Galatians 2:9-10
"And when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars perceived (understood) the grace that was given unto me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship; that we should go unto the heathen, (Gentiles) and they unto the circumcision. (Jews) 10. Only they would that we should remember the poor; the same which I also was forward to do." Now, come back to Acts 15 and we'll see that they also added a couple of other little strings to the whole deal. It's kind of interesting that Peter had finally come to Paul's rescue. And if he hadn't, then Paul's Gospel would have died right then and there, but of course God is Sovereign. He had Peter ready to defend Paul, and we maintain that the biggest reason that he had sent him up to Cornelius' house 12 years before, was not only for the house of Cornelius, but that Peter would be in a mental position to come to Paul's defense at this conference in Jerusalem these 12 years later. Under the old system God spoke through His prophets and then through His Son in the person of an angle or as with Abraham in the form of a man and warned the Hebrews of what was to come. In many of these prophetic sayings were also a stipulation of warning or penalty for not doing or obeying the prophecy.
We know, that we see the near term, but God always sees the big picture, and we're going to see a graphic illustration of that a little later in the Book of Galatians. Peter suddenly realized that, yes, he'd gone to the house of pagan Gentiles and he hadn't brought them under the Law, he hadn't introduced circumcision or any of the other rites, ceremonies, customs or traditions, and while he was yet speaking what happened? They believed and receives as they're own what was the Word of God spoken through him. And of course they didn't believe Paul's Gospel, that hadn't been revealed to them yet, but they believed that Jesus was the Messiah of Israel, and God saved them under those terms and conditions. They were simply Gentiles who with an open yield heart received God through what ever revelation He had revealed to them by Peter. Now looking at verse 12.
Acts 15:12
"Then all the multitude kept silence, and gave audience to Barnabas and Paul, declaring what miracles and wonders God had wrought among the Gentiles by them." Now there's another point we need to make. Remember what I Corinthians 1:22 says? Let's go back for a moment and look at it. There is no way that we can escape this. It just constantly comes up in front of us. And we suppose that most people just casually read over these verses, but what a graphic statement.
I Corinthians 1:22a
"For the Jews require a sign..." Now God knew that and He put up with that all the way up through their history. We all know that. Remember when Moses was first confronted? He was a typical Hebrew and he said, "God they're not going to believe me. How do I know?" And what did God have to do? Showed him a sign by having him throw his rod on the ground. And when Moses got to Pharaoh, and the only way that he could convince the children of Israel that he was legitimate was by signs and miracles. Why have we said that Christ performed all those signs and miracles during His earthly ministry? To prove to the Nation of Israel Who He was. We know that He so graphically showed the difference in the mindset of the Hebrews and Gentiles because back in His earthly ministry He told the citizens of Capernaum:
Matthew 11:23-24
"And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted into heaven, shalt be brought down to hell: for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, and been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day, 24. But I say unto you, That it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, then for thee." They wouldn't have had to say, "Well show us a sign." They were Gentiles they were ready to believe just by being able to hear it, but the Hebrews required a sign. They had the external or material mindset because of the works they were required to do to prove obedience to the Law. The Gentiles were and are outside the corral of the Levitical Laws, the only thing they come under was the command not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, the code of moral conduct, the ten commandments and the Beatitudes of Matthew chapters 5 and 6 as these enlarge the ten commandments. And God takes it all upon Himself to write these on our inwards parts and in our mind which brings us through the keeping of them without effort of self sufficiency on our part. Now here's the key to this secret, Adam was created (Genesis 1:27) in the image and likeness of God, God is Spirit therefore Adam was an angel and in chapter 2 verse 7 God placed that angelic angel in and earthen body unlike His heavenly angles. When Adam fall from grace into utter darkness, sin and death-spiritually dead separated from his Father he took on the nature of an earthly beast, he became bestial in his nature. Sense Christ's crucifixion and ascension the process has been reversed which caused mans fallen nature. Man when he willfully accepts the terms with a broken and contrite heart (spirit), soul and mind can through a death of self will, pride (the nature of the beast) and by that death is separated from the spirit of the world which held him in chains, can receive the second blessing. Now we'll look at John chapter 20:
John 20:30-31
"And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written this book: 31. But these are written, that ye (Hebrews) might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name." Now we hear by this the spiritual understanding which John has because of his being with Paul on his missionary trips. All the way through this message of John are clues to his true spiritual condition of New Life being in him, unlike the other gospels.
Well now back to Acts chapter 15. So again we're sure that if Paul and Barnabas could not have rehearsed some miraculous signs and miracles in their ministry these Hebrews at this conference would have never bought it. But since they could according to verses 11 and 12 they were convinced because this got the Hebrews attention. Verse 13.
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