The Book of Galatians – Chapter 2
The Jerusalem Council
Gal 2:1 Fourteen years later I went up again to Jerusalem, this time with Barnabas. I took Titus along also. NIV
The Apostle Paul’s conversion to Christ happened around 33 A.D. as he left Jerusalem and headed toward Damascus. It would be another three years before he would return to Jerusalem. His visit there, however, was short lived – only about 15 days. Following that, he traveled to Antioch, Tarsus, and completed his first missionary journey in Asia Minor. It would be a total of fourteen years since his last visit before he finally returned back to the Holy City of Jerusalem. The time now was about 49/50 A.D., shortly after his 1st missionary journey to Galatia.
For his journey, Paul took with him Barnabas, his partner on his 1st missionary journey, and Titus, a Gentile convert whom Paul placed in charge of the churches on the island of Crete. [i] Together the three traveled to Jerusalem.
A private meeting with James and Peter - The Jerusalem Council
Scholars have disagreed on whether the Council of Jerusalem, dated shortly after the Apostle Paul’s first missionary Journey to Galatia, happened before or after the writings of the Book of Galatia. Most scholars today, however, support that it came shortly after his 1st missionary journey and in response to the Judaizer’s uprising to the Galatian churches.
Up to this point of time, meaning 49/50 A.D., most followers of Christ were Jews by birth, and Christianity was simply considered a part of Judaism. Because of the influx of Gentile converts to Christianity who did not want to follow Jewish laws and traditions, Paul called a private meeting (which became known as the Jerusalem Council) with the Jerusalem apostles to settle the issue of whether Gentile believers needed to convert to Judaism to be saved – especially performing the act of circumcision. The men Paul chose to accompany him were deliberately planned. Barnabas, a well accepted apostle for Christ was Paul’s partner on his 1st missionary trip to Asia Minor and could substantiate the proof of God’s sanctioning their preaching to the Gentiles to the Jerusalem Church leaders. Titus was a Gentile convert and a devout follower of Christ who was not circumcised, nor did he live by the Jewish rites and customs. In fact, he was a preacher for the Gospel of Christ. [ii] He was living proof that to be a Gentile follower of Christ did not mean one had to become a Jewish believer in Christ. The three traveled to Jerusalem to settle this issue once and for all.
Led by pillars of the Church, James and Peter, who were both Jewish and who continued to follow the Law of Moses, the Apostle Paul contended with them by the Word of God that all men could come to God through Christ, but not all men needed to follow Judaism to be saved. After much debate, the Council agreed to settle and follow what was then known as the ancient Noahide Laws for the Gentiles, which allowed Gentiles to follow God according to their tradition. As such, the ruling of the Council stated that Jews could still follow the Mosaic Law in their faith in Christ and the Gentile converts did not need to be circumcised; however, they still needed to follow the Law in that they were prohibited to eat meat containing blood or improperly slain. They also needed to follow the prohibition of fornication and idol worship as set up in the Law of Moses. This way, Jewish believers could still keep the Law, and yet still rely on Jesus as the “one true sacrifice” for mankind. The Gentile believers in Christ then could follow Christ outside of Judaism. In essence, the Jerusalem Church Council created a double standard – one for Jewish Christians and one for Gentile converts. This double standard became the division between Judaism and the Church, which is still evident even today.
Gal 2:2-3 I went in response to a revelation and set before them the gospel that I preach among the Gentiles. But I did this privately to those who seemed to be leaders, for fear that I was running or had run my race in vain. Yet not even Titus, who was with me, was compelled to be circumcised, even though he was a Greek. NIV
Paul continues in his defense of the Gospel of Jesus Christ in his letter to the Galatians by telling them about the private council he had with the original apostles, meaning Peter and James, in that they supported Gentile converts into Christianity and that it was not necessary for them to be circumcised. In essence, he was trying to win them back to Christ, showing them that they were justified by their faith in Christ and not by works of the Law. Details of the Jerusalem Council can be seen in Acts 15.
