“The Founding of the Philippian Church” Acts 16:25-34
“The Founding of the Philippian Church”
Acts 16:25-34
(Part Two)
Introduction
In the Greek Islands, one can seek out the home of Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine. In the area, one can also find an olive tree, supposedly dating from his time. If this is so, this tree would then be some 2400 years old. The trunk of this tree is very large but completely hollow. The tree is little more than thick bark. There are a few long, straggling branches, but they are supported by sturdy wooden poles every few feet. It has an occasional leaf here and there and might produce a few olives each year.
In the fields around, however, are olive groves in many directions. The strong, healthy, young trees with narrow trunks are covered with a thick canopy of leaves, under which masses of olives can be found each year. The tree of Hippocrates can still be called an olive by nature, in that it still shows the essential unique characteristics, but it has long since ceased to fulfill an olive’s function. Tourists file up to inspect this ancient relic, having some link to a dim history, but the job of the olive tree passed long ago to many successions of replanted trees. Do you know any churches (or even people) like the tree of Hippocrates? The form is there, but the function is not. They have stopped reproducing and are satisfied just being big, or having a noble history.[1]
Prayer
Four Principles That Led to a Growing Church (vv. 1-10)
#1. Don’t Do Ministry Alone—Find Someone to Invest In.
#2. Having a Good Reputation and Getting Rid of Unnecessary Obstacles Opens the Door to Conversations about the Gospel. Prioritize Life.
#3. Solid Doctrine is Essential to a Strong Growing Church.
#4. Life Changing Ministry Must Be Spirit Led.
Characteristics of a New Church (vv. 11-34)
A. People are Saved (vv. 11-15) – Lydia and her household
B. Darkness is Broken (vv. 16-24) – the demon possessed girl
C. Opportunities to Show Compassion (vv. 25-34)
25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them, 26 and suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. And immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone’s bonds were unfastened. 27 When the jailer woke and saw that the prison doors were open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself,[2] supposing that the prisoners had escaped. 28 But Paul cried with a loud voice, “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here.” 29 And the jailer called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas. 30 Then he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” 31 And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” 32 And they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. 33 And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their wounds; and he was baptized at once, he and all his family. 34 Then he brought them up into his house and set food before them. And he rejoiced along with his entire household that he had believed in God.
(v. 25) “Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God” – “Praying they were singing (simultaneously, blending together petition and praise).”[3] “and the prisoners were listening to them,” The original word usage tells us they were enjoying what they were hearing. In the dark dungeon, while in stocks, sore from beatings, Paul and Silas were experiencing joy.
In preaching I could tell you of all the things that Jesus has done for you and because of that you should not sin. This is called the debtor’s ethic – In light of all that Jesus has done for you, now the least you could do is live in obedience to Him – you owe him this debt. But in most cases, this is not a strong enough motivation to avoid sin. Instead, when confronted with sin, I would remind you of the gift of joy that He has given to us.
“One of God’s greatest gifts to us is the incomparable pleasure of true joy. As David said, ‘You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with you in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.’ (Psalm 16:11). What if we seek to pursue this kind of pleasure in life? In our time of temptation to passing pleasure we can see how much more enjoyable is the incomparable pleasure that Christ gives. We will want to guard that pleasure and not let it be spoiled by lesser pleasures.”[4] We will willingly give up one type of pleasure for God and the joy we find in that relationship.
In response to Paul and Silas praising God, the rocks wanted to praise God too,[5] (v. 26) “and suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. And immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone’s bonds were unfastened.” There are other examples of earthquakes freeing followers of God, other examples of prisoners being freed, and they do escape (Acts 5:19; 12:11). Paul, Silas, and all the other prisoners have freedom – all they have to do is walk out the door but they choose to stay put.
But look at what they choose to do with their freedom; each in his own cell – door open, free, but they voluntarily stay. Paul and Silas voluntarily bind themselves to this man, so that he may come to know Jesus. Are you willing to give up your freedom to do what you want so that others may come to know Jesus?
“Bellevue Baptist Church exists to make disciples for Jesus Christ,” our mission can only be accomplished when enough people are willing to lay down their wants, desires, and preferences in order for a lost community to hear about Jesus. You give up your freedom, so that others can be set free.
