Catholic Commentary on Galatians 2

"I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me." (Galatians 2:20)

Paul and the Jerusalem Apostles

Paul recounts his second visit to Jerusalem fourteen years after his conversion, where he presented his Gospel privately to the acknowledged leaders and received their full endorsement. They added nothing to his message. They saw that he had been entrusted with the Gospel for the Gentiles as Peter had been for the Jews. James, Peter, and John, the pillars of the Jerusalem church, gave Paul and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, asking only that they remember the poor. The unity of the apostolic Gospel across Jewish and Gentile missions is confirmed.

But when Peter came to Antioch Paul opposed him to his face because he was clearly in the wrong. Peter had been eating freely with Gentile believers until men came from James in Jerusalem. Then he drew back and separated himself, fearing those of the circumcision group. Other Jews joined his hypocrisy, even Barnabas. Paul called Peter out publicly: if you, a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how is it that you force Gentiles to follow Jewish customs? The confrontation established a principle the Church would need in every age: even the most senior leaders are accountable to the truth of the Gospel, and no office exempts a person from correction when the Gospel itself is at stake.

Crucified with Christ

Paul's argument reaches its theological climax: we who are Jews by birth know that no one is justified by works of the Law but by faith in Jesus Christ. If righteousness could be gained through the Law, Christ died for nothing. Then the verse that has become one of the most quoted in the whole Pauline corpus: I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. The Catechism identifies this as the definition of the Christian life in its fullest form: not moral improvement but the indwelling of Christ replacing the old self that was crucified with him (CCC 2819).

Living the Word

Brothers and sisters, I have been crucified with Christ. Not partially. Not in certain areas. The self that needed to earn God's approval, the self that was anxious about its standing, the self that was adding conditions to grace, that self was crucified. Christ now lives in you. Live from that reality today, not from the anxiety of the old self that no longer has any claim on you.

Prayer

Lord Jesus, you loved me and gave yourself for me. I have been crucified with you and I no longer live my old life. Live in me. Let the life I live in this body be lived by faith in you, who loved me before I knew your name. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

2
The Council at Jerusalem
(Acts 15:5–21)
1 Fourteen years later I went up again to Jerusalem, accompanied by Barnabas. I took Titus along also. 2 I went in response to a revelation and set before them the gospel that I preach among the Gentiles. But I spoke privately to those recognized as leaders, for fear that I was running or had already run in vain. 3 Yet not even Titus, who was with me, was compelled to be circumcised, even though he was a Greek.
 
4 This issue arose because some false brothers had come in under false pretenses to spy on our freedom in Christ Jesus, in order to enslave us. 5 We did not give in to them for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel would remain with you.
 
6 But as for the highly esteemed—whatever they were makes no difference to me; God does not show favoritism * 2:6 Literally God does not accept the face of man—those leaders added nothing to me. 7 On the contrary, they saw that I had been entrusted to preach the gospel to the uncircumcised, just as Peter had been to the circumcised. 8 For the One who was at work in Peter’s apostleship to the circumcised was also at work in my apostleship to the Gentiles.
 
9 And recognizing the grace that I had been given, James, Cephas,† 2:9 That is, Peter; also in verses 11 and 14 and John—those reputed to be pillars—gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, so that we should go to the Gentiles, and they to the circumcised. 10 They only asked us to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do.
Paul Confronts Cephas
 
11 When Cephas came to Antioch, however, I opposed him to his face, because he stood to be condemned. 12 For before certain men came from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles. But when they arrived, he began to draw back and separate himself, for fear of those in the circumcision group. 13 The other Jews joined him in his hypocrisy, so that by their hypocrisy even Barnabas was led astray.
 
14 When I saw that they were not walking in line with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas in front of them all, “If you, who are a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you compel the Gentiles to live like Jews?”‡ 2:14 Some translators close this quotation after verse 16 or 21.
 
15 We who are Jews by birth and not Gentile “sinners” 16 know that a man is not justified by works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have believed in Christ Jesus, that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.
 
17 But if, while we seek to be justified in Christ, we ourselves are found to be sinners, does that make Christ a minister of sin? Certainly not! 18 If I rebuild what I have already torn down, I prove myself to be a lawbreaker.
 
19 For through the law I died to the law so that I might live to God. 20 I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me. 21 I do not set aside the grace of God. For if righteousness comes through the law, Christ died for nothing.

*2:6 2:6 Literally God does not accept the face of man

†2:9 2:9 That is, Peter; also in verses 11 and 14

‡2:14 2:14 Some translators close this quotation after verse 16 or 21.

Public Domain