Galatians 2 - What is Truth?

Imagine Galatian church

Jewish elder hears Paul & Barnabas explain to the synagogue one Sabbath how Jesus fulfills the Old Testament and decides to follow Jesus.

Living in a foreign city, this elder has often warned his community of the dangers of consorting with pagan gentiles. However, he’s not alarmed when the gentiles are invited to become followers of Jesus too.

Now Barnabas and Paul leave, and this Jewish elder suddenly finds himself in a position he could not have imagined just a few months earlier. He is an elder in a church of both Jews and Gentiles. Should he forget every warning he’d previously given his community about gentiles? Should he require the Gentiles to respect Jewish traditions? Should he require the Gentiles to observe and Participate in Jewish traditions? After all, they’re all following a Jewish Messiah.

Then some other Jewish Christians turn up, and as they talk they insist that the Law and the apostles in Jerusalem require all gentile men who convert to following Jesus must first be circumcised.

How will our friendly elder make his decision?

Paul didn’t mention circumcision. Was it an oversight?

The Law certainly requires circumcision to become a Jew.

These teachers seem confident that the Jerusalem church (and apostles) agrees with them.

Paul’s Defense

In Galatians 1:10 it seems that Paul is defending himself against the charge that he’s a people pleaser. “Paul doesn’t require circumcision of gentile converts, because he wants big numbers and he wants to be popular.” Or something like that.

There’s an old story about a gentile king who was interested in converting to Judaism. He asked one rabbi what was required. When the rabbi told him about circumcision the king decided to get a second opinion. He approached another rabbi who told him that circumcision was NOT required for converts. You can imagine which rabbi he decided to listen to. While this was a legitimate debate among the various Jewish parties, you can see how the second group faced accusations of being “people pleasers”.

Galatians 1:10 (NIV)

Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.

Here’s the question for Paul… “Are you just making this all up? Are you tricking us and getting us in trouble with God?”

Where should our friendly Jewish Christian elder turn for answers?

And while we’re thinking about this question for the churches in Galatia, let’s also ask ourselves this question. Where should we turn for answers when we encounter situations we don’t understand?

Answers

Where does Paul get his authority for teaching how non-Jews can become children of God?

He’s making it up.

The apostles in Jerusalem have trained him and endorsed his teaching.

Something else...

From the opening words of the letter Paul has argued that he is a full apostle and that because of that he has full teaching authority. Now he emphasises this point by sharing the story of his conversion and how God appointed him to be an apostle.

READ Gal 1:11-12

Galatians 1:11–12 NIV

I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that the gospel I preached is not of human origin. I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ.

Paul met the resurrected Jesus on the road to Damascus, and it changed his life. But that’s not what Paul references here. It seems as though Paul at some point had a direct conversation with God.

Throughout the rest of this chapter, and into chapter 2, Paul describes his life experiences. He begins by describing his formal education in the Jewish law. Then, after his conversion, he spends time in Arabia (maybe like a pilgrimage to Mt Sinai), then returns to Damascus. All this time he’s learning about Jesus and life as a Christian. The other apostles have had very little influence upon him.

Finally, Paul briefly visits Jerusalem. He stays with the apostle Peter, and visits briefly with James, Jesus’ brother. While he appreciates their endorsement of his ministry and message to the gentiles, he did not come tot hem cap in hand to get their approval.

Finally, in light of the controversy over circumcision, Paul returns to Jerusalem. This time he meets with James, Peter, and John. Once more they formally endorse Paul’s gospel message to the gentiles. Not that Paul himself felt that he needed their endorsement, but this should put to bed the claims that he’s a lone ranger preaching a diluted gospel (without circumcision) in order to inflate his conversion numbers and build his personal following.

So where does Paul get his authority?

Study of Scriptures and formal training from the Pharisees.

Training directly from God.

Experience in the church.

Endorsement of the other apostles

Where do we go for answers? (Important question)

Study of Scriptures and formal training.

Time spent with God

Experience in the church.

Endorsement of our faith from our community