The
Book of Galatians Chapter 2
Commentary by Ron Beckham
Verse 1. "Then after an interval of fourteen years I went
up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus along also."
I agree with those who believe this visit to Jerusalem relates to
the "Jerusalem Council" of Acts Chapter 15 (see the
www.fridaystudy.org Commentary on Acts 15). Paul went there with
Barnabas, a wonderful man of God, and they took the younger man
Titus, with them, a decision that was said to be a "masterstroke" by
J. Vernon McGee. Titus was an uncircumcised non-Jew, a Gentile, and
yet he was a man of God. To the Jerusalem Council he was living
proof that God does not require us to become Jews in order to be
saved.
The point in salvation is not how religious we become; but are we
willing to trust in God, instead of in ourselves? Jesus paid it all
on Calvary’s tree, and if we insist that more payment (our works) is
required, we negate what He has done, and prove that our "faith" is
actually in our own abilities. Paul, Barnabas, Titus, the apostles
and the elders in Jerusalem – all of them TRUSTED in Jesus Christ.
The Jerusalem Council ruled that faith (trust in the Lord) is what
is required for salvation.
Verse 2. "It was because of a revelation that I went up;
and I submitted to them the gospel which I preach among the
Gentiles, but I did so in private to those who were of reputation,
for fear that I might be running, or had run, in vain."
It had become TIME for Paul to go to Jerusalem. He knew it
because the Holy Spirit had revealed to him that it was time to go.
It was not that he was telling them (his audience) what the gospel
(good news) was all about, because they already knew the gospel, but
rather he revealed to those who "were of reputation" (in the Church)
what HE had been telling the Gentiles for the past fourteen years.
Those of "reputation" were the original apostles (Peter, John and
the rest), along with the elders and other leaders of that place.
This was initially a private meeting (or series of meetings) in
which Paul told them what he had been doing, because it was
important to see if his ministry had been in error. It was a
hallmark of Paul's ministry that he would open himself to
examination, and he encourages us to do the same. In 2 Corinthians
13:5, we find, "examine yourselves, as to whether you are in the
faith." It's good, as the Holy Spirit leads, to take a look at what
we believe and especially to look at what we are teaching others.
Verse 3. "But not even Titus, who was with me, though he
was a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised."
The issue was the keeping of ceremonial law. Many of the Jewish
Christians continued in the outward trappings of the Jewish
religion. Gentiles (non-Jews) were coming to the Lord in droves. Did
they have to outwardly become Jews in order to be right with God? As
it was stated in Acts 15:1, "certain men came down from Judea and
taught the (Gentile) brethren, 'unless you are circumcised according
to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.'" This was serious
indeed, and "Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and dispute
with them" (Acts 15:2).
The answer from God was expressed through James, when it was said
"we should not trouble those from among the Gentiles who are turning
to God" (Acts 15:19). There were a few strictures recited in Acts
15:20, which dealt with moral issues of the day, and addressed the
concerns of those who struggled to remain a part of the Jewish
community. This is in keeping with Romans 15:1,2 - "We… ought to
bear with the scruples of the weak and not please ourselves. Let
each of us please his neighbor for good, leading to edification." We
do not need to be under Jewish Law but we also should not go out of
our way to offend those who differ from us. Titus the Gentile did
not have to become a Jew, anymore than we do.
Verse 4. "But it was because of the false brethren
secretly brought in, who had sneaked in to spy out our liberty which
we have in Christ Jesus, in order to bring us into bondage."
Romans 14 teaches us that the one "who is weak" eats only
vegetables. Paul used two examples of "weak" and "strong" behavior
in Romans 14. They are only examples and all who are in Christ Jesus
are freed from the religious dictates of men. Some have more outward
freedom than others, and Paul addresses us all: "Let not him who
eats despise him who does not eat, and let not him who does not eat
judge him who eats, for God has received him" (Romans 14:3). If we
have Christ, we have it all, and should stop judging one another.
