The Book of Galatians

Chapter 2

"I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me" (Galatians 2:20).

1 Then fourteen years after I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, and took Titus with me also.
2 And I went up by revelation, and communicated unto them that gospel which I preach among the Gentiles, but privately to them which were of reputation, lest by any means I should run, or had run, in vain.

I Went Up Again To Jerusalem

The main point of the first few verses of chapter 2 is that the gospel does not include obedience to the Jewish law and that the matter was settled when Paul went up to Jerusalem on the trip mentioned here.

The purpose of this trip was not to validate Paul as an apostle. Instead it was to clarify for everyone the nature of the gospel. The gospel is the good news that Jesus Christ died according to the scriptures, that he was buried and rose again on the third day according to the scriptures. Salvation comes by trusting in him and his finished work, not by obeying the law or doing good works.

This trip is fourteen years after the trip that was mentioned in chapter 1. That was the trip where he went up to Jerusalem and met privately with Peter and James.

This trip is possibly at least the fourth time that Paul had gone up to Jerusalem following his salvation.

He's saying "Hey look, we settled this matter in a meeting." "I didn't make this stuff up. God gave it to me and then we all agreed that it was right.".

Here is the apparent order of Paul's trips to Jerusalem up to the one mentioned here in chapter 2:

The time when Paul met with Peter and James during the period of Paul's ministry in Damascus. (Gal 1:18-19).
The visit following Paul's hasty departure from Damascus because his life was in danger. ( Acts 9:23-29).
When Paul and Barnabas took an offering to help the poor of Jerusalem. ( Acts 11:29-30).
The visit mentioned in Galatians 2 in which Paul, Barnabas and others went up to Jerusalem to discuss whether the Jewish law should be included in the gospel message (Acts 15:1-31).

Acts 15:1-4

1 And certain men which came down from Judaea taught the brethren, and said, Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved.

2 When therefore Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and disputation with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas, and certain other of them, should go up to Jerusalem unto the apostles and elders about this question.

3 And being brought on their way by the church, they passed through Phenice and Samaria, declaring the conversion of the Gentiles: and they caused great joy unto all the brethren.

4 And when they were come to Jerusalem, they were received of the church, and of the apostles and elders, and they declared all things that God had done with them.

It follows that if this outline of Paul's trips to Jersusalem is correct, then the visit of Galatians 2:1 was made after Paul's first missionary journey where he established the churches of Galatia (Acts 13:1 - 14:28).

It also follows that this epistle was written after the council of Jerusalem mentioned here and in Acts chapter 15.

I Went Up By Revelation

It was not Paul's idea to go up to Jersualem to discuss the definition of the gospel. He was sent by the Holy Spirit.

To Them Which Were Of Reputation

This phrase refers to the apostles and elders. There were other public meetings in which possibly the entire church church partipated as mentioned in Acts chapter 15, verses 4 and 5.

Acts 15:4-5

4 And when they were come to Jerusalem, they were received of the church, and of the apostles and elders, and they declared all things that God had done with them.

5 But there rose up certain of the sect of the Pharisees which believed, saying, That it was needful to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses.

But the actual discussions about the definition of the gospel were held mostly in private meetings (Acts 15:6-11).

Acts 15:6-11

6 And the apostles and elders came together for to consider of this matter.

7 And when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up, and said unto them, Men and brethren, ye know how that a good while ago God made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and believe.

8 And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us;

9 And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.

10 Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?

11 But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they.

I Should Run

Paul was certain of the gospel message that he preached. He didn't go up to Jersusalem to get confirmation that his message was the truth. He wanted to get buy-in that his message was the truth so that he could refute those who said that circumcision and keeping the law were necessary to obtain or retain one's salvation. He thought that if people were led to believe that good works were necessary to salvation then he would have been running his race in vain.

And so now in Galatians chapter 2 he powerfully cites the pronouncements of that council to support his case that the gospel is not dependent on keeping the law. "Look, I didn't make this stuff up. God gave it to me and the leaders of the church have endorsed my message. I am giving you the true gospel".

