Topic: The Gospel: Galatians 2
To understand what Paul’s doing in this passage, we need to remember the situation in Galatia. False teachers had come to the province claiming to come from the Jerusalem apostles. They accused Paul of not being a real apostle and of teaching a distorted gospel. Instead of becoming part of God’s family by faith, they said the Gentiles had to be circumcised.
At the end of chapter 1 and in this reading, Paul goes to great pains to establish the timeline of his contact with the Jerusalem apostles to prove that both his apostleship and his gospel were not of human origin but divine.
Galatians 2: After 14 years, God sent Paul to Jerusalem. Paul had been preaching the Gospel to the Gentiles, and he went and preached the same Gospel to the Jewish Christians. Paul wanted to make sure that he was preaching the Gospel correctly.
The problem Paul found was that many of the Jewish Christians were changing the Gospel to Jesus plus circumcision. Titus, (who was not a Jew) did not want any part of this false gospel. If Paul would have followed the legalistic traditions that some of the Jews wanted him to follow, what would have happened to all the Gentiles that Paul had been ministering to? They would have moved on to a different teaching. Paul’s ministry would have been in vain.
Jesus is all you need. If you are looking for peace and joy through following man-made religion (which requires doing something to be saved), you will not find peace. The enemy is using people that have infiltrated the Church to rob you of your freedom and make you a slave to religious acts. Do not give in.
This passage is so important. Notice, that regardless of how important these people thought they were, it did not matter to Paul and it should not matter to you either. Paul was called by God to preach the Gospel to the Gentiles. He was following God’s calling just like Peter, James and John were. The only request made of Paul was to remember the poor, which he was already doing.
Don’t get caught up into the motions of being religious. Yes, it is important to study God’s Word, fellowship with other believers, pray, etc., but that is not so you can check a box. But rather to become like Christ.
While trying to keep the rules with our own strength, we set aside the grace of God, and treat Christ’s death as nothing. Don’t do this! The law can only condemn. To find true righteousness before God, to truly be a better person, do not depend on a list of rules. Instead depend on the Lord. He’ll not only declare you righteous when you do, but will also make you righteous by living His life through you.
See you Sunday,
Dr. Scott Kallem