Galatians 2 Breakdown

1 Then after fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, and also took Titus with me.

Paul waited fourteen years to go back to Jerusalem.

2 And I went up by revelation, and communicated to them that gospel which I preach among the Gentiles, but privately to those who were of reputation, lest by any means I might run, or had run, in vain.

When he went back to Jerusalem, he preached the same Gospel to the common Jew as he had been preaching to the gentile. However, those who were high up in Judaism, he taught the Gospel of Christ in private. He did this for the purposes of having to get away from a mob of people who would have been incited by the Jewish leadership. Speaking with them in private helped to ensure this would not happen.

3 Yet not even Titus who was with me, being a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised.

The Jews were not able to force or cause Titus, who was of Greek descent, to become circumcised out of necessity of salvation.

4 And this occurred because of false brethren secretly brought in (who came in by stealth to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage),

Paul was referring to the false preachers who were continuing to preach salvation through the works of the law. Trying to keep the law for salvific purposes, as well as stepping into the Judaic oral law, a.k.a. the Talmudic law is placing ourselves directly into bondage.

5 to whom we did not yield submission even for an hour, that the truth of the gospel might continue with you.

No authority was ever given over to these men who were preaching this way of thinking.

6 But from those who seemed to be something—whatever they were, it makes no difference to me; God shows personal favoritism to no man—for those who seemed to be something added nothing to me.

These leaders thought of themselves as being favored by YHWH, but again, Paul and the rest of his group did not show them any partiality due to YHWH not giving favoritism to any man. Paul then says, these higher ups could do nothing for him because they taught something contrary to what YHWH wanted to be taught.

7 But on the contrary, when they saw that the gospel for the uncircumcised had been committed to me, as the gospel for the circumcised was to Peter

Paul had something to offer them, and these leaders began to see what he was talking about.

8 (for He who worked effectively in Peter for the apostleship to the circumcised also worked effectively in me toward the Gentiles),

YHWH worked in both Peter and Paul to bring the Gospel to both the Jews and the gentiles, and they noticed this to be true.

9 and when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that had been given to me, they gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised.

Paul and Barnabas were accepted into the fellowship and given permission to speak to both the gentiles and the Jews.

10 They desired only that we should remember the poor, the very thing which I also was eager to do.

The only rule Paul was given to follow was remembering the poor in their teaching.

11 Now when Peter had come to Antioch, I withstood him to his face, because he was to be blamed;

Paul is upset with Peter and was at fault of creating an issue between both the Jews and the Gentiles.

12 for before certain men came from James, he would eat with the Gentiles; but when they came, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing those who were of the circumcision.

Peter would regularly hang out with the gentiles, associating and eating with them. But when “certain men” who were part of the circumcision group, a group of Jews who held circumcision as a requirement for salvation, showed up, Peter no longer would associate with the gentiles. Paul, according to what Yeshua taught, found an issue with this. Peter was afraid of what these men would say about him, being a born Jew, eating with the gentiles.  

13 And the rest of the Jews also played the hypocrite with him, so that even Barnabas was carried away with their hypocrisy.

Because Peter was separating himself from the gentiles in the presence of the high Jews, the other Jews began following suit and doing the same thing.

14 But when I saw that they were not straightforward about the truth of the gospel, I said to Peter before them all, “If you, being a Jew, live in the manner of Gentiles and not as the Jews, why do you compel Gentiles to live as Jews?

Paul calls out all the Jews who are doing this. See, the problem was the Torah, as in the Law of God, did not require a separation between the Jews and gentiles. This was a man-made law, part of the Talmud. This is the very thing Paul, as well as Yeshua wanted to put an end to. Laws that were added to God’s law, were a problem.

15 We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles, 16 knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified.

Here Paul is coming right out and challenging the Circumcision group. He states outright no one is saved by doing the works of any law, but through faith. Basically he is saying, you are not to force men to follow the Talmudic law gain salvation. No one can be saved by doing the things the law says, but we do the things the law says because we are showing our love back to YHWH.

17 “But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is Christ therefore a minister of sin? Certainly not!

We know the Law, or Torah, defines sin. This means it tells us what sin is. We keep the law in order not to sin.

1 John 3:4

Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness.

Knowing this, Paul is not saying we should not keep the law, because to not keep the law means we are breaking the law, and to break the law is to be in a state of lawlessness. Therefore, we would have to associate trying to be justified by faith with lawlessness making Christ a minister of sin. Paul says this is not what he is preaching. But rather we keep the law, which is we do not sin, out of our love for YHWH, because we trust what He says is right. We do not keep the law to be saved, because the law does not save, and never has.

18 For if I build again those things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor.

Paul used to follow the oral law of the Jews. He was the most passionate of all his peers concerning the traditions of the elders. This is exactly what we read in the first chapter.

Galatians 1:14

And I advanced in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries in my own nation, being more exceedingly zealous for the traditions of my fathers.

One thing that seems to get mixed up often is the idea Judaism and following Torah are one and the same. This is not the case. Jews do keep Torah, however, they also have added much to it, and those things can now be found in the Talmud. So, Paul is saying if he goes back to these things which he destroyed to get away from, he is making himself a sinner again because according to Judaism, the laws are required for salvation and this is adding to the Torah.

Deuteronomy 4:2

You shall not add to the word which I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you

This is why Paul is saying this. It has nothing to do with Paul previously keeping Torah, then because of Christ, no longer keeping Torah. That is ludicrous. Paul taught salvation through works, and that is not a biblical viewpoint. Now, he says keeping Torah is still to be done in order to not sin as well as to show our love for the Father, but it is not to be done to earn salvation.

19 For I through the law died to the law that I might live to God.

By using God’s law, and keeping it, Paul died to the law of sin and death, so that he could be alive in YHWH.  

20 I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.

Paul states he too has been crucified, referring to his former self who taught and lived Judaism. He now follows and lives out what Yeshua taught making Yeshua live within Paul. He goes on to say he lives by faith, faith that what God says is better than what man says. Because God loved Paul, He gave Himself up to death.

21 I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain.”

Righteousness does not come from keeping the law, nor has it ever. Righteousness come from having the faith God’s Word is better than man’s word. Yes, keeping the law keeps us from sin, making us set apart and righteous in the eyes of YHWH. But, it is not because we keep the law but rather because we submit to the ways of YHWH. If it were only keeping the law that made us righteous, then Christ died for nothing. Christ’s death, allowed the divorced lost sheep of the Northern kingdom of Israel to return to YHWH. His death nullified the marriage the Jews had with YHWH in which they had done worse deeds and more shameful adulterous acts of sin than the House of Israel. Now, with His death, all can come to YHWH and have a fresh start, a new covenant in which to keep holy.