Open in Prayer
Explore the Passage
Review Galatians 1:
1. What did we learn about the gospel?2. What did we learn about Paul, before Christ? After Christ?
Review Timeline of Paul’s Life
33 A.D.: Conversion (1:15-16)36 A.D.: First Jerusalem visit (1:18-20)
47 A.D.: Second Jerusalem visit [famine relief], (2:1-10, Acts 11:29-30)
47-48 A.D.: Paul’s first missionary Journey
48 A.D.: Paul writes Galatians
49 A.D.: Council at Jerusalem (Acts 15: 1-31)
Read the Passage.
1. Retell the narrative of this passage.Companions
Briefly describe each of the individuals involved.- Barnabas (Acts. 4:36-37, 11:22-26):
- Titus (2 Cor. 8:23, Gal. 2:3):
- Peter (Acts 4:13, Gal 2:7-9):
- John (Acts 4:13, Gal. 2:9):
- James (Gal. 1:19, 2:9):
Gospel
2. There are 2 important cause/effect relationships in verses 4 and 5.Why did the false brothers slip in?
What is the result of the apostles not yielding?
John Stott, on Paul’s trip to Jerusalem:
“He took with him to Jerusalem a Gentile companion and a Gentile gospel. It was a tense and crucial situation, an occasion fraught with great peril and equally great possibly for the subsequent history of the Christian church.”
3. Paul originally sought to meet with the ‘pillars’ privately. Why do you think he sought a private forum instead of a public one?
It was NOT because:
It was because:
4. What is the result of this episode? See vs. 3, 6, 9
Paul, while writing to the Galatians, is almost saying, “The gospel I received directly from Jesus, is the same gospel that I submitted to the apostles and it was approved, and it is the same gospel I preached to you, and it is the same gospel that all the other apostles preach, even to other audiences, and it is the same gospel which I am still preaching, Nothing has been changed, added or subtracted. It is you Galatians who have ‘deserted’ the gospel, not I.”
5. As a result of this meeting, Peter is sent to the ____________________ and Paul is sent to the _____________________. How is God using them in their weaknesses?
6. While this situation had the ability to create disunity in the church, it only brought the apostles together. What things did they have in common, and how did they agree to be different?
Commonalities Differences
The Poor
There had just been a prophecy that there would be a famine in Judea, where the Jewish churches were. The apostles were asking Paul to ask the Gentile churches to provide for the poor Judean churches during their time of need. This is a great request considering that many Jews looked down on the Gentiles, and would bristle to have them in their congregations.Matthew Henry says of this:
“The Christians of Judea were at that time labouring under great wants and difficulties; and the apostles, out of their compassion to them and concern for them, recommend their case to Paul, that he should use his interest with the Gentile churches to procure a supply for them. This was a reasonable request; for, if the Gentiles were made partakers of their spiritual things, it was their duty to minister to them in carnal things, as Rom_15:27. … how ready he was to own the Jewish converts as brethren, though many of them could scarcely allow the like favour to the converted Gentiles, ... Herein he has given us an excellent pattern of Christian charity, and has taught us that we should by no means confine it to those who are just of the same sentiments with us, but be ready to extend it to all whom we have reason to look upon as the disciples of Christ.”
Application
What examples can we glean from Paul in the following areas:o Protecting the gospel:
o Dealing with sensitive issues:
o Handling conflict:
o Caring believers, even when different from us
During the next 2 weeks:
- read the article on the prodigal son
- be working on your memory verse(s) from ch. 1
- practice inductive Bible study on Galatians 2:11-21
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