Galatians 2

Some people were against Paul and questioned whether he was a true apostle. They did not believe he was honest and did not think he had the right to be a leader in the church. So Paul begins his letter by explaining that he really was an apostle with authority from God.

The Judaizers (people who insisted on following Jewish customs) came to Galatia. They preached that both faith and circumcision were necessary. They questioned Paul's authority as an apostle and tried to discredit his message. Paul defended his authority by showing that past events proved his message was the true good news.

• Counting fourteen years from Paul's conversion (1:15–17), instead of from his previous visit (1:18), fits well with the events in Acts.

• The Galatian Christians knew who Barnabas was. This suggests that Paul and Barnabas first shared the good news about Jesus with them during their first missionary trip together (Acts 13:4–14:26; see Galatians Book Introduction, "Recipients").

• Titus was a non-Jewish believer who worked closely with Paul to help lead and strengthen churches. For more on Titus, see the "Titus" Profile.

When Paul visited Jerusalem for the second time, the other apostles agreed that what he was teaching was correct. According to tradition, Paul was writing about the important meeting of church leaders described in Acts 15:1–41. However, it is more likely that Paul was talking about his earlier visit to Jerusalem (Acts 11:30; 12:25; see Galatians Book Introduction, "Date of Writing").

• If Paul's visit in 2:1–10 was the same visit described in Acts 11:30, then God might have shown his will through the prophet Agabus's message and the church's decision to send help during a famine (Acts 11:27–29).

• If Paul needed approval from Jerusalem's leaders, he would have met them openly. Their private meeting shows no one thought he needed public approval.

• to those recognized as leaders: Paul does not speak about those leaders as if they were extremely important. He probably wrote this way because false teachers were giving these leaders too much respect and honor.

• Paul shared his message with the apostles in Jerusalem, not for approval, but to ensure agreement, preventing a split between Jewish and non-Jewish groups.

• for fear that I was running or had already run in vain: A division between Jewish and non-Jewish Christians would harm the unity Christ established (Galatians 3:28).

The apostles in Jerusalem fully agreed with Paul's message. They all believed the same good news: God's grace comes through faith in Christ, not by following the law. The Jerusalem apostles clearly did not believe that circumcision was necessary for a non-Jew like Titus.

• Paul called some supposed believers false, saying they were not Christians. They did not understand or truly accept the good news about Jesus, unlike the apostles in Jerusalem (2:3).

• had come in under false pretenses: Paul suggests that a larger group of Jewish "Christians" opposed his preaching (see Acts 15:5) and supported the false teachers who joined the church.

• Requiring non-Jewish Christians to follow Jewish law would trap them in rules and deny the good news of Jesus (see Galatians 3:23–4:11).

The false Christians entered the church in either Jerusalem or Antioch to weaken Paul's message. He taught that non-Jews (Gentiles) do not have to obey Jewish practices like circumcision.

• We did not give in to them for a moment: Titus was not circumcised (2:3). Paul did not require circumcision for non-Jewish Christians.

• so that the truth of the gospel would remain with you: The false teaching would ruin the the gospel (the good news about Jesus) by adding extra requirements and questioning the effectiveness of the death of Jesus and the grace of God (compare 2:11–21).

• The apostles in Jerusalem were seen as great leaders because they knew Jesus during his time on Earth. However, this did not give them more authority than Paul. What mattered most was Jesus personally choosing them (see 1 Corinthians 9:1; compare 2 Corinthians 12:11–12).

• God does not show favoritism: The Judaizers (a group insisting on Jewish customs) likely thought the Jerusalem apostles' direct connection to Jesus was an advantage. Paul argues that favoritism is not in God's character (compare Leviticus 19:15–16; Deuteronomy 1:17; 2 Chronicles 19:7; Job 13:10; Psalms 82:1–2; Proverbs 18:5; Malachi 2:8–9).

Paul's message agreed with the Jerusalem apostles, but their approval did not give Paul his authority (1:12, 16–20).

The apostles in Jerusalem noticed that Paul and Peter focused on different groups in their ministry:

• Peter mainly taught Jewish people (Acts 1:1–5:42; 9:1–10:48).

• Paul mainly taught non-Jewish people (Acts 13:1–28:31).

Even though they worked with different groups, they both taught the same good news (gospel) about Jesus.

• James: To learn more about James, who was the brother of Jesus. See "James, Brother of Jesus" Profile.

• they gave me and Barnabas a right hand of fellowship: This symbolic handshake showed full acceptance of Paul, Barnabas, their work, and their message.

When Paul talks about helping the poor, this matches the story in Acts 11:30; 12:25. The Christians in Judea experienced many years of severe poverty. Paul wanted the non-Jewish churches to help ease this hardship and create unity with the Jewish church (see Romans 15:25–27; 1 Corinthians 16:1–4; 2 Corinthians 8:1–9:15).

• When Cephas came to Antioch: Paul confronting Peter in the city of Antioch is not in the book of Acts, but it likely happened after Paul and Barnabas came back from their first journey to tell people about Jesus (Acts 14:26–28). Paul probably wrote this letter soon after. (The apostle Paul often used the name Cephas when writing about Peter in his letters. Cephas is an Aramaic word that means "rock" or "stone." In Greek, this same name is Petros, which we know in English as "Peter.")

• he stood condemned: Peter's actions did not match what he knew—that God accepts non-Jews through faith, not by following the law (see Acts 10–11).

• Paul had to confront Peter directly. Paul wanted to protect the good news from being changed (Galatians 2:21). This meant publicly showing that Peter's public action was wrong (compare 1 Timothy 5:20).

In Antioch, Peter and others went against their own beliefs and changed the good news about Jesus. This event is not mentioned in the book of Acts. Paul corrected Peter, showing that Paul's role as an apostle was independent of Jerusalem and true to the good news about Jesus.

