Galatians Reading (#3)

Take a few minutes to catch up and pray that God would bless you through the reading of His word.

Read Galatians 2:1-10

[2:1] Then after fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus along with me. [2] 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. [3] But even Titus, who was with me, was not forced to be circumcised, though he was a Greek. [4] 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—[5] to them we did not yield in submission even for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel might be preserved for you. [6] 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. [7] 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 [8] (for he who worked through Peter for his apostolic ministry to the circumcised worked also through me for mine to the Gentiles), [9] 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. [10] Only, they asked us to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do.

Observation:

• What did Paul do after 14 years (v 1)? 
  • Who went with him?
  • What led him to go (v 2)?
  • What did he do (v 2)?
  • What was his purpose (v 2)?
• What happened (or didn’t happen) to Titus (v 3)?
  • Who were secretly brought in (v 4)?
  • What did they want to accomplish (v 4)?
• What did Paul do (or not do – v 5)? 
  • What was at stake in his response (v 5)?
  • What did the influential people add to Paul (v 6)?
    • What did they see (v 7)?
    • How was that related to Peter’s ministry (v 7-8)?
• What did James and Cephas and John perceive (v 9)? 
  • What did they do?
  • What conclusion was reached?
  • What did they ask Paul to do (v 10)? How did he feel about it?

Interpretation:

• The events described in this passage most likely correspond to Acts 11:29-30 (though some believe that these are the events are described in Acts 15). 
• Given that Paul received his gospel directly from the Lord Jesus (remember chapter 1) and not from any other apostle, why would it be important for him to set his gospel before the influential church leaders in Jerusalem more than a decade later?
  • Titus was a Greek (a non-Jew, and thus uncircumcised). 
    • Why was the question of his circumcision a gospel issue?
    • What would it mean if the church in Jerusalem insisted that Gentile Christians be circumcised? 
      • How is that related to “freedom” and “slavery” (v 4)?
      • How is a matter of preserving the gospel (v 5)?
  • What does it mean that Paul didn’t yield for a moment on this issue (v 5)?
• How was the matter resolved? Was Paul pleased with the resolution?

Application:

• The issue of circumcision is not a live issue in our churches, but what are ways that we might be tempted to lay some sort of extra requirement on people who want to follow Christ?
• How can you help to make sure that the freedom and truth of the gospel is preserved and not compromised (even a little)?

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