Bullet Point Bible - Galatians 2

Paul Confers with the Jerusalem Leaders

¹ Then after fourteen years I went up to Jerusalem again with Barnabas, taking Titus along too.² I went there because of a revelation and presented to them the gospel that I preach among the Gentiles. But I did so only in a private meeting with the influential people, to make sure that I was not running-or had not run -in vain.³ Yet not even Titus, who was with me, was compelled to be circumcised, although he was a Greek.⁴ Now this matter arose because of the false brothers with false pretenses who slipped in unnoticed to spy on our freedom that we have in Christ Jesus, to make us slaves.⁵ But we did not surrender to them even for a moment, in order that the truth of the gospel would remain with you.⁶ But from those who were influential (whatever they were makes no difference to me; God shows no favoritism between people)-those influential leaders added nothing to my message.⁷ On the contrary, when they saw that I was entrusted with the gospel to the uncircumcised just as Peter was entrusted with the gospel to the circumcised⁸ (for he who empowered Peter for his apostleship to the circumcised also empowered me for my apostleship to the Gentiles)⁹ and when James, Cephas, and John, who had a reputation as pillars, recognized the grace that had been given to me, they gave to Barnabas and me the right hand of fellowship, agreeing that we would go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised.¹⁰ They requested only that we remember the poor, the very thing I also was eager to do.

This visit likely corresponds to the Jerusalem Council described in Acts 15, occurring 14 years after Paul's conversion or his previous visit mentioned in Galatians 1:18.
Paul's journey was prompted by divine "revelation," indicating God's direct guidance in seeking confirmation from the Jerusalem leadership.
He presented his gospel "privately" first to the key leaders (James, Peter/Cephas, John) to ensure unity before a potentially larger, contentious meeting.
Titus, an uncircumcised Greek believer accompanying Paul, served as a living example of Paul's gospel of grace apart from the Law.
The pressure to circumcise Titus came from "false brothers" (Judaizers) who aimed to impose Jewish Law, particularly circumcision, onto Gentile believers, thereby undermining Christian "freedom."
Paul strongly resisted this pressure ("did not surrender... even for a moment") to preserve the "truth of the gospel" – salvation by grace through faith alone.
The recognized leaders ("pillars") added no requirements to Paul's gospel, affirming its validity and divine origin (Galatians 2:6). God's impartiality is stressed.
The leaders acknowledged a division of labor based on God's calling: Paul primarily to the Gentiles, Peter primarily to the Jews (Galatians 2:7-8). This was functional, not a division of the gospel message itself.
The "right hand of fellowship" symbolized agreement, partnership, and mutual acceptance between Paul/Barnabas and the Jerusalem apostles.
The only request was to "remember the poor," a practical expression of unity and compassion that Paul actively pursued (cf. Romans 15:25-27, 1 Corinthians 16:1-4, 2 Corinthians 8-9).

Confrontation Over Fellowship in Antioch

¹¹ But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he had clearly done wrong.¹² Until certain people came from James, he had been eating with the Gentiles. But when they arrived, he stopped doing this and separated himself because he was afraid of those who were pro-circumcision.¹³ And the rest of the Jews also joined with him in this hypocrisy, so that even Barnabas was led astray with them by their hypocrisy.¹⁴ But when I saw that they were not behaving consistently with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas in front of them all, "If you, although you are a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you try to force the Gentiles to live like Jews?"

This incident occurred in Antioch, a major center for early Gentile Christianity, highlighting the practical challenges of integrating Jewish and Gentile believers.
"Cephas" is the Aramaic name for Peter; Paul uses it here, perhaps emphasizing Peter's Jewish background in this context.
Paul "opposed him to his face," demonstrating Paul's apostolic authority and the seriousness of the issue – Peter's actions contradicted the gospel.
Peter's initial practice of eating with Gentiles showed his understanding of gospel freedom, but he withdrew due to fear of judgment from conservative Jewish believers ("men from James").
Peter's withdrawal ("hypocrisy") created a division in the church along ethnic lines, implicitly suggesting Gentiles were somehow less acceptable unless they adopted Jewish customs.
This hypocrisy was contagious, influencing other Jewish believers and even Paul's close associate, Barnabas.
Paul perceived Peter's actions as deviating from "the truth of the gospel," which mandated unity and equality in Christ, irrespective of adherence to Jewish dietary laws.
Paul's public rebuke highlights the public nature of Peter's error and its damaging effect on the community.
The core of the rebuke (Galatians 2:14) points out Peter's inconsistency: living like a Gentile himself (presumably before the men from James arrived) but then implicitly pressuring Gentiles to adopt Jewish ways through his separation.

