Read: Galatians 1:11-2:21
A clearer
understanding of the social and cultural context of the Galatian Church helps
us understand this passage. As mentioned in Day 1 of this devotional, Galatian
Christians were predominantly Gentiles. They had not been raised to follow
Jewish customs, such as circumcision and dietary restrictions. When they became
Christians, the Galatians saw no need to adopt these Jewish customs. However,
most of the worldwide church at this point in history had a personal background
in Judaism. When they converted to Christianity, many continued to practice
their cultural customs. Jewish Christians had been raised to obey the Law as
their way of pleasing God. The question of whether or not to obey the Law was
creating disunity in the Church and confusion in Gentile believers (1:7). Paul
answers this dilemma using three examples from his own life.
First,
Paul describes how he came to follow Jesus (1:11-24). He was once passionate
about Jewish traditions and laws (1:14). In fact, he was so passionate that he
persecuted Christians because he thought they were heretics (1: 13). Paul was
not saved through his own obedience to the Law. Paul was saved when he
submitted his life to the truth he received from a personal revelation of Jesus
Christ (1:11, see also Acts 9).
The
second illustration Paul gives is a situation that happened many years after
his conversion. “False brothers” joined Paul’s group and tried to convince them
that obedience to Jewish cultural laws was vital to following Christ (2:3-4).
Paul did not give in to these men (2:5). Church leaders in Jerusalem upheld
Paul’s stance, agreeing that there is no obligation for Christians to obey
Jewish cultural laws.
The
final illustration Paul gives is an interaction he had with Peter, Jesus’
disciple (2:11-14). Peter used to eat meals with Gentile believers, in
obedience to a revelation he had received from God (2:12, Acts 10-11). However,
he had given way to fear of man and ceased this fellowship with Gentile
believers. This passage ends with an explanation of Peter’s errors (2:15-21).
We might summarize Paul’s message in these seven verses as follows: We, who
grew up Jewish, understand that obedience to the Law cannot save us. Therefore,
we submitted our lives to Christ, understanding that his work on the cross has
the power to save us. Since we have altered our lives to fit this truth, why
force Gentile believers to submit to the Law?
Journaling
and Prayer
1. Meditate on Galatians 2:15-21.
a. Re-write this passage in your own words. If
you were to explain this passage to someone what would you say?
b. Write down any questions you have about
this passage. Wrestle through them, asking God for greater insight. If you are
unsure of anything, ask a trusted, godly person to work through these verses
with you.
c. Armed with a greater intellectual
understanding of these verses, re-read them once more. This time, ask God to
speak directly to your heart through these words. Ask Him to show you how they
apply to you personally. Thank Him for what He revealed to you.
2. Whenever we experience truth in Scripture
we are presented with two choices: humbly adjust our lives to align with
Scripture or pridefully continue on in our ways. Does anything in your life
need to change in response to what you read today? Ask God for grace to live
according to His Word.
3. Pray
for your family today. Ask God how you can intercede for each individual family
member and for your family as a whole. Take your time with this. Prayer is
vital for healthy families and healthy families are vital for a healthy church
and a healthy society. Once you are finished praying for your family. Ask God
to show you one or two families you know that He wants you to pray for today.
Again, ask Him how you can specifically pray for these families and then
intercede for them.
