Then after fourteen years I went up to Jerusalem again with Barnabas, taking Titus along too. I went there because of a revelation and presented to them the gospel that I preach among the Gentiles. But I did so only in a private meeting with the influential people, to make sure that I was not running – or had not run in vain. (Net Bible)
Notice that Paul rarely traveled alone. Even after he and Barnabas had separated, Paul chose to travel with Silas, a faithful brother in Christ.
Sometimes we can develop a do it yourself mentality. I struggle with this quite often, because I enjoy working alone. However, I also realize that the body of Christ must work together. United we stand, divided we fall.
Paul went to Jerusalem because of a revelation. The Greek word for revelation here is Apokalupsis and it literally means laying bear or making naked a disclosure of truth. When is the last time that we truly dug deep into God's word and received a revelation that was strong enough to act upon?
Paul received such a revelation, but he did not fail to seek the approval of the original apostles. We must recognize pastoral authority in the church and submit ourselves to the leadership that God has placed in our life.
Paul goes on to speak about false brothers who slipped in among them and tried to stir up trouble for the Gentile believers, demanding that they should be circumcised. The same argument is discussed in detail in Acts 15, when some men from Judea began to teach the Gentile believers that unless they were circumcised, they could not be saved.
After much debate, Paul and Barnabas went to the Apostles and elders in Jerusalem to discuss this matter. Some of the religious party of the Pharisees took sides with the men of Judea. I find it incredible that some of the Pharisees were converted in the first place. After opposing Jesus at every turn, some of them finally came to see the light. However, I also find it disappointing that they could not get rid of their judgmental attitude.
If we are not careful, we can do same thing in the church today. The Bible tells us to "Mark those who cause division among you" and it also says, "Judge not lest ye be judged". We must be careful not to judge our brothers and sisters lest we be marked and labeled as false brothers.
In this same chapter, we learn from Peter's example that ignoring our brothers and sisters in Christ is just as bad as judging them. Paul had to set Peter straight, because some men were being swayed by his (Peter's) example. If Peter hadn't been corrected, the Gentile believers would have been offended and such an offense could have destroyed their faith.
As Christians, we must show kindness to all of our brothers and sisters no matter what their ethnicity or social background may be. I thank God that I'm in a church that believes in and promotes unity. If one saint can cause the devil to tremble, imagine what a whole church full of unified believers can do!
Jordan Mills
