9/2/13

From Gary... A matter of conscience








How in the world did 1930's Germany go so wrong?  I think the problem started with world economic downturn characterized by the 1929 stock market crash in the United States.  Perhaps even Germany's defeat in World War I and the subsequent war reparations that strained a severely weakened economy was the culprit. When you are hungry and you don't know where your next meal is coming from it is easy to go along with the crowd- to believe anything and everything that will lead to your survival.  But some people in Germany did NOT submit, as this picture testifies!!!  Their conscience overrode mass hysteria and they resisted Adolph Hilter's Nationalist Socialism to the point of death. This is nothing new; people have had to make such choices as long as there have been authorities.  Here is an example of some men who made such a "hard choice"...

Acts, Chapter 5

 17  But the high priest rose up, and all those who were with him (which is the sect of the Sadducees), and they were filled with jealousy,  18 and laid hands on the apostles, and put them in public custody. 19 But an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors by night, and brought them out, and said, 20 “Go stand and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life.” 

  21  When they heard this, they entered into the temple about daybreak, and taught. But the high priest came, and those who were with him, and called the council together, and all the senate of the children of Israel, and sent to the prison to have them brought.  22 But the officers who came didn’t find them in the prison. They returned and reported,  23 “We found the prison shut and locked, and the guards standing before the doors, but when we opened them, we found no one inside!” 

  24  Now when the high priest, the captain of the temple, and the chief priests heard these words, they were very perplexed about them and what might become of this.  25 One came and told them, “Behold, the men whom you put in prison are in the temple, standing and teaching the people.” 26 Then the captain went with the officers, and brought them without violence, for they were afraid that the people might stone them. 

  27  When they had brought them, they set them before the council. The high priest questioned them,  28 saying, “Didn’t we strictly command you not to teach in this name? Behold, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and intend to bring this man’s blood on us.” 

  29  But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men.  30 The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you killed, hanging him on a tree.  31 God exalted him with his right hand to be a Prince and a Savior, to give repentance to Israel, and remission of sins.  32 We are His witnesses of these things; and so also is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.” 

  33  But they, when they heard this, were cut to the heart, and determined to kill them.  34 But one stood up in the council, a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law, honored by all the people, and commanded to put the apostles out for a little while.  35 He said to them, “You men of Israel, be careful concerning these men, what you are about to do.  36 For before these days Theudas rose up, making himself out to be somebody; to whom a number of men, about four hundred, joined themselves: who was slain; and all, as many as obeyed him, were dispersed, and came to nothing. 37 After this man, Judas of Galilee rose up in the days of the enrollment, and drew away some people after him. He also perished, and all, as many as obeyed him, were scattered abroad.  38 Now I tell you, withdraw from these men, and leave them alone. For if this counsel or this work is of men, it will be overthrown.  39 But if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow it, and you would be found even to be fighting against God!” 


If we are put into a position where we have to choose, could you refuse to obey the authorities and preach the truth?  Could you follow God, even if everyone around you willingly submitted to despotism?  Right about now you are probably asking yourself what this has to do with "me", so let me get right to the point.  Recently, California and New Jersey have passed laws making it a crime to preach against homosexuality.  Today, I saw on the internet that if you want to baptize someone on national park property you need to get a Federal permit.  We are in the midst of a country that is quickly become anti-Christian!!!  It seems very, very possible that those of us who are faithful will have to made some serious choices in the upcoming years!!!  I encourage you to take some time and really consider what you are willing to do; you may have to do it sooner than anyone ever imagined.  Just remember these words when you contemplate these things....

Revelation, Chapter 2
 10  Don’t be afraid of the things which you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested; and you will have oppression for ten days. Be faithful to death, and I will give you the crown of life.   11  He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the assemblies. He who overcomes won’t be harmed by the second death. 

QUESTION: WHAT WILL YOU DO, WHEN OUR DEMOCRACY CONDEMNS CHRISTIANITY AS UNAMERICAN?

From Jim McGuiggan... What's the matter George?

What's the matter George?

Didn’t I tell you that George Dawson was 103 and that he just recently wrote a book called Life is so Good. When George was a boy of twelve, the oldest of the children, poor, black, and away from home for the first time, he was working on Mr. Little’s farm. It was 1910. His family worked every waking hour to make a living out of the farm but things became especially hard with poor crops and mortgage payments. Mr. Dawson agreed that George could go work for Mr. Little. This would mean one less mouth to feed and a wage coming in. Like so many others this boy had had to become a man long before he was a teenager. Even so, away from home, eating alone, sleeping alone in a tiny shack away from the main house, alone I said, sleeping on a wooden platform with a corn husk mattress on top—that was a burden and a half. He was twelve years old, for pity’s sake.
At home he slept with his brothers and sisters and when he visited the Coals and stayed the night they just squeezed him into the bed with their kids. Now away from home, "I would have given anything," he said, "for a crowded bed with my brothers and sisters sleeping and breathing next to me." How deep the need in us for warm human companionship.
"And then I thought of Mama’s biscuits. It would have been okay in the daytime when I was working. But somehow out there by myself in the shed, thinking of her biscuits only made me cry. Mrs. Little made good biscuits, but they weren’t Mama’s. I wanted to be strong, but I couldn’t help myself. I just wanted someone, Mama or Papa, to say it would be okay, or even for one of the little ones to ask, ‘What’s the matter, George?’ " Even for one of the little ones to ask, "What’s the matter, George? "

There’s something about that phrase. The combined innocence of a child’s question and a twelve year old who must be a man before he has been allowed to be a boy. Oh, ohhhh, what a pain-filled world where children bear so much of the hardship and oh what a lovely sight it is to come across adults whose only interest in children is to nurture and help. How profoundly important are good deeds that are done—something kind, something sensitive and strong. How precious the memories of kindnesses are that make a child believe that the world is not all darkness or sleaze or cruelty. A flash of lightning, brief but it let’s you get your bearings in the dark. And how sweet it is to see a concerned face, a little face, too young to be hypocritical, looking at you with a mixture of wonder and pain and a universe of sympathy. How blessed the memory that someone made your tears and your aching heart their concern, with a tiny voice and big lovely, sincere question, "What’s the matter George?" How do you think George Dawson made it to 103 with a great spirit, having seen and felt all he saw and felt?
And who, if anyone, is going to look back and remember me at any age saying, "What’s the matter George?"

