Authentic Christianity Pursues Godly Unity

1. Read: Galatians 2:1-10

2. About the Text:

1) The book of Galatians was written to address a threat to the gospel.

2) Some pharisees taught that gentiles had to obey the law of Moses and be circumcised.

3) Many among the churches of Galatia believed them.

4) The gospel liberates from the Law – “And by Him everyone who believes is justified from all things from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses” (Acts 13:39).

5) Paul wrote the book of Galatians to respond and reestablish authentic Christianity.

3. The topic of authentic Christianity

1) So many have perverted Christianity today!

2) We need to study this book to understand what authentic Christianity really is.

4. Ref. to S, T, P, O, and A.

1. “Then after fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, and also took Titus with me. And I went up by revelation, and communicated to them that gospel which I preach among the Gentiles, but privately to those who were of reputation, lest by any means I might run, or had run, in vain” (Galatians 2:1-2).

2. Paul desired to cooperate.

1) “And certain men came down from Judea and taught the brethren, ‘Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.’ Therefore, when Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and dispute with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas and certain others of them should go up to Jerusalem, to the apostles and elders, about this question” (Acts 15:1-2).

2) Paul did not need to go to Jerusalem, but he did in the interest of unity and cooperation.

3. We want to be cooperative when it comes to the church.

1) “Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others” (Philippians 2:4).

2) Cooperation is a product of love – “Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil” (1 Corinthians 13:4-5).

1. “Yet not even Titus who was with me, being a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised. And this occurred because of false brethren secretly brought in (who came in by stealth to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage), to whom we did not yield submission even for an hour, that the truth of the gospel might continue with you” (Galatians 2:3-5).

2. Paul did not compromise the gospel.

1) Paul had already had “no small dissension and dispute with them” (Acts 15:2).

2) Titus was not persuaded to be circumcised.

3) He did not yield submission to them.

4) This was about the truth of the gospel.

5) “But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed” (Galatians 1:8).

3. If we compromise truth to have “unity,” we do not really have unity.

1) Unity is based upon us all believing the truth.

2) “Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all” (Ephesians 4:3-6).

3) It isn’t just holding hands and declaring unity when we have disagreements.

4) Paul didn’t hold the hands of these false brethren.

1. “But from those who seemed to be something-whatever they were, it makes no difference to me; God shows personal favoritism to no man-for those who seemed to be something added nothing to me” (Galatians 2:6).

2. Paul preached the same gospel without respect of persons.

1) Some of these people thought that they were “big shots.”

2) But Truth is truth and does not change for any man.

3) Paul preached to governors and kings; he preached to paupers.

4) “Now as he reasoned about righteousness, self-control, and the judgment to come, Felix was afraid and answered, ‘Go away for now; when I have a convenient time I will call for you’ (Acts 24:25).

5) “Now when Peter had come to Antioch, I withstood him to his face, because he was to be blamed” (Galatians 2:11).

3. To have real unity, we cannot show favoritism/partiality.

1) Doing this invites compromise in the message of the gospel.

2) “For there is no partiality with God” (Romans 2:11).

3) “I charge you before God and the Lord Jesus Christ and the elect angels that you observe these things without prejudice, doing nothing with partiality” (1 Tim.5:21).

1. “But on the contrary, when they saw that the gospel for the uncircumcised had been committed to me, as the gospel for the circumcised was to Peter (for He who worked effectively in Peter for the apostleship to the circumcised also worked effectively in me toward the Gentiles)” (Galatians 2:7-8).

2. Peter worked with the Jews; Paul worked with the gentiles; they both did a good work.

3. Unity recognizes that we do not all have to do the same things when we work for Christ.

1) “For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith. For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another” (Romans 12:3-5).

2) We all have a work to do!

1. “And when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that had been given to me, they gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised. They desired only that we should remember the poor, the very thing which I also was eager to do” (Galatians 2:9-10).

2. James, Peter, and John recognized and approved the good work Paul was doing.

1) They were doing a good work in preaching the gospel to the gentiles.

2) They were doing a good work in helping the poor.

3. Godly unity recognizes and approves good works.

1) We need to encourage one another in the good works we are doing.

2) “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10).

3) “Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith” (Galatians 6:10).

4) We are to be “zealous for good works” (Titus 2:14).

1. Authentic Christianity Pursues Godly Unity by…

1) Cooperating with Faithful Brethren

2) Not Compromising the Truth of the Gospel

3) Showing No Favoritism

4) Recognizing a Division of Labor

5) Approving Good Works

2. Invitation