টীকা বর্তমানে শুধুমাত্র ইংরেজিতে উপলব্ধ। বাংলা অনুবাদ চলছে।
Galatians 2 — I Am Crucified With Christ
Paul recounts his second visit to Jerusalem, where the apostles publicly recognized the gospel he preached and added nothing to it. He then narrates his confrontation of Peter at Antioch, who had been intimidated into Jewish-Gentile table separation by a delegation from James. The chapter ends with one of Scripture's mightiest sentences on justification by faith — and the famous identification of the believer with Christ's death.
“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
- v.1-10 Jerusalem affirms Paul's gospel — adds nothing
- v.11-14 Paul withstands Peter at Antioch
- v.15-21 Justified by faith; crucified with Christ
The right hands of fellowship — a public recognition. The Jerusalem leaders did not edit Paul's gospel; they endorsed his commission.
The division of labor was geographic and ethnic, not doctrinal. One gospel; two main mission fields.
A startling event. The apostle to the Jews is publicly corrected by the apostle to the Gentiles — not over doctrine but over practice. Peter's creed was right; his footwork was wrong.
The verse is a permanent reminder that apostles are not infallible in deed; even Peter could need correction.
Walked not uprightly — Greek orthopodeō, "straight-footed." The truth of the gospel must be walked, not just confessed. Peter's feet had gone crooked.
The principle: any practice that builds a wall the gospel has knocked down has departed from gospel truth.
A verse that uses justified three times and faith three times in a single sentence. Paul cannot say it enough.
Justified — Greek dikaioō, legal declaration of righteous standing. Not made righteous progressively (that is sanctification); declared righteous immediately on the basis of Christ's finished work.
The law itself drove Paul through his own death sentence into Christ. The law cannot give life; it can only show death. Once it has done that work, it sends the sinner to Christ.
One of the densest doctrinal verses in the New Testament. The believer's old life is reckoned to have died with Christ; the new life is Christ Himself living in the believer; the present life of faith is sustained by trust in the Son.
The personal possessives are stunning: the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. What is true of the church Paul makes singular and personal.
The argument's sharpest point. If anyone could be righteous by law-keeping, Christ's death was unnecessary. The cross is either the only way or a tragic waste.
No middle ground exists. Adding law to gospel insults the cross.
Verse 20 is for memorizing slowly, perhaps over weeks. Pray it each morning until each clause becomes a fact you live from rather than a verse you recite. Then watch for the modern Judaizers in your own thought-life — the voices that say grace is not quite enough, that something must be added. Verse 21 is the cure.
The whole chapter is about which gospel — and which gospel always means which Christ. The Christ of Galatians 2 is the One who loved Paul, gave Himself for him, and now lives in him. No version of Christianity that adds to that Christ as Savior has gotten Him right.
A test case. Titus was uncircumcised, a Gentile, walking into the Jerusalem council. The apostles did not require him to be circumcised. The case settled the principle: salvation is by grace through faith, without ceremonial law.