GALATIANS ~ Chapter 2/Thursday Bible Study

Galatians 2 is the second chapter of Paul’s Epistle to the Christian Believers in Galatia. The Epistle was most likely written between 49 and 58 *CE.

Galatia was a region in north-central Anatolia (modern day Turkey) settled by the Celtic **Gauls, 278-277 BCE. Galatian is an extinct language once spoken by the Galatians in Galatia, in central Anatolia (Asian part of modern Turkey), from the 3^rd Century BC to at least the 4^th Century AD.

Location of Biblical Galatia - modern day Turkey.

In this chapter of Galatians, Paul twice emphasizes that salvation comes through faith in ***Yeshua Ha’Mashiach only – and that no one will be justified, or declared saved – by works of any kind.

Also, in this chapter we will read that the meeting account of Paul, Barnabas, and Christian Leadership in Jerusalem resulted in one of the most momentous events in the early foundation of Christianity; which started with the dispute between the Apostles Paul and Peter.

The Council of Jerusalem was the Name given to the Meeting of leadership delegates from the Church of Antioch – led by Paul and Barnabas, and the Apostles and Elders of the Church of Jerusalem, led primarily by James the Just (actual earth brother of Yeshua) … to discuss doctrinal problems arising from differing leadership viewpoints concerning the influx of Gentile converts.

The Council met around 50 AD; and declared with the support of James towards Paul, that Gentile Christians – grafted into Messianic Faith in Yeshua, the Jewish Messiah – do not have to observe The Mosaic Law concerning circumcision and diet, relating primarily to Jews.

It may seem a small thing … but in many Christian circles today where undiscerning leadership mixes the Old Covenant with the New Covenant … it is still very much a big thing. And it is just as out of place today, as it was in Paul’s Day.

With this in mind, let us begin today’s Study 😊 

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GALATIANS ~ Chapter 2

Paul’s Authority Confirmed by the Council at Jerusalem

Paul said, “Then, after 14 years, I went again to Jerusalem, together with ****Barnabas, and I also took *****Titus with me. What made me go this time was a revelation that I had had. I laid before them the Gospel as I preached it to the Gentiles, after having first presented it privately to their leaders, for fear that what I was doing, or had done, was misspent energy. But they did not even compel my companion Titus, who was a Greek, to be circumcised. This question came up because some false brethren who had been smuggled into the meeting secretly, and who had slipped in to spy on the freedom that we have in #Christ Jesus (Yeshua Ha’Mashiach), so as to bring us into bondage again. But we did not yield to them even for a moment, in order that the Truth of the ##Gospel might remain yours.

Then, with respect to those who were considered the leaders at the Council – it really makes no difference to me what rank they held, and even ###Elohim is not accepting a man because of his office – they did not contribute anything new to me. Rather, they recognized that I had been commissioned to bring the Gospel to the uncircumcised, even as Peter as an apostle to the circumcised, had also worked through me in behalf of the Gentile. And then, because James, ####Cephas and #####John, all reputed pillars of the Church, now all recognized the grace that was given to me, they gave to Barnabas and to me the right hand of fellowship, with understanding that we should go to the Gentiles – and they to the Jews. They made only one request of me: that we should remember their poor, and that very thing I have diligently tried to do. (vv. 1 – 10)

Maintained in Dispute with Peter

Christian confrontation in right Spirit.

Later, when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face because he was in the wrong. For before the arrival of some persons who were with James, Peter used to take his meals with the Gentiles (accepting whatever was placed before him to eat); but when they came, he withdrew from the Gentile tables and kept aloof, for fear of judgment of those circumcised. And the rest of the Jews (immature Messianic Believers among the Gentile Believers) joined him in this pretense – and even Barnabas was carried away by this insincerity (hypocrisy). When I saw that their actions were contradictory to the teaching of the Gospel, I spoke to Peter before them all. I said, “If you, a Jew, live like the Gentiles, why do you compel the Gentiles to live like Jews?” (vv. 11 – 14)

Justification by Faith Defended

We are Jews by birth; we are not sinful Gentiles. Yet, because we know that a man is not justified by obeying the Law – but by Faith in Yeshua Ha’Mashiach, therefore have we believed in Christ, in order that we might be justified by faith in Christ, and not by doing the works of The Law. Observance of The Law will not bring justification to any human being.

So, if we seek justification through Christ, we find that we ourselves are sinful … but does that mean that Christ becomes a servant to sin? Absolutely not! I prove that I am a sinner when I try to build up again things that I had pulled down. And, through The Law, I become dead to The Law, so that I may now be living for Elohim.

And, I (the old me = old man/flesh) have been put to death with Christ on the cross – and yet I am alive; although really it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives within me. The life which I now live in human state is by the faith of the Son of God, Who loved me – and gave Himself for me, that I might be saved. I refuse to ignore the grace of Elohim, and therefore say: If justification is through The Law, then Christ died needlessly.” (vv. 15 – 21)

*CE = ‘Common Era’; which is the secular equivalent to AD (anno domini), which in Latin means ‘in the year of our Lord”.

**Gauls: (Latin, Galli; Ancient Greek, Γαλάται, Galatai) were a group of Celtic peoples of mainland Europe in the Iron Age, & Roman period – roughly 5^th century BC to 5^th century AD. Their original homeland was known as Gaul, and they spoke a continental Celtic language known as ‘Gaulish’.

Ancient Gaul; modern day layout of what used to be Gaul region.

