ON THE CHURCH

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PREFACE

Unlike the Church in Glory, the Church on earth always has its problems. Therefore, if you are looking for the perfect Church you will need to visit Heaven to find it. However, the Lord in His written Word has given us clear instructions for His Church on earth.

Whereas the Church on earth is the Church Militant, the Church in Glory is the Church Triumphant, also known as the Church Visible and the Church Invisible respectively. These are not separate entities. And, whereas the former is engaged in spiritual warfare, the latter is at spiritual rest. Yet the two are one Church. Those in the former can look forward to joining with those in the latter.

The history of the Church, in brief, is that it was formed, became, deformed, and then was reformed. The Church began with one man, Adam, became a family with Abraham, a nation with Jacob (a.k.a. Israel), and international, even cosmic with Jesus Christ, the Church’s only Head. Optimistically, therefore, the Church is ever-expanding.

The Reformation brought with it a return to the authority and sufficiency of Scripture, reasserting the crown rights of King Jesus in every sphere of life. Regarding the sphere of the Church on earth, it is Ecclesia Reformata, Semper Reformanda (The Church Reformed, Always Reforming). To continue reforming the Church is to continue to assert the crown rights of Christ therein. On the Church seeks to assist this assertion.

‘When they saw the star, they rejoiced’

 (Except from my book A Stick in Time - Purchase a copy at Amazon: https://tinyurl.com/yb9c4vh4

Virgin Rock was rapidly disappearing behind the curtain of darkness that was being lowered into place. A ‘Bush Band’ was tuning up as the people plunked themselves down on and around the strategically placed logs that were to serve as seats. There was some electric power to amplify the musical equipment. They began to play the well-known Christmas Carols, all of which Bram and Thomas had never heard before! They sat in silence while everyone else joined in the singing.

After a while Erin was invited to sit down and play the clarsach or Irish Harp which some called the ‘musical tree.’ As her nimble fingers strummed the harp, unseen angels began to gather in the surrounding trees like birds coming home to roost for the night. The stars in the bright sky began to twinkle in time to Erin’s voice as it softly echoed off of Virgin Rock. When she slowly sang Child in a Manger to a Gaelic melody, though there was no breeze, the leaves in the trees began to rustle, especially when she got to the line,

Prophets foretold Him,

Infant of wonder:

Angels behold Him

On His throne;

Worthy our Saviour

Of all their praises;

Happy for ever are His own.

I could not help myself, but my own voice began to blend in with voices of the angels on High as we sang a (silent to the human ear) descant. Bram and Thomas sat wide-eyed with no sound issuing from mouths open. They could not believe the sweetness that came from the lips of Erin. It was nectar dripping from a flower. Indeed, angels began invisibly hovering around her like humming birds! Her face glowed as the burning embers of the camp fire reflected off of her perfect complexion.

There was no applause when she finished. Instead the audience was awe-struck, angels included. They praised God for the gift He had given Erin. One of the band members handed her a violin from a wooden case. She lifted it and pointed the bow to the stars, stabbing at the Southern Cross formation. With the rest of them Thomas and Bram lifted their eyes to the heavens. There was no moon this Christmas Eve, nor were there city lights stealing the constellation’s bejewelled lustre. Yes, the stars were especially bright tonight. Indeed, many of the surrounding towns and homesteads bore the names of stars and their constellations: Comet, Arcturus Downs, and Orion, for example, so named after the explorer Leithart’s nocturnal visions.

Erin tapped the back of the violin with the back of the bow. All eyes were now upon her once more. She started slowly. It was Vivaldi’s ‘Summer.’ She played a short portion of the Adagio then she speeded things up a little with the Allegro. Next it was full on with the Presto!

Thomas and Bram could not believe their ears. They wanted to rise to their feet and applaud before she had finished! After this she began slowly to transform the violin into a fiddle with an air, a jig, and then a reel. The people were on their feet dancing around their partners as if they just had to express the joy of life! As Erin put the violin down the band struck up. However, it was unanimously requested that the band accompany Erin as she sang Fear a’ Bhàta, (a Scottish Gaelic song about a woman whose heart yearns for her love, a boatman). Of course Bram and Thomas had never heard of this song. Interestingly, the last word in the title, depending on whether the first vowel is stressed or not, can mean ‘boat’ or ‘stick’.

‘Boatman?’ Bram’s ears pricked up. ‘Does she mean me?’ he thought to himself.

‘The Man of the Stick?’ This is what Thomas thought he had heard the song called.

Bram said to Thomas, ‘Is there no end to this woman’s talent?’

‘Get your eyes off of her. I saw her first!’ he replied half seriously.

A MASTERPIECE OF SCOTTISH ANGST

 Shuggie Bain is heart-rending. This reader is thankful that it’s just a fictional story but is left to wonder how much of it is autobiographical. Set in 80s Glasgow, bleak, bleaker, and bleakest sums up the harrowing tale. The story, like the Glasgow Subway (The “Clockwork Orange”), travels full circle, ending where it starts.

As one who grew up on the west of Scotland and had worked in Glasgow, it was a delight to be able to read something written primarily in unashamed Glaswegian, (though a few Americanisms here and there, such as aluminum and ladybugs, have found their way into this masterpiece of Scottish angst). For those who grew up in Scotland’s industrial west in the 60s, 70s, and 80s, a lot of the story’s content will painfully cut to the bone, and cause unwelcome flashbacks.

I admit to being like one of those rubberneckers that ghoulishly gawk at a serious car smash, causing traffic to backup for miles behind them. I recoiled at much of the book’s subject matter, but couldn’t help but keep on reading to see what terrible thing would happen around the next bend.

I think the following line sums up the whole book: “Shuggie felt the noodles in his belly turn into worms.”   

Stuart is the master of metaphor. The book is full of symbolism, (especially in its final chapter). Like losing your dinner money doon the stank, Stuart’s visually descriptive language always lends itself to embellishing the dank, dour, and dreich subject matter with the added notion of a sense of hopelessness.

The dark and damp subterranean subject of the entrapment of alcoholism in social housing schemes is brilliantly depicted by Stuart’s painful but skillful use of the (tattooist’s) pen.

A friend described the book as brutal. I agree. It is full of foul language and gross sexual description and innuendo. It’s not for the fainthearted.

COUNCIL ADVICE

 COUNCIL ADVICE

They desired only that we should remember the poor, the very thing which I also was eager to do. Galatians 2:10.

Introduction

I remember this friend of mine told me about his English cousin. We lived in Scotland at the time. Anyway, the English cousin said to my mate, “I know what a wean is. A wean is a Scottish word for a child, but what on earth is a greetin’ wean?” My friend and I had a great laugh at this! A greetin’ wean is a child or baby who is crying.

Now that I’m living in Australia, I too have a question: What’s a whingeing Pom? I think I’m right in saying that it’s someone from England who complains about living in Australia. But what does anyone have to complain about in Australia? This is the “Lucky Country”, isn’t it? If you’re a Christian. you’d probably like to change that a little to say that Australia is the “Blessed Country”. When you look around at some of our Asian neighbors you can see clearly that Australia has been truly blessed by God. We have modern medicine, modern hospitals with all the latest technology, child immunization programs, and every sort of vaccine you could ask for, etc., etc., etc. Truly, Australia is the Lucky or Blessed Country.

