There Ain't Room For Both of Us In This Town.

Galatians 2:17–18 (NIV)

¹⁷ “But if, in seeking to be justified in Christ, we Jews find ourselves also among the sinners, doesn’t that mean that Christ promotes sin? Absolutely not! ¹⁸ If I rebuild what I destroyed, then I really would be a lawbreaker.

“Have some of you noticed that we are not yet perfect? (No great surprise, right?) And are you ready to make the accusation that since people like me, who go through Christ in order to get things right with God, aren’t perfectly virtuous, Christ must therefore be an accessory to sin . . .?” (Galatians 2:17–18, The Message) 

Luther understands Paul's argument like this.  If we come to Christ by faith and trust in His justifying mercy --AND STILL FIND OURSELVES TO BE SINNERS -- then the false apostles are teaching taht we need to go back to the Law to be corrected.  Then Christ is actually doing the job of the Law -- revealing sin; and the Law is actually doing the job of Christ -- justifying.  "One of these two must needs be false. Either we are not justified by Christ, or we are not justified by the law." [1] 

If Christ does not justify then He is a minister of sin.  Now, Luther takes that as a Hebrew euphemism. "Now a minister of sin is nothing else but a lawgiver, or a schoolmaster of the law, which teacheth good works and charity, and that a man must suffer the cross and afflictions, and follow the example of Christ and of the saints." [1]  For example in 2 Corinthians 3:6 (NIV), Paul writes, "⁶ He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant—not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life."  Gospel preachers are ministers of the New Covenant.  If preachers are going to preach Law to be saved, then they are ministers of the Old Covenant -- ministers of death -- ministers of sin. "We must conclude therefore, that either we are justified by Christ, or else that we are made sinners, culpable and guilty through him." [1]

You cannot mix Law and Grace.  To do so makes Christ the condemner and Moses the savior. "If we being justified in Christ, are yet found sinners, and cannot be justified but by another mean than Christ, that is to wit, by the law, then cannot Christ justify us, but he only accuseth and condemneth us: and so consequently it followeth, that Christ died in vain . . .." [1]

Can we do that?  Paul answers: “. . . Absolutely not!” (Galatians 2:17b, NIV); may it not be (γένοιτο, ghin·om·ahee, God forbid!) "Wherefore Paul separateth Christ far from Moses. Let Moses then tarry on the earth; let him be the schoolmaster of the letter, and exactor of the law; let him torment and crucify sinners. But the believers, saith Paul, have another schoolmaster in their conscience: not Moses, but Christ, which hath abolished the law and sin, hath overcome the wrath of God, and destroyed death. He biddeth us that labour and are oppressed with all manner of calamities, to come unto him. Therefore when we fly unto him, Moses with his law vanisheth away . . .." [1]

In verse 18, then Paul says that if preach such things as the false apostles is makes him a transgressor. He has labored to position the Law in its rightful place, i.e., overcome by grace.  To rebuild the Law would make him a liar and deceiver. “If I was “trying to be good,” I would be rebuilding the same old barn that I tore down. I would be acting as a charlatan.” (Galatians 2:18, The Message).

 "For when the new guest Christ Jesus cometh into the new house, there to dwell alone, Moses the old inhabiter must give place unto him, and depart some whither else." [1] 

Father, the brilliance of Paul as an arbiter of wisdom is a shadow compared to Your all-encompassing wisdom, knowledge and Truth.  You have left no room for error.  We are either saved by grace through faith which is a gift -- or we are not.  Grace cannot coexist with self-effort, good works and Law-abiding.  To do so makes Christ grace-less, savior-less, and hope-less.  Thanks be unto God who has not left us with this option.  Law has been evicted.  Jesus occupies the house. Christ leads us to holiness.  Holiness does not lead us to Christ.  Hope lives.  Peace endures.  Christ is magnified.  Joy is restored.  Praise is authentic and pure.  Thank you Lord.

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1. Luther, M. (1997). Commentary on Galatians (Ga 2:17). Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.

Gospel Living

There is a radical shift in tone in verse 11.  “When Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned.” (Galatians 2:11, NIV).  Previously Peter, James and John had given their agreement with the Gospel going to the Gentiles.  This implies, by the way, that it was the Gospel plus nothing -- no circumcision. Now Paul testifies to a conflict with Peter.

