Defining and Defending the Gospel: Galatians 2:1-10

Well, good morning. It is good to be with you this morning here in Cottonwood. We're driving up here and Evidently it has been a while since I have ventured north. Because as soon as we started leaving the valley I was commenting on How everything has changed?

I didn't know they had built all that stuff up north of Obald Pinnacle Peak or Happy Valley Road and There's I just only have one question. Where do all those people work? Where do we get the water. I haven't figured that part out.

Either it's just absolutely amazing. I moved here to the Phoenix area in 1974 and Things didn't look like they do now in 1974 things have changed a lot and so It is good to be up here in a slightly cooler climb, and I left my house yesterday afternoon to go to my office.

Thermometer is reading a hundred and fifteen point four on my back porch and So it's nice to be where it's probably not going to get to hundred and fifteen this afternoon. That's for certain This morning and this afternoon.

The Need to Define and Defend the Gospel

I would like to speak to you about defining and Defending the gospel of Jesus Christ and I felt probably the best way to do that Would be to work through the second chapter of the book of Galatians in two parts.

We will be looking at the first 10 verses This morning and then this afternoon will do 11 through 21 that divides out just about where we need it to divide out at. And I'm always most comfortable in the text itself.

I think that the Word of God ministers to the people of God. But I would like to begin by making at least a few comments as to why it is important for us to be doing This this morning. We live in a day and age where the society around us Each and every day seeks to convince us That things like the truth of the gospel are not knowable.

The way that our society thinks is that if you say this is right and that Means this is wrong. That you are hateful you are unloving you are arrogant and So the very essence of the Christian faith, which knows that God has acted decisively and Purposely in Jesus Christ in him only our society teaches us to be ashamed of that message.

How dare you think? That you know the truth and other people are deceived other people are in error. That pressure is placed upon us in every context of our society. That pressure is placed upon us in the workplace.

That pressure is placed upon us when we expose ourselves to the entertainment and the media of the world. In subtle ways and in much more overt ways in our society today. The pressure is being placed upon us and since this is a men's conference I'll go ahead and say being placed upon us men to adopt a new kind of Christianity a Christianity that is politically correct a neutered Christianity a Christianity that makes no claims about what God has done but says well, you know, I find great meaning in my understanding of my religious faith.

What does that mean? Does that not require us to believe that? Religious faith is merely a personal thing. It has no claim to speak of transcendent truth. It's just my personal opinion and As it becomes more and more a part of our society.

That the feelings of individuals have become the new greatest good. We dare not offend anyone. What happened to men who had a backbone many? We can't offend. Well except for Christians who can be offended right and left and upside and backwards everything else and that's okay but any Minority religious group.

Well, you know, that's why they're even townships in the United Kingdom that have canceled all their Christmas celebrations because they don't want to offend the Muslims. And People want us to become Europe they want us to become the neutered people of Europe.

And I say No, thank you now the the gospel likewise Cannot be forced into a form where it no longer makes transcendent claims upon every person in every culture at every time. The gospel doesn't fit in that you have to start tearing out the very heart of the gospel to make it fit into this politically correct realm.

And so given that there is a tremendous amount of pressure upon us does the Word of God equip us To stand firm against those pressures. Yeah, does the Word of God give to us? Guidelines, does it give to us the passion?

To stand firm in the midst of a faithless Generation, I believe in the second chapter of Galatians. We are given more than sufficient evidence of the fact That the gospel is God's highest Priority if it is the single means by which he has chosen to glorify himself then clearly if We want our priorities to be the same priorities as the Spirit.

What happens to have if we want to honor Jesus Christ if we want to follow the apostolic example? That the gospel cannot be merely some set of theological opinions. That we can abandon or embrace and will it cannot be a message where we get to make decision as to what it is.

It has to have Transcendent value it has to be relevant to every culture every language every time every tribes own people and nation. And it has to be something we can be passionate in embracing and defending and that's exactly what we see in Galatians chapter 2.

So I'm going to sort of step over this way so we can all see this together. And I'd like to look at the first ten verses this morning in defining The gospel because this is where the world will tell you we can't do this anymore.

You Christians who thought that you could define the gospel you've missed the boat. You don't understand. And I hate to tell you but as a seminary professor I know a little bit about what life is like in the seminary and The vast majority of seminaries today Systematic theology is no longer the queen of the classes.

