Submissive Strength - Gospel Freedom in Galatians - October 27 Readings: Galatians 2:1-5

 

Gospel Freedom in Galatians  

Background: What was the key issue in the early church? Race. Culture. Issues that are still with us today. The church at its inception on Pentecost was essentially 100% Jewish and the Apostles and the church in Jerusalem seemed content to keep it that way. Then God called a Pharisee named Saul to salvation and set him aside as an Apostle to the Gentiles. Over the next 30 years, the church became primarily Gentile with a Jewish minority, and many Jews fought it. 

Galatians was Paul's first letter, written at the end of his first missionary journey when Gentiles began to come to Christ in droves. A group, sometimes called Judaizers and sometimes the circumcision party, opposed the inclusion of Gentiles in the church. If they were to be part of the church, they needed to become Jewish - follow the law and Jewish rituals. Paul fought them tooth and nail his entire ministry. The gospel was for the whole world. 

Galatians is a powerful argument for a gospel free from the works of the law. 

As often as time allows, the reader is encouraged to read the entire book - it will not take more than a few minutes. Each day we will work our way through the book passage by passage. 

Today's Reading:  Galatians 1-6  Focus Passage - Galatians 2:1-5

Then after fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus along also. 2 I went up according to a revelation and presented to them the gospel I preach among the Gentiles, but privately to those recognized as leaders. I wanted to be sure I was not running, and had not been running, in vain. 3 But not even Titus, who was with me, was compelled to be circumcised, even though he was a Greek. 4 This matter arose because some false brothers had infiltrated our ranks to spy on the freedom we have in Christ Jesus in order to enslave us. 5 But we did not give up and submit to these people for even a moment, so that the truth of the gospel would be preserved for you.

Through the Bible Readings: Lamentations 4-5, 2 Thessalonians 2, Psalm 119:57–64, Proverbs 26:10–11

 

If you wish to read through the Bible in a year, follow these readings. 

Devotional:  Submissive Strength    

Paul speaks here of a trip he made with Titus to Jerusalem to meet with the other apostles to make sure that his gospel, the one revealed to him by the Spirit, matched what these men had been taught. He did not want to run his race in vain by preaching a gospel that was false in any way. He was willing to listen to what they said and submit what he'd learned to the authority of the apostles. 

You see, hidden in the warp and woof of this passage, an important tension between two commitments, two qualities of Paul that were both important. 

First, even though Paul had received revelation from God and was certain that he had been given truth directly from heaven, he was willing to cooperate with the Jerusalem apostles, even to submit his teaching to them for their review. He knew that the Holy Spirit in him, the one revealing truth to him was the same one who was at work in the original apostles and that Spirit would bring them all together in unity. 

On the other hand, Paul was willing to stand up to anyone. Here he confronts false brothers and later will even name Peter for hypocrisy. He was humble and submissive to others but also willing to stand strong for his convictions and his beliefs. 

How do we know when to yield and when to stand? That is an art more than a science. The Spirit of God guides us. We must remember that unity matters to the One who died to establish the Body of Christ. He also cares about its purity and its fidelity to the truth. We must decide which is at stake.

Father, as you did with Paul, give me wisdom to know when to stand strong and when to yield in submission. 

Think and Pray:

What does this verse say about your Christian life?