THE KING’ S BUSINESS
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Monday, April 15 . Gal. 2 : 1 - 5 .
home (Acts 9:30). Barnabas brought him from Tarsus to Antioch in Syria (Acts 9:25). When Syria and Cilicia, which were closely associated, were spoken of together, it was customary to place Syria first (cf. Acts 15:23, 41), which accounts for the order here. To show still further the utter absurdity of the stories that were being circulated in Galatia that Paul had received his gospel second hand from the other Apostles, he tells them that at that time he was “unknown (even) by face to the churches' o f Judea.” All that the churches o f Judea knew about Paul was that they had heard the report that “he that once persecuted us now preacheth the faith o f which he once made havoc.” An exact translation o f the three words trans lated “heard say” is “were hearing that,” and the force of the words and the con struction is that they were hearing from time to time. In other words, it was frequently reported. The report that they were so constantly hearing was, to slightly paraphrase Paul’s words, “our former per secutor now preacheth the faith of which he formerly was making havoc.” What a wonderful transformation was that! But such transformations under the power of the gospel and the Holy Spirit have been o f frequent occurrence in the history of the church, and we may expect that they will often occur again. We need not de spair o f a man just because he is a bitter enemy o f Jesus Christ and His people. The conversion o f such a man is more likely than the conversion o f one who is simply indifferent. This good news about Paul led the churches not to glorify Paul, but to glorify God in him. ’ In him they saw a wonderful illustration o f God’s grace and power. So ought we to glorify God in every great sinner (and little sinner) and infidel whom He saves. It may be that in verse 24 there is a hidden hint to the Gala tians, how different is the spirit o f the churches in Judaea from yours, “they glo rify God in me,”-but you —.
Fourteen years after his conversion Paul “went up again to Jerusalem with Barna bas.” This was the visit mentioned in Acts 15 (A . D. 50). In Acts 15 we are told that Paul was appointed by the church in Anti och to go about the question o f the neces sity o f -circumcision. Here Paul tells us that he “went up by (rather, according to) revelation,” i.e., that God revealed it to him that he should go up at that time. In the two records, the one in Acts and the one here, we have the human side and the Divine side o f the transaction. God told Paul to go up, and probably God also sug gested it to the church that he should go up, and they appointed him and Barnabas and certain others. Perhaps Paul men tions it in this place that his going up was “according to revelation” to show that he did not go up because he had any sense o f dependence upon the Apostles at Jeru salem, or because he had any doubts but what he was preaching the truth. When he reached Jerusalem he laid before the leaders there the gospel which he con stantly preached among the Gentiles. This he did “'privately before them who were o f repute.” This he’ did that they might judge for themselves whether he was at that time running in vain, or had been running in vain in the past. Paul himself had no doubts upon that score, for he had gotten his gospel by direct revelation from Christ, but he gave the Apostles the oppor tunity to judge for themselves. They, on their part, were entirely satisfied. They did not even compel Titus who was with him, and who was a Greek, to be circum cised. On another occasion Paul, as a matter o f expediency, to avoid unnecessary controversy and questioning (cf. 1 Cor. 9:20-22; Rom. 14:1-7, 13-23), did circum cise Timothy, who was part Jew and a proselyte o f the gate (Acts 16:1-3). In that case there was no question o f prin ciple raised. In this there was. Certain “ false brethren” (members o f the Pharisaic party, Acts 15:5) said that Titus must be
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