once again to the letter of Galatians chapter 2. I want us to look at the first 10 verses in this chapter tonight. Galatians chapter 2 verse 1 Then 14 years after, I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas and took Titus with me also. 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.

But neither Titus, who was with me being a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised, and that because of false brethren unawares brought in, who came in privily to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage, to whom we gave place by subjection, no, not for an hour, that the truth of the gospel might continue with you. But of these who seem to be somewhat, whatsoever they were, it maketh no matter to me. God accepteth no man's person. For they who seem to be somewhat in conference added nothing to me.

But contrarywise, when they saw that the gospel of the uncircumcision was committed unto me, as the gospel of the circumcision was committed 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. we should go unto the brethren, the heathen rather, we should go unto the heathen and they unto the circumcision. Only they would that we should remember the poor, the same which I also was forward to do. I want to remind us that last week we began with verse 11 and with that verse where the apostle wrote, I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached to me is not after men.

He begins there and all the way through chapter two, answering, dealing with false teachers who had come among the churches of Galatia. He continues at answering these false teachers in chapter 2, as I said, all the way through to the end. They had come among the churches in his absence, and they were sowing error.

The attack was on the gospel, on the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. And I made the point, what could be more important to any of us, to anyone? What could be more important? than the gospel because God has chosen to use the gospel in calling out his people. And their method evidently to attack the gospel was to undermine the apostleship of Paul. They either taught or insinuated that Paul was not on the same level as the other apostles of the Lord Jesus. that he had learned the gospel that he preached from some man and therefore he could be mistaken and his gospel could not be depended upon.

And he had learned that gospel from someone other than the Lord Jesus. And I pointed out the four requirements that a person had to meet to be an apostle. And you remember one of those was he had to have learned the gospel or received the gospel from the Lord Jesus Christ. He could not have learned the gospel from another apostle and then be considered one of the 12 apostles. And I see three issues, it seems to me, that he deals with in this answer. First of all, salvation, and this is where it all hinges, right? This is where it all comes down.

Salvation is through the person and work of Jesus Christ alone. Alone. And secondly, that that salvation is received by faith alone. And the third thing, of course, that Paul was equal. This is in his answer. His answer is that salvation is in the person and work of Jesus Christ alone. And that work, that person and work is received by faith alone. And that he was equal in every way with the other apostles.

You remember that little word sola, S-O-L-A, that Latin word, I believe. Heard Brother Bill Clark, a missionary to France, one time preaching, and he said that was a watchword of the Reformation, sola. Sola, only, only the scripture, only Christ, only faith. and only grace.

Those four things make up the truth of the gospel of the grace of God, don't they? There's an excellent article by Charles Spurgeon on the back of the page that we have the hymns that we were singing tonight about God's grace, and I encourage you to take it and read it at your leisure. But I have three points to make in these first ten verses for us tonight. And I was told I went too long last time, so God willing we're going to be shorter tonight lengthwise.

First of all, Paul goes up to Jerusalem by revelation. By revelation. Notice that in the first verse. Then 14 years after, I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas and took Titus with me, and I went up by revelation." This is 14 years later, he goes up to Jerusalem.

Now we saw last week that three years after his conversion, when he was converted on the road to Damascus, we know immediately, we read this in Acts chapter 9, He began to preach in the synagogue there that Jesus is the Christ, that he is the Son of God.

And then he went into Arabia. We don't know, we're not told how long he stayed there. But then he went up to Jerusalem. And I believe we looked at the passage in Acts where The Lord told him to leave Jerusalem. He was in the temple and he only stayed there 15 days.

And we know that the only apostles that he saw was Peter and James. But this time, he tells us, he went up by revelation. I think he makes a point of this. He wasn't summoned by the other apostles. He wasn't summoned up to Jerusalem to account for his message, his gospel that he preached. No, he makes a point that he went up to Jerusalem by revelation.

In 2 Corinthians 12 and verse 7, in that passage where he speaks about the Lord giving him that thorn in the flesh, part of that he says, lest I be exalted above measure. Now listen, through the abundance. of the revelations. He had many revelations when God directed him in some supernatural way, as we would say. I want us to look at one of these. If you look back into Acts chapter 16, a revelation where God directed him where to go to preach the gospel. in Acts chapter 16 and beginning with verse 6.

Now when they had gone throughout Phrygia and the region of Galatia and were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia. I remember hearing someone preach from this passage one time and that just really stood out to me. That God the Holy Spirit forbade them to preach the gospel in Asia. Aren't you thankful that God did not forbid the preachers to preach the gospel here in this country? My, he forbade Paul and Silas, I believe it was, to go into Asia and preach there.

After they were come to Mysia, they assayed to go into Bithynia, but the spirit suffered them not. They thought they would go under that area and preach the gospel. There never was a question. Never was a question what they would do. There was a question as to where they would go, but there was never a question what they would do. They would preach the gospel.

