The Cross a Stumbling Block Part B

Outline:

A. Confidence in the LORD v 10

B. Confidence in the judgement of God 12

C. Confidence in the Message of the Lord 11

C. Confidence in the judgment of the Lord

Gal 5:10-12 “I have confidence in you in the Lord that you will adopt no other view; but the one who is disturbing you will bear his judgment, whoever he is. But I, brethren, if I still preach circumcision, why am I still persecuted? Then the stumbling block of the cross has been abolished. I wish that those who are troubling you would even mutilate themselves.”

Paul has identified the false teachers, those dogs, the mutilators of the flesh boasting in self effort and gain. The Judaizers the false missionaries from Judah who is forcing the Galatians to turn away from GRACE to the LAW these teachers will bear their judgement

will bear his judgment, whoever he is

Will bear his judgment, whoever he is - Paul is leaving the just judgment of the false teacher in the hands of God.

2 Cor 11:14 “No wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.”

2 Cor 11:15 “Therefore it is not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness, whose end will be according to their deeds.”

False teachers handed over the SATAN

1 Cor 5:5 “I have decided to deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of his flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.”

1 Tim 1:20 “Among these are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan, so that they will be taught not to blaspheme.” (said that the resurrection already taken place) 2 Tim 2:18 “men who have gone astray from the truth saying that the resurrection has already taken place, and they upset the faith of some.”

We can see from these verses that False teachers are handed over to Satan for leading God’s people astray. They are being handed over for the destruction of their flesh - so that if they were true believers and fell into error that they will receive the discipline of the Lord and repent.

False teacher judgment: Judgment of the angels and ancient world

(Matt. 18:6)"Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble," Jesus said, "it is better for him that a heavy millstone be hung around his neck, and that he be drowned in the depth of the sea"

Peter similarly described the fate of false teachers declaring...

2 Peter 2:2-3 “Many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of the truth will be maligned; and in their greed they will exploit you with false words; their judgment from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.”

2 Peter 2:9 “then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from temptation, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment for the day of judgment,”

Dictionary of Biblical Languages with Semantic Domains: Greek (New Testament) (3213 κρίσις)

3213 κρίσις (krisis), εως (eōs), ἡ (hē): n.fem.; ≡ DBLHebr 5477; Str 2920; TDNT 3.941—

1. LN 56.20 legal decision, judgment (Mt 10:15);

2. LN 56.22 authority to judge, right to decide a case (Jn 5:22);

3. LN 56.1 court of justice, place of determining guilt or innocence (Mt 5:21);

4. LN 56.24 verdict, sentence of judgment (Jn 5:30; 2Th 1:5);

5. LN 56.30 condemnation (Jas 5:12);

6. LN 56.25 justice, the administration of fairness (Mt 12:20);

7. LN 30.110 judgment, decision, evaluation, the content of a judgment (Jn 7:24);

8. LN 30.111 basis for judgment (Jn 3:19);

9. LN 38.1 punishment, imply guilt (Mt 23:33);

10. LN 56.32 ὑπὸ κρίσιν πίπτω (hypo krisin piptō), be condemned, formally, fall under judgment (Jas 5:12+)

We are confident in the Lord concerning His judgement in all things.

C. Confidence in the judgment of the Lord

Gal 5:12 “I wish that those who are troubling you would even mutilate themselves.”

Troubling

verb, present, active, participle, plural, nominative, masculine | attributive participle

Would - mutilate

verb, future, middle, indicative, third person, plural | finite verb

ESV Galatians 5:12 I wish those who unsettle you would emasculate themselves!

I wish that those who are troubling you would even mutilate themselves - If the Judaizer who advocated obeying the Law, were so in love of circumcision, they should go all the way and make eunuchs of themselves! This is a little like the law of sowing and reaping for spiritually, circumcision adds nothing to salvation and in fact takes away and "emasculates" spiritually speaking. So those who sowed a little leaven of circumcision should reap literal emasculation!

would even mutilate themselves.

Gal 1:7-9 “which is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed! As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed!”

Gal 1:8 “But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed!”

Gen 17:14 ““But an uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, that person shall be cut off from his people; he has broken My covenant.””

Ex 12:15 “‘Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, but on the first day you shall remove leaven from your houses; for whoever eats anything leavened from the first day until the seventh day, that person shall be cut off from Israel.”

Ex 30:33 “‘Whoever shall mix any like it or whoever puts any of it on a layman shall be cut off from his people.’ ””

Lev 22:3 ““Say to them, ‘If any man among all your descendants throughout your generations approaches the holy gifts which the sons of Israel dedicate to the Lord, while he has an uncleanness, that person shall be cut off from before Me; I am the Lord.”

Josh 7:12 ““Therefore the sons of Israel cannot stand before their enemies; they turn their backs before their enemies, for they have become accursed. I will not be with you anymore unless you destroy the things under the ban from your midst.”

Josh 7:25 “Joshua said, “Why have you troubled us? The Lord will trouble you this day.” And all Israel stoned them with stones; and they burned them with fire after they had stoned them with stones.”

John 9:34 “They answered him, “You were born entirely in sins, and are you teaching us?” So they put him out.”