©2004 Jim McGuiggan. All materials are free to be copied and used as long as money is not being made.

Many thanks to brother Ed Healy, for allowing me to post from his website, the abiding word.com.

From Jim McGuiggan... What about Bob?

What about Bob?

In the great movie What About Bob?, radical self-centredness is made marvellously humorous. Bob (Bill Murray) plagues the psychiatrists. He drives one out of business or out of town or both and then latches on to another one; the luckless Richard Dreyfus. The patient cleverly traces the doctor to his holiday spot, confronts him in the street and when he is rebuked for what he has done he whimpers, "I need, I need, I need!" No wonder the psychiatrist ends up a basket case.
I love the movie (have watched it four times—three times with my grandkids, who laughed themselves silly) and good humour is good for the soul. But beyond the movie there's the serious side of self-centredness, which in some cases is outright illness and in other cases appears to be sheer selfishness.
Mark tells us that a huge crowd walked along with and hemmed Jesus in (5:24-34). One of them was a poor soul who had suffered from hemorrhages for twelve long years and added to that trouble she had suffered from a "medical fraternity" that took all her money and left her worse off. She gallantly believed if she just got near Jesus—not to bother him, you understand, just to touch his clothes—she believed that she would be healed. And so she was!
We're told that Jesus felt power leaving him (5:30, Luke 8:46). I don't know that he always felt that, and I've often wondered if healing people drained him of strength and if he ended the day weary to the bone. I tend to think so though I'm certain of this: working with people all the time is a burden; even if it's a burden we gladly take on.
I'm stating only the obvious when I say that if we wish to truly help people we must be prepared to feel power going from us; we need to know up front that there's a price to pay and be prepared to pay it.
I don't remember who it was but someone divided people into givers and takers. The takers are forever saying, "Here I am; here I am!" and the givers are constantly saying, "Ah, there you are!" Talk like this can become too sugary before we know it, and life and the people in it simply can't be divided neatly into two groups like that. But having recognised the truth of that, we can't help confessing that we think we know some who are just plain takers! Always wanting and never giving; constantly asking to be understood but never anxious to understand; wanting to be attended to but they know nothing—or precious little—about putting themselves out for others. They wish to be "friends" but the benefits are to flow only in one direction—toward them. They don't experience what Jesus felt in that crowd—power going out of them.
But there's no "friendship" (no friendship) if the relationship isn't a mutual thing. There's something cheap about our wanting someone's heart while, in every way that giving is expressed, we refuse to give him/her our heart. Whatever else that approach is, it's unlike the way of Jesus Christ.
We can't be everyone's friend; we simply aren't capable of it, but we are able if we allow or even encourage someone to be a friend to us to give them our friendship. Forget some exceptional circumstances in which this might not be true: it's surely wrong to take someone's heart while refusing to give our own.
We must feel power going out of us.

©2004 Jim McGuiggan. All materials are free to be copied and used as long as money is not being made.

Many thanks to brother Ed Healy, for allowing me to post from his website, the abiding word.com.

From Jim McGuiggan... Two letters before dying

Two letters before dying

Aubrey Beardsley wasn't quite twenty-six when he died and he left behind him a mass of decadent drawings. Judged in today's terms with its utter lack of shame they were modest, but in the nineties of the 19th century they were shocking. Even Oscar Wilde (who was a bit jealous of Beardsley) thought they were too sensuous and complained that they made his own writings (which Beardsley sometimes illustrated) more sexually decadent that he meant them to be.
Beardsley died from pulmonary tuberculosis but not before he utterly renounced all the work he had done that expressed the French decadent movement and was received into the Roman Catholic Church. He was terrified at the thought of the moral influence of his drawings and wrote to a friend saying, "I implore you to destroy all copies of [naming a work of his], and all drawings that are harmful. Show this to [and he named a friend], and conjure him to do the same. By all that is holy, all obscene drawings." Then he signed his name, adding the words, "In my death-agony."
This young man was one of a number who were carried away by the power of popular and influential people into a swift current they couldn't resist. Not only did Beardsley leave behind drawings of which he was mortally ashamed; he didn't leave behind a mass of work of which he could have been proud.
Many centuries before Aubrey Beardsley an older man, worn out and imprisoned, waiting for a death sentence he never earned, wrote to a young friend. There was no terror, there was peace. There was no raging guilt—there was deep satisfaction that he had used his life and giftedness for a world-renewing purpose. He said, "The last drops of my own sacrifice are falling; my time to go has come. I have fought in the good fight; I have run my course; I have kept the faith. Now the crown of a good life awaits me, with which the Lord, that just Judge, will reward me on the great Day." (2 Timothy 4:6-8, Moffatt)

©2004 Jim McGuiggan. All materials are free to be copied and used as long as money is not being made.

Many thanks to brother Ed Healy, for allowing me to post from his website, the abiding word.com.

