Galatians 2
Galatians 2:1-5 – Titus and circumcision
- Galatians 2:1 – It’s not entirely clear exactly where this fourteen-year interval fits chronologically. This visit in Jerusalem may be the same one mentioned in Acts 15.
- Galatians 2:2 – God told him to go. Compare Acts 15:3.
- Galatians 2:3-5 – Paul took a stand on principle to sow that circumcision was not necessary. (See Genesis 17 for the start of circumcision. In Leviticus 12:3, it was incorporated into the Law of Moses.) Compare Galatians 5:1-3. It is not a sin to be circumcised (notice Acts 16:1 – Timothy was circumcised to allow him to fit in with the Jews he would be preaching to), but it cannot be done as an act of worship.
Galatians 2:6-10 – The right hand of fellowship
- Galatians 2:9 – If this matches up with Acts 15, this must be referring to James the brother of Jesus because James the apostle had already been beheaded in Acts 12.
- Galatians 2:10 – Paul had already delivered aid to needy saints and would do so again. Paul also taught all people, regardless of wealth. He did not shy away from teaching the poor, the wealthy, or the powerful.
Galatians 2:11-14 – Opposing Peter
- Galatians 2:11 – Paul opposing an apostle to his face was a big deal! See Acts 10:28.
- Galatians 2:12-13 – This was a tremendous amount of peer pressure. It was so difficult for these Jews to break away from the old ways.
- Galatians 2:14 – Paul’s quoted words to Peter begin here. Various translations end the quote at different places (verse 14, 16, or 21).
- Galatians 2:16 – No one would be justified by the Law of Moses. What we need is a system of forgiveness, which is the Law of Christ (Romans 3:23-25; 4:4-8).
- Galatians 2:17-18 – See Galatians 5:4. If you try to go back to the Law of Moses, you make yourself a sinner again.
- Galatians 2:20 – See Galatians 6:6.
- Galatians 2:21 – If it were possible to obey the law correctly, Jesus would not have needed to die.