The Core Doctrine: Justification by Faith

¹⁵ We are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners,¹⁶ yet we know that no one is justified by the works of the law but by the faithfulness of Jesus Christ. And we have come to believe in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by the faithfulness of Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified.

Paul shifts from narrating the Antioch incident to articulating the foundational theological principle at stake. "We" refers to Jewish believers like Paul and Peter.
He acknowledges the Jewish perspective ("Jews by birth," distinct from "Gentile sinners" as perceived under the Law) but immediately pivots to a truth known even by them.
"Justified" (Greek: *dikaióō*) means to be declared righteous or acquitted by God, put into a right relationship with Him.
The core assertion: Justification is not achieved through "works of the law" (observing the Mosaic Law) but through "faithfulness of Jesus Christ" (or "faith in Jesus Christ" - *pistis Christou*). Scholarly debate exists on whether this refers primarily to Christ's own faithfulness or the believer's faith in Christ; both concepts are theologically intertwined.
Jewish believers themselves came to faith in Christ precisely *because* they recognized the Law could not justify them.
Paul emphatically repeats that justification is "by the faithfulness of Christ" and "not by the works of the law."
The concluding phrase, "because by the works of the law no one will be justified," echoes Psalm 143:2 and serves as a universal maxim, grounding the argument in Scripture and universal human inability.
This passage is a cornerstone for the Protestant doctrine of *sola fide* (justification by faith alone).

The Believer's New Life in Christ

¹⁷ But if while seeking to be justified in Christ we ourselves have also been found to be sinners, is Christ then one who encourages sin? Absolutely not!¹⁸ But if I build up again those things I once destroyed, I demonstrate that I am one who breaks God's law.¹⁹ For through the law I died to the law so that I may live to God.²⁰ I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So the life I now live in the body, I live because of the faithfulness of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.²¹ I do not set aside God's grace, because if righteousness could come through the law, then Christ died for nothing!

Paul addresses a potential objection (Galatians 2:17): If seeking justification in Christ means abandoning the Law (which defines sin), does this make believers "sinners" and Christ an promoter of sin? Paul vehemently rejects this ("Absolutely not!").
Rebuilding the system of Law-keeping after embracing Christ ("build up again the very things I destroyed") would actually prove oneself to be a "transgressor" for abandoning the superior way of Christ (Galatians 2:18).
Paradoxically, Paul states he "died to the law through the law" (Galatians 2:19). The Law itself, by revealing sin and bringing condemnation, drove him to find life outside its bounds – life "to God" through Christ.
Union with Christ is central: "I have been crucified with Christ" (Galatians 2:20). The believer identifies with Christ's death, signifying the end of the old life under the Law's dominion.
This death leads to a new reality: "it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me" (Galatians 2:20). The believer's new identity and source of life is Christ Himself.
The present earthly life ("life I now live in the body") is lived out "by the faithfulness of the Son of God" (or "by faith in the Son of God"), drawing power and direction from Christ.
This new life is rooted in Christ's personal, sacrificial love: "who loved me and gave himself for me" (Galatians 2:20).
Paul concludes (Galatians 2:21) that insisting on righteousness through the Law effectively nullifies ("set aside") God's grace.
If the Law could provide righteousness, then "Christ died for nothing," rendering His sacrifice unnecessary – the ultimate absurdity for Paul. This powerfully underscores the necessity of grace through Christ alone.

The Bullet Point Bible

Galatians 2