From Mark Copeland... The Life Which I Now Live (Galatians 2:20-21)



                     "THE EPISTLE TO THE GALATIANS"

                  The Life Which I Now Live (2:20-21)

INTRODUCTION

1. Much that we know of the Christian life is dependent upon the apostle
   Paul...
   a. Who wrote half the books of the New Testament
   b. His conduct and attitudes are set before us as an example -
      1Co 11:1; Php 3:17
   -- But what principles governed Paul's life as a Christian?

2. In our text (Ga 2:20-21) we find Paul expressing some of the
   principles...
   a. That guided his life as a disciple of Christ
   b. As he speaks of "the life which I now live in the flesh"
   -- What kind of life was that?  Are we governed by the same
      principles?

[Notice first of all that Paul says his life which he lived in the flesh
was...]

I. A LIFE CRUCIFIED WITH CHRIST (20a)

   A. HOW IS "CRUCIFIED WITH CHRIST" POSSIBLE...?
      1. We can't go back in time and join Christ on the cross!
      2. But we can be united with Christ in His death when we are
         baptized! - Ro 6:3-8
      3. Note that baptism into Christ is...
         a. A baptism into His death - Ro 6:3-4
         b. Being united together in the likeness of His death - Ro 6:5
         c. Crucifying our old man with Christ - Ro 6:6
         d. Dying together with Christ - Ro 6:8
      -- If we have been baptized into Christ, we can say together with
         Paul:  "I have been crucified with Christ"

   B. WHAT DOES "CRUCIFIED WITH CHRIST" MEAN...?
      1. For some it means a death "to the Law" - Ga 2:19
         a. Paul wrote of himself as a Jew who was at one time under the
            Law of Moses
         b. Those who have been crucified with Christ have died to the
            Law - Ro 7:1-6
      2. For all it means a death "to self" - Ga 2:20
         a. "It is no longer I who live"
         b. As Jesus taught, we must be willing to deny self to follow
            Him - Lk 9:23-24
      3. For all it means we have crucified "the flesh" - Ga 5:24
         a. Which occurred in principle at our baptism - Ro 6:6,11-14
         b. Which occurs in practice as we continue to "put to death"
            the deeds of the body - Ro 8:12-13; Col 3:5-9
      4. For all it means we have been crucified "to the world" - Ga 6:14
         a. Before our obedience to Christ, we were in bondage to the
            rudiments of the world - Ga 4:3,9
         b. But now, Christ is our rule and authority in life - Col 2:
            8-10,20-22; 3:17
      -- Any external (Law, world) or internal (self, flesh) controls
         have now surrendered to the authority of Christ

[One who has been baptized into Christ and is letting Jesus be his or
her authority in all things is living a "life crucified with Christ".
But note that Paul also wrote "the life which I now live" is...]

II. A LIFE IN WHICH CHRIST LIVES IN ME (20b)

   A. HOW DOES CHRIST LIVE IN ME...?
      1. It is like electricity
         a. I may not comprehend how it works
         b. But I know how to get it working!
      2. We are taught how to make sure that He will abide in us
         a. By Jesus Himself - Jn 14:21-23; 15:9-10
         b. By His beloved disciple John - 1Jn 3:24
      -- As we keep the commandments of Christ, we are assured that He
         lives in us!

   B. WHAT BENEFITS COME FROM CHRIST LIVING IN US...?
      1. The wonderful love of the Father and the Son - Jn 14:21
      2. There is fulness of joy - Jn 15:11
      3. There is peace, even in the midst of tribulation - Jn 16:33
      4. There is the hope of being with Jesus and beholding His glory
         - Jn 17:24
      -- These are just a few of the many blessings of a life in which
         Christ lives in us!

[Paul has more to say about "the life which I now live".  It should
be...]

III. A LIFE LIVING BY FAITH IN CHRIST (20c)

   A. WHAT IS LIVING BY FAITH IN CHRIST...?
      1. The word 'faith' implies trust
      2. Living by faith in Christ means constantly trusting in Jesus
         a. E.g., for the forgiveness of our sins
            1) Trusting in His blood to cleanse us from our sins - 1Jn 1:7,9
            1) Trusting in Him as our Advocate - 1Jn 2:1
            2) Trusting in Him as our Propitiation - 1Jn 2:4
         b. E.g., that His words will provide a solid foundation for our
            lives - Mt 7:24-25
         c. E.g., that He will never forsake us - Mt 28:20
      -- Trusting in Jesus, not in self, not in the Law, not in the
         world!

   B. WHY SHOULD WE SO TRUST JESUS...?
      1. Because He loves us! - cf. Ga 2:20
      2. Because He gave Himself for us! - Ga 2:20
      3. Shall He not do more if we continue to trust Him? - cf. Ro 8:
         34-39
      4. Such love naturally compels one to live a life of faith in Him
         - cf. 2Co 5:14-15
      -- Does such love should compel us to trust in Jesus, living by
         faith in Him?

[Finally, the life which we now live should be...]

IV. A LIFE WHICH DOES NOT SET ASIDE GOD'S GRACE (21)

   A. WE MUST DILIGENTLY KEEP JESUS' COMMANDMENTS...
      1. As a true indication of our love for Him - cf. Jn 14:15
      2. As a true indication that we really know Him - cf. 1Jn 2:3
      -- One cannot ignore the commandments of the Lord

   B. YET WITHOUT GOD'S GRACE, ALL IS VAIN...
      1. We cannot nor dare not try to earn or merit our salvation - cf.
         Tit 3:4-5; Ep 2:8-9
      2. After all is said and done, we are still unworthy servants
         - cf. Lk 17:10
      3. If not for the grace of God...
         a. Our faith would be useless
         b. Our repentance would meaningless
         c. Our baptism would be fruitless
         d. Our salvation would be impossible!
      4. And so, from beginning to end...
         a. We must look to God and the Word of His grace
         b. We must trust in His mercy offered through Jesus
         c. We are totally dependent upon Jesus and His death on the
            cross for any degree of true righteousness
      -- If we think we have earned or merited salvation on our own,
         Christ died in vain!

