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Galatians 2:1-14 ESV
1 Then after fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus along with me. 2 I went up because of a revelation and set before them (though privately before those who seemed influential) the gospel that I proclaim among the Gentiles, in order to make sure I was not running or had not run in vain. 3 But even Titus, who was with me, was not forced to be circumcised, though he was a Greek. 4 Yet because of false brothers secretly brought in—who slipped in to spy out our freedom that we have in Christ Jesus, so that they might bring us into slavery— 5 to them we did not yield in submission even for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel might be preserved for you. 6 And from those who seemed to be influential (what they were makes no difference to me; God shows no partiality)—those, I say, who seemed influential added nothing to me. 7 On the contrary, when they saw that I had been entrusted with the gospel to the uncircumcised, just as Peter had been entrusted with the gospel to the circumcised 8 (for he who worked through Peter for his apostolic ministry to the circumcised worked also through me for mine to the Gentiles), 9 and when James and Cephas and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given to me, they gave the right hand of fellowship to Barnabas and me, that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised. 10 Only, they asked us to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do. 11 But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. 12 For before certain men came from James, he was eating with the Gentiles; but when they came he drew back and separated himself, fearing the circumcision party. 13 And the rest of the Jews acted hypocritically along with him, so that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy. 14 But when I saw that their conduct was not in step with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas before them all, “If you, though a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you force the Gentiles to live like Jews?”

I.TO CIRCUMCISE OR NOT CIRCUMCISE (1-4)
A.The early church struggled not to add circumcision to salvation.
B.Paul wouldn’t circumcise Titus because that wouldn’t be best for the Gospel.

II.PRESERVE, NOT PROTECT (5-10)
A.Paul seeks to preserve the Gospel, not protect it.
B.The Gospel does not need protection but simply to be uncaged.

III.BACON AND BIGOTRY (11-14)
A.Peter fellowshipped with Gentiles then flip-flopped when Jews showed up and Paul calls him out for it.
B.The Gospel does not just create personal change in us but a commitment to social change around us.

NEXT STEPS:
1.We preserve the Gospel by pursuing the life of Jesus.
2.We uncage the Gospel when the Gospel changes everything about who we are & what we do.
3.Jesus uncaged us by setting us free in His work on our behalf.