Yet the "false brethren" did not fall into either category
(strong Christians or weak Christians). The Lord showed Paul that
these among them who insisted on certain behavior as necessary for
salvation (Acts 15:1), were not Christians at all, but instead were
"false". They wanted to spy on the rest and entrap them into lives
of mere works without the love of God. Do we "work" in Christ Jesus?
Yes we do. But the cart must never precede the horse. It's not works
that save us, but we are saved in order to do the works of God. We
are set free to serve Him.
Verse 5. "But we did not yield in subjection to them for
even an hour, so that the truth of the gospel would remain with
you."
We don't have to agree with or surrender to those who teach
falsely about how we are made right with God. Paul listened to and
understood their arguments, which are briefly summed up in Acts
15:1, where it is reported they said, "unless you are circumcised
according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved." There are
many who teach such things, and their bottom line is: "Unless you
are like ME you cannot be saved". When people feel there is
something superior about themselves, they will criticize others, and
this is called "pride."
Paul did not compromise with such teachings even for a moment. It
is essential that the simple truth of the Gospel be presented,
uncluttered by any unnecessary additions. "For by grace you are
saved through faith and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of
God, not of works lest any man should boast" (Ephesians 2:8-9). We
are saved by the grace of God. Note that Ephesians 2:10 continues
that we are saved to a life of good works and that is also true.
Paul was referring to the nature of our salvation - what comes next
is a life that belongs to God.
Verse 6. "But from those who were of high reputation (what
they were makes no difference to me; God shows no partiality) well,
those who were of reputation contributed nothing to me."
"Those who were of high reputation" in this instance were the
apostles of our Lord (John, Peter, Matthew and the rest), along with
other elders who were present at the Council of Jerusalem (Acts 15:1
and forward). They were meeting to settle a fight. Some were
teaching that everybody had to become Jews in order to be right with
God. Paul and Barnabas taught that salvation was by the grace of
God, through simple faith in Jesus Christ. These were OPPOSITE
positions, the stakes were high, and it had to be settled – now!
Paul was not impressed by people and the labels we place upon
ourselves, for he knew that God shows no partiality to anyone. (We
are all beggars in need of the Bread of God). When he says they
"contributed nothing to me", he is referring to the Gospel of our
Lord Jesus Christ. The Apostle Paul received His Gospel directly
from the Lord. So did the other Apostles, and neither he nor they
needed more in relation to what they believed. They all TRUSTED in
the risen Lord Jesus, and in His death for our sins. They knew HE is
sufficient for our salvation.
Verse 7. "But on the contrary, seeing that I had been
entrusted with the gospel to the uncircumcised, just as Peter had
been to the circumcised"
Actually, there WAS a difference between Paul and the rest of the
apostles. All had been saved through faith in Christ and all were
called by Him. The Church was to go to the whole world (Matthew
28:19) but the CALL differed slightly for Paul. The original
apostles (Peter and the rest) had been mostly reaching out to Jewish
people, whereas Paul was specifically called and sent to bring the
Gentiles (uncircumcised) to Christ. There is one God and one way to
reach Him, but our assignments within the kingdom may differ, one
from the other.
Verse 8. "(for He who effectually worked for Peter in his
apostleship to the circumcised effectually worked for me also to the
Gentiles),"
He who has called you will bring it to pass. Peter had mostly
been ministering to his human brethren, the Jews. Paul, who was also
a Jew, had been sent by God to the Gentiles. You will (or already
do) have a call from God just like the rest of us. Sometimes His
direction for us is dramatic and sometimes less so. The parents are
called to minister the gospel of the Lord to their children (and
sometimes the children to the parents). But the call of God is
always consistent, in that it is GOD who really does the work.
It isn’t you and I that will cause our ministry to happen – it’s
the Lord. Peter's and Paul's ministries were to different people but
it was the same Holy Spirit who led them. And the Gospel (good news)
about our Lord is always the same: He came from eternity; He became
a man; showed us our need and taught us about God. He died for our
sins and He rose again! The Father gave Him up for us and He
RETURNED from death. Believing in Him, we are given His life and a
share in His victory.
