He Did Eat with the Gentiles

Bible Reading

Passage today is in Galatians 2.

Chapter One - Paul gives a defense against attacks leveled by false teachers

Chapter Two - Paul is still in the process of defending his authority, but his focus is shifting

Galatians 2:1“1 Then fourteen years after I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, and took Titus with me also.”

Contention: Some Christians from a Jewish background said that Gentiles could indeed be saved, if they made themselves Jews first and brought themselves under the Law of Moses.

A pivotal discussion emerges concerning liberty . v4.

He isn’t going to allow them to put them back in bondage for an hour. v.5

Wendell Phillips said that at a Massachusetts antislavery meeting in 1852, but its sentiment is valid today—not only in the realm of the political, but even more so in the realm of the spiritual. “Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty!”

This passage underscores a critical Gospel issue.

To have the proper context of the passage and story you need to know what happened in the Jersualem Council.

Acts 15:1–12 (KJV)

1 And certain men which came down from Judaea taught the brethren, and said, Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved.

2 When therefore Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and disputation with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas, and certain other of them, should go up to Jerusalem unto the apostles and elders about this question.

3 And being brought on their way by the church, they passed through Phenice and Samaria, declaring the conversion of the Gentiles: and they caused great joy unto all the brethren. — People love testimonies of people different than them coming to Christ as long as it is in a different place.

4 And when they were come to Jerusalem, they were received of the church, and of the apostles and elders, and they declared all things that God had done with them.

5 But there rose up certain of the sect of the Pharisees which believed, saying, That it was needful to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses.

6 And the apostles and elders came together for to consider of this matter.

7 And when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up, and said unto them, Men and brethren, ye know how that a good while ago God made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and believe.

8 And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us;

9 And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.

10 Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?

11 But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they.

12 Then all the multitude kept silence, and gave audience to Barnabas and Paul, declaring what miracles and wonders God had wrought among the Gentiles by them.

The matters that relate to our understanding of the Gospel matter to a greater degree.

The Gospel is not to be confined to one culture or people.

We cause confusion when we do not allow the Gospel to be of greater importance to us than our culture.

As we embrace the Gospel, we will embrace others of the same faith regardless of our cultural differences.

Sermon Introduction

Going to ask something radical from a baptist church. Going to ask you to move up a row. Then begin to pray that God will bring someone to fill it and be ready to receive them.

Making room for others inside of the church was a cause of controversy for the church at Jerusalem.

Theology explained, but now we are going to see an example of it lived out in the church.

Possibly after persecution broke out in Jerusalem (Acts 12), Peter visits Galatia

Eventually he made his way up to Antioch to be with Paul

The church in Antioch, like most churches of the day, were a mixture of Jew and Gentile believers

So when Peter arrived, he was immediately confronted with how to live in a mixed culture

Peter was theologically prepared for this moment.

Peter had heard from Jesus His heart for the gentiles.

Holy Spirit reemphasizes when He sent Peter to the home of Cornelius.

Peter was at the Acts 15 conference.

Peter will act as a hypocrite and lead others astray.

Walk through a story of Galatians 2:11-21.

Pivotal moment for the church

Suppose Peter and Barnabas had won the day and led the church into legalism?

What might the results have been?

Would Antioch have continued to be the great missionary church that sent out Paul and Barnabas?

1. The matters that relate to an understanding the Gospel matter to a greater degree.

Galatians 2:11 “11 But when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed.”

This is a hill worth fighting

Paul had become accustomed to people doing things differently than him.

Paul grew up with all the Jewish credentials; “a Hebrew of Hebrews”

“face to face” is strong language

Unity in faith is a doctrinal matter

Doctrine = that which is taught

Common and good saying “In Essentials Unity, In Non-Essentials Liberty, In All Things Charity”

Most agree on this, what we won’t all agree on is what is “essential”

Does baptism matter? It symbolizes the Gospel.

Does believing the Bible is infallible matter? If it is not completely true, which portions are not, and who is authorized to tell us.

Does believing that some Christians are inferior to us matter? It is not walking uprightly according to the truth of the Gospel.

2. The Gospel is not to be confined to one culture or people.

Galatians 2:12“12 For before that certain came from James, he did eat with the Gentiles: but when they were come, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing them which were of the circumcision.”

His behavior did not properly reflect the intention of the Gospel

Notice Paul did not confront Peter when he sat and ate with the gentiles, this was the right application.

Paul tells Peter that attitudes of racial and cultural superiority are “not in line” with the gospel of grace. Galatians 2:14“14 But when I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel, I said unto Peter before them all, If thou, being a Jew, livest after the manner of Gentiles, and not as do the Jews, why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews?”

God always intended to bless the nations with the Gospel message

The words in the covenant to Abraham. Gen 12 - through you will all the nations be blessed

More than the book of Jonah is a missions passage in the OT.

Gen 12 God tells Abraham that through Him will all the nations be blessed.

The news of the parting of the Red Sea went throughout the world and people know of the might of the God of Israel and people like Rahab turned to Him

When David kills Goliath he states his purpose so that all the world will know there is a God in Israel.

Solomon’s Temple brought the Queen of Sheba and others from around the world to see the wisdom of God

You can’t throw a rock in the Psalms without hitting a verse like this. Psalm 96:1 “1 O sing unto the LORD a new song: sing unto the LORD, all the earth.”

