Galatians 2
Summary for Gal 2:1-10: 2:1-10 a During Paul’s second visit to Jerusalem, the other apostles affirmed his message. Traditionally, this passage has been seen as a description of the church council (Acts 15:1-41 b), but it is much more likely that Paul was talking about his previous visit to Jerusalem (Acts 11:30 c; 12:25 d; see Galatians Book Introduction, “Date of Writing”). 2:1 e Counting fourteen years from Paul’s conversion (1:15-17 f), instead of from his previous visit (1:18 g), fits well with Acts.• That Barnabas was familiar to the Galatians suggests that the Galatians were evangelized during the first missionary journey (Acts 13:4–14:26 h; see Galatians Book Introduction, “Recipients”).
• Titus: See profile for Titus at end of chapter.
2:2 i If 2:1-10 j correlates with the visit of Acts 11:30 k, God might have revealed his will through Agabus’s prophecy and the church’s decision to send aid (Acts 11:27-29 l).
• If Paul needed the endorsement of the leaders in Jerusalem, he would have met with them publicly; that they met privately indicates that no one thought he needed public endorsement.
• those considered to be leaders of the church: Paul’s tone downplays their importance, perhaps to counteract the false teachers’ undue regard for them.
• Paul shared his message with the apostles in Jerusalem, not for endorsement, but to ensure agreement, so that the church would not split into Jewish and Gentile factions.
• for fear that all my efforts had been wasted: A split between Jewish and Gentile Christians would undermine the fundamental unity that Christ had secured (Gal 3:28 m).
2:3 n The Jerusalem apostles affirmed Paul’s message without qualification. They stood together on the same Good News—that God’s grace comes through faith in Christ, not through keeping the law. Clearly the Jerusalem apostles did not think that circumcision was necessary for a Gentile like Titus.
Summary for Gal 2:4-5: 2:4-5 o The false Christians entered the church there (either Jerusalem or Antioch) to subvert Paul’s message that Gentiles are free from Jewish requirements such as circumcision. 2:4 p By labeling some so-called believers as false, Paul denied that they were Christians at all. They did not understand or truly receive the Good News, in contrast with the apostles in Jerusalem (2:3 q).
• were secretly brought in: Paul implies that a larger group of Jewish “Christians” opposed his preaching (cp. Acts 15:5 r) and stood behind the false teachers who entered the church.
• Requiring Gentile Christians to observe Jewish law would enslave them to regulations (see Gal 3:23–4:11 s) and deny the Good News of Christ.
2:5 t we refused to give in to them for a single moment: Titus was not circumcised (2:3 u), and Paul did not require circumcision of Gentile Christians.
• to preserve the truth: The false teaching would destroy the gospel message by adding other requirements and impeaching the effectiveness of Christ’s death and God’s grace (cp. 2:11-21 v).
Summary for Gal 2:6-10: 2:6-10 w Paul’s message was in harmony with the Jerusalem apostles, but their affirmation was not the source of Paul’s authority (1:12 x, 16-20 y). 2:6 z The Jerusalem apostles’ reputation as great leaders was probably derived from their personal acquaintance with Jesus’ earthly ministry, which did not give them greater apostolic authority than Paul had. What mattered most was Christ’s personal commission (see 1 Cor 9:1 aa; cp. 2 Cor 12:11-12 ab).
• God has no favorites: The Judaizers probably regarded the Jerusalem apostles’ earthly relationship with Jesus as an advantage. Paul argues that such favoritism is inconsistent with God’s character (cp. Lev 19:15-16 ac; Deut 1:17 ad; 2 Chr 19:7 ae; Job 13:10 af; Ps 82:1-2 ag; Prov 18:5 ah; Mal 2:8-9 ai).
Summary for Gal 2:7-8: 2:7-8 aj The apostles in Jerusalem saw that Paul and Peter had different scopes of ministry (for Peter’s, see Acts 1:1–5:42 ak; 9:1–10:48 al; for Paul’s, see Acts 13:1–28:31 am), but they both preached the same gospel.
2:9 an James: See profile for James, Brother of Jesus at end of chapter.
