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Galatians 2:6-10 (JDV)

Galatians 2:6 Now from those who seemed to be something (what they once were makes no difference to me; God does not take the face of a human) – they added nothing to me.

Galatians 2:7 On the contrary, they saw that I had been entrusted with the gospel for the uncircumcised, just as Peter was for the circumcised,

Galatians 2:8 since the one achieving¹ things in Peter as a missionary to the circumcised was also achieving things in me for the Gentiles.

Galatians 2:9 When James, Cephas, and John– those who had come to be known² as pillars – acknowledged the favor that had been given to me, they gave the right hand of partnership to me and Barnabas, agreeing that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised.

Galatians 2:10 They asked only that we would remember the poor, which I had made every effort to do.

same gospel, different missions

The gospel of God’s favor to all is appropriate for all, but it will take people with different commitments and different gifts to reach each people group with the message. The Jerusalem pillars recognized this fact, and agreed to partner with Paul and his team. The Judaizers were trying to undo the differences, which is not at all what God wants.

The change that God wants to make inside you is not to make you a cookie-cutter version of other Christians. He wants you to different, because those very differences can be the key to reaching others with the one gospel.

Lord, open our eyes to the differences we can make as we partner with others to share the same gospel.