In the following, I hope that you’ll deepen your understanding somewhat as to why Australia has been blessed. It’s all to do with the Gospel.

We’ve already seen that Paul in Galatians 2, has gone to great lengths to demonstrate that his gospel is the same as that of the Jerusalem council. In other words, the gospel he preaches is the same as that of the Apostles and elders of the true church. They all have the same message which is different from that of the false brethren whom we looked at above.

In the following, our focus is on Galatians 2:10, which, speaking of the Council says, “They desired only that we should remember the poor, the very thing which I also was eager to do.” The general theme of what we’re looking at is: We must remember that the gospel is good news to the poor of this world. 

The Nature of the Gospel

What is the nature of the gospel? In its most basic sense, the gospel message is good news. Everyone knows that. But does everybody know who this good news is for? Well, we’ve already learned that it’s good news for sinners. We’ve learned that the gospel is good news only for sinners. This is not to suggest, of course, that there is a class of people who are not sinners. Jesus illustrates this very thing where He says, “Those who are well do not need a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance” Luke 5:31-32. So, we begin to see that the good news is good news only to certain people in particular. It is good news only to those who know they need something.

If you’re crawling on your hands and knees through a sun-scorched desert you know you need water. If you’re stuck in a concentration camp during a war and your ribs are showing,  you know you need food. Well, the very nature of the gospel is that it is good news for those who have a need such as these.

The gospel is in particular for those who are thirsty, for those who are hungry. Therefore the nature of the gospel is that it’s for those in time of need. “Remember the poor” is the Council Advice given to the Apostle Paul. Keep in mind those in need.

Paul has met with the council of elders. They have discussed the doctrinal issue of what the gospel is. They are all in agreement that the gospel alone is sufficient for salvation. They’ve made a covenant by giving each other the right hand of fellowship (Galatians 2:9). It’s kind of like a student at college or uni. They’ve all sat the exam on the theory of the gospel. And now they’re preparing themselves for the next exam, how to put the gospel into practice. “Remember the poor”. In other words, “Remember that you have another exam ahead of you! Be a doer of God’s Word and not just a hearer only.” We see that this was Paul’s desire anyway. And we’re not suggesting that Paul was a novice when it comes to the gospel. For the Council didn’t teach him anything he didn’t already know. For he says at the end of Galatians 2:6 that they “added nothing to me”.

So then, the Apostle Paul has passed the examination with flying colors. He has passed with distinction, with honors. He argued brilliantly that nothing may be added to the gospel. And by the same token, in Paul’s estimation, the Council has passed with flying colors too. They all know what the nature of the gospel is. It is a message of hope with no strings attached. It’s a message of the great freedom that is to be had in Jesus Christ. It’s freedom from all man-made religions. It’s freedom from the shackles and bondage of false religion.

The very nature of the gospel is the freedom to love God with all your heart, soul, strength, and mind. It is the freedom to love your neighbour as yourself! “Remember the poor! The very thing which I also was eager to do!

“Love your neighbour as yourself!” “Lord, who is my neighbor?” “Your neighbor is any person who needs a neighbour!” Would you like the good Samaritan as your neighbour? Of course, you would, because you know he would fly to your assistance in your hour of need. “A friend in need is a friend indeed!”, so the modern saying goes. So then, in simple terms, the gospel good news.

We live in an age when we’re bombarded with news. This is the age of information. Once upon a time, it used to take hours, weeks even months for news to travel. Now we watch it live as it happens. News on the TV, news on the radio, news on the Internet. News! News! News! And more News! “We interrupt this news bulletin to bring you this news...” We’re all full to bursting with news, like the man who ate the New York Times for breakfast.

Well, I’m afraid too many Christians have been treating the gospel as just another piece of news! I know that’s the way the non-Christian views it, just another piece of news. And quite frankly, we don’t need any more news. It’s good news we need. And who needs a piece of good news more than those who are poor? Those who are the rejects of society.

The news is full of stories about the rich and famous. But What about the poor? “Remember the poor!” is the Council Advice. “But we would rather hear about the exploits of the rich and famous!”, cries the world. And, “Who wants to hear about a bunch of good-for-nothings?” And so the poor, in general terms, are shunned by the world. But there is good news for the poor. The gospel. The gospel is good news to all who believe, including the poor.

Didn’t Jesus say, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor” Luke 4:18a. Almighty God has a soft spot for the poor, doesn’t He? James in  2:5 asks this rhetorical question, “Has God not chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him?”

God, then, wants you and me, He wants His church, to take His gospel to the poor. Is this some news teaching? Is this some new doctrine we find only in the New Testament? Of course not. Try Deuteronomy 15:11 for a start, “For the poor will never cease from the land; therefore I command you saying, ‘You shall open your hand wide to your brother, to your poor and your needy, in your land.” Jesus reaffirmed this when He says in Luke 26:11a, “For you have the poor with you always.”

Let’s move on, we know the nature of the gospel is more than news. It’s good news.

The Nurture of the Gospel

The gospel isn’t just words. It’s also action. We need to be well-balanced here. We need to know why we’re doing what we’re doing. We need to understand the nature of the gospel as well as the nurture of the gospel. We need to understand the gospel message as the expression of the kindness and compassion of God.

Did the Lord not provide a beautiful creation with food in abundance for all His creatures? Did the Lord not clothe the naked Adam and Eve in the Garden after they sinned? Did the Lord not feed Israel in the wilderness? Did the Lord not feed His worn out and the weary prophet Elijah? Did the Lord not send in ravens with food for him? And the Lord cares about the widows and orphans. He commands His people to look after them. We are to make sure they have food enough to eat, e.g., Deuteronomy 14:29.

And what about the widow and her son who lived during a famine when the great drought was upon the land? Elijah the Prophet asked her for some food and she replied, “As the Lord your God lives, I do not have bread, only a handful of flour in a bin, and a little oil in a jar; and see, I am gathering a couple of sticks that I may go in and prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat it, and die.” So the Lord took care of things and made sure the bin of flour never ran empty nor was the oil to run dry until the day the Lord would send the rain.

When I was serving my apprenticeship as a plumber in Scotland, one time I was sent on my own to an elderly lady’s house. I can’t remember what the plumbing problem was. But I remember having a cup of tea with this old woman who lived all alone. I can even remember the chocolate biscuit she offered me. It was a Kit Kat. We sat and we chatted. An elderly lady and a sixteen or seventeen year old. She didn’t have much. All she had was the bare necessities. Her husband was long dead and her family had all moved away. The poor old woman just wanted some company. It seems that no one ever visited her at least that’s the impression I got from the Kit-cat. As I looked at the wrapper I could see that there was a contest you could enter. But there was a time limit. The offer had expired about eight years before! Oh! “Remember the poor!” The gospel is especially good news to those in need.