How did Paul and Silas know to stay in prison instead of leaving like Peter earlier on Acts 12? In Acts 12 there is an angel waking Peter up, and leading him out, and there is no angel here. But there was it a shadow on the wall, the sound of the sword being drawn – something alerted Paul that the jailor was about to take his life. If he did this, then they would surely be free – but they stay. They want to use their freedom, to help to free him as well.
This is one of the joys of salvation; it is one prisoner tells the other prisoner how to be free. Some people don’t know they are really in a prison, and some people forget they used to be a prisoner.
The jailor knew why Paul and Silas had been put under his custody. How the demon possessed girl yelled out how they were “servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to you the way of salvation, then he heard them singing and the praising in the darkness, but it was not until his world was shaken and an act of compassion was shown, they he started to ask the most important question a person can ever ask. For some it has to be a divorce, or a doctor’s test results, a financial loss – something that shakes us to our core, and we are scared to death before we are willing to ask the real questions of life.
(v. 30) “Then he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” – Paul and Silas were followed all through the town by the demon possessed girl, that they were “servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to you the way of salvation (v. 17.) Then through the night they had sung songs, quoted Scripture, and prayed aloud – then an earthquake that could have cost him (the jailor) everything (but the prisoners showed him compassion), Paul says “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here,”
All Paul had to do was stay quiet and their freedom was certain. But he would have to experience a man take his own life, knowing he could have done something to stop it. But a man of God cannot remain quiet when he knows he can set a man free. Paul knows why he is in the jail cell he has a mission.
The jailor (and his household) wants to know ‘where does that kind of life and compassion come from?” There was something about Paul and Silas’ night of singing and praising and prayer – that caused the prisoners to stay and see what was going to happen next. (v. 25 b) “the prisoners were listening to them.” The jailor believed that Paul and Silas had the answer to his question. The lies, the beating, the travel, being away from family, the stocks, the prison – was all worth it, when this man asks this question.
(v. 31) “And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” 32 And they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house.” The jailer and his household, don’t have to do anything to be saved, only believe on Jesus. But if you have no biblical foundation – Who is Jesus?
Romans 10:14-15, 17 “How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard?3 And how are they to hear without someone preaching? 15 And how are they to preach unless they are sent? . . . So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.”
Paul had already preached Acts 4:12 “And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
Paul takes God’s Word and explains to the man and his household how Jesus paid the price for their sin by dying on a cross and how He had fulfilled prophecy, and was the Son of God, “And they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house,” This man and his family had no idea of who God was – he did not have the biblical upbringing of Timothy. “He (Paul) had been accustomed to using the Judaistic background as a support for his message.”[6]
He did not have the Jewish OT of Lydia or the women who gathered to pray. But like the girl freed of demon possession – they have no foundation – so “they spoke the word of the Lord to him.” The world is crying out, “what must I do to be saved?” and they need people to speak the word of the Lord to them. They don’t have a clue.
Bellevue Baptist Church exists to make disciples of Jesus Christ – we have to go and tell them who Jesus is and what He has done for them.
This jailor was part of a system that brutalized Paul and other Christians, but through the work of God there is a symbolic picture of things changing, “And he (jailor) took them the same hour of the night and washed their wounds; and he (jailor) was baptized at once, he and all his family. Look at the radical difference in the life of the jailor; (v. 27) “he drew his sword and was about to kill himself,” (v. 34) “And he rejoiced along with his entire household that he had believed in God.”
This is the heart change of a person who has placed his faith in Jesus. From darkness and fear to rejoicing. This was the same man who shoved them into a inner prison cell, locked them in stocks, cared nothing for their wounds, now he washes their wounds, brings them into his house, puts a feast before them. This is a heart change. The first act of the new believer and his family is to serve.
Another example of salvation is Zaccheus in Luke 19:8 Jesus wanted to go to his house, as a tax collector he had stolen money from the people, and after his salvation Luke tells us “And Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor. And if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold.” 9 And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” Where he had been greedy and a thief – now he becomes generous and wants to bless others. Where there is salvation, there is a heart change.
The prisoner and the jailor sit down together sharing the same faith and love. To be a Christian is to sit across a fellowship table from all kinds of people, each with a very different story to tell of how Jesus has changed their lives. This begins in a prison “about midnight,” then dad brings home two of the prisoners, after a major earthquake.
Something is different about dad, then the two strangers explain who Jesus is, and then you place your faith in Jesus, then your whole family is baptized, in the middle of the night – then you eat a meal, early in the morning – then dad and the two strangers go back to jail before daybreak. What a night.
