Church leadership, laws, and policies and the grace of God through Jesus Christ.

Galatians 2:1-5

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“Then after fourteen years, I went up again to Jerusalem, this time with Barnabas. I took Titus along also.” Galatians 2:1

The first time Paul went to Jerusalem to see the Church leaders, he went alone, and it was three years after his conversion to Jesus Christ and away from Judaism, [Galatians 1:18-20]. At that time, the only ones he saw were Peter [head of the Church] and James [the brother of Jesus]. After 14 years, he went to Jerusalem again, this time with Barnabas and Titus. During all of those years, Paul was preaching and teaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ without having any direction from any of the original Twelve Apostles, Peter being the head of all the Church.

For 14 or 17 years, Paul was merely sharing the born-again experience that he had through Jesus Christ, with no guidance from the Church hierarchy/Apostles who walked and talked with our Lord Jesus. No matter how much influence or authority that someone has in a structured Church, the authority we live by is Jesus Christ and our testimony is simply that, “Whether [Jesus] is a sinner or not I do not know. One thing I know: that though I was blind, now I see.” John 9:25 We can be a born-again Christian without ever walking into a manmade church.

 “I went in response to a revelation and, meeting privately with those esteemed as leaders, I presented to them the gospel that I preach among the Gentiles. I wanted to be sure I was not running and had not been running my race in vain. Yet not even Titus, who was with me, was compelled to be circumcised, even though he was a Greek.” Galatians 2:2-3

Paul did not have a bad attitude towards church authority and even made the effort to reach out to them twice after his conversion to Christianity. The second time Paul went to speak to the “esteemed” and “important” leaders of the Church was because he was inspired [he had a revelation] to present to them the Gospel that he was sharing with the non-Jewish/Gentiles. Paul wanted to be sure that he was on the right path according to the Church leadership and not wasting his time with preaching a false teaching. Today, the Bible, with all of the letters from Peter, James, Paul, etc. are there to keep us on the right path in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Paul felt encouraged because Peter, nor any other of the esteemed and important Church leaders required Titus to be circumcised, even though Titus was non-Jewish/Gentile. Circumcision was one of the most important Jewish requirements, so for the Church leaders not to require it of Titus meant that Paul knew he was on the right track by preaching the grace and mercy of God through Jesus Christ being above obedience to the law. Afterall, Paul’s born-again experience didn’t come through circumcision or any laws of Judaism but came through Jesus Christ from within the heart. “I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain.” Galatians 2:21

As followers of Jesus Christ, we know that being born-again has to do with belief and faith, not requirements outlined in a book or from policies coming from Church leadership, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3:16

“This matter arose because some false believers had infiltrated our ranks to spy on the freedom we have in Christ Jesus and to make us slaves. We did not give in to them for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel might be preserved for you.” Galatians 2:4-5

The matter of whether Titus would have to be circumcised or not entered the conversation from false believers of Judaism. They were part of the meeting with the Church hierarchy, claiming to be with Jesus Christ but actually bent on following the Jewish laws of the Old Testament. They wanted to re-establish the requirements of the laws of Judaism, which Paul made clear would make people captives to a “billion” laws that no person can live by [including making regular animal sacrifices].

Paul made it clear to his letter to the Galatians that he didn’t give in to the demand to follow Jewish laws for one moment. Paul was so committed to his conversion experience through Jesus Christ, that although he was sitting at the table with the most powerful Church leaders, and powerful influencers from Judaism, he had his mind set that he would never go back to legalisms, laws, and overbearing requirements. Paul was determined to preserve the truth of the Gospel of Christ for the Galatians, all Gentiles, for you and me.

Paul had always taught the Galatians, all non-Jewish/Gentile people, and you and me that serving Jesus Christ comes from the heart and spirit not by written laws. “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son…” Romans 8:2-3

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“….to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan’s so-called deep secrets,“
‘I will not impose any other burden on you, except to hold on to what you have until I come.’”
“I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown.”
Revelation 2:24-25, 3:1