The One Year Bible Club with Teaching
Commentary by Nick Boork
September 15
Galatians 2:1-16
Commentary by Nick Boork
September 15
Galatians 2:1-16
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September 15 – Galatians 2:1-16
Then after fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, and also took Titus with me. 2 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. 3 Yet not even Titus who was with me, being a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised. 4 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), 5 to whom we did not yield submission even for an hour, that the truth of the gospel might continue with you.
6 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. 7 But on the contrary, when they saw that the gospel for the uncircumcised had been committed to me, as the gospel for the circumcised was to Peter 8 (for He who worked effectively in Peter for the apostleship to the circumcised also worked effectively in me toward the Gentiles), 9 and 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 to the circumcised. 10 They desired only that we should remember the poor, the very thing which I also was eager to do.
11 Now when Peter had come to Antioch, I withstood him to his face, because he was to be blamed; 12 for before certain men came from James, he would eat with the Gentiles; but when they came, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing those who were of the circumcision. 13 And the rest of the Jews also played the hypocrite with him, so that even Barnabas was carried away with their hypocrisy. 14 But when I saw that they were not straightforward about the truth of the gospel, I said to Peter before them all, “If you, being a Jew, live in the manner of Gentiles and not as the Jews, why do you compel Gentiles to live as Jews? 15 We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles, 16 knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified.
OKAY, HERE’S MY TEACHING COMMENTARY
Paul tells the story of how he went up to Jerusalem to meet with some of the original apostles. It was the Holy Spirit that led him to make this connection for the purpose of unifying the church. God’s desires his church be one and with all the false teachers following Paul to turn believers away from the gospel of grace back to the law and Judaism to be saved it was time that Paul and the original apostles meet so they could fully understand what the Lord Jesus had revealed to Paul to preach and all get on the same page. This way the leadership of the church would not be against each other but rather strengthen their unity to resist the false teaches. Jesus said if a house is divided it would fall and that’s exactly what the devil was strategizing by inspiring false teachers to proclaim a twisted gospel. The Bible warns that in the last days there would come men teaching doctrines of devils or in other words teaching inspired by demons to lead people away from the truth that sets them free. 1 Timothy 4:1 “Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons”
The good news is the evil ones attempt to divide the early church did not succeed. The apostles Peter, James and John met with Paul and heard the gospel that he was preaching to the Gentiles. They approved it and actually could add nothing to it. Paul explains what happened at this meeting to give the Galatian believers the assurance that the gospel he preached to them was reviewed by the apostles in Jerusalem. Their affirmation of Paul’s gospel would also help to silence those seeking to sow discord and division among the brethren.
The question of whether the Gentiles could be saved without keeping the law of Moses became such a hotly debated topic that the apostles in Jerusalem called a meeting of all church leaders to discuss it and establish a unified consensus on the essentials of the Christian faith. This meeting recorded in Acts 15 happened after Paul had written his letter to the Galatians or he would have announced their decision and that would have settled it. So, this was a boiling pot that had not quit over spilled yet. But as I mentioned, Paul was constantly defending the gospel of the grace of God against those that wanted to pervert it’s truth and add some law or tradition that was not required by God to be saved.
What is required to be saved? Here’s my short list of steps we see in the Scriptures. Now remember, all of these can happen at the time of conversion and they all should happen in response to the convicting work of the Holy Spirit that leads people to Christ for salvation.
Repentance, changing your mind about sin and turning away from it to God for salvation
Luke 5:32, 13:1-5, 15:11-32, 24:46-49
Mark 1:15-16, 6:12
Acts 2:38, 3:19, 20:20
Faith in the death and resurrection of Jesus which is the gospel
John 1:12-13, 3:16, 5:24
1 Corinthians 15:1-4
Ephesians 2:8-9
Confessing Jesus as Lord
Romans 10:9-13
1 Corinthians 12:3
The new birth by the Holy Spirit
John 3:3-8
2 Corinthians 5:17
Titus 3:4-7
These are all very important because repentance was required by Jesus and preached by the apostles as part the message of salvation. Some today skip this part of the message and go directly to the grace of God. This is a mistake and is really an incomplete gospel message. Salvation without repentance is false conversion!!! To be saved you must acknowledge your sins, repent, believe on Jesus Christ as the one true Savior that died on the cross and was raised again the third day which leads sinners to confess Jesus as Lord with the Holy Spirit causing them to be born again as children of God.
However some preach a message today that requires NO repentance to be saved. This is twisting the Scriptures and it leads people into a false salvation. General William Booth founder of the Salvation Army warned that the time would come when forgiveness would be offered without repentance: "The chief danger of the 20th century will be...forgiveness without repentance, salvation without regeneration, politics without God, and Heaven without Hell."
WHAT’S THE BOTTOM LINE?
1) The Lord Jesus Christ revealed to Paul the Gospel of the grace of God to save.
2) Everywhere Paul preached the gospel people were saved but false teachers followed Paul and were constantly trying to discredit him and turn believers away from the gospel of grace back to the law and condemnation.
3) Paul communicated his gospel to the original apostles in Jerusalem
4) They couldn’t add anything to Paul’s gospel so it was a complete truth.
5) The early church leaders united around the gospel of grace to save without keeping the law of Moses.
6) The Bible clearly teaches that we are saved by grace through faith and that it’s not because of our own attempts to keep the law but only through faith in Jesus Christ are we justified.
PRAYER TO APPLY THE WORD OF GOD TO OUR LIVES
Then after fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, and also took Titus with me. 2 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. 3 Yet not even Titus who was with me, being a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised. 4 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), 5 to whom we did not yield submission even for an hour, that the truth of the gospel might continue with you.