3 But neither Titus, who was with me, being a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised:

Titus

Titus was a Greek who also was a devout believer in Christ and a faithful minister of the gospel. He was also living, breathing proof that salvation is a free gift from God, entirely by grace and that it is not necessary to keep the law to be saved.

Titus was accepted by the predominately Jewish church at Jerusalem as-is. He was not required to be circumcised.

So under the direction of the Holy Spirit Paul built a powerful case supporting the truth of his message. He could cite a meeting where the apostles and elders endorsed his message, an all-important, monumental meeting where the very gospel had been defined, clarified and communicated in writing.

Now you can see how brilliant it was of Paul to bring Titus along with him.

Titus wasn't even one of the leading teachers from Antioch because he wasn't mentioned in the list of teachers in Acts 13:1.

Acts 13:1-2

1 Now there were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers; as Barnabas, and Simeon that was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, which had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.

2 As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them.

This was when the Holy Spirit and the church at Antioch of Syria sent Paul and Barnabas on their first missionary journey and where they established the churches of Galatia. The point here though is that Titus is not mentioned and therefore probably was not a leader in the church who could support Paul in Jerusalem with strong argumentation.

Titus was probably also a young man because in Titus 1:4 Paul refers to him as "mine own son after the common faith."

So somebody might have said, "Why are you bringing Titus along." What good is he going to do? How is he going to help? But Titus added value both coming and going.

Going Titus allows Paul to say "Look at Titus. Here is proof of what God is doing. See he made a solid, proven Christian out of someone who is an uncircumcised gentile."

And by the way, there were a lot more where this one came from.

And in coming back to Antioch Paul could cite the experience that Titus had in Jerusalem and say "Look Titus was accepted by the church as-is and was not compelled to be circumcised. So that proves you don't need to be circumcised. Everybody agrees on this."

So Paul got a "two-fer" out of bringing Titus with him.

4 And that because of false brethren unawares brought in, who came in privily to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage:
5 To whom we gave place by subjection, no, not for an hour; that the truth of the gospel might continue with you.

False Brethren

Satan was busy at the council of Jersualem. Some false brothers infiltrated the church to spy. There purpose according to Paul was to "bring us into bondage". That is, they wanted to include obedience to the Jewish law as part of the gospel.

The Book of Acts is like a spinal column that supports the other epistles of Paul. Nerves run out from it that connect to Romans, Corinthians, Galatians and other epistles. When you read them together you can get a good picture of how the churches were established and what was going on in them. They support and clarify each other.

It was not until I studied Galatians 2 that I came to appreciate the great importance of the council at Jerusalem in Acts 15. In the council of Jersualem, there is this intense drama going on in which the very definition of the truth of the gospel hangs in the balance. God is fighting against Satan. The Holy Spirit directs Paul and Barnabas to take Titus up to Jersualem.

Satan sneaks false brethren in who want to subsitute the truth for a lie, confuse the message of the gospel and bring the brothers into bondage. If Satan had prevailed Christianity would have ended up being an obscure Jewish sect.

What It's All About

We don't need to speculate on what was motivating the Judiazers to pervert the gospel: it's all about the money. Paul said so when he wrote his epistle to Titus.

Titus 1:10-11

>10 For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision:

11 Whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre's sake.

Since the gospel frees us from the Jewish ceremonial law, it has the potential to put those who get their living by the law out of business. This did not rest well with those of the circumcision.

>6 But of these who seemed to be somewhat, (whatsoever they were, it maketh no matter to me: God accepteth no man's person:) for they who seemed to be somewhat in conference added nothing to me:

God Accepteth No Man's Person

God does not judge by external appearances and neither did Paul. As for those who seemed to be important, whatever they were made no difference to Paul. And they added nothing to his message. Paul is not being critical of these men because he acknowledges them as leaders in verse 9 below. But Paul came from a background as a Pharisee where the praise of men was highly sought after. The praise of Jesus is much more greatly to be desired than the praise of men.

