Galatians 2:11-21 Standing on the Gracious Work of My Jesus Alone
Remember: Paul is deeply concerned that believers in the Galatian churches, his “children”, begotten through the preaching of his Gospel, the Gospel learned by direct revelation at the Feet of Jesus! Legalists from Judea had come teaching them that they needed circumcision to be really saved. Such a teaching was leading these Galatian’s to “turn away from Him Who called you into the Grace of Christ. (1:1-10)
1:11-2:10 is his defense of his call to Apostleship and his receipt of this Gospel of the Grace of God through Jesus Christ, the only true Gospel. Even the Apostles in Jerusalem approved of his message and gave witness to his preaching of that Gospel to the Gentiles. (2:1-10)
I. The hypocrisy of Peter, the fearful zealot. Vs 11-14
In eating & drinking with Gentiles, Peter had ceased living as a "law abiding Jew". But when the Jews from Jerusalem came, he turned away from what the Lord had taught him by Revelation! He played the hypocrite. Remember his words in Acts 10:28 to Cornelius, "you know how unlawful it is for a Jewish man to keep company with or go to one of another nation. BUT GOD HAS SHOWN ME that I should not call any man common or unclean." Remember the charges of the circumcision when they heard that " the Gentiles had also received the Word of God." Acts 11:1-18, "you went in to uncircumcised men & ate with them." And how Peter recounted God's vision & fulfillment of the Gospel in Cornelius probably to some of the very men with whom he is being hypocritical. Perhaps they had only begrudgingly and hypocritically uttered the words in 11:18.
And again at the Jerusalem counsel, he says, "God chose...... that by my mouth Gentiles should hear the Word of the Gospel & believe (Acts 15:9-10) God Who knows the heart....made no distinction between us & them, PURIFYING their HEARTS by faith, now...why do you test God by putting a yoke on the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear."
Consider our Lord's example that Peter had seen. John 4:6-9 & 27. And the Lord's teaching in Luke 4:23-27 (Zerephath was in Phoenicia) showing the hard hearts of the self righteous Jews in His home town!
The Lord's last words commanded this "defilement" of the Jews bigoted tradition. Acts 1:8. I guess their selective hearing stopped after "Judea".
Vs 12. And yet Peter "withdrew & separated himself, fearing those who were of the circumcision.". Zealous dogmatism can be a very scary thing! Remember Peter's previous downfall out of fear of men! (Luke 22:54-62) But the Lord foreknew predicted Peter’s denial just as He foreknew this downfall, and yet He still loved Him and chose Him as one of His Witnesses.
Vs 13. The other Jewish believers were influenced by Peter's hypocrisy, even the good man Barnabas. (Acts 11:22-24). How many good & godly men have started well, but have been seduced through the fear of men, or fear of loss of position or favor. There is also the seduction of the promise of a "deeper spiritual truth, or a higher level of spiritual attainment. And then there is the illusion of some "secret truth". "You just need something to your faith & practice & you can really be spiritual & blessed by God." Not everyone speaking half truths & lies has always by deceiver. Never forget the words of Hebrews 3:14 “For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the BEGINNING of our confidence stedfast unto the end.” (Also Heb. 10:35-39
Vs 14. Paul saw that these men "walked not uprightly according to the truth of the Gospel." (KJV)
#3716 orthopedeo "to walk in a straight course." (ESV) "Their conduct was not in step with the Gospel." #3716 strongly indicates observable behavior. The KJV & ESV best express that meaning. Paul was operating by God's "courtroom rules". Observable evidence, not hearsay. Peter, Barnabas, & all who separated themselves from “eating & drinking” with the Gentiles, clearly evidenced that they valued the Jewish lineage and tradition as much as, if not more than the liberty of the Gospel. And even if fear was the motivation of their behavior, their testimony to the believing Gentiles was being severely damaged. This behavior was not in accordance with the Paul”s Gospel, the liberty and totally international truth of the Gospel of the Grace of God in Christ Jesus.
Notice too that it is the Gospel (1:6-10) that is Paul's standard of judgement. We must be careful not to bring religious traditions into the mix, for in doing so, we flirt with the error of the judaisers!
Remember, after the vision & encounter with Cornelius, Peter was no longer a law abiding Jew. And he behaved in that manner when he arrived at Antioch. But his "fear invoked behavior was saying that Gentiles need to add sonething of the OT Jewish legal system to the Grace in which they stood.
