Gal 2:6 至於那些有名望的, 不論他是何等人, 都與我無干. 神不以外貌取人. 那些有名望的, 並沒有加增我甚麼.

D.Lim: The bearers of reputation have not benefited Paul in his ministries from of Christ.

2:7 反倒看見了主託我傳福音給那未受割禮的人, 正如託彼得傳福音給那受割禮的人.

D.Lim: The topic concerned is about circumcision.

Paul personally, individually, singularly saw that our Lord Jesus committed him to reach out the the gentiles. And the bearers of reputation also saw that it is so.

This statement makes/gives independence to the ministries and authority of Paul. He is not and has not been under Peter or any others.

Paul was independent to commissioning of Peter and the other 11 apostles.

Roman Catholics being largely gentiles, ought to follow Paul who was entrusted/commissioned the Gospel to the Gentiles; instead of following Peter, who was primarily for reaching the Jews.

(For he that wrought effectually in Peter to the apostleship of the circumcision, the same was mighty in me toward the Gentiles:)

D.Lim: The commissioning is a direct one.

This is not about food law or any Jewish law.

This is about apostleship and authenticity of power and authority from God.

The bearers of reputation are witnesses to this.

D.Lim: Here Cephas(Aramaic Greek term of Aramaic Kepha)was not given first place in the listing but a middle position. No one can read the sentence back to front and get an idea of the primacy of Peter. If Peter is the pillar, so are James and John. And John lived to an old age, with lots of writings.

They seem to be pillars. They were not acknowledged or revered as the pillars.

Catholics wrongly worship Peter/Cephas as the pillar of the faith and the church.

Grace was given to Paul, and perceived by the 3 apostles to the Jews. This grace includes power and authority and rights.

The right hands of fellowship is not laying on of hands for anointing, ordaining, or in any sense of overriding. It is hands of fellowship. Paul and Barnabas were acknowledged to be equal to the 12. Paul was not singled out.

There were 24 elders worshipping God in the Revelation. Number of leaders/representatives can be more than 12.

The Jews are called the circumcision. There are 2 distinct groups of people to receive the Gospel.

D.Lim: James is mentioned first to give/render him pre-eminence; that he seemed to be more authoritative than Peter, and appeared to be leading.

2:10 只是願意我們記念窮人. 這也是我本來熱心去行的.

D.Lim: Paul and Barnabas were not ordered or commissioned to do anything. But all agreed that the poor should (not must) be remembered.

The importance of the apostles to the Gentiles is further made clear/obvious.

2:11 後來嘰法到了安提阿, 因他有可責之處, 我就當面抵擋他.

But when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed.

D.Lim: Those who are to be blamed ought to be blamed. Sin is not to be covered up.

2:12 從雅各那裡來的人, 未到以先, 他和外邦人一同吃飯. 及至他們來到, 他因怕奉割禮的人, 就退去與外邦人隔開了.

For before that certain came from James, he did eat with the Gentiles: but when they were come, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing them which were of the circumcision.

D.Lim: Certain came from James. They have credentials. They have certain representation.

This eating is the Agape.

D.Lim: Following Gal2v9, these certain who came carried some preceived leading authority from James. Peter felt that they were to listen to. This is contrary to the Catholic picture of Peter leading all.

D.Lim: Breaking bread together (Agape) was a fundamental and common practice of all believers even just after the first Pentecost after ascension.

2:13 其餘的猶太人, 也都隨著他裝假. 甚至連巴拿巴也隨夥裝假.

D.Lim: The act of Peter was followed by the other Jews. It was a Jewish identity.

Gal2v12 tells us it is about eating together. There was the meal of fellowship. And these Jews(excluding Paul) wanted to follow the Jewish food law instead of following the Christian laws of fellowship and brotherhood.

D.Lim: The Chinese Ho-ho version tells us that they pretended, being hypocritical. The English KJV tells us they separated, being carried away. This is the very opposite to assembling. This is the breaking up of the united Church of Jews and Gentiles. This is not a matter of having sympathy and care for the weak. Neither the Jews nor the Gentiles were portraited as weak, or weaker than the other group.

2:14 但我一看他們行的不正, 與福音的真理不合, 就在眾人面前對磯法說, 你既是猶太人, 若隨外邦人行事, 不隨猶太人行事, 怎麼還勉強外邦人隨猶太人呢.

But when I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel, I said unto Peter before them all, If thou, being a Jew, livest after the manner of Gentiles, and not as do the Jews, why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews? - KJV

D.Lim: Not the pretence but the separation that is not according to sound doctrine in the very beginning.

