Council and Conciliation

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January 25, 2009 - Galatians 2:1-10

Open It

  1. What location do you enjoy visiting?

  2. If you could work in a new location among a particular group of people, where and whom would you select?

  3. Whose opinion of your work is very important to you?

Explore It

  1. On a return trip to Jerusalem, whom did Paul take along? (2:1)

  2. Why did Paul go to Jerusalem? (2:2)

  3. Why did Paul seize the opportunity to meet with the other apostles? (2:2)

  4. What was Paul's motive in bringing Titus along on the Jerusalem trip? (2:3-5)

  5. What did the "false brothers" do? (2:4)

  6. How did Paul and his partners respond to the Judaizers? (2:5)

  7. How did the Jerusalem leaders respond to Paul's message? (2:6)

  8. How did James, Peter, and John respond to Paul's mission? (2:7-9)

  9. What was the "right hand of fellowship"? (2:9)

  10. What was the only thing that the Jewish leaders requested of Paul? (2:10)

Get It

  1. Even though Paul asserted his independence from the apostles, how did he also show his solidarity with them?

  2. Why was it important for Paul to have the apostles' approval?

  3. Why was it important for Paul to stand up for freedom from the Law?

  4. In what ways do some Christians try to impose rules on others?

  5. What does caring for the poor have to do with telling others about Christ?

Apply It

  1. How can you express today your appreciation and respect for older Christians who have helped you in your spiritual walk?

  2. What can you do to help a poor person or family this week?

Notes

Galatians 2:1: Paul was converted around A.D. 35. The 14 years he mentions are probably calculated from the time of his conversion. Therefore, this trip to Jerusalem was not his first. Most likely, he made his first trip to Jerusalem around A.D. 38 (see Acts 9:26-30), and other trips to Jerusalem in approximately A.D. 44 (Acts 11:29-30; Galatians 2:1-10), A.D. 49/50 (Acts 15), A.D. 52 (Acts 18:22, where the church refers to the church in Jerusalem), and A.D. 57 (Acts 21:15ff). Paul probably visited Jerusalem on several other occasions as well.

2:1 Barnabas and Titus were two of Paul's close friends. Barnabas and Paul visited Galatia together on their first missionary journey. Paul wrote a personal letter to Titus, a faithful believer and church leader serving on the island of Crete (see the book of Titus). For more information on Barnabas, see his Profile. For more information on Titus, see the letter Paul wrote to him in the New Testament.

2:1 After his conversion, Paul spent many years preparing for the ministry to which God had called him. This preparation period included time alone with God (Galatians 1:16-17), as well as time conferring with other Christians. Often new Christians, in their zeal, want to begin a full-time ministry without investing the necessary time studying the Bible and learning from qualified teachers. We need not wait to share Christ with our friends, but we may need more preparation before embarking on a special ministry, whether volunteer or paid. While we wait for God's timing, we should continue to study, learn, and grow.

Galatians 2:2-5: God told Paul, through a revelation, to confer with the church leaders in Jerusalem about the message he was preaching to the Gentiles, so they would understand and approve of what he was doing. The essence of Paul's message to both Jews and Gentiles was that God's salvation is offered to all people regardless of race, sex, nationality, wealth, social standing, educational level, or anything else. Anyone can be forgiven by trusting in Christ (see Romans 10:8-13).

2:2-3 Even though God had specifically sent him to the Gentiles (Acts 9:15-16), Paul needed to discuss his gospel message with the leaders of the Jerusalem church (Acts 15). This meeting prevented a major split in the church, and it formally acknowledged the apostles' approval of Paul's preaching. Sometimes we avoid conferring with others because we fear that problems or arguments may develop. Instead, we should openly discuss our plans and actions with friends, counselors, and advisers. Good communication helps everyone understand the situation better, it reduces gossip, and it builds unity in the church.

2:3-5 When Paul took Titus, a Greek Christian, to Jerusalem, the Judaizers (false brothers) said that Titus should be circumcised. Paul adamantly refused to give in to their demands. The apostles agreed that circumcision was an unnecessary rite for Gentile converts. Several years later, Paul circumcised Timothy, another Greek Christian (Acts 16:3). Unlike Titus, however, Timothy was half Jewish. Paul did not deny Jews the right to be circumcised; he was simply saying that Gentiles should not be asked to become Jews before becoming Christians.

2:4 These false brothers were most likely from the party of the Pharisees (Acts 15:5). These were the strictest religious leaders of Judaism, some of whom had been converted. We don't know if these were representatives of well-meaning converts or of those trying to pervert Christianity. Most commentators agree that neither Peter nor James had any part in this conspiracy.

2:5 We normally think of taking a stand against those who might lead us into immoral behavior, but Paul had to take a hard line against the most "moral" of people. We must not give in to those who make the keeping of man-made standards a condition for salvation, even when such people are morally upright or in respected positions.

Galatians 2:6: It's easy to rate people on the basis of their official status and to be intimidated by powerful people. But Paul was not intimidated by "those who seemed to be important" because all believers are equal in Christ. We should show respect for our spiritual leaders, but our ultimate allegiance must be to Christ. We are to serve him with our whole being. God doesn't rate us according to our status; he looks at the attitude of our hearts (1 Samuel 16:7).

Galatians 2:7-9: The church leaders ("pillars")-James, Peter, and John-realized that God was using Paul to reach the Gentiles, just as Peter was being used so greatly to reach the Jews. After hearing Paul's message, they gave Paul and Barnabas their approval ("the right hand of fellowship") to continue working among the Gentiles.

Galatians 2:10: The apostles were referring to the poor of Jerusalem. While many Gentile converts were financially comfortable, the Jerusalem church had suffered from the effects of a severe famine in Palestine (see Acts 11:28-30) and was struggling. So on his journeys, Paul had gathered funds for the Jewish Christians (Acts 24:17; Romans 15:25-29; 1 Cor. 16:1-4; 2 Cor. 8). The need for believers to care for the poor is a constant theme in Scripture. But often we do nothing, caught up in meeting our own needs and desires. Perhaps we don't see enough poverty to remember the needs of the poor. The world is filled with poor people, here and in other countries. What can you do to help?

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