Galatians 2

For those of you who want to read the chapter before going on, you can find it here. For simplicity, clarity and brevity's sake I will not share all the things I found, but I will list some of the more noticeable observations I saw alongside the references. This will prevent this post being huge, whilst giving other people the opportunity to comment on things I've not written about.

Anyhow, here is what spoke to me as I spent some time in Galatians 2.

2:1-10 These verses seem to be Paul's perspective on the events of Acts 15, which is a council gathered to specifically address the question raised in Acts 15:1. Paul goes before the key apostles in Jerusalem to ensure his gospel, received by revelation from the Spirit of God, was the same as the apostolic doctrine they taught (2:1-2). Some false teachers had introduced the idea that circumcision was essential for salvation, thereby adding a requirement to the gospel of grace - and in effect stopping it from being a gospel of grace. Paul uses the argument that the other apostles didn't force his uncircumcised companion to be circumcised (2:3), even though the false teachers were seeking to add regulations to the young Christians that weren't from man, and not from God (2:4). It is against these additional requirements that Paul is opposed (2:5), and he tells the Galatians that the Apostles were in agreement with him (2:6). This agreement brings these apostles together in their shared missionary work, Peter, James and John to the Jews and Paul to the Gentiles (2:7-9). Interestingly enough, the passion of all these key apostolic figures is to remember the poor (2:10)

This section of the chapter made me think a lot about what God asks of us to follow Him. Right at the start, the only thing he asks of us is to believe in Christ crucified for our sins, raised to life and for us to follow him. There isn't anything about what we should read, where we should go, how we should dress, and what we can or cannot do. In one sense, its almost scandalous to me - the gospel of grace is clearly faith-based, not behaviour-based. But do I confuse Christian morality - or my interpretation of Christian morality - with what God asks of us, which is to simply believe and follow? Someone once said to me that "we come to God to get right." But sometimes, do I insist on myself - or others - on "getting right before they come to God?"

Not only does this have an application of salvation, but what about sanctification? About living the Christian life? Yes, of course there must be changed lives as a result of faith. But surely the changes we should look for must be internal heart changes that show themselves outwardly? If we make up standards that merely cause superficial changes on the outwards - however biblical those standards are - then are we missing the very heart of the gospel?

2:11-14 This section tells us of a disagreement between Paul and Peter (2:11). Peter was associating and eating with Gentiles - non-Jews- which was contrary to Jewish law. However Peter himself had received a vision at Cornelius' house in Acts 10 in which God had told him no longer where any kind of people 'unclean.' But certain Jewish men arrived and Peter changed his behaviour because he fell into the trap of fear of man, and therefore people pleasing. Other Jews, seeing their apostolic leader acting this way, followed suit - even Paul's companion Barnabas (2:12-13). Paul's response is fascinating, and gives us such an insight into the heart of the gospel. He argues that the gospel has set Peter free from the rigours and trappings of the Jewish Law, and he is acting hypocritically by condoning in action Jewish restrictions on the Gentile Christians (2:14).

Clearly the heart of the gospel is liberation and freedom. Freedom from the sin that destroys us, but also freedom from rules and rituals that would enslave us. The gospel sets us free from the sin that God hates and judges, and the gospel sets us free from having to earn God's pleasure through hard works and cold obedience.

For the Christian, there is no place for self-condemnation ("I'm a bad Christian, I'm not good enough") and there is no place for self-righteousness ("I'm a good Christian, I'm good enough.") Whenever we say to God "look at what I've done" - whether because we've been bad, or we've been good, his response is simple. He says "I don't care what you've done - look at what Christ has done!"

This is the gospel that brings us into reconciled friendship with the Living God. From this place of friendship, we begin to change as we walk with Him, and holiness, right-living and obedience rightly - and inevitably - follow.

2:15-21 Paul writes about his, and perhaps some of his readers - and Jews from birth, and therefore not "Gentile sinners" (2:15). But he himself talks about a person becoming justified - declared totally innocent of sin - not by obeying the rules of the Old Testament - the 'law' -  but through wholehearted faith and trust in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. He himself has placed his faith in Christ, and therefore concluded that the law can never declare someone innocent in God's eyes (2:16). However, just in case some would argue the Cross can never justify someone and actually leads them to live lives of total sin, Paul responds by saying that this isn't the case - the gospel transforms lives, and therefore Christ is not a servant of sin. (2:17). He would be a sinner if he preached the end of the relevance of law, but still observed the law to become righteous - right before God. This is what the false teachers, and Peter, had been guilty of doing. (2:18). But by following the law, Paul could never keep it because his human nature meant he sinned - and our sin kills us. The law simply sends us more speedily to our death, by giving us the rules that we ultimately break. But as Christians, we have been crucified with Christ and are joined with Jesus who now lives in us. We no longer live life under our own power and strength, fighting the demands of the law, but through Jesus living in us. He is now our master, and He gives us power to live life by faith, and changes us from the inside out to actually and ironically fulfill the demands the law might have had on us. The phrase "the Son of God... who loved me and gave himself for me" reminds us again that the Cross was sacrificial and substitutional (2:19-20).  Paul's conclusion is that obeying rules makes the grace of God obsolete. If we could become right before God by doing the right thing, then the Cross had no purpose whatsoever (2:21).

This section reminded me of the kindness of God - He made the way to Him to be based on belief, not behaviour. I could never have met the standards of the law - when I look at the Ten Commandments which summarise the law, I can't even keep the first one! But God stepped in because he wanted friendship with me, so made a new way for me to relate to him. He provides me with everything I need to please God - he lives in me and changes me from the inside out. Knowing God is no longer about following a cold set of rules that are impossible to keep, but through a warm, loving friendship! This has made me vigilant to watch how I do things when walking with God. Yes, sinful habits. But also formula - am I formulaic in my prayer life, in my Bible reading, in my worship, even in my participation in Church life?

Even as a Christian, I don't want to slip into a kind of law and ritual based relationship with God which is really no relationship at all. God has clearly given me something so much better!

Currently listening to: All Star United - Superstar from International Anthems For The Human Race