SLIDES

The Letter to the Galatians

Galatians 2:1-10

Part 7

Introduction

As we all know, when we have lived in a city or location, regardless of the amount of time, when we leave that location and then return years later, we find that things have changed. Some friends move to other locations within the city while others move to other cities. Some businesses change locations within the city while others go out of business. New business arise are started. Sometimes the hub of a city moves to another part of the city. Cities change over time.

As we shall see, Paul had not been in Jerusalem for 14 years. When he returned to Jerusalem, he probably saw that the church in Jerusalem was growing as they worked to deal with a transition from the Law of Moses to the New Covenant in which they found freedom in Christ. Old friends, particularly among the Pharisees, were probably not friendly to him since he had trusted in Jesus as the Messiah unless they had also.  The landscape had probably also changed somewhat.

But more important than these changes was that Paul was a changed man. He was not a follower of Jesus the Messiah. He was not living in the Kingdom of Light instead of the Kingdom of darkness.  He had had a come to Jesus meeting on the road to Damascus and had spent three years in the desert with communing and learning from Jesus. He had lived many years of being free in Christ, rather that being under the authority of the Mosaic Law. He had preached the gospel many times and had discipled some that he had led to Christ, He also had had planted churches in several cities. He was as enthusiastic and zealous about Christ and  preaching the Gospel as he was about Judaism before he was savied. He was a changed man from the time he was in Jerusalem 14 years before. Now let’s what happened when he returned to Jerusalem.

Galatians 2:1

1 Then after an interval of fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus along also.

Vs. 1 - As we transition from chapter 1 to chapter 2, we find that fourteen years have elapsed since Paul had been in Jerusalem. For 14 years Paul did not go up to Jerusalem, even to keep the required feasts under the Mosaic Law. He knew he was no longer the authority of the Mosaic Law. By revelation, the Lord told him to go up Jerusalem. In letter to the Galatians, Paul contrasts the Gospel to the Torah. In Galatians 2:1-2 the New Covenant and the gospel were the defining authority that Paul know he and other believers in Jesus were under the authority of, not the Torah. Paul was emphasizing this (by not going up to Jerusalem for years) to get the years attention of the Judaizers and the Galatians.  He wanted them to know that the gospel and the New Covenant are the authority of believes in Jesus. Justification and sanctification are by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone.   As we shall see, Barnabas and Titus went with him to take contributions from churches to help with the famine they were having as Paul writes about in Romans 15:25-27.

25 but now, I am going to Jerusalem serving the saints.

26 For Macedonia and Achaia have been pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem.

 27 Yes, they were pleased to do so, and they are indebted to them. For if the Gentiles have shared in their spiritual things, they are indebted to minister to them also in material things.

Galatians 2:2 - 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.

Vs. 2 - Paul went to Jerusalem on his second visit in response to a revelation. That is, he went because God directed him to, not because the Jerusalem leaders had summoned him or called him “on the carpet” for preaching to the Gentiles. The reference may well be to Agabus’ prophecy of a famine which prompted Paul and Barnabas to go to Jerusalem on a relief mission (cf. Acts 11:27–30). Paul seized this opportunity to consult with the other apostles privately concerning the message he was preaching to the Gentiles. This does not mean Paul sought their approval of its truth and accuracy, for he had received the gospel from God by revelation as we saw in Galatians 1:12. Rather, he wanted them to consider its relationship to the gospel they were proclaiming. But if the Jerusalem leaders insisted on circumcision and other requirements of the Law for Gentile converts, Paul’s labor (running) among the Gentiles was in vain. It was not that the apostle had any doubts or misgivings about the gospel he had preached for 14 years (Gal. 2:1), but that he feared that his past and present ministry might be hindered or rendered of no effect by the Judaizers.

While the three men were in Jerusalem, Paul took the opportunity to visit with some of the leaders of the church of Jerusalem which probably included some of the other Apostles.  He wanted to make them aware of the Gospel he was preaching and sharing with the Gentiles. He wanted them to know that the Gospel he was preaching among the Gentiles came from direct revelation from the Lord. The Gospel he received by revelation from the Lord did not include any requirement to be obedient to any aspect of the Law of Moses, The Gospel he was preaching to the Gentiles was by Grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. He was not, as we shall see, influenced in any way by the Judaizers who believed that circumcision was required for salvation in the Messiah. As we shall see in the following verses, it was a settled matter as far as Paul was concerned.  As we shall see in the next verse, Titus, a Gentile, was certainly on the same page as Paul concerning the Gospel message and exactly how one was to respond to it receive forgiveness of sin and eternal life.

The phrase “I submitted to them” can mean “to refer a matter to some people for their consideration.” Apparently, Paul did not what to tell the entire elder board at the church in Jerusalem, but to meet with only a few he called “those who were of reputation.” The reason Paul wanted to only meet with those leaders who were reputable is because they were the acknowledged leaders who needed to hear the gospel that Paul was preaching, not to approve what he was preaching, but to make sure everyone was on the same page.

