1 Then after fourteen years I went up to Jerusalem again with Barnabas, taking Titus along too.
2 I went there because of a revelation and presented to them the gospel that I preach among the Gentiles. But I did so only in a private meeting with the influential people, to make sure that I was not running - or had not run - in vain.
3 Yet not even Titus, who was with me, was compelled to be circumcised, although he was a Greek.
4 Now this matter arose because of the false brothers with false pretenses who slipped in unnoticed to spy on our freedom that we have in Christ Jesus, to make us slaves.
Vs. 1 - This is Paul’s second return to Jerusalem. Acts does not record how long Paul spent preaching the gospel and starting churches. I was amazed that it was about 17 years.
The issue - could Gentiles accept Christ as Lord and Savior - had been resolved. (See Acts 11:1-18.) The issue of whether Gentiles also had to convert to Judaism was not.
Could Gentiles accept Christ as Savior? That had been resolved. Peter had a vision from God before the conversion of Cornelius, the Roman military centurion. He did not immediately understand what God was saying through the vision. (See: Acts 10:9-17) He did catch on. Paul and Barnabas were sent to preach the Gospel to Gentiles.
The question the early church had to resolve: Were the Gentiles really saved if they didn't become Jews also?
Consider this line of reasoning:
| Jesus was a Jew, and came as the Messiah for the Jews. How could this have any meaning or consequence for non-Jews? So, was it reasonable to think accepting Christ was the first step to salvation, and could only be completed and efficacious when fully immersed in Judaism? |
Also: Could Jewish converts fraternize with Gentile converts?
You might think this is silly. Prejudices die hard and slowly. (If you need a modern day example: Slavery and racism in the United States. The emotional wounds of a practice eliminated in the 1860’s are still around. Slavery is gone, but the after-effects of racism still fester and wound today.)
The Jew’s attitude toward Gentiles was codified in their laws and practices. It is not certain that hatred and fear of Gentiles was in the Law - Genesis-Deuteronomy - but it was practiced and taught daily in Judah. You were ‘unclean’ if you socialized or touched a Gentile (‘unclean’ is the same term as used for lepers). How could you socialize with Gentile Christians? Some people say the Jews referred to the Gentiles as ‘dogs’. They were not talking about your mini-LabraDoodle house pet. They were thinking of the feral dog packs that roamed the areas, the garbage pits, and were hated and despised. It is a good question who the Jews despised more: the Samaritans or the Gentiles.
Vs. 2 - “presented to them the gospel that I preached” - Paul’s decision to go to Jerusalem may not have been due to a revelation or vision. We see in Acts 15, some Judean Christians came to Antioch. They were telling the Christians there, that salvation came only through Judaism (Acts 15:1-2) and following its practices. During this kerfuffle, it was decided that Paul and Barnabas would go make a defense to the elders in Jerusalem. On the way there, Paul and Barnabas told the churches what God had been doing to save souls. Great rejoicing ensued.
“in a private meeting with the influential people” - Paul, Barnabas and Titus met with Peter, James (Jesus’ brother), John and other elders of the Jerusalem church headquarters. Talk about a high-power conference meeting. Three or four of the most influential apostles of the early church are discussing the direction the church should go. A large part of the New Testament canon was written by Peter, James, John and Paul.
The basic message coming out of this high level conference: Jesus and Jesus alone saves. It is not “Jesus plus”.
“I was not running - or had not run - in vain.” - This is monumental! If the decision had fallen the other way, everything Paul had learned from Jesus, everything that he had done for the last seventeen years was wasted. His conversion on the Damascus road was worthless! The gospel he preached was folly! But Jesus’s words, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father but by me” are accepted as true and powerful.
Another view of the idea “running in vain” is the concern that people will be drawn away from the true faith. In other words: Paul shared the gospel, they accepted the Lord, then the new believers are led away by the false teachers. All of his work is in vain, it is lost. A lot of extra work is needed to bring them back to a pure faith.
vs. 3 - “compelled to be circumcised” - This shows the defense of Paul & Barnabas’ ministry to the Gentiles was accepted by the church council in Jerusalem. It also shows that apostles, especially Peter, James and John, finally understood the Gospel was to be freely shared everyone - Jew and Gentile.
A more important understanding also came from this meeting: Christianity stands on Christ alone, not on Judaism plus Christ’s death, burial and resurrection.
Paul and the other leaders understood, if not fully, Jesus’ declaration that he had fulfilled the Law. And if the Law is fulfilled, it no longer applies. All of the rituals - no benefit. All of the sacrifices - no benefit.
“He was a Greek” - proof that the “old” Jewish ways no longer applied. Not only was Paul, a fervent Jew, preaching to Gentiles, he worked with one - Titus (along with other Gentiles).
Vs. 4 - “this matter” - Gentiles did not need to become Jews to be saved. Some Jews were preaching the opposite. See: Acts 15:1-6. Note the last phrase in this reference. This is not a simple disagreement like “Should we have chairs or pews?”, or “Should the American flag be flown on the church stage?” This matter deals with the crux of salvation (no pun intended) - was Christ’s sacrifice sufficient for salvation?
“false brothers with false pretenses” - Paul does not see this as a misunderstanding between believers. Men were coming from Judea, the hub of the blossoming church. They must have heard the story of Peter and Cornelius, and the vision Peter received from God. Peter was challenged because he had spent time with Gentiles. The discussion ended with the understanding that Gentiles having received the Holy Spirit just as the Jewish believers had done, no one could stand in the way of salvation. It is improbable to think this decision and news remained hidden from the rest of the church. So Paul’s conclusion was people preaching “Christ-plus-Judaism” had nefarious purposes.
“slipped in unnoticed” - This may seem like an unlikely comment or phrase. Think of your church. If someone from out of town drops into your church, indicating they are fellow Christians, do you question their statement? These people came professing their faith. Of course they were accepted into the local body.
“Spy on our freedom… make us slaves” - For whatever reason, these false teachers could not accept that salvation was offered to all who believed in Christ. That would mean anyone - ANYONE! - who believed was saved. That would mean no circumcision, no sacrifices, no sabbath rituals. It would mean the Gentile believers were free from the strictures of Judaism. In Christ we are free. Adding Sabbath laws, or festival and sacrifice laws remove pieces of that freedom. If Judaic laws must be followed, how could anyone know if they are saved? What if you missed something, would that miss keep you away from eternal salvation? Rather than belonging to Christ, you now are captives of your failures! Slaves to sin. No wonder Paul is upset!
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