In 2:1 and 2 Paul said, “Then after a period of fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus with me also. And I went up according to revelation.” As recorded in Acts 15, this happened after a number of churches had been raised up in the Gentile world by Paul’s preaching (see Acts 13 and 14). This also indicates that Paul’s preaching of the gospel to raise up the Gentile churches had nothing to do with the believers in Jerusalem and Judea.
In 1:18 Paul speaks of going up to Jerusalem to become acquainted with Cephas. In 2:1 and 2 we see that after a period of fourteen years, he went up to Jerusalem again, according to revelation. Not only Paul’s gospel but also his going up to Jerusalem was according to the Lord’s revelation, not according to any organization or system. His moves and activity were according to the Lord’s instant leading. This again indicates that his preaching of the gospel was not according to man’s teaching, but according to the Lord’s direct revelation.
From Paul’s experience of going up to Jerusalem after fourteen years according to revelation, we learn that it is often more difficult not to go to a certain place than it is to go there. For example, it is easy for me to make the decision to fly to London. But to refrain from doing so for fourteen years may not be easy. This requires that I be restricted. Because Paul was restricted, he did not go to Jerusalem apart from revelation. However, at a certain time, according to revelation, he went up to Jerusalem with Barnabas and Titus.
Paul’s visit to Jerusalem refers to the time of Acts 15. The Judaizers had caused a great deal of trouble by telling the Gentile believers that they had to be circumcised in order to be saved. They were making circumcision a condition of God’s eternal salvation. This issue was extremely serious. According to revelation, Paul went up to Jerusalem to deal with the source of the problem. Paul did not go to Jerusalem to receive revelation or learn some new teachings. Rather, he went there according to revelation to deal with the source of a serious problem.
In this matter Paul also is a pattern for us. We should learn from his example not to go anywhere or to take any action in a light way. On the contrary, we must be restricted by the Spirit in our spirit. Whenever we go to a certain place, we should move according to revelation.
In 2:2 Paul also says, “I laid before them the gospel which I proclaim among the nations, but privately to those of reputation, lest somehow I should be running or had run in vain.” In doing this, Paul also was restricted. If we were going up to Jerusalem in that situation, we probably would have gone up with a great deal of fanfare. Perhaps we would have sent out advertisements telling people that the apostle to the Gentile world was coming. This is the way practiced in today’s Christianity. Announcement of the coming of a well-known preacher or evangelist is made in advance in order to assure a large crowd. Paul, in contrast to the way of today’s Christianity, presented his gospel privately to certain ones. This indicates that he went up to Jerusalem privately with no intention of speaking before a large congregation. He simply wanted to contact the leading ones, the apostles and elders. This is according to the record of Acts 15, which corresponds to the account in Galatians 2.
In verse 3 Paul goes on to say, “But not even Titus, who was with me, being a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised.” This indicates that Paul in his move for the Lord’s testimony did not care for the observance of the law. Paul deliberately refused to have Titus circumcised. Paul’s purpose was to keep the truth. Since in Christ circumcision is over, to circumcise a believer would cause the truth to be blurred. Therefore, Paul did not compel Titus to be circumcised.
Judaism was built upon the God-given law with three pillars: circumcision, the Sabbath, and the holy diet. All three were ordained by God (Gen. 17:9-14; Exo. 20:8-11; Lev. 11) as shadows of things to come (Col. 2:16-17). Circumcision was a shadow of the crucifixion of Christ in putting off the flesh as signified in baptism (Col. 2:11). The Sabbath was a type of Christ as the rest for His people (Matt. 11:28-30). The holy diet symbolized the distinction between persons called clean and unclean, those whom God’s holy people should contact and those they should not contact (Acts 10:11-16, 34-35). Since Christ has come, all the shadows must be over. Hence, the observance of the Sabbath was abolished by the Lord Jesus in His ministry (Matt. 12:1-12), the holy diet was annulled by the Holy Spirit in Peter’s ministry (Acts 10:9-20), and circumcision was counted as nothing in the revelation received by Paul in his ministry (Gal. 5:6; 6:15). Furthermore, the law, the base of Judaism, has been terminated and replaced by Christ (Rom. 10:4; Gal. 2:16). Thus, the entire Judaism is gone.