Galatians Chapter 2

Galatians Chapter Two

Then fourteen years later I went to Jerusalem with Barnabas and Titus. I went there because of my revelation and spoke to them about the gospel that I preach to the Gentiles, but I spoke privately only to the well known folks, because I didn’t want to have any run ins.

Titus, who I mentioned was with me, was a Greek and therefore uncircumcised. Some people pretended to be our friends but really they were just coming to spy on the wonderful liberty we get from JC and so they could bring us into bondage. Maybe it’s just me… but do these seem like random disjointed thoughts to you?

But of everyone who seemed to be somewhat, (whatever they were didn’t matter to me, God doesn’t accept any man… eh? Come again with that one friend?) those who seemed to be somewhat in conference didn’t add anything to me.

On the contrary, when they saw the gospel on uncircumcision was committed to me, just as the gospel of circumcision was committed to Peter (you see, what was effected through Peter’s apostleship for the circumcised was the same thing that I brought to the uncircumcised), and when James, Cephas, and John who seemed to be pillars understood that grace was given to me, they gave me Barnabas who was the right hand of fellowship so we could go preach to the heathen and they could go preach to the circumcised.

They just wanted us to remember the poor and that’s what I wanted to do too! But when Peter came to Antioch I opposed him straight to his face because he was so in the wrong! Before all that certain people were sent by James, and he (no one knows who this “he” is, one translation says it’s Cephas, but it’s impossible to tell) did eat with the Gentiles, but when James’ men were around he hid because he feared the circumcised folks.

Other Jews were in agreement with Peter and they even poor Barnabas astray.

But, when I saw that they were not living up to the true gospel, I told Peter, in front of everyone: If you, being a Jew, live like the Gentiles and not as a Jew, then why do you force the Gentiles to live like Jews? We who are naturally Jewish (it’s like having naturally curly hair!), and not Gentile sinners, know that a man isn’t justified by works but by faith in our buddy JC. Even we believe in JC so we can be saved, not by the law, because no man is saved by the works of the law.

However, if, while we try to be saved by Christ, we are also found sinners, is Christ a minister of sin? God forbid. (Oh heavens, for a split second I thought Paulie had escaped his favorite answer to his own nonsensical rhetorical questions).

If I build the things that I have destroyed, then I am a transgressor. Through the law I am dead to the law so that I can live in God.

I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live, but not me, rather JC himself lives in me. The life that I now live in the flesh I live only by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me.

I do not frustrate the grace of god. If righteousness comes by law, then Christ is dead in vain.