Galatians 2:5,6 - We did not yield

2:5

Paul’s response was “not to yield in submission even for a moment”. There are times when compromise, give and take, is not an option and would be totally the wrong thing to do.The reason for this is that “the truth of the gospel might be preserved for you”. Notice the two elements of this. One is that the gospel is truth. To put this in terms of modern controversies, LGBT ideology is completely inconsistent with the Bible, with the truth, there can be no compromise. Those parts of the church that are sin affirming should recognise that they are going completely against the Bible and against God’s ways. Second, “preserved for you”. If Paul had compromised, then he would have been denying the Galatians the freedom that is in Christ. Let me put this in LGBT terms again, and the reason for doing this is that circumcision is neither here nor there today, it is no a live issue. LGBT stuff is very much a live issue, so it helps us to appreciate and apply what Paul is saying. The LGBT agenda does not bring freedom but enslaves people, for all sin enslaves. Jesus is the only way to find freedom, so if we become sin affirming then we are not being nice to anyone, we are denying them the chance of true freedom in Christ, and that is not very loving!

2:6

The false teachers in Galatia had probably implied that Paul was inferior in some way to the “real” apostles. Paul does two things in this verse. First he says that “whatever they were makes no difference to me”. Now is he just being sniffy? I don’t think so, I think he is trying to get the people off making idols of leaders. This is something that was very much to the fore in Corinth (1 Cor 1:10-17). Putting leaders or preachers on pedestals has been a perpetual problem in the church throughout the ages. God does not show favouritism, this was also a key element in Peter’s teaching (Acts 10:34). Then Paul says that the apostles “added nothing” to his message.