Galatians 2.1–10

¹ Then after fourteen years, I went up again to Jerusalem, this time with Barnabas. I took Titus along also. ² I went in response to a revelation and, meeting privately with those esteemed as leaders, I set before them the gospel that I preach among the Gentiles. I wanted to be sure I was not running and had not been running my race in vain. ³ Yet not even Titus, who was with me, was compelled to be circumcised, even though he was a Greek. ⁴ This matter arose because some false believers had infiltrated our ranks to spy on the freedom we have in Christ Jesus and to make us slaves. ⁵ We did not give in to them for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel might remain with you.

⁶ As for those who were held in high esteem—whatever they were makes no difference to me; God does not show favoritism—they added nothing to my message. ⁷ On the contrary, they saw that I had been entrusted with the task of preaching the gospel to the Gentiles, just as Peter had been to the Jews. ⁸ For God, who was at work in Peter as an apostle to the Jews, was also at work in me as an apostle to the Gentiles. ⁹ James, Cephas and John, those esteemed as pillars, gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship when they recognized the grace given to me. They agreed that we should go to the Gentiles, and they to the Jews. ¹⁰ All they asked was that we should continue to remember the poor, the very thing I had been eager to do all along.

In this passage Paul secretly visits the leaders in Jerusalem to reveal the revelation he has received from God concerning the freedom we have in Christ. Recognizing the grace bestowed upon Paul, the Jewish leadership extended fellowship to Paul and blessed him to continue his mission to the Gentiles. What was this freedom that Paul felt so important to express to the Jewish leaders? Given in this passage as an example of Old Testament law was circumcision. To be a part of God’s people circumcision was required to show that one was set apart to God. But Paul wanted to let everyone know that Christ’s death had changed everything. No longer is anyone subject to living to the letter of the law to be considered God’s people. In fact, it was now the acceptance of Christ’s death, the one perfect sacrifice, for the spiritual “circumcision” of our hearts that allows us to be called God’s children.