Galatians 2:3 - But not even Titus, who was with me, though he was a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised.

Vs. 3 - The word “but” shows that what Paul said in verses 1-2 indicates that the preceding information he wrote about concerning the gospel he was preaching to the Gentiles was to be regarded as a settled matter. He was now making a transition to another important matter for the Galatians to consider as a concrete example as it relates to his ministry and the Gospel he was preaching. The Gospel he was given by revelation from the Lord did not include any works such as circumcision for someone to be saved, Jew or Gentile.

Titus, who went with Paul and Barnabas to Jerusalem, was a Gentile. Many times, in the New Testament, the word Greek means a Gentile, not one of Greek decent. The word compelled means to force. It appears that while Paul, Barnabas, and Titus were in Jerusalem to take the funds that were contributed to the saints in Jerusalem who had been affected by the famine, that the Judaizers had tried to force Titus, who was a Gentile, to be circumcised so that he could complete his salvation i.e. faith in Jesus plus circumcision.  Titus refusing to be circumcised as part of the salvation process, was an important event that occurred in the ministry of Paul. This was important because Titus refused to be circumcised as part of the salvation process that occurred before the Jerusalem Council that dealt with this issue in Acts 15.

I want to say a few words about the Jerusalem Council that occurred on Acts 15 several years after Titus refused to be circumcised. The Jerusalem Council was a very important event that occurred in the history of Christianity as seen in Acts 15. 

       1      Some men came down from Judea and began teaching the brethren, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.”

       2      And when Paul and Barnabas had great dissension and debate with them, the brethren determined that Paul and Barnabas and some others of them should go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and elders concerning this issue.

      10    “Now therefore why do you put God to the test by placing upon the neck of the disciples a yoke which neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear?

       11   “But we believe that we are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, in the same way as they also are.”

The conclusion was as follows:

       28    “For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay upon you no greater burden than these essentials:

       29  that you abstain from things sacrificed to idols and from blood and from things strangled and from fornication; if you keep yourselves free from such things, you will do well. Farewell.”

So, there was three things that were required; the Gentiles were to abstain from three items:

1. Food polluted by idols - The food polluted by idols is explained in verse 29 as “food sacrificed to idols.” It was a usual practice among Gentiles to use an idol’s temple for banquets and celebrations and to eat meat offered to idols. Sometimes meat sacrificed to idols was sold in markets’ Paul deals with this in detail in 1 Corinthians 8-10.

2. Sexual immorality - The abstinence from sexual immorality is explained as referring to the marriage laws of Leviticus 18:6–20. Fornication was such a common sin among the Gentiles that it was an accepted practice. The problem of immorality even persisted among Christians all too often, as is witnessed by the New Testament injunctions against it as in 1 Corinthians 6:12–18.

3. The meat of strangled animals and animals whose blood has not been drained - The prohibition against eating blood is taken to refer to Leviticus 17:10–14 but goes back further than that. It looks back to Genesis 9, where God established the Noahic Covenant, a “contract” still in effect today. There God gave people the privilege of eating flesh, but the blood was to be drained from it.

All three prohibitions are best taken in an ethical or moral sense. If this be so, they are still the responsibility of Christians today, even to the point of not eating blood sausage and raw meat. By not attending temple banquets, or being involved in fornication, or eating meat with blood in it, the Gentile Christians would be maintaining high moral standards and would keep from offending their Jewish brothers. There were Jews in every city who would be offended by Christians not following these strictures. Jews were well acquainted with these moral issues.

Some at this council wanted to put Gentiles under the Mosaic Law to be saved and after. Paul, since he received the gospel directly from the Lord, argued that neither Jews nor Gentiles are saved by keeping any aspect of the Mosaic Law to be saved or after. This issue needed to be resolved and was. This was a watershed

moment in the history of the early church.

Now let’s discuss two individuals mentioned in Galatians 2:1-3, Barnabas and Titus. In the book of Acts, we find a Levite from Cyprus named Joses (Acts 4:36), whom the apostles called Barnabas. Barnabas means “Son of Encouragement” (Acts 4:36-37) or “Son of Exhortation.”  It was probably given to him because of his inclination to serve others (Acts 4:36-37, 9:27) and his willingness to do whatever church leaders needed (Acts 11:25-30). He is referred to as a “good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith.” Through his ministry, “a great number of people were brought to the Lord” (Acts 11:24). Barnabas was a companion of the apostle Paul in the early years of his ministry. Paul and Barnabas’ home church and headquarters was in Antioch of Syria. While Paul and Barnabas were in Lystra on their first missionary journey, Luke called Barnabas an Apostle.