I heard, read or heard recently up in Minnesota where they've had a lot of trouble and one particular large denomination said you should never share the gospel to these people unless it's an extreme case. In other words, unless they're right on the border of death. then preach the gospel to them. But otherwise, you shouldn't preach the gospel. You ran into that, didn't you, Lance, over in New Guinea, some of the people teaching stuff like that. No, when Paul, he didn't go in and try to make friends with the people. He went there and right away began to preach the gospel. preach the gospel.

But there was a debate as to where he would go and they passed him by Mysia, came down to Troas and a vision appeared to Paul in the night. Now this is a revelation, revelation that God gave him as to where he should go. There stood a man of Macedonia and prayed him saying, come over into Macedonia and help us. And after he had seen the vision, immediately we endeavored to go into Macedonia, assuredly gathering that the Lord had called us for to preach the gospel unto them. Paul in that text in second Corinthians that I mentioned, he spoke about the abundance of the revelations. Here he tells us that he went up to Jerusalem by revelation.

We don't know how the Lord revealed his will to Paul at this time, but I would point out this, that case that we read there in Acts chapter 16 is not the way he learned the gospel. No, he told us in chapter 1 he learned the gospel by revelation of Jesus Christ. In other words, an angel didn't reveal the gospel to him, or other men didn't teach him the gospel. It was Christ himself who had declared the gospel, taught him the gospel.

Now he goes up to Jerusalem by revelation. In Acts chapter 15, and I believe this is the time that he's talking about when he went up by revelation, there we read that they determined that Paul and Barnabas and certain other of them should go up to Jerusalem unto the apostles and elders about this question. It may have been by the revelation that God gave to Paul to go to Jerusalem. that the church there in Antioch determined that others should go with them, that others should go with them to Jerusalem. And I like the way it reads there. They determined that Paul and Barnabas and certain other of them should go up to Jerusalem unto the apostles and elders about this question.

What was the question? What was the question? Well, the question was the believers' relationship to the law of Moses. The Gentiles' believers, their relationship to the law of Moses. What was it? These false teachers had come in. And they were teaching that, yes, you accept Christ as the Messiah, but also you are to observe the law of Moses.

But Paul tells us very clearly he went up by revelation. And I see in him saying that, writing that, he's letting these Galatians know he wasn't directed by man, by some hierarchy, or by the other apostles to go to this meeting in Jerusalem. God directed him there.

And then he tells us here that he met privately with them which were of reputation. Notice verse two. 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.

Now, I believe when he says them which were of reputation, he's referring to those down in verse 9 James, Cephas, and John. They were pillars in the church, he said. We know they were all apostles, and they were pillars, and they were of reputation. Paul isn't saying, now some people read that, and they may gather that Paul has had a question.

He doubted the message that he had preached. Had he really been preaching the gospel? And he consulted with these men, he said, but I 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. He isn't saying that he had some doubt. or that he questioned the message that he preached, the gospel that he preached.

There's only one gospel. We all recognize that. There's never been but one gospel. And every man who has ever been saved from the first man that God saved has been saved by the same gospel. There's only one gospel. There's only one Savior. There's only one righteousness that that justifies a man with God. There's only one fountain that's filled with the blood of Emmanuel that washes sinners white as snow. There's only one gospel.

But Paul in private told them how, this is how I understand this, he told them how he preached the gospel to the Gentiles. How he taught them or what he taught them concerning the law of Moses. The how he preached, think about this, the how he preached might have been somewhat different from the way that James and Cephas and John preached the gospel. Why? Because they were preaching to two different classes of people. I mean, he's preaching to people, the Gentiles here, and we can't even, I don't think, began to understand how steeped in superstition and ignorance all the Gentile nations were. Those who did not have the law of Moses that taught that there's only one true God.

Well, James and Cephas and John, they were preaching to men and women that Paul in Romans chapter 9 said this about the Jews, to whom pertaineth the adoption and the glory and the covenants and the giving of the law and the service of God and the promises. They were preaching to men and women who were somewhat educated in the Mosaic system, that old dispensation. Paul wasn't.

And I, as a missionary, I would imagine that Lance, you go into some places, and your father certainly did, and he preached the same gospel that I preach. You do, I'm sure, as well. But maybe because of the people you're preaching to, you may present it in a somewhat different manner. I mean, you're dealing with people who've never heard of the law.

And Paul was, James and Peter, they were preaching to people who had known the law. So that's how I understand what he's saying here. He's not saying he doubted What he preached was the gospel, but he did in private speak to these who seemed to be somewhat, these pillars of the church, and let them know how he preached, what he preached, and then if they were asked, well, what does Paul preach? They could answer. They could answer. Well, he preaches the same gospel we preach. They could answer.

Now, the second thing I point out, so first of all, Paul went up to Jerusalem by revelation. I think he's making that point that he wasn't summoned up there because remember, these false teachers insinuated he wasn't on the same level as the apostles who had accompanied with the Lord Jesus in this world for three and a half years. Now next, he said, Paul took Titus in verse three, or verses one through three. Then 14 years after I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas and took Titus with me also.