Systematic theology has moved over to the history section. Because you see the view of scripture has been so degraded that the idea that there is one truth revealed in scripture Is by far the minority opinion amongst all theological seminaries in the world today.

That's why I say it's now in the church history section people actually stand around going can you believe there is a time When people actually thought that the Bible had one message that you could actually derive a consistent system of truth in the Bible why those people were naive and The people who believe that are given all the opportunities to speak to the media.

They're the ones that are asked to speak for Christianity today or except for for some reason God's absolute providence and forcing Larry King to have John MacArthur on once in a while. That's the only time anyone actually stands up and says actually this is the truth and everybody else he has on goes.

Well, I'm not really sure and that's what's going on. Let's look at Galatians chapter 2 before I preach to you. Then after an interval of 14 years, this is Paul speaking I went up again Jerusalem with Barnabas taking Titus along also.

It was because of a revelation that I went up and I submitted them the gospel which I preach among the Gentiles. But I did so in private to those who are a reputation for fear that I might be running or had run in vain.

But not even Titus who was with me though. He was a Greek was compelled to be circumcised. But it was because of the false brethren secretly brought in who had sneaked in to spy on our liberty. Which we have in Christ Jesus in order to bring us into bondage.

But we did not yield the subjection of them for even an hour. So that the truth of the gospel would remain with you. But from those who were of high reputation what they were makes no difference to me.

God shows the partiality. Well those who were of reputation Intruded nothing to me. But on the contrary seeing that I've been entrusted with the gospel to be uncircumcised. Just as Peter had been uncircumcised for he who effectively working for Peter in his apostleship to circumcise.

Effectually worked for me also the Gentiles and recognizing the grace has been given to me James and Cephas and John who repute to be pillars. Gave to me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship so that we might go to the Gentiles and they to circumcise.

They only asked us to remember the poor the very thing I was eager to do. Now let's move back to the beginning here, and let's walk through this section because we have here a Discussion of how the gospel itself is being defined.

Remember the context of the book of relations. There is no book in the New Testament that has stronger language in it than this epistle. I Remember when I debated Barry Lynn, I don't know if any of you know who Barry Lynn is but he's Head of Americans United the separation of church and state.

He's a United Church of Christ minister ACLU board member every time the people want the absolute leftist viewpoint of religious things. They have Barry Lynn on and he and I debated whether homosexuality is consistent with biblical Christianity back in 2001 on Long Island in New York and.

The thing did not go very well for for Barry Lynn in fact. Later, we made the videos available. He tried to sue us to suppress the videos and he lost but anyway. During the course of the debate I brought up the book of Galatians.

Now here is a man who believe it or not actually claimed to be able to receive the same kind of revelation as the Apostle Paul and here he stood in front of an audience and informed us. Well, yeah. No, I don't accept the authority of relations.

It's over the top. It's over the top. Well, there are some senses in which it is over the top. Other than Jesus words of Matthew chapter 23 I can't think of any other text in the New Testament comes even close to the strength of the language that Paul uses.

In the book of Galatians remember how he began if anyone preaches to you a gospel of the gospel He preached unto you. Let him be anathema. That is under the curse of God not under my curse. Not under an apostolic curse, which would be serious enough in and of itself.

But let him be under the very curse of God and in that text beginning Galatians He tells us that there are not multiple Gospels when he says there be those who have preached you another gospel. He says which is not another and he uses two Greek words.

Differentiate another of a different kind which is not another of the same kind. There are not multiple Gospels. But there are many people today Who call themselves Christians. Who believe there are multiple Gospels?

They believe that well, you know in my church we believe this but you know, I know down the road. They have a completely different understanding, but you know, they're just such good folks. And I don't want to offend anybody and I don't want anyone to think that I'm mean or narrow-minded.

So, you know, I'm sure God will just sort of sort it all out the end. That wasn't the apostolic preaching. Paul knew that there are men who had come into the churches of Galatia and They had a different gospel.

Now. The amazing thing is when you when you work through this text and You find out what they were preaching in comparison to the Wild heresies that are preached under the name of Christianity today. These Judaizers most people they would go.

