Watch Out for the Spies! Galatians 2

Paul Accepted by the Apostles

2 Then after fourteen years, I went up again to Jerusalem, this time with Barnabas. I took Titus along also. 2 I went in response to a revelation and, meeting privately with those esteemed as leaders, I presented to them the gospel that I preach among the Gentiles. I wanted to be sure I was not running and had not been running my race in vain. 3 Yet not even Titus, who was with me, was compelled to be circumcised, even though he was a Greek. 4 This matter arose because some false believers had infiltrated our ranks to spy on the freedom we have in Christ Jesus and to make us slaves. 5 We did not give in to them for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel might be preserved for you.

14 years had elapsed from Paul's first trip to Jerusalem, which was three years after he met Jesus on the road to Damascus.  Paul was run out of town in Jerusalem, and then sailed for Tarsus where he had grown up.  He took Barnabas, who was well respected among the Jewish leaders, and Titus, who was a Gentile convert. The Jewish leaders did not insist on Titus' circumcision showing that at some level they understood the gospel Paul was preaching.

Yet, there were other men who did not think on the same wavelength as the Jewish leaders.  Paul won't have any of it, and calls the spies false believers, which was a pretty strong charge.  Paul knew was at stake in this matter ... the purity of the gospel.  He knew once he gave into their demand to return to the law it was a slippery slope.  This had to be called out for what it is for the sake of the gospel.

This reminds us that it is easy for legalism to slip back into the church.  Legalism is anything that smacks of having to do works to be accepted by God.  Works flow out of our knowing the love of God in Christ, not to earn God's love.  The Jews were obedient to the commands God gave to Moses to circumcize all Jewish boys when they were born, but it looked forward to when their hearts would be circumcized by the Holy Spirit.  Circumcision was a sign that a Jewish boy was a child of God as part of the old covenant, but the Holy Spirit was the sign where we are born again and made God's children as part of the new covenant which was fulfilled in Jesus.  

Where in the church do you think we are tempted to compromise the truth of the gospel?  Why is it so important for the church to preserve the gospel in its message?  How can you tell the difference between the Law and the Gospel?  Hint: they have two different purposes!

6 As for those who were held in high esteem—whatever they were makes no difference to me; God does not show favoritism—they added nothing to my message. 7 On the contrary, they recognized that I had been entrusted with the task of preaching the gospel to the uncircumcised,[a] just as Peter had been to the circumcised.. 8 For God, who was at work in Peter as an apostle to the circumcised, was also at work in me as an apostle to the Gentiles. 9 James, Cephas[c] and John, those esteemed as 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 circumcised. 10 All they asked was that we should continue to remember the poor, the very thing I had been eager to do all along.

Paul came in contact with some influential Jewish men, perhaps even the ones who had infiltrated their ranks.  But Paul was more loyal to the gospel and Jesus than any human being.  These men added nothing to the power of the gospel, so in some respects they were inconsequential to him.  The three major apostles to the Jews: Peter, James and John recognize Paul's authority as a true apostle and as such supported he and Barnabas.  

Note Paul reiterates that his call was to go the Gentiles and theirs was a ministry to the Jews.  Paul was faithful to his call, as the others were faithful to him.  The only stipulation was that Paul would make collections among the Gentile churches for the poor in Jerusalem, a promise Paul honored. God may call us to different parts of the vineyard but we should always have in mind more than just our on church. The Great Commission is to reach all people of all ethnicities, so we should have a global view of the gospel's effectiveness.  

Paul shows he is beholden to no man no matter how influential or powerful they were.  How might the gospel be compromised if we make concessions to cater to the rich and famous?  Paul honored the poor in another area different from where he ministered.  How can we as a church honor churches in parts of the world who don't have the means we have?  Paul also shows how important it is to honor our promises to give financial support to the church!