I
have just come to understand that the agreement in Galatians 2 between Peter,
James and John was that they would confine their ministry to the Circumcision (the
believing remnant of Israel, the little flock) thus annulling the ‘great
commission’ because Paul was telling them that God’s plan had changed and that
he was now the Apostle to all without distinction; both Jew and Gentile, the
uncircumcised in heart (Acts 7:51, Romans 11:32) – the lost.
So
what was the ministry of Peter James and John and to the Circumcision? They were already believers in the little flock (saved by believing the Gospel of the Kingdom) and could not proselytize
with the Kingdom message because that would compromise Paul’s apostleship. I also understand that there were others in
the little flock who helped Paul (Barnabas, John, Mark, etc.) but Peter, James
and John did not in accordance to their agreement in Galatians 2. Was this because they were given leadership
and authority in the Kingdom program and could not abandon that to help Paul?
This is one of the best questions I have
seen and I appreciate that you asked it.
Remember that Paul wrote Galatians very
early in his ministry. The job of Peter,
James and John was to let the circumcision believers know that there had been a
delay in their (Kingdom) program. Quite
frankly there wasn’t much for them to do except to share with the believers in
the little flock that God was now doing something else. Once Peter, James and John learned this
information they were to communicate it to the other disciples (the members of
the little flock) to minister to them.
When Paul wrote the book of Galatians, no
one, not even Paul himself, knew that the dispensation of grace would last
2,000 years. They had no clue. If you want to understand their mindset, they
were thinking just like Paul that God was going to do something among the
Gentiles to call out a people for his name, and then Christ would return and rebuild
the house of David.
Acts 15:13-17
And after they had held
their peace, James answered, saying, Men and brethren, hearken unto me: Simeon hath declared how God at the first did
visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name. And to this agree the words of the prophets;
as it is written, After this I will
return, and will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen
down; and I will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up: That the residue of men might seek after the
Lord, and all the Gentiles, upon whom my name is called, saith the Lord, who
doeth all these things.
They were just waiting for God to do
that. That is basically the ministry of
Peter, James and John, as well as explaining to the circumcision believers what
God was doing through Paul.
But Peter, James and John also have a
future ministry. The books of Hebrews
through Revelation that come after Paul’s epistles in scripture are
future. They will be in effect after the rapture of the church the Body of Christ when God is finished with the program
of grace (i.e., the mystery, the dispensation of grace) and he will begin again his
prophetic clock for the nation of Israel on the earth. Peter, James and John have a written ministry
in their epistles for the future (ages to come). God had them write these epistles to the
future little flock.
So they have a two-part ministry. They had their ministry to the circumcision
believers – the little flock. This is
important: all those members of the little flock had eternal life once Paul was saved; but before then they did not
have eternal life as a present position like we do which is only by God’s
grace. When the dispensation of grace
began the moment Paul was saved (Acts 9:3-6), all the members of the little
flock (of Israel) who believed on Jesus as their Messiah were given eternal
life.
Romans 11:5, 7
Even so
then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election
of grace. What
then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath
obtained it, and the rest were blinded.
So what was the
ministry of Peter, James and John to the circumcision? Great question! During that time (contemporary with Paul)
their ministry was to explain to the little flock that God was not done with
them (just read Acts
15 and you’ll see it), and that once God was done with these gentiles that
God was dealing with through Paul, God would return and raise up the Kingdom
for Israel; He would build up the house of David. They were teaching them that God changed the
program and that he was not offering the Kingdom to Israel at that moment; but he was doing something different among the heathen (the lost – both Jew and
Gentile).
So basically they
were just waiting. They were assuring
the little flock that they were saved and that they could rest from their
works. They are sealed because God was
now dealing with humanity through grace.
And because they believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, they were given
eternal life as a present position (as does the Body of Christ) when Paul was
saved by grace and no works.
God is not done
with Israel’s program; he put it on hold while he deals with the gentiles and the
Body of Christ. They are not in the Body
of Christ; only Paul, Gentiles, and Jews who believed after him are in the
Body.
1 Timothy 1:16
Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.
They were
ministering to one to another and encouraging one another. Many of them were helping the Apostle
Paul! Peter, James and John would
encourage the little flock to wait patiently on the Lord to finish his program
with the gentiles and to help the Apostle Paul get out the message of grace. They will
receive their promised Kingdom.
2 Peter 3:15-16
And account that the longsuffering
of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to
the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you; As also in all his epistles,
speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be
understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also
the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.
This was hard for Jews to understand,
but it was about salvation and the wisdom that God gave Paul called the
Mystery. Those Jews would learn from
Peter, James and John that:
- God had changed the program and was doing something with the Gentiles through Paul.
- God is not finished with the little flock and Israel. He hasn’t forgotten them; he will give them their Kingdom when he has finished with Paul and the Gentiles.