Oh, come on you're splitting hairs here. Come on, you've got all they're doing is they're they're looking at the Old Testament and the Old Testament talks about circumcision. And the Old Testament says this is the eternal ordinance and all they're saying is you need to get into that Covenant.

Jesus is the Messiah for the Jews. All you got to do is be circumcised enter into that covenant then you believe in Jesus and you're saved. They're only adding one little thing. And Who do you think you are Paul to be so narrow-minded.

Well Truth has the nature of being very specific. It is a truth that in the United States of America you drive on the right side of the road. It is an untruth in America you drive on the left side of the road now.

There's not that much of a difference. There's just one little line down the middle. But aren't you glad most of us are pretty serious about that particular truth. We see that we live that way people can't live the way that our modern society thinks.

You can't go well, you know liquid cold water. Acetone what the same to me? I think I can drink either one up. No problem. No one lives that way. But when it comes to spirituality the assumption is there is no truth.

You see we recognize there is a truth about well, yeah laws of physics gravity things like that. No problem. Science all science is the source of all truth. Is it not? And so things about the difference between water and acetone.

Yeah. Okay, that's a scientific thing, but you see. No one really knows about this religion there are so many different opinions, you see and What is the underlying assumption of that way of thinking?

It's the oldest temptation in the book. Yay, half God said. Wasn't that the very first recorded temptation. Yay, half God said isn't that what the serpent said in the garden? Are you sure God can speak with clarity?

Are you sure you understood him? Right? Oh. That temptation continues on. In our land today in our culture today for Christians. The great temptation is to go. You know, I want to be accepted. I Want to be loved.

None of us like that look from someone we know. That they are offended by what we've had to say. None of us go out looking for that. Well, I guess I do know some people do that, but I'm not amongst them.

Some people I think I am doing what I do. That's not me. I Mean I Lord willing will be in London in November of this year I'm doing two debates with Muslims there in London and then I'm going to Speakers Corner.

They ever seen Speakers Corner in Hyde Park. Speakers Corner is an open-air preaching area and the Muslims and the Christians get together every Sunday afternoon there and you stand up and you preach and the Muslims are closer than you are to me right now and They're not exactly like quiet Baptists.

And I'm gonna see some real disapproving looks. I understand that none of us go looking for that. We know when someone is becoming offended, but we're saying and so it's so easy for us to adopt the silent Christian attitude the silent Christian perspective.

Or the gospel by your action becomes a mere opinion. That has no more validity for someone else than a mere opinion would have. That is not the power of the gospel that is not the Christian message. And the enemy of our souls knows That he doesn't really have to worry too much more about us once he has forced us.

To adopt the position that says the gospel is not worthy Of my public defense. It is not worthy of my counting the cost. And may I just say in passing That as I have over the past number of years turned my attention very fully the study of Islam to the study of the Quran and Arabic and the history of Islam and the Apologetic issues therein.

You cannot study Islam Without being reminded on a regular basis Of how many of our brothers and sisters in this day suffered persecution at the hands of Muslim states. Many of our brothers and sisters this day.

Yes, the communists do it. China, North Korea. They experienced persecution from Hindus in India. Believe it or not it does happen. Southern Mexico from Roman Catholics at times Evangelical churches there will find themselves in great trouble.

But the large majority of the persecution takes place in our world today does so at the hands of Islam. And yet we have brothers and sisters who stand firm and proclaim the gospel. Even at the cost of their freedom their family and their lives.

And I cannot help but be challenged At how easy we have it in our land in comparison to them. Last year I had the opportunity of recording a whole series of Television lectures to be translated to Farsi for satellite broadcast in Iran.

And it was because when when people in the West asked the Iranian Christians What do you want most from us? They didn't want iPods or computers or pews or Things like that. They said we need Apologetics.

We need to be able to teach our people and our children The truth the faith so that we might continue to give an answer. What a challenge to us. Are we passionate About the gospel. Well, the Apostle Paul was the Apostle Paul Goes up to Jerusalem.

I remember this is very early on in the history of the church the Mission to the Gentiles was very new. God had to lower a sheep from heaven three times to get through the thick skull of Peter and Even then even having gotten through once The veil went back down again even for Peter traditions are hard to get through and so Paul has been Ministering the gospel of Gentiles and he has not been forcing Those Gentiles to be circumcised.