Tit 3:10 “Reject a factious man after a first and second warning,”

Titus 3:8-10 “This is a trustworthy statement; and concerning these things I want you to speak confidently, so that those who have believed God will be careful to engage in good deeds. These things are good and profitable for men. But avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and strife and disputes about the Law, for they are unprofitable and worthless. Reject a factious man after a first and second warning,”

those who are troubling you : Ac 15:1,2,24

B. Confidence in the Message of the Lord v11

Gal 5:11 “But I, brethren, if I still preach circumcision, why am I still persecuted? Then the stumbling block of the cross has been abolished.”

I still preach

verb, present, active, indicative, first person, singular | finite verb

am I still persecuted

verb, present, passive, indicative, first person, singular | finite verb

has been abolished

verb, perfect, passive, indicative, third person, singular | finite verb

Amplified - But, brethren, if I still preach circumcision [as some accuse me of doing, as necessary to salvation], why am I still suffering persecution? In that case the cross has ceased to be a stumbling block and is made meaningless (done away).

if I still preach circumcision:

Gal 2:3 “But not even Titus, who was with me, though he was a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised.”

Acts 16:3 “Paul wanted this man to go with him; and he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those parts, for they all knew that his father was a Greek.”

False accusations

He was charged with preaching an easy gospel that would appeal to everyone. But if that was true, then Paul asks why he was being persecuted. Men-pleasing preachers who preach cheap and easy gospels don’t suffer any persecution, since everyone would like that message. But Paul suffered great persecutions because his gospel did not appeal to the religious nature of man (and especially the Jews), thus disproving the charge that Paul was nothing more than a man pleaser.

why am I still persecuted:

Gal 4:29 “But as at that time he who was born according to the flesh persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, so it is now also.”

Gal 6:12 “Those who desire to make a good showing in the flesh try to compel you to be circumcised, simply so that they will not be persecuted for the cross of Christ.”

Acts 21:21 “and they have been told about you, that you are teaching all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children nor to walk according to the customs.”

Acts 21:28 “crying out, “Men of Israel, come to our aid! This is the man who preaches to all men everywhere against our people and the Law and this place; and besides he has even brought Greeks into the temple and has defiled this holy place.””

1 Cor 15:30 “Why are we also in danger every hour?”

2 Cor 11:23-26 “Are they servants of Christ?—I speak as if insane—I more so; in far more labors, in far more imprisonments, beaten times without number, often in danger of death. Five times I received from the Jews thirty-nine lashes. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, a night and a day I have spent in the deep. I have been on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my countrymen, dangers from the Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers on the sea, dangers among false brethren;”

the stumbling block of the cross:

Isa 8:14 ““Then He shall become a sanctuary; But to both the houses of Israel, a stone to strike and a rock to stumble over, And a snare and a trap for the inhabitants of Jerusalem.”

Rom 9:32-33 “Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as though it were by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone, just as it is written, “Behold, I lay in Zion a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense, And he who believes in Him will not be disappointed.”” “Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as though it were by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone,”

1 Cor 1:18 “For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”

1 Cor 1:23 “but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block and to Gentiles foolishness,”

1 Pet 2:8-9 “and, “A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense”; for they stumble because they are disobedient to the word, and to this doom they were also appointed. But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;”

Then the stumbling block of the Cross has been abolished -

Why would the cross be a stumbling block?

"If I were no longer preaching salvation through the cross of Christ, no one would be offended." (NLT)

The gospel void of the cross means:

The Judaistic gospel brought no offence because everyone likes salvation by works.

It exalts man's role in his own salvation. And thus his religious pride is exalted

It minimizes God's work.

It strip man of all his religious works and maintain that salvation is all of grace and all of God

Man's religious pride has been punctured so he will naturally attack the gospel of grace that Paul preached.

What men hate about the gospel is that they have nothing to offer God, that Christ alone saves, and that we must come to the foot of the cross with nothing but our sins and come humbly.

The cross was a stumbling block to the Jews partly because they could not accept the idea of a suffering, much less crucified, Messiah. But it was even more an offense to them because it robbed them of their most distinctive outward signs of Jewishness, the Mosaic law and circumcision. If the cross obliterated even the true Judaism of the Old Covenant, how much more did it obliterate the false, man-made Judaism represented by the scribes, Pharisees, and Judaizers? the cross was a stumbling block to Jews primarily because it failed to require obedience to their ancestral laws. When they attacked Stephen, he observed, they did not charge him with worshiping Christ but with speaking "against the holy place, and the law" (Acts 6:13).Paul confessed that when he "used to persecute the church of God beyond measure, and tried to destroy it," he did so because he was "extremely zealous for [his] ancestral traditions" (Gal. 1:13-14). The Jews were scandalized by the cross because it nullified not only the Mosaic law but also their highly revered rabbinic traditions

Conclusion

We must keep this offence of the cross before our congregations at all times. If the message is not offensive then it is not the Gospel. It must be offensive to sinners (and even saints!) because the Gospel and its claims of discipleship naturally are in opposition to the natural mind. Men may want to be saved but only on their own terms. To accommodate this desire is compromising the Gospel, the sin the Judaizers were guilty of. They preached a popular message- work for it. Men like to work for their salvation. That message carries no offence and is thus not the Gospel. To suppose a cross without an offence is folly."