40 says, “So they went out of the prison and visited Lydia. And when they had seen the brothers, they encouraged them and departed.” Paul visits with these new converts and then leaves. “That is all we hear about the first members of the first church plant in Philippi: a business woman and her household; a former slave-girl; and a city employee, the jailer, with his household.
That’s the beginning of the church plant in Philippi.”[7] That small group shared the gospel, and many came to know Christ through their testimony and witness. The Holy Spirit guided the church planters, Paul and Silas shared the gospel to a few – it was then these few that spread the gospel.
Paul leaves them to continue sharing the gospel in other towns – but what does he expect of them? What are they supposed to do? Next week we will look at Philippians chapter 1 and I want you to see the difference from where we leave this small group of believers to that first chapter.
When does a group of people who get together change into a church? If we define a local church as “A church is a group of Christians who meet together regularly and who have some measure of a commitment to each other to be the body of Christ together, which includes biblical leadership and biblical teaching and preaching and a proper celebration of the Lord’s Supper and a right application of Christian discipline.”[8] We will see next week that this small group go to work after Paul leaves – so let us follow their example in reaching our community for Christ.
I will conclude with this article, “This is my church. It is composed of people just like me. It will be friendly if I am. It will do a great work if I work. It will make generous gifts to many causes if I am generous. It will bring others into its fellowship if I bring them. Its seats will be filled if I fill them. It will be a church of loyalty and love, of faith and service. If I who make it what it is, am filled with these, Therefore, with God’s help, I dedicate myself to the task of being all these things I want my church to be.”[9]
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[1] http://www.sermonillustrations.com/a-z/c/church.htm
[2] “In Roman law a guard who allowed his prisoner to escape was liable to the same penalty the prisoner would have suffered (Code of Justinian 9.4.4).” Longenecker, 464.
[3] Robertson, 250.
[4] Ajith Ferando, The NIV Application Commentary, Acts (Grand Rapids, Michigan; Zondervan Publishing House, 1998) 456.
[5] See Luke 19:40.
[6] Clifton J. Allen, The Broadman Bible Commentary, Volume 10 (Nashville, Tennessee; Broadman Press, 1970) 99.
[7] https://www.desiringgod.org/messages/treasuring-christ-in-planting-churches-and-loving-the-poor
[8] https://www.9marks.org/article/what-is-a-church
[9] https://ministry127.com/resources/illustrations/church
“The Founding of the Philippian Church” Acts 16:1-34 (Part One)
“The Founding of the Philippian Church” Acts 16:1-34 (Part One)
The Founding of the Philippian Church
Acts 16:1-34
(Part One)
Introduction
When I was a kid, Saturday mornings meant one thing – cartoons. And one of those cartoons, on one the three channels we had, was the strategic genius of Wily E. Coyote and his eternal chase of the Road Runner. With large batches of anvils, giant rocks, rocket-powered roller skates, tornado seeds, explosive tennis balls, TNT, mallets, painted tunnels into a rock face – he was always trying a new way to outsmart the Road Runner. But we see in episode after episode that his tools and outfits from the ACME catalog never actually produce the result he wants. The Road Runner outsmarts him every time.
It’s easy to think of reaching our community for Christ and mission as “big tools” we hope will work out, like dynamite strapped to a rocket with a fuse – what could go wrong? The church has a tendency to look for programs, new tools, or events (we flip through the ACME/Lifeway catalog) – but this is not how the NT shows us that the early church grew. Today we will look at Principles for Acts 16 on how the early Christians shared their faith.
Prayer
Four Principles That Led to a Growing Church (vv. 1-10)
Paul came also to Derbe and to Lystra. A disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer, but his father was a Greek. 2 He was well spoken of by the brothers at Lystra and Iconium. 3 Paul wanted Timothy to accompany him, and he took him and circumcised him[1] because of the Jews who were in those places, for they all knew that his father was a Greek. 4 As they went on their way through the cities, they delivered to them for observance the decisions that had been reached by the apostles and elders who were in Jerusalem. 5 So the churches were strengthened in the faith, and they increased in numbers daily.
“Paul came also to Derbe and to Lystra” Paul has already been to these cities two-three years before proclaiming the gospel, healing the sick, and he was stoned there (Acts 14:19). The scars would have still been on his body. So now Paul goes back to strengthen the young churches.
