Justified by the faith of Jesus Christ

Galatians Chapter 2

Previously we looked at Galatians chapter 1 where the apostle Paul began addressing the church at Galatia about their falling from the grace of God. Let’s continue into chapter 2:

1. Then fourteen years after I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, and took Titus with me also.

2. And I went up by revelation, and communicated unto them that gospel which I preach among the Gentiles, but privately to them which were of reputation, lest by any means I should run, or had run, in vain.

Paul went up to see the church leadership in Jerusalem, a move inspired by God, to let them know what he was preaching to the Gentiles. He saw them privately, not wanting to make this a public discourse - not, at least, until he had ascertained their willingness to accept the Gospel he preached. Paul would have also been interested, within a private setting, in their reasoning when it came to the issue of compelling Gentile believers to be circumcised. Paul was very passionate and articulate, and you could imagine him taking this issue to the church in Jerusalem as a public forum debate. But this would have created offence and division. A lesson in wisdom here when it comes to confronting issues - you need to be discerning as to what tactics to use. Jesus, in a different context, openly and very publicly denounced the religious leadership with scathing, and no doubt offensive words. There was already a huge divide between the message of Jesus and the religious leaders, and no private discussions with the Sanhedrin would have bridged that divide.

3. But neither Titus, who was with me, being a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised:

4. And that because of false¹ brethren unawares brought in, who came in privily to spy² out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage:

5. To whom we gave place by subjection, no, not for an hour; that the truth of the gospel might continue with you.

Titus was the perfect example of a Gentile believer who demonstrated all the fruit of salvation and absolute faith and devotion to Jesus, yet remained uncircumcised. No doubt Paul brought Titus up to Jerusalem with him as an example of God’s grace in action - justified by faith in Jesus and not by the works of the Law - like circumcision.

But if Titus had voluntarily wanted to be circumcised to avoid offending his Jewish brothers (as Paul had circumcised Timothy - to avoid offence and division), then that would be OK. But because false brothers were making such an issue about the necessity of observing circumcision, Paul was not going to stand for it. Paul was willing to make whatever adjustments he needed to in order to win people to Christ, but he would not compromise the Gospel itself.

We should have the same attitude - not intentionally offending the religious traditions of others, but not condoning anything that distorts the Gospel of grace. What the false brothers were wanting to do is bring the believer back into bondage - the freedom we have in Jesus is offensive to the religious Law-keepers. It’s the same today; the religious are offended at the freedom God’s grace offers and are always trying to impose, “you have to…”, “you must…”, “you can’t…”, laws upon the free. Certainly we must be aware of, and learn, what is beneficial and what is detrimental, and be led by the Holy Spirit to do what is in our born-again nature (the very nature of Christ). But the written code has been fulfilled by Jesus who now dwells within us and we are now led by him, not a set of rules.

How many churches have been split up because of arguments over ‘doctrine’ that end up being nothing more than the traditions of men?

6. But of these who seemed to be somewhat, (whatsoever they were, it maketh no matter to me: God accepteth no man's person:) for they who seemed to be somewhat in conference added nothing to me:

Paul didn’t care about titles or position - he was not intimidated by them, nor did he care for anything they held that was not the Gospel of grace he received by revelation from God. Even those who had walked with Jesus, who had been part of his inner circle, Paul was not going to be moved by anything they held if it departed from the message he received from God.

7. But contrariwise, when they saw that the gospel of the uncircumcision was committed unto me, as the gospel of the circumcision was unto Peter;

8. (For he that wrought effectually in Peter to the apostleship of the circumcision, the same was mighty in me toward the Gentiles:)

9. And when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given unto me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship; that we should go unto the heathen, and they unto the circumcision.

10. Only they would that we should remember the poor; the same which I also was forward to do.

James, Peter (Cephas) and John recognised that God had given Paul a commission to preach to the Gentiles and approved of the Gospel he was delivering. In the next verse we see Paul had to confront Peter for tainting the message, nevertheless he also says above that Peter was effective in his ministry - which goes to show that even if we don’t get it all right, God can still work effectively through us - fortunately Peter was open to correction from Paul.

What is interesting about Peter and Paul’s ministry is that Peter would have, on natural lines, been a more obvious choice to preach to the Gentiles and Paul better sent to the Jews. Paul was an expert at the Law and could have out-debated any of the religious leaders at the time with the truth of the Gospel. Nevertheless, God sent Paul to the Gentiles, the very ones he had been killing before his conversion, and Peter to the ones who, intellectually, could have run circles around him. I guess the power of the Gospel does not rest on our natural abilities, or our credentials, but on the Spirit of God. If God calls you to something that does not align with your natural abilities, then just maybe he’s going to wield his own strength and not yours.

11. But when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed.

12. For before that certain came from James, he did eat with the Gentiles: but when they were come, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing them which were of the circumcision.

13. And the other Jews dissembled³ likewise with him; insomuch that Barnabas also was carried away with their dissimulation.