• they accepted Barnabas and me as their co-workers (literally they gave me and Barnabas a right hand of fellowship): This symbolic handshake showed full acceptance for Paul and Barnabas, their ministry, and their message.
2:10 ao The mention of helping the poor connects this narrative with Acts 11:30 ap; 12:25 aq. The Christians in Judea suffered years of deep poverty, and Paul was eager to have the Gentile churches alleviate some of that difficulty and build unity with the Jewish church (see Rom 15:25-27 ar; 1 Cor 16:1-4 as; 2 Cor 8:1–9:15 at).
Summary for Gal 2:11-21: 2:11-21 au In Antioch, Peter and others compromised the Good News in contradiction of their own principles (this incident is not recorded in Acts). Paul’s rebuke of Peter showed that Paul’s apostleship was independent of Jerusalem and faithful to the Good News of Christ. 2:11 av when Peter came to Antioch: This occasion, not recorded in Acts, probably occurred following the return of Paul and Barnabas from their first missionary journey (Acts 14:26-28 aw). Paul probably wrote this letter soon afterward.
• what he did was very wrong (or he stood condemned): Peter’s actions were inconsistent with what he knew to be true—that God accepts Gentiles by faith, not by keeping the law (see Acts 10–11 ax).
• Paul had to oppose Peter to his face. Paul wanted to keep the Good News from being corrupted (Gal 2:21 ay), which required showing publicly that Peter’s own public action was wrong (cp. 1 Tim 5:20 az).
2:12 ba That Peter ate with the Gentile believers was consistent with what God had shown him (Acts 10:9-16 bb, 34-35 bc).
• The friends of James wanted to reassert Jewish scruples and prevent the free communion between Gentiles and Jews from continuing.
• Peter wouldn’t eat with the Gentiles anymore: When Peter refused to share regular meals and the Lord’s Supper (cp. 1 Cor 11:20-22 bd, 33-34 be) with fellow Christians, he divided the Jewish and Gentile Christians and implied that the Jews’ observances made them more acceptable to God. Peter’s example, if uncorrected, would have undermined the Good News of salvation by grace through faith.
• He was afraid: The friends of James intimidated Peter, who had previously withstood the same sort of criticism with power and eloquence (Acts 11:2-18 bf). Peter might have been trying to avoid creating a barrier for the evangelism of Jews, or he might have been concerned for the safety and well-being of the Jewish Christians in Judea, who experienced persecution from non-Christian Jews (cp. 5:11 bg; 6:12 bh). In any case, his actions were inexcusable.
2:13 bi Peter’s hypocrisy drew other Jewish believers into error regarding the Good News.
Summary for Gal 2:14-21: 2:14-21 bj The actions of Peter and the others implied that faith in Christ was not enough. Paul eloquently argues against such a compromise of the truth of the gospel message, showing that the law plays no role in defining a Christian’s position before God, which is by grace through faith (Eph 2:8-9 bk).
• It is not clear where Paul’s public rebuke of Peter ends and his message to the Galatians resumes (see study note on Gal 2:16). While Paul was recounting his address to Peter, he was also speaking to the Galatians. His rebuke of Peter was also a rebuke of them (see 3:1 bl). 2:14 bm By living like a Gentile—eating with Gentiles and not observing Jewish food laws—Peter communicated God’s acceptance of Gentiles on equal terms with Jews, on the basis of faith in Christ (see Acts 10:34-43 bn; 11:17-18 bo).
• why are you now trying to make these Gentiles follow the Jewish traditions? Both Jews and Gentiles would draw this conclusion from Peter’s actions.
2:15 bp Gentiles were ‘sinners’ in that they did not have the law and could not obey God’s commands. Paul was using the categories of Jewish thinking (cp. Matt 15:21-28 bq; 26:45 br; Luke 6:32-34 bs; 18:9-14 bt) with strong irony in light of the sinful condition of all people (Gal 2:16 bu; Rom 3:23 bv).
2:16 bw Jews and Gentiles alike are sinners; the Good News requires both Jews and Gentiles to acknowledge that they are sinful (see Rom 2:1-5 bx; 3:1-20 by) and in need of God’s grace (Rom 3:21-26 bz). Peter later demonstrated his agreement with this message (Acts 15:7-11 ca).