• Peter ate with the non-Jewish believers because God had shown him it was right (Acts 10:9–16, 34–35).

• James's friends wanted to stop Jewish and non-Jewish believers from eating and meeting together freely. These people insisted that everyone should follow strict Jewish religious customs. They tried to force non-Jewish believers to follow Jewish rules about food and religious practices.

• he used to eat with the Gentiles. But when they arrived, he began to draw back and separate himself: When Peter refused to share meals and the Lord’s Supper (see 1 Corinthians 11:20–22, 33–34) with fellow Christians, he created a divide between Jewish and Gentile (non-Jewish) Christians. This suggested that Jewish customs made them more acceptable to God. If not uncorrected, Peter’s actions would have weakened the message of salvation by grace through faith.

• for fear of those in the circumcision group: James's friends pressured Peter so much that he became afraid. This was surprising because earlier, when people criticized Peter for the same thing, he had stood up to them bravely and spoke strong words to defend his actions (Acts 11:2–18).
  
  Peter might have had two reasons for his actions. First, he might have worried that his actions would make it harder for Jewish people to accept Jesus. Second, he might have been worried about the safety of Jewish Christians in Judea, who were being treated badly by non-Christian Jews (compare 5:11; 6:12). But even if Peter had good reasons, what he did was still wrong.

When Peter acted like a hypocrite, he led other Jewish believers to make the same mistake. They started acting as if people needed to follow Jewish customs to be accepted by God, which went against the good news about Jesus.

• By living like a Gentile (eating with non-Jewish people and not following Jewish food laws), Peter showed that God accepts Gentiles equally with Jews through faith in Christ (see Acts 10:34–43; 11:17–18).

• how can you compel the Gentiles to live like Jews? Both Jews and Gentiles would understand this from Peter’s actions.

• When Peter and the other Jewish believers stopped eating with non-Jewish believers, they were sending the wrong message. Their actions suggested that believing in Jesus was not enough and that people also needed to follow Jewish laws to be truly accepted by God. Paul strongly argues against this. He explained that we are made right with God only through his kindness (grace) when we believe in Jesus (Ephesians 2:8–9).

• We cannot tell exactly where Paul's public words to Peter end and his message to the Galatians begins (see study note on Galatians 2:16). When Paul corrected Peter, he was also correcting the Galatians (see 3:1).

Gentiles were considered "sinners" because they did not have the law and could not obey God's commands. Paul used Jewish thinking categories (compare Matthew 15:21–28; 26:45; Luke 6:32–34; 18:9–14) with strong irony, emphasizing that everyone is sinful (Galatians 2:16; Romans 3:23).

Both Jews and non-Jews are sinners. The good news requires everyone to admit their sins (see Romans 2:1–5; 3:1–20) and seek God's grace (Romans 3:21–26). Peter later showed he agreed with this message (Acts 15:7–11).

Some false teachers were spreading false ideas about Paul's good news. They likely argued that if people did not have to follow the Jewish laws, they would just do whatever sinful things they wanted. Jesus would then be seen as leading people into sin (2:17). Paul explains how this is not true. Those who trust in Jesus receive strength from the Holy Spirit to live holy lives that honor God (see 5:13–26).

• I prove myself to be a lawbreaker: Abandoning faith and returning to the law places a person under the law's authority, where everyone faces God’s judgment (Romans 3:10–12, 23–24; see Hebrews 6:1–8). This act is a serious sin against Christ (Galatians 5:2–4; compare Hebrews 6:4–6). See also study note on 2:19.

• If I rebuild: This refers to insisting on following Jewish laws about food and circumcision (Galatians 2:11–13).

• When Jesus died on the cross, he ended the old system of religious laws that separated Jewish and non-Jewish people from each other and from God (Ephesians 2:14–16). His death created a new way for all people to come to God through faith.

• For through the law: Trying to please God by following the law always leads to sin (5:2–4; see Rom 7:5, 8–11). Living by the Spirit leads away from sin (Galatians 5:16, 22–24).

• I died to the law: "Dying to the law" means stopping the attempt to meet all its demands. Those who trust in Christ share in his death (2:20). They are no longer judged by the law (see Romans 6:2, 10–11; 7:2–6) and do not see the law as a way to be saved. Instead, Christians live for God in a new relationship with him through Christ (Galatians 3:23–4:11; see Romans 6:10–11; 14:7–8; 2 Corinthians 5:15).

• Paul's good news about Jesus (that we do not need to follow Jewish laws to be saved) does not mean people will just do whatever wrong things they want (2:17). This is because lawlessness (ignoring or disobeying God's commands) is a response of those who are not redeemed. A redeemed Christian has been crucified with Christ. See also Colossians 2:11–14, 20–23. A Christian has left behind the old self, which tried to earn merit by following the law (compare Romans 7:4–6).

• I no longer live, but Christ lives in me: Christians have experienced Christ’s death and resurrection (Romans 6:1–14). They have new hearts (see Jeremiah 31:31–34; 32:38–41; Ezekiel 11:19–20; 36:24–31). These new hearts come through the Spirit's power within them (see Romans 8:9–11; Ephesians 3:16–19; Colossians 1:27; 3:1–17).

• The life I live in the body: Christianity does not say the body is evil or that we must leave 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 up for me: Christ’s self-giving love makes new life possible (Galatians 1:4; Romans 8:32–39; 2 Thessalonians 2:16–17).

Paul's opponents in Galatia might have argued that his message made God's grace to Israel meaningless because it was connected to the law (see Romans 3:12, 31). However, it was actually Paul’s opponents who made God's grace meaningless by denying the need for Christ's death.