The Fellowship, Truth, and Heart of the Gospel Pt. 1 (BG)

Battle Ground Campus

March 6, 2022 • Jon Siebert • Galatians 2:1–14

Whether one likes it or not, reputation plays an important part in various arenas of life. Most of us can
remember a time when we were concerned about other people's perception about us. In business,
companies go to great lengths to develop a good reputation and distance themselves from previous
blunders, knowing it will impact the bottom line. In this section of Galatians, Paul has to defend his ministry
and message to the skeptics. However, his greatest concern is not for how people, or the other apostles
perceive him, but for the purity of the gospel message. Paul desires to show that while the ministry, calling,
and context in which he worked was different compared to Peter, James, and John, they were all unified in
their message. Paul knew that if he permitted a fracture in this message, the reputation of the gospel would
be lost. The gospel was at work in the early church, not creating a two-tiered system between Jew & Gentile
but creating one people who exhibit humility and unity in gathering together because of the grace of God.