Reading: Galatians 2: 7-10
When I was in late elementary and
junior high school (aka Middle School today), I developed a love for writing. And
while I got good grades on my assignments,
there was one comment that appeared on my papers pretty regularly, “This is a
run-on sentence, break it down to be more understandable.”
Now if I am good at writing a run-on
sentence, Paul was a master at it! The first 3 verses of this 4-verse passage
in Galatians 2 is one long sentence (in the NASB translation). Can we break it down to better understand
what his main point is? We see that 3
men, referred to as “pillars” of the church, James, Cephas [Peter], and John,
welcomed Paul and Barnabas as fellow missionaries. They recognized in Paul two things that
qualified him for partnership in the gospel: 1) the same Spirit that worked in
Peter as an apostle also worked in Paul; and 2) the grace God gave Paul who was,
by his own words, “chief of sinners.”
So the “Pillars” extended to Paul and
Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, showing their full agreement that all of
them were called to partnership in spreading the gospel – Paul’s mission being to
the Gentiles and the others’ to the Jews. To me, this passage shows that all of
us who belong to Christ have a role in missions, no matter where we are called
to go. And our role is closely bound up
with all other believers “on mission.” Our partnership needs to be strong, we need
one another, sometimes to work beside and sometimes to support each other as we
go out to our own mission field. No need for competition or comparison in our
work. We all have one goal – to bring the gospel of grace to all people.
Father God, please show me the importance of working in partnership with
others as we all go out in mission to those who don’t yet know you. Amen