It was the great mystery - doesn’t mean a secret but a spiritual truth revealed. Ephesians 3:4–6 “4 Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ) 5 Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; 6 That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel:”

In 2004-2005 I visited around 250 churches. I loved it. I learned many things and saw churches from CA to NY to FL. - My greatest concern was some churches had “strange shape” doors.

Next door to a barber. That is a “their4andnomore” church

Cultural diversity is a blessing to the discipleship ministry of a church.

Illustration / pouring the water in one vase to another.

Saw this for the first time on my first mission trip. Great lesson and one that should not be dependent on an airplane flight.

3. We cause confusion when we do not allow the Gospel to be of greater importance to us than our culture.

Galatians 2:13“13 And the other Jews dissembled likewise with him; insomuch that Barnabas also was carried away with their dissimulation.”

This behavior is hypocritical, and that causes confusion

It was hypocritical because it was contrary to what Peter knew about the Gospel.

Why did he act contrary to his beliefs? We have been given the answer. v. 12 “he withdrew and separated himself, fearing them which were of the circumcision.”

Why exactly was he fearful? The verse does not say explicitly. (A “mirror-reading” is where an interpreter speculates on what the writer was responding to in the text.)

It seems clear that there was some fear of loss.

When we aren’t certain of where we are to find our identity we have to fearfully hold onto everything as equally important.

As much as I am an African-American, I am even more so a follower of Jesus Christ…In other words, my Jesus-ness must trump my blackness. —Bryan Loritts

I will join him. As much as I am a white-Kentuckian, I am even more so a follower of Jesus Christ… in other words, my Jesus-ness must trump my culture.

God is not denying who I am, but my identity in the Gospel is superseding it.

We do not apologize for how God has made us, nor do we ask others to but we rejoice together in the new birth that has made us one in Christ.

In the gospel we find the explanation and deliverence we need.

Understand many of you have spent hours in DEI training. .

Here’s my definition of racism: attributing to one race intrinsic superiority or valuing it above another and then treating others as undesirable or evil.

This is explained and undermined in the Gospel.

The gospel is not only the promise of deliverance. The gospel is also the explanation for our failures to reach it.

Without an explanation of the gospel the problem is not properly defined and the solution can not be truly offered

4. To the extent we embrace the Gospel we will embrace our brothers regardless of cultural differences.

Galatians 2:16“16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.”

Christians can display ugly divisions between one another.

Many examples in the NT..

Civic courts saw Christians suing one another.

Division visible around the Lord’s table.

Divided over food we can eat and special days. Romans 14

In Acts 6 we see an issue between the Greek and Hebrew widows

Example seen in Acts 15 and Gal 2

1 Corinthians 1:10“10 Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.”

We do not have to be twins to be brothers.

The Bible gives us a proper worldview.

All of us were equally created in the image of God. - not one group more than the other.

Sin and fall is common to all men. - not race, culture, or people were left untouched

The death of Christ was necessary for us all. - there is no other means of salvation offered

We are saved by faith, not of works. No people or culture has contributed anything to our salvation besides our sin. Revelation 5:9 “9 And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;”

Jesus prays that our unity would be visible.

John 17:21 “21 That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.”

Something glorious is at stake in our public unity as Christians: our witness to Jesus as the One sent by God.

We do not create unity we have found it in the Gospel. Ephesians 4:3 “3 Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”

We are not unified around the cause of diversity. Diversity is not the goal. The goal is to know Jesus. Galatians 3:28“28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.” (read together)

Heaven is diversity united around God’s throne. The church should reflect this.

The unity of the church does not threaten doctrine; the unity of the church is a doctrine.

People prefer to be around people the most like themselves.

If you love Jesus you are like me. You are more like me than anyone else could be who does not live Jesus.

The beauty of unity in diversity

The Bible connects the evangelizing of the peoples with the quality of praise that God deserves. Psalm 96:3–4 “3 Declare his glory among the heathen, his wonders among all people. 4 For the LORD is great, and greatly to be praised: he is to be feared above all gods.”

Jesus deserves praise from all the peoples of the world

The reason for this can be seen in the analogy of a choir.

The diversity of the nations are greater than the beauty and power that would come to him if the chorus of the redeemed were culturally uniform

Jesus’s glory grows with diverse followers

Christ is demonstrating his greatness in winning obedience from all the peoples of the world. Romans 15:18 “18 For I will not dare to speak of any of those things which Christ hath not wrought by me, to make the Gentiles obedient, by word and deed,”

It is not Paul’s missionary expertise that is being magnified as more and more diverse peoples choose to follow Christ. It is the greatness of Christ.

Conclusion

Peter allowed fear to push him away from the table. I am going to ask you to allow Gospel to give you the courage to pull up closer to the table and pull out a chair for a new friend.

1. This is how we follow Jesus in a way that makes the Gospel message clear.

2. This is how we will teach our children the different between doctrine and cultural preferences.

3. This will help us address the fear in our life of losing our identity of our place in this world and finding it only in Christ Jesus.

4. This will demonstrate our unity to an onlooking world who sees the brokenness in the world, but has never seen how the Gospel heals every division.