I’m flip-flopping my Tuesday podcast and Wednesday reflection on it. I’ve been busy. Add to that the fact that Galatians 2:11-21 is one of the most difficult passages in the New Testament, and you know why I missed posting a podcast last week.
Difficult but rewarding! I cannot begin to describe my deep love for the Scriptures! These last couple of years have allowed me time to really delve into God’s Word. Some of you may know that I accepted a call to Embrace Church in High Point, North Carolina. And for those of you who know me well, you know that Embrace is not a typical, traditional church. It is, in many ways, a church on the edge, and it is one that should allow me to continue writing my weekday posts and publishing more books. In fact, my next book will be on Paul’s letter to the Galatians. As usual, each chapter will contain questions for both individual and group discussion. I’m shooting for a Fall release.
Anyway, let’s talk about Galatians 2:11-21. The key to this passage is found in understanding just how very Jewish it is. I talk about that in the podcast and provide some background and history that brings the text alive. But for today, I want to focus on what Paul says in verse 15:
“We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners.” (ESV)
I explain the phrase “Gentile sinners” fully in the podcast, but for today’s post, I want to ask you to think with me about how hard it was for good, faithful, godly Jewish Christians to begin building genuine relationships with Gentile Christians.
And what made it so hard for the Jewish Christians was the fact that they came from centuries of monotheism, while their Gentile brothers and sisters came from centuries of polytheism. Also, the Jews, as Paul tells us in Romans 3:2, had the blessing or “advantage” because they were “entrusted with the oracles of God.” In other words, they had the Holy Scriptures.
Reading the letters of Paul to the newly established Gentile churches throughout the Roman empire, it’s pretty obvious that these new Gentile Christians carried a lot of baggage. Temple prostitutes, feasts honoring various gods and goddesses, alcohol and drug abuse, and jobs that often made them “unclean” according to Old Covenant laws and Jewish practices. These things were just the tip of the iceberg when it came to the habits and lifestyles of Gentile converts.
God does have a sense of humor, doesn’t He? Think about it: He called one of the most Jewish Jews - Paul referred to himself as a “Hebrew of Hebrews” - to make disciples of these converted pagan Gentiles!
But here’s my question: How are things different for us today?
Let’s face it, church attendance in the United States, as well as many other places in the world, is in serious decline. Less and less converts are coming from children raised in church by their parents. The result is not only a decline in church membership but the need for Christians today to recognize the challenges faced in making disciples in today’s culture.
So, what are we to do?
What we absolutely cannot do is separate ourselves, if not physically, at least in heart and mind, from those we are trying to reach. That was the problem in Galatia and in Antioch: Jewish Christians separating themselves from Gentile Christians and demanding that “you become like us; you must become Jews.”
It was Paul who stood up and boldly spoke out against this kind of attitude. And because he did, he was called a people pleaser, a compromiser of the faith. Does that not sound just a little familiar? The more things change . . .
I don’t pretend to have the answers, but I do know that God is calling us as His people - His ambassadors for Christ and His Kingdom - to engage in the hard work of meeting people where they are, sharing the Good News of Jesus and patiently trusting God to capture their hearts with His grace and love.
One more thing. And this is important. The faith of these new disciples won’t look exactly the same as our faith. Each person’s relationship with God, through Jesus, is different. Our task is to nurture a living, life-changing faith that shapes men and women into the image of Jesus.
In Christ,
Dan
Check out my podcasts from Church on the Edge and my books on Kindle.