March 6 - Galatians 2:6-10

March 6 - Galatians 2:6-10

As for those who were held in high esteem—whatever they were makes no difference to me; God does not show favoritism—they added nothing to my message. On the contrary, they recognized that I had been entrusted with the task of preaching the gospel to the uncircumcised,  just as Peter had been to the circumcised. For God, who was at work in Peter as an apostle to the circumcised, was also at work in me as an apostle to the Gentiles. James, Cephas  and John, those esteemed as pillars, gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship when they recognized the grace given to me. They agreed that we should go to the Gentiles, and they to the circumcised. All they asked was that we should continue to remember the poor, the very thing I had been eager to do all along.

I can’t imagine the difficulty Paul faced in the early years of his ministry as he dealt with his own feelings of inadequacy in comparison to the twelve disciples who had known Jesus for the years they traveled together. 

While he had complete confidence in the knowledge that Jesus had come to him on the road to Damascus and was fully aware that his ministry to the Gentiles was from God; at the same time he seemed to need assurances that they supported him.  If they hadn’t, he would have moved forward, but it would have upset him as well as others in the early church.

Fortunately, he didn’t have to worry about it.  By the time he got to the pillars of the church – James, Cephas and John, they were ready to support him and acknowledge that God had done a great work in his life and through him in the lives of many others.  While he wanted his readers to know that he didn’t place a lot of importance on this, it obviously relieved him.

The only thing they asked was that he continue to remember the poor – he tells us that was already part of his plan.

Of all the things that they were concerned about – remembering the poor was what they mentioned to him. There had been debates regarding circumcision that raised the roof in Jerusalem, with both Paul and Peter coming down on different sides for awhile … but, caring for the poor was of great import then – and it is now.

Think about how that might impact us today.  The one thing the three leaders of the Jerusalem church want us to know.  James (the brother of Jesus), John and Peter.  Three great men that we rely on to tell us the truth of Jesus’ message.  Remember the poor.  It seems to me we shouldn’t take that lightly!