What did Jesus do when He preached the gospel to the five thousand? How did He apply what He was teaching them? He fed them, didn’t He? “He was moved with compassion for them” Matthew 14:14. No one knows the nature of the gospel more than Christ. And neither does anyone know the nurture more than He. To nurture something is to care for it. It’s to maintain it. It’s to feed and nourish it. And we’re being told to nurture the poor, be they poor in wealth or poor in spirit.

But who are poorer in spirit than those who have little or nothing? The rich man thinks he has it all. He thinks he needs nothing. That’s why Jesus says, “It is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God” Matthew 19:23-24. This is not to say the rich man can’t be saved too. With God, nothing will be impossible. I’m sure little Zacchaeus was a rich man.

But the thing about the poor is that they know they are poor. And paradoxically, those who are rich generally don’t know how poor they are. The Lord rebuked the church at Laodicea because of that very problem. He said to them, “I will spew you out of My mouth. Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and need for nothing’ and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked” Revelation 3:17. Therefore the Lord would have His gospel preached to those who know themselves to be poor. To those who are hungry and thirsty, He says, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst” John 6:35. Therefore, the gospel is for the nurture of those in need. The poor recognize their need.

So how come so few seem to be listening to the gospel in Australia? Do you think maybe it’s because this is the “Lucky Country?” We want for nothing in Australia. Or do we? We have the gospel, don’t we? I put it to you that Australia had the gospel and that is why she was so blessed. That is why she was the “Lucky Country”. But the gospel has just become another piece of news. It is no longer good news. Why? Because people have been convinced that they are well off when they are not.

Think about it, half of all marriages in Australia end in divorce. People just shack up together and the government calls it marriage. At the Sydney Gay Mardi Gras people dance around half-naked making lewd gestures in public, and what do the police do? They pose for photographs with them! The gospel was the thing that made Australia great. The gospel was what set the people free from their bondage to sin, the sin of adultery, the sin of fornication, the sin of practicing homosexuality.

In Australia, we think we are so rich when in fact we have nothing! We are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked. The reason the gospel has little success is that the people of Australia cannot see their needs. If you think the church is any different then what happened to the diaconate?

Where are all the deacons in the Presbyterian Church of Australia? We don’t need deacons to look after our poor anymore. The Government (i.e., the taxpayer) takes care of that. But does the government send them the gospel when it sends them their welfare payment? It’s not even a cheque in the mail anymore, is it? It’s just a bunch of digits in a bank account. And now you don’t even need to see the bank teller. All you have to do now to receive your gospel blessing is look at your reflection as you punch some numbers into a computer!

What has happened to the “Lucky Country”? I know a disabled lady who used to drive a great distance out of the city to a small town just to put petrol in her car. All the service stations in Brisbane are self-service stations, no good for wheelchair-bound people. “Remember the poor”.

The Lucky Country has forgotten her poor. She tells her poor to buy a Scratch-It. Come out to the casino. Pick up your welfare payment at your local ATM. No, don’t even do that. Just swipe your credit card.

The gospel is about bringing liberty and freedom to those who know they are poor. That’s why there are to be no additions to the gospel message. Could you picture yourself saying to someone in dire straits, “The Lord Jesus Christ commanded us to remember you? We can see that you’re wearied and burdened. We see you’re hungry and destitute. We’ve got some good news for you. If you are willing to undergo circumcision, it’s a simple operation, then you’ll never have to go hungry again. You’ll receive eternal life just for believing in Jesus Christ and His work on the cross. But you have to be circumcised, baptized, stop your smoking, drinking, gambling, etc., etc., etc.” And this is what many Christians believe Christianity is all about. No! The Gospel is about liberty.  It’s about being set free to love God and your neighbor as yourself. It’s not about placing shackles on people. It’s about setting them free. The gospel is good news to whom? Especially to the poor.

What was the message the Judaizers wanted to take to the world? “Here! God wants you to put these handcuffs on. See if you can squeeze into this straitjacket while you’re at it!”

I mentioned the whingein’ Pom earlier. What is a whingein’ Pom but a homesick migrant? He’s comparing Australia to jolly old England. He wants Australia to measure up to his expectations. But he’s had it too good where he came from. But if you came here from a Third World country you’d be saying, “Australia is the Lucky Country.” Yet more and more people are saying, “Let only those who are rich, and those who are skilled come to Australia!” Canada is the same way. So is the USA.

To be sure, there’s a difference between receiving migrants and refugees. When it comes to migrants, it makes sense to seek to receive only those that are self-sufficient and self-supporting. However, when it comes to legitimate refugees, it seems that all the countries the gospel made great may be turning their backs to the gospel. Instead of “remember the poor”, it’s, “Don’t bother coming here unless you’ve got something to offer us.” Yes, there are many “economic refugees”, those who are not fleeing persecution per se but are simply wanting to come to Australia because our economy is better than where they are leaving. And, it goes without saying that. of course, our government must consider which refugees would best fit into a Christianized nation, such as Australia. However, we must not forget God. We must not forget the nature of the gospel. Or forget the nurture of the gospel.

The USA had it right. And God blessed America. Could you imagine what it would be like to leave a country where there is no freedom of speech? We take all the freedom we have for granted. Well, some countries shoot people for complaining about government policy. It must have been great being a refugee from one of these countries, sailing into New York for instance. There’s the Statue of Liberty up ahead. You’re on a boat full of people fleeing the bondage of persecution. Then someone on the boat tells you about this great statue you see growing taller and taller as you grow closer. They quote to you some of the words written on it:

Give me your tired, your poor,

Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,

The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.

Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,

I lift my lamp beside the golden door!

Oh, you may think that’s hackneyed and corny but it perfectly illustrates the theme of what we’re looking at. We must remember that the gospel is good news to the poor of this world.

Conclusion

Australia isn’t America. It’s not Canada. Neither is it Scotland. However, it was the gospel that made all these nations great places to live. Don’t let the light of the gospel be extinguished in Australia. Lift up the lamp beside the golden door as it were. Show the people Jesus, the gateway into the land of liberty.

And remember the poor. “Has God not chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom”? For, didn’t Jesus say, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light” Matthew 11:28-30.

KNOWLEDGE & WISDOM

 Knowledge & Wisdom

Deep in thought, Knowledge and Wisdom were walking home one night from a Bible study somewhere in country Australia. Knowledge cracked the silence, ‘According to Dolbear’s Law the temperature is 25C. I’ve tallied the cricket chirps.’ Wisdom responded, ‘You’re full of facts and figures. So handy to have at Bible study groups. The Study leader just seemed to rush over the bit where the Lord said to Abram, “Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them.” And He said to him, “So shall your descendants be.” How many stars are up there, Knowledge?’ They looked up at the night sky. Instinctively their eyes locked on the Southern Cross. They nodded in humble thankfulness.