CONCLUSION

1. Such was the life Paul lived in the flesh...
   a. A life crucified with Christ
   b. A life in which Christ lived in Him
   c. A life living by faith in Christ
   d. A life that did not set aside the grace of God

2. Can the same be said of us...?
   a. Have we been crucified with Christ (in baptism)?
   b. Is Christ living in us (manifested by keeping His commandments)?
   c. Are you living by faith in Christ (trusting His blood, His Word)?
   d. Are you trusting always in the grace of God (not your own goodness
      or obedience)?

May the words of Paul move us to live the kind of lives becoming of
those who call themselves Christians...

   "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live,
   but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the
   flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave
   Himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God; for if
   righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain."
                                                       - Ga 2:20-21


Executable Outlines, Copyright © Mark A. Copeland, 2011

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From Mark Copeland... Paul And Peter (Galatians 2:6-19)



                     "THE EPISTLE TO THE GALATIANS"

                        Paul And Peter (2:6-19)

INTRODUCTION

1. Paul's defends his apostleship in Galatians by recounting...
   a. His limited contact with the other apostles, in particular Peter
      - Ga 1:11-24
   b. Two episodes when he met with the apostles, especially Peter - Ga 2:1-21

2. The relationship between Paul and Peter has often been
   misrepresented...
   a. That Peter had primacy over Paul (Catholicism)
   b. That they had doctrinal differences (Criticism)

[The Biblical evidence shows otherwise.  Both in Galatians and elsewhere
in the Scriptures, we note their equality and respect for one another.
From our text (Ga 2:6-19), consider first...]

I. PAUL'S VISIT TO JERUSALEM

   A. THE OCCASION...
      1. Paul, Barnabas and Titus had gone to Jerusalem by revelation
         - cf. Ga 2:1-2
         a. Likely the visit to Jerusalem described in Ac 15:2-4
         b. Though some think it may have occurred earlier - cf. Ac 11:
            29-30; 12:25
      2. Paul withstood pressure by false teachers - cf. Ga 2:2-5
         a. In a private meeting, he spoke with those "of reputation"
            (Peter? James?)
         b. False brethren sought to compel Titus to be circumcised
         c. Paul refused to yield to their demands
      3. Paul met with Peter, James, and John, who "seemed to be
         pillars" - cf. Ga 2:6,9

   B. THE OUTCOME...
      1. With those "who seemed to be something" (James, Cephas, John)
         - Ga 2:6-10
         a. They added nothing to Paul (made no demands, gave no
            instructions or authority)
         b. They saw that Paul had been given the gospel to the
            uncirmcumcision
         c. Paul recognized God's effective work in Peter's ministry and
            Peter's apostleship to the circumcision
         d. James, Cephas (Peter) and John perceived the grace given to
            Paul
         e. They extended the right hand of fellowship to Paul
         f. They asked only that Paul remember the poor, which he was
            eager to do
      2. Of the meeting together with all the apostles and elders at
         Jerusalem - Ac 15:6-29
         a. Peter related his preaching to the Gentiles, and their
            salvation without circumcision
         b. Paul and Barnabas related their ministry and God's working
            among the Gentiles
         c. James offered scriptural support, and then a letter to which
            all agreed
         d. The letter confirmed the ministry of "beloved Barnabas and
            Paul"

[Paul's visit to Jerusalem certainly illustrated that he and Peter were
in doctrinal agreement regarding the gospel they preached.  The nature
of their relationship is made clearer with...]

II. PETER'S VISIT TO ANTIOCH

   A. THE OCCASION...
      1. Peter played the hypocrite - Ga 2:11-13
         a. He had come to Antioch (some think this was during Ac 15:1;
            others think it was later)
         b. At first he ate with the Gentiles
         c. After certain men came from James, Peter withdrew and
            separated himself
         d. He feared those of the circumcision
         e. His actions encouraged other Jews to be hypocrites, even
            Barnabas
      2. Paul confronted Peter - Ga 2:11,14-19
         a. He withstood Peter to his face, because he was to be blamed
         b. He rebuked Peter before them all, showing him to be
            inconsistent
         c. Paul's gospel (justification by faith in Christ, not by the
            works of the Law) vindicated by Peter, who normally lived
            like a Gentile himself - cf. Peter also, in Ac 15:7-11

   B. THE OUTCOME...
      1. Paul's equality with Peter demonstrated - Ga 2:11,14
         a. Paul had the authority to withstand him to his face
         b. Paul had the authority to charge him with hypocrisy before
            all
      2. Peter's respect for Paul undiminished - cf. 2Pe 3:15-16
         a. Peter later described Paul as "our beloved brother Paul"
         b. Peter acknowledged the wisdom given to Paul
         c. Peter recognized Paul's epistles as "Scriptures"

[Peter's visit to Antioch was not a happy occasion, but it did provide
an opportunity to illustrate the equality of Peter and Paul, and that
despite Peter's momentary lapse, his overall life demonstrated that his
gospel was the same as Paul's.  Finally, some thoughts regarding a
couple of...]

