Paul presented his gospel to the Apostles in a private meeting. Apparently, while in Jerusalem for this visit, he came under pressure from some Jews to circumcise Titus – a Gentile Christian. Paul wasn’t having any of it. Our passage today focuses on verses 3-5, and our sermon title is “Spies & Slaves: Protecting the Gospel.” Lets focus on 4 points: 1) No Thanks, 2) Spies, 3) Slaves, and 4) Strong Leadership
NO THANKS (v3)
When they told him he needs to be circumcised, Titus said, “No thank you.” Look at verse 3 with me, “…..”
Titus is an awesome profile in the early church. Titus is seen in the NT in 2 Corinthians and in the letter of Titus. Geographically Titus was all over the place: Corinth, Jerusalem, Antioch Syria, Dalmatia, Nicolatia and more. Paul had a deep affection for him and regarded him as a son in the faith, almost as special to him as Timothy. He was a huge source of happiness for Paul (2 Cor 2:13; 7:6, 13). He was a trusted co-worker who was just like Paul (2 Cor 8:23; 12:18).
The issue in those days was circumcision. Certain Jewish believers were demanding that Gentiles coming to faith in Jesus were required to get circumcised and follow the law of Moses. We can see clearly that this was the issue because Gentile believers were the only ones who weren’t circumcised. That is what Titus came up against when he arrived in Jerusalem with Paul. He was fully Greek, not Jewish at all. He was being told: “You have to get circumcised and follow the Law.” Is that what he had to do?
Titus, Paul and Barnabas were resolute in saying “No!”
But we need to take a moment and understand this issue of circumcision a little more. Why was this such a big issue with some of these Jews? Why were they making such a big deal out of this with Gentile believers?
Historically, circumcision began for the Israelites with Abraham – before they were ever even in existence. God had been making promises to Abraham and then in Genesis 17 God commanded him to get circumcised along with every male in his household – and that was to continue with all his descendents after him. Circumcision was a sign to Abraham of the covenant God made with him. It was also a sign to all Abraham’s descendents of that covenant that God made with him – a covenant that was also related to them as his descendents.
Then later, when Abraham’s descendents were numerous (Israelites), circumcision was incorporated into the Law of Moses. It was required for every male Israelite (Ex 12 and Lev. 12), and if anyone was not circumcised they would be cut off from society.
Circumcision was a core part of an Israelites identity. It reminded Israelites of God’s incredible promises to Abraham – one of which was that a great nation would come from him. Every circumcised Israelite would see in his flesh the same sign that his father Abraham had, and the very fact that he existed was proof of those promises coming true. Circumcision connected him to Abraham in the past, and it also connected him in the present to all his fellow Israelites as together they were the promised descendents of Abraham. Not only did it connect them with their past and present, circumcision connected them with the great future inheritance promised for Abraham and his descendants.
For an Israelite, his circumcision was central to his identity, his worship, his social participation, his heritage, and his future hope. It was also central to his honor, since circumcision distinguished him and all other Israelites from all other nations as the chosen people of God. So the struggle in the early Church for the Jewish believers was the thought that circumcision was not required for Gentile followers of the Jewish Jesus. Under Moses, Gentile converts to Judaism had to be circumcised. But under Christ – or “in” Christ – they did not need to be. The reason is because Jesus is the basis of a New Covenant – one that succeeds the Old Mosaic Covenant. Circumcision was required under the Old Covenant. But under the New Covenant neither circumcision nor uncircumcision mean anything – its faith that counts.
APPLICATION: Do not live in the shadows. As Colossians 2:16 says, “Do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath Day. These are only a shadow of the things that were to come; the REALITY, however, is found in Christ.” We do not live in the shadows anymore. What that means as Colossians is saying (and so does Hebrews) is that we don’t live under the Old Mosaic Covenant anymore. We are part of a New Covenant. The Old was a Shadow of the New, and we do not live in the shadow, but we live in the reality of the New – and Christ is the reality.
And that is why Titus said, “No Thanks” to circumcision.
SPIES (4a)
Paul then shifts his focus from Titus to the spies in their midst. Verse 4 says, “This matter [Titus confronted with circumcision] arose because some false believers had infiltrated our ranks to spy on the freedom we have in Christ Jesus…” Notice Paul says two things about them: they are “false believers” and they “infiltrated.”
First Paul calls them “false believers.” The churches will always have false believers mixed in with true believers. Paul said false believers were a constant danger for him (2 Cor 11:26). Here in Jerusalem, like in Galatia, were false believers that were committed to the Law of Moses – not to the Gospel. The false believers Paul was facing were those Jews who were trying to force the Law and circumcision on Gentile believers. What made them false was that they insisted that salvation was not possible for anyone apart from circumcision and following the Law.
Paul dealt with these types everywhere he went. He called them “dogs” in Philippians 3, he called them “wolves” who “distorted the truth in Acts 20. Jesus called them “false wheat” (Mt 13), John called them “antichrists” (1 John 2:19)
Second he says they “infiltrated” their ranks. Infiltrate is a word that means “smuggled in,” or “brought in unaware.” It has the idea of sneaking in without anyone realizing it. A couple years ago when we got the big van we had the funny little problem develop. After church we would go out to leave and we realized that our kids would smuggle in their friends and hide them in the back seats – hoping we wouldn’t realize they were in there. So with flashlights and water pistols we had to start sweeping our van of kids who were “brought in unawares.”
The same thing was happening in the Jerusalem church, the Galatian church, and everywhere else – false believers were sneaking in – and even in leadership – which is indicated by Paul’s statement “infiltrated OUR RANKS.” (v4). Those ranks were the private leadership meetings he was having (v2).
