GALATIANS CHAPTER TWO

OBSERVATIONS

TABLE OF CONTENTS

The purpose of the observation stage is to maintain focus on the text at hand in accordance with the framework in which it was written: a framework which is defined by the normative rules of language, context and logic - rules which do not impose undue, unintended meanings to the text  , and which largely limit the observer to the content offered by Paul's epistle to the Galatians and his other writings. In order for any passage from elsewhere to be considered, it must have a relationship with the context at hand, such as a Scriptural quotation or a specific cross reference in the passage at hand by the author. This will serve to avoid going on unnecessary tangents elsewhere; and more importantly, it will provide the framework for a proper and objective comparison with passages located elsewhere in Scripture. Remember that something elsewhere may be true, but in the text at hand it may not be in view.

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(Gal 1:11-12; 15-16; 16b-17; 17-20) Paul Carefully And Repeatedly Made The Point That He Had Not Received His Training From Flesh And Blood, I.E., From Mortal Man

[Gal 1:21-24]:

(Gal 1:21-24) After Paul's Travel To Jerusalem, He Went Into The Regions Of Syria And Cilicia. Although He Was Unknown By Face To The Churches Of Judea Which Are In Christ, They Were Hearing That 'He Who Is Persecuting Us Then, Does Now Preach, The Faith That Then He Was Destroying' So The Churches In Syria And Cilicia Were Glorifying God Because Of The Preaching Of Paul

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I) [Gal 2:1-10]:

A) (Gal 2:1-2) After 14 Years In Syria And Cilicia, Paul Went Up Again To Jerusalem Because Of A Revelation From God. He Took Barnabas And Titus, A Greek Believer With Him. Paul Presented To The Church Leaders The Gospel Which He Preached Among The Gentiles - In Private Because Of The Fear That He Might Be Running In Vain - In The Sense That His Work Might Continue To Be Undermined To The Extent Of It Being In Vain - It's Value In The Minds Of Gentile Believers Destroyed By The Judaizers Who Demanded Circumcision And Obedience To The Law Of Moses

1) [Compare Gal 1:6-7]:

B) (Gal 2:1-2) The Book Of Acts Has Five Jerusalem Visits Made By Paul. The Visit In View In Galatians Two Is The Jerusalem Council Visit In Acts 15

1) [Compare Acts 15:16-20; 28-29]:

2) [Compare Luke's Account In Acts 15:1-30 with Paul's account from Gal chapter two]:

C) (Gal 2:1-2) Luke Says That Paul And Barnabas Went Up To Jerusalem As The Result Of A Decision By The Brothers At Antioch, Paul Stipulates That He Was Sent By Revelation. There Is No Conflict / Contradicton Because Both Worked Together In Accordance With The Sovereign Will Of God

D) (Gal 2:1-2) Paul Spoke Privately To The Leaders Of The Jerusalem Church "For Fear That He Might Be Running, Or Had Run, In Vain" - In This Sense: That Everyone He Preached To Might Be Convinced By Others Such As The Leaders Of The Jerusalem Church That What He Taught Was Wrong As A Result Of The Interference Of The Judaizers Who Were Attacking His Ministry. Such A Decision By The Leaders Might Have Terrible Consequences For Paul's Missionary Outreach - Should The Doctrine Of Grace Not Be Boldly And Clearly And Publically Upheld By All Parties

1) [Compare Gal 2:9-10]:

2) [Compare Acts 15:4, 7-11]:

E) (Gal 2:3-5) But Not Even Titus, Who Was With Paul - A Greek - Was Compelled To Be Circumcised, And That Because Of The False Brethren Brought In Secretly, Who Did Come In Secretly To Spy Out Our Liberty That We Have In Christ Jesus, That They Might Bring Us Under Bondage. But We Did Not Yield In Subjection To Them For Even An Hour, So That The Truth Of The Gospel Would Remain In You

1) Manuscript Evidence For Gal 2:4

2) Manuscript Evidence For Gal 2:5

3) (Gal 2:3-5) But Not Even Titus, Who Was With Paul - A Greek - Was Compelled To Be Circumcised, And That Because Of The False Brethren, Albeit Believers Who Departed From The Gospel, Brought In Secretly, Who Did Come In Secretly To Spy Out Our Liberty That We Have In Christ Jesus, That They Might Bring Us Under Bondage. But We Did Not Yield In Subjection To Them For Even An Hour, So That The Truth Of The Gospel Would Remain In You

a) [Compare Acts 15:1, 5 with Gal 2:3-5]:

F) (Gal 2:6-10) Paul Stated That Those Who Were Of High Reputation - Which Made No Difference To Paul, For God Shows No Partiality - Contributed Nothing To Paul's Ministry. On The Contrary, They Determined That The Gospel Paul Preached To The Gentiles Was The Same As The Gospel That Peter Preached To The Jews. For God Who Worked Effectually For Peter In His Apostleship To The Jews, Effectually Worked For Paul To The Gentiles. And Having Known The Grace That Was Given To Paul, James and Cephas And John, Who Were The Esteemed Pillars, Gave Paul And Barnabas The Right Hand Of Fellowship, That To The Gentiles They Were To Go; As They To The Jews To Go To Preach The Gospel. They Only Asked Paul And His Group To Remember The Poor - The Very Thing Paul Stated He Was Eager To Do

