Galatians 2:1-10
Use skill, diplomacy and courage
As we saw yesterday, sometimes we may be tempted to look down on other parts of the church, other denominations or other Christians and wish they were more like us! ‘If only they did things more like us they would be ‘proper’ Christians or ‘better’ Christians!’ In thinking like this we are, in effect, denying that faith in Jesus is enough.
This is what was happening to the churches in Galatia. They were being told that their faith in Jesus was not enough. If they wanted to be ‘real’ Christians, they needed to be circumcised.
The early church was facing an unexpected crisis and the apostle Paul had to use every ounce of his courage and determination, combined with skill and diplomacy, to avoid a damaging division and split in the church.
Paul wants to make clear that he acted under the guidance and activity of the Holy Spirit: ‘I went in response to a revelation’ (v.2). Paul was convinced of the validity of the gospel he preached, but was also concerned for unity: ‘I did this in private with the leaders… so that our concern would not become a controversial public issue’ (v.2, MSG).
He took with him two friends: Barnabas and Titus. Barnabas was a Jew and Titus was a Greek (an uncircumcised Gentile). For a first-century Jew there were two kinds of people in the world: Jewish and Greek (circumcised and uncircumcised). Circumcision was a sign that marked out a Jew, in accordance with God’s command (Genesis 17:9–14). It signified God’s covenant with his chosen people.
Yet, Paul chose Titus as one of his companions. ‘Significantly, Titus, non-Jewish though he was, was not required to be circumcised’ (Galatians 2:3, MSG). Paul’s point in this section is that the Jerusalem apostles (James, Peter and John) agreed that the good news of Jesus Christ was for everyone: Jew and Gentile, circumcised and uncircumcised.
Paul was forced to defend the ‘freedom we have in Christ Jesus’ (v.4). True freedom is only found through faith in Christ. The necessity of circumcision for justification before God would ‘make us slaves’ (v.4).
If they had yielded to the demands for circumcision of Gentile converts, they would have denied the very essence of the gospel. The purpose of this letter was to explain ‘the truth of the gospel’ (v.5). Paul wanted to demonstrate that Jesus’ life, death and resurrection had fulfilled all the requirements of the law of Moses.
The meeting in Jerusalem was to resolve the circumcision question. The ruling reached was one of the most important ever made in the history of Christianity. The decision here prevented a ruinous division within the church. The crisis had become an opportunity.
Not only was the issue resolved, but also the gospel preached by Peter and Paul was firmly established as being one and the same (v.6). The leaders in Jerusalem recognised that Paul’s apostleship bore all the marks of God-given authority.
Peter and the others accepted Paul and agreed a division of responsibility – Paul for the non-Jews and Peter for the Jews. The same gospel would be brought to two different spheres by different people. They shook hands on it as a sign that the agreement would be honoured (vv.7–9). This was a monumental moment for the early church.
The parties had a sensible and detailed discussion about their differences. Paul refused to be overawed, although those he met were ‘reputed to be pillars’ (v.9). This was, after all, quite a group to take on! James had presumably already become leader of the Jerusalem church. Peter and John were both members of Jesus’ inner circle.
A pleasing agreement was reached. Paul seems to have acted with respect and courtesy despite being a determined man conscious of a special task. He would not allow opposition from without, nor discouragement from within, to stop him from doing what he was called to do.
The only condition that the Jerusalem leaders stipulated caused no problem for Paul: ‘to remember the poor’ (v.10). The church must always prioritise the poor and disadvantaged in society.
Lord, please give me the skill, diplomacy and courage that the apostle Paul had. Help us, like Paul, to embrace the entire church of Jesus Christ.
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