Then after fourteen years I went up to Jerusalem again with Barnabas, and I took Titus along also. I went there because of a revelation, and I laid out the gospel that I preach to the Gentiles for them. But I did it privately with the influential leaders to make sure that I wouldn’t be working or that I hadn’t worked for nothing. However, not even Titus, who was with me and who was a Greek, was required to be circumcised. But false brothers and sisters, who were brought in secretly, slipped in to spy on our freedom, which we have in Christ Jesus, and to make us slaves. We didn’t give in and submit to them for a single moment, so that the truth of the gospel would continue to be with you. The influential leaders didn’t add anything to what I was preaching—and whatever they were makes no difference to me, because God doesn’t show favoritism. But on the contrary, they saw that I had been given the responsibility to preach the gospel to the people who aren’t circumcised, just as Peter had been to the circumcised. The one who empowered Peter to become an apostle to the circumcised empowered me also to be one to the Gentiles. James, Cephas, and John, who are considered to be key leaders, shook hands with me and Barnabas as equals when they recognized the grace that was given to me. So it was agreed that we would go to the Gentiles, while they continue to go to the people who were circumcised. They asked only that we would remember the poor, which was certainly something I was willing to do. (Galatians 2:1-10, CEB)
The community at Galatia had an issue with circumcision and inclusion. Someone was trying to get them to circumcise every male to be a part of the community.
They were falling back on the covenant with the Israelites and not seeing the new covenant, where there is no need for this.
Paul spends the whole of the epistle telling the Galatians that circumcision is not needed, and God shows no favoritism to anyone based on circumcision.
All people are included because of God’s grace, not because of circumcision or anything else.
Do not think what you do gets you right with God. God loves you because God created you, and that is always enough.
aSacredRebel 