III. LESSONS FROM PAUL AND PETER

   A. THE COURAGE OF PAUL...
      1. We note the courage manifested by Paul in Jerusalem and Antioch
         a. Refusing to concede to pressure by false brethren
         b. Standing alone with even your closest brethren are led
            astray
         c. Having to rebuke a respected brother in Christ
      2. Paul's courage was motivated by faithfulness
         a. Faithfulness to the Lord whom he served
         b. Faithfulness to the gospel of which he was not ashamed - cf.
            Ro 1:16

   B. THE HUMILITY OF PETER...
      1. We note the humility manifested by Peter in his last epistle
         a. Not holding a grudge against Paul for his public rebuke
         b. Willing to publicly acknowledge Paul's wisdom given by
            inspiration
      2. Peter's humility was motivated by love
         a. Love for a brother in Christ
         b. Love consistent with what he himself taught others - cf.
            1Pe 3:8-9

CONCLUSION

1. The relationship between Paul and Peter illustrates the power of
   Christ...
   a. To turn persecutor and persecuted into coworkers for the gospel
   b. To help brethren at odds work through their problems to become
      brethren beloved

2. While Paul and Peter had a different focus in their respective
   ministries...
   a. They served the same Lord, preached the same gospel
   b. One was not superior to the other, they were fellow-apostles in
      the kingdom of God

Rather than trying to find some perceived 'rift' between two faithful
apostles, may we use their examples to motivate us in our service to the
Lord and to one another...



Executable Outlines, Copyright © Mark A. Copeland, 2011

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From Mark Copeland... Circumcision And The Gospel (Galatians 2:1-5)



                     "THE EPISTLE TO THE GALATIANS"

                  Circumcision And The Gospel (2:1-5)

INTRODUCTION

1. Paul's primary purpose in writing to the Galatians was to defend...
   a. His apostleship - Ga 1:1
   b. His gospel - Ga 1:11-12

2. In doing so, he recounts a meeting that took place in Jerusalem, in
   which...
   a. He, Barnabas, and Titus attended - Ga 2:1
   b. He had the opportunity to relate the gospel he preached - Ga 2:2
   c. Some tried to compel Titus (a Greek) to be circumcised - Ga 2:3-5
      a. By false brethren, who sought to force Titus to keep the Law
      b. Which Paul adamantly refused, standing fast for "the truth of
         the gospel"

3. The issue of circumcision and the gospel was a major concern in the
   first century...
   a. Did Gentiles (non-Jews) who became Christians have to be
      circumcised as per the Law?
   b. The question preoccupied many churches, and much of Paul's
      ministry

[While the issue was resolved sufficiently that it is rarely a problem
today, there are important lessons to be gleaned from a study of
"Circumcision And The Gospel". Let's review, therefore...]

I. THE PRACTICE OF CIRCUMCISION

   A. IN THE OLD TESTAMENT...
      1. As a sign of a covenant, it began with Abraham - Gen 17:9-14,
         23-27; cf. Ro 4:11
      2. It continued with Isaac, Jacob and his sons - Gen 21:4; 34:
         14-17
      3. Moses circumcised his sons, and gave the ordinance to Israel
         - Exo 4:26; cf. Jn 7:22
      3. It was required to observe the Passover - Exo 12:48
      4. Male children were to be circumcised the eighth day - Lev 12:
         1-3
      5. The Jews born in the wilderness had not been circumcised, but
         were after they crossed the Jordan River - Josh 5:1-8

   B. IN THE NEW TESTAMENT...
      1. John the Baptist was circumcised as an infant - Lk 1:59
      2. Jesus was likewise circumcised on the eighth day - Lk 2:21
      3. It became an issue when the gospel was first preached to
         Gentiles - Ac 11:1-3
      4. It was the focus of controversy in Antioch and Jerusalem - Ac 15:1-2,4-6
      5. Paul had Timothy circumcised - Ac 16:1-3
      6. It was rumored that Paul taught Jews not to be circumcised - Ac 21:18-21
      7. It was certainly a frequent subject in Paul's epistles
         a. To the Romans - Ro 2:25-29; 3:1,30; 4:9-12; 15:8
         b. To the Corinthians - 1Co 7:18-19
         c. Especially to the Galatians - Ga 2:1-9,12; 5:2-6,11; 6:12-15
         d. Mentioned in Ephesians - Ep 2:11
         e. Also to the Colossians - Col 2:11; 3:11; 4:11

[Because of the role of circumcision in Israel's history, and its
significance in early history of the church, it is important that we
properly understand it in relation to...]

II. THE TRUTH OF THE GOSPEL

   A. PHYSICAL CIRCUMCISION NOT REQUIRED...
      1. Evidenced by the conversion of Cornelius and his family - 
         Ac 10:44-48; 11:17-18
      2. Confirmed at that conference in Jerusalem - Ac 15:7-21
      3. Proclaimed by the letter sent by the apostles and elders - Ac 15:22-31
      4. Expounded upon by Paul in his letters - Ro 4:8-12; 1Co 7:19;
         Ga 5:1-6; 6:15

   B. SPIRITUAL CIRCUMCISION NOW AVAILABLE...
      1. A circumcision made without hands, in which sins are cut away
         - Col 2:11
      2. Which occurs when we buried with Christ in baptism, then raised
         with Him - Col 2:12
      3. When God makes us alive with Christ, forgiving our sins - Co
         2:13

[The physical rite of circumcision has become a matter of indifference
to God, though it can be used and misused.  From both the practice of
circumcision and the truth of the gospel as revealed in the Bible, let's
summarize...]

