Galatians 2.1-2
“Then after fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus along with me. I went up because of a revelation and set before them (though privately before those who seemed influential) the gospel that I proclaim among the Gentiles, in order to make sure I was not running or had not run in vain.”
Paul made this trip to Jerusalem “in response to a revelation” from God, and because he was deeply concerned. He wanted to make sure the effort of his mission work among the Gentiles was not in vain. He wanted to make sure the Christian leaders in Jerusalem were not undermining his gospel by supporting or tolerating the Judaizers. If the other apostles did not confirm his message and renounce the false teachers, there would be serious problems.
Paul emphasizes two important aspects of his visit to Jerusalem: his companions and his message. His companions were Barnabas and Titus, which is relevant because Barnabas was a Jew and Titus a Greek. This means that Titus was an uncircumcised Gentile, and he embodied the mission to the Gentiles that was in dispute and which the Judaizers were challenging.
Bringing Titus was not meant to be confrontational, rather it was intended to give the Jerusalem leaders a personal experience of the true gospel among the Gentiles. Titus was living proof of the truth that Jews and Gentiles are accepted by God on the same terms, which is faith in Jesus Christ, and therefore should be accepted by the church without any discrimination. This was the message Paul was proclaiming and that Titus embodied, and it was the point of contention with the Judaizers.
Galatians 2.3-5
“But even Titus, who was with me, was not forced to be circumcised, though he was a Greek. Yet because of false brothers secretly brought in—who slipped in to spy out our freedom that we have in Christ Jesus, so that they might bring us into slavery— to them we did not yield in submission even for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel might be preserved for you.”
The church leaders in Jerusalem did not compel Titus to be circumcised. This was a pivotal victory for Paul and the true gospel, but it was not won without a battle. There were some in the Jerusalem church who pushed for Paul to circumcise Titus. Undoubtedly these were Judaizers, and Paul refers to them as “false brothers.” One translation calls them “sham-Christians”. J. B. Phillips calls them “pseudo-Christians”. Paul tells us they were “secretly brought in … to spy out our freedom that we have in Christ.”
The Judaizers did not address the issue with integrity and courage; rather, they resorted to spying, subterfuge, manipulation, and coercion. This is not the way of the kingdom of God; rather, it is the way of the Enemy, and simply another indication that the gospel of the Judaizers was false.
Note that Paul says the goal of the false brothers was to “bring us into slavery.” The biblical gospel gives freedom, while the Judaizers’ “earn-your-salvation” message would lead people only into spiritual slavery. Paul will return to this important theme throughout the letter to the Galatians (especially in 4:21-31). If the false teachers had their way, all Gentile believers would become enslaved to the Law of Moses, as well as to the many rules and rituals that the Judaizers added to the Law. An Italian or African or Chinese person could not become a Christian without becoming culturally Jewish.
Freedom in Christ is a core message in Galatians. The Law of Moses was never intended to be a means of salvation. The Law provided the standards and conditions of Israel’s covenant with the Lord while they occupied the land of Canaan, but the Law was never intended to be a means of salvation. In the kingdom of God, salvation has always been by faith in God’s grace. Faithful Israelites obeyed the covenant standards of the Law because they believed. With the advent of Jesus the Messiah, the old covenant had served its purpose and now gives way to a new covenant.
To require Gentile Christians to operate under the old covenant would be to enslave them to a false gospel of salvation by works. Yes, Christians are commanded to obey God’s standards. But obedience is the result of salvation, not the cause of it. We don’t seek to obey God in order to be saved; we seek to obey God because we are saved.