(v. 1) Paul normally does not travel alone, but he and Barnabas had and argument about another young protégé named John-Mark. Their argument was so heated that they decided to part ways. Barnabas took John-Mark and went in one direction, and Paul set out in another direction with Silas. So, Paul is doubling back over previous covered territory that he had already been through with the gospel but he is also intentionally looking for someone to help him in his ministry, to do what John-Mark did in their ministry.
#1. Don’t Do Ministry Alone—Find Someone to Invest In.
It is more than likely Timothy’s father was a non-believer (Christian or Jewish), and it is likely that Timothy and his mother were converted in Paul’s earlier visit to this area.[2] In between then and now Timothy’s mother and grandmother were growing in their walk with the Lord, 2 Timothy 1:5 “I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well,” and 2 Timothy 3:15 “and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings.”
(v. 3) Timothy was “well spoken of” meaning he had a reputation among the people of the city. He was known, his father was known, and his mother was known. As Paul and Timothy would have traveled from there to town to town this reputation (even though it was good), everyone would have wondered why he had not been circumcised – it would appear that he was refusing to adhere to the law.
“Timothy was both Jew and Greek and would continually give offense to the Jews . . . so for the sake of expediency, “because of the Jews,” Paul voluntarily removed this stumbling block to the ministry of Timothy. Otherwise, Timothy would not have been allowed to preach in the synagogues.”[3] We need to move past this lesser argument or discussion to get to the things of greater importance – they would constantly face this lesser issue, and it would be a stumbling block to them getting to the gospel.
And Timothy taking this step would have a favorable impression on the people they were trying to reach. “It was no question of enforcing circumcision upon Timothy as if it were necessary for salvation; it was simply a question of what was necessary under special circumstances in which both he and Paul were to seek to gain a hearing for the Gospel on the lines of the Apostolic policy; “to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.” Also, Timothy was willing to endure pain for the sake of reaching other people with the gospel.
#2. Having a Good Reputation and Getting Rid of Unnecessary Obstacles
Opens the Door to Conversations about the Gospel. Prioritize Life.
Earlier in Acts 15:1-2 Paul and other church leaders were discussing doctrine, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.” 2 And after Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and debate with them, Paul and Barnabas and some of the others were appointed to go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and the elders about this question.”
So that by chapter 16:4 “they delivered to them for observance the decisions that had been reached by the apostles and elders who were in Jerusalem” – the Church was just beginning and they were working through foundational doctrinal questions; so Paul and Timothy as they went from town to town, they would instruct these groups of new believers the decisions that had apostolic authority. The result of sound doctrine is that “the churches were strengthened in the faith, and they increased in numbers daily.”
#3. Solid Doctrine is Essential to a Strong Growing Church.
1 Timothy 4:16 “Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers.”
6 And they went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia. 7 And when they had come up to Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them. 8 So, passing by Mysia, they went down to Troas. 9 And a vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing there, urging him and saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” 10 And when Paul had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go on into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.
(v. 6) “having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia” – “Passing through it but not preaching the gospel,”[4]
“immediately we sought to go on into Macedonia,” – Once Paul and Timothy had a clear direction from the Lord, they did not delay, but immediately started in that direction. It is also at this point the pronouns, for Luke the author of the book, move from them to we and us, “immediately we sought to go on into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us,” It was at this point of the missionary journey that Luke joins the team.
All the things that came before chapter 16 were Luke going and gathering witnesses and other’s account of what happened, here he can give a firsthand account of what happened. Some scholars believe that Luke was a resident of Philippi or the surrounding area and became a convert as Paul passed through. And look how quickly Luke goes from convert to traveling missionary.
(v. 10) “concluding that God had called us,” – The word used for concluding means to “make to go together,” “to knit together,” “to make this and that agree.” “This is a proper use of the reason in connection with revelation, to decide whether it is a revelation from God, to find out what it means for us, and to see if we obey the revelation when understood.”[5] “Because of Paul’s obedience at this point, the gospel went westward; and ultimately Europe and the Western world were evangelized. Christian response to the call of God is never a trivial thing.”[6]
#4. Life Changing Ministry Must Be Spirit Led.
These Four Principles 1) Doing ministry in teams 2) removing obstacles and prioritizing 3) watching our doctrine 4) and being Spirit Led – now lead to a new church in Philippi. Let’s look at the characteristics of this new church plant and then ask, “Is this true of our church?”