Titus was a Gentile and a companion and coworker with Paul. He apparently was converted by Paul and Barnabas on their first missionary journey. Titus’ name is mentioned 13 times in the New Testament, but never in Acts. He is mentioned only in Paul’s letters. He, like Timothy, served as a spokesman and representative of Paul to congregations that Paul was not able to visit.

Galatians 2: 4-5

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.

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.

2:4 -The Judaizers. who Paul called false believers, were individuals who claimed to be believers in Jesus but because they believed that one must be circumcised, were not. These individuals were coming into the congregations in Galatia surreptitiously. They were trying to influence or compel individuals in these congreg4, ations to be circumcised. Their pressure did not work with Titus, but it most likely did with others. It’s like some denominations today that teach that teach water baptism is required for salvation.

Also, in verse 4, Paul said the believers in the churches of Galatia were “in Christ Jesus” which is a similar phrase.   These phrases are mostly found in the writings of Paul, but Peter used it three times in 1 Peter (3:15; 5:10, 14). Paul uses the phrase “in Christ” 81 times and seven of those are found in Galatians. The concept is found many more times in pronouns such as “in him” and “in whom.” Paul uses the concept of “in Christ” (second and last Adam) to contrast the phrase “in Adam” who was the first Adam or man.  Adam and Christ are the two representative heads of humanity. All human beings are descendants of Adam and because we are “in Adam,” we are under the dominion of sin and death. Every human experience all the liabilities of being “in Adam.”

In contrast to Adam is Christ who died, was buried, and was resurrected to bring a new order to the human race. Those who are “in Adam” were born in that condition. Those who are “in Christ” are in Him because of faith. Those who are “in Christ” receive all the benefits in this life and the life to come. The power of sin and death that reign over all who are “in Adam” but because of God’s grace, all who are “in Christ” can conquer sin and death (ultimately) and receive God’s declared righteousness and eternal life. Paul uses the phrase “in Christ” to refer to individuals and on occasion to local congregations as in Galatians 1:22.

2:5 – Note that Paul said that” we did not yield in submission.”  This included Barnabas and Titus, as well as Paul. We would not have expected Paul would buy into their heresy of adding circumcision to the Gospel message because Paul got it directly from the Lord. Titus and Barnabas did not. But they stood strong as well and did not deviate or yield at all. We will see that in the last section of chapter 2, that even Peter yielded to some of the Judaizers teaching, but it was not in the area of salvation. 

The purpose for standing strong was to ensure that the truth of the gospel would remain intact in the churches in Galatia. It would not be added to or subtracted from the gospel Jesus gave to Paul.

Galatians 2:6

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.

2:6 - Paul discussed his meeting with the apostles in Jerusalem, emphasizing that they did not change his message but recognized its divine origin. He referred to some Jerusalem leaders in a seemingly derogatory manner, however it’s probably best to explain these allusions as stemming from the fact that the Judaizers, in order to disparage Paul, had made much of the Jerusalem leaders. While there may be irony in Paul’s expressions, he declared that he was not awed by the past or present apostles of James, Peter, and John. These leaders did endorse Paul’s message and received him as an equal. They did not add anything to the Gospel message that the Lord gave Paul, nor did they did not take anything from it. When Paul got there and when he left, the Gospel was still that the Lord died as a sacrifice, was buried, and was resurrected three day later. Those who trust in that message will receive forgiveness of sin and everlasting life.

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

8 (for He who effectually worked for Peter in his apostleship to the circumcised effectually worked for me also to the Gentiles)…

2:7 – Have you ever been entrusted with the care of something that was precious, valuable, or very important to a family member or someone else? Maybe it was a family’s special piece of jewelry, a piece of furniture, a beautiful and choice piece of property that had belonged to one’s family for generations, or something that was very old that had more a sentimental value than worth a lot of money.

Both Paul and Peter had been entrusted in something by Jesus. It was, and still is, something that cannot be bought or sold. It cannot be traded for or bargained for. It is also something that was, and still is, priceless. That item is the Gospel that costs the individual nothing to obtain by faith, but cost Jesus everything.

Paul was entrusted with the Gospel to take it to the Gentiles and Peter was entrusted with the Gospel to take it to the Jews. Several times in his epistles Paul referred to the Jews by the phrase “the circumcised” and to the Gentiles by the phrase “the uncircumcised.”

