ACCEPTANCE OF PAUL'S GOSPEL BY THE APOSTLES

GALATIANS 2:1-10.

Paul continues his defense of the gospel he preached. This defense began in chapter 1 verse 11 and continues to the end of this chapter. In these verses, Paul will show that his gospel was accepted by the apostles and that his ministry was recognized by but independent of the apostles in Jerusalem. He does this by referring to his second visit to Jerusalem. This is apparently Paul's second visit to Jerusalem recorded in Acts 11:27-30, the famine visit. Some biblical scholars believe that this visit is the Jerusalem council visit recorded in Acts 15. But I believe that there are far more serious problems connected with this view than the one here adopted.

GALATIANS 2:1-10
1. Then after fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem
with Barnabas, taking Titus along also.
2. And I went up according to revelation;
and I laid before them the gospel
which I preached among the Gentiles,
(but privately before those who were of repute)
lest somehow I should be running or had run in vain.
3. But not even Titus who was with me,
though he was a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised.
4. But because of the false brethren secretly brought in,
who had sneaked in to spy out our freedom
which we have in Christ Jesus,
in order that they might bring us into bondage -
5. to them we did not yield in submission even for an hour,
so that the truth of the Gospel might be preserved for you.
6. But from those who were reputed to be something
(what they were makes no difference to me;
God shows no partiality) -
those who were of repute added nothing to me;
7. But on the contrary, when they saw that
I had been entrusted with the gospel to the uncircumcised,
just as Peter had been to the circumcised
8. (for He who worked through Peter for the apostleship
to the circumcised, worked through me to the Gentiles),
9. and when they recognized the grace that had been given to me,
James and Cephas and John, who were reputed to be pillars,
gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship,
that we might go to the Gentiles, and they to the circumcised;
10. only they would have us remember the poor,
which very thing I was eager to do.

2:1. "Then after fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem
with Barnabas, taking Titus along also."
Paul now tells of his second visit to Jerusalem after fourteen years. Again it is not clear whether these fourteen years were after his conversion or after his first visit. And again it is also not clear how long was this fourteen years. According to the Jewish way of reckoning part of years as full years, this fourteen years could be as little as less than thirteen calendar years. As I indicate above, this visit was the one recorded in Acts 11:27-30, the famine relief visit. This time Paul was accompanied by Barnabas and Titus. The account in Acts does not mention Titus.

2:2. "And I went up according to revelation;
and I laid before them the gospel
which I preached among the Gentiles,
(but privately before those who were of repute)
lest somehow I should be running or had run in vain."
Why did Paul go up to Jerusalem at all? In this verse Paul tells us he went up according to revelation. Paul had no need to go up to Jerusalem at all and in light of the trouble he had there before he did not want to go. It would take a divine revelation to make him go. The revelation was the prophecy, made by the prophet, Agabus, of the coming famine in Judea. The revelation could be a private prophecy, but none is recorded in Acts. Paul and Barnabas took the relief offering that was collected at Antioch up to the elders at Jerusalem. And apparently Paul took this opportunity to lay before the apostles and elders at Jerusalem the gospel which he had preached among the Gentiles. He indicates that this was done in private "before those who were of repute" and not before the whole church. Why did Paul do this? Paul says that it was "lest somehow I should be running or had run in vain." Paul was not seeking their approval or authority but their confirmation and cooperation.

2:3. "But not even Titus who was with me,
though he was a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised."
The elders and apostles at Jerusalem apparently accepted Paul's message and ministry. For they did not compel Titus who was with Paul and a Greek to be circumcised.

2:4. "But because of the false brethren secretly brought in,
who had sneaked in to spy out our freedom
which we have in Christ Jesus,
in order that they might bring us into bondage - "
But trouble developed. False brethren were secretly brought in, apparently into the private meeting Paul and Barnabas were having with the Jerusalem apostles and elders. Their purpose was to put Paul and his companions into slavery or bondage, that is, to take away the freedom that they had in Christ. These false brethren -- Paul never says who they were -- stole in like spies to observe and find Paul's violations of the law, "our freedom which we had in Christ Jesus." These false brethren were Jewish legalists, professing believers who added circumcision and the works of the law to belief in Christ. According to Acts 15:1,5 such brethren were active in the church at Jerusalem.

2:5. "to them we did not yield in submission even for an hour,
so that the truth of the Gospel might be preserved for you."
But Paul did not yield submission to them even for one hour. Paul clearly saw the long range implications of such a submission and in refusing to yield submission preserved the truth of the gospel for the readers of this letter and, we might say, for all of us throughout church history.

2:6. "But from those who were reputed to be something
(what they were makes no difference to me;
God shows no partiality) -
those who were of repute added nothing to me;"
Paul's message and ministry was accepted by the apostles and elders at Jerusalem ("those who were reputed to be something") and not only that but also they added nothing to him. Paul disregarded their reputation because God show no partiality, that is, pays no attention to reputations.

