Ascending by revelation, the gospel I preach

 Ascending by revelation, the gospel I preach

among the Gentiles

Galatians 2:1-2 “After fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas and Titus, and I went up by revelation to present to them the gospel which I preach among the Gentiles, to those who were influential, so that my running and my running might not be in vain.”

Symparalabon (συνπαραλαβὼν) or Aneven (ἀνέβην) are imperfect verbs that signify acting under the guidance of the Holy Spirit at that moment. The reason for going up to Jerusalem fourteen years later is to go up after hearing the word of the Ho Logos working within the heart.

Dokusin (δοκοῦσιν) refers to Peter, John, and James, who were the leaders of the Jerusalem church at that time.

The term *kat’ ἰδίαν* (kat’ ἰδίαν) means "one’s own possession," signifying that the gospel is not something learned from anyone, but something one came to know through revelation. However, because people did not believe this gospel, Paul was going to Jerusalem for verification. Although Paul was preaching as an apostle, there were still many at that time who refused to acknowledge him as such. Therefore, Paul traveled to Jerusalem following the revelation to definitively settle this matter.

Galatians 2:3-4 "But even Titus, who was with me, was not forced to be circumcised because of false brothers who had crept in secretly, to spy on the freedom we have in Christ Jesus and to make us slaves."

When Paul was among the Diaspora Jews, he had Timothy undergo circumcision. Although circumcision was an act of observing the laws of the Old Testament era, he considered it inevitable that he would incur the resentment of the Jews, whom he cherished more than his life, if he were to tell them that circumcision was no longer necessary. His priority was to first bring them into the church.

However, here, circumcision was not forced upon Titus the Greek. There was no need to do so even for a Greek. Paul states that the reason for this was false brothers who had quietly infiltrated.

The false brothers are Christians of Jewish origin who still advocate legalism. Christians have been freed from the bondage of the statutes of the law, but these false brothers are trying to yoke them back.

"The desire to enslave us" is Jewish Christians oppressing other Christians through legalism. Believers must accurately understand the law and legalism.

Regarding the law as perceived by believers, there are two perspectives: one who thinks of it as merely observing the statutes becomes a legalist, while one who thinks of Christ (the Messiah) within the law becomes the Gospel.

Therefore, one who contemplates the statutes of the law within the law becomes one who is trapped in the net of those statutes. When the Bible uses the term "law," there are instances where it is expressed in the sense of statutes. For example, in Galatians 3:23, it says, "Before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the time when faith would be revealed."

In this case, "law" must be interpreted as the statutes of the law. Consequently, those who follow this become legalists.

Legalists, especially the Pharisees of Jesus' time, were trapped in the net of the legal statutes and unable to see the Messiah. Faith had not come from heaven. In this context, faith refers to Christ.

Those who are trapped by the statutes are those who believe they can attain God's righteousness by their own strength. Ultimately, driven by the greed to become like God, they become those who eat the fruit of evil. However, those who realize that it is utterly impossible to completely keep the statutes and discover Christ come to eat the fruit of the tree of life. Faith in Christ is given to them.

The tree of the knowledge of good and evil is the Word of God known as the Law. Those who gaze upon that Law make different choices depending on the thoughts they hold. Those who cannot do it on their own and seek salvation solely by entering into Christ are the ones who eat the fruit of good (the tree of life). However, those who seek to achieve righteousness by their own strength are the ones who eat the fruit of evil.

Paul’s differential behavior—requiring Jews outside the church to be circumcised while prohibiting them from being circumcised within the church—is acting in accordance with the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

Paul had the Jews outside the church undergo circumcision to instill in them the understanding that, as a Jew, he was not in a hostile relationship with them. Thus, he wanted them to converse naturally with him, enabling him to come to know Christ and teach them about the Law.

Galatians 2:5-8: “We did not submit to them for a single moment, so that the truth (aletheia) of the gospel (euangeliu) might always remain among you. Among those who were influential (whoever they were, for God makes no favoritism), they added no duty (prosanedento) to me; rather, they saw that I was entrusted with preaching the gospel to the uncircumcised, just as Peter was entrusted to the circumcised. And He who worked through Peter to make him an apostle to the circumcised also worked through me to make me an apostle to the Gentiles.”

Euangeliu (εὐαγγελίου) and Aletheia (ἀλήθεια) signify apposition. It means the Gospel that is the truth. The Gospel that is the truth refers to Jesus Christ. The reason for not being circumcised is to ensure that the Logos is always with them.

Although *prosanedento* (προσανέθεντο) is translated as "duty," it implies that nothing is added to Paul himself. It means that influential figures (Peter, John, and James) did not add anything to Paul. It signifies that he receives and acts upon everything solely through the revelation of the *Ho Logos*. Paul came to know the truth of the Gospel through the *Ho Logos*, and he received nothing from influential figures other than that Gospel.

The point is that Peter preached the gospel centered on Diaspora Jews, while Paul preached the gospel centered on Gentile Greeks.