1) (Gal 2:9) Manuscript Evidence For Gal 2:9

2) (Gal 2:6-10) Paul Stated That Those Who Were Of High Reputation - Which Made No Difference To Paul, For God Shows No Partiality - Contributed Nothing To Paul's Ministry. On The Contrary, They Determined That The Gospel Paul Preached To The Gentiles Was The Same As The Gospel That Peter Preached To The Jews. For God Who Worked Effectually For Peter In His Apostleship To The Jews, Effectually Worked For Paul To The Gentiles. And Having Known The Grace That Was Given To Paul, James and Cephas And John, Who Were The Esteemed Pillars, Gave Paul And Barnabas The Right Hand Of Fellowship, That To The Gentiles They Were To Go; As They To The Jews To Go To Preach The Gospel. They Only Asked Paul And His Group To Remember The Poor - The Very Thing Paul Stated He Was Eager To Do

a) [Compare Acts 15:7]:

3) (Gal 2:6-10) The Significance Of The Names In Galatians Chapter 2: Peter, James And John

a) [Expositor's Bible Commentary, CBL Commentary, Galatians-Philemon]

II) [Gal 2:11-13]:

A) Manuscript Evidence For Gal 2:11

B) Manuscript Evidence For Gal 2:12a

C) Manuscript Evidence For Gal 2:12b

D) (Gal 2:11-13) Peter Came To Antioch Shortly After The Council Meeting With Paul In Jerusalem. It Resulted In Paul's Public Confrontation Of Peter's Hypocrisy Of Withdrawing His Fellowship From The Gentile Brethren Because Of The Arrival And Presence Of Judaizers From Jerusalem - His Withdrawal Causing The Rest Of The Jewish Believers At Antioch To Fall Away From The Faith As Well, Including Barnabas

III) Gal 2:14-18]:

A) Manuscript Evidence For Gal 2:14

B) Manuscript Evidence For Gal 2:16a

C) Manuscript Evidence For Gal 2:16b

D) (Gal 2:14-18) With The Jewish Brethren At Antioch Not Walking According To The Truth Of The Gospel Because Of Peter's Defection, Paul Said To Peter, 'If You Being A Jew, Live Like The Gentiles... How Is It That You Compel The Gentiles To Live Like The Jews?' We Are Jews By Nature, Not Sinners Of The Gentiles. But Having Known Also That A Man Is Not Declared Righteous By Works Of Law, If Not Through Faith In Christ. We In Christ Did Believe To Be Declared Righteous, So If While Seeking To Be Justified In Christ, We Had Also Been Found Sinners, Is Christ Then A Minister Of Sin? May It Never Be! For If I Rebuild What I Have Once Destroyed - My Dependance Upon Works Of Law For Righteousness - I Once Again Prove Myself To Be A Transgressor

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[Ro 3:20]:

NO MAN IS ABLE TO KEEP THE RIGHTEOUS STANDARD OF THE LAW. RATHER THROUGH THE LAW ALL MEN BECOME CONSCIOUS OF SIN AND OF BEING UNDER THE WRATH OF GOD

[Ro 3:21-24]:

RECEIVING A RIGHTEOUSNESS FROM GOD UNTO ETERNAL LIFE, THE GOSPEL, IS ACCOMPLISHED APART FROM HUMAN DOING, HAS BEEN MADE KNOWN THROUGHOUT THE AGES AND IS TESTIFIED AS SUCH IN SCRIPTURE

THE DEFINITION OF "JUSTIFIED" IS TO HAVE REVEALED IN ONE A RIGHTEOUSNESS FROM GOD WHEN ONE BELIEVES IN JESUS CHRIST, THE GOSPEL. SUCH JUSTIFICATION COMES THROUGH THE REDEMPTION THAT CAME BY CHRIST JESUS

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D cont.) (Gal 2:14-18) With The Jewish Brethren At Antioch Not Walking According To The Truth Of The Gospel Because Of Peter's Defection, Paul Said To Peter, 'If You Being A Jew, Live Like  Gentiles... How Is It That You Compel The Gentiles To Live Like The Jews?' We Are Jews By Nature, Not Sinners Of The Gentiles. But Having Known Also That A Man Is Not Declared Righteous By Works Of Law, If Not Through Faith In Christ. We In Christ Did Believe To Be Declared Righteous, So If While Seeking To Be Justified In Christ, We Had Also Been Found Sinners, Is Christ Then A Minister Of Sin? May It Never Be! For If I Rebuild What I Have Once Destroyed - My Dependance Upon Works Of Law For Righteousness - I Once Again Prove Myself To Be A Transgressor, (cont.)