2:7. "But on the contrary, when they saw that
I had been entrusted with the gospel to the uncircumcised,
just as Peter had been to the circumcised"
Not only did they add nothing to Paul's message and ministry, but they recognized that God had entrusted Paul with the gospel to the uncircumcised just as God had entrusted Peter with the gospel to the circumcised. Ironic as it may now seem, God may have offered Peter also the ministry to the uncircumcised at Cornelius' conversion (Acts 10:1-- 11:18). But for some reason Peter's ministry is now to the circumcised.

2:8. "(for He who worked through Peter for the apostleship
to the circumcised, worked through me to the Gentiles),"
In this verse, Paul now adds parenthetically that God, who is working through Peter in his apostolic ministry to the circumcised, is working through him in his apostolic ministry to the Gentiles.

2:9. "and when they recognized the grace that had been given to me,
James and Cephas and John, who were reputed to be pillars,
gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship,
that we might go to the Gentiles, and they to the circumcised;"
Paul now identifies those who are reputed to be something (Gal. 2:2, 6); the reputed pillars are James, Cephas and John. These gave Paul and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, when they recognized the grace that been given to Paul for his apostolic ministry.

2:10. "only they would have us remember the poor,
which very thing I was eager to do."
The only thing that they added to Paul's ministry is that he remember the poor, the Jewish Christians in Judea. These brethren were continually in a state of poverty, not only because of persecution but also because of the general low economic condition of the region. Remembering the poor meant to do something for them. This Paul was already doing -- that is why he had come to Jerusalem at this time delivering the famine relief for the poor -- and he was eager to do it. The apostles in Jerusalem just had to find something to tell Paul to do.

APPLICATION OF PAUL'S GOSPEL

GALATIANS 2:11-21.

Paul, Barnabas and Titus returned from Jerusalem to Antioch after delivering the famine relief to the elders at Jerusalem (Acts 12:25). They had also received the recognition and cooperation of the apostles at Jerusalem for their apostolic mission to the Gentiles (Gal. 2:7-9). Soon after their return the Holy Spirit spoke through the prophets at Antioch, "Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them" (Acts 13:2). So after fasting and praying, the prophets and teachers at Antioch laid hands on them and sent them off (Acts 13:3). This was the beginning of Paul's first missionary journey, during which the Galatians were converted and the churches in Galatia were founded (Acts 13:4--14:26). After Paul and Barnabas returned from his first missionary journey, Peter came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. Later certain men came down from Jerusalem, teaching, "Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved" (Acts 15:1). Apparently these men also insisted that the Mosaic dietary laws be observed. Consequently the Jewish believers stopped eating with the Gentile believers, separating themselves from them. Even Peter and later Barnabas was persuaded to do the same. There was "no small dissension and debate" concerning the question; it led directly to the Jerusalem council (Acts 15:2). The following verses tell us what happened during the dissension and debate on the eve of the Jerusalem council.

GALATIANS 2:11-21
11. But when Cephas came to Antioch,
I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned.
12. For before certain men came from James,
he ate with the Gentiles; but when they came
he drew back and separated himself,
fearing those of the circumcision party.
13. And with him the rest of Jews acted insincerely,
so that even Barnabas was carried away by their insincerity.
14. And when I saw that they were not straightforward about
the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas before them all,
"If you, though a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew,
how can you compel the Gentiles to live like Jews?
15. "We ourselves, who are Jews by nature and not Gentile sinners,
16. yet who know that a men is not justified by works of the law
but through faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in
Christ Jesus, in order to be justified
by faith in Christ, and not by works of the law,
because by works of the law shall no flesh be justified.
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 not be!
18. "For if I rebuild what I have once destroyed,
I prove myself to be a transgressor.
19. "For through the Law I died to the law,
that I might live to God.
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 for me.
21. "I do not nullify the grace of God;
for if righteousness comes through the law,
then Christ died for nothing."

2:11. "But when Cephas came to Antioch,
I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned."
When Paul decided to confront the situation at Antioch, he opposed Peter (Cephas) to his face, because what he did was wrong. Peter knew it was wrong because God had told him before Cornelius' conversion, "What God has cleansed, you must not call common" (Acts 10:15; 11:9). Peter knew what this meant (Acts 10:28-29; 11:18). He stood condemned.

2:12. "For before certain men came from James,
he ate with the Gentiles; but when they came
he drew back and separated himself,
fearing those of the circumcision party."
Paul now explains what had happened. Peter had been eating with the Gentile believers before certain men came from James. These men were probably not authorized by James but were claiming to be speaking for James. They were teaching that Gentile believers should be circumcised and keep the law of Moses. They were, no doubt, believers who belonged to the party of Pharisees (Acts 15:5). This circumcision party was a strong and vocal group in the Jerusalem church. Because of fear of these of the circumcision, Peter withdrew and separated himself from eating with the Gentile believers.

2:13. "And with him the rest of Jews acted insincerely,
so that even Barnabas was carried away by their insincerity."
Peter's action influenced the rest of the Jewish believers, even Barnabas. Paul labels their action as hypocritical and insincere. Peter and Barnabas were acting differently from what they believed. Peter acted out of fear and gentle Barnabas because he did not want to offend his Jewish brothers. No matter what their motives their actions were hypocritical.

