December 10, 2024: Tuesday Bible Study on Paul’s letter to the Galatians 2:1-5
This morning was so crisp and clear, with that little nip in the air that suggests that perhaps the next several early mornings will be even more brisk. May the God of Creation bless you with joy in this creation in which we live and work to be the LORD'S stewards of all that we have been given.
Last night at about 9pm my sister-in-law Connie called. I felt at once that I already knew of the call's content. My brother had just died last night shortly after Connie and their daughter Shannon had driven the 40 plus miles home from visiting with my brother Rick, who was in care for extreme problems with his heart and kidneys. He talked to Connie to see that she had arrived home safely, and within a few minutes he became a triumphant saint in our LORD'S heavenly kingdom. Needless to say, I had little sleep last night with many prayers being said during those awake times in between each few minutes of sleep. Rick just turned 78 in October of this year.
Today we move on to chapter two of Paul's Galatian Letter. Many years have passed at this time, while Paul has been busy preaching and teaching, and bringing new communities of faithful people together for worship. After 14 years Paul returns to Jerusalem to confer with the Apostles and gathered completed Jews (that is Jews who have come to believe in Christ, but who still want adherence to all of the many rules that have been established which are meant to "help" them to remain righteous before God. One of the major rules, is that all males must be circumcised no matter their age. I can imagine the extreme resistance to this requirement by those who had yet to be circumcised. Over Paul's years of service to the Gospel, he has been preaching that none of these rules are necessary when a person is moved by the Spirit to believe and be received into the new church. However, when Paul returns to Jerusalem to speak about this issue, he is faced with the believers who will not discard all of the extra rules that they have been living by. Paul stands his ground in this argument as he continues to teach the unity and coming together of all peoples under the umbrella of the Church and Christ's love. Paul will use large parts of this letter to argue and defend this argument. Even Paul's writing in this part of chapter two seems to be a bit jerky, which may well mean Paul is angry, if not furious with the Jerusalem Jews who continue to demand any requirement beyond accepting Christ as Lord and Savior. Their thinking did not sway Paul, and he will continue to stand strong in his different view of what is required for salvation. So here are the three things that we can learn about Paul in this short passage.
He did not go to Jerusalem to learn the Gospel. He already knew it directly from Christ. Paul went to Jerusalem believing that God had called him to do so. We always need to remember that the disciples were a pretty hardheaded group, who seemed to have limited understanding of Christ's teaching.
Paul offered to the Jerusalem apostles what he was teaching to the gentiles, not for learning something new, but seeking to affirm the unity with them that had been established years before in his visit with Peter and James.
Paul's companion on his journeys was Titus, who was a Gentile and uncircumcised. Paul knew all too well, who Titus was, and also about Titus' faith life without circumcision. He really went after those Jews who said that they believed in Jesus but did not follow the foundational 10 commandments as part of their faith journey. If Jesus says that he came to complete the Law of God for God's people, then we must know that any failure in keeping the 10 commandments would mean separation from God. Only through Jesus is it possible to stand before God in righteousness. For Paul it was always about unity in Christ, the Savior, not about man-made rules that often-prevented unity.
Today in the church we are still faced with the issues which drove Paul to anger and frustration. The things that most often divide denomination from denomination are human choices to fit how people define this relationship with God through the Savior, Jesus Christ. If you think about it, it does not take long see how and why it has been so hard to return to the One True Church of Jesus Christ, but Lutherans are always working to help it happen.
I thank God for your prayers for my family at this difficult time of our loss.
With love, in Christ, Pastor Kim
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