A Crisis of Truth

Galatians 2

Galatians 2 NET

Then after fourteen years I went up to Jerusalem again with Barnabas, taking Titus along too. I went there because of a revelation and presented to them the gospel that I preach among the Gentiles. But I did so only in a private meeting with the influential people, to make sure that I was not running—or had not run—in vain. Yet not even Titus, who was with me, was compelled to be circumcised, although he was a Greek. Now this matter arose because of the false brothers with false pretenses who slipped in unnoticed to spy on our freedom that we have in Christ Jesus, to make us slaves. But we did not surrender to them even for a moment, in order that the truth of the gospel would remain with you. But from those who were influential (whatever they were makes no difference to me; God shows no favoritism between people)—those influential leaders added nothing to my message. On the contrary, when they saw that I was entrusted with the gospel to the uncircumcised just as Peter was to the circumcised (for he who empowered Peter for his apostleship to the circumcised also empowered me for my apostleship to the Gentiles) and when James, Cephas, and John, who had a reputation as pillars, recognized the grace that had been given to me, they gave to Barnabas and me the right hand of fellowship, agreeing that we would go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised. They requested only that we remember the poor, the very thing I also was eager to do. But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he had clearly done wrong. Until certain people came from James, he had been eating with the Gentiles. But when they arrived, he stopped doing this and separated himself because he was afraid of those who were pro-circumcision. And the rest of the Jews also joined with him in this hypocrisy, so that even Barnabas was led astray with them by their hypocrisy. But when I saw that they were not behaving consistently with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas in front of them all, “If you, although you are a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you try to force the Gentiles to live like Jews?” We are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners,yet we know that no one is justified by the works of the law but by the faithfulness of Jesus Christ. And we have come to believe in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by the faithfulness of Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified. But if while seeking to be justified in Christ we ourselves have also been found to be sinners, is Christ then one who encourages sin? Absolutely not! But if I build up again those things I once destroyed, I demonstrate that I am one who breaks God’s law.For through the law I died to the law so that I may live to God. I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So the life I now live in the body, I live because of the faithfulness of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not set aside God’s grace, because if righteousness could come through the law, then Christ died for nothing!

What is Truth

An uncovering of a secret/mystery

A revelation of knowledge

An act of discovery

Something that is constant, consistent, transcending of time, culture, society, and ethnicity.

Confronting a False Soteriology

Judaizers:

Circumcision

Social/Liberational Theology:

Salvation: “totally and freely given by God, the communion of human beings with God and among themselves-is the inner force and the fullness of this movement of human self-generation initiated by the work of creation.

Consequently, when we assert that humanity fulfills itself by means of its labor, we are saying that it places itself, by this very fact, within an all-embracing salvific process. To work, to transform this world, is to become a man and to build the human community; it is also to save. Likewise, to struggle against misery and exploitation and to build a just society is already to be part of the saving action, which is moving towards it complete fulfillment.”

Gustavo Gutierrez - A Theology of Liberation, 1971; 1988, 163-164.

Moralistic Therapeutic Deism:

1. "A god exists who created and ordered the world and watches over human life on earth." 2. "God wants people to be good, nice, and fair to each other, as taught in the Bible and by most world religions." 3. "The central goal of life is to be happy and to feel good about ones self." 4. "God does not need to be particularly involved in one's life except when God is needed to resolve a problem." 5. "Good people go to heaven when they die."

Christian Smith - Soul Searching: The Religious and Spiritual Lives of American Teenagers, 2005.

Dr. Albert Mohler - Opine of this movement

The American Gospel

A mixture of the American Dream and the prosperity gospel

A Hypocritical Lifestyle

Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary (Eleventh Edition) Hypocrite

1: a person who puts on a false appearance of virtue or religion

2: a person who acts in contradiction to his or her stated beliefs or feelings—hypocrite adjective

Crucified with Christ

Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary (Eleventh Edition) Grace

1grace \ˈgrās\ noun

[Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin gratia favor, charm, thanks, from gratus pleasing, grateful; akin to Sanskrit gṛṇāti he praises] 12th century

1 a: unmerited divine assistance given humans for their regeneration or sanctification

b: a virtue coming from God

c: a state of sanctification enjoyed through divine grace

2 a: APPROVAL, FAVOR 〈stayed in his good graces〉

b archaic: MERCY, PARDON

c: a special favor: PRIVILEGE 〈each in his place, by right, not grace, shall rule his heritage—Rudyard Kipling〉

d: disposition to or an act or instance of kindness, courtesy, or clemency

e: a temporary exemption: REPRIEVE

3 a: a charming or attractive trait or characteristic

b: a pleasing appearance or effect: CHARM 〈all the grace of youth—John Buchan〉

c: ease and suppleness of movement or bearing

4 —used as a title of address or reference for a duke, a duchess, or an archbishop

5: a short prayer at a meal asking a blessing or giving thanks

6 plural capitalized: three sister goddesses in Greek mythology who are the givers of charm and beauty

7: a musical trill, turn, or appoggiatura

8 a: sense of propriety or right 〈had the grace not to run for elective office—Calvin Trillin〉

b: the quality or state of being considerate or thoughtful synonym see MERCY

Application

Communion