Galatians 2:1-21
The tendency of today's relativistic society is to see people being blown about by the various winds of doctrine that blow over the church. Apparently things were not much different in Paul's day, the Galatian believers were quick to follow the false teaching that had been propagated in their midst. Paul lets us know a few things about he doctrinal stand that should help all of us to be firm in the face of false teachings that might blow our way.
IT IS IMPORTANT TO STUDY SCRIPTURE BY OURSELVES: Paul made it clear that he was a student of God's Word and that the majority of his learning had taken place while he was alone with the Scriptures and the Spirit. This discipline of digging into the Word of God without depending on the teachings or the writings of others is essential to being able to stand strong when false doctrine starts to spread. If all of our learning has been dependant upon the teachings of others, we will easily be deceived when others begin to teach that which is false. We must learn how to dig deep into the doctrines of God's Word on our own so that our foundation will not fail in the face of false teachings.
IT IS IMPORTANT TO DISCUSS DOCTRINE WITH OTHERS: Lest we think that Paul was a "lone ranger minister," he lets us know that he did go and present his teachings to the other leaders of the church to make sure that he was in line with what the other apostles were teaching. The church is called a body because it is made up of many members. Each member is responsible to study Scripture on his own, but each member must also recognize his responsibility to as well as his dependence on the other members of the body. Paul presented his doctrine and gained approval for all that he believed and had taught to the Gentiles. Paul was also courageous enough to stand up to Peter and the others when they were not being consistent with their application of these doctrines when they were in the presence of other Jewish leaders. Peter needed to be corrected and Paul needed to have his understanding confirmed. They both needed the body to function properly. If we are to have hope of being established in our doctrines we must participate actively in the body of Christ. Both confrontation and confirmation are vital to our stability and can only be achieved in the context of the church.
IT IS ESSENTIAL TO BE CRUCIFIED WITH CHRIST: The key to being able to stand firm in our faith is to recognize the our justification is truly only by faith in the work of the crucified Christ. Our tendency is to try to add human effort to the work of Christ. The truth is that when we try to do that we are, by definition, abandoning the true faith of Christianity. The reality is that when Christ was crucified, we were crucified with Him. Our faith in that truth is what saves us from sin as well as enables us to be free from the grip of sin on our hearts. Christ then lives through us that we might be pleasing to God and live for His glory. As long as we are focused on the Gospel of Christ and allowing the Lord to live through us, we will not fall for the false faiths that pop up over and over again. Christ must be the focus and priority of our lives each day.
IT IS IMPORTANT TO STUDY SCRIPTURE BY OURSELVES: Paul made it clear that he was a student of God's Word and that the majority of his learning had taken place while he was alone with the Scriptures and the Spirit. This discipline of digging into the Word of God without depending on the teachings or the writings of others is essential to being able to stand strong when false doctrine starts to spread. If all of our learning has been dependant upon the teachings of others, we will easily be deceived when others begin to teach that which is false. We must learn how to dig deep into the doctrines of God's Word on our own so that our foundation will not fail in the face of false teachings.
IT IS IMPORTANT TO DISCUSS DOCTRINE WITH OTHERS: Lest we think that Paul was a "lone ranger minister," he lets us know that he did go and present his teachings to the other leaders of the church to make sure that he was in line with what the other apostles were teaching. The church is called a body because it is made up of many members. Each member is responsible to study Scripture on his own, but each member must also recognize his responsibility to as well as his dependence on the other members of the body. Paul presented his doctrine and gained approval for all that he believed and had taught to the Gentiles. Paul was also courageous enough to stand up to Peter and the others when they were not being consistent with their application of these doctrines when they were in the presence of other Jewish leaders. Peter needed to be corrected and Paul needed to have his understanding confirmed. They both needed the body to function properly. If we are to have hope of being established in our doctrines we must participate actively in the body of Christ. Both confrontation and confirmation are vital to our stability and can only be achieved in the context of the church.
IT IS ESSENTIAL TO BE CRUCIFIED WITH CHRIST: The key to being able to stand firm in our faith is to recognize the our justification is truly only by faith in the work of the crucified Christ. Our tendency is to try to add human effort to the work of Christ. The truth is that when we try to do that we are, by definition, abandoning the true faith of Christianity. The reality is that when Christ was crucified, we were crucified with Him. Our faith in that truth is what saves us from sin as well as enables us to be free from the grip of sin on our hearts. Christ then lives through us that we might be pleasing to God and live for His glory. As long as we are focused on the Gospel of Christ and allowing the Lord to live through us, we will not fall for the false faiths that pop up over and over again. Christ must be the focus and priority of our lives each day.
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