Characteristics of a New Church (vv. 11-34)
People are Saved (vv. 11-15)
11 So, setting sail from Troas, we made a direct voyage to Samothrace, and the following day to Neapolis, 12 and from there to Philippi, which is a leading city of the district of Macedonia and a Roman colony. We remained in this city some days. 13 And on the Sabbath day we went outside the gate to the riverside, where we supposed there was a place of prayer, and we sat down and spoke to the women who had come together. 14 One who heard us was a woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple goods, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul.[7] 15 And after she was baptized, and her household as well, she urged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay.” And she prevailed upon us.
As far as we can tell, there were some Jewish women who gathered to pray, but there seems to be no church, no synagogue – but God is going to establish a church in this area referred to as Philippi upon women who had gathered to pray. Zechariah 4:10 “Do not despise these small beginnings, for the LORD rejoices to see the work begin, to see the plumb line in Zerubbabel’s hand.” (NLT)
(v. 13) “and we sat down and spoke to the women who had come together.” – The custom of Jewish teachers was to teach from a seated position, “Luke’s use of the first person plural implies that each of the four (Paul, Silas, Timothy, and Luke) preached in turn, with Paul as the chief speaker.[8]
“The Lord opened her (Lydia) heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul.” Salvation has two parts; 1) The Lord opening her heart and 2) the girl paying attention to the gospel. God through the Holy Spirit showed her sin and need for a Savior, she paid attention to Paul’s sharing of the gospel and responded in faith.
Darkness is Broken (vv. 16-24)
16 As we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit of divination and brought her owners much gain by fortune-telling. 17 She followed Paul and us, crying out, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to you the way of salvation.” 18 And this she kept doing for many days. Paul, having become greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And it came out that very hour. 19 But when her owners saw that their hope of gain was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace before the rulers. 20 And when they had brought them to the magistrates, they said, “These men are Jews, and they are disturbing our city. 21 They advocate customs that are not lawful for us as Romans to accept or practice.” 22 The crowd joined in attacking them, and the magistrates tore the garments off them and gave orders to beat them with rods.[9] 23 And when they had inflicted many blows upon them, they threw them into prison, ordering the jailer to keep them safely. 24 Having received this order, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.
(v. 16) As Paul, Silas, Timothy, and Luke were going to the “place of prayer” they were met by “a slave girl who had a spirit of divination” – the type of divination mentioned is where we get the word ventriloquist[10] The demonic spirit would speak through the girl – who is just as much under its control as the demonic (Matthew 8:28). The darkness is her complete control by the demon and that there was a company (multiple business owners) who used this girl to make money through this demonic possession.
Paul “said to the spirit,” not the girl. The girl has no control over what is happening. Notice that the demon says (through the girl), “These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to you the way of salvation.” It is speaking the truth, there is a recognition of who they are and what they are doing, similar to the demons recognizing Jesus, His authority, and what He was doing; Luke 8:28 “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, do not torment me.”
Why does Paul not permit the demon to continue yelling that they are servants of the Most High, and that Paul and the others are proclaiming the way of salvation? Do you allow the testimony of evil men, because the testimony in itself is true?[11]
“The hour of gravest peril for the Gospel in Philippi was not the hour when they put Paul in prison; it was the hour when the girl with the spirit of divination told the truth.”[12] Evil can tell the truth, but it can just as easily tell a lie. It can take the truth of the gospel and twist it just enough to make it a false gospel. “Every time a demon confirmed that Christ was the Son of God, Jesus rebuked it – every time!”[13]
The girl returns to being a normal girl – free from demonic possession and it enrages the slave owning businessmen. The church should not be surprised when the gospel is shared, the darkness is broken, that those that profit from the darkness become enraged and angry. Nor, should we shy away from the consequences of sharing the truth. For Paul and Silas it cost them being lied about, severe beatings, and imprisonment. Again, there is pain for those who seek to share the gospel.
These two characteristics of 1) the gospel being shared and people coming to know the Lord, and 2) darkness being broken, are two of four characteristics of this new church (we will look at the next two characteristics next week).
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So Does Wiley E. Coyote ever catch the Road Runner? Wile E. is chasing the Road Runner through a series of pipelines, which causes both of them to emerge in a greatly shrunken state. Upon discovering their situation, they re-enter the pipeline and be transformed back into full size. The Road Runner emerges at normal size, but Wile E. is still in small size when he comes out. Upon discovering this turn of events, the Road Runner stops and allows his rival to “catch” him.