And here is the crux of the matter - Peter was in error and when he came to Paul’s mission field of Antioch, Paul was not going to let Peter continue in his hypocrisy. God had shown Peter that the Gentiles didn’t have to obey the Jewish Law for salvation, but by faith only - this is all recorded in Acts chapter 10. But out of fear of the Jews Peter didn’t stand up for this truth. Peter and his Jewish friends had eaten with the Gentiles (which was against Jewish tradition) and this fellowship had been God ordained⁴. When messengers from James were sent to find out what was going on with Peter and the Gentiles, Peter withdrew from fellowship from the Gentiles. He was being a complete hypocrite.

14. But when I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel, I said unto Peter before them all, If thou, being a Jew, livest after the manner of Gentiles, and not as do the Jews, why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews?

15. We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles,

This phrase “and not sinners of the Gentiles” (Ἁμαρτωλοι) means without the knowledge of God, and not of nature. In other words Paul isn’t saying the Jews are holy by nature and Gentiles sinners by nature - this would contradict his entire theology. Ἁμαρτωλος can signifies a ‘heathen’ - one who has no knowledge of the true God. Both ‘Jews by nature’ and ‘sinners of the Gentiles’ need to believe in Jesus Christ and accept his gift of grace for salvation as there is no other way to everlasting life.

16. Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.

The ‘works of the law’ is any law or rule you are told (or tell yourself) to do to be accepted by God based on your performance. It is trying to be righteous by your own efforts. In Philippians chapter 3, Paul tells the reader that he has every worldly credential in regards to the law, and then goes on to say, “But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, and be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith. (Philippians 3:7-9)

When it comes to religion we seem to gravitate to laws, rules, and regulations, in an attempt to garner a righteousness of our own. But it only comes through faith in Christ - actually by the ‘faith of Jesus Christ’ - He’s even managed the faith aspect! Have faith in his faithfulness⁵. The only standard of righteousness is the righteousness of God alone, and we appropriate this by faith, not by trying to be right with God based on our performance.

17. But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is therefore Christ the minister of sin? God forbid.

18. For if I build again the things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor.

So I’m having faith in the finished work of Christ for my life, yet I stumble and sin! So has Christ just set things up for us to sin and it’s all OK? God forbid! If we, who still have free will, even though we can defer to the Holy Spirit in every aspect of our lives, allow the flesh (the carnal nature) to have moments of control, then sin will raise it’s ugly head. This is not the doing of Christ, but our own (stupid) free will, acting against the better nature of the Holy Spirit and our born again spirit.

19. For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God.

Paul is saying that this salvation is according to the Law - it’s not an unlawful thing he’s preaching (from the Jewish perspective). The Law demanded death for sin. When the sinless Jesus came to meet the sacrificial requirements for the sin of the world, he was fulfilling the Law. It would be unlawful to punish us once our debt has been fully paid (that’s double jeopardy), and so we are released from the demands of the Law. As Paul explains below, when we accept Christ we become part of his crucifixion, and resurrection (speaking of our old nature being crucified and our new nature being born out of the resurrection).

20. I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

We now ‘live by the faith of the Son of God’. We live by His faith! Where do we get this faith? “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” (Romans 10:17). We get this faith by believing what He says, and this faith resides in our spirit. The Holy Spirit, who dwells within us, encourages and helps us in this faith of Christ. If we live after the spirit we will not ‘live in the flesh’, which means we won’t be led by the carnal nature (only what we see and hear with our natural faculties, and the reasoning and logic of the world) but by the Spirit (with a higher level of seeing, hearing and reasoning).

Dying to self, is not self-hatred or living in a remote monastery denying yourself of any comfort. What it means is being Christ-centered rather than self-centered. Most religions teach a certain denial of self, and certainly the legalistic Jews Paul was addressing had doctrines of self-denial. Paul was dead to his old self (the carnal nature that assesses things on natural lines) and alive to God and his perspective. If we focus on our own ability to deny the self, without Christ being the centre of our being, then it will just be legalism. We can’t be truly free if we are bound by legalism. And he came to set us free.

21. I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.

The way to frustrate (or thwart) the grace of God is to be self-righteous, to try to attain righteousness on your own merit. If you could do this, then Christ died in vain. But he didn’t, because you can’t attain righteousness on your own merit - so stop trying.

1. Zealous Jewish believers who had acknowledged Christ as their Messiah but held that a person must still keep the old covenant Law to be right with God. In other words - faith in Christ alone was not enough, in direct opposition to the Gospel of grace that Paul taught.

2. These men were spying on Titus to see if he was circumcised, which means (one would have to guess) they were spying on him in the latrines.

3. “to act hypocritically in concert with”

4. Acts 10:28 - And he said unto them, Ye know how that it is an unlawful thing for a man that is a Jew to keep company, or come unto one of another nation; but God hath shewed me that I should not call any man common or unclean.

5. We are all given a measure of faith - the faith that Christ is author and finisher - a believer cannot say he doesn’t have enough faith, he does, he just needs to tap into that measure of Christ authored faith in his born again spirit.