Galatians 2:6 :

But from those who were reputed to be important (whatever they were, it makes no difference to me; God doesn’t show partiality to man)—they, I say, who were respected imparted nothing to me,

The pastor, the preacher, the pope, and the Bible teacher (including those crazy ones on the Internet) are all no more important than you are. They may be highly respected, but God just doesn’t see much difference.

Here’s what God thinks of our accomplishments:

Romans 3:10-18 :

“There is no one righteous;
no, not one.
There is no one who understands.
There is no one who seeks after God.
They have all turned aside.
They have together become unprofitable.
There is no one who does good,
no, not, so much as one.”
“Their throat is an open tomb.
With their tongues they have used deceit.”
“The poison of vipers is under their lips”;
“whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.”
“Their feet are swift to shed blood.
Destruction and misery are in their ways.
The way of peace, they haven’t known.”
“There is no fear of God before their eyes.”

When you raise the bar as high as God, we all look pretty bad. We can compare to each other, but that is really a waste of time when it is God who will be doing the judging.

I love how Paul was able to keep his focus on the truth and not be distracted by the fame of man. God set Paul out to operate this way. There would be nothing to stop him from focusing on Jesus and his mission to share the Gospel to you and I as Gentiles (and Jews too if they would listen to him because he loved them more than his own salvation – Romans 9:1-5).

We would do well today to recognize that Jesus is the only man who can be lifted up above the rest. No other man (or woman) should be allowed to come close or it is idolatry.

Galatians 2:3-5  :

But not even Titus, who was with me, being a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised. This was because of the false brothers secretly brought in, who stole in to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage; to whom we gave no place in the way of subjection, not for an hour, that the truth of the Good News might continue with you.

Paul should know all about this. He used to be one of those people who would seek out free people and haul them off to jail. He was quite capable of detecting those who would come against freedom in Christ.

Some people, who called themselves Christians, had come into the church and had begun to teach that you need to follow Jewish law in order to be a good Christian. Does that sound at all familiar to you? I can’t seem to go anywhere today without detecting this disease among “Christians.”

Titus serves as an example of a person who did the right thing. He completely ignored them!

Did you know that following the 10 commandments won’t make us closer to God? The reason isn’t because doing them is wrong, but because no one is actually able to do them. God knew that His law would be impossible for anyone to do but it is hard for many to accept. The 10 commandments were clearly, in context, only given to the Jews and in order to follow Jewish law, you must be circumcised (if you are male), which is also a part of the law. There are many other laws connected to these 10 and it is a wrong to pick and choose which laws that you plan to follow! Instead, we are to read what the Bible says we should be doing today very carefully. Following the law is not how the Christian life is lived as Paul makes clear in Romans and Galatians.

What’s more, Jesus already fulfilled the Bible’s legal requirements. When we try to do this, we end up sinning and when we sin without the whole law, we do so without sacrifice. This is a very proud and dangerous thing to do. Jesus was the only Law follower that God was pleased with and the only one who was capable of following the law of Moses without sin. Instead of mixing the Jewish law in with Christianity, we should be listening to the un-perverted gospel message.

Sometimes, I have to speak in strong language, just like Paul did in order that the true Gospel can be heard. I realize that this is salvation. May you be free from the obligations of those who wish to lock you up under the law.

Galatians 2:1-2  :

Then after a period of fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus also with me. I went up by revelation, and I laid before them the Good News which I preach among the Gentiles, but privately before those who were respected, for fear that I might be running, or had run, in vain.

Paul eventually did go to Jerusalem to talk to the Christian leadership there. This time, he went specifically to have them review what he was preaching to the Gentiles.

It is interesting that Paul considered the idea, after 14 years, that he might have been wrong about the whole thing. Was this doubt? I think so, but it wasn’t doubting God but doubting Paul. There is a healthy doubt of self. We are imperfect people after all. What if Paul’s humanity was getting the best of him and he was too proud to see it. Paul was aware that there is only one God and one Holy Spirit and that same Holy Spirit was supposed to be in Peter and James as well as in himself. The Holy Spirit doesn’t argue with Himself. If there was a difference, then the Holy Spirit is not with one or both of the two people in disagreement. This is a very troubling thing in these days where many “leaders” are disagreeing with each other. We need to work together to resolve our issues knowing that the Holy Spirit is the true leader.

We shouldn’t be afraid to have our work reviewed by leadership. This is a good practice. One problem today, however, is that many who are leaders shouldn’t be. They, themselves, are preaching a corrupted gospel and shouldn’t be reviewing or advising anyone.

Fortunately, we have the words of God written down here in a book for us today. We should be very careful to map our preaching after what we read here. Isn’t it a wonderful thing that God has given us this Book?

Galatians 1:18-24  :

Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to visit Peter, and stayed with him fifteen days. But of the other apostles I saw no one, except James, the Lord’s brother. Now about the things which I write to you, behold, before God, I’m not lying. Then I came to the regions of Syria and Cilicia. I was still unknown by face to the assemblies of Judea which were in Christ, but they only heard: “He who once persecuted us now preaches the faith that he once tried to destroy.” And they glorified God in me.

As you can read here, the Bible is a book of history. There are some who try to pass the book off as just a book of religion. Clearly, Paul is giving details of days, years, people and places. The Bible holds a great deal of accurate history. It is one book that “becomes more true” each year to the scientists who doubt it as I have witnessed within my short lifetime.

