This is a tad long, but it answers questions posed elsewhere re this verse, and it's implications.
If, as Grace School Of The Bible (Bloomingdale, IL) declares, Galatians 2:7 means that instead of Paul and Peter having the same gospel committed to them to preach primarily to two different ethnic groups, it was two different gospels, one for the Gentiles and another for the Jews, then that would be the case today. There would be, as they claim, two different churches; one comprised strictly of Gentiles, with the (as yet to me) unexplained exception of Paul, who was a Jew, comprising the so-called Body of Christ Church. And, concurrently, a church comprised of Jews who, according to my recent understanding of G.S.O.T.B. doctrine, were baptized into the "Pentecost Church" via water baptism.
Taking Galatians 2:7 in context is essential to a true understanding of what Paul was saying. Verse 2 of chap.2 records for us that Paul went up to Jerusalem from Antioch to inform the apostles of the nature of the gospel he was preaching among the Gentiles. The account of this conference with the apostles and elders of the church in Jerusalem is found in Acts 15.
This conference was made necessary because, as recorded in Galatians 2:4 and Acts 15:1, certain false brethren had gone to Antioch from Judea (not necessarily Jerusalem), to spy out the freedom from the constraints of the Mosaic Law that the believers in Antioch were enjoying, and told them that unless they were circumcised, they could not be saved.
In Galatians 1, Paul told the churches that he was astonished they were "...so soon removed from Him (God) that called [them] into the grace of Christ, unto another gospel:" (vs.6).
He goes on to say that the gospel they were now following was a perversion of "...the gospel of Christ." (vs.7). Paul then pronounces a curse (repeated twice in verses 8 & 9), upon anyone who would preach such a perverted gospel. Then, after stating in verses 11 & 12 that the gospel he preached was delivered to him by revelation, and not passed on to him from anyone else, Paul states in verse 13, that previous to his conversion, he had "...persecuted the church of God, and wasted it:"
(The word wasted is the Greek porthe’o, meaning: to sack; ravage; destroy).
And then in verses 22 & 23, Paul says that the churches in Judea did not know him by face, but that "...they had heard only, that he which persecuted us in times past now preaches the faith which once he destroyed."
The word destroyed being the Greek word porthe’o, the same word translated "wasted" in vs. 13.
In other words, Paul was preaching the same faith (and gospel) that resulted in the establishing of "..the church of God" of verse 13.
So, what was the perverted gospel that the Galatians had taken up? That there was a division between Jews and Gentiles, based on whether or not they adhered to the Law of Moses, even though approximately ten years earlier the same issue was settled in the conference at Jerusalem in reference to the church at Syrian Antioch.
As stated elsewhere, I love and regularly use the King James or Authorized version of the Bible. However, in certain places (and this passage in Galatians 2 is one of them), amplification is necessary in order to gain the whole truth, or to avoid error. To that end, please bear with me as I quote Galatians 2:1-10 from both the Amplified Bible and the Expanded Translation of the New Testament by Kenneth Wuest, a Greek scholar of wide repute.
"Then after [an interval of] fourteen years I again went up to Jerusalem. [This time I went] with Barnabas, taking Titus along with [me] also. I went because it was specially and divinely revealed to me that I should go, and I put before them the Gospel [declaring to them that] which I preach among the Gentiles. However, [I presented the matter] privately before those of repute, [for I wanted to make certain, by thus at first confining my communication to this private conference] that I was not running or had run in vain [guarding against being discredited either in what I was planning to do or had already done]. But [all went well!] even Titus, who was with me, was not compelled [as some had anticipated] to be circumcised, although he was a Greek. [My precaution was] because of false brethren (some men who were Christians in name only) who had been secretly smuggled in [to the Christian brotherhood]; they had slipped in to spy on our liberty and the freedom which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might again bring us into bondage [under the Law of Moses]. To them we did not yield submission even for a moment, that the truth of the Gospel might continue to be [preserved] for you [in its purity]. Moreover, [no new requirements were made] by those who were reputed to be something-- though what was their individual position and whether they really were of importance or not makes no difference to me; God is not impressed with the positions that men hold and He is not partial and recognizes no external distinctions-- those [I say] who were of repute imposed no new requirements upon me [had nothing to add to my Gospel, and from them I received no new suggestions]. But on the contrary, when they [really] saw that I had been entrusted [to carry] the Gospel to the uncircumcised [Gentiles, just as definitely] as Peter had been entrusted [to proclaim] the Gospel to the circumcised [Jews, they were agreeable]; For He Who motivated and fitted Peter and worked effectively through him for the mission to the circumcised motivated and fitted me and worked through me also for [the mission to] the Gentiles. And when they knew (perceived, recognized, understood, and acknowledged) the grace (God’s unmerited favor and spiritual blessing) that had been bestowed upon me, James and Cephas (Peter) and John, who were reputed to be pillars of the Jerusalem church, gave to me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, with the understanding that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised (Jews). They only [made one stipulation], that we were to remember the poor, which very thing I was also eager to do." From the Amplified Bible.
