You have no idea how I am falling in love with the Book of Galatians. It is a very short book but it is pregnant with countless truths of God.

In my last week video, I tried to share with you Galatian chapter one. And today I am trying my best to share with you Galatians chapter two. In your own private study, I am sure the Holy Spirit will teach you more. Just like you, I too am still a student of this book.

This chapter starts with Paul’s trip. Since his conversion, this is Paul’s second trip to Jerusalem. His first trip was mentioned in chapter one. His first trip was short and was initiated by Paul just to see Peter for two weeks.

This second trip was initiated by God: “It was because of a revelation that I went up” Verse 2a.

During this time, Jerusalem church was in turmoil. Why? Some false teachers went in secretly and began teaching a different thing. They were not true to the true Gospel. As Galatian chapter one says, there is only one Gospel. Anything different from the true Gospel is not Gospel, it is not Good News. Anything remotely different from the true Gospel is actually the Bad News.

What was the different teaching those false teachers brought into Jerusalem?

“Non-Jew-people can be born again Christians only if they first receive circumcision and enter into the Mosaic covenant.”

This is not Gospel. This is the way to be back to slavery again!

So, Paul came to Jerusalem and shared his Gospel to the Lord’s Disciples there. Paul didn’t have any doubt about the Gospel he was preaching, but unless the leaders in Jerusalem, the most influential leaders at the time, preach the same Gospel Paul was preaching, Paul’s 18-years’ worth of work and his future work would be in vain. So, Paul went to Jerusalem and shared his Gospel with the leaders there. Listen:

“It was because of a revelation that I went up; and I submitted to them the gospel which I preach among the Gentiles, but I did so in private to those who were of reputation, for fear that I might be running, or had run, in vain.” Verse 2

What was the outcome of that private meeting?

The Disciples agreed with Paul’s Gospel. They didn’t have anything to add or take away from Paul’s Gospel. Paul went there with Barnabas and Titus, Titus is from Greek, meaning he was a non-Jew but the Disciples didn’t say to Paul, “But this non-Jew has to be a Jew first to be a born-again Christian.”

“But not even Titus, who was with me, though he was a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised.” Verse 3

Why was this issue of circumcision important for Paul to mention it here? Listen:

“But it was because of the false brethren secretly brought in, who had sneaked in to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, in order to bring us into bondage. But we did not yield in subjection to them for even an hour, so that the truth of the gospel would remain with you.” Verse 5-6

The main leaders, or as Paul called them, “those who were of high reputation” not only agreed with Paul’s Gospel but they saw, accepted and believed the grace God has given to Paul, to preach the Gospel to Gentiles, non-Jew nations. They only asked Paul to remember the poor which was something Paul was eager to do and was actually doing at that time (verse 7-10).

Then Peter, one of the three pillars of the Jerusalem church Peter, John and James, came to Antioch, the city where Paul was staying. Peter came and acted as a hypocrite. When people from Jerusalem, Jew-Christians, come, Peter acted as if he believed the new and false teaching that was going on in Jerusalem, which says, a person has to be a Jew first before they become born-again Christians. Peter used to eat with the non-Jew Christians claiming that they all were one in Christ. But those Jew-Christians from Jerusalem come, he withdraws himself from the non-Jew as if they were second citizens, born again Christians but not at the same level as Jew-Christians. Peter was one of the most influential leaders of all. Whatever he says or does many will follow suit without asking any question as if he says or does something God approves. So, because of his act, many followed him and the church divided into two groups: The nobodies and the somebodies who are entitled to receive special attention, treatment, special seats and everything in between (verse 11-13).

Then what happened?

Listen:

“But when I saw that they were not straightforward about the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas in the presence of all, “If you, being a Jew, live like the Gentiles and not like the Jews, how is it that you compel the Gentiles to live like Jews?” Verse 14

You know what I call that?

Courage on Paul’s part!

Who was Cephas/Peter?

The most famous and influential minister of all! Who was Paul, at least among Christians at that time? The nobody with very bad past recorder (persecutor of the church, put many Christians into prison, agreed to kill Stephan – Acts 7, 8).

And Paul exposed in front of everybody the truth about Peter, the double life he was leading.

Just imagine! The Jew-Christians from Jerusalem couldn’t believe their ears, “Huh! Peter lives like Gentiles, eating bacon and all the non-Kosher diet?”

This is one of those scenes and moments that you want to disappear in thin air! The emotion was so raw and thick!

But Paul didn’t care less! He knows that he had to do it!

Did Paul do that because Peter had million subscribers on his YouTube channel while he had only two subscribers? Peter was very famous and Paul was not that famous and Paul didn’t like that?

Are you crazy????

This is not a personal issue! This is the issue of the Gospel, the only One Gospel Gos has given to human race! And Paul puts his life in line for this Gospel!

Listen how Paul spelled out the truth of the Gospel:

“We are Jews by nature and not sinners from among the Gentiles; nevertheless knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the Law; since by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified.” Verse 15-16

Simple and straightforward!

Whenever I read verse 16, I remember the very first Gospel we find in the Old Testament:

“Then he[Abram] believed in the Lord; and He reckoned it to him as righteousness.” Genesis 15:6

Praise God!

You see, this is the reason why Jesus had to come:

“For in Your sight no man living is righteous.” Psalm 143:2b

“God has looked down from heaven upon the sons of men
To see if there is anyone who understands,
Who seeks after God.
Every one of them has turned aside; together they have become corrupt;
There is no one who does good, not even one.” Psalm 53:2-3

Jesus came and died on the cross, carrying our sins on the cross, taking all our punishments, taking our death penalty. Why? To present us as righteous before His Father, but Jesus does not present every human being but only those who believe and receive the work of Jesus on the cross saying, “Yes, Jesus Christ died on the cross for my sin, He was buried and on the third day, He raised from the dead to make me alive with Him forever and He will come to take me so I live with Him forever.”

Paul cannot tolerate anyone playing a foolish game with this pure Gospel! He chooses his death than seeing and hearing another and different “gospel.”

Paul as he usual does addressed the objection that might come from the Jew-Christians. “Okay, you guys are saved only by believing the in the Lord Jesus Christ and you are righteous! Well, what about the sin you commit today? Your Jesus is then the minister of sinners, huh?”

Paul said, “That should tell you how I am a dead man to the Law.” Listen:

“But if, while seeking to be justified in Christ, we ourselves have also been found sinners, is Christ then a minister of sin? May it never be! For if I rebuild what I have once destroyed, I prove myself to be a transgressor. For through the Law I died to the Law, so that I might live to God.” Verse 17-19

I may sin as a born-again Christian but I do not build a nest and live with sin. I fight against sin until I take my last breath because I am dead to the Law but alive to Christ.

Listen to the most incredible truth of God about everyone who is in Christ:

“I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.” Verse 20

This is the confession of all who are in Christ Jesus! This is the truth about us who are in Christ Jesus. We are crucified with Christ and we now live in the flesh by faith in the Son of God who loved us and gave Himself up for us! Praise God!

If there is anybody perfect, righteous, doing all the Laws perfectly on this planet earth, Christ’s death would be in vain. But Christ’s death will never be in vain for none of us can save ourselves from hell by keeping all the Laws perfectly. That is why we desperately need such a Savior as Jesus Christ.

“I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the Law, then Christ died needlessly.” Verse 21

Praise God!

So, let us not nullify the grace of God, His free gift of life, His precious gift to us, Jesus Christ! Let us not tolerate false teaching! Let us expose false teaching so that the one Gospel we have will get to every soul and many will be saved. ///