Sermon Tone Analysis

They Are Wrong

This is not up for debate we can explain it; we can discuss it but what you are advocating is wrong!

Math 1+1 =2

You can try explain why that is not true but that will not change the facts.

The Players

Paul went to meet the pillars to let them know what God has be doing in.

He brought the gentile poster child for a converted/saved gentile.

Titus - is it possible that he is not saved because he has not been circumcised?

Today we have this Jesus plus - baptism, good works, church sacraments etc....

He also brought along the encourage r - Barnabas

Barnabas was one of Paul’s closest friends.

In fact, when Paul tried to get into the fellowship of the Jerusalem church, it was Barnabas who opened the way for him ().

Associated with gentile believers.

The name Barnabas means “son of encouragement,” and you will always find Barnabas encouraging somebody.

When the gospel came to the Gentiles in Antioch, it was Barnabas who was sent to encourage them in their faith ().

Thus, from the earliest days, Barnabas was associated with the Gentile believers.

It was Barnabas who enlisted Paul to help minister at the church in Antioch (), and the two of them worked together not only in teaching, but also in helping the poor (vv.

27–30).

Barnabas accompanied Paul on the first missionary trip () and had seen God’s blessings on the gospel that they preached.

It is worth noting that it was Barnabas who encouraged young John Mark after he had dropped out of the ministry and incurred the displeasure of Paul (13:13; 15:36–41).

In later years, Paul was able to commend Mark and benefit from his friendship (; ).

Titus was a Gentile believer who worked with Paul and apparently was won to Christ through the apostle’s ministry ().

He was a product of the apostle’s ministry among the Gentiles and was taken to the Jerusalem conference as “exhibit A” from the Gentile churches.

In later years, Titus assisted Paul by going to some of the most difficult churches to help them solve their problems (; ).

Three men were the “pillars” of the church in Jerusalem: Peter; John; and James, the brother of the Lord (who must not be confused with the apostle James, who was killed by Herod, ).

Peter

we know from his prominent part in the accounts in the Gospels as well as in the first half of the book of Acts.

It was to Peter that Jesus gave “the keys,” so that it was he who was involved in opening the door of faith to the Jews (), the Samaritans (), and the Gentiles ().

John we also know from the gospel records as one of Christ’s “inner three” apostles, associated with Peter in the ministry of the Word (.). ; ).

James

was the leader of the early church in Jerusalem (; see also 21:18).

He was also the writer of the epistle of James, and that letter, plus , would suggest that he was very Jewish in his thinking.

; ).

(Of course, Jesus was born by the power of the Spirit, and not through natural generation, ; .)

Our Lord’s brothers and sisters did not believe in Him during His earthly ministry ().

Yet we find “his brethren” associated with the believers in the early church ().

Paul informed us that the risen Christ appeared to James, and this was the turning point in his life ().

James was the leader of the early church in Jerusalem (; see also 21:18).

He was also the writer of the epistle of James, and that letter, plus , would suggest that he was very Jewish in his thinking.

Along with these men, and the “apostles and elders” (, ), were a group of “false brethren” who infiltrated the meetings and tried to rob the believers of their liberty in Christ ().

Undoubtedly these were some of the Judaizers who had followed Paul in church after church and had tried to capture his converts.

The fact that Paul called them “false brethren” indicates that they were not true Christians, but were only masquerading as such so they could capture the conference for themselves.

This, then, is the cast of characters.

should be read along with to get the full story of the event.

James was the leader of the early church in Jerusalem (; see also 21:18).

He was also the writer of the epistle of James, and that letter, plus , would suggest that he was very Jewish in his thinking.

Along with these men, and the “apostles and elders” (, ), were a group of “false brethren” who infiltrated the meetings and tried to rob the believers of their liberty in Christ ().

Undoubtedly these were some of the Judaizers who had followed Paul in church after church and had tried to capture his converts.

The fact that Paul called them “false brethren” indicates that they were not true Christians, but were only masquerading as such so they could capture the conference for themselves.

This, then, is the cast of characters.

should be read along with to get the full story of the event.

Along with these men, and the “apostles and elders” (, ), were a group of “false brethren” who infiltrated the meetings and tried to rob the believers of their liberty in Christ ().

(; ).

(Of course, Jesus was born by the power of the Spirit, and not through natural generation, ; .)

Our Lord’s brothers and sisters did not believe in Him during His earthly ministry ().

Yet we find “his brethren” associated with the believers in the early church ().

Paul informed us that the risen Christ appeared to James, and this was the turning point in his life ().

James was the leader of the early church in Jerusalem (; see also 21:18).

He was also the writer of the epistle of James, and that letter, plus , would suggest that he was very Jewish in his thinking.

Along with these men, and the “apostles and elders” (, ), were a group of “false brethren” who infiltrated the meetings and tried to rob the believers of their liberty in Christ ().

Undoubtedly these were some of the Judaizers who had followed Paul in church after church and had tried to capture his converts.

The fact that Paul called them “false brethren” indicates that they were not true Christians, but were only masquerading as such so they could capture the conference for themselves.

This, then, is the cast of characters.

should be read along with to get the full story of the event.

Undoubtedly these were some of the Judaizers who had followed Paul in church after church and had tried to capture his converts.

The fact that Paul called them “false brethren” indicates that they were not true Christians, but were only masquerading as such so they could capture the conference for themselves.

This, then, is the cast of characters.

should be read along with to get the full story of the event.

I The Explanation (2:1–2)

Paul and Barnabas had returned to Antioch from their first missionary journey, excited about the way God had “opened the door of faith unto the Gentiles” ().

We cant wait to tell others what God has done!

Joe telling about his first job....

aced the whole assembly; otherwise a three-way division could result.

What was the result of this private consultation?

The apostles and elders approved Paul’s gospel.

They added nothing to it () and thereby declared the Judaizers to be wrong.

But this private meeting was only the beginning.

But the Jewish legalists in Jerusalem were upset with their report; so they came to Antioch and taught, in effect, that a Gentile had to become a Jew before he could become a Christian (15:1).

Circumcision, which they demanded of the Gentiles, was an important Jewish rite, handed down from the days of Abraham ().

When Paul and Barnabas confronted these men with the truth of the gospel, the result was a heated argument ().

It was decided that the best place to settle the question was before the church leaders in Jerusalem.

We should not think that this “Jerusalem Conference” was a representative meeting from all the churches, such as a denominational conference; it was not.

Paul, Barnabas, Titus, and certain other men from Antioch represented the Gentile Christians who had been saved totally apart from Jewish law, but there were no representatives from the churches Paul had established in Gentile territory.

It was decided that the best place to settle the question was before the church leaders in Jerusalem.

We should not think that this “Jerusalem Conference” was a representative meeting from all the churches, such as a denominational conference; it was not.

Paul, Barnabas, Titus, and certain other men from Antioch represented the Gentile Christians who had been saved totally apart from Jewish law, but there were no representatives from the churches Paul had established in Gentile territory.

When the deputation arrived in Jerusalem, they met privately with the church leaders.

Paul did not go to Jerusalem because the church sent him; he “went up by revelation”—that is, the Lord sent him (compare and 1:12).

And the Lord gave him the wisdom to meet with the leaders first so that they would be able to present a united front at the public meetings.