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Gal.2:1. Then, fourteen years later, I again went to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus with me. Gal.2:2. I walked by revelation, and suggested there, and especially to the most famous, the gospel that I preached to the pagans, whether I am struggling or have struggled in vain. “Then, after fourteen years, I sighed again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, and I took Titus with me. Sigh according to revelation." Paul and Barnabas spent a lot of time in Antioch and caught quite a few of the pagans, commanding them to live according to the law of grace. But some of the defenders of the law, coming from Judea, tried to persuade the Gentile believers to love living according to the law. The great preachers of truth, Barnabas and Paul, rejected the teaching they proposed. Wanting to assure the assembly of believers that this was what the great apostles wanted, they went to Judea, notified the apostles about what they had done and brought messages that clearly commanded not to impose a legal yoke on the pagans, but to “be robbed of those sacrificed to idols and fornication and those strangled and bloodshed” (Acts 15:29). This, I think, is what the divine Apostle is telling. “And I have set forth the gospel, which I preach among the nations, one by one to the imaginary, lest I flow in vain or flow.” He said “imaginary”, that is, famous; He proposed to them “in private,” because many were zealous for the law, as the divine Jacob said. This: “Let me not flow in vain, or flow,” the Apostle said, not in relation to himself, but in relation to others, that is, so that everyone would know the agreement of the preaching and that what I preach is pleasing to others. Gal.2:3. But they did not force Titus, who was with me, although he was a Greek, to be circumcised. “But neither Titus, who was with me, a Greek, needed to be circumcised quickly.” This is the strongest proof that, according to the apostles, those who believed among the Gentiles should not keep the law. For Titus, who was uncircumcised and called from the Greeks, was not ordered to be circumcised, although very many wished otherwise. For this is what the Apostle says. Gal.2:4. And to the false brothers who crept in, secretly coming to spy on our freedom, which we have in Christ Jesus, in order to enslave us. “For the false brethren who have come, who have come to spy on our freedom, even the imams of Christ Jesus, may they enslave us.” The conjunction “zhe” is unnecessary in speech. For the meaning of these sayings is this: even Titus, although he was a Hellenic, was not forced to be circumcised for the sake of the false brothers who came, etc. The Apostle calls being outside the law “freedom.” Gal.2:5. We did not yield or submit even for an hour, so that the truth of the gospel might be preserved among you. “Under the hour, let us obey in submission, so that the truth of the gospel may remain in you.” For even for a short time we did not tolerate their stubborn disposition, but preferred the truth of the Gospel to everything. This is what the Apostle said about those who, by their own disposition, became enslaved to the law. But since, as probably, the Galatians also said that the very first of the apostles kept the law, and the divine Apostle knew that they were forced to do this out of condescension towards those who believed among the Jews and were not yet firm in the faith, then, placed between two extremes, and, on the one hand, recognizing it as most inappropriate to accuse the apostles, and on the other, not wanting to discover their intention, so as not to damage the Economy, he makes for himself some middle path takes on the appearance of being upset by what is being done, finding it difficult to say about it, and leaving everything to God’s determination. Gal.2:6. And in those who are famous for something, no matter what they may have ever been, there is nothing special for me: God does not look at the face of a person. And the famous ones didn’t put anything more on me. 1 Gal.2:14. But when I saw that they were not directly acting on the truth of the Gospel, I said to Peter in front of everyone: if you, being a Jew, live like a pagan and not like a Jew, then why do you force the pagans to live like a Jew? “From those who pretend to be what they once were, there is nothing different from us: God does not accept the face of man.” Therefore, although I said this, says the Apostle, about others who use the law badly, I am grieved that my own disciples suffer harm from this. For he expressed this in the words: “Why do languages ​​need to live like Jews?” This is your decree, that they should not be guided in life by law, but that your deeds should contradict what has already been written. The Great Peter confirms these Pauline words with silence, as if speaking to those who believed among the Jews and were then with the apostles: “Paul rightly reproaches me; it is impossible to contradict his words.” And that Peter, having in mind the benefit of those listening, was pleased with Pavlov’s words, is obvious to everyone. So, since one reproached, and the other