Mar 13
9
Hold Fast To Christ the Truth
Clay Curtis
The apostle Paul went to Jerusalem in order to preserve the true gospel for the Galatian churches and for all the churches of the Gentiles. When Paul would not subject himself to the false brethren who insisted that in addition to faith in Christ, the believer must also be circumcised; the lover’s of works did what the proponents of falsehood always do. When they could not avail against the Lord and his gospel, they then attempted to slander God’s messenger personally in any and every way they could.
Just as their false gospel began and ended with man so their scheme to discredit Paul began and ended with man. They pointed their hearers to men, to the fact that the other apostles, namely, James, Peter, and John had lived with Christ for three years; they heard the Lord’s sermons; they witnessed Christ perform miracles; they themselves preached and performed miracles while Christ was on earth. But what of this Paul? They pointed out that he never saw Jesus in the flesh. Their argument being, “So then whom ought you to believe: Paul, who stands alone, a mere disciple of the apostles, one of the last and least; or will you believe those grand apostles who were sent and confirmed by Christ Himself long before Paul?”
As the proponents of gospel truth always do, Paul’s rebuttal did not begin with man nor end with man, but was the word of God. He said, “whatsoever [the apostles] were, it maketh no matter to me: God accepteth no man’s person (Lev. 19:15.) Paul said, “But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed” (Gal. 1: 8.)
Instead, of entangling himself in the trap of self-defense as his enemies hoped he would, Paul kept the issue of Christ’s person and finished work as the focus of everything that he said. For the issue was not the honor of the apostles, or of Paul’s honor, the issue was the truth of the gospel of Christ.
Paul asserts that the apostles added nothing to him. That is, when Paul communicated to the apostles that he preached salvation by faith in Christ apart from the works of the law, they found no fault with his gospel. Neither did the apostles correct him in any point or make any addition to the gospel Paul preached. His message of free grace was so complete and perfect, containing the whole counsel of God, that they had nothing to add unto it. This showed that by the Spirit of Christ who revealed the truth in Paul, as well as his brethren the apostles, he was not behind them in knowledge and gifts in the least degree.
So the very argument that his accusers used to slander his name backfired. Paul says, on the contrary, instead of rejecting him, the very apostles which these false brethren pretentiously highly esteemed not only agreed with him in every point but also confirmed their agreement by giving Paul and Barnabas the rights hands of fellowship.
Brethren, learn from the apostle Paul. When the enemies of God’s free grace in Christ attempt to slander you or lead you on a rabbit trail always bring them back to the feet of Christ Jesus the Lord. Any other response will only turn your eyes, and all those involved, from your Redeemer to man. That is the chief endeavor of the enemies of Christ. As we see here, every argument waged against us will turn out to be an argument against the accusers themselves if we but hold fast to Christ Jesus the Way, the Truth and the Life.