There is a tension between Paul and the ‘chosen disciples’ of Jesus Christ. While we don’t hear too much about it from Peter or James or John, Paul talks about it in Galatians. First, Paul clearly stated his calling which was revealed to him through Jesus Christ while on the road to Damascus. We sometimes think that Paul got up from his meeting with Ananias and took off on his missionary journeys. While he likely shared what happened to him and began sharing the gospel with others, it seems that he took a few years to ‘restudy’ all that he knew from Scripture and reorganize it in his mind with his newfound faith in Jesus Christ. It was three years before he actually went to Jerusalem to “get acquainted with Peter” and spend a couple of weeks with him likely comparing notes and checking himself on his interpretations (Galatians 1:18). The tension: The disciples were called, but Paul also was clearly called.
Fourteen years later, Paul returned to Jerusalem, this time clearly to recheck what he understood and was teaching with the leadership in the church in Jerusalem. As they left that meeting, Paul says of the leadership in Jerusalem, “All they asked was that we should continue to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do.” Galatians 2:10 The tension: Jewish traditions vs. freedom in Christ.
A third tension, very related to the second tension, also comes out as Paul speaks to the Galatians because of the confusion or uncertainty of what is required to be a follower of Christ. Is it following the law (the circumcision group) or is it justified by grace – faith in Jesus Christ? It seems that there is already a ‘denominational’ split here and Paul is trying very hard to prevent it. This comes out in his discussion of the law vs. grace. While the Jews are trying to force circumcision on the Gentiles, Paul says, “Again I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law.” Galatians 5:3 In other words, if our salvation is hinged on any part of the law, we need to perfectly obey the whole law – which we have proven over and over we are not capable of. The tension: The Law of the Jews; salvation through grace for all.
This third tension comes out when Peter comes to visit and before other Jews show up, he is comfortable eating with Gentiles. But once the Jews show up, they all pull back, including Peter. So Paul confronts Peter with all of them present and says, “Let’s talk about this… Why was Christ crucified if we can be saved by the law?” And then he goes on to talk about what it means to be crucified with Christ. “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing.” Galatians 2:20-21
Paul then uses Scripture – the story of Abraham, Isaac and Ishmael – to further talk about being children of God. “You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.” Galatians 3:26-29
Once Paul is very clear where he stands in these tensions, he goes on to teach what it means to have freedom in Christ. “For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.” Galatians 5:6 “You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. The entire law is summed up in a single command: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.” Galatians 5:13-15
The freedom in Christ that we often miss is the freedom to not be focused on ourselves and our self-centered desires, but rather to love others as Christ loves us and loves them. It is a wonderful peace that comes when I no longer have to compare myself with others or get upset when others don’t cater to my wishes. This freedom comes from caring more about what God thinks than what people think.
When Paul gives his list of things we do in the sinful nature, we tend to see drunkenness and debauchery , pat ourselves on the back for not having problems with that, and ignore “discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy…” Galatians 5:20-21 Yet, I wonder how many times our churches are torn apart by just those things. If we are truly living in the spirit of freedom in Christ, we will see “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” Galatians 5:22 Those come from the transformation that happens when we fully give up our own desires and take on the desires of Christ. Nearly every argument and faction that occurs in our churches, neighborhoods, and families comes from selfish desires clashing with each other. I wonder what it would be like to be part of a church that is full of freedom in Christ (Galatians 5:22) rather than sinful nature (Galatians 5:20-21).
The final tension, then, resides within me. Will I cave in to selfish desires or will I allow God’s spirit to fill me with his desires and experience peace, joy, patience, self-control. Will I choose to live by the law with tidy rules to follow each day (oops, messed up with that one…oh well, no one’s perfect) or will I choose to live in God’s grace being thankful for what Christ did for me and striving to live every breath making sure others know of this freedom in Christ.
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