Two Churches - One Gospel
Pastor Bill Nichols - September 20, 2009Introduction
Have you ever wondered why there are so many different kinds of churches? And did you ever wonder what was so different about them that made them unique from one another? How can we know which church is the right church with so many different churches and denominations, or can we?
The Apostle Paul stated:
Ephesians 4:4-6 (New King James Version)
"There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all."
And yet, the church through the ages has splintered into hundreds of denominations and independent churches, each one teaching their own set of doctrines and Christian practices. Is there something wrong with this picture? Not really, for if we look at Galatians chapter two, we see that the church was divided into two different distinct sects as early as the middle of the first century.
Galatians 2:1-10 (New International Version) emphasis on verses seven through nine.
"Fourteen years later I went up again to Jerusalem, this time with Barnabas. I took Titus along also. I went in response to a revelation and set before them the gospel that I preach among the Gentiles. But I did this privately to those who seemed to be leaders, for fear that I was running or had run my race in vain. Yet not even Titus, who was with me, was compelled to be circumcised, even though he was a Greek. This matter arose because some false brothers had infiltrated our ranks to spy on the freedom we have in Christ Jesus and to make us slaves. We did not give in to them for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel might remain with you.
"As for those who seemed to be important - whatever they were makes no difference to me; God does not judge by external appearance - those men added nothing to my message. On the contrary, they saw that I had been entrusted with the task of preaching the gospel to the Gentiles, just as Peter had been to the Jews. For God, who was at work in the ministry of Peter as an apostle to the Jews, was also at work in my ministry as an apostle to the Gentiles. James, Peter and John, those reputed to be pillars, gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship when they recognized the grace given to me. They agreed that we should go to the Gentiles, and they to the Jews. All they asked was that we should continue to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do."
I. Two Churches, One Gospel!
In chapter one we saw that Paul defended his apostleship to the churches in Galatia. In chapter two Paul defends his ministry to the Gentiles and states that it was a ministry that was sanctioned by the leaders of the Jewish church in Jerusalem.
Acts 15 records what is known today as the Jerusalem Council. This is what Paul is referring to in Galatians 2. Read with me from:
Acts 15:1-20 (NIV)
Some men came down from Judea to Antioch and were teaching the brothers: "Unless you are circumcised, according to the custom taught by Moses, you cannot be saved." This brought Paul and Barnabas into sharp dispute and debate with them. So Paul and Barnabas were appointed, along with some other believers, to go up to Jerusalem to see the apostles and elders about this question. The church sent them on their way, and as they traveled through Phoenicia and Samaria, they told how the Gentiles had been converted. This news made all the brothers very glad. When they came to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and the apostles and elders, to whom they reported everything God had done through them.
Then some of the believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees stood up and said, "The Gentiles must be circumcised and required to obey the law of Moses."
The apostles and elders met to consider this question. After much discussion, Peter got up and addressed them: "Brothers, you know that some time ago God made a choice among you that the Gentiles might hear from my lips the message of the gospel and believe. God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us. He made no distinction between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith. Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of the disciples a yoke that neither we nor our fathers have been able to bear? No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are."
The whole assembly became silent as they listened to Barnabas and Paul telling about the miraculous signs and wonders God had done among the Gentiles through them. When they finished, James spoke up: "Brothers, listen to me. Simon has described to us how God at first showed his concern by taking from the Gentiles a people for himself. The words of the prophets are in agreement with this, as it is written:
" 'After this I will return
and rebuild David's fallen tent.
Its ruins I will rebuild,
and I will restore it,
that the remnant of men may seek the Lord,
and all the Gentiles who bear my name,
says the Lord, who does these things'
that have been known for ages.
"It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God. Instead we should write to them, telling them to abstain from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled animals and from blood.
Paul went to Jerusalem, he reported to the church leaders about the gospel that he preached. It was received and approved by Peter, James, John, (the pillars of the church) and the other apostles and elders of the church.
But even Paul recognized that there was a distinction between his ministry to the Gentiles and Peter and the other apostles ministry to the Jews. Notice, I did not say that there was a distinction between the gospel, for the gospel was one and the same. But these two churches, the Jewish church and the Gentile church, practiced their new faith according to the habits and practices they were accustomed to. The Jews continued to be circumcised, and continued to follow the Law of Moses. They did not do this out of compulsion, they did not do this for salvation, but they did this in accordance with their many years of tradition. The Gentiles however, were free from the dictates of the Mosaic law and followed the law of Christ as it was revealed to them.
There was really only one thing that the Jerusalem Council required of Paul, that he remember the poor in Jerusalem by taking a collection from the Gentile churches and sending it to Jerusalem to help minister to the poor there.