- Listen to Paul. Paul was bringing them to a further knowledge of these things. They were to learn about the grace of God, although they were not included in the Dispensation of Grace. (We learn about the Prophetic program as well.)
Romans 15:4
For whatsoever things
were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through
patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.
We learn through Israel’s program and
study and teach from their books although they don’t pertain to us. They had to learn Paul’s doctrine even though
it didn’t pertain to them so that they would be informed about what God was
doing. They understood it didn’t pertain
to them as little flock Kingdom saints, but they were to know what God was
doing among the gentiles.
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You also wrote that they were already
Kingdom believers but they could not proselytize with the Kingdom Message. That’s right.
But they could teach the Kingdom message by saying that God was not
offering the Kingdom right now, but he was offering salvation through his
grace. So they would share that God was
doing something different through Paul’s gospel. They could share that. If they had been sharing the Kingdom gospel,
that would have compromised Paul’s apostleship so they stopped doing it;
instead they sent people to Paul.
Acts 11:25-26
Then departed Barnabas to
Tarsus, for to seek Saul: And when he
had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole
year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people. And the
disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.
Until Acts 15 they were still preaching
the Kingdom message. Jews who were being
saved because they had heard about Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection
1 Corinthians 15:11
Therefore whether it
were I or they, so we preach, and so ye believed.
Anyone after Paul who believed in the death, burial and resurrection of
Jesus Christ for their sins, whether it was preached by Peter as we see in Acts
10…
Acts 10:39-43
And we are witnesses of
all things which he did both in the land of the Jews, and in Jerusalem; whom
they slew and hanged on a tree:
Him God raised up the
third day,
and shewed him openly; Not to all the people, but unto witnesses chosen before
God, even to us, who did eat and drink with him after he rose from the dead. And he commanded us to preach unto the
people, and to testify that it is he which was ordained of God to be the Judge
of quick and dead.
To him give all the
prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall
receive remission of sins.
…or Paul, they were saved and Peter,
James and John would tell them that they needed to understand Paul’s ministry
and what God was doing through him.
Peter, James and John were not used by
God to help propagate Paul’s message.
Remember that in Galatians 2, Peter was in Antioch and he did understand
the Gospel of Grace. It may not be
recorded in the book of Acts per se, but I wouldn’t go so far as to say that
Peter, James and John did not help Paul.
Their agreement confined their ministry and gospel preaching to the people
who were already saved by believing the Gospel of the Kingdom.
Remember that the gospel is not
confined to ‘how you get saved’; it includes doctrine as well. Paul calls it my gospel – it is his doctrine.
Romans 2:16; 16:25
In the day when God shall
judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.
Now to him that is of
power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus
Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since
the world began,
2 Timothy 2:8
Remember that Jesus
Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead according to my gospel:
So they confined their Kingdom doctrine
to the little flock; but that didn’t mean that they didn’t let other people
know about Paul’s gospel and message.
They updated their people in Paul’s message and let them know that this
is what God is doing today as Peter did in 2 Peter. Remember
that after the Jerusalem council Peter was in Antioch among the Gentile
believers.
Galatians 2:11-12
But when Peter was
come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he was to be
blamed. For before that certain came
from James, he did eat with the Gentiles: but when they were come, he
withdrew and separated himself, fearing them which were of the circumcision.
There is no record of Peter, James and
John actually travelling with Paul, but obviously Peter is there in
Antioch. By eating with the Gentiles, he
is helping Paul. He is helping the
Gentile believers understand that even he, the head apostle of the little flock, can now eat with Gentiles, even though he said that he couldn’t back in
Acts 10. So by sitting there in Antioch
eating with the Gentiles, Peter is helping Paul’s ministry by demonstrating
that there is no distinction; there is no longer a difference between Jew and
Gentile. He is telling them that before
he couldn’t eat with you but now he can based on the grace message given to
Paul.
Even though it is true that Peter,
James and John were given leadership and authority in the Kingdom program, it
didn’t mean that they couldn’t help Paul.
By helping Paul, they weren’t abandoning their leadership.
1 Corinthians 1:12
Now this I say, that
every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas [Peter];
and I of Christ.
The Jews and Gentiles in the Body of
Christ and the Jews in the little flock all knew that Peter was a head
apostle. Once Peter understood that God
had changed the program, God would have had no problem with encouraging Peter
to tell others that Paul was now ‘his man.’
Just like when we as Pauline grace believers read the gospels and exalt
Peter’s office as head apostle (Matt. 16, 17) and acknowledge his authority
with Israel, God would have no problem with Peter exalting Paul’s apostleship;
and that is exactly what he did in 2 Peter 3:15-16. Peter was exalting Paul and helping his
ministry to the little flock.
Again, there is no record that Peter was
actually out there ministering with Paul like Barnabas was; but according to
Galatians 2, there was a time when Peter and Paul were together after the
agreement, and by eating with these gentiles Peter was
helping Paul.
Hopefully this helps!
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