Now from Wuest...
"Then, after the space of fourteen years, again I went up to Jerusalem, accompanied by Barnabas, having taken along also Titus. And I went up in accordance with a revelation. And I laid before them for their consideration the gospel which I am preaching among the Gentiles, but privately to those of recognized eminence, lest by any means I should be running or had run in vain. But not even Titus who was with me, although he was a Gentile, was compelled to be circumcised. Now it was because of the false brethren who had been surreptitiously brought in, those of such a character that they sneaked in for the purpose of spying out our liberty which we are having in Christ Jesus, with the expectation of reducing us to abject slavery; to whom not even for an hour did we yield with reference to the particular voluntary submission demanded, in order that the truth of the gospel might abide for you. But to be something at the hands of those who were of repute, whatever they were aforetime, is of no importance to me, God accepts not man’s person. For those who were of repute imposed nothing on me. But on the contrary, when they saw that I had been entrusted with [the responsibility of preaching] the gospel to the uncircumcised as Peter with [the responsibility of preaching] the gospel to the circumcised....for He Who worked effectively for Peter with respect to his apostolate to the circumcision also worked effectively for me with respect to the Gentiles... and having come to perceive the grace which was given to me, James, and Cephas, and John, those who in reputation were looked upon as pillars, gave to me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, to the end that we should preach the gospel to the Gentiles and they themselves to the circumcision; only, that we should keep on remembering the poor, which very thing I have made a diligent and eager effort to do."
From: Wuest’s Expanded Translation of the New Testament.
I believe that unless one is committed to a certain agenda, or doctrinal position, or denominational distinctive, regardless of what the Scriptures say, that would require one to discount or ignore the truth as stated so clearly in both of these versions of the Word, that one has to come to the conclusion that both Peter and Paul preached the same gospel, but primarily to two different ethnic groups, (Jews and Gentiles).
I believe it is impossible to come to the conclusion that two different gospels are referred to in Galatians 2, or anywhere else in Scripture if referring to the true gospel.
It is instructive to compare the teachings of Peter on a number of doctrinal issues with those of Paul. For example:
In reference to: Holiness....1 Peter 1:15 compared with Romans 6:19 and 2 Corinthians 7:1.
Redemption..... 1 Peter 1:18,19 compared with Ephesians 1:7.
The need for babes in Christ to be fed with milk....
1 Peter 2:2 compared with 1 Corinthians 3:1,2.
The Church as a Spiritual building composed of believers in the Lord Jesus Christ... 1 Peter 2:5 compared with Ephesians 2:20-22.
The references to believers as a "peculiar people"....
1 Peter 2:9 with Titus 2:14.
Submission to constituted authority.... 1 Peter 2:13-15 with Romans 13:1-7.
Responsibility attendant to freedom.... 1 Peter 2:16 with Galatians 5:13.
Being dead to sin.... 1 Peter 2:24 compared with Romans 6:2.
Marital and general submission.... 1 Peter 3:1-9 and 5:5 with Ephesians 5:21-32.
Suffering.... 1 Peter 4:12-19 compared with Romans 8:16-18.
Unlimited Atonement.... 2 Peter 2:1 and 3:9 compared with Romans 2:4 and 1 Timothy 2:4.
Temptation..... 1 Peter 5:8,9 compared with Ephesians 6:10-17.
Love.... 1 Peter 1:22 compared with Romans 12:10 & 13:8; Galatians 5:13,22; Ephesians 4:2 & 5:2,25; etc., etc.,
The teachings of both Peter and Paul on these doctrinal subjects are identical!
Thus, I believe the gospels they preached were identical as well, and the Church they belonged to is the same Church.
Written by: W.A.B.