The Coyote does not notice anything until he steps over his opponent’s feet, and looks up to see he is massively outgunned. The Road Runner utters a low-pitched “beep beep”, much to Wile E.’s horror. He can only hold up two signs to the audience stating, “Okay, wise guys, you always wanted me to catch him.” and “Now what do I do?” So when the world comes to the church and the Holy Spirit is working in their hearts – we must be ready “to give and answer for the hope that we have.”
1 Peter 3:15-17 “always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, 16 having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. 17 For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God’s will, than for doing evil.”
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[1] Regarding the idea that Paul seems to argue against this later in Galatians, “Those who deplore the absence of consistency from Paul miss the higher consistency which is aimed at bringing all the activities of his life and thought ‘into captivity to the observance of Christ.’ (2 Cor. 10:5) and at subordinating every other interest to the paramount interests of the gospel (1 Cor. 9:23).”
[2] W. Robertson Nicoll, The Expositor’s Greek Testament, Volume 2 (Grand Rapids, Michigan; WM. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1967) 339.
[3] Archibald Thomas Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament, Volume 3 (Nashville, Tennessee; Broadman Press, 1930) 244.
[4] Nicoll, 342.
[5] Robertson, 248.
[6] Richard N. Longenecker, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, John & Acts, Volume 9 (Grand Rapids, Michigan; Zondervan Publishing, 1981) 458.
[7] See also Luke 24:45.
[8] Robertson, 251.
[9] “They were handed over to the lictors – the magistrate’s police attendants – to be soundly beaten. The lictors carried as symbols of office bundles of rods, with an ax inserted among them. . .” Bruce, 315.
[10] Nicoll, 349.
[11] G Campbell Morgan, The Acts of the Apostles (Old Tappan, New Jersey; Fleming H. Revell Company, 1924) 385.
[12] Morgan, 385.
[13] R. Kent Hughes, Preaching the Word, Acts, The Church Afire (Wheaton, Illinois; Crossway Books, 1996) 215.
“I Identify With Christ” Galatians 2:15-21
Identity Sermon Series
Discovering Who and Why You Are
“I Identify With Christ”
Galatians 2:15-21
Introduction
In Galatians 2 Paul is referencing and earlier gathering of Christians at Antioch where Cephas (Peter), Barnabas, Paul, and different groups are present. But the Gentile Christians are being made to feel like second class Christians because they were not keeping ceremonial Jewish food laws. Cephas/Peter’s withdrawal and his sitting apart from the Gentiles “was sending a clear message about what counts: reliance upon the law and its works to secure favor with God, rather than trust in God’s provision in Christ alone.”[1]
Cephas “seems to have started to ‘live like a Gentile’ (Gal. 2:14), probably in the sense that he had ceased to observe Jewish dietary restrictions.” In response to a heavenly vision (Acts 10:9-16; 11:4-10), he had tossed out an important Jewish identity marker, which many Jews went to great trouble to keep, and for which they sometimes endured deprivation, and even death.”[2]
This was a common teaching for the Jews to, “separate yourselves from the Gentiles and do not eat with them, and do not perform deeds like theirs. And do not become associates of theirs. Because their deeds are defiled, and all their ways are contaminated, and despicable, and abominable.”[3]
But when certain people were around, Cephas would change back. “The pressure was strong enough that all the Christian Jews in Antioch except Paul succumbed to it. There is a level of disappointment and personal pain behind Paul’s phrase “even Barnabas.” Paul’s talk of hypocrisy assumes that all of them – even Barnabas – knew it was wrong to buckle to this pressure.”[4]
But what is at stake is the genuineness and purity of the gospel.
Can the gospel mean whatever you want it mean,
or can different groups have their own version of it?
The gospel tears down boundaries, our falsely identifying with the wrong things puts those barriers back in place all over again. These are barriers between believers, and it pollutes the gospel.
Didn’t Paul say, 1 Corinthians 9:20-23 “To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though not being myself under the law) that I might win those under the law. 21 To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (not being outside the law of God but under the law of Christ) that I might win those outside the law. 22 To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. 23 I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings.” Is Paul being hypocritical to tell Cephas to not change while he is around the “circumcision party,” but Paul is changing around other people in order to share the gospel?
