Day 120, Galatians 2
We’re staying in the flow of God’s instruction, in chapter 2 of Paul’s letter to the churches in Galatia. This area of central Turkey is to the west of Paul’s home in Tarsus. Paul’s story is central to today’s reading, as he continues to explain his journey of faith. Remember the transformation from Pharisee to Apostle: the equivalent of the Ayatollah Khomeini becoming Billy Graham! This is an amazing transformation, bringing to life the power of the resurrection of Jesus and the presence of the Holy Spirit in believers’ lives. There’s nothing academic or ‘purely personal’ about this faith. It’s a total upending of life and a redirection toward God’s target.
Paul describes his journey to Jerusalem to meet with the other apostles (we read this in Acts 15) as well as his challenge to Peter (Cephas) in Antioch (which adds detail to Acts 15:1&38). The council in Jerusalem ended with freedom from Jewish regulations for Gentile believers (adapting the record of God’s instructions in light of God’s actions and demonstrated priorities). It is fascinating to see this Pharisee correcting former fishermen because their practice is rooted in religion and tradition, not in the liberty of the gospel! Paul is fully convinced of the revolution Jesus has brought: true relationship with God is now received as a free gift, not earned through obedience to external regulations. The change in Paul’s heart is from darkness to light, and he is determined to let that light shine to his children in the Galatian churches. We will see in our next reading that this is an important goal, because the believers in Galatia have been led astray by the same error Peter made in Antioch: fear of man prompting reliance on religious tradition rather than living relationship.
For today, let’s pause and say “Holy Spirit, search my heart and show me if I’m being led astray in any way: I live by faith in the Son of God, not by trusting any tradition or habit.”
Have a great day!
Mark