The infiltration of the Judaizers
Gal 2:4-5 This matter arose because some false brothers had infiltrated our ranks to spy on the freedom we have in Christ Jesus and to make us slaves. We did not give in to them for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel might remain with you. NIV
Here, in his letter to the Galatians, the Apostle Paul is calling the Judaizers by name. He acknowledges them as the ones who had infiltrated the Galatians presence, attempting to nullify everything he had taught. In this letter that the apostle sent to the Galatians, he was re-establishing his authority as an apostle of Christ and the validity of his message to the Gentiles. He was confirming to them that what the Judaizers had stated, in that all Gentile believers had to be enslaved within Judaism to be saved, as well as Paul’s lack of authority were false. He was showing proof to them that the original apostles supported him as an apostle of Christ to the Gentiles and his messages came directly from God.
It must be noted that the Apostle Paul was not necessarily seeking the approval of the original apostles in setting up that meeting, because his calling came directly from Christ; however, he sought to work in harmony with them. Paul wanted to show the Jerusalem apostles that the message of Christ was the same, just as Jesus had given him revelation while away in Arabia, only the customs of the Jews differed from that of the Gentiles. He wanted to show them that it was only through what Christ did for both Jew and Gentiles alike that a person becomes saved. It wasn’t salvation plus works of any customs or laws.
Gal 2:6 As for those who seemed to be important-whatever they were makes no difference to me; God does not judge by external appearance-those men added nothing to my message. NIV
The Apostle Paul knew he was right in what he preached; however, he still used prudence and caution as he approached James and Peter. He chose to do talk to these Church leaders in a private meeting so that he would not publicly damage theirs or his reputation. The last thing he wanted to do was stir up opposition against himself and thereby have his ministry be called a fraud.
Personal application : Just as it is today, nothing hinders the Gospel more than for fellow believers arguing over doctrinal differences. It is the Word of God that brings Truth.
The Apostle Paul did not come against the Jews for their desire to continue in the Law of Moses and its traditions, as long as it was an accepted fact they trusted in Jesus as the eternal sacrifice for all sin. It was the adherence of the Law being forced upon the Gentiles to which Paul objected. He insisted, by the words of Jesus, that Titus did not need to be circumcised to be a convert to Christ. Neither did he, nor any other Gentile convert have to follow the Jewish laws. Titus’ life gave them demonstration that he had made a genuine conversion to Christ. He was living proof.
Both James and Peter were Jewish believers in Christ who still followed the Law of Moses. To them, Jesus was the fulfilled Messiah as prophesied throughout the Old Covenant. Their mission was to the Jews, so that was the message they preached. Paul, on the other hand, was a preacher to the Gentiles. The approach of his message of Jesus differed from what was preached to the Jews. While the words of salvation remained the same, the approach was different with each group. Paul used the words of Jesus, claiming all men could come to God through Christ, but not all men needed to follow Judaism to be saved.
John 3:16-18 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son. NIV
Personal application : As believers today, we must always preach the same Gospel; however, our approach to different groups of people can vary. Insisting that all believers follow our Christian traditions is judgmental. By adhering to such, many groups of people may not be won over to Christ. Insisting that one must dress up to go to church, or even insisting the pastor wear a gown or suit, carrying judgment toward those who do not follow our preferred mode can be construed as religious. Today, the new generation of believers coming forth are primarily the teens, college students, young married, and a variety of minority groups. Most of them wear T shirts and jeans. To have a pastor relate to them in their mode of dress and style is not sacrilegious, but wisdom in reaching that particular kind of body of people. Here, we can learn from the Apostle Paul in his methodology of reaching various groups of people.
I Cor 9:20-23 To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews…(though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God's law but am under Christ's law), so as to win those not having the law. To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings. NIV
Paul acclaimed as an apostle of Jesus Christ
Gal 2:7-9 On the contrary, they saw that I had been entrusted with the task of preaching the gospel to the Gentiles, just as Peter had been to the Jews. For God, who was at work in the ministry of Peter as an apostle to the Jews, was also at work in my ministry as an apostle to the Gentiles. James, Peter and John, those reputed to be pillars, gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship when they recognized the grace given to me. They agreed that we should go to the Gentiles, and they to the Jews. NIV
As representatives of all the original apostles of Jesus, James and Peter saw that God’s grace was given to Paul and that he was designed by God to the honor and office of a true apostle. They knew that his presentation of the Gospel, given by Christ to him, was genuine. They concluded the meeting by the symbol of giving Paul the “right hand of fellowship,” which acknowledged true friendship and his equality with them.
