Galatians 2:1-10

                                                                     Galatians 2:1-10

Then after fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus along with me.  I went up because of a revelation and set before them (though privately before those who seemed influential) the gospel that I proclaim among the Gentiles, in order to make sure I was not running or had not run in vain.  But even Titus, who was with me, was not forced to be circumcised, though he was a Greek.  Yet because of false brothers secretly brought in—who slipped in to spy out our freedom that we have in Christ Jesus, so that they might bring us into slavery—to them we did not yield in submission even for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel might be preserved for you.  And from those who seemed to be influential (what they were makes no difference to me; God shows no partiality)—those, I say, who seemed influential added nothing to me.  On the contrary, when they saw that I had been entrusted with the gospel to the uncircumcised, just as Peter had been entrusted with the gospel to the circumcised (for he who worked through Peter for his apostolic ministry to the circumcised worked also through me for mine to the Gentiles), and when James and Cephas and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given to me, they gave the right hand of fellowship to Barnabas and me, that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised.  Only, they asked us to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do.

 

Paul continues to prove that the message he had brought the church in Galatia was not only revealed by God but was also agreed upon by the leaders of the church in Jerusalem.  This was not some rogue mission Paul was promoting.  He had been submissive to and gained the trust of the leading authorities in the church.  Any changes made to this message were an attack on that very authority.

 

THE ACCEPTANCE OF TITUS: Paul’s next return to Jerusalem was after more than a decade when he and Barnabas went to the Jerusalem council to defend the doctrine of justification by faith without the need to be circumcised.  Titus was taken as a part of the team to make their case.  As a Gentile, Titus had not been circumcised and yet he was accepted by the elders in Jerusalem.  Paul’s purpose in taking Titus was as a demonstration of the work that God was doing in transforming Gentiles by the power of the Gospel.  If adherence to the Law was a requirement for salvation or admittance to the church, Titus would not have been welcome in the fellowship.  This is proof that the false teachers in Galatia were not only in rebellion against God but we also rebelling against the example of the elders of the church.  

 

THE AVOIDANCE OF LEGALISM: The reason for the trip to Jerusalem was a group of false teachers who were striving to enslave all believers under the works of the Law.  Paul calls them spies because they were brought in secretly and were working in the shadows to undermine the true Gospel.  Paul appeals to the influential leaders in Jerusalem, not because he lived under the fear of man, but because they represented the leadership of the church and he wanted to make sure that they would also stand up against these false brothers.  Legalism is a false doctrine that has plagued the church from the beginning and continues to be a plague on the church even today.  All true followers of Christ and leaders of churches around the globe must unite and stand up to the dangerous doctrine of legalism.

 

THE APPROVAL OF APOSTLES: James, Peter, and John were the leaders in the Jerusalem church and gave full approval to Paul and Barnabas and the doctrine of justification by faith that they were preaching.  These leaders were thrilled to see what God was doing in the Gentile nations and encouraged them to continue this mission as they continued to focus on the Jews.  These apostles recognized that this was the commission they had been given by Jesus to take the Gospel to the ends of the earth.  When we have the authority of the Word of God, the approval of men is not required.  However, it is important to the defense of the faith for godly men to unite in recognizing and defending the faith.

 

APPLICATION: The greatest proof of the truth of our message is the transformation of lives.  Stand firm against all attacks on the Gospel.  Legalism must be revealed, refuted, and rejected so it does not poison and enslave those who are coming to faith in Christ.  Cooperate with recognized leaders of the church to defend the faith from all false doctrines.