Welcome to episode 147 of Grasp the Bible.  In this episode, we continue our study in the Book of Galatians, covering chapter 2:1-10. The series is called “Free.”  Today, we will cover: 

• The reason for the visit (vv. 1-2) 
• The result of the visit (vv. 3-10) 

Key takeaways: 

• Paul did not need the Jerusalem apostles to endorse his gospel because he received it directly from Jesus. 
• If Paul’s gospel diverged from that of the apostles, then his work would likely unravel when the view of Jerusalem became known in the churches Paul planted. 
• According to the Old Testament, circumcision was required to be part of God’s people. Those who refused circumcision did not belong to God’s covenant people. 
• Paul argued against circumcision, stating that it turned back the clock on salvation history...to the time before Jesus. 
• Requiring the law for salvation does not free people from sin but places them under the reign of sin. Reverting to the law is a yoke of slavery because human beings cannot keep the demands of the law. 
• The Jerusalem leaders did not establish Paul’s authority; they only recognized that God had given him such authority. 

Quotable: 

• Any theology that ultimately locates salvation in ourselves and what we do or accomplish is a false gospel. Salvation is no longer the work of God but represents our work, and therefore, we become idolaters who are praised for our contribution. 

Application: 

• Requiring observance of the law changes salvation from being a work of God to a work accomplished by human beings. So, salvation is no longer of the Lord.   
• Living under the law brings bondage in the sense that it does not free people from the slavery of sin. Grace brings freedom, for it does not depend on human beings for righteousness. Therefore, we are freed from depending on what we do as the basis of salvation. We look to Christ alone for his redeeming work. 
• We should not venerate any human leader. We are to love the leaders God has placed over us without worshiping them. We should not despise them when we see their faults, for we all fall short in many ways. 

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