Church conflicts are ugly & painful; yet they happen. Scripture eschews a utopian ideal; it realistically reports conflict, even among church leaders—e.g., Paul, Peter, & James. We can learn from their actions & reactions. The church’s emergence from Judaism produced tensions–some soon resolved, others not. The ‘Antioch incident’ was no ‘tempest in a teapot;’ it was a major watershed. Both major players had divine revelations. Paul testified, “I did not disobey the heavenly vision.” Peter couldn’t say that. When James’ delegation arrived, insisting Jewish believers segregate from Gentile “sinners” at fellowship meals, Peter retreated, splitting the church between Jews & Gentiles. Paul reacted, rebuking Peter to his face. This was no power play. Paul saw that this violated the gospel truth–all believers justified by faith, are equal members in God’s family. Paul’s rearguard action, despite the other leaders’ defection, prevented Christianity from being reabsorbed back  into Judaism. The other leaders’ intransigence left Paul isolated, yet Church history vindicates Paul. In the church old distinctions along ethnic/racial lines can’t coexist with faith in Christ—new creation’s sole distinctive. At Antioch Paul was a ‘midwife’ birthing the church out of Judaism.

In Galatians 2:11-14, Paul fights for the truth of the gospel as he points out a critical error that Peter made with regards the Gentile believers. But before we can truly understand what’s going on in Galatians, we must see the background in Acts 10 & 11. There we see Peter received a vision from God that the Jewish food laws of the Old Covenant, and the separation from Gentiles were now over! Of course, Peter needed some time to understand this. Eventually he realized that God did it to make a way for all peoples on earth to enter the family of God through Jesus Christ. 

Having seen this vision, then, why would he take a step backwards in Antioch? (Gal. 2:11-12) How often have we ourselves seen something from God, walked in it for some time, and later to live as though we’d never seen it? Thankfully we have a God who is for our progress & growth in the faith he has called us too. He restores those who take a step backwards. He did this for Peter, and we see evidence of this in Acts 15:7b-10. There, Peter speaks clearly about how God has opened the way for the Gentiles in his family.

Paul worked for around 14 years in a hidden way far away from Jerusalem. He preached the gospel that had been revealed to him. While he laboured he continued to receive revelations regarding the gospel. At the same time he also suffered while spreading the word of the gospel in the regions of Syria and Cilicia (modern day Turkey). Yet Paul worked in a hidden way, not trying to gain a name for himself but being faithful to the commission given him by God.  

Fourteen years later he went to Jerusalem with Barnabas and Titus, most likely to bring money for the poor in Judea. Here he presented what he was preaching and how Gentiles were responding to the gospel. The leaders in Jerusalem had nothing to add to what Paul was preaching. This confirmation by the Jerusalem apostles should have given the Galatian believers confidence in the gospel Paul was preaching.  

However, there were people in Jerusalem, false brothers, who wanted to impose Jewish observances such as circumcision upon the Gentile believers in order for them to be received into the people of God. Paul strongly objected to this so that the truth of the gospel would be preserved especially for the gentile believers.

If you were asked, “What is the essential message of Paul’s gospel?” what would you say? If you look at all of Paul’s messages in Acts and all of his letters, what does he focus on? It’s not Jesus’ life and ministry recorded in the four Gospels: his teachings, miracles, or parables. Rather, he is intensely focused on Jesus’ death & resurrection. Why? It’s because those are the very things that bring about change in our lives! Who did you believe in? Jesus, the one who died and rose for you. Why were you baptised? To be identified with Jesus’ death and resurrection (Rom. 6:3-5)! That doesn’t diminish the Gospels in any way. Rather, Paul zeroes in on what really makes the difference for people: Jesus’ death and resurrection!

Paul’s encounter with the risen Jesus on the Damascus road is the most crucial event in Christian history, second only to Christ’s death & resurrection. Luke—the ‘great storyteller’–narrates the dramatic story three times in Yet it’s easy to miss the real significance in the outward drama. Notably Paul himself never recounts the outward drama. His autobiographical references trace the inner repercussions of that seismic event. Paul had to rethink his fundamental values, priorities and goals. He didn’t simply add Jesus to his former way of life. Paul declares, “God revealed His Son in me” (not simply ‘to me’); that God “shined into our hearts” in new creation; that he saw the “supreme value of Christ,” which depreciated everything else. We don’t need the outward drama, yet the same inward transforming experiences can be ours.

Paul was desperate for his new brothers and sisters in Christ who were being persuaded to move away from Christ for their further salvation. Paul took to helping them see that his apostleship was not of a human origin (Gal. 1:1), nor his gospel (Gal. 1:11-17). He received both in one life-changing event, as he journeyed to Damascus to drag any errant Jews who had turned to the false Messiah Jesus back to Jerusalem to be imprisoned (Acts 9:1-6). In the heat and passion of that determined journey, Paul was visited and commissioned by the resurrected Christ! This is when the gospel was revealed to him. It was that divinely originated gospel that Paul fought to defend for the sake of the Galatian believers.

Galatians 1:10 is often overlooked, yet it’s a key statement of Paul’s modus operandi—not to please people, but to be a God-Pleaser. These are mutually-exclusive options—you either please people, or God; you cannot do both. Today there’s intense pressure to please people at school, work, & via social media. Too often we’re governed by others’ approval/disapproval; we aren’t true to our own convictions. What’s the solution? Some sermons advise—‘be more assertive; define your boundaries; you’re responsible for your own happiness.’ That may be good advice, but it’s not the gospel! The NT message is not to be an autonomous ‘Self-Pleaser,’ but to become a ‘God-Pleaser,’ serving Christ as Lord. We examine how to do that. Paul exemplifies God-pleasing and says ‘imitate me.’ He’s clear about his divine commitment; he resists peer-pressure from influential people. Paul was not arrogant, or egotistical; rather he values God’s approval over human acceptance or rejection. We should too!

The churches in Galatia were birthed by Paul’s first mission journey. Soon after Jewish-Christian missionaries arrived, pressuring Gentile believers to get circumcised to be full-members of God’s family. Paul was livid; he struck back with white-hot diatribe—Galatians. He asserts that Christ’s coming is not an ‘add-on, topping up’ Judaism –that is a ‘false gospel.’ Rather, the Christ-event is God’s disruptive invasion; Christ’s cross is a radical rescue from the present evil age, launching new creation. Everything is changed; the ‘new age’ is here. Like oil & water, the new & old don’t mix; they’re opposites. The Galatians shouldn’t “stand in 2 boats;” they should reject this distorted gospel & enter fully into the Spirit’s new creation. So should we!

Paul draws his thoughts and counsel on God`s armor to the believers in Ephesus to a close. In doing so he advises them to pray! He is making a vital and definite connection between the two. If you want to experience God`s armor more and more try putting more emphasis onto your prayer times each day.  

Paul is not too important to ask for prayer and support from the believers. Do you have some who you are willing to open up to about what you are struggling with? Some who can support you in prayer? Paul encourages us through his example to fight through prayer, to stand through prayer, to take God`s armor through prayer. Make it a critical part of your Christian walk.