If, as Grace School Of The Bible (Bloomingdale, IL) declares, Galatians 2:7 means that instead of Paul and Peter having the same gospel committed to them to preach primarily to two different ethnic groups, it was two different gospels, one for the Gentiles and another for the Jews, then that would be the case today. There would be, as they claim, two different churches; one comprised strictly of Gentiles, with the (as yet to me) unexplained exception of Paul, who was a Jew, comprising the so-called Body of Christ Church. And, concurrently, a church comprised of Jews who, according to my recent understanding of G.S.O.T.B. doctrine, were baptized into the "Pentecost Church" via water baptism.
Taking Galatians 2:7 in context is essential to a true understanding of what Paul was saying. Verse 2 of chap.2 records for us that Paul went up to Jerusalem from Antioch to inform the apostles of the nature of the gospel he was preaching among the Gentiles. The account of this conference with the apostles and elders of the church in Jerusalem is found in Acts 15.
This conference was made necessary because, as recorded in Galatians 2:4 and Acts 15:1, certain false brethren had gone to Antioch from Judea (not necessarily Jerusalem), to spy out the freedom from the constraints of the Mosaic Law that the believers in Antioch were enjoying, and told them that unless they were circumcised, they could not be saved.
In Galatians 1, Paul told the churches that he was astonished they were "...so soon removed from Him (God) that called [them] into the grace of Christ, unto another gospel:" (vs.6).
He goes on to say that the gospel they were now following was a perversion of "...the gospel of Christ." (vs.7). Paul then pronounces a curse (repeated twice in verses 8 & 9), upon anyone who would preach such a perverted gospel. Then, after stating in verses 11 & 12 that the gospel he preached was delivered to him by revelation, and not passed on to him from anyone else, Paul states in verse 13, that previous to his conversion, he had "...persecuted the church of God, and wasted it:"
(The word wasted is the Greek porthe’o, meaning: to sack; ravage; destroy).
And then in verses 22 & 23, Paul says that the churches in Judea did not know him by face, but that "...they had heard only, that he which persecuted us in times past now preaches the faith which once he destroyed."
The word destroyed being the Greek word porthe’o, the same word translated "wasted" in vs. 13.
In other words, Paul was preaching the same faith (and gospel) that resulted in the establishing of "..the church of God" of verse 13.
So, what was the perverted gospel that the Galatians had taken up? That there was a division between Jews and Gentiles, based on whether or not they adhered to the Law of Moses, even though approximately ten years earlier the same issue was settled in the conference at Jerusalem in reference to the church at Syrian Antioch.
As stated elsewhere, I love and regularly use the King James or Authorized version of the Bible. However, in certain places (and this passage in Galatians 2 is one of them), amplification is necessary in order to gain the whole truth, or to avoid error. To that end, please bear with me as I quote Galatians 2:1-10 from both the Amplified Bible and the Expanded Translation of the New Testament by Kenneth Wuest, a Greek scholar of wide repute.
"Then after [an interval of] fourteen years I again went up to Jerusalem. [This time I went] with Barnabas, taking Titus along with [me] also. I went because it was specially and divinely revealed to me that I should go, and I put before them the Gospel [declaring to them that] which I preach among the Gentiles. However, [I presented the matter] privately before those of repute, [for I wanted to make certain, by thus at first confining my communication to this private conference] that I was not running or had run in vain [guarding against being discredited either in what I was planning to do or had already done]. But [all went well!] even Titus, who was with me, was not compelled [as some had anticipated] to be circumcised, although he was a Greek. [My precaution was] because of false brethren (some men who were Christians in name only) who had been secretly smuggled in [to the Christian brotherhood]; they had slipped in to spy on our liberty and the freedom which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might again bring us into bondage [under the Law of Moses]. To them we did not yield submission even for a moment, that the truth of the Gospel might continue to be [preserved] for you [in its purity]. Moreover, [no new requirements were made] by those who were reputed to be something-- though what was their individual position and whether they really were of importance or not makes no difference to me; God is not impressed with the positions that men hold and He is not partial and recognizes no external distinctions-- those [I say] who were of repute imposed no new requirements upon me [had nothing to add to my Gospel, and from them I received no new suggestions]. But on the contrary, when they [really] saw that I had been entrusted [to carry] the Gospel to the uncircumcised [Gentiles, just as definitely] as Peter had been entrusted [to proclaim] the Gospel to the circumcised [Jews, they were agreeable]; For He Who motivated and fitted Peter and worked effectively through him for the mission to the circumcised motivated and fitted me and worked through me also for [the mission to] the Gentiles. And when they knew (perceived, recognized, understood, and acknowledged) the grace (God’s unmerited favor and spiritual blessing) that had been bestowed upon me, James and Cephas (Peter) and John, who were reputed to be pillars of the Jerusalem church, gave to me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, with the understanding that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised (Jews). They only [made one stipulation], that we were to remember the poor, which very thing I was also eager to do." From the Amplified Bible.