That's why he says here Titus even when he went to Jerusalem was not compelled to be circumcised. He's demonstrating the consistency That exists between his proclamation and the proclamation of Peter and James and John.

Because what has happened is these Judaizers who've gone to the churches of Galatia saying that Paul's a rebel. That Paul's not consistent with the real Apostles the real Apostles with Jesus. Paul only claims to have seen Jesus on the roads of Damascus and so he's.

You need to understand you need to be circumcised. Remember what Paul's gonna say at the end of Galatians. He would say to those of you who seek to be circumcised. You have been cut off from Christ. You've been severed from grace.

Strong words. To those seeking to be justified by keeping the law. And so Paul's demonstrating. No, there is only one gospel coming from the Apostles. And if you compare this section with Acts chapter 15 You'll see how that early church setting as this issue came forward the Apostles gathered together.

Paul tells what what God has done. Peter gets up. He tells about what God has done in his life how God has taught him not to call him clean. Then James stands up and gives the decision. It was the big issue of the early church.

You didn't want to have a Jewish Christian Church and then a Gentile Christian Church. That split just simply could not exist in Paul's mind. And so Paul goes up. He says Titus himself did not have to be circumcised.

But why did I go up? Why did I go up? Here's where we need to dig in. Notice what he says. It was because of Pseudo-adelphoid false brethren now, by the way, I Don't know if the pastor here ever uses a laser you ever use a laser.

This is just your standard laser. See you can see a little laser that's your little standard laser, you know, that's that's nice. But I'm a geek. So I don't have just a standard laser. I have the kind of laser that if you fall asleep while I'm speaking I can fire this into your mouth and your whole head will blow.

So that'll keep you awake. So what I want to point something out. We've got to make sure to replace the screen afterwards because it can sort of burn a hole right in the middle. There's here's a turn.

Yeah, I got a green one of these kind of shoots down airline and stuff like that, yeah. Why does Paul go up. See this term false brethren pseudo-adelphoid. You know what Philadelphia means right city of brotherly love.

You know, it's pseudo is a pseudonym false name. So false brethren it was because of false brethren who had snuck in. Now before I say any more about that thing for just a moment how many people in the church today would have sufficient confidence in the truth the Word of God and the clarity of God's revelation to identify almost anybody as a false brother.

Oh, but didn't Jesus say judge not lest ye be judged. Oh, there's the most misused passage all the Bible's today. You're not supposed to have discernment. That's supposed to tell there's doing right and wrong.

What did Jesus actually say for by the standard by which you judge you yourself will be judged. We are called to make decisions. Jesus himself talked about good fruit and bad fruit. How can you know if it's good for a bathroom if you don't make a decision about?

It's amazing how people use and misuse that text false brethren. What that means is these people had crept in they're not outside the church. They're not down the first Unitarian Universalist Church, you know praying to Mother Gaia or something like that.

They're outside the you know, those people said these people have come inside. Remember Paul said in Acts chapter 20. He warned the Ephesian elders Times coming. When ravenous wolves will arise from amongst you.

They will look like you they will dress like you. They will speak like you and when they see you they will walk up and stick their hand out and say how you doing brother. That's how it's always been done.

Heretics don't show up in the back room and pink purple polka dots. Hey. Don't do it that way. They dress like us. They speak like us and what makes it difficult is. Most of us don't want to say you're not my brother.

We want to embrace someone's our brother, right? Paul says these are false brother. They make the claim. The claim does not match the reality. Well, what's the basis of that? What's the basis of that we divide over some pretty stupid things.

Baptists are really good at dividing aren't aren't they? I remember I was down in Florida and Georgia. And a Presbyterian pastor friend of mine and I were going to visit the Andersonville prison. If any of you know anything about the War of Northern Aggression.

Which is what it's called in Georgia. You say civil war there they go there is nothing civil about it. Back, I walked out of a church in Texas once on the back of a bumper. It said north one south zero half-time and.

So we were going to Andersonville prison we're driving through these back roads countries of back roads and through the country. And there's the first Baptist Church. There's the second Baptist Church.

There's the third Baptist Church. And then we found the fourth Baptist. I think we found the 11th Baptist Church. I'm not sure they all probably split off one thing. You know, they split over stuff like what color the pews are.

You know, what's up? What tempo you're supposed to sing the hymns at we don't have the problem in our church. We only have one tempo and it's slow. So we divide over silly things and People look upon.

