Galatians 2

Notes

Ver. 1. Then fourteen years after, I and Barnabas went up to Jerusalem, taking Titus along with us. 2. But I went up not to be instructed or confirmed in my office, but as a deputy from the church of Antioch to the synod which met at Jerusalem, to determine whether the circumcision of the believing Gentiles was necessary to their salvation or not. And this I did by special direction from God, to maintain the truth and purity of the gospel as he had revealed it to me; and was so far from receiving the gospel from the apostles there, that I explained it to them as I had preached it among the Gentiles, and declared what success it had obtained. This I at first did, only in a more private manner, to the principal preachers there assembled, lest if I had given a full and plain account of it to the Christians in general the judaizing party might have raised such furious clamours against me as to have rendered my earnest ministrations less acceptable even to the Gentiles. 3. But to manifest how steadfastly I adhered to my principles relative to the freedom of the gospel state, and how far I was from giving the least countenance to the supposed necessity of observing the law of Moses as a condition of justification before God, Titus, who was a Gentile, was admitted as a minister of Christ and a member of the synod without ever being circumcised. 4. I even took this uncircumcised minister of Christ along with me to the synod that I might bear a public testimony against the doctrine of the pharisaical preachers who, coming from Judea, had insinuated themselves among the converts at Antioch, that, under colour of Christian brethren, they might have the better opportunity of narrowly inspecting our principles and conduct, and of cavilling at that holy freedom from ceremonies which Christ has given us under the gospel, and of imposing circumcision and other abolished ceremonies on the church.—5. This conduct of theirs, being not a mere weakness or honestly-conceived prejudice, but a wicked attempt to reduce believers under the covenant of works, and to rob the Gentiles of the true gospel of Christ, I and Barnabas refused to yield to them in the least. 6. And let Peter, James, and John be as great as they will, it is certain that their call, powers, and success were wholly owing to the loving pleasure and free grace of God as well as mine, and that in my conference with them I received no correction or instruction touching either my doctrine or conduct. 7. But from the account which I and Barnabas gave them, they with great joy observed that I had been called by Christ to preach the gospel to the uncircumcised Gentiles, even as Peter preached it to the circumcised Jews, 8. For it appeared that manifold miraculous and gracious operations had manifested and confirmed my apostolic mission to the Gentiles, as well as his to the Jews. 9. And when Peter, James, and John, whom I, as well as mine enemies, account principal supporters, maintainers, and defenders of the church and truths of the gospel, saw how God had graciously qualified, called, and owned me in my ministrations, they, in the most express and affectionate manner, acknowledged me and Barnabas as their fellow-apostles, and agreed that we should principally preach the gospel to the Gentiles, while they did the same to the Jews. 10. The only request they made was, that we should stir up the Gentiles to make charitable contributions for the relief of the poor Jewish Christians, which was a work so compassionate, laudable, and necessary, that, though they had not mentioned it, my natural affection to my countrymen, my impartial love to Christ's indigent members, and my looking on the Gentiles as debtors to the Jews, from whom they received the gospel, had made me forward to engage in it. 11. But when Peter, some time after, came to Antioch in Syria, where the first noted church of Gentile Christians was formed, and from which I and Barnabas had been sent to the synod at Jerusalem, for determination concerning the necessity of circumcision of the Gentile converts, and had received an answer in the negative, I, knowing myself to be in no respect his inferior in office, sharply and publicly rebuked him for his offensively acting contrary to the principles which he had avowed in the synod. 12. For though at his first coming to Antioch he, according to his gospel liberty, freely conversed, and familiarly ate and drank with the believing Gentiles, yet when some Judaizing zealots came thither from Jerusalem, he, for fear of offending them, withdrew from the Gentile converts, and declined all familiar converse with them; 13. Which when the Jewish Christians at Antioch, who had almost got over all their prejudices against the uncircumcised believers, observed, misled by his example, they also refrained from their wonted familiarity with them; and even Barnabas, a noted Christian, and my fellow-apostle of the Gentiles, was, contrary to his own judgment, infected with their dissimulation. 14. But when I saw their conduct quite contrary to the simplicity and godly sincerity of the Christian religion, and the true spirit and design of the gospel doctrine of justification by Christ alone, filled with holy indignation, I solemnly interrogated Peter, as their ringleader, before the whole church,—how he, who, though a Jew, made no scruple on some occasions to converse familiarly with the Gentiles, and conform himself to their innocent customs, without any regard to the ceremonial law, could, in consistence with Christian sincerity, at this time, through a slavish fear of the Jews, practically seduce the Gentile believers into religious observance of the abolished Jewish ceremonies?—15. And how contrary was this to the truth of the gospel;—for Peter, Barnabas, I, and other Christians, who were by birth Jews, devoted to God, and who were trained up under the obligations of the Mosaic law, and not Gentiles, strangers to the law, and looked upon as profligate sinners. 16. Being fully convinced that no man can be acquitted from condemnation, and accepted by God as righteous, on account of his own sufferings or obedience to the covenant of works, but only on account of a living implicit faith in Christ, who gave himself a sacrifice to be received by faith alone;—have therefore believed in Christ as our only Saviour, that through our receiving and resting on him alone for our salvation we might be justified unto eternal life: and indeed the strict and extensive demands of God's law, and the manifold defects found in the best, render it absolutely impossible for any man, whether Jew or Gentile, to be justified by any personal righteousness of his own. 17. Now if, while we thus seek justification through the blessed sacrifice of Christ, received by faith alone, we continue under the law as accursed sinners, or live as persons under the power of sin, we practically represent Christ and his method of salvation as leaving us under the curse and dominion of sin, and as encouraging us to practise wickedness. 18. Or if, after so earnestly renouncing the righteousness of the law for justification before God, I should again attempt to establish the method of justification by the works of the law in my doctrine or practice, I could not but grievously offend God, frustrate my own believing in Christ, and reduce myself to a state of guilt and condemnation. 19. And nothing can be more contrary to my inclination; for, by my knowledge and experience of the spirituality, extent, and strictness of the law as a covenant of works, I am deeply convinced of my own sinfulness, and have lost all hope and desire to be justified by my own righteousness; and, by the grace of God, I am fully delivered from the broken law, that I might live in a state of favour with God, through the sacrifice of his Son; and that, being divorced from the covenant of works as my first husband, and married to Christ, I might live upon better principles, to better ends, and under new obligations, in all holiness and righteousness according to the law, and to the glory of God, as my reconciled Father in Christ. 20. For having in Jesus Christ a Saviour who satisfied all the demands of this broken law of works, I am thereby dead to it, and it to me. Nevertheless, I am brought into a state of justification unto life, and thereby enabled to bring forth living fruits of righteousness; yet this life of justification and sanctification is not owing to anything in me, but only to Christ, who, by virtue of my living faith in him, lives in me, as a Head of righteousness and sanctifying influence: and the life of pardon, acceptance, and holiness which I live in the body, is not by the works of the law, nor after the dictates of carnal lusts, but only by that faith which carries me out of myself in every respect to the eternal Son of God, relying entirely on him, and deriving all vital influence from him—who, in the greatness of his endearing, unparalleled, and distinguishing mercy and grace, without any desert in me, loved me, and freely gave up himself to obey the law and fulfill justice in my stead, that he might redeem me from sin and all the fearful consequences of it, and bring me to eternal life. 21. In this conduct I adhere closely to my evangelical principles, not daring ungratefully to despise or reject the gospel of grace, the love of Christ, or the free favour of God, in giving him for and to us, as they do who plead for justification by the works of the law; for if righteousness, entitling to eternal life, come by our obedience to the law in any form, then Christ's obedience and sufferings were not necessary for our justification, and must be insufficient for it.

