Galatians 2: Justification by Faith

v.1 Acts 15.

v.2 Paul spoke privately to the apostles, who were highly esteemed among the brethren, so that there wouldn’t be a general commotion over his ministry to the Gentiles.

v.4–5 Paul had defended the Gospel of grace and hadn’t submitted himself to the teachers who tried to make Jews out of the Christians. He hadn’t gone to Jerusalem for guidance from the elders there, but to state his case. He felt very strongly that the Gentile Christians should maintain the liberty they had in Christ.

v.6–9 Paul explained to the Galatians that there was no established spiritual hierarchy in Jerusalem constituting a spiritual authority over the whole church. He wanted them to see that the Christian Jews were no closer to God than the Christian Gentiles. Cephas is another name for Peter.

v.13 Dissimulation here refers to “hypocrisy.”

v.16 Justification before God comes by faith in Jesus Christ (Acts 5, 7, 11; Romans 4:5).

v.17 Romans 5:20–6:2, 8:22–23; 1 Corinthlans 15:54–57.

v.20 The basis for our relationship with God is His unmerited grace. God wants us to trust Him for our salvation rather than rely on our own righteousness of faith (Hebrews 11:6; Ephesians 2:8). Our salvation is the work of God. He drew us to Himself, gave us faith and imputed the righteousness of Christ to us. Christ established the basis for salvation with His death on the cross. As we identify ourselves with Him by making Him our Lord, we share in His death resurrection, and life. Now we walk in the Spirit rather than in our corruption.

v.21 We do not frustrate the grace of God when we accept His numerous gifts. We establish the grace of God in our lives. Our righteousness isn’t based on our keeping the law but on the righteousness of Christ through faith. The faith that brings this righteous standing before God is the faith that manifests itself in the works of God (Romans 6:2: 1 John 3:9). We shouldn’t misuse the grace of God as an excuse to continue in sin (1 Peter 2:16; Jude 4).