Prior to this tête-à-tête with Peter, he had been participating when both Jews and Gentiles were eating together.  Then someone(s) showed up and Peter acquiesced and separated himself for the Gentiles. Peter's actions were contrary to the Gospel making the Gentiles feel marginalized "unless they followed Jewish ceremonial laws (such as dietary laws [vv. 12–14], circumcision [v. 3; 5:2–12; 6:12–15], and holidays and festivals [4:10]). [1]

This hypocritical action of Peter drew in other Jews  “. . . so that by their hypocrisy even Barnabas was led astray.” (Galatians 2:13, NIV).  Even Barnabas the encourager.  Even Barnabas who befriended Paul the converted murderer, succumbed to this hypocrisy. "Here then ye see Peter’s offence, as Paul plainly setteth it forth. Paul accuseth him not of malice or ignorance, but of dissimulation and infirmity, in that he abstained from meats forbidden in the law, fearing lest the Jews which came from James should be offended thereby, and had more respect to the Jews than to the Gentiles. Hereby he gave occasion, as much as in him was, to overthrow Christian liberty and the truth of the Gospel." [2]

Luther notes that one might abstain or to not abstain from eating meats for the sake of a brother, but to abstain or not abstain because one thought the act to merit greater righteousness and credit is wrong.  "And this is a wonderful matter, that God preserved the Church, being yet but young, and the Gospel itself, by one only person. Paul alone standeth to the truth; for he had lost Barnabas his companion, and Peter was against him. So sometimes one man is able to do more in a council than the whole council besides." [2]

Paul rightly discerned that Peter's actions were not in concert with the Gospel and thereby stood his ground.  Peter's hypocrisy is clear: he was a Jew living with a free conscience among Gentiles; why would he not allow the Gentiles to live freely among the Jews?  Luther brilliantly points out that Peter's profession of faith was Gospel, but he was living by Law. "Here I say again, that to live as the Jew, is not evil of itself; for it is a thing indifferent, either to eat swine’s flesh, or any other meats. But so to play the Jew, that for conscience sake thou abstainest from certain meats, this is to deny Christ, and to overthrow the Gospel." [2]

Father I wonder if in my life I draw a demarcation line between myself and other Christian brothers and sisters on matters that are not Gospel matters?  Do I by my estrangement from others pull away on issues of Law instead of Gospel? When I separate myself on matters of Law I must surely not only be hypocritical but I surely am living contra-Gospel.   May I live in such a way that I would enjoy the open and bold rebuke of a brother who sees me act is such reprehensible ways.  Lord grant me the grace this day to live worthy of the Gospel, for the sake of the One who saved me, fully by grace through faith -- and all of His abundant mercy.

 

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1. Crossway Bibles. (2008). The ESV Study Bible (2247). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.

2. Luther, M. (1997). Commentary on Galatians (Ga 2:12). Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.

Marks of a True Disciple

Bunyan, through his allegory, Pilgrim’s Progress, gives to us great insight as to one’s assurance of salvation. Christianity can be a very deceptive thing.  Not unlike the character Talkative, there can be some who speak of “of prayer, of repentance, of faith, and of the new birth; but he knows but only to talk of them.” The Pilgrim engages such a one and in the process gives us good insight into the nature of saving faith.

First he speaks of evil. There are those that willingly jump on the bandwagon against evil in all its deadly forms, but “a man may cry out against sin, of policy; but he cannot abhor it but by virtue of a godly antipathy against it.”  Do we speak against sin or do we loathe it in ourselves?  Saving faith introduces a character that is repulsed by sin.

Secondly, what of the knowledge of the Truth?   Are we not often aware of our own level of Christian comprehension yet we find ourselves so inept in obedience? “For there is a knowledge that is not attended with doing: “He that knoweth his Master’s will, and doeth it not.” A man may know like an angel, and yet be no Christian: therefore your sign of it is not true.”  Saving faith produces a desire to obey.  “There are, therefore, two sorts of knowledge, knowledge that resteth in the bare speculation of things, and knowledge that is accompanied with the grace of faith and love, which puts a man upon doing even the will of God from the heart: the first of these will serve the talker; but without the other, the true Christian is not content.”

Thirdly, what of Jesus Christ?  The true Christian “. . . findeth, moreover, revealed in him the Saviour of the world, and the absolute necessity of closing with him for life; at the which he findeth hungerings and thirstings after him; to which hungerings, etc., the promise is made.” What a difference to know about Jesus, and to love and delight in Him? 

“Christ did not die to forgive sinners who go on treasuring anything above seeing and savoring God. And people who would be happy in heaven if Christ were not there, will not be there. The gospel is not a way to get people to heaven; it is a way to get people to God. It's a way of overcoming every obstacle to everlasting joy in God. If we don't want God above all things, we have not been converted by the gospel.”  ― John Piper, God Is the Gospel: Meditations on God's Love as the Gift of Himself

Bunyan goes on through the conversation with Faithful and Talkative to say this:

“To others it is thus discovered:

1. By an experimental confession of his faith in Christ.

2. By a life answerable to that confession; to wit, a life of holiness-heart-holiness, family-holiness, (if he hath a family,) and by conversation-holiness in the world; which in the general teacheth him inwardly to abhor his sin, and himself for that, in secret; to suppress it in his family, and to promote holiness in the world: not by talk only, as a hypocrite or talkative person may do, but by a practical subjection in faith and love to the power of the word.”

Oh that these things: heart-felt love for Christ; an inner passion for holiness and obedience, would be my testimony.  Anything else short of that is of no avail.