III. THE LESSONS FROM CIRCUMCISION

   A. RITUAL ALONE NOT ADEQUATE...
      1. This was true even when circumcision was required of Israel
      2. God desired circumcision of the heart as well as of the flesh
         - Deut 10:16; 30:6; Jer 4:4
      3. Paul explained that the true Jew was the one circumcised in
         heart - Ro 2:28-29
      -- The same is true of baptism; it must be accompanied with faith
         and repentance - Mk 16:16; Ac 2:38; 8:36-37; Col 2:12

   B. THE LAW HAS PASSED AWAY...
      1. Jesus said not one jot or tittle of the Law would pass until
         all was fulfilled - Mt 5:17-18
      2. Circumcision was required by the Law - Exo 12:48; Lev 12:1-3
      3. If circumcision is no longer binding, the change implies the
         passing away of the Law
      -- A similar point is made with reference to the priesthood of
         Christ - He 7:12-19

   C. 'EVERLASTING' MAY NOT MEAN 'LASTING FOREVER'...
      1. Circumcision was described as the sign of an 'everlasting
         covenant' - Gen 17:10-14
      2. In the case of circumcision, 'everlasting' (Heb., olam) did not
         mean 'lasting forever'
         a. BDB defines olam as "long duration, antiquity, futurity, for
            ever, ever, everlasting, ever more, perpetual, old, ancient,
            world"
         b. The Complete Word Study Dictionary defines olam as "meaning
            a very long time."
         c.  "It may cover a given person's lifetime (Exo 21:6; 1 Sam 1:22); 
            a period of many generations (Josh 24:2; Pr 22:28);
            the time of the present created order (Deut 33:15; Ps 73:
            12); time beyond this temporal sphere, especially when used
            regarding God (Gen 21:33; Ps 90:2; Dan 12:2, Dan 12:7)
            - ibid.
         d. "The term also applies to many things associated with God,
            such as His decrees, His covenants, and the Messiah (Gen 9:
            16; Exo 12:14; Mic 5:2)." - ibid.
      3. If 'everlasting' always meant 'lasting forever', then we should
         still be observing:
         a. The Passover - Exo 12:14
         b. The Feast of Unleavened Bread - Exo 12:17
         c. The priesthood of Aaron - Exo 29:9
         d. The Sabbath - Exo 31:16-17
         e. The sacrifices, with their portions for the priests - 
            Lev 6:18; 7:34-36; 10:15
         f. Fasting and animal sacrifices on the Day of Atonement - Lev 16:29-34
         g. The Feast of Tabernacles - Lev 23:39-42
         h. ...and many other elements of the Law described as
            'everlasting ordinances'
      4. From the context of the Scriptures, one discerns when
         'everlasting' means 'lasting forever'
      -- Since circumcision is no longer binding, we should not be
         surprised such is true with other elements of the Law - cf. Co
         2:16-17; He 9:10

   D. WHEN TRADITION BECOMES SINFUL...
      1. Paul did not hesitate to use the tradition of circumcision when
         expedient - Ac 16:3
         a. The same with other Jewish traditions - Ac 18:18,21
         b. Even some that involved animal sacrifices - Ac 21:18-26
      2. Yet he opposed circumcision (and other elements of the Law)
         when people attempted to:
         a. Bind it on Gentiles, as in the case of Titus - Ga 2:3-5
         b. Use it for the purpose of justification - Ga 5:2-4
      3. Thus Jesus also condemned traditions of men when they:
         a. Are taught as commandments to be bound on others - Mk 7:6-7
         b. By their observance prevent keeping the commandments of God
            - Mk 7:8-13
      -- Under the right circumstances, traditions may be observed - cf.
         Ro 14:5-6

CONCLUSION

1. The issue of circumcision may seem antiquated and unimportant...
   a. It certainly is not one of the 'hot issues' of our day
   b. Yet lessons learned from studying the issue can be very helpful

2. Understanding the issue of circumcision can help us preserve the
   truth of the gospel...
   a. We are saved by an obedient faith in Christ, not by keeping the
      Law of Moses
   b. The Law as a system of justification came to an end at the cross
      of Christ
   c. Elements of the Law, such as circumcision, the Passover, Sabbath,
      etc., are not binding today
   d. Traditions of the Law might be observed on a personal level, but
      it is a sin to base one's salvation on them, or to bind them on
      other people

While circumcision of the flesh is nonessential, the circumcision
'without hands' is certainly necessary if we are to have our sins 'cut
away'... - cf. Col 2:11-13


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From Mark Copeland... Paul's Remarkable Conversion (Galatians 1:11-24)


                     "THE EPISTLE TO THE GALATIANS"

                 Paul's Remarkable Conversion (1:11-24)

INTRODUCTION

1. In writing to the churches in Galatia, Paul set out to prove that...
   a. His apostleship came from Jesus, not man - Ga 1:1
   b. His gospel came by revelation from Jesus, not man - Ga 1:11-12

2. In doing so, he revealed remarkable facts about his conversion...
   a. Which not only substantiates his claims regarding his gospel and
      apostleship
   b. But also provides evidence for our faith in Jesus as the Son of
      God

[The latter half of the first chapter of Galatians reveals pertinent
facts concerning Paul...]

