But from those who seemed to be something — whatever they were, it makes no difference to me; God shows personal favoritism to no man — for those who seemed to be something added nothing to me. 7 But on the contrary, when they saw that the gospel for the uncircumcised had been committed to me, as the gospel for the circumcised was to Peter 8 (for He who worked effectively in Peter for the apostleship to the circumcised also worked effectively in me toward the Gentiles), 9 and when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that had been given to me, they gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised. 10 They desired only that we should remember the poor, the very thing which I also was eager to do. NKJV
REVIEW: We noted in our last lesson concerning “false brethren” mentioned in verses 4-5. False brethren who did not speak the “true apostolic gospel” which Paul carried and those leaders at the Jerusalem church understood. Those false brethren brought bondage to the message of Christ and the liberty found in Him alone. Verse 5 speaks to the heart of Paul and the heart of the others with him. His heart is stated in the last part of verse 5, “to whom we did not yield submission even for an hour, that the truth of the gospel might continue with you” (NKJV).
This is extremely important to understand! It is essential because it is central to freedom and liberty in Christ our Lord. Even today, “CHRISTIAN LIBERTY” IS UNDER ATTACK. If Christian liberty is under attack, then liberty and freedom of nations is as well. We must understand that true freedom can only be found in the Gospel of Christ. Our own US Constitution was based upon the premise of the Gospel of Christ.
Liberty is not a license to sin or do whatever I want to do. Liberty is to know Jesus Christ and to serve God the Father without any religious strings attached. It is simply to trust in Christ fully. That is, all He accomplished for us in the cross and the power of His resurrection. Pictured in baptism and followed by receiving of the Holy Spirit, who breathes God’s life into our now regenerated spirit so that we can serve God acceptably without fear of wrath but reverently with godly fear or reverence.
Paul, Barnabas, and Titus did not spend any time submitting to these religious individuals who did not either understand the liberty these men enjoyed or did not want what they had. And apparently, the latter was true because they came in deceptively by sneaking in with their agenda.
It is no different today, and I am genuinely sorry to say. There are still today those who do not understand what Paul is teaching. By not understanding, they put God’s people into religious bondage through legalistic systems. They are not full of the liberty and freedom Christ has purchased for His redeemed Community, His Church, His House, His “living stones” built together in Him as Peter describes in 1 Peter 2:1-12. Listen to what Peter says:
Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, 2 as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby, 3 if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious. THIS DESCRIBES TRUE LIBERTY, SAINTS!
4 Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men but chosen by God and precious, 5 you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. THIS IS THE PLACE THAT THE TRUE SAINTS OF GOD ARE STANDING!
6 Therefore, it is also contained in the Scripture, “Behold, I lay in Zion A chief cornerstone, elect, precious, And he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame.”
7 Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious; but to those who are disobedient, “The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone,”
8 and “A stone of stumbling And a rock of offense.” They stumble, being disobedient to the word, to which they also were appointed. (That Word is faith in Christ alone).
9 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; 10 who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.
How We Are To Live before the World
11 Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, (THE ATTITUDE OF THE LIBERATED BELIEVER) abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul, 12 having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation (NKJV). (READ TO END OF THE CHAPTER).
In Galatians 2:6-10, we find the “tension” of the New Testament. There were those who seemed to be something, even as there are those who exalt themselves today. Many people push their titles and their positions TO ADVANCE THEMSELVES. There are those who are elevated by men. Some have letters before and after their names. The position that men took did not distract Paul from His assignment given to him by Christ Himself.
God does not show personal favoritism. Peter understood this as well. Acts 10:34 “Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, of a truth, I perceive that God is no respecter of persons.” Again Paul says this in Romans 2:11 “For there is no respect of persons with God,” as he addresses both Jew and Greek.
The first aspect of the “tension” of the New Testament is “NO RESPECT OF PERSONS WITH GOD.”
The next tension is that it was “perceived” by leadership regarding the grace given to Peter and to Paul.
“But on the contrary, when they saw that the gospel for the uncircumcised had been committed to me, as the gospel for the circumcised was to Peter 8 (for He who worked effectively in Peter for the apostleship to the circumcised also worked effectively in me toward the Gentiles).”
We must learn to recognize the grace from God that a particular leader carries. Many of the leaders of God’s people and the people of God themselves have been divided too long. Competition has no place in the Body of Christ. People and groups that set themselves against one another have missed a significant element of the New Testament.
9 and when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that had been given to me, they gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised.
This verse speaks to the kind of genuine revival that is needed in the Lord’s Church today. True revival must begin in the “House of God.” It must start with leaders. The Lord wants to revive His Work. Before a resurgence in the nations can happen, a genuine revival in the Lord’s people must occur. In Communities, in Cities, State Wide, Nationally. A revival that brings us back to what these apostles saw and understood. Unity of the faith! We must build toward the fullness of the stature of Christ in His church, a mature man (see Ephesians 4:12-16).
Let’s consider this last verse for today, Galatians 2:10, They desired only that we should remember the poor, the very thing which I also was eager to do (NKJV).
Remembering the poor takes our eyes off of ourselves and focuses on those that are most needy.