Paul comes full circle in chapter 2 from the argument he began in chapter 1.  Galatians 1:6-10 asks the question regarding the Galatians’ turn from the true gospel to a perversion of it.  It seemed odd that Paul would mention the problem and then go off on a defense of his apostleship, but he was laying the groundwork for his argument.  And in the process, showing that what was occurring in Galatia wasn’t new.  Certain Jews had tried to attach adherence to the law as a requirement for salvation before.

Galatians 2:15-21  Paul lays out the illogic of trying to add adherence to the law to salvation by grace through faith. If you conduct yourself according to the freedom given by Christ, but then condemn yourself for not following the law, you make Christ the instigator for sin.  If you try to go back to the false gospel of salvation through the law, all you do is prove yourself a law breaker or sinner.  The law cannot save.  It can only show us our sin.  It makes no provision for our redemption.  We must accept the gift of Christ’s death as payment for our sin which will fulfill the requirement of the law and forever free us from it.

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