Today’s passage: Galatians 2:1-10
Helpful thoughts:
- This trip to Jerusalem is recorded in Acts 15 and was called the Jerusalem Council.
- The nature of this false addition to the Gospel is now specifically mentioned. People called Judaizers were requiring men to be circumcised in order to be saved.
- When Paul took Titus (a Gentile) to Jerusalem, the other apostles did not require him to be circumcised either.
- These “false brothers” would have been Jews posing as Christians in the meetings trying to stir up controversy.
- This means the false teaching wasn’t special to the churches in Galatia and was being refuted by all of the apostles, everywhere it was being taught.
- There is only one Gospel message.
- Time doesn’t change it.
- Culture doesn’t change it.
Questions to consider:
- What approach did the apostles have to take toward those who were trying to add to the Gospel message? Did they encourage fellowship and say they were on the same team? Why is that so important?
- Did Paul doubt the validity of the Gospel message he was teaching until a bunch of other people confirmed it? Why was he sharing this account with the members of the churches in Galatia?
- Where do we get the Gospel message from? Why can we have so much confidence in its accuracy?