This is the one of the verses in Galatians that shows that Peter was not the first pope. It also shows that there was no pope at all. Paul, an apostle went down to Jerusalem to get concurrence on his gospel message from his apostle peers. Verse 6 indicates that he did not regard any of them to be a ruler over the others. See also verses 11 through 15 below where Paul sharply rebukes Peter in public for being a hypocrite.

7 But contrariwise, when they saw that the gospel of the uncircumcision was committed unto me, as the gospel of the circumcision was unto Peter;

The Gospel Of The Circumcision And Uncircumcision

This is the next verse in this chapter that presents a challenge to the notion that Peter was the first pope. Here Paul states that "the gospel of the circumcision was unto Peter". This means that Peter was sent as an apostle to the Jews. As we see in this chapter and in other places in the New Testament, Peter's primary field of ministry was in Jerusalem, not Rome. Popes operate their papal empires from Rome, not Jerusalem. In fact there is considerable historical debate as to whether Peter was ever in Rome at all. And there is no Bible reference whatsoever as to Peter ever having been in Rome. In these verses Paul is referring to trip that he made to Jerusalem to see Peter, not to Rome.

Paul, on the other hand had "the gospel of the uncircumcision" committed to him. That is, he was sent by God to minister primarily to gentiles, not Jews. It was his custom to enter into the synagogue first and preach when he came to a new town (Acts 17:1-2), but his primary preaching was to non-Jews.

The gospel to the circumcision and to the uncircumcision is the same gospel. There is only one.

8(For he that wrought effectually in Peter to the apostleship of the circumcision, the same was mighty in me toward the Gentiles:)

He That Effectually Wrought

God empowerd the ministries of Peter and Paul. In calling Paul to a ministry to gentiles, God selected a man who was uniquely qualified for the position. Paul understood both the Jewish culture of the scriptures and the Hellenistic (Greek) culture of the gentiles. He was able to present the Jewish scriptures to gentiles in a manner that was relevant to them.

9 And when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given unto me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship; that we should go unto the heathen, and they unto the circumcision.

Paul recognized James, Peter (Cephas) and John as leaders in the church. Hence the term "pillars".

The other apostles recognized the work of God in Paul's ministry. God had given Paul grace to perform his ministry. Grace is not only the means of salvation; it is also the source for Christian service. Just as salvation cannot be earned, the privilege of serving God also cannot be earned.

The apostles were not authorizing Paul's ministry. God the Holy Spirit and the church at Antioch had already done that (Acts 13:1-3). Instead, Peter, James and John merely acknowledged the ministry of Paul to the gentiles. This was extremely important to Paul because it helped him refute religious "troublemakers" who challenged the authenticity of his gospel.

The Right Hand Of Fellowship

For millenia the right hand has been used to indicate approval and acceptance.

When Israel wanted to confer the greater blessing on Joseph's son, Ephraim, he crossed his hands and laid his right hand on Ephraim's head.

Gen 48:14

14 And Israel stretched out his right hand, and laid it upon Ephraim's head, who was the younger, and his left hand upon Manasseh's head, guiding his hands wittingly; for Manasseh was the firstborn.

Under the leadership of Ezra the assembly of the exiles who returned to Jerusalem put away their foreign wives. Some of them "gave their hands in pledge" to do this.

Ezra 10:19

19 And they gave their hands that they would put away their wives; and being guilty, they offered a ram of the flock for their trespass.

When Jesus described the judgment he said that he would set the sheep who would go into everlasting life on his right hand.

Matt 25:33-34

33 And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.

34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:

We need to know why we do what we do in our service to the Lord. We have a practice of extending the right hand of fellowship on certain occassions. For example if someone comes forward and announces that they have been saved, we will extend to them the right hand of Christian fellowship. If someone comes forward for baptism, we will give them the right hand of church fellowship.

Now you can see how that practice is scriptural. It is a New Testament practice done by early churches. The apostles used it to indicate approval and to pledge their cooperation.

