Day 4 – Paul Accepted by the Apostles

Spend time reading and rereading and taking not of keywords in Galatians 2:1-10

1 Fourteen years later I went up again to Jerusalem, this time with Barnabas. I took Titus along also. 2 I went in response to a revelation and set before them the gospel that I preach among the Gentiles. But I did this privately to those who seemed to be leaders, for fear that I was running or had run my race in vain. 3Yet not even Titus, who was with me, was compelled to be circumcised, even though he was a Greek. 4This matter arose because some false brothers had infiltrated our ranks to spy on the freedom we have in Christ Jesus and to make us slaves. 5We did not give in to them for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel might remain with you.
6As for those who seemed to be important—whatever they were makes no difference to me; God does not judge by external appearance—those men added nothing to my message. 7On the contrary, they saw that I had been entrusted with the task of preaching the gospel to the Gentiles, just as Peter had been to the Jews. 8 For God, who was at work in the ministry of Peter as an apostle to the Jews, was also at work in my ministry as an apostle to the Gentiles. 9James, Peter and John, those reputed to be 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 Jews. 10All they asked was that we should continue to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do.

Questions:
What are some key observations about what Paul has been called to?

How does that help us understand more God’s heart?

Things to reflect on:
Many things can be drawn from this passage. Paul’s desire to reach out to the Gentiles (the non-Jewish people) which very revolutionary back in that time. The Jews were God’s chosen people. They were the ones that the message was suppose to be given to. God however was making it very clear that the message was for everyone. God’s chosen people were always suppose to share that with those around them. We should always remember the ways that God wants us to reach out to everyone that as His children we are called to be Blessed to be a Blessing. Lastly, something we neglect so much in churches now is the last portion of this section – to “remember” the poor. The disciples and Paul were so eager to love and remember the poor. This is a challenge for us to do the same instead of just being comfortable and desiring so much more of our own comfort in the materialistic sense. Spend some time in prayer

Thursday: Pray for the church (small c)
Pray for Sunday School teachers for the winter and spring. WCAC is currently short staffed in this area