Verse 9. "and recognizing the grace that had been given to
me, James and Cephas and John, who were reputed to be pillars, gave
to me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, so that we might go
to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised."
"Cephas" is Aramaic for "Peter", who, along with John was one of
the original eleven apostles who were with the Lord Jesus. James was
one of the half-brothers of our Lord and had become an elder of the
Church which was centered in Jerusalem. They had the reputation as
leaders in that place. High leaders are often called "pillars" of
something or other but Paul was not offended by their titles. He
actually was demonstrating that his version of the Gospel of our
Lord was acceptable to ALL who were of true authority in the Church.
The understanding between all of these men was complete. They
agreed completely on what will cause you and me to become right with
God. They knew that those of Jerusalem mostly were assigned by God
to preach to the Jews, and that Paul was in general assigned by God
to tell the good news to the Gentiles. This would change somewhat,
for in 71 AD, Jerusalem was destroyed and ALL were sent out to the
world of that time, as prophesied in Matthew 28:19.
Verse 10. "They only asked us to remember the poor – the
very thing I also was eager to do."
The only request of the Jerusalem leaders to Paul and Barnabas,
was that they would give to the needs of the poor, specifically the
poor in Jerusalem. That was exactly what Paul wanted to do. Note
that one of the greatest consistencies in Scripture (actually it is
ALL consistent) is for us to reach out to those in need. It can be
argued that the success of America as a nation is because the USA
has such an unusual history of providing for the poor.
The letter (Book) of James taught us to give. You might wonder:
If we are saved by the grace of God, then what is religion all
about? James said this: "Pure and undefiled religion before God and
the Father is this: to visit (help) orphans and widows in their
trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world" (James 1:27).
The Lord will make you clean and give you a concern for others. True
religion is of the heart and will express itself in love.
Verse 11. "But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him
to his face, because he stood condemned."
"Cephas" was the Aramaic name of Peter (his Greek name), and he
was an apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul opposed him to his
face. No words behind his back, no gossip; when Paul disagreed with
him, he went directly to Peter and told him about it. These two
great men of God had a confrontation and what was the result? Did
they dislike each other for the rest of their lives? No they did
not. They went on loving each other just like before.
Paul essentially says, "I stood up to Peter because he was wrong
and I told him so!" Peter's subsequent response to Paul? - "…the
longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; as also our beloved brother
Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you…" (2
Peter 3:15). Paul rebuked Peter, and as we shall see, it was because
Peter was wrong in something he did. Peter received that rebuke, and
they continued in love for one another.
Verse 12. "For prior to the coming of certain men from
James, he used to eat with the Gentiles; but when they came, he
began to withdraw and hold himself aloof, fearing the party of the
circumcision."
The Jews were subject to strict dietary laws. There were things
required at certain times and other items they would not eat at ANY
time. An example was pork. They would not eat pork - ever. And yet,
Peter, since his experience with Cornelius the Gentile Centurian in
the Roman army (Acts Chapters 10 and 11), had been associating with
Gentile people. He stayed in Cornelius’ home and at some point,
began straying from the Jewish dietary law.
This was not a problem for Peter, since he and the rest of us are
no longer under law but instead we are under the grace of God. Jesus
died for our sin. He died that we might be free from the need to
keep some kind of law that is always just outside of our reach. But
"certain men" were sent by James, and Peter began to change his
ways, fearing what these men (Jews, the "party of the circumcision")
might think. Peter was a godly man who had lapsed into error.
Verse 13. "The rest of the Jews joined him in hypocrisy,
with the result that even Barnabas was carried away by their
hypocrisy."
The one who pretends to be something he is not becomes a
hypocrite, a fake, and the mask must come off when we are in Christ.
