Paul the Apostle was ever impacted by the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ!

And he is also keenly interested in proving that Jews and Gentiles alike are saved “by Grace through faith!”

Listen to him review this vital theology, soteriology …

“We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles, 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.” Galatians 2:15-16

The Law (of Moses) does NOT save!

“Justified” means “made right” with God, in God’s Sight.

The Faith of Jesus, faith in Jesus … does save!

But the way Paul words this faith/Jesus relationship is intensely captivating!

Specifically … “a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith OF Jesus Christ.”

Then again in the same verse, only a clause later … “that we might be justified by the faith OF Christ.”

Sounds like here, the grammar almost demanding it, that Jesus’ Faith plays a part in our salvation as well! (Not just our faith in Him!)

We are saved by “Jesus’ Faith?” Again, “by the faith OF Christ!”

Which word, “faith” (in Greek “pistis”) can often mean (and does here) “faithfulness!”

Get this now …

Because of Jesus’ Faithfulness to obey His Father’s Will, to come to earth and die for us sinners, to shed His Blood on Calvary …we can be saved! We indeed ARE SAVED by the Faith OF Jesus Christ our Lord!

But still, and equally important, we are saved by believing in Jesus, exercising our personal faith in God’s Son, the Saviour of the world. Trusting His Finished Word on the Cross! The empty tomb as well!

And here is this vital Truth expressed in our Text today … “even we have believed in Jesus Christ!” I have underlined the preposition “in” for emphasis.

In Greek it is “eis,” we have believed “into” Christ Jesus!

One of Paul’s favorite words, ideas!

“Therefore if any man be IN Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” 2 Corinthians 5:17

We, under Holy Spirit conviction, believed on the Lord Jesus Christ … and the same Holy Spirit instantly put us “in” the Body of Christ!

Thus we have trusted “into” Christ our Lord!

Saved, not by law, but by belief, by faith!

And now we are found “IN HIM!”

Hallelujah!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

 

Paul is upset!

At the way Peter has been acting!

Some of the time (while in Antioch with Paul) the famous Jerusalem Apostle would eat with the Gentiles, apparently “no questions asked.” Then at other times (depending on who was in town, especially certain “believers” from James’ coalition) … Peter would not “touch” a bite of Gentile food!

Inconsistent!

Partial!

Politics at Church!

So Paul confronts Peter, face-to-face!

Paul remembers the event in some detail! “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?” Galatians 2:14

The key word here is the verb “compellest.”

If Peter (at times) ate just like the Gentiles did, so as not to offend them. So as to show them parity in the family of God, equal-footing with the Jews! Then WHY, at other times, would you do an “about-face” … and require the Gentiles to then live (eat) like the Jews! With all the stipulations of the Mosaic dietary laws?

Makes no sense!

In fact, it appears Peter was “compelling” this legalistic behaviour (these specific eating habits) upon the newly saved Gentile Brethren!

And again, that made Paul “hot under the collar!”

The verb is “anagkazo,” translated “compellest,” as I said. It means “to force.” Or “to drive” a person (here) to a certain course of action!

And that today is the “heart” of our lesson.

Willingly serving Jesus … a beautiful expression of love for our Lord!

Coercing and bullying and browbeating a person into serving God … not such a beautiful expression!

God longs for a willing people!

Do what you do for Jesus … out of a free (cheerful) heart of gratefulness. “Not by constraint,” Peter himself once said! (In 1st Peter 5:2, matter of fact)

TO FORCE “CHRISTIAN” BEHAVIOUR, DICTATING SOME PARTICULAR DEED, IS NOT A WISE PATH TO FOLLOW!

In my eyes, the Holy Spirit is a Gentleman, not a Taskmaster! I am talking about God the Holy Spirit!

Way back in Exodus 25:2 (the first mention in the whole Bible of the word “willingly”) God taught: “Speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring me an offering: of every man that giveth it willingly with his heart ye shall take my offering.” Long ago, when Israel was just beginning to amass the materials for the Tabernacle in the wilderness!

Do things for Jesus today, willingly!

And as you pursue your daily life for Him … DO NOT let anyone force you into a mode of behaviour you’re not convinced is right! Christian leaders are NOT bosses over God’s heritage!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

 

It, “hapax legomenon,” means a word that appears only once in a document, in a book, in any body of literature! (It has a Greek origin, the language of the New Testament. Where “lego” means “to say.” And “hapax” means “once, once only.”)

And in today’s Text, Galatians 2:14 (only its first clause), a drastically important “hapax” occurs! Let me show you what I mean.

Paul is here writing … “But when I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel, I said unto Peter …”

“They?” Yes, a group of Jews who thought way too much of Moses’ Law and not enough of Jesus’ Grace! Men who had come to town (Antioch in Syria) and coerced some of the Jewish believers to forsake the Grace of God and retreat into the observance of the Law, at least in some areas.

Paul watched them closely! The verb “saw” is “eido,” Paul absolutely “knew” (or “perceived,” the meaning of “eido”) what they were doing, hurting the Cause of Christ! Negating the Value of the Cross of Calvary!

Paul expected people who had seen the “Truth” (in Greek “aletheia,” something once learned that can “never be forgotten”) of the pure Gospel … to afterwards LIVE by that Gospel. To believe it and preach it and practice it! Never to abdicate from it!

But the “hapax legomenon” in today’s Text (the Epistle of Galatians has well over a dozen of these, nearly two dozen) is the verb “walked (the little word “not” is an adverb, “ouk,”) uprightly.”

The word is “orthopodeo!”