D.Lim: Their act of following the Jewish law is in violation with the law/truth of the Gospel.

The truth has to be made clear. The law of the New Testament has to be made clear for all believers.

We cannot have separation at all. We cannot break fellowship in matters of food and diet and hope to have fellowship and unity by walking together in other things.

If the Gentiles are to abide with Jewish food law, they will be compelled to abide with the whole law, and be circumcised as well. This is not required for the Gentiles by the law of the Gospel(New Testament).

2:15 我們這生來的猶太人, 不是外邦的罪人,

We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles,

D.Lim: The law of works are kept because it is a covenant with the descendants of Abraham, the circumcised, not that they lived in sin as the law of works does not justify even the flesh. So, when comparing with the Gentiles under the law of faith and grace, the Jews would appear(be shown) as sinners following a law that does not remove sin completely.

D.Lim: The Jews were born to be Jews, and to keep Jewish law.

Jews are exposed as sinners by the Jewish law and not by breaking of the Jewish in walking with the Gentiles(the believers who do not keep the Jewish law).

2:16 既知道人稱義, 不是因行律法, 乃是因信耶穌基督, 連我們也信了基督耶穌, 使我們因信基督稱義, 不因行律法稱義, 因為凡有血氣的, 沒有一人因行律法稱義.

Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.

D.Lim: This verse tells us that the argument is not about food law or diet of Gentiles and Jews. It is concerning faith in Jesus, and the action one believer is effected to take.

D.Lim: The reason for following the law is to gain righteousness; to be righteous in the view of the law. We Christians/believers are justified by the faith of Jesus Christ. We do things by faith in Christ. This is a doctrine and practice we may not let go and be safe(living safely).

The Jewish law does not determine that Jews are righteous. It teaches the reality is in Christ.

2:17 我們若求在基督裡稱義, 卻仍舊是罪人, 難道基督是叫人犯罪的麼. 斷乎不是.

But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is therefore Christ the minister of sin? God forbid. - KJV

D.Lim: The Jewish law expose our sinful nature. We are not justified, righteous by the Jewish law. We seek to be justified by Christ, and do not seek to be justified by nationality, and the keeping of the Jewish (OT) law.

If we are found sinners by breaking the Jewish law and adhering to the law of the Gospel, all would have to follow the Jewish law. This is to deny Christ and undo the redemption of Christ/God. This is also an accusation against Christ, calling Him the minister of sin. We must emphasis that God forbids this.

Peter was wrong trying to demonstrate that righteousness is in following Jewish law, by keeping separation with Gentiles and Gentile rules of living, even those rules taught by the Gospel of Christ.

Peter was enjoying the freedom of the law of the Gospel. And he turned back to the Jewish law of works, and disowned the law of the Gospel by making separation with the Gentiles(Gentile believers), and practicing Jewish law while being with the brethren who are not Jews. This is breaking fellowship with the saints and accusing them of sin and adverse influence.

2:18 我素來所拆毀的, 若重新建造, 這就證明自己是犯罪的人.

For if I build again the things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor.

D.Lim: Paul was demolishing the self-sufficiency of the Jewish law and establishing the law of faith. He shows himself a sinner if he turns back to the Jewish law of works(trying to attain the satisfaction of God the Father in the law of works and not trusting in the law of faith).

Paul and all Jewish Christians would make themselves hypocrites doing that.

This is not about living with the weak and not causing them to stumble by what they consider to be wrong. (Rm14v21; Col2vv16,17)

This is about teaching all that the Jewish law of works is not sufficient;

that Jews and Gentile believers are one family in faith and by faith;

that fellowship must be shared by all believers;

that the law of works cannot justify sinners;

that we must keep the law of faith once delivered to the saints;

that we must not turn back to works for justification;

that Gentile believers are not to be avoided by Jewish believers;

that Gentile blievers are not to be enslaved by the law of work and gain circumcision;

that Jews while keeping the Jewish law may not use it as principle and excuse to make separation in the Church;

that circumcision and other Jewish law are not to be enforced on people of faith.

We ought to be the people of faith, and not of works.

Christ is the perfector.

We must look to Christ and not to tradition and admonition of old.

The Jews keep the OT law, the Jewish law to be faithful to God, to be faithful to the covenant God made with Abraham and Moses.

Christians keep the law of faith of the New Testament to be faithful to God.

So, Jews need to keep both, for justification in both covenants.