with Elder Elico Manenji
✝️In this chapter, the Apostle mentions his journey to Jerusalem with Barnabas and Titus after fourteen years of after his conversion. He says he went there by revelation and no attempt was made to compel him to submit to the Jewish rites and customs. He met with Peter, James and John the leading Apostles who did not even required Titus, though he was a Greek to be circumcised. Instead it was agreed that Paul's team were sent to the Gentilles and they to the circumcised. But when Peter was sent to assess his work in Antioch, he behaved as a Gentile, putting no discrimination between himself and those converted Gentiles. He ate together with the uncircumcised to he glory of the Church, but when the Jews from Jerusalem came.he withdrew and did not eat together with the Gentile christians. So the Apostle Paul opposed his behaviour and wrong doing publicly. He had even tempted some.of Paul's party to behave the same, so the Apostle Paul showed that both Jews as well as the Gentiles were justified by faith and not by the Law. He showed that through the faith he was dead to the law as he was crucified with Christ. For justification is not of the law but by the faith of Christ Jesus.
*1️⃣Galatians 2:1-10: The gospel and Mosaic rites to the new Gentile converts.*
⏹️The journey to Jerusalem was after fourteen years experiences, trials, and achievement:
I. The first was when he tried to join the Apostles and they rejected him. The scripture says, *"And when Saul was come to Jerusalem, he assayed to join himself to the disciples: but they were all afraid of him, and believed not that he was a disciple" (Acts 9:26).*
II. The second time he went to Jerusalem was when Barnabas accepted to accompany him on a missionary assignment. The scripture says, *"Which also they did, and sent it to the elders by the hands of Barnabas and Saul"(Acts 11:30).*
III. The third journey to ascertain and confirm that the Gentiles converts required not to be circumcised to receive the gospel. The scripture says, *"When therefore Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and disputation with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas, and certain other of them, should go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and elders about this question" (Acts 15:2).*
⏹️The purpose of this visit was not to submit as to a supreme tribunal whether he was to be permitted to continue receiving the uncircumcised Gentiles into the Church but to argue and win the battle of Christian liberty, equality, and fraternity as given to all whether Jew or Gentile. The Apostle says, *"For circumcision truly profits, if you keep the law: but if you be a breaker of the law, your circumcision is made uncircumcision. Therefore if the uncircumcision keep the righteousness of the law, shall not his uncircumcision be counted for circumcision?"(Romans 2:25-26).*
⏭️So he took two witnesses to make his point of:
1.Barnabas, a fellow Jew as an exceptional witness of the justice of his cause of this truth that the Gentiles accepted Christ by faith. The scripture says, *"As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them"(Acts 13:2).*
2.Titus, a representative of the Gentiles who had accepted the gospel as a witness for cause he was fighting for. The Apostle says, *"Whether any do inquire of Titus, he is my partner and fellow helper concerning you: or our brothers be inquired of, they are the messengers of the churches, and the glory of Christ"(2 Corinthians 8:23).*
⏹️From this, young Christians should learn from this to wait until experience and service give them the right to assert their equality with their elders and not to rush themselves into unchartered waters of inexperience. In the choice of leaders and bishops the Apostle Paul says, *"Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil. Moreover he must have a good report of them which are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil"(1 Timothy 3:6-7).*
⏹️His visit was to the three main Apostles, Peter, James and John who did not compel Titus to be circumcised but encouraged the team not to forget the needy Christians in Jerusalem. The Apostle says, *"And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, has he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses"(Colossians 2:13).*
*2️⃣ Galatians 2:11-21:Wrong doing reproved and justification by faith vindicated.*
⏹️After, the major meeting in Jerusalem when it was agreed not to compel Gentiles o be circumcised and treat them as equals in Christ because of their faith, the Apostle Peter behaved himself unbecomingly when brethren from Jerusalem visited Antioch to see the progress of the work there. The scripture says of the Apostle James' judgment, *"Why my sentence is, that we trouble not them, which from among the Gentiles are turned to God: But that we write to them, that they abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood"(Acts 15:19-20).*
⏭️The Apostle Paul as an equal Apostle rebuked Peter and those that were taken in this manner of injustice publicly. Rebuke is an example of moral courage in administering reproof. It not an easy thing at any time to rebuke a friend and companion. It is painful to oppose one whom we love, or whose good opinion we value but for the sake of vindication of the gospel truth, it must be done in love and redemption of the offender/s. The Apostle says, *"Them that sin rebuke before all, that others also may fear"(1 Timothy 5:20).*
⏹️The true gospel is that justification by faith annuls or does not necessity the obeying of the ceremonial law of Moses as it was a shadow of the Messianic promises. The Apostle says, *"For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect"(Hebrews 10:1).*
⏭️Believer are only justified apart from the works of the law for the law cannot bring life but condemnation to death. As Christ took the punishment of the law of death, so believers are therefore crucified with Him, they no longer live but Christ lives in them. The Apostle says, *"Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify to himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works"(Titus 2:14).*
⏭️ When sinners turn to Jesus Christ in faith they are removed death to life, they are removed from the law of sin to life,, so then being justified by faith means that God declares the sinner righteous. God gives the sinner a righteousness that is not their own but a new status, a new standing, that makes them fit for the presence of a holy God. The Apostle says, *"For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death"(Romans 8:2).*
*🅰️Appeal*
Justification is an act of God giving and empowering the sinner to know that a person is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ. All who have believed in Jesus Christ are justified by the faith of Christ and not by the works of the law. If then we have thought it necessary to seek justification by the faith of Christ, why then should we seek it by acts of the law? Why then did we believe in Christ when the law was able to set us free from condemnation? So, sinners are saved, justified, sanctified by faith in Christ Jesus our Lord. The Apostle says, *"Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ"(Romans 5:1).* Amen!!!
Elico Manenji
(+263712952704).
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