Lesson
6 June 19, 2002
c. Paul's
first visit to Jerusalem 1:18
Then
three years later I went up to Jerusalem to become acquainted with Cephas, and
stayed with him fifteen days.
Summary 1:18
1. Time frame was in the late Summer of 37 AD
shortly after his return to Damascus from Arabia. - passage that details
this is Acts 9:19-30
2. When he arrived in Jerusalem he was
initially rejected by the believers there.
Acts 9:26
3. But Barnabas interceded on his behalf and
sought for him an audience with the Apostles who were present. Acts 9:27
4. His visit was cut short due to a plot to
kill him by the Hellenistic Jews, unbelievers. Acts 9:29
5. Irony!!
Three years before he left Jerusalem as one of Christianity's greatest
enemies, he returns as one of its
greatest apologists.
d. Paul's independence 1:19
e.
1:20 Decision time for the
Galatians
This verse is a parenthesis.
f.
After his first visit to Jerusalem 1:21-24
Gal. Chapter 2
Paul continues his defense of his Apostolic authority but in doing so he shifts from the
source of the message he communicated
to the nature and content of the message.
2:1 Second
visit to Jerusalem Read!
Historical background:
During Paul's ministry he visited
Jerusalem 5 times. [as far as we know]
1. The visit after he left Damascus (Acts 9:26-30; Gal. 1:18-20)
2. The famine visit (Acts 11:27-30; Gal. 2:1-10)
3. The visit to attend the Jerusalem Council (Acts 15:1-29)
4. The visit at the end of the second missionary
journey (Acts 18:22)
5. The final visit that resulted in Paul's Caesarean
imprisonment (Acts 21:15—23:35)
This time he goes to Jerusalem with
Barnabas and Titus with him.
2:2 Why
the second visit
First Paul says, And it was because of a revelation that I went up;
Second Paul gives us another important reason for
the visit to Jerusalem,
and I
submitted to them the gospel which I preach among the Gentiles,
What's Paul
doing here?
How did he operate?
but I
did so in private to those who were of reputation,
for
fear that I might be running, or had run, in vain.
Summary 2:1-2
1. Paul
went up to Jerusalem with Barnabas because of a revelation from God, therefore in obedience to God.
- believe it was the events covered in Acts
11:27-30 before his 1st missionary journey
2. One of
their responsibilities on this trip to Jerusalem was to take a contribution
from the believers at Antioch to those in need in Jerusalem. Acts 11:30
3. While
there Paul went to the leadership of the Church and had a private meeting with
them. Acts 11:30
4. Believe
that the issue (point of BD) that so
concerned him then is the same as the one now plaguing the Galatian church, that of legalism.
5. What
Paul sought to discover was whether the leadership of the Jerusalem church were
also communicating a grace gospel as he was.
6. Were
they insisting on circumcision or any other requirement of the law for
salvation, that is adding works.
7. The
test will be Titus an uncircumcised
gentile, will the leadership accept him as a believer.
8. What
Paul discovered is that they, the leaders, were also teaching the same grace message as he was.
9. Paul
did discover that there were some in the periphery, who held to the same views
as the Judaizers who were now pressing the Galatians. [2:4]
10. Paul's
great fear was not for any personal concern but for the impact of this kind of
thinking and action on the church. The
consequences of moving away from grace
are always devastating.
2:3 A test
case
key
word here is compelled avnagka,zw to exert pressure, to coerce
Summary
of 2:3
1.
I believe that Paul brought Titus along to specifically test those in
Jerusalem.
2. Paul
that both Jew and Gentiles were accepted by God through faith in Jesus Christ
without any distinction and that the Church should also.
3. Between
Paul and the leadership of the Church, the ones that he met privately with,
there was no disagreement, no issue, they were in agreement about salvation.