Hypocrisy is the precise opposite of humility - in the one you seem
to be what you're not, and in the other, you simply are what you
are. This is critical for all of us, especially when you consider
that ALL are leaders in the body of Christ. All are gifted and
therefore all exercise leadership in relation to everybody else. If
all lead then all set an example for the rest. Peter was concerned
about what people would think if he broke the Jewish dietary laws,
and he covered up what he had done by pretending he never did it.
Even Barnabas was taken in by Peter's act (as Matthew Henry said,
"even the best of men do weak things"). There are, however, times
when you are to be like those of the culture you are in, as we see
in Paul's remarks elsewhere (1 Corinthians 9:20-21 & context): "To
the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might win Jews… to those who are
without law, as without law…"Paul did what was needed for the people
he served; whereas Peter had acted for himself. Prayerfully look at
your motives and God will reveal what you must do.
Verse 14. "But when I saw that they were not
straightforward about the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas in
the presence of all, ‘If you, being a Jew, live like the Gentiles
and not like the Jews, how is it that you compel the Gentiles to
live like Jews?’"
There might have been other times when Peter's behavior would
have been irrelevant to the wider scope of what was occurring. But
at issue here was the salvation and future of the Gentiles. Did they
have to become Jews in order to truly be in Christ Jesus? The answer
is a resounding "NO" and Peter's behavior became a useful tool in
revealing what the decision of the Jerusalem Council must be. (See
Commentary on Acts Chapter 15).
If Peter, a leader of the Church, ate like a Gentile (sometimes)
and lived like them in other ways, then why were Gentiles being
forced to act like Jews? It made no sense at all and that was
precisely Paul's point. Peter was a good man (a godly man) who was
sometimes bold and other times he was not. His personal life was not
what was at issue here. What is important is this: How are people
made right with God? We will see the answer in verse 16.
Verse 15. "We are Jews by nature and not sinners from
among the Gentiles;"
Paul and the others had been born into the Jewish religion and
they already had considerable knowledge of the way God had operated
in relation to people throughout history. It was odd, when you think
about it, that having such an advantage, the Jewish leaders did so
poorly with what they knew. The Pharisees were among those leaders
and Paul (Saul) had been a Pharisee. Yet, inspired by the
Pharisaical version of what he knew, he had gone around imprisoning
and killing God's people (Acts 8:1-3).
A system of laws had been created which was designed to show us
our need of God. Yet it’s impossible to keep that law, and the
tendency of those who were under law, was to become hypocrites as
shown in the actions of Peter ("Cephas" - verses 11 and forward).
Many (not all) pretended to be something they were not, in order to
seem right with God. The Gentiles, on the other hand, were openly
not Jehovah God's people, and everybody in the Jewish nation could
see that the Gentiles historically had been going in the wrong
direction.
Verse 16. "nevertheless knowing that a man is not
justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus,
even we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified
by faith in Christ and not by the works of the Law; since by the
works of the Law no flesh will be justified."
Scripture is clear that all of us are sinners (Romans 3:23). And
you have to wonder, how can sinners find "salvation" (to be rescued,
pardoned, delivered) in a manner acceptable to God? The answer is
through faith in Christ Jesus.
If we attempt to keep the law without having faith in Christ, we
will fail and end up in disappointment. Jesus was asked, "What shall
we do, that we may work the works of God?" (John 6:28). His answer:
"This is the work of God, that you believe in the One whom He hath
sent" (John 6:29). Jesus did the work of our salvation on the cross.
In response, we are to believe in who He is and what He did. When we
have placed our faith in Him, the Holy Spirit will initiate the
process we call "sanctification" within us, and we will be changed
into what we should have been, all this time.
The process called "sanctification" (growth in the grace, mercy
and love of God) is often confused with "salvation". James was quite
right when he said "show me your faith without your works, and I
will show you my faith by my works" (James 2:18). If we are not
growing in the love of God, then we should take a look and see if
our "faith" is true.
Verse 17. "But if, while seeking to be justified in
Christ, we ourselves have also been found sinners, is Christ then a
minister of sin? May it never be!"