Knowledge spoke, ‘There’re literally billions of stars. However, only around 5,000 can be seen by the naked eye, and, because of the shape of the earth, only about 2,500 can be seen from where anyone stands.’ Wisdom asked, ‘Then God promised Abraham only 2,500 descendants?’ ‘No’, replied Knowledge, ‘Abraham’s offspring were to be as numerous as the sand on the seashore, Genesis 22:17.’ Wisdom asked, ‘Who wrote Genesis and when was it written?’ How would Abraham, living around 2,000 BC, know that the number of stars is comparable to the number of grains of sand on the seashore? How would Moses know? How would anyone before the invention of the telescope, including the Hubble space telescope, know?’ Knowledge replied, ‘Good point! But what does it all mean?’ Wisdom took a deep breath and responded, ‘It means that our Bible Study sessions are superficial. We just deal in facts and figures without considering what the details mean. The very hairs on your head are numbered. The grains of sand are numbered. The stars are numbered. Abraham’s descendants are numbered. Numbered by whom? Us? No! But by the One who wrote the Bible, the One who has numbered every letter in the Bible, every jot and tittle no less! Don’t you see, Knowledge? God cares about the minutiae of His revelation to us. In the Egyptian plagues, after the swarms of flies, “Not one remained.” None of the stars are missing. Of all those whom the Father gave to the Son, including you and me, “None of them is lost except the son of perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled” as Jesus said. The Psalmist says, “He counts the number of the stars, He calls them all by name” Psalm 147:4.’

Knowledge considered what Wisdom had just said, ‘I can count the number of a cricket's chirps over 25 seconds and work out the temperature, but I cannot count the number of stars, or grains of sand on the seashore. Therefore, neither then can I work out the number of Abraham’s descendants.’ Wisdom replied, ‘That is exactly what God meant when He said, “Count the stars if you are able to number them.” Abraham was unable to count the number. He just took God’s promise on faith. And what does that remind us of? Those surrounding the Lamb on the Throne in the Book of Revelation, “After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb.” As it was for Abraham, so it is for us, “And he believed in the LORD, and He accounted it to him for righteousness.”’

Knowledge and Wisdom lifted their eyes and looked once again to the Southern Cross and thanked God that He had numbered them among Abraham’s descendants (Galatians 3:29).

COUNCIL ANTAGONISTS

 COUNCIL ANTAGONISTS

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.

Introduction                                                                                                                                                 

Nobody likes a spy. Spies are despicable, unless, of course, they’re on your side! But even when they’re on your side they’re still sneaky. They go behind enemy lines. They gather intelligence. Perhaps the most famous fictional spy is Ian Fleming’s, James Bond. Then right after him must come Maxwell Smart of Get Smart fame. But then there are the real-life spies. One famous one from WWI was the Dutch woman Mata Hari. She used sexual exploitation and got men to whisper more than sweet nothings in her ear. Then she would report the information she attained back to the Germans.

There are spies mentioned in the Bible. There were those sent in to spy out the land of Caanan. Joshua and Caleb were two of them (Numb. 14:6). Rahab hid the spies Joshua sent in to spy out Jericho (Joshua 2). King David sent spies into Saul’s camp to case the joint (1 Sam. 26:4).

Whether a spy is good or bad depends on whose side he or she is on. We’re looking at some bad spies in the following. Paul wants the Galatians to hold fast to the truth of the Gospel. He doesn’t want them to give up the great freedom the gospel has brought them. He’s pointing to the spies that were at the council meeting in Jerusalem. He wants them to see that these are the same breed as those infiltrating Galatia.

I believe the Holy Spirit is giving us the following exhortation in this text: Don’t give an inch to antagonists of the Gospel lest you return to captivity.

The Spying

We need to note the false brethren in our text. They are pseudo-brethren. They had infiltrated the Assembly Meeting at Jerusalem. And they had begun infiltrating the church at Galatia. They have come into the church by stealth. They are spies. They are on a recognizance mission.

You’ve seen those “Stealth” airplanes that are designed to avoid radar detection? Well, the stealth bombers in our text have failed to avoid the Apostle Paul’s radar detection. How is it that he spotted them so easily? Well, it’s because Paul is a stickler for the purity of the Gospel. He also can recognize prison jargon as soon as he hears it. He knows how to speak jail-talk. You see, Paul used to be in bondage along with these spies. Paul used to be one – been there done that. So he knows how they operate. They operate by stealth.

So, what are these spies after? They’re collecting intelligence, aren’t they? Paul says in verse 4 that they “came in by stealth to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage.” They plan to bring them into bondage. These spies are hunting down escaped slaves, aren’t they? They want the Galatians back on the Plantation, don’t they? But these Christians had been given their freedom papers. Christ the Abolitionist had set them free from their bondage to sin.

Christ the Emancipator had given them new citizenship. These Christians were now citizens of His kingdom of heaven. No longer do they have to make bricks without straw for Pharaoh. They’re now free to serve their new Master. i.e., a Master whose load is light. They could say the words of Martin Luther King and mean it, “Free at last, free at last, thank God I’m free at last!” But there were spies in the camp. They were spying on their God-given freedom.

Maybe you’re thinking what I thought? Why would the devil have to send in spies? You’d think he could just hide behind a tree and just listen. He is the master spy after all, isn’t he? He came to spy on the freedom Adam and Eve had in the Garden. He came to bring them into bondage. He came by stealth. He spoke through a serpent. He’s that sneaky that he’ll even pose as an angel of light. Darkness dressed up to look like light.

But the devil is not God. Nor is he omnipresent. He needs to collect intelligence. So he operates clandestinely. He is furtive. Surreptitious. Sly! So, he has his minions, his expendables, do his dirty work. The devil’s so sly that he has people doing his dirty work without their even knowing it. This, however, doesn’t give people any excuse if they are used by him. We can’t ever say, “I’m innocent. The devil made me do it!” Why? Because God holds each one of us responsible for our own actions.

As Christians, we need to be on our guard against the wiles of the devil. We need to be familiar with his devices and strategies. The Apostle Paul knew all about the devil’s tactics. Paul knew that “walls have ears”. Paul, it seems, knew that there is a time to proclaim the gospel in public. But he also knew there is a time to proclaim it in private. Back in verse two, we’re told he “communicated...[the gospel] privately to those who were of reputation”.

It’s all a bit “cloak and dagger”, don’t you think? But we should be reminded that there is an invisible war going on. The devil knows he is a defeated foe so he sometimes uses Kamikazes. Judas Iscariot was one of his Kamikazes. He was a spy. He operated by stealth. He pretended to be a disciple, one of the twelve. But alas he was just the devil’s lackey. And an expendable one at that.

The Lying

A spy lives a lie. Judas spent three years with Jesus and his disciples living a lie. He didn’t believe a word of what Jesus was saying. Not a word of it. At the end of his spy mission, he became a Kamikaze. He killed Jesus in his heart by kissing Him on the cheek. He went and hanged himself. He denied the Lord, and then he brought swift destruction upon himself.

Look at 2 Peter 2:1-3, “But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction. And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed. By covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words; for a long time their judgment has not been idle, and their destruction does not slumber.”

Spies tell lies! Did you see that? “By covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words...” “Deceptive words” NKJV, “feigned words” KJV, “stories they have made up” NIV. “Dirty black lies!” Neil McKinlay Version. Is it any wonder that those employed by the devil tell lies? According to Jesus, the devil is the father of lies (John 8:44). So what we’re really talking about here is hypocrisy in the Church. We’re talking about people pretending to be something they’re not. We’re talking about people who pretend to be Christians. It doesn’t matter whether the person has deluded himself into thinking he’s a Christian when he’s not.