“Paul could have opted out of any participation with the Jewish religious system. He was free from all of it. Instead, he chose to remain involved, without ever compromising the message of Jesus, in hopes of winning some Jewish law followers to faith in Christ. In order to put as few barriers as possible between others and Christ, Paul was willing to sacrifice his own “rights” and freedoms.”[5]
Prayer
How Do You Identify? (vv. 15-16)
15 We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners; 16 yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.
(v. 15) It was a normal for Jews to presume upon God’s grace because they possess God’s Law (Romans 2:17-24). The Jews would say, which Paul may be quoting directly, “We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners.” But this is common for all of humanity. We deceive ourselves into thinking everything’s ok with who they are. “I think what I am doing is okay, therefore God must also be ok with it.”
Matthew 3:7 “But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 Bear fruit in keeping with repentance. 9 And do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father,’” They were not turning from their sin and bearing fruit of a godly and holy life, they didn’t even think they were sinners.
For the Jewish follower, there is no need for transformation or change from their sin, because they are from a lineage of Abraham. There are also people who identify with the Christian religion who also presume upon God’s grace. Maybe they have gone to a certain church for a number of years, or have been baptized – but we can’t speak of how they have impacted the world for Christ, or people they have led to the Lord, or how they have been a disciple maker – but when they were seven they were baptized. The Jews were doing this with circumcision. There was no heart felt seeking after God, desiring to live for him – just empty self-righteous rule following.
The temptation of Peter and all the other believers there (except for Paul), is to answer the question, “what is their identity?” this same way. Are they Jewish and followers of the law (and that’s how they want to be known), or are they Christians which require breaking from the law and to live by faith. But you can’t hold an identity of the two things at the same time.
Paul is showing that the Jewish people should know that no one is capable of keeping the law in its entirety and at some point has to rely upon God’s grace and mercy. Psalm 143:2, The psalmist is asking God, “Enter not into judgment with your servant, for no one living is righteous before you.” The law’s intended purpose was to show humanity that you cannot live a life that pleases God, no one is perfect. Jesus says in Matthew 5:48, “You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”
(v. 16) This is a question of how is a person made right before God? Paul uses the word, “justified,” (dikaioo) – “to make or declare righteous.” “The group of Judaizers who contended that the Gentiles had to become Jews to be saved.”[6] This included circumcision and following dietary laws. The law plus Paul says, “because by works of the law no one will be justified.”
“. . . but through faith in Jesus Christ” – “Faith is trust. It begins with knowledge, so it is not blind. It builds on facts, so it is not speculation. It stakes its life on the outcome, so it is not impractical. Faith is trusting Christ and proving his promises.”[7]
Identifying With Christ (vv. 17-21)
17 But if, in our endeavor to be justified in Christ, we too were found to be sinners, is Christ then a servant of sin? Certainly not! 18 For if I rebuild what I tore down, I prove myself to be a transgressor. 19 For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God. 20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. 21 I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose.
(v. 17) “we too were found to be sinners,” When Paul compares himself to the teachings and life of Jesus, he realizes that as high as he had climbed in the Jewish world, and as passionate as he had been to the law (even killing and imprisoning Christians), he was still the “chief of sinners (1 Tim. 1:15).”
(v. 18) “For if I rebuild what I tore down, I prove myself to be a transgressor.” – “When he [Peter] lived like a Gentile, he tore down the ceremonial law. When he lived like a Jew, he tore down salvation by grace.”[8]
“From Paul’s own testimony, we know that Paul continued to be not only accused of being in violation of the Law but punished because of it. Thus, when he would visit synagogues, he’d be brought up on charges and then flogged with a whip or a stick.”[9] “Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned (2 Corinthians 11:24-25).”[10]
(v. 19) “For through the law I died to the law,” – To try and keep the law is a form of slavery. One is always striving to be good enough to please God, to be perfect, yet to fail time and time again. Then through Christ’s death and taking the curse of sin upon himself, he has freed us from the law. When we reach back down and put the shackle back on our legs, we enslave ourselves all over again.
(v. 20) “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.” – It is the union of the vine and the branch (John 15:1-6). Paul is connected (abiding) to Jesus, and no longer to the world. When a person places their faith in Christ there is a part of them that dies, that part that focuses on ourselves. That part is crucified with Christ – then emerging is a new birth, a new life – that is Christ living in me. Our identity is Christ (period). For the Christian, it is no longer you who live, but Christ who lives in you.
