galatians 2- a grateful handshake

7/29/2019 GALATIANS 2- A Grateful Handshake

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GALATIANS 2:9: A GRATEFUL HANDSHAKE

Back when I was a Mid Acts Dispensationalista couple of weeks

agoI used Galatians 2:9 as a proof text for the Mid Acts

position. Here's Galatians 2:7-9:"But contrariwise, when they saw that the gospel of the

uncircumcision was committed unto me, as the gospel of the

circumcision was unto Peter; (For he that wrought effectually in

Peter to the apostleship of the circumcision, the same was mighty

in me toward the Gentiles;) And when James, Cephas, and John,

who seemed to be pillars, perceived 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, and they unto thecircumcision."

These verses were used to "prove" that Paul had an entirely

different gospel from the 12, and after he made that known to them

(before the great council ofActs 15or the need to discuss Paul's

gospel would have been unnecessary), they agreed to confine

themselves to exhorting the Jewish kingdom converts they already

had (that's why they pretty much stayed at Jerusalem afterwards),

while Paul (and his coworkers) took on the job of evangelizing theworld with the entirely new gospel of grace by faith in Jesus Christ

that had been begun to be revealed to him on the road to

Damascus. This new gospel would be used by God to form the

Church, which is Christ's bodyor so I was taught and so I

thought.

Mid Acts Dispensationalists do have one thorny problem, however,

and that is that although Paulseemingly agreed to limit his ministryto "the heathen," he had an alarming habit of going straight to the

Jewish synagogue in every city he visited! He also wrote "to the

Jew first" in acouple of places in his letter to the Romans, his final

letter of the Acts period. Why, "the heathen" must then mean

unsaved Jews as well as the pagan Gentiles! This was decided
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upon by some Mid Acts teachers despite the fact that Jews aren't

likely to consider their fellow Jewish brethren, no matter what their

personal beliefs, to be on the same level as uncircumcised Gentile

"dogs." Hadn't Paul referred to these unsaved Jews and Gentiles as

"men of Israel and ye that fear God" inActs 13? So, then, wasPaul being disobedient to the "heavenly vision," and was he going

back on his gentleman's agreement?

Paul alone was given a special revelation by the Lord Jesus Christ

that Gentiles were now to be welcomed into the churches of God

being prepared for their inclusion in the coming kingdom. Paul

explained in his letter to the Romans that this was done partly "to

provoke them [Israel] to jealousy...If by any means I may provoketo emulation them which are my flesh, and might save some of

them." (Does that "my flesh" part sound like Paul considers them

"heathen" to you?) The other reason Gentiles could now be

included in the kingdom church is thatGod had stated his intention

to embrace the nations long before. Notwithstanding the fact that

many Gentiles believed, if the kingdom would be granted at that

time, it was imperative that the nation of Israel herself would come

to repentance. Therefore, it was perfectly understandable that

Paul would share the truth of the Jews' messiah having come to

fulfill the law so they could bemade righteous by belief in him

with his Jewish brethren as soon as he came to their city! He was

the one who was traveling around the known world at that time so

of course it fell to him to reach their fellow Jews; the 12 were

isolated in one area.

By the time he wrote his letter to the Romans, it's evident from

chapters 9, 10, and 11 that he had little hope of his longed forkingdom of God and Christ's second coming to establish it

happening in his lifetime; and inActs 28:28, he is inspired by God

to pronounce the end of that endeavor. He probably took comfort

in his own inspired words in Romans 11:26, "And so all Israel

shall be saved; as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the
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"Way"! What better man to choose to send throughout the world

on a mission to save souls than one who seemed to have a passion

for traveling to distant places to "meet" new people!

Galatians 2:9 is not a proof text for a completely new and differentgospel committed unto Paul; it's just a grateful handshake with a

man willing to do the dirty work necessary to fulfill the plans of

the Lord.

galatians 2- a grateful handshake

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