Galatians 2 – The Revelation of the Gospel

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“The Pauline Independence”

PAUL’S RECEPTION OF THE GOSPEL 1:11-24

PAUL’S GOSPEL WAS RECEIVED DIRECTLY FROM GOD 1:11-12

“For I would have you know, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man. ¹²For I neither received it from man, not was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ.”

Stated Negatively 1:11-12a

Paul has made the strongest possible claims for his message. He has said, “There is only one gospel, and that one gospel is the one which I am proclaiming—any variation from this message deserves the eternal judgment of God.” No one has the right to use such language or make such a claim except God Himself. Galatians 1:11-24 establishes that Paul’s message is in fact identical to God’s message. Galatians 1:11-24 must be seen as rising from the words of Galatians 1:6-9. They answer the question, “Why should Paul’s gospel be the standard by which all others are judged; why is Paul’s gospel normative?”

Paul here denies three possible sources of his teaching. First, it was not according to man. The word man is generic and refers to humani-ty as a whole. The words according to translate the Greek preposi-tion kata, which is frequently used to introduce a standard or a norm. The gospel does not meet human criteria because man always chooses to flatter himself and affirm his personal goodness; Paul’s gospel does not do that. Second, Paul’s gospel was not received from man. This was a formal expression referring to the transmission of religious teaching. It was a technical expression for the process of memorization by which rabbis passed along tradi-tions to students. The personal pronoun I is emphatic. Paul is emphasizing how he is different from all others in the way he received the gospel. It was not delivered to him via a human

instrument. Third, Paul was not taught it. This is the normal medi-um for the propagation of God’s word. In normal circumstances man is the source of the message, and instruction is the method of communication. With Paul, God is the source; and direct revelation is the medium.

Stated Positively 1:12b

The last half of verse 12 begins with but, which is a strong adversa-tive setting up sharp contrast. The words revelation of Jesus Christ may be taken in one of two ways. First, they may mean revelation about Jesus Christ; second, they may mean revelation from Jesus Christ. The second seems to fit the context best.

PAUL’S GOSPEL WAS NOT RECEIVED MEDIATELY FROM MAN 1:13-24

His Gospel Was Received Apart from His Past Learning 1:13-14

“For you have heard of my former manner of life in Judaism, how I used to persecute the church of God beyond measure, and tried to destroy it; ¹⁴and I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries among my countrymen, being more extremely zealous for my ancestral traditions.”

Paul’s past had been spent in Judaism, which invalidated the word of God by the addition of tradition (Matthew 15:1-3), rejected Jesus Christ outright, and persecuted the church without mercy. Paul was not only part of this system, but he was Judaism’s star pupil and ardent advocate. This is conveyed by the word advancing, which means to cut before and was thus used for blazing a trail. Paul went where no other Judaizer had ever gone.

His Gospel Was Received Apart from the Apostles 1:15-20

The Pauline Call 1:15-16a

“But when He who had set me apart, even from my mother’s womb, and called me through His grace, was pleased ¹⁶to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him among the Gentiles…”

In relationship to Paul’s calling, God acted in three ways upon Paul. First, preceding his call, he was set apart . Second, coinciding with his call was God’s call through His grace. Third, the culmina-tion of the call was the revelation of Jesus Christ to him.

The Pauline Independence 1:16b-20

“I did not immediately consult with flesh and blood, ¹⁷nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me; but I went away to Arabia, and returned once more to Damascus. ¹⁸Then three years later I went up to Jerusalem to become acquainted with Cephas, and stayed with him fifteen days. ¹⁹But I did not see any other of the apostles except James,

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the Lord’s brother. ²⁰(Now in what I am writing to you, I assure you before God that I am not lying).”

This may be called Paul’s “chronology of independence.” The sequence of events starts immediately after his call on the Damascus road. In narrating his whereabouts during this time, he is showing that it was not through the pillars of the church that the gospel was given to him. This supports his reception of the gospel as a direct revelation from God.

His Gospel Was Received Apart from the Churches 1:21-24

“Then I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia. ²²And I was still unknown by sight to the churches of Judea which were in Christ; ²³but only, they kept hearing, ‘ He who once persecuted us in now preaching the faith which he once tried to destroy.’ ²⁴And they were glorifying God because of me.”

The final statement of his independence shows that he did not have contact with the churches where he could have been indoctrinated. They had heard about Paul, but they had not seen him.

PAUL’S APPLICATION OF THE GOSPEL 2:1-14

HIS APPLICATION OF THE GOSPEL AT THE JERUSALEM

CONFERENCE 2:1-10

The Relationship of Galatians 2 to Galatians 1

Chapter 1 stressed the source of Paul’s gospel; chapter 2 stresses the nature of the gospel. Chapter 1 shows Paul’s independence of the other apostles; chapter 2 shows Paul’s cooperation with the other apostles.