Right-hand of fellowship
Designation a pledge of friendship
In that handshake, their custom acknowledged Paul was also an apostle of Jesus Christ, just as they were. Paul was clear to point that out in his letter to the Galatians. James and Peter agreed that Paul should continue to preach to the Gentile world without the requirements of following the Law. The Jewish converts, on the other hand, were free to accept Christ as the True Messiah and continue to follow the Laws of Moses, as passed down through the centuries. Hence, they justly concluded that the gospel of the uncircumcision was committed to Paul, as the gospel of the circumcision was given to Peter.
The Gospel to the Gentiles was committed to Paul, and the Gospel to the Jews was given to Peter
Four concessions given to the Gentile believers
The Jerusalem Council did, however, have four concessions that needed to be followed by the Gentiles. In that, they followed what was then known as the ancient Noahide Laws for the Gentiles, which, in essence, still allowed the Jews to follow the Mosaic Law in their faith in Christ, while the Gentile converts did not need to be circumcised. They all agreed on the following concessions.
All Gentile converts must:
1. Abstain from all idol worship
2. Abstain from fornication
3. Abstain from eating meat that was not properly slain
4. Abstain from eating meat containing blood
Sadly, this necessary ruling of the Jerusalem Church Council created a double standard – one for Jewish Christians and one for Gentile converts. Although it seemed to solve an immediate problem, this double standard became the division between Judaism and the Church. This division can even be seen today.
The meeting ended in an entire harmony and agreement; they approved both Paul's doctrine and conduct, they were fully satisfied in him, heartily embraced him as an apostle of Christ, and had nothing further to add, only that they remember the poor, which Paul openly supported. [iii]
Be willing to give to the poor
Gal 2:10 All they asked was that we should continue to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do. NIV
To maintain unity and love toward one another, keeping a bond between Jewish and Gentile believers, each needed to support one another. Each were to be separated from the world of paganism and alienation and unkind feelings toward one another should be avoided at all cost. The Church was to be “one” in Christ. As believers in Christ, they should always bind together with a heart of love for one another. [iv] Paul fully agreed to all concessions.
Following that, James and Peter made a public affirmation regarding their decision with the Gentile believers. Paul’s apostleship was announced and the four concessions of the Council were given. James and Peter then sent certain apostles and elders went back to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas to pass the information to the Gentile believers.
Oppositions with Peter and James
Gal 2:11-14 When Peter came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he was clearly in the wrong. Before certain men came from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles. But when they arrived, he began to draw back and separate himself from the Gentiles because he was afraid of those who belonged to the circumcision group. The other Jews joined him in his hypocrisy, so that by their hypocrisy even Barnabas was led astray. When I saw that they were not acting in line with the truth of the gospel, I said to Peter in front of them all, "You are a Jew, yet you live like a Gentile and not like a Jew. How is it, then, that you force Gentiles to follow Jewish customs? NIV
To be a faithful Jew, following the Law of Moses, whether one became a Messianic Jew or remained an orthodox Jew, there were strong separations from the Gentiles. The act of circumcision (meaning separation from Genteelism) was the dividing symbolism. Once that issue was settled within Messianic Judiasm, the Jewish dietary laws became the greatest dilemma; such as: It was against the Law of Moses to associate and eat with Gentiles, and it certainly was against the Law to eat meat that was not properly koshered or offered to pagan idols.
Kosher meat
Properly slaughtered according to Jewish Law. The meat was drained of
all blood, properly prepared and prayed over. No koshered meat could be mixed with milk, wine, or grape juice as was often done by the Gentiles.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kosher_foods
Sometime after the Council of Jerusalem, Peter went to Antioch to check out the rumor regarding many Gentiles were coming to Christ. As seen in Acts 11, Peter had earlier been given a vision from God that eating other meat was fine. God obviously had prepared Peter’s heart for the decision that he would be making at the Jerusalem Council. The Council had now met (Acts 15) and made its decision, with Peter approval.