2:8 – Paul and Peter, even though they had different and distinct but valid ministries, they did have similarities. They were both Jewish and were both preaching the same gospel message. Another very important thing they had in common was the Holy Spirit.  The “He” in this verse could refer to Jesus, but I think it refers to the Holy Spirit. The Lord blessed both ministries through the power of the Holy Spirit.  Paul said that the Holy Spirit did an effectual work in the ministry of himself to the Gentiles and in the ministry to Peter to the Jews. The phrase “he effectively worked” means “to cause or make possible a particular function” “to cause to function, to grant the ability to do.” The Holy Spirit is the one who provided the power for Paul and Peter to do their ministry among Jews and Gentiles, but He is also the one who brings the results. The Greek word is energeia.  If one removed the “ia” from the end of the word, what would it sound like Energy! This Greek word energeia is where we get the English word Energy. The Holy Spirit is the one who provides the ability to do ministry. He provided the ability to do ministry for Paul and Peter. He also provided the energy or the ability for the one to whom Paul and Peter was witnessing to come to Christ. He is the one who provides the energy to effectually draw them to Himself.

It is no different today because in Philippians 2:13 Paul said,  

… for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure. The same Greek word that was translated work Galatians 2:8 Is also translated work in Philippians 2:13. He gave Paul and Peter the power and energy to do ministry 1900 years ago and today He gives believers the same power and energy to do ministry.  He does not expect us to do ministry in our strength, but only in His. How many times do we try to do ministry in our own strength instead of His?

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.

2:9 – Peter, James, and John were able to discern and acknowledge that Paul, who had brought havoc to the Messianic Jewish community for years, was a changed man. Peter, James, and John knew that Paul had received God’s divine enablement. Remember that the word grace means “unmerited favor i.e. something that is given to someone that is underserved and not earned” in some contexts. However, in other contexts it means “divine enablement.” It means the power God gives the believer to do ministry and to live their daily lives through the Holy Spirit. If anyone was familiar with the power of the Holy Spirit God give Saints to do ministry and to live a separated life, it was Peter, James, and John. They had recognized that Paul without this divine enablement would not have been able to accomplish what he had accomplished. Remember that in the previous verse Paul stated that the Holy Spirit had energized both he and Peter through the Holy Spirit. This is the only time that John’s name is mentioned in any of Paul’s letters. He is not mentioned in the Council of Jerusalem in Acts.

Paul writes about God power in the following ways in Galatians:

                   The one who called you                1:6

                   The one who singled me out     1:15

                   The one who called me                 1:15

                   The one who was at work             2:8

                   The one who supplies the Spirit   3:5

                   The one who works miracles     3:5

                   The one who called you             5:8

The role of the Holy Spirit is one of the themes that Paul emphasizes in Galatians. He mentions the Holy Spirit seven times in Galatians.

The Jerusalem leaders now step forward, offering their hands in acknowledgment that Paul and Barnabas are bound to one another by their common participation (koinônia) in God’s work. The shaking of hand suggests a brotherhood of men closely knit together in the ministry of the Lord.

It’s interesting that the wedge the Judaizers had tried to drive between the leaders in Jerusalem and the missionaries in Antioch became a stake driven through the heart of those false teachers trying to suck the life out of the gospel of grace. Not only did the Jerusalem leaders add nothing or take away anything from Paul’s message, but they of but they extended the “right hand of fellowship” to Barnabas and Paul, blessing the continuation of their work among the Gentiles fellowship.

During this significant meeting Paul and Barnabas received a threefold endorsement. First, the apostolic leaders saw Paul’s distinctive contribution to the work of the ministry. They realized that Paul and Barnabas represented not a competing message but a complementary ministry – Peter to the Jews and Paul to the Gentiles.  

Second, they put Paul’s ministry on par with Peter’s. The church leaders saw that although Peter and Paul had different ministries, their empowerment and authority came from the same source—God (2:8). Both ministries showed clear evidence of God’s this.

Third, they recognized the divine enablement God had given to Paul and encouraged him to press on. They recognized that Paul had the gifts, skills, and experience to minister to the Gentiles, so they urged him to keep at his God-given.

2:10 They only asked us to remember the poor—the very thing I also was eager to do.

The leaders in Jerusalem asked Paul and Barnabas, as they are ministering to people about the Gospel, to keep in mind that there are people who do not only have spiritual needs but also have physical needs.  Paul was eager to do so because he was devoted to helping the poor. Remember that one of the reasons he went to Jerusalem was to take contributions from several churches to help some believers who were struggling during the famine. Paul gathered funds on several occasions to help the poor in Jerusalem.

Application

Our first responsibility and priority should be to help believers in need. It should begin with this class and in this church.

I think as the LORD leads we should also help the needs of unbelievers. Paul, and others in ministry over the last 2000 years, including me, know that most people don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care, even if it concerns forgiveness of sin and eternal life. Linda and I, with the help of many volunteers, ministered to Russian-speaking Jews and Gentiles for fifteen years. We were able to lead many to the LORD because we were able to build relationships with them because we helped them with their physical needs after immigrating to American.

The problem with ministering to most Americans today is that they

don’t have many material needs. Therefore, one has to build

relationships with these people in other ways. It takes time and

patience.