Galatians ~ Day 5

Galatians ~ Week 1 ~ Day 5

Today we are reading Galatians 2:11-16. I have posted it below. I hope you are enjoying doing this study together. If you have a few extra minutes please share your insights, applications, or thoughts. Here are today’s verses for you to read.

“11 But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. 12 For before certain men came from James, he was eating with the Gentiles; but when they came he drew back and separated himself, fearing the circumcision party. 13 And the rest of the Jews acted hypocritically along with him, so that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy. 14 But when I saw that their conduct was not in step with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas before them all, “If you, though a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you force the Gentiles to live like Jews?” 15 We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners; 16 yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.” Galatians 2:11-16 “

We know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ.” Gal.2:16

The church in Antioch was the first church to bring Jewish and Gentile Christians together. But there was an influential group that Peter (Cephas) and Barnabas feared, and it was causing them to separate from the Gentiles. Paul boldly confronted them for not staying in step with the gospel. Then he clarified that a person is not justified by their works but through faith in Jesus alone. The word justified is a legal term. God, as our judge, has declared us justified and righteous simply based on our faith in Christ alone. But there are still people in the church who try to make us feel like we need to be doing something more to be considered a true Christian. Like this group in Galatians 2, they may be influential and cause us to separate from other believers out of fear that things other Christians do or don’t do make them unbelievers.

My reflection for the day: I truly believe that the law produces death in us but faith in Christ produces life. Living in grace doesn’t mean that we can do whatever we want in life but follow the commands and promises of God in the word. Boundaries are good and safe in the Kingdom of God. As I look at this scripture I am definitely reminded that “good works will not get you into the kingdom of God”. However, I do believe that if I truly have a relationship with Christ our actions will show that. To have a true relationship with Christ to me portrays Jesus. You are saved by faith and the good works will follow to show others, Christ, in us. Pauls’s boldness in confronting Peter is strong but yet he does it in love and challenges them when he sees that they were not acting in line with the truth. He told them that man is not justified by following the law but by faith in Jesus Christ.

Reflection Questions: Are you more like Peter and Barnabas or Paul? Do you tend to try to please certain groups of Christians and their rules or do you find yourself trying to focus on the heart and faith of other believers? The Christian church has hundreds of denominations and has separated over many different side issues. How can you bring more unity into the body of Christ by focusing on the main thing—the gospel?