Galatians Chapter 2 Small Group Discussion Guide

Small Group Discussion Guide: Galatians 2  
Based on a sermon preached by Tim Bach,8/9/26

Welcome and opening prayer
Father, thank you for gathering us around your word tonight. You have welcomed us not because we earned a seat at your table but because Jesus made a way. Quiet the noise we carried in with us, open our hearts to hear honestly, and give us courage to see anywhere our lives contradict the gospel we say we believe. Teach us what it means to live by faith in the Son of God who loved us and gave himself for us. In Jesus' name, amen.

Opening illustration and icebreaker, 7 minutes
Share the story from the article: after Billie Eilish used her February 2026 Grammy acceptance speech to acknowledge indigenous land, members of the Tongva Tribe, the native people of the Los Angeles Basin, pointed out that her 14 million dollar Glendale mansion sits on their ancestral land. A tribal representative said they appreciated the visibility she brought to indigenous history but noted she had not actually contacted the tribe directly.
Then ask the group: what is the difference between saying the right thing publicly and doing the right thing personally? Where have you seen that gap in yourself, not just in others? Keep answers to a sentence or two each.

Scripture readings, 8 minutes
Have three different people read aloud. Ask everyone to listen for one word or phrase that stands out, and let two or three people name theirs before moving on.
Galatians 2:1-10
Galatians 2:11-14
Galatians 2:15-21


Discussion topic 1
The gospel is worth protecting, about 12 minutes.
Paul says he went up to Jerusalem by revelation and refused to yield even for a moment to those he calls false brothers who slipped in to spy out the freedom believers have in Christ.

Questions: 
What exactly was at stake if Titus had been required to be circumcised, and why did Paul treat this as non negotiable rather than a minor cultural preference?
How do you tell the difference between a conviction worth standing firm on and a personal preference you should let go of for the sake of unity?
James, Cephas and John recognized the grace given to Paul and extended fellowship rather than control. What does healthy affirmation of someone else's calling look like in our church?
They added only one request, to remember the poor. Why do you think care for the poor was the one thing attached to a gospel of grace?

Discussion topic 2
When behavior contradicts belief, about 12 minutes.
Peter believed the right thing but ate separately from Gentile believers once certain men arrived from James, and even Barnabas was carried away by the hypocrisy.

Questions: 
Paul says Peter's conduct was not in step with the truth of the gospel. How can our behavior preach a different message than our theology?
What drove Peter, fear of a certain group of people, and who or what group most tempts you to soften, hide, or adjust how you live out your faith?
Paul confronted Peter publicly and directly. When is public correction appropriate and when is it damaging?
What made Paul's confrontation loving rather than merely critical?
Barnabas followed Peter's example. Whose example are you following without examining it, and who might be following yours?

Tie this back to the opening story: the tribe's point was not that the acknowledgment was wrong but that it was incomplete. Where is our faith stopping at acknowledgment when it should move to action and relationship?

Discussion topic 3 
Crucified with Christ, about 10 minutes.
Read Galatians 2:20 aloud again slowly.
Questions: Paul says he no longer lives but Christ lives in him. What does that actually look like on an ordinary Tuesday, not in a sermon?
Verse 21 says that if righteousness could come through the law, Christ died for nothing. What law or rule are you quietly trusting to make you acceptable, whether religious performance, productivity, parenting, or reputation?
Paul describes Jesus as the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me, deeply personal language. Do you tend to relate to grace as a general truth or as a personal gift, and what would change if it were personal?

Follow up exercise, 5 minutes
This week each person does two things. First, a personal audit: write down one relationship or group of people you have quietly distanced yourself from, out of fear, comfort, discomfort, or reputation, the way Peter pulled back from the Gentile table. Ask honestly what fear is underneath it. Second, take one concrete step toward that person or group before you meet again, a real conversation, a shared meal, an apology, an act of practical help. Words of acknowledgment do not count for this exercise, only direct contact or tangible action.
Optionally add a daily reading of Galatians 2:20 each morning, praying it in the first person before checking your phone. Come back next time ready to share in one or two sentences what you did and what it cost you.

Closing prayer 
Jesus, you did not acknowledge us from a distance, you came to us, ate with us, and gave yourself for us. Forgive us for the gaps between what we say and how we live. Where we have pulled back from people out of fear, give us courage. Where we have tried to earn what you already gave, give us rest. Let it be true of each of us this week that we no longer live, but you live in us. We will not set aside your grace. Amen.

Leader notes: keep the confrontation discussion focused on self examination rather than naming absent people, and if the group runs long, shorten topic one and protect the time on Galatians 2:20 and the follow up assignment.