March 5 - Galatians 2:1-5

March 5 - Galatians 2:1-5

Then after fourteen years, I went up again to Jerusalem, this time with Barnabas. I took Titus along also. I went in response to a revelation and, meeting privately with those esteemed as leaders, I presented to them the gospel that I preach among the Gentiles. I wanted to be sure I was not running and had not been running my race in vain. Yet not even Titus, who was with me, was compelled to be circumcised, even though he was a Greek. This matter arose because some false believers had infiltrated our ranks to spy on the freedom we have in Christ Jesus and to make us slaves. We did not give in to them for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel might be preserved for you.

In Acts 9:27, Barnabas is the one who vouched for Paul to the disciples after his conversion.  Again, he goes with Paul before the church in Jerusalem as Paul tells them of his ministry to the Gentiles.

Obviously Paul didn’t think it was going to be easy. In fact, this man who seems so confident in his faith was worried that maybe he’d gone off track and was preaching something so far outside the orthodox beliefs that those in Jerusalem, the founders of the church, the disciples who had walked with Jesus for several years; would have a problem with him.

He didn’t really think so … even Titus wasn’t all that interested in being circumcised.  But, there had been noise coming out of Jerusalem that tried to change his teaching on freedom in Christ Jesus.  They were once again teaching that all should be circumcised – should hold on to the rules of Judaism – if they really wanted to be part of the faith movement.

It wasn’t the original twelve disciples … Paul says that false brothers had gotten in and started making trouble.  He wasn’t going to have anything to do with it. 

The truth of the gospel … freedom in Christ Jesus … is what Paul wants the Galatians to know.  It’s what we all need to know – every day.  There is freedom found in Jesus Christ.