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. But neither Titus, who was with me, being a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised. John Gill.

His comment on this was, in the law, a matter would be established by two or three witnesses. Well, Barnabas and Paul would be two witnesses, but he took Titus along with them so that when they returned to these churches in Galatia and spoke to them of what had taken place there, there would be three, three witnesses of the truth, what the church had decided the relationship of believers to the law of Moses. There would be three witnesses if he took Titus.

Now that's true, I know that, but I don't believe that's the reason Paul took Titus. I believe he took Titus because Titus was an uncircumcised Gentile believer, a preacher, and a faithful man of God, and he went in and out among these apostles The false teachers were saying, well, you've got to be circumcised. Well, Titus, he was there with Paul and he wasn't circumcised.

And he went in and out among these pillars of the church, like, like James and Cephas. Now, what was the message? This question was the relationship of Gentiles believers to the law. What was the determination? You remember in that conference there in Acts chapter 15, I believe it was Peter who said that such a yoke not be put upon the necks, such a yoke not be put upon the necks of Gentile believers.

What is he calling a yoke? The law. The Law of Moses. In Galatians chapter 5, he said the law, he calls it the yoke of bondage. The yoke of bondage. When a believer comes under that law, it's a bondage that he puts himself in. Remember there in chapter 5, he also says if a man is circumcised, then he becomes obligated to keep the whole law. That is, if he becomes circumcised for religious reasons. When I thought about that, the yoke of bondage, they determined, they sent a message back to the Gentile believers that such a yoke not be put upon the necks of the Gentile believers.

Yoke of bondage. How different is the yoke of Christ? Remember that passage in Matthew chapter 11 where he said, all ye that labor and are heavy laden come unto me and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn of me for I am meek and lowly in heart and you shall find rest unto your soul for my yoke is easy and my burden is light. A yoke of bondage and an easy yoke, the yoke of Christ He said it's an easy yoke.

In the Bible study class last Sunday, it was pointed out that the commandments of the Lord Jesus Christ are not grievous. They're not grievous to a believer. And one of those commandments is that we believe on his son. This is a commandment. that we believe on his son and love one another. That's an easy yoke, isn't it? I mean, that's not grievous, to believe in Christ and then to love each other.

But the yoke of the law was a burdensome yoke. And the determination among the apostles was, we're not gonna put that yoke. Our advice is not to put this yoke on Gentile believers. And then the last thing here, Paul was given the right hands of fellowship in verses 6 through 10. But of these who seem to be somewhat whatsoever they were, it maketh no matter to me. Now, he's not being disrespectful when he wrote that. but of these who seem to be somewhat, whatsoever they were, it maketh no matter to me."

In other words, James, he was called the Lord's brother. They believe that means he was his cousin. James was the cousin, the physical kinship between James and the Lord Jesus Christ. Cephas and John, they had spent three and a half years with the Lord Jesus Christ. John had laid on his breast.

Paul said, God is not a respecter of persons. Notice that. But if these have seemed to be somewhat whatsoever they were, it maketh no matter to me. God accepteth no man's person. Paul could have said that he had a higher education than those men. Two of them had been fishermen. He had studied at the greatest Jewish teacher of that age, Gamaliel. But what he says is, God accepted no man's person. It's not whether James was somehow akin to the Lord Jesus Christ and Peter and John accompanied with him all that time and I was saved out of due time after the Lord had been crucified and raised.

That doesn't mean that I'm somehow inferior. God doesn't accept a man's person. But contrary wise, he said, Paul says, they didn't add anything to me. They didn't teach me anything. He had been taught by the master, just like they had been taught by the master. They didn't add anything to him.

You see what I'm trying to, in my mind at least, show how Paul is writing to these believers back in the churches of Galatia and he's showing how that any insinuation that he wasn't an equal with the other apostles, forget about that. Put that out of your mind. No. An apostle called by the Lord, taught the gospel by the Lord, and worked miracles just like these other apostles, had the signs of an apostle. Yes. And what they saw was these apostles that he names here.

They recognized that Peter, that the Lord had especially blessed Peter in preaching the gospel to the Jews, to the circumcision. 3,000 souls were saved on the day of Pentecost, and Peter was the primary preacher there that day. He's not saying that these men preached only to the Jews and he preached only to the Gentiles, but what he is saying is that the Lord had manifestly showed that Peter was especially called of God to preach the gospel to the circumcision, to the Jewish people. And they recognized, those in Jerusalem, these apostles, that the same was true of Paul.

Only he was especially blessed to take the gospel to the Gentiles. And what did they do? They gave him the right hand of fellowship. They recognized his gifts and accepted him as a fellow apostle. When James and Peter and John gave him the right hands of fellowship, it meant that they recognized God had blessed this man, Paul, and God had blessed him to be able to preach the gospel to the Gentiles. Well, to minister to the Gentiles. I pray the Lord would bless these thoughts to all of us.