December 10
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PAUL’S INTEGRITY IN PREACHING THE GOSPEL
Then after an interval of fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus along also. 2 It was because of a revelation that I went up; and I submitted to them the gospel which I preach among the Gentiles, but I did so in private to those who were of reputation, for fear that somehow, I might be running, or had run, in vain.
-Galatians 2:1-2
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From Galatians 1, we hear from Paul’s letter that he took a trip to Jerusalem, here he describes a second trip to it, fourteen years later. In Galatians 1, Paul said in his letter that his gospel came by a revelation from Jesus and not from man, not even from the apostles in Jerusalem. According to a commentary, two visits to Jerusalem over 14 years demonstrated that Paul did not sit at the feet of the disciples of Jesus to learn the gospel.
Traveling with Paul to Jerusalem were both Barnabas (who was well respected among the leadership in Jerusalem according to Acts 4:36-37 and 11:22) and Titus (who was a Gentile convert). Titus was a remarkable man and associate of Paul. In this part of his letter, Paul tells the Galatians that he went to Jerusalem by the express direction of God. He did not go because any man called him to come; it was because God told him to go.
In verse 2, we witness Paul’s humility and discretion at telling the apostles that he is preaching the gospel of Christ. He didn’t know how everyone of reputation in Jerusalem would receive it. Perhaps some of the apostles themselves were wrong on this point, and needed to be corrected! But if there was any confrontation to be done, Paul did it privately to those who were of reputation. He did the best he could to not publicly embarrass those who were of reputation in Jerusalem. According to a commentary, this probably did not come from the fear that he himself would fall away. Probably it was the fear that an unnecessary conflict with the leaders of the church in Jerusalem leaders might damage his reputation and ministry in some way. Also, the danger was that false teachers – if encouraged in some way by the leaders in Jerusalem – might undo Paul’s work in planting churches and raising disciples for Jesus, and therefore would make Paul’s work in vain.
How many believers live a life of integrity like Paul, who is bold to confront anything that might be false teaching or anything that might hinder God’s truth to be spread to all? In our world today, we see so many compromised churches, teaching different gospels.
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REFLECTION
• What is our part as true believers in ensuring that the true gospel is preached?