Avoiding The Cross To Avoid Persecution

During Paul’s generation, to teach the cross of Christ alone for righteousness, apart from the works of the law, brought tremendous persecution.

In Acts 13:14-52, we have a glimpse of the persecution Paul, and his co-worker Barnabas, experienced in Galatia as he proclaimed the good news of the cross of Jesus...the good news of grace...in the synagogue of Pisidian Antioch

His message of grace to the Galatians is first recorded in Acts 13:38-39:

“Therefore let it be known to you, brothers, that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. Through Him everyone who believes is justified from everything you could not be justified from by the law of Moses.”

Let’s take a look at the message of the cross...the message of grace Paul proclaimed.

The message of the cross is our sins have been forgiven, and by believing, a person is justified apart from the works of the Law of Moses.

Paul proclaimed the forgiveness of sins, which is what Jesus sent him to proclaim (Acts 26:18).

Proclaiming the forgiveness of sins is the communication that all our sins were placed upon Jesus, and by this, he paid the complete penalty for all sin and for all people.

Paul is telling people to believe this to be true.

He is not telling people to ask God for forgiveness or to seek God’s forgiveness.

Rather, he is telling people to receive God’s forgiveness through faith in Jesus, apart from the works of the Law of Moses.

By believing the truth of forgiveness, Paul taught that people would be justified.

Justified is an act of God based upon the cross of Christ when he declares a person to be righteous the moment the person believes.

Paul taught that a person does not become righteous before God by practicing the Law of Moses but by placing his faith in the cross of Christ.

Righteousness is being 100% innocent of all sin because Jesus took 100% of our guilt on the cross.

Justification then is not just declaring a person is no longer guilty of sin, but it is declaring a person to be 100% innocent of sin forever.

This was a controversial message Paul proclaimed in a culture that prided itself on obedience to the law in seeking to obtain forgiveness and righteousness.

Even though it was controversial, many people were captivated and changed by the message.

So after proclaiming in Pisidian Antioch complete forgiveness and righteousness through faith in Jesus, Paul and Barnabas were invited by the people back to the synagogue the next Sabbath to teach more on the message of grace (Acts 13:42-43).

The following Sabbath nearly the entire city showed up to the synagogue to hear Paul teach about grace.

This infuriated the Jews of the town who taught that forgiveness and righteousness came by following the Law of Moses and not faith in Jesus.

So they “stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas and drove them out of their district” (Acts 13:50).

The persecution for proclaiming the good news of the cross, the good news of grace, continued in many of the cities where Paul taught about grace.

In Acts 14, we see the escalation of persecution as Paul was stoned and dragged outside the city of Lystra, being left for dead.

This stoning left scars on Paul’s body, the marks of Jesus (Galatians 6:17).

Though persecuted severely, Paul did not avoid proclaiming the good news of the cross.

But there were some in Galatia who did.

Paul writes about them in Galatians 6:12:

“Those who want to make a good impression outwardly are trying to compel you to be circumcised. They only do this to AVOID PERSECUTION FOR THE CROSS OF CHRIST.”

Even though they knew the truth of the cross, that forgiveness and righteousness is received through faith apart from the law, they refused to proclaim the good news because they were afraid of being persecuted.

Rather than be persecuted, the desired to be celebrated for the number of people who they compelled to be circumcised and follow the law.

We see this avoidance of persecution for the cross with Peter in Galatians 2:11-21.

But there were many others in Galatia who avoided proclaiming the good news of the cross because they feared persecution.

So to avoid persecution, they told people they must not only have faith in Jesus, but they must also follow the Law of Moses if they were to be forgiven and righteous.

By mixing law and grace, they could avoid persecution and experience celebration by those who proclaimed that forgiveness gand righteousness was a combination of faith and works.

The desire to avoid persecution for the cross and to experience celebration by mixing law and grace still exists today.

Though some may know that complete forgiveness and righteousness is by faith alone in Christ alone through the cross alone, to avoid persecution and to be lavished with praise, they water down the gospel with works, telling people righteousness and forgiveness must be maintained through conduct and daily confession of sin.

Persecution of the those fully proclaiming the message of the cross, the good news of grace, also exists today.

If someone teaches forgiveness and righteousness is forever and is received by faith alone in Christ through the cross alone, they will be persecuted by those who mix law and grace.

So we are left with one of two options when proclaiming the cross:

Option #1: To avoid persecution and to be praised, we can water down the cross with works (forgiveness and righteousness is based upon conduct and daily confession of sins, which confuses people and leaves no one changed.

Option #2: Despite persecution, we can fully proclaim the message of the cross (forgiveness and righteousness is instant and eternal and is received by faith in Jesus), which captivates people and produces life-change.

Note: This is from my commentary on Galatians: Return To Grace.