Galatians – Part 2

Series – April 2022 – Grace & Truth Magazine

Galatians – Part 2

Let’s continue our Series on Galatians by considering chapter 2. There we see Paul recounting the first 17 years of his Christian life, including the 14 years after his first visit to Jerusalem (see 1:18, 2:1). What we read in Galatians 2:1-10 ( NKJV ) has a very strong connection with the Jerusalem conference recorded in Acts 15. The portion in Galatians says, “Then after fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, and also took Titus with me. And I went up by revelation, and communicated to them that gospel which I preach among the Gentiles, but privately to those who were of reputation, lest by any means I might run, or had run, in vain. Yet not even Titus who was with me, being a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised. And this occurred because of false brethren secretly brought in (who came in by stealth to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage), to whom we did not yield submission even for an hour, that the truth of the gospel might continue with you.

“But from those who seemed to be something – whatever they were, it makes no difference to me; God shows personal favoritism to no man – for those who seemed to be something added nothing to me. But, on the contrary, when they saw that the gospel for the uncircumcised had been committed to me, as the gospel of the circumcised was to Peter (for He who worked effectually in Peter for the apostleship of the circumcised also worked effectively in me toward the Gentiles), and when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given unto me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised [Jews]. They desired only that we should remember the poor, the very thing which I also was eager to do.”

Paul went up to Jerusalem by a revelation of the Lord to him, for at that time a very serious crisis had developed in the Church. The Devil managed to get some of his false teachers among the saints. They, then, lost no time in spreading their evil doctrine, saying Christians must be circumcised and be commanded to keep the law of Moses or else they could not be saved. Consider Acts 14:25–15:2, which says: “Now when they had preached the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia. From there they sailed to Antioch, where they had been commended to the grace of God for the work which they had completed.

“Now when they were come and gathered the church together, they reported all that God had done with them, and that He had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles. So they stayed there a long time with the disciples.

“And certain men came down from Judea and taught the brethren, ‘Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.’ Therefore, when Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and dispute with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas and certain others of them should go up to Jerusalem, to the apostles and elders, about this question.”

When we are told that “Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and dispute” with those false teachers, it means that they had a real big argument about the matter. This therefore was the occasion that Paul was referring to in Galatians 2.

While he and Barnabas and the other brethren in Antioch were more than able through God to silence those false teachers, it was not God’s will that the matter be settled quietly there. Instead, it was to be addressed in the highest possible forum: a time of counseling together at Jerusalem, from where the true grace of God began to be preached and the false teachers had come. This plan was a revelation to Paul from the Lord. Therefore, the brethren agreed that Paul, Barnabas and certain other brethren should go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and elders about this question. Paul took Titus with him, for this young believer was living proof that the Gentiles are saved without keeping the law of Moses or the rite of circumcision. “Titus … being a Greek, was not compelled to be circumcised” (Gal. 2:3).

When Paul got to Jerusalem he held a meeting with some of the leaders and briefed them as to what he was preaching. This was quite in order, for no man – though great as the apostle Paul – should ever think of himself as being infallible; we should always be open to receive help. However, they did not add one thing to Paul’s gospel, neither did they take away anything from what he was preaching. Then he reported to the brethren his preaching and teaching among the Gentiles.

We are told of this meeting in Acts 15:4-5. There we read: “And when they had come to Jerusalem, they were received by the church and the apostles and the elders; and they reported all things that God had done with them. But some of the sect of the Pharisees who believed rose up, saying, ‘It is necessary to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses.’”

How very sad it is to learn that some of the false teachers were believers; others were false brethren, not being believers at all. The apostle Paul pointed out that the believers in Jerusalem brought in false brethren, being totally unaware that they were not true. These false ones came in secretly to spy out the liberty we have in Christ Jesus. In this they had a mission: to bring Christians into bondage. Peter said in that same conference, “Why do you test God by putting a yoke on the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?” (v.10). Later, in his letters to the Galatians, Paul exhorted the saints, “Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage” (5:1).

The law and the keeping of it was a yoke of bondage to sinful man, for how can a sinner keep a law which is holy? Like Israel of old, before they heard the law they had already broken it; and God requires that which is past. There is only One who has ever kept the law: Jesus Christ our Lord. In the Jerusalem conference there were doubtless some great men of influence, but Paul and the other brethren were not intimidated by them.

In Galatians 2:6 the apostle Paul said, “But from these who seem to be something – whatever they were, it makes no difference to me; God shows personal favoritism to no man – for those who seemed to be something added nothing to me.” Oh, for men like Paul who will not respect the person of men but will look for the truth of Christ in the feeblest of saints and stand with it.

Verse 9 says: “When James, Cephas, and John who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that had been given to me, they gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, that we should go to the Gentiles, and they unto the circumcised.” The power of Christ was as great with Paul toward the Gentiles as it was with Peter concerning the Jews. So they indicated their support for Paul and his teaching.

Paul continued, “They desired only that we should remember the poor, the very thing which I also was eager to do” (v.10). They were concerned about Paul remembering the poor, but Paul was ahead of them, for he was already doing something about it. Oh that preachers today would remember the poor, not taking from them the little they have, but giving instead. The apostle Paul charged the elders of Ephesus in the words of the Lord, “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35).

There are those in my judgment who are oppressing the poor and needy, the widows and the fatherless. Let me encourage you to remember the poor, and not to sound a trumpet when doing so. Do it as unto the Lord, for the eyes of God alone, and not for the eyes and ears of men. There are many poor people today in your congregation or community. Help them through these hard times.

By Milton Jamieson

Look for Part 3 of this Series next month.