Vs 15-16 Paul is here appealing to his & Peter's heritage. They both grew up in the Law system and both knew full well the frustration that the works of the law never justified anyone. (Hebrews 10:1-4) Only through faith in Christ Jesus can a person be justified. (Heb 10:5-10)
Vs 17-18. I believe that what Paul is getting at in these verses is that if we add ANYTHING to faith in Jesus' Blood & Righteousness for our standing in God's Presence, we have added some fleshly qualification to GOD’S ONLY MEANS OF ONENESS WITH HIM (John 17:20-26), which will distract our eyes from Jesus. We will be compelled by the fleshes nature to look at our selves, trying desperately to measure up to or glorying in our “addition” & in so doing, we fall from Grace, & our behavior & accomplishment raises it's ugly head again in the place of Jesus. We will be “building again those things which were destroyed” by Christ’s death. The sin for which our Jesus died to free us from once again becomes our focus and leads to guilt & condemnation! And in turning from Grace, we lose Peace, that is, the Comforter, the Holy Spirit is grieved. And may I say that christendom has been ever bit as guilty as Judaism in seeking to add things to God’s only Means of Eternal Fellowship! All of the “isms” of christendom that have divided the professed body of Christ are evident testimony that we don’t believe that Jesus Blood and Righteousness is enough!
Vs 19 Given that verse 20 follows verse 19, I conclude that Paul is saying that the penalty that the Law of God requires for my sin, DEATH, is paid in full by the death of the God/Man. God’s Just requirement is completely satisfied by Christ Jesus’ death (Romans 3:21-26) and the Law no longer has any “outstanding warrants” form my offenses. The Law of the Righteousness of the Holy God is COMPLETELY SATISFIED BY THE DEATH OF MY JESUS IN MY STEAD! No longer do I live in my sins, living unto myself, just waiting for God’s Righteous Shoe to drop! My Father’s face toward me is not that of a frown, but a smile of complete satisfaction because His Beloved Son cleared every indictment that stood against me!
Vs 20 This then, is the context of this oft quoted verse. Paul pens it against the backdrop of additions! It is damnable to look to anything but the Blood and Righteousness of Christ ALONE for my continual dwelling place in God’s Presence. I think our Lord Jesus’ death was His Preparatory Work of which He is Speaking in John 14:1-3. We are in that “dwelling place” now by faith (Heb 10:19-25) But according to His Promise, we live in faithful anticipation that our mortality shall be swallowed up by Life! (II Cor 5:2-5)
But consider our verse: “I have been (KJV-am crucified) crucified with Christ. The historical “past tense” of my Lord’s crucifixion has a continual present tense outworking! (1) In reality, I-that is my old man- no longer lives. This is a radical change for it is Christ Who Lives in me by His Indwelling Holy Spirit!! (2) The “groaning life’, that is our mortal body existence on this earth, is by faith, in every minute detail! The Sacrificial Love of our Jesus is now the “FAITH SOURCE” of all that we are about on this earth!!! Not I but Christ!!!
VS 21 If I am looking externally or within me for any addition to my Jesus for my standing before God and my fellowship with Him, I am undermining the Grace of God and I am in danger of “turning away from Him Who called me into the Grace of Christ!!!
Remember: Paul is deeply concerned that believers in the Galatian churches, his “children”, begotten through the preaching of his Gospel, the Gospel learned by direct revelation at the Feet of Jesus! Legalists from Judea had come teaching them that they needed circumcision to be really saved. Such a teaching was leading these Galatian’s to “turn away from Him Who called you into the Grace of Christ. (1:1-10)
1:11-2:10 is his defense of his call to Apostleship and his receipt of this Gospel of the Grace of God through Jesus Christ, the only true Gospel. Even the Apostles in Jerusalem approved of his message and gave witness to his preaching of that Gospel to the Gentiles. (2:1-10)
I. The hypocrisy of Peter, the fearful zealot. Vs 11-14
In eating & drinking with Gentiles, Peter had ceased living as a "law abiding Jew". But when the Jews from Jerusalem came, he turned away from what the Lord had taught him by Revelation! He played the hypocrite. Remember his words in Acts 10:28 to Cornelius, "you know how unlawful it is for a Jewish man to keep company with or go to one of another nation. BUT GOD HAS SHOWN ME that I should not call any man common or unclean." Remember the charges of the circumcision when they heard that " the Gentiles had also received the Word of God." Acts 11:1-18, "you went in to uncircumcised men & ate with them." And how Peter recounted God's vision & fulfillment of the Gospel in Cornelius probably to some of the very men with whom he is being hypocritical. Perhaps they had only begrudgingly and hypocritically uttered the words in 11:18.
And again at the Jerusalem counsel, he says, "God chose...... that by my mouth Gentiles should hear the Word of the Gospel & believe (Acts 15:9-10) God Who knows the heart....made no distinction between us & them, PURIFYING their HEARTS by faith, now...why do you test God by putting a yoke on the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear."
Consider our Lord's example that Peter had seen. John 4:6-9 & 27. And the Lord's teaching in Luke 4:23-27 (Zerephath was in Phoenicia) showing the hard hearts of the self righteous Jews in His home town!
The Lord's last words commanded this "defilement" of the Jews bigoted tradition. Acts 1:8. I guess their selective hearing stopped after "Judea".
Vs 12. And yet Peter "withdrew & separated himself, fearing those who were of the circumcision.". Zealous dogmatism can be a very scary thing! Remember Peter's previous downfall out of fear of men! (Luke 22:54-62) But the Lord foreknew predicted Peter’s denial just as He foreknew this downfall, and yet He still loved Him and chose Him as one of His Witnesses.
