The Meeting

INTRO

Jewish believers seem to have had a hard time with the fact that Paul was willing to share the gospel with people who were down and out. Additionally, Paul didn’t require these new converts, many of whom weren’t Jewish, to observe the Law. The Gentiles embraced the gospel differently than many of the Jews did. This created some problems with Jewish believers who still operated under a faith and works understanding of salvation.

TEACHING

Galatians 2:1-2: Wiersbe termed the meeting which Paul described as “The Private Consultation.”¹ Paul, Barnabas and Titus went to Jerusalem to inform the Jerusalem leaders about the gospel that he preached among the Gentiles. This was Paul showing honor to the leaders of the church and submitting to their leadership. He even went so far as to allow the Jerusalem leaders to determine if his gospel was correct (v. 2).

When it says Paul went up to Jerusalem (v. 1), we have to ask, which trip to Jerusalem was he referencing. Paul made at least five visits to Jerusalem.²

1. After his Damascus road encounter with Jesus—“When he arrived in Jerusalem, he tried to associate with the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, since they did not believe he was a disciple” (Acts 9:26-30; Galatians 1:18-20).
2. The famine visit—“Then one of them, named Agabus, stood up and predicted by the Spirit that there would be a severe famine throughout the Roman world. This took place during the time of Claudius. So each of the disciples, according to his ability, determined to send relief to the brothers who lived in Judea. They did this, sending it to the elders by means of Barnabas and Saul” (Acts 11:28–30; Galatians 2:1-10).
3. The Jerusalem Council—probably the visit that lines up the best with Galatians 2. Galatians 2 articulates what took place at the Jerusalem Council (Acts 15:1-29).
4. The end of Paul’s second missionary journey (Acts 18:22).
5. His final visit that resulted in his imprisonment (Acts 21:15—23:35).

Barnabas and Titus accompanied Paul on this trip to Jerusalem. Barnabas’s name means “Son of Encouragement.” Barnabas was with Paul during the famine visit and on the first missionary journey, so he was in a unique position to vouch for Paul’s preaching and ministry. Paul also brought Titus, a Gentile believer who most likely became a believer as a result of Paul’s ministry: “To Titus, my true son in our common faith”(Titus 1:4).³

With whom did they meet? Galatians 2:9 specifically names “James, Cephas [Peter], and John.” Peter and John were disciples of Jesus. Jesus had given Peter “the keys” to open the door of faith. John was one of the inner three of Jesus’ disciples. James was Jesus’ brother who did not initially believe in Jesus but who later became a leader in the Jerusalem church.⁴

Galatians 2:3–5: Wiersbe termed this “The Public Convocation.”⁵ Titus, a Gentile believer, had not been circumcised and did not feel “compelled to be circumcised.” Circumcision was the mark that the Jewish people were in a covenant relationship with God. The fact that Titus had not been circumcised was a huge issue with some “false brothers” who managed to get into the meeting. Paul had been preaching a message of salvation by faith alone while some insisted on Jesus and works as the way to salvation. Paul understood Jesus to be the Liberator: “Christ has liberated us to be free. Stand firm then and don’t submit again to a yoke of slavery” (Galatians 5:1). He refused to “give up and submit to these people . . . so that . . . the gospel would be preserved for you” (v. 5).

Galatians 2:6–10: Wiersbe called this section, “The Personal Confirmation.”⁶ While Peter, James, and John had prominent positions in the church, Paul knew–God does not show favoritism. Ultimately, Paul pursued God’s affirmation and not the affirmation of these leaders. Peter, James, and John saw Paul had a different mission. While Peter had been sent to the circumcised, they recognized Paul had a unique call to the uncircumcised. Nelson’s Commentary points out the leaders offered Paul “the right hand of fellowship [which] was a “common sign of acceptance and friendship. It indicated full recognition of Paul by the representatives of the Jerusalem church.”⁷ Their only stipulation was that Paul “remember the poor” (v. 10), something Paul had already done and would continue to do.

At this point, everyone was on the same page. Paul and Peter had reached an understanding of their missions and understood one another’s teaching and mission.

Galatians 2:11–14: Paul recounted an experience with Peter in which Peter acted hypocritically. Peter came to Antioch and ate with Gentiles until “certain men came from James” (v. 12). These men would have been Jewish believers who still taught circumcision. After they arrived, Peter removed himself from the Gentiles and other Jewish believers; even Barnabas followed his example (v. 13) “because he feared those from the circumcision party” (v. 12). Paul publicly confronted Peter because of their previous private conversation (v. 14).

Galatians 2:15–21: Paul reiterated that faith in Jesus alone justifies believers. He knew that observing the law would never lead to one’s justification before God. If it were even possible for someone to earn righteousness before God through the law then Jesus would have died for nothing (v. 21).

CLOSING

The gospel of faith alone was meant for both Jews and Gentiles.