A Solemn Agreement
- By Pastor Cornelius R. Stam
The
Apostle Paul, referring to his journey to Jerusalem to tell the
apostles and elders there about the good news that had been committed to
him, says:
“And I went up by revelation and COMMUNICATED UNTO THEM THAT GOSPEL WHICH I PREACH AMONG THE GENTILES, but privately to them which were of reputation, lest by any means I should run, or had run, in vain… And when James, Cephas [Peter] 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 [Gentiles, nations], and they unto the Circumcision [Israel]” (Gal. 2:2-9).
Here,
by solemn agreement, Peter, James and John promised publicly to confine
their ministry to Israel while Paul went to the Gentiles with his
“gospel of the grace of God.” This is striking in view of the fact that
the twelve, not Paul, had originally been sent into all the world.
Were
they all out of the will of God in making this agreement? By no means!
Subsequent revelation proves that they were all very much in the will of
God and that with the rejection of Christ God had ushered in a new
program.
In
the light of these Scriptures it is difficult to understand how anyone
can argue that Paul’s ministry was merely a perpetuation of that of the
twelve, or that “the gospel of the kingdom” and “the gospel of the grace
of God” are identical.
If
the above passage teaches anything clearly, it teaches the unique
character of Paul’s apostleship and message. The Apostle devotes almost
two chapters of his letter to the Galatians to the fact that he had not
received his message from the twelve, but rather had communicated to the
twelve.
He
stresses the fact that those who had first been sent to all nations,
“beginning at Jerusalem,” had now, under the guidance of the Holy
Spirit, agreed to turn over their Gentile ministry to him that he might
proclaim far and wide “the gospel of the grace of God,” as found in Eph.
2:8,9 and Rom. 3:24.
King James Bible
The Preserved and Living Word of God
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