6 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. 7 But on the contrary, when they saw that the gospel for the uncircumcised had been committed to me, as the gospel for the circumcised was to Peter 8 (for He who worked effectively in Peter for the apostleship to the circumcised also worked effectively in me toward the Gentiles), 9 and 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 to the circumcised. 10 They desired only that we should remember the poor, the very thing which I also was eager to do.
11 Now when Peter had come to Antioch, I withstood him to his face, because he was to be blamed; 12 for before certain men came from James, he would eat with the Gentiles; but when they came, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing those who were of the circumcision. 13 And the rest of the Jews also played the hypocrite with him, so that even Barnabas was carried away with their hypocrisy. 14 But when I saw that they were not straightforward about the truth of the gospel, I said to Peter before them all, “If you, being a Jew, live in the manner of Gentiles and not as the Jews, why do you compel Gentiles to live as Jews? 15 We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles, 16 knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified.
OKAY, HERE’S MY TEACHING COMMENTARY
Paul tells the story of how he went up to Jerusalem to meet with some of the original apostles. It was the Holy Spirit that led him to make this connection for the purpose of unifying the church. God’s desires his church be one and with all the false teachers following Paul to turn believers away from the gospel of grace back to the law and Judaism to be saved it was time that Paul and the original apostles meet so they could fully understand what the Lord Jesus had revealed to Paul to preach and all get on the same page. This way the leadership of the church would not be against each other but rather strengthen their unity to resist the false teaches. Jesus said if a house is divided it would fall and that’s exactly what the devil was strategizing by inspiring false teachers to proclaim a twisted gospel. The Bible warns that in the last days there would come men teaching doctrines of devils or in other words teaching inspired by demons to lead people away from the truth that sets them free. 1 Timothy 4:1 “Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons”
The good news is the evil ones attempt to divide the early church did not succeed. The apostles Peter, James and John met with Paul and heard the gospel that he was preaching to the Gentiles. They approved it and actually could add nothing to it. Paul explains what happened at this meeting to give the Galatian believers the assurance that the gospel he preached to them was reviewed by the apostles in Jerusalem. Their affirmation of Paul’s gospel would also help to silence those seeking to sow discord and division among the brethren.
The question of whether the Gentiles could be saved without keeping the law of Moses became such a hotly debated topic that the apostles in Jerusalem called a meeting of all church leaders to discuss it and establish a unified consensus on the essentials of the Christian faith. This meeting recorded in Acts 15 happened after Paul had written his letter to the Galatians or he would have announced their decision and that would have settled it. So, this was a boiling pot that had not quit over spilled yet. But as I mentioned, Paul was constantly defending the gospel of the grace of God against those that wanted to pervert it’s truth and add some law or tradition that was not required by God to be saved.
What is required to be saved? Here’s my short list of steps we see in the Scriptures. Now remember, all of these can happen at the time of conversion and they all should happen in response to the convicting work of the Holy Spirit that leads people to Christ for salvation.
Repentance, changing your mind about sin and turning away from it to God for salvation
Luke 5:32, 13:1-5, 15:11-32, 24:46-49
Mark 1:15-16, 6:12
Acts 2:38, 3:19, 20:20
Faith in the death and resurrection of Jesus which is the gospel
John 1:12-13, 3:16, 5:24
1 Corinthians 15:1-4
Ephesians 2:8-9
Confessing Jesus as Lord
Romans 10:9-13
1 Corinthians 12:3
The new birth by the Holy Spirit
John 3:3-8
2 Corinthians 5:17
Titus 3:4-7
These are all very important because repentance was required by Jesus and preached by the apostles as part the message of salvation. Some today skip this part of the message and go directly to the grace of God. This is a mistake and is really an incomplete gospel message. Salvation without repentance is false conversion!!! To be saved you must acknowledge your sins, repent, believe on Jesus Christ as the one true Savior that died on the cross and was raised again the third day which leads sinners to confess Jesus as Lord with the Holy Spirit causing them to be born again as children of God.
However some preach a message today that requires NO repentance to be saved. This is twisting the Scriptures and it leads people into a false salvation. General William Booth founder of the Salvation Army warned that the time would come when forgiveness would be offered without repentance: "The chief danger of the 20th century will be...forgiveness without repentance, salvation without regeneration, politics without God, and Heaven without Hell."
WHAT’S THE BOTTOM LINE?
1) The Lord Jesus Christ revealed to Paul the Gospel of the grace of God to save.
2) Everywhere Paul preached the gospel people were saved but false teachers followed Paul and were constantly trying to discredit him and turn believers away from the gospel of grace back to the law and condemnation.
3) Paul communicated his gospel to the original apostles in Jerusalem
4) They couldn’t add anything to Paul’s gospel so it was a complete truth.
5) The early church leaders united around the gospel of grace to save without keeping the law of Moses.
6) The Bible clearly teaches that we are saved by grace through faith and that it’s not because of our own attempts to keep the law but only through faith in Jesus Christ are we justified.
PRAYER TO APPLY THE WORD OF GOD TO OUR LIVES
ORDINATION
We provide Ministry Credentials and Ordination through Diamond Ministerial Association. Click to learn more and apply! http://www.diamondinstitute.org/ordination
ONLINE COURSES
For Bible courses and ministry resources see our online school Diamond Institute. Enroll free today and get access to our free and pay as you go courses. http://www.diamondinstitute.org/enroll
We provide Ministry Credentials and Ordination through Diamond Ministerial Association. Click to learn more and apply! http://www.diamondinstitute.org/ordination
ONLINE COURSES
For Bible courses and ministry resources see our online school Diamond Institute. Enroll free today and get access to our free and pay as you go courses. http://www.diamondinstitute.org/enroll