Click here to watch my video reflection on our text for today, or keep reading for my written reflections: 

Today’s reading is from Galatians 2: 1-10: 

Then after fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus along with me. 2 I went up in response to a revelation. Then I laid before them (though only in a private meeting with the acknowledged leaders) the gospel that I proclaim among the Gentiles, in order to make sure that I was not running, or had not run, in vain. 3 But even Titus, who was with me, was not compelled to be circumcised, though he was a Greek. 4 But because of false believers secretly brought in, who slipped in to spy on the freedom we have in Christ Jesus, so that they might enslave us— 5 we did not submit to them even for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel might always remain with you. 6 And from those who were supposed to be acknowledged leaders (what they actually were makes no difference to me; God shows no partiality)—those leaders contributed nothing to me. 7 On the contrary, when they saw that I had been entrusted with the gospel for the uncircumcised, just as Peter had been entrusted with the gospel for the circumcised 8 (for he who worked through Peter making him an apostle to the circumcised also worked through me in sending me to the Gentiles), 9 and when James and Cephas and John, who were acknowledged pillars, recognized the grace that had been given to me, they gave to Barnabas and me the right hand of fellowship, agreeing that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised. 10 They asked only one thing, that we remember the poor, which was actually what I was eager to do.

Today we see something very interesting happen to Paul.  Notice what he says that he does.  In verse 2 he says that went to the leaders of the church to talk to them about a vision that he had had, and he wanted to make sure that he was leading and teaching right. As he says, he wants to make sure that he is not running the race in vain.  

Paul goes to the leaders of the church and seeks accountability from them.  This is so important.  We all need someone in our lives to hold us accountable.  We all need someone in our lives who can and will, lovingly speak the truth to us that we need to hear.  

Paul wants to make sure that he is teaching correctly.  So what does he do?  He goes to the leaders of the church and submits himself to them.  He gives them permission to tell him if he has erred or if he needs to change his teaching.  

That is huge, y’all. We all need that.  We all need someone in our lives who we have given permission to that can call us an idiot. And when they say it, we need to listen to it.  Paul knew that.  Paul understood that.  Paul lived that out. 

We should as well. 

Who in your life is that person?  Who in your life is someone when they call you out, you will listen?  If we don’t have that person, we will eventually fall and mess up.  

Paul understood that truth.  We should as well.  Paul had his folk to keep him accountable.  

How about us? 

Tomorrow we’ll look at Galatians 2: 11-14.  

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