Just think about it, there are a few Judas Iscariots around. Think of all those who claim the Bible only “contains” the Word of God in our churches. Then they conveniently miss out on those portions of Scripture that they think are offensive, so that “Christians” can carry on practicing sodomy and lesbianism. Make no bones about it, these people are liars. And others call God a liar by saying that there are portions of the Bible God never wrote when God’s Word says He did. How many times do people have to be told that, “ALL Scripture is given by inspiration of God”? 2 Timothy 3:16.

The Spirit in the Book of Proverbs issues this warning, “Do not add to His words, lest He reprove you, and you be found a liar” Proverbs 30:6. Even my own Denominations has had its fair share of those who pick and choose from God’s Word as if they are at the salad bar in some restaurant – a little bit of this and a little bit of that. “Oh! I don’t want any of that on my plate. I don’t like this Hell stuff! And I don’t like this bit about homosexuality being unnatural.”

How did these people get into the Church? They came in by stealth. Which makes them every bit as much hypocrites as Ananias and Sapphira. They were zapped on the spot for their lies! “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit...you have not lied to men but to God” Acts 5:3-4. It was the same with Judas when he betrayed Jesus, “Then Satan entered Judas” Luke 22:3. They are Satan’s spies. They were in the church. And they still are. But God didn’t zap Satan. He zapped those who were lying to Him i.e., the Holy Spirit. Therefore we all have to accept responsibility for our actions.

Whether you’re conscious of your hypocrisy or whether you’re just plain deluded, it’s your responsibility to live and act in accordance with God’s truth and nothing else. This goes for all preachers too, for elsewhere in Philippians 1 Paul mentions men who “preach Christ for selfish ambition, not sincerely...” He was rejoicing in the fact that Christ was being preached regardless of what was going on in a man’s heart. But if there’s one thing the Lord Himself hates in His church it’s a hypocrite, hypocrites who want to bring everyone else into bondage with their lies.

In Matthew 23 Jesus calls the scribes and Pharisees, “hypocrites!” at least seven times. In the same chapter, He calls them “Fools and blind guides” at least five times. And also, “Serpents, brood of vipers” at least once. So we get the distinct impression of the Lord’s righteous hatred of hypocrites in His church. And what is a hypocrite but one who wears a mask, one who acts?

There were spies in the church, and there are spies in the church today. While they are spying they are lying, but they are also tying!

The Tying

They lie in order to bring us into bondage. Everything they say has certain strings attached. They are puppets, or more correctly, marionettes, operated by the devil.

When we were kids one of my older brothers used to put on puppet shows. He used to charge a ha’penny or a penny or something to see the show. Then you got to see Judy punch the living daylights out of Punch! Or was it the other way around? Anyway, my dad got him one of those marionettes, you know, a puppet on a string! However, it lasted about five minutes! Before you could say, “Thunderbirds are go!” it’s strings were all in a tangle. It was impossible to loosen all the knots. Well, the spies in the church want to entangle us. They want to tie us in knots. They want to string us up. But look what Paul says in verse 5, “We did not yield submission for an hour that the truth of the gospel might continue with you.” In other words, whether the spy is acting seductive like Mata Hari, r is acting as a smooth-talking James Bond. or even acting the clutz like Maxwell Smart, don’t be fooled.

Don’t give an inch. Be an Athanasius who stood against the whole world over one iota. That iota meant the difference between the church being in bondage to the heresy of Arius, i.e., whether Jesus actually was God or just like God. Be a Martin Luther who stood against the false teaching of Rome saying “Here I stand! I can do no other!” God honored Luther’s stand, didn’t He? Scripture says, “For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him” 2 Chronicles16:9.

If you stand firm on the truth of the gospel as did Paul, as did Athanasius, as did Luther, as did Calvin, as did Knox, as did all the Reformers, if you stand firm on the truth of the gospel and do not yield, even for an hour, what do you think God will do? Do you think the Lord will show Himself strong on your behalf? If you don’t think He would, then are you sure you’re not one of these false brethren? Are you sure you’re not an actor? A hypocrite?

What about the gates of Hades? Are they going to prevail against Christ’s church? No? What is it that stops the devil? It’s only “the truth of the gospel”. Paul knew it. Martin Luther knew it, for he wrote:

And though this world, with devils filled,

should threaten to undo us,

we will not fear, for God has willed

His truth to triumph through us.

The prince of darkness grim,

we tremble not for him;

his rage we can endure,

we know his doom is sure,

the Word of God shall fell him.

The devil has no ties on us. The Word of God has set us free. “You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free. We, in the churches, are engaged in warfare, and Paul says to Timothy, “No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier” 2 Timothy 2:4.

Are you an enlisted soldier in the Lord’s army? Or are you a spy? Surely no Christian wishes to hogtie the feet that carry the Good News? But how are we to know who’s who in the church? Jesus says by their fruits you shall know them. Would it help you to understand that if I changed the metaphor slightly and said, “By their strings, you shall know them”?

When we watched puppet shows as kids you could always see their strings. The idea of a spy is that he or she remains undercover. Once his or her cover is blown he or she has to use new tactics. It is surely some of these that John speaks of in 1 John 2:19, when he says, “They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but they went out that they might be made manifest, that none of them were of us.” Jesus said to His remaining disciples after many had deserted Him, “Do you also want to go away?” Simon Peter answered the Lord for all true Christians when he said, Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life” John 6:68.

So, as we begin to tie things together (no pun intended), the gospel is the revelation of Jesus Christ which is all the Scripture. That if we know ourselves to be sinners and turn our backs on our sins, and believe in Jesus Christ and in everything He has done, we have eternal life in Him. To believe in Him alone for salvation is to be set free from your bondage to sin.

The spies in our text, and if there’re any in our midst plain and simply want you to compromise on the gospel. They sneak into the church by stealth. They even become ministers and elders. But you will spot them in our church at a hundred paces. It’s that easy. And it’s all to do with integrity.

As, I’m sure you know, or should know, that the Presbyterian Church of Australia traces its source back to the sixteenth-century Reformation, which, of course, was the time when the church in the wilderness got back to the Bible. At the Reformation, the Reformed churches formulated their creeds, ie., their “We the undersigned believe!” In the Presbyterian of Australia the “We the undersigned believe!” is, of course, the Westminster Confession of Faith. It’s been our church’s creed since it was compiled in 1647. To bring this home to you, you should know that every elder in the Presbyterian Church of Australia has been asked this question:

 

Do you own and accept the Westminster Confession of Faith as amended by the General Assembly and read in the light of the Declaratory Statement contained in the Basis of Union adopted by this Church on the 24th day of July 1901, as an exhibition of the sense in which you understand the Holy Scriptures and as a confession of your faith; and do you engage firmly and constantly to adhere thereto, and to the utmost of your power to assert, maintain and defend the same?

After answering in the affirmative, they sign their names to the “formula”. They are now under oath! I put it to you that it’s the easiest thing in the world to spot the hypocritical leaders in our church. You can see their strings a mile away. They are the ones who deny our Confession, i.e., our “We the undersigned believe!” They have sworn under oath to defend it. But they don’t! Therefore they are the spies with lies and ties! Or plain and simple, they have no integrity.