Telling us to divide what was the foundation of the division? Are there things worthy of dividing over? Yes. And you know what if we're really focused on the things that are worthy of dividing over guess what the result is.

We're not nearly as quick to divide over the same things. It is a lack of having the proper focus. That is so often the result of disruptions in the Christian Fellowship and so we have false brethren and they have snuck in.

Secretly brought in they haven't been open. There is a nefarious purpose in their thoughts. They have not been open about what they're doing. They have Secretly come into the fellowship and what are they doing?

They have snuck in to spy out our liberty. They don't want people to have liberty. The very essence of Human religion is the creation of mechanisms whereby we as humans can control God's power. So that we as religious leaders then can control the people.

That's the very essence of human religion. Think about all the the religious Unbiblical traditions that have developed over the ages and What are they there to do? They're there to keep God from being free.

So you channel God's grace through all these Sacraments and things like that and then the leaders who control those means now have control over the people. The very essence of human religion and These people has snuck into the church to spy out the Liberty.

Which we have in Christ Jesus the freedom literally which we have in Christ Jesus. But then what does it say? Just so they might Pick off just a few disciples. Now this is going to sound strange to you.

But I've said it before heresy is not a victimless crime. Heresy is immoral. Heresy is sinful. You see how there's a test for how deeply you have been influenced by the way this world thinks because from the world's perspective.

Heresy is merely differences of opinion. But the Apostle Paul said these false brethren and how does Peter put it and you put it there? Condemnation is from of old. God's judgment will come upon them.

You don't play with God's truth. You don't trifle with these things. He says these have come into the church for a purpose. They had a purpose in our cloths in order to bring us into bondage. Servitude.

They're not there just because well, they just have a different understand. That's what is absolutely Driving me crazy about certain elements of evangelicalism today. There are certain people who actually are getting together with the Mormons to have Ecumenical dialogue.

Now I don't have any problem with having ecumenical dialogue with Mormons. I've done it for a long long time. You go out to the Mormon temple you pass out tracks. You have ecumenical dialogue you say this is the gospel that isn't repentance and belief.

And then you trust the Holy Spirit to do his work and it works. I'll go up to Salt Lake City, and I will debate NYU scholars, and that's called ecumenical dialogue, but I ain't compromising anything. But let's all get together and you share with us your and then we'll share our Experience and we'll be closer to one another.

What? There are people and there are major institutions that have the idea that you can sort of bring people. One little step at a time a little bit closer to maybe becoming a Christian eventually. Now in case you're wondering Mormonism teaches that there are many gods.

That God the God of this planet was once a man lived on another planet and Jesus the separate one. He's first got a spirit child of him and and there are literally billions and billions and billions of gods.

That's called polytheism. That's called idolatry right and When Paul speaks the Galatians of chapter 3 he says you must worship those which are by nature not gods. But now you worship the true God. There wasn't some incremental.

Well, we moved one generation a little bit closer than that a little bit closer. No, it was that's idolatry turn and worship the one true God and to see people in the church today using this incrementalism is Maddening in light of the biblical revelation.

They want to bring you into servitude. Remember Paul was saying this about people Who would be sitting in the pews and weren't pews back then? But you know what? I mean in the fellowship of those little churches in Galatia when his letter was read on Lord's Day morning.

Can you imagine what that was like in this letter arrived? You could have cut the atmosphere with a knife. Because the person sitting next to you is one of the false brethren that Paul was talking about.

I don't think they had a great offering. They may have VBS may have been disrupted that week. But Paul had to do it. Paul had to do it. Why did he have to do it? Why why not? Come on Paul? The book of Acts as long as Paul was around there's always this disruption and there's all this difficulty and then they leave the churches at peace.

So maybe it's just Paul's fault. Because he's calling people false brother and saying he wants that they want to put you in bondage. Notice what he says. We did not yield in subjection to them. For even a moment we stood against them.

There was never a time where we compromised. There was never a time. We said well. And see this is this is how the mainline denominations have been Destroyed any of you old enough to the following this for a while think about some of the main quarter called mainline denominations.

Look at the Episcopalians. Look at the liberal Presbyterians look at the liberal Lutherans and You look at them today and you go they're ordaining practicing homosexuals as bishops. And they have collapsed on every single Cultural point where the gospel impacts the culture every single point where it all started.