Summary for Gal 2:17-21: 2:17-21 cb The false teachers probably claimed that Paul’s law-free Good News would lead to lawlessness, that people would flaunt their sinfulness, and that Christ would thus be seen as leading people into sin (2:17 cc). Paul shows that this is false, because those who place their faith in Christ are empowered by the Holy Spirit to live holy, God-honoring lives (see 5:13-26 cd).
2:18 ce I am a sinner (or lawbreaker): Turning away from faith and back to the law brings a person under the jurisdiction of the law, where all stand under God’s judgment (Rom 3:10-12 cf, 23-24 cg; see Heb 6:1-8 ch), and is itself a serious sin against Christ (Gal 5:2-4 ci; cp. Heb 6:4-6 cj). See also study note on 2:19.
• if I rebuild: By insisting on keeping Jewish laws concerning food and circumcision (Gal 2:11-13 ck).
• Christ tore down the system of law through his death (Eph 2:14-16 cl).
2:19 cm when I tried to keep the law, it condemned me: Attempting to gain acceptance with God through keeping the law inevitably leads to sin (5:2-4 cn; see Rom 7:5 co, 8-11 cp), whereas living by the Spirit leads away from sin (Gal 5:16 cq, 22-24 cr).
• I died to the law: The NLT adds an explanation that this means I stopped trying to meet all its requirements. Those who trust in Christ participate in his death (2:20 cs); they are no longer under the law’s judgment (see Rom 6:2 ct, 10-11 cu; 7:2-6 cv), and they stop seeing the law as a means of their salvation. Instead, Christians live for God in a new relationship with God through Christ (Gal 3:23–4:11 cw; see Rom 6:10-11 cx; 14:7-8 cy; 2 Cor 5:15 cz).
2:20 da A law-free Good News does not lead to lawlessness, as Paul’s opponents argued (2:17 db), because lawlessness is a response of the unredeemed. The redeemed Christian has been crucified with Christ. See also Col 2:11-14 dc, 20-23 dd. A Christian has laid aside the old self, which strove to achieve merit by keeping the law (cp. Rom 7:4-6 de).
• It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me: Christians, having experienced Christ’s death and resurrection (Rom 6:1-14 df), have new hearts (see Jer 31:31-34 dg; 32:38-41 dh; Ezek 11:19-20 di; 36:24-31 dj) by the indwelling power of the Spirit (see Rom 8:9-11 dk; Eph 3:16-19 dl; Col 1:27 dm; 3:1-17 dn).
• I live in this earthly body: Christianity does not teach that the body is evil or that we have to escape from this world to have fellowship with God. Instead, by trusting in the Son of God, we fulfill God’s purposes for our lives.
• who loved me and gave himself for me: Christ’s self-giving love makes new life possible (Gal 1:4 do; Rom 8:32-39 dp; 2 Thes 2:16-17 dq).
2:21 dr Perhaps Paul’s opponents in Galatia suggested that his message would make God’s grace to Israel meaningless, since it was connected with the law (cp. Rom 3:1-2 ds, 31 dt). Instead, it was Paul’s opponents who treated the grace of God as meaningless by voiding the need for Christ to die.
Profile: Titus
Titus was a Gentile convert who served as one of Paul’s trusted assistants. One of Paul’s last letters was addressed to him, when Titus was helping to consolidate the church at Crete. Titus is an example of the Gentile converts who were so deeply touched by the Good News of Christ that they left their homes and devoted their lives to assisting Paul in the proclamation of the Good News.
We know nothing about Titus’s background or conversion; his name is not mentioned in Acts. We first hear of him as a Gentile believer who accompanied Paul and Barnabas to Jerusalem (Gal 2:1 du). Significantly, Paul emphasized that Titus was not compelled to be circumcised (Gal 2:3 dv).