10 Only they would that we should remember the poor; the same which I also was forward to do.

Remember The Poor

The other apostles encouraged Paul to voluntarily remember and help the poor. Paul said that was exactly what he was eager to do. It seems as though there were a lot of poor people in the church at Jerusalem. It's hard for people to listen to the gospel message when they are hungry, cold, homeless or sick.

Paul had already brought an offering from the church at Antioch to the church at Jerusalem (Acts 11:27-30).

Later in his ministry, Paul brought yet another offering to from the churches in Greece to the church at Jerusalem.

Rom 15:25-26

But now I go unto Jerusalem to minister unto the saints.

26 For it hath pleased them of Macedonia and Achaia to make a certain contribution for the poor saints which are at Jerusalem.

11 But when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed.

Apparently Peter made a trip to visit the church at Antioch. There was no debate or argument here because Peter was clearly in the wrong. Literally, he stood condemned, guilty. And Paul rebuked him publicly for it. What did Peter do? He was being a hypocrite.

12 For before that certain came from James, he did eat with the Gentiles: but when they were come, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing them which were of the circumcision.

Fearing Them Which Were Of The Circumcision

It appears that Peter arrived at Antioch before other members from the Jerusalem church who also came. Before those men arrived Peter ate with the gentiles. They likely served foods that were unclean per the Jewish ceremonial law. However when the other members from the Jerusalem church arrived, he began to draw back and separate himself from the Gentiles.

And what was Peter's motivation for doing this? It was fear. Peter had a problem with worrying about what other people think. He had denied the Lord. He cursed and swore that he did not know the man (Matt 26:74).

We need to obey the gospel without worrying about what other people will think. We ought to obey God rather than men. As Paul said in chapter 1 "if I wanted to please men, I would not be the servant of Christ". So part of Christian service is to take a stand for the truth of the gospel even it that means we will be ostracized by others or ridiculed by them or suffer even more severe forms of persecution.

Jesus said, "Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. 33 But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven." Matt 10:32-33.

Everybody has come out of the closet, but now Christians have gone in. Christians need to come out of the closet and "confess Christ". Perhaps you have been saved and now you are wondering how you can get started publicly confessing Christ. Not to worry. God has designed a convenient, 1-step "Quick Start" plan. This plan is referred to in the scriptures as "baptism."

13 And the other Jews dissembled likewise with him; insomuch that Barnabas also was carried away with their dissimulation.

Carried Away With Hypocrisy

The words "dissembled" and "dissimulation" in verse 13 refer to hypocrisy. The other Jews joined him in his hypocrisy, so that by their hypocrisy even Barnabas was led astray.

Let's try to provide good consistent examples for our brothers and sisters to follow. God forbid that they should follow us in hypocrisy.

14 But when I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel, I said unto Peter before them all, If thou, being a Jew, livest after the manner of Gentiles, and not as do the Jews, why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews?

They Walked Not Uprightly

Peter's conduct was not consistent with his speech in Acts chapter 15 where he said that God "put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith." (Acts 15:9).

The truth of the gospel in this respect is that God is no respecter of persons. Peter said so himself when he preached at the house of a gentile named Cornelius in Acts chapter 10. That is, God does not show favoritism based on a person's national origin, ethic background or race. God accepts men from every nation, tribe and language who fear him and do what is right (Acts 10:34-35).

Peter knew that he was not obligated to keep the Jewish law. In Christ we have freedom from the law. As a leader in the church,Peter's actions were saying to everyone that they needed to keep the law.

Certainly this is no way for anyone to speak to a pope! And we we have here yet another verse in this chapter that shows that Peter was not the first pope. Here we have Paul rebuking Peter and instructing him. Peter's hypocrisy shows that he was not infallible as the Catholic church claims of its popes.

Was Paul The First Pope?

Sometimes Catholics will try to build a scriptual case that Peter was the first pope.

Both we and Catholics deny that Paul was ever a Pope, but if we used the kind of reasoning that is used to "prove" Peter to be Pope, we could make a better case that Paul was Pope.

