Listening in on Galatians is like hearing one side of the telephone call. We get a picture of what is happening by looking closely at the mirror side of what the Apostle Paul is saying. Here in this section of Galatians—- we can gather that some where spreading false messages about the Apostle Paul. Paul mentions these other missionaries various times in the letter (1:6-9; 3:1-2, 5; 4:17; 5:7-12; 6:12-14). Throughout the letter Paul uses “you” to refer to the Galatians and “they” to refer to the missionaries. Therefore, we know they are not members of the Galatian churches. What were they saying? They were likely saying he was a not a real apostle or a delusional junior member of the Jerusalem Apostles. The detractors might have even suggested that they were true representatives of Christianity and that the Apostle Paul was a rogue independent. The Apostle Paul’s response is to tell the Galatians about the story of his encounter with Jesus, his calling, his accountability, and the way the pillars of the church extended “the right hand of fellowship”(2:9) towards him. The Apostle Paul responds to the doubts of his apostleship and the completeness of the Gospel he preached with pointing to how Jesus has reordered his life and how others have seen it. In the same way, knowing who we are in Jesus, knowing our calling, and being known by the community around us—-can help us counter the doubts and deceptions that may come our way.
Listening in on Galatians is like hearing one side of the telephone call. We get a picture of what is happening by looking closely at the mirror side of what the Apostle Paul is saying. Here in this section of Galatians—- we can gather that some where spreading false messages about the Apostle Paul. Paul mentions these other missionaries various times in the letter (1:6-9; 3:1-2, 5; 4:17; 5:7-12; 6:12-14). Throughout the letter Paul uses “you” to refer to the Galatians and “they” to refer to the missionaries. Therefore, we know they are not members of the Galatian churches. What were they saying? They were likely saying he was a not a real apostle or a delusional junior member of the Jerusalem Apostles. The detractors might have even suggested that they were true representatives of Christianity and that the Apostle Paul was a rogue independent. The Apostle Paul’s response is to tell the Galatians about the story of his encounter with Jesus, his calling, his accountability, and the way the pillars of the church extended “the right hand of fellowship”(2:9) towards him. The Apostle Paul responds to the doubts of his apostleship and the completeness of the Gospel he preached with pointing to how Jesus has reordered his life and how others have seen it. In the same way, knowing who we are in Jesus, knowing our calling, and being known by the community around us—-can help us counter the doubts and deceptions that may come our way.