Ver. 1. Titus, an uncircumcised Gentile, was a practical proof, even at Jerusalem, that Paul did not consider circumcision necessary for heathen converts to Christianity, ver. 3. C.

Ver. 2. Lest, &c. Lest any might hereafter say that Paul had never communicated to the apostles that gospel which he asserted Jesus had revealed to him. C.

Ver. 4. The apostle would not persuade him to be circumcised, as an act of sinless compliance with the prejudices of the false brethren, lest that compliance might be construed into an act of necessity, and afterwards become a yoke of bondage to the Christian church. C.

Ver. 6. 'But from those who were of repute what did I receive? (whatsoever in rank they were, it detracts nothing from me: God accepteth no man's mere person) even they who were of repute added nothing to me.' C.

Ver. 10. The poor Christians in Judea, who, on their conversion, were forsaken by their friends, refused the privileges of trade, and thrown as outcasts upon the world, without any means of support—an occurrence still frequent with Jewish converts, even in the midst of Christian churches. C.

Ver. 14. Truth of the gospel throughout this epistle signifies that master truth which declares that, as by the death of Christ the types of the law were fulfilled, so believers are made free from the yoke of their observance. C.

Ver. 16. For by the works of the law, &c. This declaration may be derived from Ps. 143. 2: 'Enter not into judgment with thy servant; for in thy sight shall no man living be justified.' C.

Ver. 17. If we are still found 'sinners' unjustified, and in search of justification compelled to return to the Mosaic institutes, then does it not follow that Christ, instead of being the minister of righteousness and salvation, is the minister of sin and condemnation?—a dilemma from which the judaizing teachers could not escape but by either a rejection or open assertion of justification by faith in Jesus. C.

Ver. 19. I through the law (as a schoolmaster conducting me to Christ) am dead to the law; for when Christ received me I reckoned myself dead with him under the law, and so I escaped from the law, and was received under grace, Ro. 6. 6, 8, 11, 14. C.

Reflections.—With remarkable prudence must the gospel, even in its light and glory, be gradually and seasonably communicated. Persons of note in the church must sometimes be first addressed, that it may have the easier access into the prejudiced minds of others. Ministers have need to adhere firmly to their evangelical principles, and boldly to support the true dignity of their office. And it is comely when they highly esteem and dearly love one another, and are ready to assist each other, and when they are careful for the poor, even such as are prejudiced against them. Alas! how easily the best and greatest of men may be decoyed from their religious integrity if left to themselves! And dangerous are the examples of eminent saints when they take a wrong turn. No man's character, however great, can justly exempt him from deserved public rebuke. With care, earnestness, and accuracy ought ministers to contend for the pure doctrine of justification through Christ's blessed righteousness, without the works of the law. And happy are they who understand it in their own experience! What a heaven upon earth it is to view ourselves delivered from the law as a covenant, and to find Christ's crucifixion for us and dwelling in us issuing in a life of holiness and fellowship with God through faith! But infinitely dangerous and criminal is it to apostatize from the truth, or to attempt to render the redeeming grace of God and death of Christ unprofitable and useless.