Now from Wuest...
"Then, after the space of fourteen years, again I went up to Jerusalem, accompanied by Barnabas, having taken along also Titus. And I went up in accordance with a revelation. And I laid before them for their consideration the gospel which I am preaching among the Gentiles, but privately to those of recognized eminence, lest by any means I should be running or had run in vain. But not even Titus who was with me, although he was a Gentile, was compelled to be circumcised. Now it was because of the false brethren who had been surreptitiously brought in, those of such a character that they sneaked in for the purpose of spying out our liberty which we are having in Christ Jesus, with the expectation of reducing us to abject slavery; to whom not even for an hour did we yield with reference to the particular voluntary submission demanded, in order that the truth of the gospel might abide for you. But to be something at the hands of those who were of repute, whatever they were aforetime, is of no importance to me, God accepts not man’s person. For those who were of repute imposed nothing on me. But on the contrary, when they saw that I had been entrusted with [the responsibility of preaching] the gospel to the uncircumcised as Peter with [the responsibility of preaching] the gospel to the circumcised....for He Who worked effectively for Peter with respect to his apostolate to the circumcision also worked effectively for me with respect to the Gentiles... and having come to perceive the grace which was given to me, James, and Cephas, and John, those who in reputation were looked upon as pillars, gave to me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, to the end that we should preach the gospel to the Gentiles and they themselves to the circumcision; only, that we should keep on remembering the poor, which very thing I have made a diligent and eager effort to do."
From: Wuest’s Expanded Translation of the New Testament.
I believe that unless one is committed to a certain agenda, or doctrinal position, or denominational distinctive, regardless of what the Scriptures say, that would require one to discount or ignore the truth as stated so clearly in both of these versions of the Word, that one has to come to the conclusion that both Peter and Paul preached the same gospel, but primarily to two different ethnic groups, (Jews and Gentiles).
I believe it is impossible to come to the conclusion that two different gospels are referred to in Galatians 2, or anywhere else in Scripture if referring to the true gospel.
It is instructive to compare the teachings of Peter on a number of doctrinal issues with those of Paul. For example:
In reference to: Holiness....1 Peter 1:15 compared with Romans 6:19 and 2 Corinthians 7:1.
Redemption..... 1 Peter 1:18,19 compared with Ephesians 1:7.
Resurrection.....1 Peter 1:3,21 along with Acts 2:22-32 compared with Romans 1:4 and Philippians 3:10.The need for babes in Christ to be fed with milk....
1 Peter 2:2 compared with 1 Corinthians 3:1,2.
The Church as a Spiritual building composed of believers in the Lord Jesus Christ... 1 Peter 2:5 compared with Ephesians 2:20-22.
The references to believers as a "peculiar people"....
1 Peter 2:9 with Titus 2:14.
Submission to constituted authority.... 1 Peter 2:13-15 with Romans 13:1-7.
Responsibility attendant to freedom.... 1 Peter 2:16 with Galatians 5:13.
Being dead to sin.... 1 Peter 2:24 compared with Romans 6:2.
Marital and general submission.... 1 Peter 3:1-9 and 5:5 with Ephesians 5:21-32.
Suffering.... 1 Peter 4:12-19 compared with Romans 8:16-18.
Unlimited Atonement.... 2 Peter 2:1 and 3:9 compared with Romans 2:4 and 1 Timothy 2:4.
Temptation..... 1 Peter 5:8,9 compared with Ephesians 6:10-17.
Love.... 1 Peter 1:22 compared with Romans 12:10 & 13:8; Galatians 5:13,22; Ephesians 4:2 & 5:2,25; etc., etc.,
The teachings of both Peter and Paul on these doctrinal subjects are identical!
Thus, I believe the gospels they preached were identical as well, and the Church they belonged to is the same Church.
Written by: W.A.B.