The first ten verses of this chapter record Paul’s first historical encounter with legalism. The legalism he faced at the Jerusalem conference is the same problem that his readers are now facing in the scattered Galatian churches. It was the historical prelude to the Galatian letter. The issue involved at the Jerusalem conference was this: Is justification by faith alone? The incident that raised the issue is found in Acts 15:1, “And some men came down from Judea and began teaching, ‘Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.’ ” Here are men who real-ize the need to be saved but have introduced major error on how to be saved. They argue that faith alone is not sufficient for salvation. On three critical occasions, Paul took a stand for the purity of the gospel of the grace of God—at the Jerusalem conference, before Peter at Antioch, and as he penned the letter to the Galatian churches.

Paul’s Courage at the Jerusalem Conference 2:5a

“But we did not yield in subjection to them for even an hour, so that the truth of the gospel might remain with you.”

The word subjection has an article in front of it and thus reads the subjection. The particular subjection Paul is referring to is the pres-sure of the legalists to submit to their teaching. The words even an hour show that Paul did not compromise in any degree at any time for any reason. Paul knew when to be flexible and when to be firm and unyielding (I Corinthians 9:22).

Paul’s Insight at the Jerusalem Conference 2:5b

Paul is able to see that the issue involved is not merely that of circumcision. The insistence on circumcision is merely the external evidence of a much deeper issue. Legalism is an attack on the entire truth of the gospel. Paul has the insight to see that without taking an uncompromising stand , the gospel would vanish. This verse is a beautiful illustration of love in action. Paul had the inter-est of God’s grace and a pure gospel so much in mind that he was unbending and uncompromising.

Paul’s Independence at the Jerusalem Conference 2:6-10

The Other Apostles Did Not Contribute Anything to Paul 2:6

“But from those who were of high reputation (what they were makes no difference to me; God shows no partiality)—well, those who were of reputation contributed nothing to me.”

Paul is not being arrogant in stating his independence. He is sim-ply stating the honest truth: The gospel was given to me fully and accurately, and the apostles had nothing whatsoever to add to it. They could not add anything to it because there was nothing to be added. The apostles laid no more on Paul than he had already taken upon himself under the call of God.

The Other Apostles Did Confirm the Ministry of Paul 2:7-10

“But on the contrary, seeing that I had been entrusted with the gospel to the uncircumcised , just as Peter had been to the circumcised ⁸(for He who effectually worked for Peter in his apostleship to the circumcised effectual-ly worked for me also to the Gentiles), ⁹and recognizing the grace that had been given to me, James and Cephas and John, who were reputed to be pillars, gave to me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, that we might go to the Gentiles, and they to the circumcised. ¹⁰They only asked us to remember the poor—the very thing I also was eager to do.”

When Paul refers to the gospel to the uncircumcised, he does not mean this gospel differs as to content, but rather that it differs as to the recipients. It means Paul preached the gospel especially to the Gentiles. The same message was preached to both Jew and Gentile but was delivered by different men. That the apostles viewed Paul

as having been entrusted with the gospel shows that they were not merely responding to his arguments. It shows they were acting upon the basis of their own observation and recognition; the nature of Paul’s ministry was obvious.

HIS APPLICATION OF THE GOSPEL TO PETER AT ANTIOCH 2:11-14

Peter’s Guilt 2:11

“But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned.”

Sometime after the Jerusalem conference Peter arrived in Antioch. Upon arriving he finds gentile and Jewish believers having fellow-ship together. In their eating they were disregarding Jewish dietary customs.

Jewish people did not eat with Gentiles for two basic reasons. First, eating involved fellowship and camaraderie that violated Jewish ideas concerning separation. Second, Gentiles ate things that were forbidden by the Law. Some Jewish Christians still had qualms about eating with gentile Christians. These Jewish Christians were practicing a legalism that contradicted grace. Peter, however, was among those Jews who associated freely with gentile Christians. As a result, a delegation was sent from Jerusalem to Antioch to con-vince Peter of his error. Peter was not convinced that he was wrong but withdrew from gentile fellowship anyway. Peter caved in to legalistic pressure. Galatians 2:11-21 is Paul’s rebuke to Peter for his actions. The verb opposed points to a reaction to an attack. Paul regarded Peter’s lapse into legalism as an attack on the gospel. Paul’s opposition to Peter was direct (to his face) and public (in the presence of all 2:14). The expression stood condemned means to be guilty.

Peter’s Hypocrisy 2:12

“For prior to the coming of certain men from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles; but when they came, he began to withdraw and hold himself aloof, fearing the party of the circumcision.”

Peter was now living as unto the legalists rather than as unto the Lord. Peter reverted to his particular personal weakness of making a loud profession and then falling prey to fear. During the trials of Christ, Peter had said he would die for the Lord and then denied Him for fear of a slave girl. Here he had extended the hand of fellowship to Paul before the whole church at Jerusalem and now denies the truth for fear of the legalists sent from Jerusalem.

Peter’s Influence 2:13

“And the rest of the Jews joined him in hypocrisy, with the result that even Barnabas was carried away by their hypocrisy.”