***Yeshua Ha’Mashiach = Jesus (Greek), the Messiah (Hebrew): “Mashiach” is simply the Hebrew word for “Messiah”, which means, the ‘Anointed One’. “Yeshua Ha’Mashiach” written out in Hebrew looks like this: ישוע המשיח.

****Barnabas: Friend and companion of Paul. Barnabas – whose Hebrew name was Joseph, and was a Levite whose home was in Cyprus. Highly respected by Christian leaders, Barnabas was instrumental in bringing the newly converted Saul (aka Paul) from tarsus to Antioch; and influential in having Paul received by the apostles in Jerusalem. Later, the two were commissioned by the Church at Antioch to conduct a missionary tour. After returning and reporting to Antioch and Jerusalem, Barnabas and Paul began a second trip, but separated after arguing whether or not to take along Mark (Barnabas’s nephew), who had deserted them on their first journey. The friendship, however, continued. Paul speaks warmly of Barnabas in his letters. Acts 4, 9, 11 thru 15; 1 Corinthians 9:6; Galatians 2, & Colossians 4:10

*****Titus: A Greek who was converted to Christianity by Paul. Titus became one of Paul’s most trusted and able assistants. Although Paul earlier had insisted that Timothy be circumcised, he refused to allow Titus to be circumcised in order to demonstrate once and for all to the Judaistic party (then undermining Paul’s ministry) that it is by Faith in Yeshua Ha’Mashiach alone that saves. Paul presented Titus as living proof of this declaration, at the Jerusalem Council. Titus continued to serve as Paul’s preaching companion (mate, friend, buddy, confidant) and troubleshooter (mediator, consultant, problem solver). Titus was particularly useful in straightening out problems in the churches of Corinth after Timothy had failed, at Ephesus – and later, at Crete. The last mention of him in the New Covenant (New Testament) is in 2 Timothy 4:10, where Paul states that he planned to send him to Dalmatia. The early church leadership linked Titus closely to Crete, where he was to have served as Bishop (one who determines/appoints Christians to leadership position), and died. 2 Corinthians 2:13, 7:6 & 13-14; 8:6, 16, & 23; 12:18; Galatians 2:1 & 3; 2 Timothy 4:10; and Titus 1:4

#Christ (from the Hebrew word, Ha’Mashiach ישוע המשיח & the Greek word, Christos/khris-tos) = The Anointed, Yeshua the Messiah, in both languages.

##Gospel: the word is derived from the Anglo-Saxon term, god-spell, meaning “good story”; Biblically speaking, gospel is a rendering of the Latin evangelium and the Greek euangelion, meaning “good news” or “good telling”.

###Elohim (Hebrew: אֱלֹהִים, romanized: ʾĚlōhīm: [(eloˈ(h)im]) is a Hebrew word meaning "Gods – Father, Son, & Holy Spirit". Although the word is plural in form, in the Hebrew Bible it usually refers to a single deity “Behold, the Lord – the Lord is One”, particularly the at God of Israel.

####Cephas = Simon, son of Jona (aka Peter): The Galilee fisherman who with his brother Andrew, became a follower and believer of Yeshua’s 12 Disciples. Yeshua Himself gave the Name “Peter”, which Yeshua declared in Aramaic, to mean “Rock”. Both Andrew and Peter were originally from Bethsaida, and were living in Capernaum when called by Yeshua to join Him. Peter, and enthusiastic, positive man, quickly became one of Yeshua’s closest associates. Peter immediately and accurately answered Yeshua’s query, ‘Who do you think I am?’ with the ringing affirmation at Caesarea-Philippi, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the Living God.” Yeshua’s comment to Peter’s quick, astute reply, was to commend his unshakable faith in Him: ‘You are now Peter, and on this rock I will build my Church (aka: foundation for my Bride).” Peter’s human qualities are well-known, and pointed out by Christians as foundational endearments: he protectively tried to talk Yeshua out of going to Jerusalem to die – and received Yeshua’s curt scolding; he swaggeringly (strutting bluster) promised Yeshua at the Last Supper, that he would never leave nor forsake Him – and then promptly fell asleep in the Garden of Gethsemane, instead of covering Yeshua’s back in constant prayer during that prayer time; in the high priest’s courtyard, he loudly denied knowing Yeshua during Yeshua’s interrogation inside. Peter, the fickle loudmouth was, however, transformed (strengthened and rock steady) by Yeshua’s resurrection – and he took charge of the frazzled (stressed) group of Believers, and boldly preached the news of the Resurrection on the streets of Jerusalem. Peter was one of the most prominent of the Early Church leadership. Peter had been born and bred an orthodox Jew, which led to conflict in his own reasoning, as well as Christian outlook: this conflict was resolved when Paul took him to task in Galatia. Peter was married, and took his wife with him on missionary travels. Some church histories relate Peter as the first Bishop to Antioch – others, to Rome; he had a close relationship with the Roman congregation, and most certainly lived there for some time in his later years. For a time, Mark was his companion and secretary. Peter authored several correspondences of the New Covenant. Peter’s martyrdom during Nero’s persecutions, is widely accepted in all Church Histories; archeological work done under St. Peter’s Church building conforms that his body was buried at that place. Peter is spoken of in the Gospel accounts of Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts. Galatians, 1 & 2 Peter

 

**Galatians 1: https://jeastofeden.blogspot.com/2022/06/galatians-chapter-1thursday-bible-study.html