Paul did eventually meet with Peter for 15 days but it doesn’t sound like that much information was shared at that visit. Paul was getting his information from the source (Jesus Christ). He explains that the people in Judea didn’t even recognize who he was at that time which is one evidence that he hadn’t spent much time in Jerusalem with the apostles.

Paul gives enough historic information here to allow a researcher to prove him wrong. I have not done this historic research for this study, but I am interested. Perhaps someday I will have even more time to devote to this.

There must have been those who were trying to discredit Paul’s connection to Jesus because he said: “behold, before God, I’m not lying.” I hear these same arguments today, that accuse Paul’s words as being somehow less important that Jesus’. I am so glad that God gave us these words today. Paul’s words are not to be discredited today either. He did get his message from Jesus and that message is as critical for us as it was for them.

You know you are doing something right when people glorify God because of you. When people glorify you, then they are getting the wrong picture of you. I am not a great person. It is Jesus who made me what I am today. There is no reason to glorify a forgiven and reconstructed sinner! The one who did the reconstruction is the one to be praised.

Galatians 1:16-17  :

to reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I didn’t immediately confer with flesh and blood, nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me, but I went away into Arabia. Then I returned to Damascus.

Paul didn’t meet with anyone to learn about Christianity. There were other apostles, but Paul didn’t get his message from them. We learn here that he left the area. Paul received a direct revelation from Jesus Himself. This is an amazing affirmation of His message. Miraculously, Paul was given wisdom about what he was to say and do and it matched what was going on in Jerusalem anyway.

Remember that it was in Damascus that Paul was stricken blind after seeing the light of Jesus’ appearance. The Bible does say, in Acts 9 that Paul immediately started preaching that Jesus was the Son of God, but it was only after he “increased more in strength” that he “confounded the Jews who lived in Damascus” (see Acts 9:1-31). We read here that Paul left for Arabia. That is probably where he “increased more in strength.”

It is interesting to note that even though Paul immediately started preaching, He didn’t stop learning. That’s good for us to know. God can teach us while we work for others. We can learn while doing. Also, God can speak the truth directly to our hearts. It’s important, however to take that fact along with what Paul will be saying later in this letter.

One other important thing is how Paul talks about his salvation. He doesn’t say, “I repented, said the sinners prayer and got saved.” He does say that God revealed “His Son in me.” It was the work of God, not any work of Paul’s. Paul was marching off to hurt God’s people at the time!

Since we are all sinners, when we don’t believe in the message of Jesus Christ, we are marching off to hurt others as well. There is only one thing that is important right now and that is that as many people come to know Jesus as their savior before it is too late for them.  Anyone’s unbelief, makes it easier for those around them to stay away from their salvation too.  The Bible says that we are like sheep that lead each other astray.

That’s proof that Christianity is not a democracy.  Sheep lead each other astray together! Jesus’ government is a Monarchy. It’s hard to accept this in my American culture today, but this is the fact.  The only problem with monarchy’s is that a corrupt human has to be the king!

Galatians 1:14-15 :

I advanced in the Jews’ religion beyond many of my own age among my countrymen, being more exceedingly zealous for the traditions of my fathers. But when it was the good pleasure of God, who separated me from my mother’s womb, and called me through his grace,

Paul was set aside by God’s choice. It had nothing to do with Paul, as we can clearly see here. Since Paul was unable to choose anything while in his mother’s womb, he clearly didn’t have a say in what God thought. He wasn’t able to do anything good or bad before God favored Him.

This tells us something about the grace of God. God’s grace, or favor, isn’t something we get by working for it. He is pleased to give it simply by His own choice. You see how following rules and laws cannot make you any closer to God if He has already chosen to be close to you?

When Paul talks about “grace,” he is talking about this kind of favor. It is the kind that God chose and we were unable to participate in by working for it. This is a very important thing to be aware of as we go on studying this letter.

I think that it is also interesting to note that God allowed Paul to wander for a time. Paul doesn’t hold any bad will against God for this. Paul realizes that it was God’s “good pleasure” to do what He chose to do. Paul is happy that things turned out the way they did. Because of Paul’s background, he gained a very specific perspective that he could take with him into ministry.

God still works with us this way today. Our past may not be good at all, but God knew in advance what He was doing. God knows exactly what is going on in our lives today as well. We should trust God for the future because He has good things planned for those who believe Him.

Galatians 1:13  :

For you have heard of my way of living in time past in the Jews’ religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the assembly of God, and ravaged it.

Paul used to hate Christians and tried to destroy them. He would go from town to town and arrest Christians personally. He watched as Stephen, the first Christian martyr, was stoned to death. Here’s a little bit of history from Acts:

Acts 8:3-4  :

Devout men buried Stephen, and lamented greatly over him. But Saul ravaged the assembly, entering into every house, and dragged both men and women off to prison. Therefore those who were scattered abroad went around preaching the word.

Paul’s old name was Saul. Notice how he tried to kill Christianity and it ended up spreading. This is a common theme in Christianity. Some of the biggest growth periods of Christianity are when it is in the process of being persecuted. It tends to spread like a fire that just had gasoline poured on it. Also we read:

Acts 9:1-2  :

But Saul, still breathing threats and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest, and asked for letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.

It looks like, back at that point in history, Christianity was called “The Way.” Paul hadn’t written his part of the New Testament yet, and he didn’t have any idea what God would do someday. Now this guy was really not what you would think would become an apostle of Jesus Christ, but Jesus knew it all along. That’s how it was with us too wasn’t it? Not all of us did the exact type of sin that Paul did, but we all have something that we can be ashamed of. Jesus was there ready to take us in at the right time.