Later, as a trusted member of Paul’s team, Titus was sent on special assignments. He was the one sent by Paul to Corinth to deal with a difficult situation there (apparently carrying the demanding letter mentioned in 2 Cor 2:4 dw, 9 dx; 7:8-9 dy). This task required both tact and strong leadership (Titus’s personality seems to have been stronger than Timothy’s; see 1 Cor 16:10-11 dz; 2 Cor 7:13-15 ea; 2 Tim 1:6-7 eb). When Titus returned to Paul with good news (2 Cor 7:6-7 ec, 13-15 ed), Paul sent him back to Corinth carrying the letter we call 2 Corinthians to encourage the believers to complete their money-raising project for the poor believers in Jerusalem. It was an assignment he eagerly accepted because of his love for the Christians in Corinth (2 Cor 7:15 ee; 8:6 ef, 16-17 eg). Paul speaks of him as a person of integrity and as one who is similar to Paul himself (2 Cor 8:23 eh; 12:18 ei).
A few years later, following Paul’s first trial in Rome and subsequent release, Paul left Titus on the island of Crete to help consolidate the church. While Titus was there, Paul wrote his letter to Titus, giving him advice on choosing church leaders and encouraging him to teach and model godly behavior. Paul then asked Titus to meet him at Nicopolis (in Achaia), where Paul hoped to spend the winter (Titus 3:12 ej). Later, shortly before Paul was killed in Rome, he wrote that Titus had gone to Dalmatia (along the Adriatic coast, northwest of modern-day Greece), probably for ministry there (2 Tim 4:10 ek).
The church historian Eusebius refers to an early tradition that Titus eventually settled on Crete, serving as the bishop there until he was quite old (Eusebius, Church History 3.4.6).
Passages for Further Study
2 Cor 2:13 el; 7:6 em, 13-14 en; 8:6 eo, 16-17 ep, 23 eq; 12:18 er; Gal 2:1 es, 3 et; 2 Tim 4:10 eu; Titus 1:4 ev; 2:1 ew
Profile: James, Brother of Jesus
James, one of Jesus’ brothers (Matt 13:55 ex; Mark 6:3 ey; Gal 1:19 ez; cp. Jude 1:1 fa), became the recognized leader of the church in Jerusalem shortly after Jesus’ resurrection. He is traditionally recognized as the author of the book of James.
Though Jesus’ brothers were initially skeptical of his claims (John 7:2-5 fb), they later became believers (Acts 1:14 fc). James’s personal encounter with the resurrected Jesus (1 Cor 15:7 fd) might have helped convince him. Two of Jesus’ brothers (James and Jude) are known to have played significant roles in the early Christian community. James quickly rose to the position of leader of the church in Jerusalem. At the council in Jerusalem, James was instrumental in getting the Jewish church leaders to accept Gentile believers without requiring that they be circumcised—a decision of major importance for Paul and the early mission to Gentiles (Acts 15:13-21 fe). Paul visited James in Jerusalem after his third missionary trip (Acts 21:18 ff), just as he had done earlier, following his conversion (Gal 1:19 fg).
Like most Jewish Christians, James continued to observe the law of Moses. He emphasized the need for believers to observe certain key laws when among Jews (Acts 15:20-21 fh; 21:18-25 fi). James acknowledged the validity of Paul’s missionary calling and emphasis on salvation by faith alone (Gal 2:6-9 fj), but many Jewish Christians did not. These Jewish believers—whom Paul does link with James on one occasion (see Gal 2:12)—demanded that Gentile converts be circumcised and observe the law of Moses in order to join the Christian community.
James’s Jewish background is reflected in his letter, which is full of wise, practical advice for living, much of it in line with the traditional wisdom teaching of Jewish Scripture. One paragraph of his letter (Jas 5:1-6 fk) reads very much like the work of the Old Testament prophets (e.g., cp. Amos 5:21-24 fl; 6:1-7 fm).
James, titled “the Just” by his contemporaries, was apparently put to death for his faith by Jewish priests in Jerusalem (Josephus, Antiquities 20.9; Eusebius, Church History 2.23.4–18).
Passages for Further Study
Matt 13:55 fn; Mark 6:3 fo; Acts 12:17 fp; 15:13-21 fq; 21:18-25 fr; 1 Cor 15:7 fs; Gal 2:9 ft, 12 fu; Jas 1:1–5:20 fv; Jude 1:1 fw
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