Bible Questions #5574-5581

By Joyce Webb

Galatians Chp 2 Vs. 1-21

5574. Paul has been traveling around preaching—for 14 years now. He went again to Jerusalem and he took with him a young man named Titus.

Paul felt that the Lord was showing him that he should go to Jerusalem and talk to the leaders of the Christian believers there.

He told them about his preaching to the Gentiles—non Jewish people.

Titus was a Gentile. He was G__________.

Most Gentile men were not circumcised as a baby. That was mostly a Jewish custom.

There were Jewish preachers—other than Paul who traveled around. Many of them—were telling new believers— Gentile men believers—that they had to be circumcised.

When the “church” of believers began in Jerusalem—after Jesus went back into heaven—the leaders there decided what they would preach—or say —were “rules” that believers should do or obey.

Acts 15:28,29 The leaders at the Council of Jerusalem decided that new Gentile believers

***should not eat food offered to idols.
They should not eat meat from animals that had not had the blood drained from them properly.

Not from an animal that was strangled, or died by itself. The animal’s throat had to be cut and the blood drained out of the animal.

This is still the way it is done today for Jewish people—for them to eat the meat.

The reason for this is because of what God said in the Old Testament—that the “life is in the blood”.

Leviticus 17:11 “For the life of flesh is in the blood.” ……
For it is the blood that maketh an atonement (payment) for the soul“ –because of sin.

Nowadays—with science—we understand how much the “blood” can tell us about our health. People have test run on their blood and it tells them what all in happening in their body.
Life is in the blood.

Jewish people do not eat “blood pudding” –as many European people do. Jewish people do not eat the blood.

The blood of an animal is drained out as much as possible. It is not eaten.

***New believers should not do sexual sins. Sexual acts were to be done only with their own married partner—man and woman.

These were the only “rules” that the leaders said must be obeyed for new believers.

Nothing was said about circumcision.

Yet—Paul learned that many of the Jewish preachers were still telling the new believers they had to be circumcised.

This argument—came up again, and again. Paul had to talk to people about this over and over again.

5575. Verse 3 Did anyone try to tell Titus that he had to be circumcised? ______________

5576. Vs. 4 Some men—who said they were Christians—Paul thought they were false–not true—-came into their meetings to do what?______________________________________________

Vs. 5 Paul said that he and others did not listen to them and did not let them keep talking.

Vs. 7 They saw that I was led by God to preach to the Gentiles—
Those who were not circumcised—-just as Peter was led by God to preach to the Jews–who were circumcised.

Vs. 9 The leaders at Jerusalem—James, and Cephas (Peter) , and John—saw that God had led me to preach to the Gentiles—-they accepted Barnabas and me as fellow preachers.

They accepted that we would go to the uncircumcised and they would go to the circumcised.

Vs.11 When Peter came to the town of Antioch — -where I was preaching—-I stood up to Peter —face to face— and talked to him about circumcision—because what Peter did was wrong.

5577. Vs. 12 At first, when Peter came—he ate with the G____________.

5578. But when Jewish friends of James came to the meetings—-Peter would not eat with the Gentiles—-because he was _______________these circumcised friends.

Vs. 13 The other Jewish believers—joined with Peter.

5579. Even B________________ was “carried away” —influenced—by what Peter had done.

Vs. 14 When I saw what they were doing—I said to Peter—in front of all of them—-”If you, being a Jew, live after the way of Gentiles—and not as the Jews do——Why do you make the Gentiles obey the Jewish rules?

Vs. 15 We are Jews—by birth and nature—not “sinners” like the Gentiles.

Vs. 16 We know that man is not made “just” and “righteous” in God’s eyes by obeying the Old Testament laws—-but we are made
“just” and “righteous” by faith in Christ.

Vs. 18 -19 If we believed that “faith in Christ” is what makes us acceptable to God—-and that we do not need to obey the Old Laws—-then why go back to obeying the old laws?

The old laws could not make us right with God. Because no one could obey the laws perfectly—he always failed.

5580. Vs. 20 So I am “____________” to the old laws. So that I can live in Christ.

5581. Vs. 21 I “c___________” my old self with Christ. Now, I live —yet it is not my “life”—but a new “life” in Christ.

I live in the flesh—a body—-but by faith —I live in the Son of God—who loved me and gave himself for me.

Vs. 21 I do not upset—confuse—the grace of God.

If righteousness came to me by the law—-then Christ died for no reason. But righteousness could not come by the law.

We needed someone to pay our death punishment for sin—which is what Christ did.