I. BEFORE AND AFTER HIS CONVERSION

   A. BEFORE HIS CONVERSION...
      1. He persecuted the church - Ga 1:13
         a. In Jerusalem - Ac 8:1-3
         b. And beyond - Ac 9:1-2
         c. Something he believed he ought to do - Ac 26:9-11
      2. He was advancing in Judaism - Ga 1:14
         a. As a scholar, trained at the feet of Gamaliel - Ac 22:3; cf.
            5:34
         b. In social standing, advancing beyond many of his
            contemporaries
            1) Holding positions of religious power - Ac 26:12
            2) Which likely included access to financial power
         c. He was on the 'fast track' of success among his peers!
      3. He was zealous for his ancestral and religious traditions - Ga 1:14
         a. Proud to be a Hebrew - Php 3:4-5
         b. Proud to be a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee - Php 3:5
            1) A conservative sect of the Jews - Ac 26:4-5
            2) Noted for their opposition to Jesus during His ministry
               - e.g., Mt 12:14
         c. With such a religious background, he was naturally
            prejudiced against Jesus - Ac 26:9

   B. AFTER HIS CONVERSION...
      1. He had limited contact with the apostles - Ga 1:15-20
         a. He did not see them for three years after his conversion
         b. Even then, it was for was for just fifteen days - cf. Ac 9:
            26-30
         c. Even then, he saw only Peter, and James the Lord's brother
      2. He was unknown by face to the churches of Judea - Ga 1:21-24
         a. He spent ten years in Syria and Cilicia - cf. Ac 9:30
         b. Those in Judea only heard about him
         c. Though they came to glorify God in him - cf. Ac 9:31

[The circumstances of Paul's conversion should cause us to glorify God
as well, which should become more apparent as we consider various...]

II. EXPLANATIONS FOR HIS CONVERSION

   A. PERHAPS THERE WAS AN ULTERIOR MOTIVE...
      1. Could it have been wealth?
         a. He had that with the Jews
         b. He left it for the poverty of following Christ - cf. 
            1Co 4:11-12; Ac 20:33-34
      2. Could it have been fame?
         a. He had that with the Jews
         b. Consider what he experienced as a Christian - cf. 1Co 4:10,13
            1) Regarded as foolish and weak, even by other Christians
            2) Viewed as the filth of the world by those in the world
      3. Could it have been power?
         a. He had that with the Jews
         b. Compare this with what he suffered as a Christian - cf. 
            2 Co 11:24-28
      -- Indeed, no ulterior motive can be found to explain Paul's
         conversion

   B. PERHAPS HE WAS DECEIVED...
      1. Then who deceived him?
         a. Friends would not, for he was their champion against the
            Christians
         b. Christians could not, because of his persecution against
            them
            1) Putting them into prison, chasing them into other towns
               - Ac 8:3; 9:1-2
            2) Even after his conversion, many feared him - cf. Ac 9:26
      2. His testimony does not allow for the possibility of deception
         a. He claimed to receive his gospel from Jesus, not man - Ga 1:
            11-12
         b. He claimed to see Jesus raised from the dead - 1Co 15:8
      -- The empirical nature of his testimony precludes the possibility
         of deception

   C. PERHAPS HE WAS MAD...
      1. Such was the conclusion of Festus, the governor - Ac 26:24
      2. Others have tried to explain his conversion in psychological
         terms
         a. That his intense persecution of Christians gave him a
            guilt-ridden conscience
         b. That combined with the heat on the road to Damascus, he
            became delirious and only thought he saw Jesus!
      3. Yet consider the testimony of Paul
         a. He had a clear conscience regarding persecuting the
            Christians - Ac 23:1
            1) It was something he thought he should do - Ac 26:9
            2) He did it out of ignorance, for which he knew he received
               mercy - 1Ti 1:13
         b. He said he saw Jesus more than once
            1) Not just on the road to Damascus!
            2) But on other occasions as well - Ac 18:9-10; 22:17-21;
               23:11; 2Co 12:8-9
      -- Read his epistles, do they seem like letters written by a mad
         man?

   D. THE ONLY PLAUSIBLE EXPLANATION:  HE SAW JESUS...!
      1. The explanation given by Paul himself
         a. Before the Jerusalem mob - Ac 22:1-16
         b. Before King Agrippa and Festus the governor - cf. Ac 26:
            12-23
      2. It is the only explanation that explains his conversion
         a. Why he was willing to forego wealth, fame, and power
         b. Why he was willing to suffer poverty, shame, and persecution
      -- As he said "I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision..."
         - Ac 26:19

CONCLUSION

1. "Paul's Remarkable Conversion" is best explained by...
   a. His own testimony that it was the resurrected Jesus who appeared
      to him
   b. Not once, but continuously throughout the rest of his life
   -- Serving as one of the greatest evidences for the resurrection of
      Jesus!

2. What will you do with "Paul's Remarkable Conversion"...?
   a. If you do not yet believe in Jesus, may it spark further
      investigation into the evidence for the resurrection of Jesus
      Christ!
   b. If you already believe in Jesus, may it move you to glorify God!
      - cf. Ga 1:24

3. One of the best ways to glorify God is to give heed to the words of
   His servant Paul...
   a. Who would have us come to know and obey the One he saw on the road
      to Damascus
   b. Who has written of the true life and liberty that Jesus offers to
      all who believe and obey

Through such evidence as "Paul's Remarkable Conversion", God has given
testimony to the resurrection of Jesus.  Have you responded to this
evidence with the obedience of faith...?


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From Mark Copeland... Perversions Of The Gospel (Galatians 1:6-10)



                     "THE EPISTLE TO THE GALATIANS"

                   Perversions Of The Gospel (1:6-10)

INTRODUCTION

1. As soon as Paul began his epistle to the Galatians, he expressed
   concern...
   a. Marveling they were turning so soon to a different gospel - Ga 1:6
   b. Letting themselves be troubled by some perverting the gospel of
      Christ - Ga 1:7

2. It is important to know the difference between the pure gospel and
   perverted gospels...
   a. To accept a different gospel is to be accursed - Ga 1:8-9
   b. To not obey the true gospel is to face condemnation - cf. 2Th 1:
      7-8; 1Pe 4:17

[Today we need to be just as concerned about "Perversions Of The
Gospel".  Are we aware of how some have perverted the gospel of Christ?
There has been at least four such perversions...]

