Romans 1:16a
"For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it (the Gospel of Grace, the revelation or benefit of our benefactor, and of an Endless Life) is the power of God unto salvation..." And what does salvation imply according to Paul's teachings? It's that whole body of Truth that involves justification, sanctification, forgiveness, redeemed, baptized by the Holy Spirit into the Body of Christ, indwelt by the Holy Spirit, and we can just go on and on and on. These are all new revelations breathed into him by divine inspiration, that we won't find until we get to Paul's writings, the opening up of the mysteries. Those things hidden behind the veil and kept from prying eyes and ears, those secrets hidden in the Heart of God Himself. Those things which all the utensils (pots, bowls, lamp-stand, tables, the veils, alter...etc.) of the Temple, the feast days, holidays and ceremonies all held the true meaning, they revealed Christ. We don't find that taught in the Old Testament. We don't find the Old Testament believer told, "The Spirit dwells within you." Do you? No. Abraham was told that he was justified by faith and faith alone, but he's the only one of the Hebrews back there told that. The reason is, that the seed to whom it was promised hadn't come yet, all of this has to be after the Cross and the resurrection had been completed. The work of the old covenant and Testament which Israel broke with the Laws which they could not abide by and broke. Also their required penalty of a death had to become a reality first, they had to be fulfilled or brought to a close by a death of a righteous man. He alone could fulfill all righteousness of the covenant and Testament and the Mosaic Law and the completion of the priesthood that was in place under its system of religion. So Paul communicated carefully, line upon line, precept upon precept this Gospel, that we're now entrusted with.
Galatians 2:2a
"And I went up by revelation, and communicated unto them that gospel which I preach among the Gentiles. Now why does the Holy Spirit prompt this man to use the word "that gospel?" Well to signify the difference between Paul's Gospel, and that of Peter and Jesus' and the eleven had been teaching to the nation of Israel. Now you've heard us many times make the statement that Jesus and the Twelve operated under the Gospel of the Kingdom as it was promised to Israel. And the Gospel of the Kingdom was just simply that the King is here, He is ready to set up the Kingdom offered to the nation of Israel since Abraham was given the Covenant 430 years before the Law was given. And that whole scope of that Kingdom message was "That Jesus of Nazareth is the Christ, the Messiah of Israel, the promised King in the line of David." But Israel was looking for two different persons as they miss read or understood the secret in the name Benjamin (son of the right hand) and Benoni (son of my sorrow) Genesis 35:18 as both were the same person the son Jesus.
But now we see the Gospel of Grace is "That this same Messiah of Israel Who was crucified, shed His Blood, was buried, and rose from the dead is the Savior, not just for the Hebrews, but for the whole human race." Not to those who keep the Law, not to those who do something for salvation, but to those who simply believe and receive it. Oh, that was a whole new concept and these believing Hebrews couldn't comprehend it, so they have to bring Paul to Jerusalem. Why? Because their still under the old Covenant or Testament and its legalism, the place of first fruits in the ministration of death (John 12:24). There still remains the carrot held out to them of the New Covenant which holds the promised Eternal Life but to enter into it requires an willingness to surrender all, to forsake all others and to cleave only onto Him, and to give our old self life with its lust of the spirit of the world (legalism of religion the first death) unto death. The condition or demand of the first estate (the same place that Israel found itself but could not learn its meaning because of hardness of heart or unbelief) into which God places all at the time of conversion for the sole purpose of training and teaching by the Holy Spirit in the school of obedience. He reveals to us our need or desire of more holiness and righteousness of God and thereby brings us to the place of a willingness which leads to death for sanctification and resurrection into the promised New and Eternal Life of Christ and the placement IN Christ. The power of the first Light which pierced the darkness and brought chaos to order and brought Life to other wise dead matter Genesis 1:1-2. Which we'll come to this again later in this chapter. Now reading on in verse 2.
Galatians 2:2a
"And I went up by revelation, and communicated unto them that gospel which I preach among the Gentiles, but privately (probably a small room where just the leaders of that small group were present) to them which were of reputation,..." The leadership, and that would include Peter, James, John and the others, and maybe a few of the Jewish elders of that assembly. So they were more or less in a separate room by themselves first, as Paul was delineating this Gospel which he was preaching to those Gentiles, and it leaves out circumcision, and Law-keeping or the traditions of their forefathers. But the opposition couldn't see that that was the way to do it properly. Now verse 3.
Galatians 2:3
"But neither Titus, who was with me, being a Greek, was compelled (or forced) to be circumcised:"
At least Paul and Barnabas held them at bay on that point. They weren't going to circumcise Titus in order for him to be part of this great counsel meeting. Now verse 4.
Galatians 2:4a
"And that because of false brethren unawares brought in,..." Now these false brethren didn't sneak in, but rather the leaders no doubt had something to do with it because they were brought in. Now that's why we're sticklers for every word. Now if that word brought wasn't in there then we could say, Peter wasn't aware of these people, but we think he may have been. Somebody was influential in bringing these people into this great counsel meeting of the Jewish believers at Jerusalem to confront Paul and Barnabas and Titus, but primarily Paul and Barnabas.
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