Consultation and Confrontation 

 

  ^{© Stuart Olyott}

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The Gospel preached by Paul to the Galatians is under attack. False teachers are claiming that faith in the work of Christ alone is insufficient for salvation.  Paul has so far argued that the Gospel he preached was not his own, but that of Christ, taught directly to him following his conversion on the Damascus road.

The Galatian Christians are confused.  The false teachers claim to represent the church of Jerusalem, the church founded by Christ and overseen by His disciples.  Can Paul be saying that his gospel is greater than that preached by the disciples, even though they also were taught by Jesus?  Can there be two Gospels of Christ, perhaps one for the Jews and a lesser one for the Gentiles?  Which of these messages is most valid for salvation, or are both equal and lead to acceptance by God? 

It is critical that the purity of the Gospel message is maintained and Paul must prove that there is only one Gospel, one message of salvation. That through faith in Christ alone men may be saved.

A Consultation

Paul had a test case.  Was faith in Christ alone sufficient or are circumcision and observance of Jewish ceremony also necessary to bring salvation?  Paul traveled to Jerusalem to meet Peter, James and John, leaders of the Christian church.  He took with him Titus, a Gentile Christian, who was uncircumcised!  Would the church leaders accept Titus and share fellowship with him as a Christian brother?  They did and without any insistence upon circumcision.

More so, Paul presented to the apostles the Gospel that he preached and they agreed fully with it, commending him to his mission to the Gentiles.  There is only one gospel, one apostolic faith and one route to salvation.

A Confrontation

Peter visits the Gentile Christian church at Antioch and shares fellowship with the believers.  He knows that their faith in Christ alone has made them acceptable to God, just as it has made him also.  Those whom God has accepted and made clean, Peter must also accept as having true salvation.

But on one visit a group of false teachers from Jerusalem are also present.  As at Galatia they teach that without circumcision faith alone in Christ is insufficient.  Peter knows this too be false but separates himself from the Gentile Christians for fear of the false teachers.  Peter, by his actions, is suggesting that these Gentile Christians are not true brothers in Christ.  But what is the difference between Peter and them?  He is a circumcised Jew!  Despite believing otherwise Peter’s actions suggested a difference between the two groups of believers, that true acceptance could only be gained by faith and works of the flesh.

Paul sees that the Gospel message of faith in Christ alone is at stake.  But what can he do?  Peter is a respected church leader from Jerusalem, one of Christ’s closest disciples.  To rebuke or correct Peter would cause outrage and controversy among the churches.  Surely unity is of the highest importance?

It is clear to Paul that above all things the message of salvation through Christ alone is of paramount importance.  In all things Paul can be accommodating but not truth and he must rebuke Peter if truth is to persevere.  So Paul does rebuke Peter, and publicly, so that all may be clear of this central gospel truth.

The Galatian church must trust the message preached to them by Paul that first bought them salvation.  This message was approved by the Jerusalem church leaders and the very false doctrine they now believed had already been rejected by the Christian church.

Application

But what about us?  In what do we trust for our salvation?  How highly do we value the purity of the gospel message?  Do we value truth above church unity?  What about our actions?  Does anything we do suggest that we accept alternative views to those we actually believe?  Like Peter, do we risk distorting the truth to fit in and avoid a scandal?  Perhaps overall, would we be prepared to stand our ground and risk public controversy to protect the message that faith in the shed blood of Christ alone is sufficient for our salvation?