Galatians 2

1. 2:1-3 Who were Barnabas and Titus? What ethnicity were they? (See Acts 4:36,37; 9:26,27; 2 Corinthians 2:13; Titus 1:4,5)
   Class Answers: Barnabas was a Levite from Cyprus, who introduced Paul to the apostles in Jerusalem. He was a companion of Paul. Titus was a Greek (Gentile), who also traveled with Paul and later preached for the church in Crete. Even though Titus was a Gentile, he was not “compelled” to be circumcised, even though that’s what the Judaizing teachers would have desired.
2. 2:2 What was the gospel Paul preached among the Gentiles? (See 1 Corinthians 15:1-4)
   Class Answer: The gospel of salvation: the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ.
3. 2:3-5 Why did Paul want a private meeting with the church leaders? Who was trying to interfere?
   Class Answer: He didn’t want to be running “in vain,” to have his ministry rendered fruitless by the false teachers. He wanted to be able to speak to the leaders without the disruption of those were trying to take away freedom in Christ and impose slavery to the Law.
4. 2:6-10 What were the leaders’ responses to Paul’s
   Message - v. 6 – They added nothing to it. As far as they were concerned, the gospel Paul preached lacked nothing.
   Ministry - v. 7 – They saw he had been entrusted with the gospel to the Gentiles.
   Mission - vv. 9-10 – They gave him the right hand of fellowship, asking him only that he and Barnabas continue to remember the poor.
   Comment by John Stott: The meeting proved there was no rift among the apostles.
5. 2:11-14 How was Peter “clearly in the wrong”? What caused him to act this way?
   Answer: When men came from Jerusalem (or James), Peter withdrew from socializing with the Gentiles. In doing so, he was trying to force the Gentiles to live by Jewish customs. Why? He was afraid of those who came from Jerusalem – afraid of crossing them.
6. 2:15-16 By what are we justified? (Romans 4:1-3) Does this mean we’re not subject to any law? (See James 2:8)
   Answer: Not by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. James 2:8 states that we are subject to the “Royal” law of Christ: to love our neighbors as ourselves. Obedience to commandments of Christ by itself doesn’t save us, but it’s evidence of our faith. How can God know we believe unless we obey, as Abraham did?
7. 2:17 In what way would Christ promote sin?
   Answer: If, while claiming to be justified in Christ, we willfully sin. But that’s not the case. Justification in Christ doesn’t give us license to sin (Romans 6:1,2). Trying to follow the law will make us lawbreakers, because it is impossible to keep perfectly.
8. 2:18 What had Paul destroyed?
   Answer: His old way of life, his allegiance to the Old Law. Why bring that back again? 1:23 – In the past, Paul had tried to destroy the church. So he had destroyed that life of destruction.
9. 2:19-20 How had Paul been “crucified with Christ”?
   Answer: Paul’s identity was gone; he was now living by faith. The old Paul/Saul was gone. We are spirits in a body, not merely bodies with spirits. If our will – our spirit – has been replaced with the Spirit of Christ, then that renewed spirit will be manifest in what we do with our physical bodies.
10. 2:21 How could Christ “die for nothing”?
    Answer: If we can be righteous through the law, then Christ’s death was in vain. Commentary: To mingle legalism with grace makes grace a mockery.

Choose a verse from Chapter 2 to memorize (or to post in a prominent place).

Verses chosen: Galatians 2:16 and 2:20.

Studies in Acts–Lesson 12

Read Acts 20 and 21.

1. After exhorting the disciples at Ephesus, Paul departed for Macedonia. 20:1. [The cities of Philippi, Thessalonica, Berea]
2. After passing through Macedonia (or the region), Paul came to Greece, where he is supposed to have spent 3 months. 20:3
3. Paul expected Titus to meet him in Troas with news from Corinth. (2 Corinthians 7:5-10). Also see 2 Corinthians 2:12-13.
   Note: According to scholars, Paul had written the first letter to the Corinthians while he was in Ephesus. He was anxious to receive from Titus the Corinthian church’s reaction to his first letter. When Titus finally caught up with Paul in Macdeonia, according to 2 Corinthians 7, he was greatly relieved at Titus’s news and wrote his second letter from there.
4. Paul took up a collection on the third journey for the poor in Jerusalem . (1 Corinthians 16:1-6; 2 Corinthians 8:1-6; 9:1-6; Romans 15:25,26)
5. There were seven men who accompanied Paul on his return. 20:4 [Sopater, Aristarchus, Secundus, Gaius, Timothy, Tychicus, and Trophimus. DeWitt comments that they accompanied him for protection, because he was carrying money.]
6. Luke joined the group at Troas. 20:6
7. Paul was in a hurry to arrive in Jerusalem before Pentecost. 20:6 [This was about a year after he left Ephesus, because, according to 1 Corinthians 16:8, he had stayed there until the previous Pentecost.]
8. A meeting in Troas was on the first day of the week, and Paul preached until midnight. 20:7
9. The meeting was held in a three-story house, and Eutychus fell out of the window and was taken up for dead. 20:9
10. From Miletus Paul sent to Ephesus, and called for the elders of the church. 20:17

11. Underline the mistakes.

Paul wanted the Ephesian elders to know that after he left, grievous wolves would enter in among them, not sparing the flock. 20:29 And not only so, but that right from among themselves men would draw disciples after them. 20:30 Paul quoted a statement from Jesus that is not found in the four gospels. 20:35 Rhodes is the name of one of Paul’s companions an island. 21:1 There was a change of ships in Patara. 21:2 They passed Cyprus on the right left. 21:3 The ship from Patara unloaded at Tyre. They stayed three seven days at Tyre. 21:3 Some of those of Tyre were prophets. 21:4 They stayed seven days one day at Ptolemais. 21:7 Philip the evangelist was a convert of Paul one of the seven. 21:8. Also see Acts 6:3-6. Philip was not like Paul, an evangelizing bachelor because he had four unmarried daughters. 21:9 A prophet named Agabus came from Jerusalem. 21:10 He took his Paul’s girdle and bound his hands and feet and said that Paul would be bound in the same way in Jerusalem. 21:11 Paul was to stay in the home of John Mark Mnason in Jerusalem. 21:16 Only two apostles Several brethren were present in Jerusalem when Paul arrived. 21:17

Matching

12. Tarsus	18  "All zealous for the law ... " 21:20
13. From which Paul addressed the multitude	20   Those over whom Paul was in charge 21:23-26
14. The one for whom Paul was mistaken	17  The Jews from Asia 21:27
15. When they saw the chief captain and soldiers	19  The Ephesian 21:20 (A Gentile)
16. A great silence.	15  Left off beating Paul 21:32
17. Stirred up the multitudes and laid hands on Paul	14  The Egyptian 21:38
18. The believing Jews in Jerusalem	21  Did not know the reason for the uproar 21:33
19. Trophimus	13  Castle stairs (or barracks) 21:37-40
20. Four men who had a vow	12  No mean city (or no ordinary city ) 21:39
21. The chief captain	16  Beckoned with hand 21:40