Jerusalem and Antioch (Gal 2:1–14)

Jerusalem (2:1–10)

Paul goes to Jerusalem for the second time. He goes there according to a revelation - apokalypsin. What kind of revelation is hard to guess. If we take the clues from 1 Cor 12:4–11, we need to recognize that Paul was endowed with gifts of the Holy Spirit, among which were the gifts of discernment and prophecy. The success of his mission among the Gentiles brought a consideration: how does these new churches relate to the “mother Church” in Jerusalem? The Churches in Judea that praised the news about Paul’s preaching now the Gospel in the regions of Syria and Cilicia were composed of the Jews, who still kept the law of Moses (see Acts 21:20). He was preaching the Gospel among the Gentiles without requiring them to keep the law of Moses. Could this difference bring a split into the unity of the Church? Could there come out two churches: One composed of the Jewish Christians and the other composed of the Gentile Christians? One, the Church of Peter and James, and another the Church of Paul and Barnabas? In that case, Paul’s mission could be considered indeed “in vain” (Gal 2:2).

Barnabas (Acts 4:36–37) is well-known to us from the Acts of the Apostles. In the Acts, he is portrait as Paul’s mentor, mentioned ahead of Paul (Acts 11:19–26; 13:2; 14:12).

Titus, a Gentile Christian, not being circumcised, is taken with a clear purpose in mind. The pillars of the Church in Jerusalem would have in front of them a challenge. What to do with Titus? Circumcise him and make him to obey the law of Moses or would his faith and the sacrament of baptism he had undergone suffice? Supporting Paul’s stand on the issue of circumcision was a major victory for Paul’s genuine insight into the truth of the Gospel.

  1. The message of the Gospel is independent of any human tradition, including such venerable tradition like the Jewish one.
  2. In Jesus Christ, the Gentile Christians have an access to the same grace of salvation like the Jewish Christians, independent of the Jewish law.
  3. Through Jesus Christ, the Gentile Christians approach the only true and living God that was so far only revealed and known to the Jews (see John 4:22). Obedience to the Jewish law is not required here (John 4:23–24).

By letting Titus be free from circumcision, the pillars of the Church announced the freedom of the Gospel. Thus, Galatians should take Titus as an example for themselves and stop listening to those false brothers - according to Acts, they are from the same faction to which Paul belonged before (Acts 15:1.5) - who aim to put them into the yoke of slavery. Titus has become a living example negating their thesis: “Unless you [the Gentile Christians] are circumcised by the custom of Moses, you [the Gentile Christians] cannot be saved” (Acts 15:1). Faith and baptism were enough for Titus to be saved.

Paul says that Peter, James, and John did not add anything to his Gospel. However, Acts 15:19–20 includes the so-called additions of James. It seems that these addition were not part of the original decision in Jerusalem, because Paul is not aware of them. Perhaps, they were added later and Luke combined them with the major decision of the council in Jerusalem regarding circumcision for the Gentile Christians. Those four addition include:

  1. Abstain from pollution of idols (1 Cor 8:10). The phrase is understood as not participating in the celebration of pagan feast. Such celebration usually included common meals, with food that was first offered as a sacrifice to idols. It also meant not eating the meat offered to the idols during the celebration of pagan feast and later on being sold out on public markets.
  2. Abstain from fornication. Since the time of prophets fornication was seen as a symbol of idolatry (John 8:41).
  3. Abstain from strangled animals. According to the Jewish kosher laws, an animal should be slaughtered properly (Lev 17:13). A meat of an animal that was found in the field was not kosher. Eating it brought with itself ritual impurity (Lev 17:15–16).
  4. Abstain blood. Blood is the source of life (Gen 9:4; Deut 12:23), thus it is sacred and cannot be eaten.

The main reason of those additions was not to scandalize the Jews and Jewish Christians (Acts 15:21). Since that time, they were still relatively many Jewish Christians, they probably participated in Saturday Sabbath service in Synagogue and then also in Sunday Lord’s Supper. These regulations were aim to maintain the fellowship between the Jewish Christian and Gentile Christians during common meals that were part of the Eucharist at that time (see ! Cor 11:23–25). These Jewish Christians had also friends and family relatives among the Jews, who did not believe in Christ. In order to live among them, they had to maintain ritual purity as well.

In Paul’s report, we have clear distinction between two missions:

  1. To the Jews by Peter. After all Peter was a native Jew from the Holy Land, so together with other Palestine Jews - James and John - they were well suited to preach the Gospel to Jews.
  2. To the Gentiles by Paul. Paul was a Jew from Diaspora, living among the Gentile environment, and that made him suitable for preaching the Gospel to the Gentiles.
  3. Yet, both missions come from the same source, namely God, who “operated” in Peter and Paul. Moreover, the mission is seen as God’s grace.

Finally, unlike in the Acts 15:20 that adds James’ regulations, Paul mentions a different point, namely to remember about the poor. This phrase was understood by Paul, not as a general philanthropy, but as help to be given to the community in Jerusalem (Rom 15:27; 1 Cor 16:1–4).

Antioch (2:11–14)

During the time of Paul, the Eucharistic celebrations included common meals known as the Lord Supper (1 Cor 11:20.23–25). The problem, which arose when the Jewish and the Gentile Christians celebrated the Eucharist together was related to the food that should be served during that common supper:

  1. Should it be kosher food for all or at least for the Jewish Christians? - the position of those “from James”
  2. Should it be pagan food for all? - the position of Paul at that time.

It seems that in Antioch, Peter at first was on the side of Paul, but later when “some from James” came - the Judaizantes - he changed his mind. The situation was aggravated by the fact that there seemed to be only pagan food during that Eucharistic celebration. Thus, by refusing to participate in the Lord’s supper - in common eating - Peter, Barnabas and the others were ruining the whole celebration and undermining the truth of the Gospel. Seeing such important figures refusing to eat with them at the table of the Eucharist, the Gentile Christians could feel that the Jewish laws are still important and necessary to be maintained for the proper worship of God.

Paul had to react and his reaction includes a brief presentation of the true Gospel preached by Paul.

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