Popes are not married. Peter was in fact married, but Paul was not (1 Corinthians 7, 9:5).
The Book of Acts talks about Paul more than about Peter. Peter starts to fade out in chapter 10. But the account of Paul's life starts in chapter 9 and carries on through chapter 28.
Paul rebuked Peter (Galatians 2:11-14); Peter never rebuked Paul.
Paul cared for all the churches (2 Corinthians 11:28).
Paul was not behind any apostle (2 Corinthians 11:5; 12:11). Peter never made such a claim for himself.
Paul wrote 3/4 of the New Testament books. Peter wrote only 2 little ones.
Peter cited Paul's letters as authority (2 Peter 3:15,16), but Paul never cited Peter's letters as authority.
Scripture expressly tells us Paul was in Rome, but never says Peter was there.
Paul's labors exceeded those of other apostles (2 Corinthians 11:23).

Now if, despite all these facts, we properly conclude that Paul was not a Pope, then surely we can see that the evidence offered for Peter as Pope is even less convincing.

It Shall Not Be So Among You

Jesus did not design his churches to be big business. Instead he described a flat organization with no middle management, no vice presidents and no CEO on this earth. True churches report directly to Jesus and recognize him as their only head and owner as Jesus explained in Matthew chapter 20.

Matt 20:25-27

25 But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them.

26 But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister;

27 And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant:

15 We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles,

The idea in verse 15 is not that Gentiles are sinners and Jews are not. The distinction is one made by the Jews themselves between those who have been born and bred in the Jewish religion with some knowledge of Yaweh, the one true God versus godless, pagan Gentiles who have wallowed in total darkness all their lives.

The Gentiles were called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands and at that time they were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world (Eph 2:12).

In Romans 3:23, Paul said that "all have sinned (Jew and Gentile) and come short of the glory of God".

16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.

Justified By Faith, Not Law

Justification is the process by which sinful human beings are made acceptable to a holy God. Justification is a legal concept. And it is something that is done by God, not done by men. Justification is a divine act whereby an infinitely Holy God judicially declares a sinner to be righteous and acceptable before Him.

By The Law Is The Knowledge Of Sin

The law was never designed to save anyone. What then is the purpose of the law? By the law comes the knowledge of sin as Paul shows in Romans chapter 3.

Rom 3:19-20

19 Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.

20 Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.

17 But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is therefore Christ the minister of sin? God forbid.
18 For if I build again the things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor.

The main point in verses 17 and 18 is that genuine faith in Jesus Christ leads to a holy life-style that is consistent with knowing God even though one is not under the law.

The idea is, "You seek to be justified by faith without obeying the Law. You say that it is not necessary to obey the law. If now it shall turns out that you are sinners; that your lives are not holy; that you are free from the wholesome restraint of the Law, and are given up to lives of sin, will it not follow that Christ is the cause of it; that he taught it; and that the system which he introduced is responsible for it? And is not the gospel therefore responsible for introducing a system that frees from the restraint of the Law, and introduces universal licentiousness?"

Before Paul was converted, he was a Pharisee and practiced the law. But when faith came, Paul taught that we are no longer under the law. Now if he went back and advocated keeping the law, he would be rebuilding the thing that he destroyed, that is, the notion that it is necessary for one to keep the law in order to be saved or to stay saved.

Paul did not destroy the law, but destroyed the idea that one has to keep the law in order to be saved.

Compare Matthew 5:17 where Jesus said "Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil."

So this is a reference to relapsing into Judaism which is the subject of these verses. Doing so would have made Paul a transgressor. A trangressor is one who goes beyond and established boundary. If Paul had gone back and taught adherence to the law, he would have been out of bounds.

19 For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God.
20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

A Pair Of Paradoxes

In verses 19 and 20, Paul employs a double back-to-back paradox:

Paradox 1: "For I through the law am dead to the law."

Paradox 2: "I am crucified with Christ, Nevertheless I live."

A paradox is a seemingly contradictory statement that may nonetheless be true: For example, the paradox that standing is more tiring than walking.

"I always lie" is a paradox because if it is true it must be false.

