.d had not ordered Paul to Jerusalem, Paul would never have gone there.

VERSE 2. And communicated unto them that gospel.

After an absence of fourteen years, respectively eighteen years, Paul returned to Jerusalem to confer with the other apostles.

VERSE 2. Which I preach among the Gentiles.

Among the Jews Paul allowed Law and circ.u.mcision to stand for the time being. So did all the apostles. Nevertheless Paul held fast to the liberty of the Gospel. On one occasion he said to the Jews: "Through this man (Christ) is preached unto you forgiveness of sins; and by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses." (Acts 13:39.) Always remembering the weak, Paul did not insist that they break at once with the Law.

Paul admits that he conferred with the apostles concerning his Gospel.

But he denies that the conference benefited or taught him anything. The fact is he resisted those who wanted to force the practice of the Law upon the Gentiles. They did not overcome him, he overcame them. "Your false apostles lie, when they say that I circ.u.mcised Timothy, shaved my head in Cenchrea, and went up to Jerusalem, at the request of the apostles. I went to Jerusalem at the request of G.o.d. What is more, I won the indors.e.m.e.nt of the apostles. My opponents lost out."

The matter upon which the apostles deliberated in conference was this: Is the observance of the Law requisite unto justification? Paul answered: "I have preached faith in Christ to the Gentiles, and not the Law. If the Jews want to keep the Law and be circ.u.mcised, very well, as long as they do so from a right motive."

VERSE 2. But privately to them which were of reputation.

This is to say, "I conferred not only with the brethren, but with the leaders among them."

VERSE 2. Lest by any means I should run, or had run, in vain.

Not that Paul himself ever thought he had run in vain. However, many did think that Paul had preached the Gospel in vain, because he kept the Gentiles free from the yoke of the Law. The opinion that obedience to the Law was mandatory unto salvation was gaining ground. Paul meant to remedy this evil. By this conference he hoped to establish the ident.i.ty of his Gospel with that of the other apostles, to stop the talk of his opponents that he had been running around in vain.

VERSE 3. But neither t.i.tus, who was with me, being a Greek, was compelled to be circ.u.mcised.

The word "compelled" acquaints us with the outcome of the conference.

It was resolved that the Gentiles should not be compelled to be circ.u.mcised.

Paul did not condemn circ.u.mcision in itself. Neither by word nor deed did he ever inveigh against circ.u.mcision. But he did protest against circ.u.mcision being made a condition for salvation. He cited the case of the Fathers. "The fathers were not justified by circ.u.mcision. It was to them a sign and seal of righteousness. They looked upon circ.u.mcision as a confession of their faith."

The believing Jews, however, could not get it through their heads that circ.u.mcision was not necessary for salvation. They were encouraged in their wrong att.i.tude by the false apostles. The result was that the people were up in arms against Paul and his doctrine.

Paul did not condemn circ.u.mcision as if it were a sin to receive it.

But he insisted, and the conference upheld him, that circ.u.mcision had no bearing upon salvation and was therefore not to be forced upon the Gentiles. The conference agreed that the Jews should be permitted to keep their ancient customs for the time being, so long as they did not regard those customs as conveying G.o.d's justification of the sinner.

The false apostles were dissatisfied with the verdict of the conference.

They did not want to rest circ.u.mcision and the practice of the Law in Christian liberty. They insisted that circ.u.mcision was obligatory unto salvation.

As the opponents of Paul, so our own adversaries [Luther's, the enemies of the Reformation] contend that the traditions of the Fathers dare not be neglected without loss of salvation. Our opponents will not agree with us on anything. They defend their blasphemies. They go as far to enforce them with the sword.

Paul's victory was complete. t.i.tus, who was with Paul, was not compelled to be circ.u.mcised, although he stood in the midst of the apostles when this question of circ.u.mcision was debated. This was a blow to the false apostles. With the living fact that t.i.tus was not compelled to be circ.u.mcised Paul was able to squelch his adversaries.

VERSES 4,5. And that because of false brethren unawares brought in, who came in privily to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage: To whom we gave place by subjection, no, not for an hour; that the truth of the gospel might continue with you.

Paul here explains his motive for going up to Jerusalem. He did not go to Jerusalem to be instructed or confirmed in his Gospel by the other apostles. He went to Jerusalem in order to preserve the true Gospel for the Galatian churches and for all the churches of the Gentiles.

When Paul speaks of the truth of the Gospel he implies by contrast a false gospel. The false apostles also had a gospel, but it was an untrue gospel. "In holding out against them," says Paul, "I conserved the truth of the pure Gospel."

Now the true Gospel has it that we are justified by faith alone, without the deeds of the Law. The false gospel has it that we are justified by faith, but not without the deeds of the Law. The false apostles preached a conditional gospel.

So do the papists. They admit that faith is the foundation of salvation.

But they add the conditional clause that faith can save only when it is furnished with good works. This is wrong. The true Gospel declares that good works are the embellishment of faith, but that faith itself is the gift and work of G.o.d in our hearts. Faith is able to justify, because it apprehends Christ, the Redeemer.

Human reason can think only in terms of the Law. It mumbles: "This I have done, this I have not done." But faith looks to Jesus Christ, the Son of G.o.d, given into death for the sins of the whole world. To turn one's eyes away from Jesus means to turn them to the Law.

True faith lays hold of Christ and leans on Him alone. Our opponents cannot understand this. In their blindness they cast away the precious pearl, Christ, and hang onto their stubborn works. They have no idea what faith is. How can they teach faith to others?

Not satisfied with teaching an untrue gospel, the false apostles tried to entangle Paul. "They went about," says Paul, "to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage."

When Paul saw through their scheme, he attacked the false apostles. He says, "We did not let go of the liberty which we have in Christ Jesus.

We routed them by the judgment of the apostles, and we would not give in to them, no, not an inch."

We too were willing to make all kinds of concessions to the papists.

Yes, we are willing to offer them more than we should. But we will not give up the liberty of conscience which we have in Christ Jesus. We refuse to have our conscience bound by any work or law, so that by doing this or that we should be righteous, or leaving this or that undone we should be d.a.m.ned.

Since our opponents will not let it stand that only faith in Christ justifies, we will not yield to them. On the question of justification we must remain adamant, or else we shall lose the truth of the Gospel.

It is a matter of life and death. It involves the death of the Son of G.o.d, who died for the sins of the world. If we surrender faith in Christ, as the only thing that can justify us, the death and resurrection of Jesus are without meaning; that Christ is the Savior of the world would be a myth. G.o.d would be a liar, because He would not have fulfilled His promises. Our stubbornness is right, because we want to preserve the liberty which we have in Christ. Only by preserving our liberty shall we be able to retain the truth of the Gospel inviolate.

Some will object that the Law is divine and holy. Let it be divine and holy. The Law has no right to tell me that I must be justified by it.

The Law has the right to tell me that I should love G.o.d and my neighbor, that I should live in chast.i.ty, temperance, patience, etc. The Law has no right to tell me how I may be delivered from sin, death, and h.e.l.l. It is the Gospel's business to tell me that. I must listen to the Gospel.