Our walk with Jesus will draw us into more and more the things that are important to Jesus. In our lives, we will begin to look more and more like Jesus, and less and less like our old selves (before Christ.) Christ’s life eventually led to the cross, and so our lives will reflect this selflessness and giving of ourselves for the sake of others.
Many Christians are good with healing with Christ, singing with Christ, praying with Christ, studying the Bible with Christ, but crucified with Christ is a whole other level. Jesus gave up everything for the sake of others, so Paul says, “It is no longer I who live.” Jesus says to those who desire to be his followers, “take up your cross and follow me.”
The way we begin our walk with Christ is how we continue in our walk in Christ. The way we start the race, is the same way we finish the race – radical trust in Jesus.
“Those [identifying here in this passage as Jewish Christians] are going back to a life in which Christ and his loving, self-giving death in not central.”[11] In Romans 6:6 Paul uses this same imagery, “We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.”
Faith in Jesus Christ Is not just head knowledge of His existence. It involves the whole person. There are people who say they are Christians, but their definition of faith does not involve a life change. 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 “Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, 10 nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” A saving faith in Christ results in a transformational change to conform to the image of Christ. “The Christian life is one of conformity with Christ.”[12]
Therefore, the Christian is not lawless, but you have freedom in Christ. It is not an abandonment of the morality of the law (honor your parents, truth telling, putting God first, do not covet other people’s stuff, don’t committing adultery, etc). This is the fear of people who tend toward being self-righteous; if we don’t have rules and keep traditions, then the world will spin into chaos. So, they add to the gospel (Jesus plus the law). They believe that you have to appear different than the world (like the Jewish “circumcision group”) Then how will the world know that you are a Christian?
John 13:35 “By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” They will know we are Christians by how we show the love of Christ in the world around us. It is much harder to show your heart (an inward change), than it is to follow a rule – because it requires a close relationship with Christ (to abide in Him.) Doing what Christ teaches is much harder than putting a sticker on your car (an outward show).
There should be no descriptors in front of the word Christian in our identity. Whenever we put a word describing ourselves before Christ, we are putting ourselves first. You either identify with the sin, or the person who frees us from sin, but you can’t identify with both – the gospel won’t allow it.
(v. 21) “I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose.” – Paul is saying that if all we had to do was keep the law, then people should keep the law. Jesus would not have had to die, if all humans had to do was be good. When the Jewish Christians kept the law, they “nullify” God’s grace – as if to say that they did not need it. Also, if the law is added to the gospel, then that also means that Christ’s death was not adequate to cover all the sin of mankind – there is something else needed.[13]
Conclusion
Two bank robbers in Sangus, Massachusetts, walked into a small delicatessen, pulled out their guns, and demanded all the money in the cash register. The owner stashed all the money in a brown bag and laid it on the counter, Nervously, they grabbed the bag a fled. Later, in a safe place they opened the bag to divide their haul only to be completely surprised. The bag contained two pastrami sandwiches and a slice of baklava. They couldn’t belive it. In their nervous haste they picked up the wrong bag. In today’s passage we looked at two very similar appearing approaches to life – but when you open them up what is inside to eternally different.[14]
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[1] Todd Wilson, Preaching the Word, Galatians (Wheaton, Illinois; Crossway Publishing, 2013) 76.
[2] Frank Thielman, Expository Commentary, Vol. X (Wheaton, Illinois; Crossway Publishing, 2020) 599.
[3] Thielman, 599.
[4] Thielman, 599.
[5] https://www.bibleref.com/1-Corinthians/9/1-Corinthians-9-20.html
[6] Archibald Thomas Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament, Volume IV, The Epistles of Paul (Nashville, Tennessee; Broadman Press, 1931) 289.
[7] Frank E. Gaebelein, General Editor, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Volume 10 (Grand Rapids, Michigan; Zondervan Publishing, 1976) 449.
[8] Robertson, 289.
[9] Which goes back to the pressure to follow the law (Gal. 2:1-14); did they fear suffering the same treatment as Paul had suffered?
[10] Wilson, 85.
[11] Thielman, 599.
[12] Jervis, 74.
[13] L. Ann Jervis, New International Biblical Commentary, Galatians (Peabody, Massachusetts; Hendrickson Publishers, 1999) 70.
[14] Max Anders, Holman New Testament Commentary, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, and Colossians (Nashville, Tennessee; Holman Reference, 1999) 26.