accepted it in silence, then a healing was prepared that was useful for those who believed, both Jews and pagans. The divine Apostle wrote this to the Galatians, letting them know that the great and first apostles, due to the weakness of the Jews, sometimes allowed them to keep the law, but did not always do so. Paul also tells everything else that he said to blessed Peter, meaning the benefit of the Jews who were there. Gal.2:15. We are by nature Jews, and not sinners of the Gentiles. Gal.2:16. However, having learned that a person is not justified by the works of the law, but only by faith in Jesus Christ, we also believed in Christ Jesus in order to be justified by faith in Christ, and not by the works of the law; For by the works of the law no flesh will be justified. “We are by nature a Jew, and not by the tongue of a sinner, having learned that man is not justified by the works of the law, but only by the faith of Jesus Christ; and we who believe in Christ Jesus, that we may be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law.” It is said: “by the nature of Judaism,” we have been like this since ancient times from our ancestors, since we trace our family back to Abraham and boast about this family. But since they learned that it is impossible to acquire true justification by living under the law, they believed in the Lord Christ, reaping justification from faith and expecting the promised benefits. “Until now all flesh will be justified by the works of the law.” Nature itself taught what was necessary in the law; These are the commandments: do not commit adultery, do not kill, do not steal, do not bear false witness against your neighbor, honor your father and your mother, and others like that; The commandments about the Sabbath, about circumcision, about the leper, about he who sheds semen, about sacrifices, about sprinklings were the property of the law, for they were not taught by nature. Therefore, the Apostle calls all these works of the law. But although breaking these commandments is a sin, keeping them is not progress in perfect righteousness. For all this served as an indication of something else; however, it was suitable for the Jews at that time. And about this the divine Apostle said: “Until all flesh is justified by the works of the law.” Then he draws a conclusion from what he said. Gal.2:17. If, seeking justification in Christ, we ourselves turned out to be sinners, then is Christ really the servant of sin? No way. “If, by seeking to be justified in Christ, the sinners themselves are found, let Christ not be a servant of sin.” And if the very fact that, having abandoned the law, we came to Christ, in the hope of acquiring justification through faith in Him, is recognized as a crime, then the guilt of this will fall on the Lord Christ Himself, because He showed us this New Testament. But may we not dare to commit this blasphemy; Gal.2:18. For if I build again what I have destroyed, then I make myself a criminal. “Even if I have ruined, I create again, I imagine a criminal.” The Apostle said this not only about himself, but also about all the apostles, because they too considered it good that those who believed among the Gentiles should not keep the law. But clearly, says the Apostle, we are violating what we recognize as good, ruining what we ourselves have created. We gave birth to the pagans not on the basis of the law, but on the basis of Christ. He very wisely denied the accusation. For when others called failure to keep the law a crime, he called keeping the law a crime. Then he shows this in greater clarity. Gal.2:19. By the law I died to the law in order to live to God. I have been crucified with Christ. “For I died by the law, but I will live by God.” Convinced by the law itself, says the Apostle, I made myself dead to the law, because the law showed me Christ; Convinced by the law, I came to Christ, and to the law I am dead, because I am no longer governed by it in life, but I will follow the decrees of Christ. “Christ has fallen asleep.” For I was buried in Him through baptism Gal.2:20. And it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. “No one else lives, but Christ lives in me.” I put aside my former life, moved into another life, I live to the One who clothed me with life. “And as I now live in the flesh, I live by faith the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” And in this mortal life I will prescribe immortal life and see it through faith. This is why the Lord Christ accepted death for me, so that he could prepare for me immortal life. Gal.2:21. I do not reject the grace of God; and if there is justification by law, then Christ died in vain. “I do not reject the grace of God.” For he who lives according to the law dishonors grace, as being insufficient for salvation. “If the law were right, then Christ would never die.” For the Master's death is unnecessary if the law is sufficient to obtain justification. Thus, having recounted to them his conversation with the blessed Peter, he turned to them and expressed strong indignation. The interpretation of this and the following verses up to verse 14 has been lost. You might be interested in: