The Heart of the Issue

Life is full of challenges.

Each week provides an opportunity to learn to persevere. Yet, this is hard work. I am reminded of the words of Paul in Romans,

Romans 5:3–5 NIV

Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.

Community is essential.

This is our hope in Jesus Christ. We must always remember we are not saved just to be a better version of ourselves. We are saved from sin into a community, a new family.

Independence is contrary to the Gospel.

This may sound strange especially as we open up the passage this morning and the book of Galatians. In chapter 1 Paul is asserting his “Gospel” is independent of the Jerusalem apostles, it is straight from Christ.

The characters of the conflict.

I think it is important to understand who the characters are or may be in this passage. This is not an easy task as we have less information than we would hope. Remember: the church is young at this time.

Peter-the “conservative”, trying to be faithful, just got out of prison, a Jew, was exercising freedom in Christ, in the “wrong”.

Peter is not trying to be a hypocrite nor he is an “awful” person. We can read this task too harshly and use it to beat others down or we can see Peter is truly trying to reach people, generally Jews, with the Gospel of Jesus.

Paul-the “liberal”, seeking unity of Jews & Gentiles, trying to be faithful, sensitive to Jewish bondage and law issues, proclaiming freedom in the Spirit, in the “right”.

Paul is sensitive to any issue which results of the “law” and it being applied in a way he knows produces bondage. He is seeking freedom in Christ by the Spirit and thus more “liberal” than the Jewish segment of the Church.

Men from James-Feeling persecuted, don’t want to lose their “jewishness”, fellow Christians, may be misrepresenting James, sympathetic to the law, cautious about diversity.

These are the word bringers from James

Circumcision Group- “fundamentalists” from the Jews, not Christians, want to keep separation, piety to Law is the essential, Jewish nationalists, want “sameness”, forcing others to be like them.

These are the ones who have no room for those not like them regardless of who they are. Paul very well may have been like them before his conversion.

Gentiles-learning what it means to be “Christian”, not jewish nor inclined to be, growing in grace and new to the Church, exercising freedom.

These are those who Paul mainly ministers to.

Who are you most naturally like?

This is where our text starts to interfere and get in the way of our life. We are easy to see ourselves as “Paul” in this text because was the one in the right. We want to naturally se ourselves as not being wrong or in need of correction. Yet, we cannot let our ideal picture of ourselves get in the way of reality and the truth.

Anyone can get off the Gospel path.

Part of what we need to realize is that anyone can get off the path of Jesus unintentionally. Peter was not deliberately being different.

The Issue: the truth of the Gospel?

We must see this as the primary issues. Is Jesus enough? Does Jesus provide salvation or does the Jewish way of being in right relationship with God?

Does Christ alone justify believers?

We are going to tackle this next week but we must see this as the issue. Paul isn’t fighting over his opinion, his standing, or what he thinks is the best method. Peter isn’t wrong because of who he is, or what he has done prior.

In Christ there is freedom.

We will not all be the same. This can be hard to grasp and truly live out. Rules are good and can provide boundaries for freedom but we must not let our words to become a form of bondage for those coming into Christ.