Did Judas have integrity? Did Ananias and Sapphira have integrity? Did the false brethren in our text have integrity? Yet I’m sure they all came across as nice, warm, loving, caring, compassionate Christian people. They moved among the people of God, but they were doing the work of the enemy, spying, lying, and tying. But we have to keep reminding ourselves of what the Scriptures are saying: Are the gates of hell going to prevail against the church?

Proverbs 11:3 has this to say, “The integrity of the upright will guide them, but the perversity of the unfaithful will destroy them.” This verse could be applied to Judas, and Ananias and Sapphira, who were destroyed.

No one likes a spy. Spies are despicable. Don’t give submission to them, even for an hour! But stand firm, that the truth of the gospel might continue with you!

Conclusion

“Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints. For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into licentiousness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ” Jude 3-4.

CHRIST & THE SCRIPTURES - Adolph Saphir

 My Review of Christ & The Scriptures

Ordinarily, Christians shine the spotlight of the New Testament on the Old Testament to illuminate the meaning of the law, the prophets and their procrastinations. Though not
disagreeing with this, Saphir effectively uses a sonar ping to form a full outline of Christ in both Testaments. 

The Old Testament is pregnant with Christ and gives birth to Jesus in the New. Saphir’s theological ultrasound is the deep calling to deep, a system of Scriptural echoes that builds the true picture of Christ as revealed in the whole Bible. The pregnant pauses, the spaces, between each punctiliar ping causes the mind to reflect momentarily, to think God’s thoughts after Him, as Christ is formed in us. 

Christ is the true image of God, the revelation of God. Scripture is the mirror in which we look to see Christ.

ARE ALL WHO DIE IN INFANCY SAVED? (Revisited)

ARE ALL WHO DIE IN INFANCY SAVED?

The issue of what happens to those who die in infancy can be emotional. Dealing with infants can be like dealing with fire or sticks of dynamite; all ought to be handled with tenderness and the utmost of care. A verse of the Scottish poet, Robert Burns’ satirical poem about a so-called Calvinist he calls Holy Willie quickly springs to mind and strikes a piercing but painful note in the ears and hearts of those born of the Spirit. The poem is called Holy Willie’s Prayer:

When frae my mither’s womb I fell,

Thou might hae plungèd me in hell,

To gnash my gums, to weep and wail,

In burnin’ lakes,

Where damnèd devils roar and yell,

Chain’d to their stakes…

 

Do Calvinists really believe that any dying infants go to Hell? Surely all Christians who have suffered the loss of an infant or a little child believe that the Bible gives ample comfort that they will see them again in glory. The 1619 Canons of Dort in Article 1:17 sums up what Calvinists believe regarding their children who die infancy:

 

Since we are to judge the will of God from His Word, which testifies that the children of believers are holy, not by nature, but in virtue of the covenant of grace, in which they together with the parents are comprehended, godly parents have no reason to doubt of the election and salvation of their children whom it pleaseth God to call out of this life in their infancy.[1]

 

Holy Willie is William Fisher (1737-1809). He was an elder in the Mauchline Kirk Session. His body lies buried in Ochiltree cemetery. Therefore, he was not just some windmill in Burns’ mind that he tilted at because of what he perceived to be Fisher’s hypocrisy. It would seem (at least according to the words Burns put in his mouth) that Fisher disagreed with Article 1:17 quoted above.

If you would like to purchase a copy, go to Amazon at: https://tinyurl.com/y4wleopw

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On a personal note,  three or so years ago, a family asked me to attend Lady Cilento children’s hospital, to be with them as they unplugged the life-support for their infant. There was weeping and wailing! Subsequently, I conducted the funeral service. I even broke into song mid-sermon, (as much for my comfort as theirs). I broke into singing a verse of a song I remember singing in church at Christmas as a child, Away in a Manger. Even back then I loved the thought that Jesus loved the little children, that He loved me!

“Be near me Lord Jesus, I ask You to stay

Close by me for ever, and love me, I pray.

Bless all the dear children in Your tender care,

And fit us for heaven, to live with You there.”

Not long after that, at the same hospital, I was in attendance just before the delivery of a child who was only expected to live a few hours, and was there when the child died. I conducted a wee memorial service at the hospital to comfort the grieving family. As painful as it all was for me, I was fortified by the Spirit working with His Word in my heart. I thanked God that I had studied the subject, the result of which was the writing of a wee book on it, Are All Who Die in Infancy Saved? I believe that the Bible teaches that all who die in infancy are probably saved. What comfort!

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[1] Philip Schaff, The Creeds of Christendom, Volume III, The Evangelical Protestant Creeds, Baker Books, Grand Rapids, Michigan, Sixth Edition, 1996, p. 585.

COUNCIL APPROVAL

 COUNCIL APPROVAL

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. 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.

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. 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), 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 2:1-10.

Introduction

Have you ever seen those signs people put on their mailboxes? Perhaps you have one on your mailbox, “No Junk Mail”.  We didn’t have a sign like that, but we used to get hardly any junk-mail when we lived in a cul-de-sac at the end of a road. I guess the junk-mail deliverers couldn’t be bothered with our street. You may think that’s a good thing. However, my wife didn’t. For some strange reason, she likes junk mail. I guess it has to do with the sales and things.

Then, when I live in a manse I was amazed at the amount of junk-mail we got. Here’s what I want you to note: A lot of the junk mail comes from Christian organizations. We get mail from Christian outfits you’ve never heard of, outfits who have no church affiliation. It all causes me to wonder what is going on in the Lord’s Church?

It seems to me that every man and his dog has some ministry or other which needs my support, my financial support! What does this have to do with what we’re looking at? Well, in the following I would like you to see that Paul, his gospel, and his ministry all met with council approval.

In a word, there is an ordered structure to the Church of Jesus Christ. This ordered structure is the strength of the Church. It’s the spine, the backbone by which everything else is supported and is attached. Just as it is in society, so it is in the Church. If there is no system of checks and balances then everyone gets to do what they like.

In any organized society you must seek council approval before you do anything. You need to consider society as a whole before going ahead with whatever it is you want to do. Therefore, you’d meet with the council and you’d submit your plans for approval. At least that’s how things are done in a civilized world. Why? Because whatever you choose to do will have an impact on everyone else.

Is there any more civilized society on earth than Christ’s church? Christ Himself runs it. It is His organization. Therefore, if you have plans to do something, you must submit them to the church. You don’t just run off and do your own thing, such as starting your own private ministry. You’re supposed to bring your plans before the council of the church for approval. Look at the Apostle Paul. He took his case before the council of the church. He went with Barnabas and Titus to talk to the council about his gospel ministry.[1]

The Meeting

This meeting took place in Jerusalem. I believe the meeting mentioned here refers to an account that is recorded in Acts 15. Paul, Barnabas, and Titus were all involved in the general meeting of the council. But Paul met in private with the Apostles Peter, James, and John.

