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From the Church on the Hill by D. Eric Williams Pastor, Cottonwood Community Church pastor@CottCommChurch.com Then after fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, and also took Titus with me (Galatians 2:1 NKJV). In keeping with the time-line introduced last week, it seems the Jerusalem journey Paul references was in response to events recorded in Acts 11:27-30. There we read, in these days prophets came from Jerusalem to Antioch. Then one of them, named Agabus, stood up and showed by the Spirit that there was going to be a great famine throughout all the world, which also happened in the days of Claudius Caesar. Then the disciples, each according to his ability, determined to send relief to the brethren dwelling in Judea. This they also did, and sent it to the elders by the hands of Barnabas and Saul (Acts 11:27-30 NKJV). This is the “revelation” that brought Paul to Jerusalem after a fourteen-year absence. The revelation of an impending famine prompted the trip to Jerusalem, where a “minority church” would be in need of help from outside the area (cf. Galatians 2:10). Now, the inclusion of Titus to the traveling party of Paul and Barnabas may have been something of a provocation. Already there were false brethren pushing to force Gentiles to be Jews in order to be saved. Perhaps Paul and Titus had discussed the idea of his coming along to Jerusalem to see if there would be a reaction. Thus, upon arriving in Jerusalem, Paul communicated the gospel he preached among the Gentiles. He did not do this to see if he needed to adjust his message. A primary concern of Paul was the family of God. The work of Christ had torn down the dividing wall and made one family of Jew and Greek. No longer were there clean and unclean people. As Paul states later in the letter, there is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus (Galatians 3:28 NKJV). If the Body of Christ is one, if all who are in Christ are heirs of Abraham, if those in Jesus are family, then they must be treated as such. Therefore, Paul was not about to adjust his teaching; he wanted to make sure there was no division. “Running in vain” would have been preaching the truth only to discover others were preaching a false gospel. The result would have been a splintering of the Church – a fracturing of the family. Paul was relieved to discover that “not even” Titus was pressured to be circumcised. He was a Christian – just as any Jew who followed Christ was a Christian. The Messianic Church, made up of people of every type, celebrating the new creation in Christ was a sign to the opposing powers. Indeed, God’s purpose in all this was to use the church to display his wisdom in its rich variety to all the unseen rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. This was his eternal plan, which he carried out through Jesus Christ our Lord (Ephesians 3:10-11, NLT). Division would render the message null and void. More on this in a couple weeks. |
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