Notice how these 2 paradoxes are the inverse of each other:

Being actively engaged in the law, resulted in death to the law; but being dead with Christ resulted in life.

Paradox 1: For I Through The Law Am Dead To The Law

When you were a kid did you ever take a stick and poke a dead animal? What did the animal do when you poked it? Was it completely non-responsive?

That was the effect that the law ultimately have on Paul. He became dead, non-responsive to it. The law couldn't get a rise out of him. It couldn't motivate him to do anything. He was dead to the demands of the law.

If the law said "Paul, get up and observe that Sabbath day"; then Paul was completely motionless. If the law said "Get down there to the temple and sacrifice a lamb, he didn't even flinch". If it said don't eat anything that is unclean, he was completely oblivious.

As a Pharisee, Paul studied and practiced the law. He had a promising career as a Jewish lawyer. However, once the Lord waylayed him on the road to Damascus he came to the realization that he could not keep the law and therefore could not please God on his own. "By the works of the law shall no flesh be justified".

So he gave up on trying to justify himself and in that sense he "died to the law".

If you zealously pursue the law and come to know what it's really all about, the ultimate conclusion that you will draw, like Paul is that you cannot please God by obeying the law.

That is because you cannot keep the law. Therein lies the paradox and the irony: if you correctly learn what the law is trying to teach you, you learn that you shouldn't be following the law as a means of salvation.

If you really "get" the law; then you leave the law.

Put yourself in Paul's shoes for a minute. Imagine that everything you have lived for all your life, everything that you have prepared yourself for, fought for and zealously pursued turned out to be wrong.

It's not that the law was wrong. But rather Paul's view of the law and his reason for following it was wrong. His reason was to please God. The ultimate lesson of the law is that as a hopeless sinner you cannot keep it.

Live Unto God

The phrase "live unto God" means "live for God".

Rom 7:1-7

7:1 Know ye not, brethren, (for I speak to them that know the law,) how that the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth?

2 For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband.

3 So then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress: but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law; so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man.

4 Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.

5 For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death.

6 But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter.

7 What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.

Paradox 2: I Am Crucified With Christ, Nevertheless I Live

20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

I Am Crucified With Christ

Self must die. It is crucified with Christ.

Luke 9:23-24

23 And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.

24 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it.

To deny oneself does not mean to take a vow of poverty, live in a monastery, walk on a stone floor, sleep on a wooden plank and eat nothing but beans. Instead it means to disregard our own self-interest. Whosoever wills to follow Jesus must put Jesus in front of self. They are under the command of the Lord as opposed to being self-directed.

What is a cross? Is it a burden that we must bear all our lives? No, a cross is an instrument of death that is used to put self to death.

Christ Liveth In Me

When we are saved, we experience the new birth. We become a new creation in Christ. Christ lives in us through his spirit. We become babes in Christ who need to grow in Christ. This new spiritual life is totallly dependent on Christ.

This concept of death to the sinful nature and a new life in Christ is physically pictured in baptism. When we are saved, our sinful nature, also referred to in the scriptures as the flesh is crucified with Christ. That is, we reckon ourselves to be dead unto sin. We still have sin until we get our glorified bodies, but we are no longer willful, practicing sinners.

Further, we are risen to walk in newness of life, that is in a spiritual life. Paul didn't look to the law as his source for this spiritual life. Instead he lived this life "by the faith of the Son of God". The Son of God is our spiritual guide, not the law. The law just points at you and says "You're a sinner!".

Paul explained these concepts in Romans chapter 6.

Rom 6:1-12

6:1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?

2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?

3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?

4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:

6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.

7 For he that is dead is freed from sin.

8 Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him:

9 Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.

10 For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.

11 Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.

21 I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.

The Greek word here for "frustrate" means to nullify, set aside or render ineffective. Those who pursue a legalistic life-style frustrate the grace of God because they do not allow that grace to work in their lives. Salvation comes by grace through faith. The law is not of faith, but of works. Those who follow the law seek to justify themselves by their good works.

If anyone could justify themselves by keeping the law, then Christ would have died for nothing. It would have been completely unnecessary.

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