Again it is Greek, where “ortho” means “straight!” As in English “orthopedics” (straight bones or tendons, especially in children) or “orthodontist” (straight teeth)! Or theologically, “orthodox” (straight belief, doctrine, based on Scripture)!

Plus the verb “podeo” (from “pous”), which means one’s “feet!” (As in podiatry!) The verb then: what one does with his or her feet … “to walk!”

So … “orthopodeo” suggests “walking straight”…  according to some truth one has learned and internalized!

Living the Gospel (as a Gift of God, not as a reward having been earned by human effort) … is clearly what Paul has in mind here!

The Grace of God in soul salvation being exhibited every day in shoe leather! By human beings!

“Saved by Grace!”

And that kind of life is worth a “hapax legomenon” any day of the week!

“But when I (Paul) saw that they (some of the Jews) walked not uprightly (orthopodeo) according to the truth of the Gospel (Grace, not Law, Jesus not Moses), I said unto Peter …”

Are you orthopodeo-ing the Gospel today?

Trusting (for salvation) the Blood of Jesus, His sinless Life, exercising faith in His finished Work on Calvary? That is Grace!

Or … are you rather wavering over this great issue? Trying to mix your good works (a misnomer) or fine life or human achievement into the salvation equation?

Paul wrote in our current context (though we will not study this line until next week) … “By the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.” Galatians 2:16

Then, how can one be saved? “By the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ.” Same verse, Galatians 2:16!

Wow!

“This is the way, walk ye in it!” (An allusion to Isaiah 30:21, by the way. Really a direct quote!)

The “straight” way!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

 

“Versus?”

Is that the word you want, Brother Bagwell?

It means, taken directly from Latin, “against!”

As in “opposed” to someone!

Nearly “face-to-face” with them confrontationally!

But we should really let Paul tell his own story. “When Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed. 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. And the other Jews dissembled likewise with him; insomuch that Barnabas also was carried away with their dissimulation.” Galatians 2:11-13

Paul and Peter, in an argument?

Well, maybe better said … Paul rebuking Peter! (Not a single word of the “leading” Disciple is recorded here, not of Peter’s quick-witted vocabulary, even with his well-known propensity to talk!)

Notice the confrontation occurred in Antioch (a predominantly Gentile city, located in Syria) this time, not in Jerusalem (a predominantly Jewish city)! “When Peter was come to Antioch …”

Then look at the verb, strong as it is! “I (Paul) withstood him to the face …” Wow! The Greek verb is “anti” (meaning “against”) and “histemi” (meaning “to stand)! Paul actually “stood against” Peter on an issue, a theological/spiritual matter regarding our soul’s very salvation!

Matters of such fundamental importance (like how a sinner gets saved) are worthy of contention! Worthy of, in such vital areas, opposing, rebuking that wrong teaching!

Paul’s observation that Peter was “to be blamed” translates “kataginosko,” almost “Peter knew better!” Peter, Paul was sure, “deserved condemnation!”

But WHAT did Peter do?

Precisely, “For before that certain came from James, he (Peter) did eat with the Gentiles: but when they (the boys from Jerusalem)  were come, he (Peter) withdrew and separated himself, fearing them which were of the circumcision (those from Jerusalem again).

Peter was frightened away (by the delegation from “James,” from “Jerusalem,” from “headquarters”) from his core, heart-felt belief that the Gentiles were saved too, those who had trusted Jesus! And that the Gentile new converts to Jesus were on “equal footing” with the Jews, with God’s chosen people!

Earlier it seems Peter had even begun to eat with those Gentile brothers in Christ, again in Gentile infested Antioch! (Pork chops? Shrimp? Non-Kosher food? Probably, if not surely!)

But so what? The Jerusalem council had already determined that the Gentiles DID NOT have to become Jews, practicing the Law of Moses, in order to be saved!

But Peter caved in!

Chickened out!

He withdrew fellowship from the Gentiles and (apparently) now would only eat with these recently arrived Jews from Jerusalem!

And such “hypocrisy” (or maybe just “pride”) upset Paul!

Big time!

And this too … Peter’s influence wrongly led others into this “better-than-thou” attitude as well!

“And the other Jews dissembled likewise with him; insomuch that Barnabas also was carried away with their dissimulation.” The last verse in today’s Text, Galatians 2:13.

There are other saved Jews who had been in Antioch (also eating with the Gentile Believers there) before the “bosses” arrived from Jerusalem! The sent by James “inspectors!”

Even Paul’s best friend “Barnabas” was deceived!

Both the verb and the noun “dissemble/dissimulation” used here are translated from the Greek word for “hypocrisy!” Believing one way, acting another! Putting on a false front!

Paul detested such insincerity!

Politics in religion!

Folks … in this situation .. I am on Paul’s side, 100% for sure!

No one Christian is BETTER than another Christian … because of what he eats! Or whether he has had a certain type of surgery! (Circumcision, to be specific.) Or whether he is of a certain nationality!

God is no Respecter of persons!

Bravo, Paul!

Thank you for “so earnestly contending for the faith!”

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

 

NOTES JOTTED HERE VERY EARLY THURSDAY MORNING, MAY 3, 2018 …

Photo made last (Wednesday) night after the Service … Pastor Roy Waldroup (First Baptist Church, Fletcher, NC) and me. I think the Man of God here, this Preacher, has become one of my heroes! And I had the honor of preaching in his pulpit the past four days and nights! Wow!

LESSON DELAYED … DUE TO TRAVEL.

At least that’s my goal, to write the Lesson later today.

We’re driving home this morning.

Then I’ll do a quick turn-around and immediately head back out for a two night Revival.

The details are on the “Standing with the Bagwells” Page.

Pray for us please.

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

And in advance …THANK YOU.