1 - 10 Visit to Jerusalem
Paul describes preaching in Jerusalem to the Gentiles. Titus did not want to be circumcised, and "false brethren" use this against them. Paul shows them that he was "entrusted with the gospel to the uncircumcised as Peter had been entrusted with the gospel to the circumcised."
11 - 21 The Incident at Antioch
In Antioch, Paul confronts Cephas. He eats with them, but is afraid of the circumcision party (oxymoron?) My notes: "The decision reached in Jerusalem recognized the freedom of Gentile Christians from the Jewish law. But the problem of table fellowship between Jewish Christians, who possibly still kept kosher food regulations, and Gentile believers was not yet settled. When Cephas first came to the racially mixed community of Jewish and Gentile Christians in Antioch, he ate with non-Jews. Pressure from persons arriving later from Jerusalem caused him and Barnabas to draw back. Paul therefore publicly rebuked Peter's inconsistency toward the gospel."
Paul insists that "salvation is by faith in Christ, not by works of the law. His teaching on the gospel concerns justification by faith in relation to sin, law, life in Christ, and grace."
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14 years after his conversion, Paul went to Jerusalem with Barnabas and Titus to preach to them the message he'd been preaching to the Gentiles. He "tested" his message first with "important" disciples (probably James, Peter, and John). They agreed that Christ and the Holy Spirit was leading him and they welcomed him into their ranks.
Paul describes an incident where he confronted Peter about hipocracy. Apparently they (the Jewish Christians) would eat with Gentiles but when they were with Jews, they would "pretend it never happened". They were trying to appease both groups. Paul confronted him with the fact that, like the circumcision issue, salvation is based on faith in Christ and not on works. This is mentioned 3 times in this section.
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