At the end of the last post, Paul and Barnabas had returned to Antioch, the place from which they had been commissioned and sent on their missionary journey. Acts 14:27-28 says, “And when they arrived and gathered the church together, they declared all that God had done with them, and how he had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles. And they remained no little time with the disciples.“ This “no little time” was probably at least a year, and what a year it was. There are at least four things that we glean from the Scriptures that probably occurred during this year:

1. Peter paid a visit to Antioch and there was a disagreement which arose over Peter’s actions during fellowship with Gentiles and then Jews (as related in Galatians 2).
2. Peter returned to Jerusalem, but then other Jews from Jerusalem arrived and tried to insist on the conversion of Gentile believers to Judaism.
3. This led to a conflict between Paul / Barnabas and these “Judaizers” and likely prompted Paul to write his letter to the Galatian churches.
4. This conflict prompted the church in Antioch to send Paul and Barnabas to Jerusalem to seek further guidance and clarification from the apostles and church there.

Let’s examine each of these individually. In Galatians 2:11-14, Paul writes

“But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. For before certain men came from James, he was eating with the Gentiles; but when they came he drew back and separated himself, fearing the circumcision party. And the rest of the Jews acted hypocritically along with him, so that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy. But when I saw that their conduct was not in step with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas before them all, “If you, though a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you force the Gentiles to live like Jews?”

Peter (Cephas) apparently came to visit the church in Antioch. While there, other Jews from Jerusalem (certain men from James) came to visit as well. The Jewish Christians, though, had not abandoned all of their Jewish religious observances when they became Christians. Peter, who had received a revelation from God (in Acts 10) teaching him that the Gentiles are saved by grace just as the Jews are, nevertheless felt the pressure of observing Jewish custom when approached by fellow Jewish believers. It was this change in behavior that caused Paul to confront him.

Acts 15:1-2 may tell of the same visit, but I think it reflects a separate group.

“But some men came down from Judea and were teaching the brothers, ‘Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.’ And after Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and debate with them, Paul and Barnabas and some of the others were appointed to go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and the elders about this question.“

I’ll save the trip to Jerusalem for another post, but the statement that “Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and debate with them” indicates that this was not a one-off argument. I believe that this was a rather lengthy drawn-out conflict that prompted Paul to write his letter to the Galatian churches – perhaps because he had also acquired some indication that a similar conflict was occurring amongst believers there.

I encourage you to read the book of Galatians in its entirety. Also, watch the David Stotts / Right Now Media series Bible Backroads – Galatians, episode 3, explains more about the rise of the Judaizers in the early church.

I have already referenced in previous posts some of the statements Paul makes in Galatians describing his early experiences as a convert to Christianity. I want to highlight, though, some of the other major points that Paul addresses in this letter.

1:6-7 “I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ.”

Paul begins immediately addressing the Judaizer influence on the Galatian churches. The gospel proclaims that we are saved by faith in Christ (alone) and not by anything that we can do to earn our salvation. Paul asks why the churches are allowing themselves to be led astray by a false gospel.

2:1-3 “Then after fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus along with me. I went up because of a revelation and set before them (though privately before those who seemed influential) the gospel that I proclaim among the Gentiles, in order to make sure I was not running or had not run in vain. But even Titus, who was with me, was not forced to be circumcised, though he was a Greek.”

Paul and Barnabas traveled to Jerusalem to take a relief package (gift) from the church in Antioch due to a prophecy of a drought. I discussed this passage in the Life of Paul 10 post. Paul says that their message content received the blessing of the church leaders there and that their Greek companion was not compelled to convert to Judaism. Paul continues in his letter by making the point that Jews and Gentiles are both saved in the same way – by grace through faith and not by works.

2:15-16 “We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners; yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.”

Paul then writes one of the well-known verses from Galatians, illustrating the view that Christians should adopt – we are united in Christ and He lives his life in us through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

2:20 “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

At this point I suggest that you watch the David Stotts / Right Now Media series Bible Backroads – Galatians, episode 6, in which he talks about the role that the book of Galatians led in the Protestant Reformation.

Paul then uses Abraham’s faith as an example. Even though many of his readers may be Gentiles, they would be familiar with Abraham through the reading of scripture in the church. Also, the Judaizer sect would make claims that only the “children of Abraham” would be saved and thus use that as an excuse for why they need to convert to Judaism to complete their salvation.

3:5-9 “Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law, or by hearing with faith— just as Abraham “believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”? Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham. And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “In you shall all the nations be blessed.” So then, those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.”

Paul emphasizes that his covenant with Abraham to bless all people through his line came before the giving of the law. E.g. the law did not nullify God’s original covenant.

3:17-18 “This is what I mean: the law, which came 430 years afterward, does not annul a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to make the promise void. For if the inheritance comes by the law, it no longer comes by promise; but God gave it to Abraham by a promise.”

In the church, there is to be no distinctions between persons – all are equally children of God who have trusted in the name and work of Jesus by faith.

3:26-29 “for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise.”

4:4-7 “But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.”

Paul emphasizes that obedience to the law (with the intent of using it to justify your salvation) is a form of slavery.

At this point I suggest that you watch the David Stotts / Right Now Media series Bible Backroads – Galatians, episode 4, in which he discusses the principles that Paul introduces in Galatians Chapter 5.

5:1 “For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.”

Obedience to the principles of the law, though, should naturally flow out of your gratitude to God and your love for others.

5:13-14 “For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

5:16-24 “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.”

Paul leaves the Galatian readers with a reminder that even though obedience to the law does not justify them before God, their lives should nevertheless reflect their relationship with God through their obedience to Him.

6:7-10 “Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.”

He finishes with one more reminder that those who insist on Christians adhering to Jewish rites and rituals are doing so not out of obedience but out of fear of persecution.

6:12-13 “It is those who want to make a good showing in the flesh who would force you to be circumcised, and only in order that they may not be persecuted for the cross of Christ. For even those who are circumcised do not themselves keep the law, but they desire to have you circumcised that they may boast in your flesh.”

The principles that Paul discussed in this first epistle (letter) were an ongoing issue in the early church and are not all that different from issues we face today. My wife and I have seen numerous recent articles “explaining” why Christianity is no longer relevant, and one issue that stands out in these is the dismissal of the principle of grace, faith in Jesus, and love for God as an outpouring of gratitude for our salvation. Never forget the price that Jesus paid for our restitution and live your life in gratitude for that!