2:14. "And when I saw that they were not straightforward
about the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas before them all,
"If you, though a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew,
how can you compel the Gentiles to live like Jews?"
Paul saw clearly what they were doing; they were not acting straightforward with the truth of the gospel. They knew the truth of the gospel of the grace of God, that there was no difference between Jew or Gentile, that all are sinners and all are saved by the grace of God, not by the works of law. They were not acting in accordance with that truth. So Paul decided to confront Peter before them all because his action had influenced the others. Peter's action had been public and therefore needed to be dealt with publicly. In Paul's opening statement he shows not only the inconsistency of Peter's action but the implications of it: they were forcing Gentiles to become Jews. That obviously was not according to the truth of the gospel necessary for salvation.

2:15. "'We ourselves, who are Jews by nature and not Gentile sinners,"
In the next two verses, Paul shows that the Jews are not saved by the works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ. Obviously the Gentile sinners needed to be saved through faith in Jesus Christ because they did not have the law and therefore could not be saved by it. But Paul wants to show that the Jews by birth, naturally, by nature, not proselytes, artificial Jews, who have the law are also saved the same way as the Gentile sinners.

2:16. "'yet who know that a men is not justified by works of the law
but through faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in
Christ Jesus, in order to be justified
by faith in Christ, and not by works of the law,
because by works of the law shall no flesh be justified."
Paul continues the statement started in the previous verse. He says that we natural Jews, who have come to know that a man is not saved (justified) by the works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, have believed in Jesus Christ so that we might be saved by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law. Twice in this verse, at its beginning and at its end, Paul says, paraphrasing Psa. 143:2, that a man (all flesh) is not justified (saved) by the works of the law. To be justified is to be set or put right with God, to be saved. Justification is not just legal pronouncement about something but is an action that brings about something; it is not just a declaration that man is righteous before God but is an act of setting or putting a man right with God: a bringing him into a right personal relationship with God. Justification is then essentially salvation; to justify is to save (Rom. 6:7). Hence Paul can say that God is He "that justifies the ungodly" (Rom. 4:5), that saves the ungodly. God does this by bringing the ungodly into the righteousness of faith. Faith rightly relates a man to God; to trust in God is to be righteous, the righteousness of faith (Rom. 4:3-5). (See Gal. 3:6). Justification is a free act of God's grace (Rom. 3:24) and not by the works of the law (Rom. 3:20, 28; 4:6).

2:17. "'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 not be!"
Paul drives home his point by means of a question. He asks,
"If, while seeking to be saved by Christ,
we Jews are also found to be sinners like the Gentiles,
then is Christ become a minister of sin?"
Paul rejects the conclusion that Christ has become an agent of sin.

2:18. "'For if I rebuild what I have once destroyed,
I prove myself to be a transgressor."
Paul now gives his reason for his answer to the question in the previous verse. Seeking to be saved by Christ means not seeking be saved by the works of the law. We believing Jews like believing Gentiles are looking to Christ to save us and not the law; the law has been rejected as the way of salvation. The believing Jew is thus a sinner like the believing Gentile. But Christ has not made us a sinner; he has saved us. But now if I try rebuild that which I once destroyed, that is, if I turn from Christ for salvation and return to the law for salvation, then I prove myself to be a transgressor. The law shows me to be transgressor for having abandoned the law.

2:19. "'For through the Law I died to the law,
that I might live to God.
The law condemns the transgressor to death. But death set the transgressor free from the dominion of the law (Rom. 7:1-3).
"I through the law died to the law."
Now dying to the law makes it possible to live to God, to be married to another, God.

2:20. "'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 for me."
But I have died; I have been crucified with Christ. I did not die my own death but Christ died my death and his death therefore is my death. But Christ did not remain dead; God raised Him from the dead. And His resurrection is my resurrection; I have been made alive with Him in His resurrection. Since I have died with Christ, it is no longer I who live. But since Christ has been raised from the dead, it is Christ who lives in me. I have died, nevertheless I live; yet not I but Christ who is alive. This death with Christ has set me free from the law and the resurrection with Christ made me alive to God. Now the life I live in the flesh, in this human existence, I live by faith. And this faith is in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. Faith is our response to His love. His love begets faith in Him. And that love is shown, demonstrated in His death for me, on my behalf (Rom. 5:8). For His death and resurrection for me is the means by which I have passed from death to life. The Christian life is not a walk by keeping the law (by the letter) but by trusting in Christ and His love (by the Spirit).

2:21. "'I do not nullify the grace of God;
for if righteousness comes through the law,
then Christ died for nothing."
Paul now reaches the climax of his statement to Peter. Abandoning the law does not set aside or nullify the grace of God.
"For if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died for nothing."
But righteousness does not come through the law, because the law cannot make alive ( Gal. 3:21). Therefore Christ died for something; His death did have a purpose. He died so that He could be raised from the dead. Since Christ makes alive by his resurrection, righteousness comes from the resurrection of Christ. Because of the great love with which He loves us, God has made us alive with Christ when we were dead; we have been saved from death to life by God's love (Eph. 2:4-5). Since God's love in action is the grace of God, we have been saved by grace. Therefore abandoning the law for salvation and turning to Christ for salvation, establishes the grace of God.