Galatians 2 Commentary
The Book of Acts gives us a picture of the confusion that Judaizers caused in the church. We have a version of the same confusion here.
We also meet another Paul, a man with whom you won’t avoid a quarrel. Ask Barnabas. Yes, the same good, peaceful, and calm Barnabas. Unfortunately, we don’t have the other side of the story. Of course, it is needless to want to have the other piece of the story as the scriptures aren’t a debate platform. This letter isn’t written to exonerate one believer against the other.
But know this, you won’t escape scrutiny if you decide to spend even a minute with Paul. He is still a Pharisee at his core – a man with a sharp mind and an eye for detail.
When you go to Rome, do what the Romans do. This saying has its source in Paul’s injunction to the churches. Don’t let your eating stumble anyone. Paul himself claimed he would never eat meat if it made his brother stumble. Are Peter and Barnabas caught up in this kind of situation? You never know but regardless, they have Paul for company!
The Gentiles are Paul’s baby and he wants to impress them. His mind is set to create comfort for them. Probably Peter has his focus on the Jews whom he feels must be accommodated. It is impossible to avoid a clash of interests in this setup. Ask church leaders about this kind of headache!
It can exist. It can be present. This could be an important point we get from this chapter.
Of course, Peter would find space to write to his Jewish brothers about Paul’s hard teachings. 2 Peter 3 verses 15 and 16. But Peter’s observation is baptized while Paul’s observation is characteristically unbaptized! Importantly, Peter’s warm acceptance of Paul’s letters is so refreshing! It reflects the attitude that the Jerusalem apostles had towards Paul.
Diversity. Differences in character. Grace limitations in one area or the other. These aspects come up as believers interact.
But the truth stands. Rituals aren’t a requirement. Peter and Barnabas know it. Paul preaches it. Let the Gentiles live in freedom. Let no one impose these rituals on the believers.
We can also see that some bad elements sneaked in and sought to destabilize the church. They sought to set one apostle against the other; elevating one leader against the other. The aim would be to pour scorn on the message of the maligned apostle.
Of course, Paul comes out fighting but importantly, he establishes the fact that before God, all are equal. The message makes us equal. The requirement for salvation is the same: faith. Nothing else counts. Even the most powerful preacher would still say the same thing: Faith. Forget the titles, it all comes back to the simple word: Faith.
Don’t complicate it.
More resources visit http://www.lovingscripture.com
LOVING SCRIPTURE 