Galatians 2:1-10, Paul’s Gospel Approved

PsychCentral.com says unhealthy approval seeking behavior can stem from several causes, such as low self-esteem or bad childhood experiences, and such behavior may include difficulty making decisions, unhappy feelings if someone doesn’t approve of you, seeking reassurance excessively, rejecting opportunities for fear of disapproval, and feeling ashamed when you are questioned. The Apostle Paul had none of these approval seeking behaviors.

2:1 Then, after fourteen years, I again went up to Jerusalem with Barnabas and also took Titus. 2 I went up because of a revelation and I presented to them the gospel I preach to the Gentiles, but privately to those who are esteemed, lest somehow I had run or exerted myself in vain. 3 But not even Titus who was with me, though he is a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised. 4 The issue arose because of some false brothers brought in secretly to spy on our freedom that we have in Christ Jesus, in order to make us slaves, 5 to whom we did not yield for a moment in submission, so that the truth of the gospel might remain for you. 6 And from those who are esteemed to be something (whatever they are makes no difference to me, God doesn’t favor anyone), they added nothing to me. 7 Rather, because they saw that I was entrusted with the gospel for the uncircumcised just like Peter was for the circumcised, 8 since the One who energizes Peter as an apostle for the circumcised energized me also for the Gentiles, and because they knew the grace that was given to me, James and Cephas and John, esteemed pillars that they are, gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, that we might go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcision. 10 They reminded us only to remember the poor, which was the very thing we were eager to do. (Galatians 2:1-10)

Fourteen years after his conversion, Paul made another trip to Jerusalem, based on a revelation. Acts 11:27-30 explains:

Acts 11:27 During this time some prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. 28 One of them, named Agabus, stood up and through the Spirit predicted that a severe famine would spread over the entire Roman world. (This happened during the reign of Claudius.) 29 The disciples, as each one was able, decided to provide help for the brothers and sisters living in Judea. 30 This they did, sending their gift to the elders by Barnabas and Saul.

Paul had been ministering in Antioch, in the church there, reaching out to both Jews and Gentiles:

Acts 11:19 Now those who had been scattered by the persecution that broke out when Stephen was killed traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch, spreading the word only among Jews. 20 Some of them, however, men from Cyprus and Cyrene, went to Antioch and began to speak to Greeks also, telling them the good news about the Lord Jesus. 21 The Lord’s hand was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord.

Paul took a Greek, non-Jew, convert with him, Titus, evidently as a testimony to how God was using him to reach Gentiles. And Paul wanted to meet with the Apostles who were in Jerusalem to get their take on his gospel and his ministry to Gentiles. Paul makes it clear, however, that he didn’t need the approval of the Apostles. As he said, “whatever they are makes no difference to me, God doesn’t favor anyone.” But he recognized that if they didn’t approve his gospel message, that salvation is by faith in Jesus alone, without the need to keep the Law of Moses, that their requirement in this regard would undo a lot of his work.

But they did approve, of his gospel message and of his ministry to the Gentiles. They recognized him as an Apostle just as they were. They recognized his unique calling to evangelize Gentiles as well as Jews. The only requirement they made was that he minister to the poor, the very thing he and Barnabas were there in Jerusalem to do, and which Paul had an eagerness to do.

Why was Paul so eager to do this? The Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary suggests three reasons:

Paul had already started this famine relief with Barnabas in Antioch. The reasons are clear: (1) Paul, a man of compassion, was always willing to help needy people. (2) He understood that this project could strategically help to cement the relationship between the Jerusalem Christians and the Gentile churches and to promote their unity. (3) He saw that this was an eschatological fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy that Gentiles would bring gifts to the holy mountain in the last days.

It is true that Paul used providing for the poor, particularly the poor saints in Jerusalem during another economic downturn subsequent to this one, to draw unity between his mostly Gentile churches and the church in Jerusalem (2 Corinthians 8&9). And certainly the prophetic fulfillment of Isaiah 61:1-3, which Jesus pronounced in the synagogue in Nazareth (Luke 4:17-21) played a big part in his eagerness.

The acceptance of Paul’s gospel by the pillars was no doubt to the consternation of those “false brothers” who had criticized Paul’s message of freedom from the Law as a means of salvation. They wanted all Gentile male converts like Titus to be circumcised, to, in effect, become Jews. This was not the good news, this was not the message Jesus had vouchsafed to Paul. Salvation was by faith alone, not works, and Paul fought to keep that acknowledged for the sake of all Gentiles, including the Galatians, whom he evangelized. This, by implication, is what the false teachers who had misled the Galatians were trying to do…steal their freedom (Is it possible that the “false brothers” who spied on Paul in Antioch are those who followed Paul’s church planting with their own mission endeavor, that they were the ones who disturbed the Galatian churches?). Paul would have none of it, hence this scathing letter.

The gospel needs to be fought for many times. The church finds itself modifying the gospel, altering it, losing its clarity, because we are scandalized by the freedom it provides. Shame on us and woe to us if we lose the gospel.