First of all, it always started with the degradation of view of the Word of God always. But if you notice what the mechanism is They you'll hear where one of these groups will vote down. Another move toward apostasy and everyone's like yeah, but you know what happens.

All that means is it's been referred back to a committee for next year. It's called the death of orthodoxy by committee and When you keep entertaining it and you keep entertaining it and you keep entertaining it over and over again.

Eventually like the beating of the waves on the seashore the rocks are turned to sin and We wonder how Denominations that my parents tell me and when they were young there were still people who believe in the Word of God and Preach the Word of God today.

You look at those denominations and they are religious social. And What was the process? You keep allowing the false teachers to bring up their teacher and to gain more disciples and to nuance their message.

We Did not yield and subject subjection to them for even an hour. For what reason now. Here's where I got a camp a little bit because this is the issue twice this phrase appears in Paul's epistles. It's going to appear in the text.

We look at this afternoon and it appears here, but one of the reasons why Paul This teaching no longer resonates in the halls of academia. It no longer resonates from the pulpit. In so many buildings called churches today Is because if you really push someone and Say do you believe?

That the truth of the gospel can be known in our day a large majority in the honesty of their hearts. Not in a group. But in the honesty of their hearts. Will say I don't believe it. I saw many people I When I graduated from Grand Canyon.

The only theological education available in Phoenix at the time Without moving and since my son Was conceived around that time moving was not an option when you're born in church mouse Was full of theological seminary.

Fuller in Phoenix is a whole lot more conservative in the 1980s than fuller anywhere is today and It was good for me at that time because as an apologist when it defends the faith. It was good to have to be fighting for a whole time while you're in seminary anyways and It was good on that level, but the sad thing was I saw so many people Coming into that program confident what they believe and then graduating with a master's degree in confusion.

Graduating with a master's degree in computer because all of a sudden they come in thinking well. Doesn't everyone believe this and then all of a sudden they're exposed to all these different viewpoints.

And of course in the academy. As long as you have a series of letters after your name. You must be accorded great respect. And so abject heretics. It's a great scholar though and people lack the discernment to be able to look at liberal material.

Pull the good out. They're good at doing their research anyways are really good at Bibliographies and stuff like that, but then leave the dross aside. They get hit with all this stuff and they become convinced.

You know what? There's just so many opinions out there. There's so many smart people that believe different things. Who am I and of course that really is the question. Who am I that was the question at the time of the Reformation?

Luther who are you to stand against all this? Look at those buildings look at that Thomas Aquinas guy. Look at all those books. Who are any of us and If of course it was up to you or to me, that would be a very valid question.

It's not up to either one of us. It's not me. The real issue is has God spoken with Claremont. And Can we still know it. Has God preserved his word for us? That's where a lot of the attack is today folks and I can't even begin to touch this this morning.

But a lot of the attack today is to attack whether we can trust this January of next year in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, I will be debating Bart Ehrman. Bart Ehrman is considered the leading textual critical scholar in the United States today.

His book misquoting Jesus from the New York Times bestseller. He's the one PBS public broadcasting always goes to. He was a graduate of Moody Bible Institute Wheaton College went to Princeton became an agnostic and apostate and studied under Bruce Metzger and He is the chief source now for the new atheists, you know, the Richard Dawkins of the world.

The Christopher Hitchens of the world. They all look to Bart Ehrman for their Ability to dismiss the New Testament as a relevant document. We will be debating. Does the existence of textual variation preclude the possibility of inspiration?

And I Covet your prayers. For that encounter because I think it'll be one of the most important debates that I've ever done. About the opportunity to being John Dominic Cross and John Shelby Spong. People like this but Bart Ehrman.

I think that debate will be one of the most important debates that we've ever done and that's where the focus of the attack is today. Is on whether you can trust What this word has to say? The Apostle Paul Had a priority and the priority was the purity of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Everything else he did flow from the centrality of his commission. To proclaim the whole counsel of God and he said the Ephesian elders I am innocent of the blood of every man because when it came to the proclamation of God's truth I held nothing back.

He did not fear the face of man because he feared the face of his Lord and. That is where we have to be today. Let me tell you something. I know how to keep a ministry very small. I've been doing it for 25 years.