According to Acts 15:3, the church at Antioch had sent Paul, Barnabas, and Titus to the General Assembly at Jerusalem. Yet we are told in our text in Galatians 2:2 that Paul went there because of a revelation he’d been given. So then, did the church send Paul or did the Lord talk to him personally? What’s wrong with the church sending him and the Lord confirming it by way of revelation? I think it just reinforces the fact that the Lord gifts His church with wise leaders. He puts elders in His church and He gives them the ability to know what to do.

So the church sent Paul, Barnabas, and Titus to the General Assembly at Jerusalem. And, Paul, as an Apostle, received special confirmation that this was the Lord’s will. Well, look at the subject matter of this meeting up ahead. But for now, we need to note that the members of this council included Apostles and elders.

We don’t have Apostles in the church anymore. Apostles were men who witnessed the resurrection and were commissioned by Christ. Paul refers to himself as one “born out of due time” 1 Corinthians 15:8. Now that we have the completed canon of Scripture we do not need Apostles. The Scriptures are sufficient for all our needs. “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good workö” 2 Timothy 3:16-17. Therefore, we have all we need when we have the Scriptures. However, everything in the church is to be done decently and in order 1 Corinthians 14:40. And to accomplish this the Lord has put in place an ordered structure. It’s called Presbyterianism, which simply means Eldership.

Each church has Presbyters, which is another name for Elders. These elders have meetings in order to discuss the spiritual functioning of the local church. They also meet with Presbyters or Elders from the other churches from time to time. This is what Paul is talking about in our text. He is part of a committee sent from the local church at Antioch. They are to meet with committees from other churches in one huge committee meeting. This committee is meeting to discuss doctrinal issues affecting the church as a whole.

I remember saying, with a note of sarcasm, to one of the lecturers when I was at theological college, “When I become a minister I’ll get to be on a million committees. “He looked me straight in the eye and said, “Don’t mock committees. God is a Committee!” It’s true that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is the “Committee” that planned, approved, and built the universe. So the point the college professor made is well taken.

The Triune God is three Persons but One God. Each Person considers the Other Person’s wellbeing before giving approval. Like the Trinity, we, the Church, are a plurality of persons. Therefore like God, we ought to meet and discuss the things that will promote the wellbeing of the body corporate.

It’s all about checks and balances. The right-hand needs to know what the left is doing! Otherwise, we may end up working against ourselves and, as you know, a house divided falls. Therefore, we need to note the wisdom of the ordered structure of the Lord’s church. We see it displayed before us in this text. Council meetings have a firm Scriptural basis. One verse should suffice to cap off our first point, “Where there is no counsel the people fall; but in the multitude of counselors there is safety” Proverbs 11:14. As we used to say in Scotland, “Two heads are better than one!”

The Matter

Remember what has already been said, i.e., that elders meet to discuss the matter of doctrine. So what’s the matter? The doctrinal matter of this particular meeting was to do with the doctrine of gospel liberty. That’s why Paul says, “[I] communicated to them that gospel which I preach among the Gentiles” Galatians 2:2.

We know all about the false teachers who were infiltrating the church. The heart of the matter was to circumcise or not to circumcise. So Paul tells the Galatians that the council approved that Titus the Greek remain uncircumcised Thus he wants them to see that his gospel is the Church’s gospel. That’s Paul’s point here. The Church had been infiltrated by people promoting their own ministries. The trouble was that a lot of these ministries were not approved ministries. The fact was that they were causing a schism in the church! As Samuel John Stone says in his hymn,

Though with a scornful wonder

Men see her sore oppressed,

By schisms rent asunder,

By heresies distressed,

Yet saints their watch are keeping…

It’s the job of the Presbytery to keep watch over the church. And that’s exactly what this Presbytery meeting was all about. “We see what’s happening in the Church. Now, what are we going to do about it? What is our plan, our strategy, our course of action? What shall we do to protect and promote the well-being of the Lord’s Church against those who are causing division?”

Paul wants the Galatians to see that what he taught them is the orthodox teaching of the church. He wants them to see that his gospel is council approved. He wants them to see that his ministry is counsel approved.

The gospel says a man doesn’t need to be circumcised to be saved. He wants the Galatians to see that the Judaizers are not part of the church If the Judaizers were part of the church they would follow the teaching of the Gospel. But here are the Judaizers saying that men need the gospel plus to be saved.

Apparently, a sect had developed from these Judiazers who become known as the Ebionites. This group regarded Paul, not as an Apostle, but as an apostate from the law of Moses. Of course, their accusations were false because the Ebionites had a false view of the law, as did their fathers the Pharisees and Judaizers.

Nowadays there are all kinds of Christian sects and cults around. For example, Mormons, Jehovah’s Witnesses, the Moonies, etc., etc., etc. It’s clear that these groups are on about another gospel and not the gospel Paul is defending. I remember receiving a book from the Mormons, i.e., The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The title is THE BOOK OF MORMON. And the subtitle reads “Another Testament of Jesus Christ”. As I began to read through it, I figured that instead of Another Testament of Jesus Christ, a more accurate description would be “A Testament of Another Jesus Christ”. It doesn’t take an Einstein to figure out that the Mormons are on about another gospel. Then there are those cults and sects where it’s a bit more difficult to tell. For instance, there are legalist groups such as the Seventh Day Adventists. They say that the whole of the Christian church is apostate apart from them. They adhere to all the Old Testament’s dietary laws, and, of course, they have a mammoth hangup with the Christian Sunday Sabbath.

Then some say that you must be baptized to be saved. So they add what they call baptism to the gospel. Along with the Seventh Day Adventists, they would condemn the repentant thief on the cross to hell. Some of them would say the thief on the cross had already been baptized. But what does that then say about their legalistic “Believers Baptism”? And of course, to legalists, baptism is not baptism unless you’re fully immersed. These legalists say you must be fully immersed just like – well, we’re still waiting on them proving to the church from Scripture that someone was fully immersed! Like the Adventists with their Saturday Sabbath, we hear all about the practice of the early church. We hear about men like St. Columba, we hear about men being immersed three times, seven times, but they never prove a thing from the Bible. This is because the meaning and mode of Christian baptism is a theological argument, not a historical one.

Then there are the Antinomians who are the opposite of the legalists! Antinomians are usually of the Dispensationalist camp. Their catchphrases are usually things like, “That was Old Testament, but this is the New Testament.” Or, “We’re under grace, not law!” Then they quote their favorite proof texts. 

Free from the law!

O happy condition,

Sin all you like

There’s always remission!

But let’s not kid ourselves. Even the Antinomians bind people’s consciences with things the Scriptures are silent on. You’ll find both Legalist and antinomian alike say, for instance, “Thou shalt drink no alcohol! “You can’t be a Christian if you drink alcohol!” Therefore both Legalists and Antinomians are guilty of adding to the gospel, be they adding baptism, i.e., baptism done only the way they think it ought to be done, be it Sabbath from Friday evening to Saturday evening. be it doing whatever you like, on whatever day you like, as the Antinomian would have it. All are adding to the clear teaching of the gospel!

The truth of the matter is that there is liberty (freedom) in the gospel. But it’s not the gay abandon of the Antinomians. But there are also legal requirements too. But certainly not the requirements of the legalists!

