Galatians 2:6-10 The Agreement
Format for Your Devotions
Instructions: Do not read my example devotion until you have completed your own devotional time in the scriptures. Reading my thoughts first may limit your own understanding. Let the Holy Spirit speak to you alone before looking to see what anyone else has to say, whether it is me, a Bible commentary, or a friend. Let God speak to you before you let another person speak to you. I have provided a format, but modify it to fit your needs. For example, I usually combine my application and prayer together talking to God about the application to my own life. You can go through this devotion process mentally, speaking out loud, or in writing as you wish. Don’t worry if you are not following this process exactly. Sometimes, I add extra information and sometimes I emphasize one part more than others. However, you should always think about what you learn about God from this passage.
Step 1: Pray–Ask for the Holy Spirit’s guidance first of all and that God may reveal the lessons that He wants you to have that day. Request that God protect you from Satan’s distractions (and the devil will try to distract you whether it is pinching the baby or putting you to sleep). Ask to see God more clearly as you read and think about the passage.
Step 2: Read the passage–Read to get an overview of the information first. Then start looking at specific parts after the first reading. You may read a larger or smaller section than I have here because you do not have to follow my organization at all.
Step 3: Understand the passage–You can summarize, ask and answer your own questions about the passage, visualize the story, analyze the characters, and relate this passage to other scriptures and personal experiences.
Step 4: What does this reveal about God?–What do you learn about the Father, Son, and/or Holy Spirit from this passage?
Step 5: Apply this to your own life.
Step 6: Prayer
My Example Devotion: May 28, 2020 Galatians 2:6-10
Note: In the devotion examples, I leave my questions and thought processes in the text because I am trying to demonstrate that a devotional time is a dialogue with God about what you are reading from His word. As such, any questions or ideas that you have should be explored by talking it out with God. These example devotions are not my attempts to teach you what the meaning of a particular scripture is. They are an attempt to teach you the process of devotions, which is a combination of prayer and Bible study where you explore ideas with God as you read His word.
And from those who seemed to be influential (what they were makes no difference to me; God shows no partiality)—those, I say, who seemed influential added nothing to me. On the contrary, when they saw that I had been entrusted with the gospel to the uncircumcised, just as Peter had been entrusted with the gospel to the circumcised (for he who worked through Peter for his apostolic ministry to the circumcised worked also through me for mine to the Gentiles), and when James and Cephas and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given to me, they gave the right hand of fellowship to Barnabas and me, that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised. Only, they asked us to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do.
(Understanding the Text / Revelation of God) Paul makes a point that being an apostle does not make someone more valuable in the sight of God. For God, we are all important and influential and greatly beloved. However, there are some who have more authority in some areas because God has entrusted to them certain areas of responsibility to handle. Paul says that Jesus entrusted the mission to the Jews to Peter and the mission to the Gentiles to Paul. This was actually the agreement that the men came to also. In other words, Paul says that Jesus set this up first. Then he says that humans agreed to do it. James, Peter, and John agreed that their area of influence was the Jews and Barnabas and Paul’s area was the Gentiles. This did not mean that they restricted themselves only to those two groups. Paul always went to synagogues first to gain converts in a new area. Peter was known to have missionary ventures that included Gentiles. Thus, this was not an agreement of limitations. This was an agreement of focus.
(Understanding the Text) Basically, I think that Peter and James knew that they did not have the experience or aptitude to teach a bunch of heathens about Jesus. On the other hand, they saw that Barnabas and Paul were uniquely qualified to mentor idolaters into the knowledge of the one true God. These two men understood the issues, the people, and the methods needed. In addition, Paul and Barnabas had the heart, the calling of the Spirit, to reach these people. They loved them, just as Peter and James loved their own people. On a side note, I think John ended up loving them all equally.
(Application / Revelation of God) My application for myself is that God knows each of His children inside and out. He knows the situation as it has been in the past and present and will be in the future. He chooses the right person for the job. That doesn’t mean that others won’t do the job sometimes or that the chosen person won’t do other things, but God is the best judge of what needs to be done and who needs to do it and what resources they need to do the job.
(Prayer) I ask You to guide me in doing the job that You have set before me. I don’t know what I am doing, so please tell me what You need me to do, who You need me to talk to, and what You need me to say. Help me not to mess up. I keep feeling like I am messing up every time I speak to people, like I am coming on too strong and saying too much and not listening enough. Please help me to have the right balance and not feel judged. Thank You for loving me and choosing me. Guide me to make the right decisions because I know that I will make the wrong ones without Your guidance. Also, please protect us when we carry out those decisions.