Remember Paul said “even from among your own ranks wolves will arise, distorting the truth to draw away disciples after themselves” (Acts 20:29-31). John even said that antichrists “went out from us and their going proved they never belonged to us,” showing that false believers were mixed into the crowd of real believers in churches. But a very clear picture of what Paul was facing is seen in Acts 15:1 and 5, turn there with me….READ. You can see clearly the strong pressure to force the Law of Moses on Gentile Christians.
APPLICATION: One of the consistent and critical responsibilities for pastors is to watch over the flock to protect it from Satan’s spies. These are people who distort doctrine and teach things contrary to the Scriptures. Which is why pastors MUST be masters of the Scriptures.
SLAVES (4b)
Paul says that these spies were trying to make him and his team “slaves” – notice verse 4, “…..” READ
Paul’s meaning of “slave” here refers to slavery to the Law of Moses. The Law is their master and they are obligated to obey the Law. Paul resolutely, and explicitly denounces this. Turn to 5:1-3….
So the issue of circumcision and the Law go together. Circumcision is attached to the Law, and it is the entry point for following the Law. Getting circumcised would result in that man then being obligated to obey the entire Law of Moses – because you could not “cut away” circumcision from the Law (pun intended). Getting circumcised was an act that surrendered a man to the Law’s Authority over him, just like 5:3 says “If anyone lets himself be circumcised he is obligated to obey the whole law.” So do not get circumcised so that you are not entering into slavery to the Law – circumcision was an act of slavery! What did he say right before that in verse 1, “It is for freedom [from the Law] that Christ has set us free. Stand firm [against those Judaizing influencers] and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery [to the Law of Moses].” We know this because the very context of the passage centers on circumcision and the Law.
APPLICATION: Do NOT listen to anyone who adds anything to the Gospel. Just like Paul says in 2:6, “they added nothing to my message.”
APPLICATION: Understand that when you put your faith in Christ you are entering into the New Covenant that God established. Circumcision and the Law of Moses is the Old Covenant. By entering into the New Covenant you are no longer under the Old Covenant – you are free from it. It is only out of ignorance that a person thinks obligation to the Law of Moses is an integral part of the Christian Life. It is not. Over and against the Law is the Spirit-filled life. The Spirit-filled life is one where we are led by the Spirit, keep in step with the Spirit, and do not follow the cravings of our sinful flesh.
The Law of Moses is not a means to salvation, nor is it a means to spiritual growth. The Law shows us our sin (Rom 3:20; 7:7; Gal 3:19), it excites our sin nature to produce even more sinful desires (Rom 5:20; 7:5, 8), and it only has the power to condemn (Rom 4:15a; 2 Cor 3:7, 9). We Christians are not obligated to the Law.
STRONG LEADERSHIP (5)
I’ll finish here: strong leadership. Look at verse 5, “….”
First, notice Paul’s pastoral strength. He is strong in the face of false teachers. He does not give in to them for even a moment. Hard pass. He refutes them, he does not allow their lies to get traction. He protects the Gospel message from corruptors. You see this same strength when he says he will “cut the ground out from underneath” the false apostles who were corrupting the Corinthians. He told this very same Titus, in his letter to him, in chapter 1, that one of the requirements of a pastor is “He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it.” It takes a biblical brain and a steel spine to refute false teachers. You have to know the Bible, and you have to have the strength to take them head on.
Second, look at his pastoral stewardship. He says, “so that the truth of the gospel might be preserved for you.” He went toe to toe with false teachers not out of arrogance, not out of a combative spirit, not out of an effort to make a name for himself, but for the Galatian Christians. Paul, as a pastor, modeled the shepherd’s deep sense of obligation to the flock – that it is fed the truth, that is watched over and protected from false teachings, that it is cared for and loved, that it stays together and is not scattered. All of this is threatened by false teachings, all of it is ensured by teaching that safeguards the truth.
CONCLUSION: Tsunamis
Watch for Tsunamis. Tilly Smith was 10 years old in 2004 when she went with her family to Thailand. Only a couple weeks earlier in school back home in England, she learned from her geography teacher what the signs are of a tsunami. While on the beach in front of their hotel she began to see those very signs – a receding water line exposing the sea floor, intense bubbling and frothing. She instantly ran to her parents to tell them a tsunami was coming. Because of insistence and her hysteria they finally believed her. They notified the hotel staff and the entire beach was evacuated to higher ground. Minutes later a 30 foot wave devastated the shoreline. But not one of the hundred lives there that day died. Keep in mind that this tsunami killed 230,000 people across 14 countries that day, making it one of the histories deadliest natural disasters. People’s lives were saved that day because of Tilly. She was the ONLY person on the beach that day who knew what danger was about to happen. She not only knew what was happening, but she did everything she could to persuade people.
We Christians know the danger that is coming. We have been taught “in class.” We know God’s Tsunami of Judgment is coming – it is already bubbling and frothing. Everyone else may be unaware, but we have to tell them. We have to do everything we can to make them see that they must get to higher ground. They have to turn to the hill that is higher, the hill where a cross stands and a man was lifted up on it. You must go up that hill and then get down on your knees before the One who was crucified for you. It is only on that ground that you can be saved from the Tsunami that is coming. Do not listen to anyone on the beach telling you to follow the Law, or get circumcised, or be a good enough person, or God accepts you just how you are or any other garbage. Get to higher ground. Get to the cross. Go to Jesus and be saved.