Let’s look and see what the General Assembly decided,

Then it pleased the apostles and elders, with the whole church, to send chosen men of their own company to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas, namely, Judas who was also named Barsabas, and Silas, leading men among the brethren. They wrote this letter by them:

The apostles, the elders, and the brethren, To the brethren who are of the Gentiles in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia:

Greetings.

Since we have heard that some who went out from us have troubled you with words, unsettling your souls, saying, “You must be circumcised and keep the law”—to whom we gave no such commandment— it seemed good to us, being assembled with one accord, to send chosen men to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. We have therefore sent Judas and Silas, who will also report the same things by word of mouth. For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things: that you abstain from things offered to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well.

Farewell.

So when they were sent off, they came to Antioch; and when they had gathered the multitude together, they delivered the letter. When they had read it, they rejoiced over its encouragement. Acts 15:22-31.

There’s nothing there about circumcision, baptism, or Saturday Sabbaths. The gospel brings liberty to the captives. It sets you free! But free to do what? To do as you like? No! The Gospel sets you free to love God with all your heart, soul, strength, and mind and to love your neighbor as yourself. Jesus says, “If you love Me keep My commandments.” Therefore, we must not go a millimeter beyond what the Bible teaches us, It’s the pure unadulterated Word of God that must be the measure of whether people are part of the church at large or not.

In summary: We’ve looked at the meeting, and we’ve seen that the Lord has put in place a system of church government. This we call Eldership-ism better known as Presbyterianism. (Presbyters are elders.) The Presbytery meets to deal with matters of faith and doctrine (such as we see in our text).

We’ve looked at The Meeting and The Matter. And we’ve seen that what Paul has been teaching is in line with what the church at large is believing. Which in a word is this, The Gospel alone is sufficient for salvation.

The Mission

What was the Apostle Paul’s mission? What was, what is, the mission of the church? It’s the Great Commission, isn’t it? In Matt. 28:18ff., Jesus said, “‘All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.’ Amen.”

Now consider what Paul says in the following, “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” Galatians 2:9. So, what do we have here? We have the organized church of Jesus Christ being obedient to the Great Commission. But make sure you notice:

1.      Missions to the nations were not just one big free-for-all. It was Council Approved.

2.      That the Apostles and Elders are agreed on what the gospel is. It was Council Approved.

3.      That the right hand of fellowship is given only to those who believe in the gospel. They are Council Approved.

In a word, the Church is the repository of the Gospel. Remove the ordered structure of the Church and you’ll end up with a lot of what we have today. You’ll have all kinds of cults, sects, and denominations springing up all over the place. And have you noticed that each one claims to be the true Biblical church? Each one emphasizes what it thinks the gospel is. The Apostle Paul fought the good fight in his day. And we need to fight the good fight in our day. First off we need to fight for the purity of the gospel. Secondly we need to offer the right hand of fellowship to all who believe in the same gospel. This being done we then need to send out council-approved missionaries.

At the time of the Reformation, there was a group of people known as the Waldensians. The Church Reformers sent out a delegation to meet with the Waldensians. The Waldensians had not submitted to the false gospel of Rome. So they had been persecuted by the papacy for centuries. But on September 12, 1532, they met with the Swiss Reformer William Farel. They held their meeting with the Elders. They discussed the matter of doctrine. Then they set about their mission – which in their case was to translate the Scriptures into French. What a day that must have been when the Reformers and the Waldensians extended to each other the right hand of fellowship. The Waldensians could see that the Reformers were the repositories of the true gospel. Therefore they submitted themselves to the authority of the church. Therefore they received Council Approval.

Conclusion

We began by talking about junk mail. I mentioned that a lot of it was from Christian organizations. You’re probably wondering how I can call it junk mail. Well, I’ve never heard of a lot of these organizations. We call a lot of these groups “para-church organizations”. A para-church is an organization that exists alongside the church while not being part of it. A lot like a paramilitary organization, it isn’t exactly the military though it acts as if it is. And, since the para-church groups are exactly that, i.e., para-church, this means they need to solicit financial support from somewhere. Hence all the Christian junk mail. They all claim to be doing a great work. But a great work for whom? How can I trust any organization not under the authority of the Church? How can I trust those who don’t have Council Approval?

I’m Presbyterian. I’m Reformed. Therefore I believe in the structured authority of the church. It would be wonderful to extend the right hand of fellowship to the groups. No doubt some of them are doing a great work for the extension of the Lord’s kingdom. But how can they be – if they refuse to submit to the authority of the church? From what I understand of the Scriptures this makes all parachurch organizations a law unto themselves.

Christ didn’t say the gates of Hades will not prevail against the PARA-church. The Church alone has been entrusted with the gospel of Jesus Christ, by Jesus Christ, the sole Head of His Church. Christ has put in place gifted men to rule in His church. All in accordance with His Word. Therefore, whether we like it or not, all para churches ought to get back into church where they belong.

Do you remember the second half of that Proverb I read earlier? “In the multitude of counselors there is safety” Proverbs 11:14b. I tell you that it’s not safe having all these organizations running around. Who knows what kind of twisted gospel they might be teaching the nations. And the bit that miffs me personally is that they solicit funds from me to help them!

Enough of this nonsense. The para churches need to get back into the churches. Along with the rest of us, they need to submit themselves to the checks and balances the Lord has put in place. Paul didn’t say, “O well, I’ve got the gospel and there’s a job to do. I can’t hang around here arguing over doctrine when there’re people needing saved!” Nor did he say, “The church has been infiltrated by Legalists and Antinomians. I’ll just form my own group and get on with it. I’ll just send begging letters to the different churches and their members to support my worthy cause.” No! He wanted to make sure the church herself was believing in the Gospel.

Listen closely: Paul’s first and foremost mission was to the Church. He knew what the devil knows, i.e., that if you destroy the foundation and the pillars of the church that if you remove the ordered structure, the spine, the backbone, then as the body without the spirit is dead, so is the church! The church will crumble back to dust. And the Gospel? Well, it would return to God who gave it. It’s almost like that verse in Ecclesiastes, “Then the dust will return to the earth as it was, and the spirit will return to the God who gave it” Ecclesiastes 12:7. But we have the Lord’s assurance that this won’t happen no matter how bad it looks at the moment. The Lord likens His Church, the kingdom of heaven to a mustard seed. Though it’s the smallest of seeds, it will grow and grow and grow, like leaven, it will permeate the whole earth!

Reformation begins in the heart of the individual then it spreads, even to all the nations. Martin Luther discovered what the Gospel was. He extended the right hand of fellowship to those who believed the same gospel. We are justified by grace through faith alone. Why don’t you begin a Reformation in your heart? Make sure your gospel is the same as that adhered to here, the gospel that’s taught here is the same as that that was rediscovered at the Reformation, which is that of the Apostle Paul, which is grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, according to the Scriptures alone, to the glory of God alone. This is the Gospel entrusted to the saints once and for all. For this is the only Gospel that has been Council Approved.

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[1] There may, of course, be some exceptions for private and personal ministries. For examples, the publishing of Christian articles and books.