I think that it is important today, as believers coming from many diverse religious backgrounds, that we too, respect the traditions of the churches we attend. If you attend a church that requires that the men wear a suit and tie and the ladies wear a dress, if you want to be a part of that church, then you should respect their rules. If you disagree, there are plenty of other churches that you can become a part of and you should probably seek a church that has a dress code that you are comfortable with. If you attend a church that preaches against something you find okay in your Christian liberty, then you should either abide by the teachings of that church, or find one that is in line with what you believe concerning that topic. Peter, James and John did not have a problem with the members of the Jewish church in Jerusalem being circumcised and obeying the Law of Moses. But they did not believe that it was necessary for salvation and they did not make it compulsory for the Gentile churches.
Last week I mentioned that some churches are very legalistic. In addition to accepting Jesus as Lord, they have a list of do's and do nots. Chapter two of Galatians helps us understand the difference between a perverted gospel and the real gospel. Just as the law was good and the Jews continued to practice it, some churches teach and preach that certain things can be bad or harmful to you. If in doing so, they claim that you must obey their rules in order to be saved, then they are preaching a different gospel than the one Paul preached.
If the pastor of a church today wants to preach on the negative effects of drinking, smoking, dancing, or whatever, that is fine, but he should do so, without inferring that they are sins that will cause a person to forfeit his salvation.
Can drinking cause a person to sin? Yes! Is smoking harmful to the body? Yes! Can dancing lead to sin? Of course!
Does the Bible call drinking sin? No! It says drunkenness is sin! Does the Bible call smoking sin? No, but science tells us that it can destroy the body which is the temple of God. Does the Bible say dancing is sin? Only once, and that was when it was in connection with worshiping the false gods of Egypt with a drunken orgy among the Israelites. As a matter of fact, Jesus used music and dancing in the Parable of the Prodigal son as a means of celebration on the return of the son.
I guess what I am trying to say, and what Paul is trying to say in Galatians is that we cannot make any of these things a test of salvation, for salvation comes by grace through faith in the Gospel, and not by any of these other issues.
II. Hypocrisy Denounced
As humans, we like to draw lines of black and white, sometimes for ourselves, and especially for others. We draw these lines, or make these rules based on beliefs we have acquired throughout our lives. Even so, we often have a difficult time in practicing those beliefs ourselves, much less requiring others to practice them. When we do so, we become what you would call a hypocrite. Paul dealt with this same issue with regards to the Apostle Peter. Please read Galatians 2:11-21
Peter was the first to take the Gospel to the Gentiles, to Cornelius and his household. In Acts 15, he argues along with Paul that Gentiles should not be subjected to the law of Moses and circumcision. Peter goes to Antioch and spends time with the Gentile believers. There he eats with them and he is not offended that they do not practice the Jewish customs. That is, until some men come from Jerusalem, sent by James who is the head of the Jerusalem church. Suddenly, Peter begins to gradually disassociate himself with the Gentile Christians, for fear of offending the Jewish Christians. He, and others, including Barnabas become hypocrites, preaching one thing and practicing another. And so Paul confronted Peter before all the other Jewish Christians. Read verse 14.
In verses 15 and 16 Paul argues that even as Jews, they have not been justified by keeping the law, but by their faith in Christ.
Paul continues to build on his argument in verse 20 when he states:
"I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me."
There is no mention of the law here. It is by grace through faith that Paul received salvation, as a Jew. It is by grace through faith that he preached salvation to the Gentiles. And if that is not enough, Paul reaches the climax of his argument in verse 21 where he proclaims:
"If righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain!
You cannot have it both ways. If you can receive salvation resulting in righteousness before God, through the law of Moses, then Jesus did not need to die on the cross on our behalf.
Conclusion
What I want you to understand this morning is that nowhere in Galatians chapters one and two does Paul waiver from the fact that the Gospel message cannot be changed. Salvation comes through faith in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ, not by keeping the law. We are called to be like Jesus Christ. Matthew 5:48 tells us that we are to be perfect, just as our Father in heaven is perfect. Jesus was tempted in all things even as we are, yet without sin. I do not know about you, but sometimes I blow it. Yeah, sometimes I sin. Fortunately we have an advocate with the Father to whom we can confess our sins and be cleansed from all unrighteousness. When we get to chapter five, Paul will give us advice on how to
"Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh."
The point that I believe Paul is trying to drive home, and the point that I want you to understand this morning, is that Salvation comes from obedience to the Gospel. That begins by accepting Jesus as Lord and Savior of your life.