Peter’s sin is labeled hypocrisy because it was not merely an honest mistake nor a sincere conviction. Peter knew better. He understood grace and practiced legalism, all out of fear! All of this must have been heart-rending to Paul for Barnabas had been Paul’s sole companion in ministry to the Gentiles, and now he has gone turn-coat. From this point on, Paul and Barnabas are never associated together.

Peter’s Rebuke 2:14

“But when I saw that they were not straightforward about the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas in the presence of all, ‘If you, being a Jew, live like the Gentiles and not like the Jews, how is it that you compel the Gentiles to live like Jews?’ ”

Paul rebuked Peter for the right reasons. Paul did not rebuke because he loved an argument or because of a pugnacious person-ality—Paul rebuked Peter because he loved and honored truth. This verse contains the second reference to the truth of the gospel. The truth of the gospel centers in the fact that men and women are not accepted before God on the basis of their own works or dedica-tion but on the basis of the cross work of Jesus Christ. Peter’s conduct did not reflect this truth; his theology was grace, but his conduct denied it.

PAUL’S EXPLANATION OF THE GOSPEL 2:15-21

THE DOCTRINE OF JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH STATED 2:15-16

“We are Jews by nature, and not sinners from among the Gentiles; ¹⁶nev-ertheless knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we may be justified by faith in Christ, and not by the works of the Law; since by the works of the Law shall no flesh be justified.”

The Candidates for Justification 2:15

The Jews had a privileged position for they were God’s chosen people and possessed the word of God. As great as the privilege was, it did not provide them with a right standing with God. Both Jew and Gentile are candidates for justification and stand on equal footing in terms of need.

The Meaning of Justification 2:16

The word justified is the Greek verb that means righteous. The ending of the verb shows that it has a declarative meaning. The word does not mean to make righteous, but rather to declare righteous. Justification is the act of God wherein He declares a guilty sinner righteous. The basis of the declaration is the cross work of Christ, and the means of appropriation is faith.

The Conditions of Justification 2:16

Man, by nature, nourishes the opinion that his own efforts can gain him a standing before God. Because this is a problem common to all men, justification is often taught in a negative way; this is where Paul begins here. Paul reminds us twice in this verse how we are not justified.

Justification Is Not by Works

The noun Law does not have the definite article the with it. Thus, the text reads ‘’works of law,’’ which means law-keeping or good works of any kind. The law is to salvation what the bathroom scales are to one’s body. They show we have a problem, but they can do nothing about it.

Justification Is by Faith

What cannot be obtained by achieving is obtained by believing. The total value of faith lies in its object, and here the object is Jesus Christ. See a doctrinal readout on the basic elements of faith in the commentary on James.

THE DOCTRINE OF JUSTIFICATION MISUNDERSTOOD 2:17

“But if, while seeking to be justified in Christ, we ourselves have also been found sinners, is Christ then a minister of sin? May it never be!”

One might reason that if one is justified by simply believing, this takes away a basis for moral responsibility. This, Paul says, is not so.

THE DOCTRINE OF JUSTIFICATION MISUSED 2:18-19

“For if I rebuild what I have once destroyed, I prove myself to be a trans-gressor. ¹⁹For through the Law I died to the Law, that I might live to God.”

Paul is pointing to an inconsistency. If he abandons the Law as a means of justification and then returns to it in the living of the Christian life, he is inconsistent. However, this is precisely what Peter is doing. He turned from law keeping in order to be justified; and now, in his conduct, he is reaffirming that which he once abandoned.

THE CONCLUSION OF JUSTIFICATION 2:20-21

“I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and delivered Himself up for me. ²¹I do not nullify the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the Law, then Christ died needlessly.”

The Starting Point of the Christian Life

The starting point is identification with Christ and His cross death. To be crucified with Christ means we are identified so closely with Him that what He did on the cross counts for us. It is a way of saying that our day of judgment for sin is over. In the eyes of God, we were counted as there when He died. It is the place where all of our sins were dealt with forever. The verb crucified is a perfect tense indicating a past completed work.

The Center of the Christian Life

The center of our life is Christ living in us. We are not told that Christ lives instead of me, but Christ lives in me. It is the desire of Christ to animate us, not annihilate us. The Lord chooses to operate within the framework of our individual personalities. The Holy Spirit does not desire to suppress the believer’s personality, but rather desires to express Christ through the vehicle of our individ-ual personalities.

The Arena of the Christian Life

This is expressed by the words in the flesh. The reference is to our physical bodies. There are three aspects of the believer’s relation-ship to his physical body. First, we are to recognize that God is sovereign over our physical appearance and abilities (Exodus 4:11-12). Second, our bodies are the residence of the Holy Spirit

(I Corinthians 6:19-20). Third, the body is not to dominate us (I Corinthians 9:27).

The Method of the Christian Life

We are to live by faith. Faith is the way we respond to the word of God; it is living by interacting in a believing manner with God’s word.

The Motivation for the Christian Life

We are to be moved by His love for us that was manifested in His death for us.

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Chester McCalley

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