I. THE GOSPEL OF FAITH PLUS THE LAW

   A. THIS PERVERSION EXPLAINED...
      1. This 'gospel' was the problem Paul faced in his day
      2. Some Jewish Christians demanded that Gentiles had to be
         circumcised and keep the Law of Moses as well as obey the
         gospel of Christ - Ac 15:1-5; Ga 2:1-5

   B. THIS PERVERSION REFUTED...
      1. At the council in Jerusalem - Ac 15:22-31
      2. In the epistle to the Galatians - Ga 5:1-6
      3. In other epistles of Paul (e.g., Romans, Colossians)

[Note carefully that those who seek to be justified by the Law fall from
grace (Ga 5:4).  This illustrates the danger of accepting a 'perverted
gospel'.  Another such 'gospel' is...]

II. THE GOSPEL OF WORKS WITHOUT FAITH

   A. THIS PERVERSION EXPLAINED...
      1. This 'gospel' developed later in the course of church history
      2. It exalted the efficacy of certain ordinances to the exclusion
         of faith
      3. Thus some believed you could baptize others without the need of
         faith
         a. Such as infant baptism
         b. Such as infidel baptism (e.g., at the point of a sword)

   B. THIS PERVERSION REFUTED...
      1. Faith is essential to pleasing God and our salvation - He 11:6;
         Jn 8:24; Mk 16:16
      2. Repentance of sins and faith in Christ are prerequisites to
         baptism - Ac 2:38; 8:35-37
      3. It is faith in the working of God that results in rising to a
         new life - Col 2:12-13

[A popular perversion of the gospel is what we will call...]

III. THE GOSPEL OF GOOD WORKS ONLY

   A. THIS PERVERSION EXPLAINED...
      1. Many have the idea that as long as you are a basically 'good
         person', you will be saved
      2. Especially if your 'good deeds' outnumber or outweigh your 'bad
         deeds'
      3. Thus a good moral person, especially if religious, is assumed
         to be saved

   B. THIS PERVERSION REFUTED...
      1. Good moral people, even devout, are in need of salvation
         a. Cornelius was a good, moral, devout man - Ac 10:1-6
         b. Yet he needed to be saved - Ac 11:14
      2. Many examples of conversion in Acts involved religiously devout
         people
         a. The 3000 on the day of Pentecost - Ac 2:5
         b. The Ethiopian eunuch - Ac 8:27
         c. Lydia of Thyatira - Ac 16:14
         d. Paul - Ac 22:3
      3. We cannot be saved by our good works - Ep 2:8-9; Tit 3:4-7

[Sometimes a perversion of the gospel leads others to overreact with
another perversion...]

IV. THE GOSPEL OF FAITH ONLY

   A. THIS PERVERSION EXPLAINED...
      1. This 'gospel' proclaims that one is saved by "faith only"
      2. I.e., no obedience is required, especially not baptism
      3. An overreaction to salvation by works without faith, or to the
         gospel of good works

   B. THIS PERVERSION REFUTED...
      1. The gospel of Christ requires obedience
         a. Jesus is the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him
            - He 5:9
         b. Paul proclaimed what he called "the obedience of faith" - 
            Ro 1:5; 16:25-26
         c. Paul and Peter warned of those who obeyed not the gospel
            - 2Th 1:7-9; 1Pe 4:17
         d. We are not saved by "faith only" - cf. Jm 2:17,20,24,26
      2. Many fail to distinguish between different kinds of works
         a. Works of the Law (of Moses), by which one is not justified
            - Ga 2:16
         b. Meritorious works, done to earn salvation, which is
            impossible - Ep 2:8-9; Tit 3:4-7
         c. Works of God, commanded of us to please Him - cf. Jn 6:28-29
      3. Works of God are done, not to earn salvation, but to receive
         God's grace
         a. Faith in Jesus is a work of God - Jn 6:29
         b. Repentance of sins is a work of God - Ac 17:30
         c. Confessing Jesus is a a work of God - Ro 10:9-10
         d. Such works in of themselves do not save us - cf. Lk 17:10
      4. So baptism is a work of God, not a work of man
         a. Commanded by Jesus and His apostles - Mk 16:15-16; Ac 2:38;
            22:16
         b. In which God does the work of saving - Col 2:11-12; Tit 3:5
         c. In which we put on Christ - Ga 3:26-27
         d. Which, when obeyed, causes others to thank God - Ro 6:17-18;
            cf. 6:3-7

CONCLUSION

1. There have been other perverted gospels...
   a. Such as Gnosticism, which denied Jesus coming in the flesh
   b. Such as Mormonism, which proclaims a different gospel based upon
      'angelic revelation'

2. We need to be careful to receive the gospel preached by the
   apostles...
   a. Even angelic revelations are to be rejected if different from what
      the apostles' preached
   b. Otherwise we will be accursed

3. The pure gospel of Christ may not be popular, but who are we trying
   to please...?
   a. If it is men, then we are not true servants of Christ - Ga 1:10
   b. If it is the majority, we are on the wrong path - Mt 7:13-14

Is the gospel you heard, received, and obeyed, the same gospel
proclaimed by the apostles of Jesus Christ...? - cf. Ac 2:36-41; 8:35-38


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