Vs 13. The other Jewish believers were influenced by Peter's hypocrisy, even the good man Barnabas. (Acts 11:22-24). How many good & godly men have started well, but have been seduced through the fear of men, or fear of loss of position or favor. There is also the seduction of the promise of a "deeper spiritual truth, or a higher level of spiritual attainment. And then there is the illusion of some "secret truth". "You just need something to your faith & practice & you can really be spiritual & blessed by God." Not everyone speaking half truths & lies has always by deceiver. Never forget the words of Hebrews 3:14 “For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the BEGINNING of our confidence stedfast unto the end.” (Also Heb. 10:35-39
Vs 14. Paul saw that these men "walked not uprightly according to the truth of the Gospel." (KJV)
#3716 orthopedeo "to walk in a straight course." (ESV) "Their conduct was not in step with the Gospel." #3716 strongly indicates observable behavior. The KJV & ESV best express that meaning. Paul was operating by God's "courtroom rules". Observable evidence, not hearsay. Peter, Barnabas, & all who separated themselves from “eating & drinking” with the Gentiles, clearly evidenced that they valued the Jewish lineage and tradition as much as, if not more than the liberty of the Gospel. And even if fear was the motivation of their behavior, their testimony to the believing Gentiles was being severely damaged. This behavior was not in accordance with the Paul”s Gospel, the liberty and totally international truth of the Gospel of the Grace of God in Christ Jesus.
Notice too that it is the Gospel (1:6-10) that is Paul's standard of judgement. We must be careful not to bring religious traditions into the mix, for in doing so, we flirt with the error of the judaisers!
Remember, after the vision & encounter with Cornelius, Peter was no longer a law abiding Jew. And he behaved in that manner when he arrived at Antioch. But his "fear invoked behavior was saying that Gentiles need to add sonething of the OT Jewish legal system to the Grace in which they stood.
Vs 15-16 Paul is here appealing to his & Peter's heritage. They both grew up in the Law system and both knew full well the frustration that the works of the law never justified anyone. (Hebrews 10:1-4) Only through faith in Christ Jesus can a person be justified. (Heb 10:5-10)
Vs 17-18. I believe that what Paul is getting at in these verses is that if we add ANYTHING to faith in Jesus' Blood & Righteousness for our standing in God's Presence, we have added some fleshly qualification to GOD’S ONLY MEANS OF ONENESS WITH HIM (John 17:20-26), which will distract our eyes from Jesus. We will be compelled by the fleshes nature to look at our selves, trying desperately to measure up to or glorying in our “addition” & in so doing, we fall from Grace, & our behavior & accomplishment raises it's ugly head again in the place of Jesus. We will be “building again those things which were destroyed” by Christ’s death. The sin for which our Jesus died to free us from once again becomes our focus and leads to guilt & condemnation! And in turning from Grace, we lose Peace, that is, the Comforter, the Holy Spirit is grieved. And may I say that christendom has been ever bit as guilty as Judaism in seeking to add things to God’s only Means of Eternal Fellowship! All of the “isms” of christendom that have divided the professed body of Christ are evident testimony that we don’t believe that Jesus Blood and Righteousness is enough!
Vs 19 Given that verse 20 follows verse 19, I conclude that Paul is saying that the penalty that the Law of God requires for my sin, DEATH, is paid in full by the death of the God/Man. God’s Just requirement is completely satisfied by Christ Jesus’ death (Romans 3:21-26) and the Law no longer has any “outstanding warrants” form my offenses. The Law of the Righteousness of the Holy God is COMPLETELY SATISFIED BY THE DEATH OF MY JESUS IN MY STEAD! No longer do I live in my sins, living unto myself, just waiting for God’s Righteous Shoe to drop! My Father’s face toward me is not that of a frown, but a smile of complete satisfaction because His Beloved Son cleared every indictment that stood against me!
Vs 20 This then, is the context of this oft quoted verse. Paul pens it against the backdrop of additions! It is damnable to look to anything but the Blood and Righteousness of Christ ALONE for my continual dwelling place in God’s Presence. I think our Lord Jesus’ death was His Preparatory Work of which He is Speaking in John 14:1-3. We are in that “dwelling place” now by faith (Heb 10:19-25) But according to His Promise, we live in faithful anticipation that our mortality shall be swallowed up by Life! (II Cor 5:2-5)
But consider our verse: “I have been (KJV-am crucified) crucified with Christ. The historical “past tense” of my Lord’s crucifixion has a continual present tense outworking! (1) In reality, I-that is my old man- no longer lives. This is a radical change for it is Christ Who Lives in me by His Indwelling Holy Spirit!! (2) The “groaning life’, that is our mortal body existence on this earth, is by faith, in every minute detail! The Sacrificial Love of our Jesus is now the “FAITH SOURCE” of all that we are about on this earth!!! Not I but Christ!!!
VS 21 If I am looking externally or within me for any addition to my Jesus for my standing before God and my fellowship with Him, I am undermining the Grace of God and I am in danger of “turning away from Him Who called me into the Grace of Christ!!!