We can be revealed to be sinners in two ways: 1) Outrageous,
sinful behavior, which everyone would agree is improper for the
Christian, and/or 2) Talking about "freedom" in Christ, while at the
same time placing other people under some kind of law regarding
their behavior. Some have distorted the clear teachings of Christ.
Is their failure the fault of our Lord? Paul resoundingly shouts
"No" to such a preposterous idea.
Paul said something much like this verse in Romans 6:1 - "What
shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?"
And his answer in Romans 6:2, was "Certainly not! How shall we who
died to sin live any longer in it?" We are not saved in order to do
things "our way". The truly saved are set free from the sin and
living death which is the state of those who do not know Christ.
Verse 18. "For if I rebuild what I have once destroyed, I
prove myself to be a transgressor."
We are saved, born-again, made new, through the grace of God, as
expressed in the finished work of Christ on the cross. He did the
work; and our job (should we choose to accept the assignment) is to
trust in Him who has set us free. What kind of person would be saved
by the grace of God, operative through faith in Christ, and then try
to tell others that they can only be saved through good works? That
person would be a sinner.
Something must be wrong with that person's relationship with the
Lord, or they would not try to do such things to other people. Paul
DEMOLISHED the idea that we can somehow be saved through the keeping
of ceremonial law. On the contrary, the law only shows us our need
of God. He would not "rebuild" that which he (actually the Holy
Spirit through Paul) previously "destroyed" (showed to be
unnecessary).
Verse 19. "For through the Law I died to the Law, so that
I might live to God."
The net result of our encounter with the law is that we discover
guilt, in an interesting and insidious way. Paul revealed this in
Romans Chapter 7, where he talked about the time he began to realize
he had a problem with the tenth commandment: "Thou shalt not covet…"
which is to want something (or someone) that belongs to someone
else. He found that the more he tried not to covet, the more he
coveted (Romans 7:7 & forward).
But then he was able to shout for joy: "There is therefore now no
condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk
according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit" (Romans 8:1).
The odd and wonderful truth we find in giving ourselves to Jesus
Christ is that not only are we forgiven for who and what we are, but
there is an event and process in which we are DELIVERED from the sin
we could previously do nothing about.
Verse 20. "I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no
longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now
live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me
and gave Himself up for me."
When Jesus Christ died, He died for your sins and mine. Our sins
were dealt with, once and for all time on the cross of Jesus Christ.
All of our intense religious activities and deep philosophical
thoughts are shown to be nothing in comparison to that moment when
He died for the sins of the world. He is our Agent, the Mediator
between God and man. He died for you, and as is indicated in this
verse, you died with Him on that cross.
And yet, through that cross; through that thing He died upon, He
gives LIFE to people like you and me. For He not only died (by His
choice) but He was also resurrected from the dead, and if we,
through faith, "die" with Him; we are also given His LIFE. He loved
you so much that He died for you. All you have to do is reach out
and TRUST (have faith) in Him and you will be given new LIFE like
you never even thought existed.
Verse 21. "I do not nullify the grace of God, for if
righteousness comes through the Law, then Christ died needlessly."
If we can somehow be made righteous by the keeping of some law of
behavior, then Jesus Christ (who chose to die for the sins of the
world), did not need to die. Any law we are speaking of, whether
Muslim, Jewish, Christian, Vedantic, or whatever - If you can be
made right by doing certain things in a specific way, then Christ's
death would have been unnecessary. And yet Paul says, the grace of
God is NOT nullified. Unmerited favor with God (his grace) is
imparted to ALL who have faith in God through Jesus Christ.
There is no other way, for if there was, Christ would not have
died. When you think about it, what does attending services, or
praying a certain number of times a day, or acting in a certain
manner - really DO for you? Who SAYS that behaving in a certain
manner will save you? Choose to trust in the Lord, who really DID
need to die, because there is no other way for you and me to be
saved except through faith in Christ. He has paid it all and we are
set FREE in Him.
Ron Beckham, Pastor
Friday Study Ministries
www.fridaystudy.org
ron@fridaystudy.org
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