7/22 - Galatians 2

Jerry Gentry wrote:.... I feel like an island surrounded by an ocean! I guess I had better try an change that.

Hey! I know that feeling! I'll add you to my prayer list that you find someone to keep you accountable and to Grow with.

what I am reading in this is that the law was given to us only for one reason and that was to show us that we can not live up to the law in its every detail. When you try to live by the law we are slaves to tradition with rules & regulations that we cant possibly live up to, I believe that the law was given to us to condemn us and point out that we are hopelessly lost with out our faith in Jesus. Paul consistently told us that we don't have to live by the law but we have been made a free man in our faith in Jesus.
the other thing that I find interesting that I my self am lacking in is that when Paul felt the call of God on his life the verse says that he left immediately he didn't hesitate, all to often I find my self procrastinating when I feel the tug or pull to do what I know God would have me to do! And I also noticed that Paul also had a support group that he depended on as well as the others depended on him I see this when Paul got into I think it was Timothy's face and confronted him. Sometimes I wish that there was a Godly man in my life that I respected and felt safe with that would do that with me and do it with the love of Jesus and I could do that as well with him. I see that even Paul the great also had what you could say an accountability group that traveled with him and if someone like Paul needed that, then I surely need that as well. Wow the more I put my thoughts down the more I feel like an island surrounded by an ocean! I guess I had better try an change that.

I am starting to ramble so I guess I should hang up now!!!!

I'll be the first to admit that this chapter was a little over my head. I've had to read it multiple times and I feel like I'm only grasping at the message contained.

The "meat & potatoes" portion of the passage I felt were verses 11-15. Where Paul confronts Peter for his hypocrisy. Again, I admit that this one was over my head and I am getting an impression that somehow Peter wasn't supposed to be eating with the Gentiles (in the eyes of the Circumcision group) and yet he did until he was in the presence of others that viewed this as a "No-No".

Based on this chapter I believe God is saying:
1) Even the most devout among us can be be led into behaviors of "Hypocrisy". And as damaging as this is to ourselves, it can lead our brothers to stumble as well (Barnabas).
2) Scary as it sounds, we should call out or confront the hypocrisy we see in our brothers and sisters in Christ.

This will be a difficult passage to act on today, but I believe the lesson that I can most readily implement would be to not engage in actions of hypocrisy which are contrary to Gods word. To act as a liaison of Christ that will allow others to look upon me and say "Wow, there is something different about this guy"

Galatians 2

Paul Accepted by the Apostles
1Fourteen years later I went up again to Jerusalem, this time with Barnabas. I took Titus along also. 2I went in response to a revelation and set before them the gospel that I preach among the Gentiles. But I did this privately to those who seemed to be leaders, for fear that I was running or had run my race in vain. 3Yet not even Titus, who was with me, was compelled to be circumcised, even though he was a Greek. 4This matter arose because some false brothers had infiltrated our ranks to spy on the freedom we have in Christ Jesus and to make us slaves. 5We did not give in to them for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel might remain with you.

6As for those who seemed to be important—whatever they were makes no difference to me; God does not judge by external appearance—those men added nothing to my message. 7On the contrary, they saw that I had been entrusted with the task of preaching the gospel to the Gentiles, just as Peter had been to the Jews. 8For God, who was at work in the ministry of Peter as an apostle to the Jews, was also at work in my ministry as an apostle to the Gentiles. 9James, Peter and John, those reputed to be pillars, gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship when they recognized the grace given to me. They agreed that we should go to the Gentiles, and they to the Jews. 10All they asked was that we should continue to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do.
Paul Opposes Peter
11When Peter came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he was clearly in the wrong. 12Before certain men came from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles. But when they arrived, he began to draw back and separate himself from the Gentiles because he was afraid of those who belonged to the circumcision group. 13The other Jews joined him in his hypocrisy, so that by their hypocrisy even Barnabas was led astray.

14When I saw that they were not acting in line with the truth of the gospel, I said to Peter in front of them all, "You are a Jew, yet you live like a Gentile and not like a Jew. How is it, then, that you force Gentiles to follow Jewish customs?

15"We who are Jews by birth and not 'Gentile sinners' 16know that a man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by observing the law, because by observing the law no one will be justified.

17"If, while we seek to be justified in Christ, it becomes evident that we ourselves are sinners, does that mean that Christ promotes sin? Absolutely not! 18If I rebuild what I destroyed, I prove that I am a lawbreaker. 19For through the law I died to the law so that I might live for God. 20I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. 21I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!"