Levend Water
The Apostle of the Reconciliation - Charles H. Welch
Index - Page 70 of 159
THE APOSTLE OF THE RECONCILIATION
70
Galatians 2:8,9 leads us on from the gospel to the accredited apostle. If in Peter God had wrought effectually
(energeo) to the apostleship of the circumcision, the same God wrought effectually (energeo) in Paul to the
apostleship of the uncircumcision or Gentiles. The Authorized Version veils the close parallel, translating the same
word once `wrought effectually', and once `was mighty' in the same verse. The very `pillars' of Jerusalem perceived
the `grace' (often used in connection with apostleship, as Romans 1:5) that was given to Paul and Barnabas, and
gave them the right hand of fellowship, that they should go to the Gentiles. Here therefore is apostolic recognition
of Paul's gospel and apostleship.  Peter acted on this recognition: and throwing off the exclusivism of the
circumcision testified that the reconciliation had come in, by eating with the Gentiles. It was fear, not truth, that
made him change upon the advent of `certain from James ... which were of the circumcision'.
This leads us to the positive teaching of the reconciliation as connected with the Gentiles, and introduces for the
first time, Abraham. The very promise made to Abraham when God called him out of Ur of the Chaldees, and
promised to make of him a great nation, had the reconciliation of the Gentiles in view. Israel, the appointed channel,
was to be delivered from the curse of the law, in order that the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles
through Jesus Christ. The reconciliation is given definite form in the closing verses of Galatians 3:27-29 :
`For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there
is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. And if ye be Christ's,
then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise'.
A person and a doctrine are essentially linked with the ministry of the reconciliation - the person, ABRAHAM; the
doctrine, JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH. Let us observe the way in which Abraham is introduced by the apostle in this
epistle. Before doing so, however, our minds must be prepared to notice the distinction of Paul's message, by first of
all seeing how Abraham's name is used in the period preceding the reconciliation. It was the proud boast of the Jew
that Abraham was his father (for this, see Matthew 3:9; John 8:33-37). Abraham was held in special veneration by
them (John 8:53). Peter testifies that `the God of Abraham ... the God of our fathers, hath glorified His Son' (Acts
3:13). Peter's use of the covenant made with Abraham was to put Israel first (See Acts 3:25,26).
When we come to Galatians, and the gospel of the reconciliation, we view the promise made to Abraham from
another angle. We still understand that the Jew is `first' (Romans 1:16, written later, still testifies that), but we no
longer imagine that the Jew is first and last and altogether. Paul makes the pre-eminence of the Jew a part of the
purposed blessing of the Gentile (Gal. 3:13,14). Let us, however, tabulate the references in Galatians:
`Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness' (3:6).
`Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham' (3:7).
`... the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through (Gentiles by) faith, preached before the
gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations (Gentiles) be blessed' (3:8).
`So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham' (3:9).
`That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the
promise of the Spirit through faith' (3:14).
`Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made ... which is Christ' (3:16).
`God gave it (the inheritance) to Abraham by promise (3:18).
`... if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise' (3:29).
`... it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a free woman' (4:22).
The outstanding characteristic of Abraham here is that of faith in contrast to works, and of promise in contrast to
law. To be `of faith' constituted one a child of Abraham, and blessed with faithful Abraham; to be of faith made
such children of God by faith in Christ Jesus; and confessedly, if the lesser is included in the greater, then `if ye be
Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise'. The promises and the inheritance all come
the same way, the law being set aside as having no bearing on the subject:
` ... the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years
after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect' (Gal. 3:17).