IV) [Gal 2:19-21]:

A) Manuscript Evidence For Gal 2:20

B) (Gal 19-21) No One Can Keep The Law Of Moses Or Any Law To Be Justified Before God Unto Eternal Life, So Attempting This Is Intended To Lead One To Be Conscious Of Being Under God's Condemnation Unto Eternal Death. This In Turn Is Intended To Lead One Then To Choose To Trust Alone In Christ Alone Apart From Law In Order to Be Justified Unto Eternal Life So That One Might Live To God. The Believer Has Been Crucified With Christ And May No Longer Have To Live A Self-Centered Life, For Christ Lives In Him So That The Believer's Life May Be Christ Centered. For If Righteousness Comes Through Law, Then Christ Died Needlessly

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PAUL OR ANY BELIEVER, HAVING ALREADY SECURED ETERNAL LIFE THROUGH A MOMENT OF FAITH ALONE IN CHRIST ALONE BY DEFINITION, HAS DIED, I.E., BEEN SEPARATED FROM HAVING TO KEEP LAW TO SECURE ETERNAL LIFE. HE IS TO SERVE IN NEWNESS OF SPIRIT IMPLYING A NEW SPIRITUAL CONNECTION WITH GOD AS OPPOSED TO FOLLOWING THE LETTER OF LAW - RULES GOVERNING HUMAN BEHAVIOR

PAUL CONTINUES TO DESCRIBE HIS EXPERIENCE BEFORE HE WAS A BELIEVER RELATIVE TO THE LAW. HE FALSELY PERCEIVED HIMSELF AS ALIVE BEFORE GOD WHEN HE DELIBERATELY MISCONSTRUED THE LAW AND HIS RECORD OF OBEDIENCE TO IT. HE CONVINCED HIMSELF THAT HE WAS BLAMELESS UNDER IT AND HE DENIED THAT HIS LIFESTYLE CONDEMNED HIM TO DAILY SPIRITUAL DEATH / SEPARATION FROM FELLOWSHIP WITH GOD, WHICH ULTIMATELY WOULD LEAD TO ETERNAL DEATH IN THE LAKE OF FIRE HAD HE NOT BECOME A BELIEVER - HE WAS IN EFFECT WITHOUT LAW

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B cont) (Gal 19-21 cont) No One Can Keep The Law Of Moses Or Any Law To Be Justified Before God Unto Eternal Life, So Attempting This Is Intended To Lead One To Be Conscious Of Being Under God's Condemnation Unto Eternal Death. This In Turn Is Intended To Lead One Then To Choose To Trust Alone In Christ Alone Apart From Law In Order to Be Justified Unto Eternal Life So That One Might Live To God. The Believer Has Been Crucified With Christ And May No Longer Have To Live A Self-Centered Life, For Christ Lives In Him So That The Believer's Life May Be Christ Centered. For If Righteousness Comes Through Law, Then Christ Died Needlessly, cont.

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HAVING BEEN BAPTIZED INTO THE DEATH OF CHRIST IT THEREFORE IS IN GOD'S VIEW AS IF WE BELIEVERS DIED WITH CHRIST FOR OUR SINS AND WERE BURIED WITH HIM

PAUL FOCUSES ON A COMPELLING CONSIDERATION OF THE BELIEVER BEING BURIED WITH CHRIST THROUGH BAPTISM INTO HIS DEATH WITH OUR LORD'S RESURRECTION ESPECIALLY IN VIEW EVIDENTLY PROVIDING A NEW CAPACITY TO CHOOSE TO LIVE A NEW LIFE

THE BELIEVER HAS BEEN GIVEN A UNIQUE CAPACITY TO WALK IN NEWNESS OF LIFE, I.E., IN A NEW KIND OF LIFESTYLE: A GODLY ONE

THOSE WHO WERE BAPTIZED INTO CHRIST JESUS ARE EXHORTED TO WALK IN NEWNESS OF LIFE WHICH HAS BEEN MADE AVAILABLE TO THEM THROUGH THEIR IDENTIFICATION WITH (BAPTISM INTO) CHRIST, HIS DEATH, BURIAL AND RESURRECTION RATHER THAN TO GO ON SINNING SO THAT GRACE MAY INCREASE

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B cont) (Gal 19-21 cont) No One Can Keep The Law Of Moses Or Any Law To Be Justified Before God Unto Eternal Life, So Attempting This Is Intended To Lead One To Be Conscious Of Being Under God's Condemnation Unto Eternal Death. This In Turn Is Intended To Lead One Then To Choose To Trust Alone In Christ Alone Apart From Law In Order to Be Justified Unto Eternal Life So That One Might Live To God. The Believer Has Been Crucified With Christ And May No Longer Have To Live A Self-Centered Life, For Christ Lives In Him So That The Believer's Life May Be Christ Centered. For If Righteousness Comes Through Law, Then Christ Died Needlessly, cont.

Galatians chapter three