Again, as long as the Gentiles followed the four concessions given by the Council, they were approved by the Church at Jerusalem. As a result, Peter openly socialized with Gentile believers as long as no other Messianic leaders were present. When Jewish Christian leaders were present, they avoided the Gentile believers, not treating them as brothers in Christ. James was often guilty of the same thing. This created quite a dilemma. Both men were now operating in hypocrisy of the ruling they had approved of earlier, and as such were leading others believers astray. So when Peter came to Antioch, Paul felt it necessary to confront him to his face. Since Peter’s public behavior was leading other believers astray, shunning the Gentile believers when Jewish believers were present, it was essential for Paul to correct him publicly. Even Barnabas, who was a Jew, was almost smitten by Peter’s behavior as well. Living as a Jewish believer, he was not obliged to live after the manner of the Gentiles, but he was obliged to treat them as brothers in Christ. He, also, was showing hypocritical thinking in his behavior in the presence of other Jewish believers. Thus, the division continued.
The Apostle Paul was a master at cultural adapting the Gospel to the Gentiles. Not everyone, however, was. The question then arises – if, and only if, the Jewish and Gentile believers ate together, would the Jewish believers have separate kosher food? How can Messianic believers follow the Torah, keeping its purity, and still eat with Gentile believers? Again, the Jewish believers were not required to follow Gentile dietary laws, and it was agreed at the Council, it was Gentile believers who had to concede to the four laws as set down by the Jerusalem Council. With this perplexed situation, could the two sects remain in unity together?
Gal 2:14-16 When I saw that they were not acting in line with the truth of the gospel, I said to Peter in front of them all, "You are a Jew, yet you live like a Gentile and not like a Jew. How is it, then, that you force Gentiles to follow Jewish customs? "We who are Jews by birth and not 'Gentile sinners' know that a man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by observing the law, because by observing the law no one will be justified. NIV
Again, the whole principle of grace was at stake. The Word of God explicitly states that only through Christ can salvation be attained. It is not of works at all. Could then Jewish and Gentile believers work together? Can a Gentile church work alongside a Jewish church? Would any bond of unity remain, or would it be broken? [v]
Personal application: Can Gentile believers and Messianic believers work together today. What about recognizing and accepting other Christians of different denominations? Our particular denomination (or non-denomination) is not the only one. Again, we must always remember the whole principle of grace. While we may have differing customs and traditions that we may or may not be in agreement with, we are still the Body of Christ working together to win the lost world to Christ.
Gal 2:17 -19 If, while we seek to be justified in Christ, it becomes evident that we ourselves are sinners, does that mean that Christ promotes sin? Absolutely not. 18. If I rebuild what I destroyed, I prove that I am a lawbreaker. 19 For though the law I died to the law so that I might live for God. NIV
While the Pharisees and the Saducees taught that to be holy in the sight of God, one must rigidly follow the law, meaning the Oral law that was passed down through the centuries, Paul was careful to point out that the written Word of God teaches that justification do not come by works of the law, but justification in Christ. Everyone is a sinner and needs to be justified.
Ps 143:2 Do not enter into judgment with Your servant, For in Your sight no one living is righteous. NKJV
Justification
To be declared and considered righteous in God's eyes - to be vindicated of any charges of sin and failure to keep God's holy law.
It seems here that the Jews considered it a lowering of themselves to the Gentiles to claim simple faith in Christ for justification before God. Christ through His death on the cross released and freed man from the bondage to the law, meaning the traditional Oral Law that had been passed down through the generations. Paul was quick to point out that Christ was NOT a minister of sin because of that release. He was the one to whom all men must come to to receive salvation in God. He was claiming that faith in Christ is for both Jew and Gentile on equal terms. Jews were not a superior breed over the Gentiles. Salvation in God did not come by being a Jew or practicing Jewish traditional laws - it came by simple faith in Christ Jesus and what He did to free man from sin. For Paul to go back to what he believed and taught as a Pharisee, he would be rebuilding what he tried to tear down in claiming that through Christ one must be saved. He would then be a law breaker, because he would be violating the Word of God. He died to that old law so he could live for God through Christ.
Gal 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
Gal 2:21. I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing! NIV
End Notes
[i] http://www.studylight.org/com/mlg/view.cgi?book=ga&chapter=002
[ii] Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible: New Modern Edition, Electronic Database. (c) 1991 Hendrickson Publishers, Inc.
[iii] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Council_of_Jerusalem
[iv] Barnes' Notes, Electronic Database. Copyright (c) 1997 by Biblesoft
[v] The Wycliffe Bible Commentary, Electronic Database. (c) 1962 by Moody Press