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1 Then after fourteen years, I went up again to Jerusalem, this time with Barnabas. I took Titus along also. 2 I went in response to a revelation and, meeting privately with those esteemed as leaders, I presented to them the gospel that I preach among the Gentiles. I wanted to be sure I was not running and had not been running my race in vain. 3 Yet not even Titus, who was with me, was compelled to be circumcised, even though he was a Greek. (Galatians 2:1-3)
Three men: Paul, Barnabas, and Titus traveled from Antioch to Jerusalem. Paul, a former terrorist of the church. Titus, a relatively new Gentile convert. And, Barnabas, a man with deep roots in the Jerusalem church. They were coming to see the church leaders in order to make their testimony clear. They did not know what sort of reception they would get.
Just like the believers in Jerusalem and Paul and his two companions, Antioch and Jerusalem were two very different cities. It was
in Jerusalem where the gospel had first been preached, believed, and uncontrolled. But these events had occurred more than fifteen years earlier.
In the meantime, the believers in Jerusalem had suffered tremendous
persecution. It had become a very poor church. The cutting edge was now in Antioch. There, Gentiles were coming to faith, and a commitment to missions was beginning that would send gospel travelers across the
Roman Empire. Antioch had become the center of vitalized Christianity.
So imagine now, Paul, Barnabas, and Titus coming to tell of God’s work among the Gentiles through them. How will the leaders of the older, struggling Jerusalem church receive them? This is the theme of v.3-10. Tomorrow, we will consider v.4-10, but today, let us consider v.3.
Paul writes in v.3, "Yet not even Titus, who was with me, was compelled to be circumcised, even though he was a Greek." Paul points out that Titus, a new believer, didn't feel "compelled to be circumcised." The Greek word used by Paul here for "compelled" is "ēnankasthē." Only used 9 times in the New Testament, this word is translated "made", as when Jesus made the disciples get into the boat.
In our text for today, Paul is making the point that Titus did not feel compelled for himself, by the Lord or by Paul and Barnabas to be circumcised. Why? Because circumcision was an object lesson from the Lord, nothing more. It was not a sign that a person had faith, it was a daily reminder that the Lord was with the believer. God gave this reminder to Abraham as an encouragement to his faith. And, the Jews that followed changed it to be a requirement for salvation, but God didn't mean for that to be it's purpose.
While the Scripture does not tell us as much about Titus, we do know that he shows up when a cool head and a courageous heart are required to deal with turbulence and hassles in the church. Titus seems to have the knack of putting things right. Titus also ministered extensively in Corinth during the time when the Corinthian church was in turmoil and rife with factions and jealousy on every side. When Paul needed someone to minister in Crete, where he expected some difficult problems to arise, Titus was the man he picked for that assignment too. Thus Titus was a good man to have around in times of problem and difficulty.
Finally, I say it all of the time ... "If we do not know what the faith is about, we will make it about the non-essentials, which is what kills the life-giving movement of the Holy Spirit. Perhaps this is why the Jerusalem church was struggling and the church at Antioch was thriving.
"Spirituality isn't about being finished and perfect; spirituality is about trusting God in our unfinishedness." Yaconelli
