CONTENDING FOR THE TRUE GOSPEL--LESSON 2, PART 2

Lesson 2, Part 2

CONTENDING FOR THE TRUE GOSPEL

Galatians 2:11-21

I. CONTENDING FOR THE GOSPEL IN ANTIOCH vv. 11-21

A. The Mistake of Simon Peter, vv. 11-13.

1. Paul stood up for the truth, v. 11.

2. Peter ate with Gentiles, which was right, v. 12.

3. When the Judaizers arrived, Peter quit eating with Gentiles, v. 12.

4. Others followed his example, v. 13.

B. Paul Contends With Peter, vv. 14-15.

1. Paul rebuked Peter publicly, vv. 11, 14. This would rule out Peter having Papal authority, since Paul could correct him . The issue was greater than Peter or Paul!

2. Peter a Jew, had lived as a Gentile, yet he was compelling Gentiles to live as Jews. This was inconsistent, v. 14

C. Paul Contends For Justification b Faith, vv. 16-21.

1. No man justified by the Law but “by the faith of Christ.” v. 16.

2. Paul clearly declares that a person is justified by faith in Romans 4. This chapter should be carefully.

3. Jews in turning to Christ admit their sinfulness, v.17.

4. Jews in turning to Christ admit the law cannot save, v. 17.

5. To go back to the law would be a transgression of the Law, vv. 18-19.

a. The Law was to show our need of the Savior, Galatians 3:24, “Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.”

b. The old man under the Law was crucified with Christ, Romans 6:6, "Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin." After having been crucified with Christ and having been led to Christ by the Law, it would be a sin to depart from Christ and go back to the Law!

6. The believer crucified with Christ, v. 20.

a. This is a matter of “knowing” and “reckoning,” Romans 6:6, 11, "Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. 11 Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

“Reckon” does not mean to guess or hope. It means to “impute,” “count,” or “account.” It means to reckon inward, count up or weigh the reasons, and to deliberate. ELB

b. We believe Christ died because God declared it, and not by feeling. “It means that the effect of the death of Christ on the cross was to make him dead to these things, in like manner as he, when he died, became insensible to the things of this busy world.” Barnes.

c. The believer identified with Christ, in death and resurrection, v. 20; Romans 6:6, “Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.”

d. We live by faith, v. 20. “Paul has the closest personal feeling toward Christ. ‘He appropriates to himself, as Chrysostom observes, the love which belongs equally to the whole world. For Christ is indeed the personal friend of each man individually.’” (Lightfoot).

e. The personal nature of Christ's love and death for me, v. 20.

f. Christ did not die in vain, v. 21.

g. “Frustrate” is “ATHETEO” (in Greek) which means “to do away with something laid down, presented, or established ... to nullify, to make void; to set aside, disregard, to thwart the efficacy of anything, nullify, make void, frustrate to reject, to refuse, to slight.”

h. If our salvation came in part or in whole from the Law or works, it would nullify the grace of God and the Lord’s death would have been in vain!

--Lesson by E. L. Bynum; Revision by Art Davison