A Place at the Table

I’ve been reading N.T. Wright’s commentary on Paul’s letter to the Galatians. I love the fresh perspective he brings to what is likely the earliest New Testament document.

Many pastors and teachers follow the Reformation approach to interpreting Galatians. Therefore, they see this letter as primarily teaching salvation by grace apart from works. I agree with the doctrine of salvation by God’s grace through faith alone in Christ. Romans is very clear about this truth.

Galatians, however, is not primarily focused on this important doctrine. Yes, we can see it in the six chapters of this New Testament book, but the driving force of Galatians is what I like to call “a place at the table.”

When Paul describes his confrontation with the apostle Peter in the second chapter of Galatians, he tells us he rebuked Peter publicly. The reason? Before some Jewish Christians, who believed Gentiles needed to become Jews to accept Messiah and be saved, showed up in Antioch, Peter was enjoying meals with the Gentile believers there. Here’s what Paul says -

When Cephas (Peter) came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. For before certain men came from James (the head of the Jerusalem church), he used to eat with the Gentiles. But when they arrived, he began to draw back and separate himself from the Gentiles because he was afraid of those who belonged to the circumcision group. (Gal. 2:11–12, NIV, my comments in parentheses.)

Here’s the real issue throughout Galatians — Do Gentiles need to become Jews to place their faith in Messiah?

It’s easy to miss this if we understand the word law, that is used throughout Galatians to refer to the moral law. But as Wright points out, Paul’s understanding of “law” encompasses the entire covenant God entered into with Israel at Mount Sinai. When we understand “law” in this light, we recognize that what is going on is the demand for a cultural conversion on the part of all Gentiles seeking to be saved in Messiah Jesus.

Paul’s response to this throughout this militant (yes, militant) letter is NO!

The well-known words of Galatians 3:28 sum it up -

“There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male or female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” (Italics mine.)

Paul is not saying there are literally no differences between these people groups. His point throughout the letter is that Christ abolishes these cultural and social distinctions that separate and divide people into various classes.

This is exactly what the Jewish Christians were doing by demanding Gentiles become covenant (Old Covenant, Mount Sinai Covenant) Jews.

The New Covenant in Christ Jesus supersedes and abolishes the Old. The result of this is all the world’s diverse cultures are woven together in Christ to make up God’s new people.

Ephesians 3:10 puts it this way (and I love this!) -

“His (God’s) intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known” (Italics mine.)

The word translated manifold is the same Greek word used in the Greek translation of the Old Testament to describe Joseph’s multi-colored coat. So, what Paul is saying is that through Jesus, God’s multi-colored wisdom is revealed.

Red and yellow, black and white, they are precious in His sight!

All people, regardless of their social or cultural differences, are welcome at the table of our Lord. As someone who has traveled and interacted with many people groups, I can tell you there are some things in cultures different from my own that I’m not too keen on, maybe even turned off a bit.

But here’s the thing — If I judge others by their cultural differences, if I disdain them because they are not like me, I’m committing the same kind of exclusionary Christianity as those early Jewish Christians who wanted all Gentiles to become like them. In fact, they insisted that the status of these Gentiles with God was questionable at best and possibly non-existent.

There is so much more I could say about this, and I expect, at some point, I will. But let me quickly point out one thing that I think we need to carefully consider as Christians living in a time of great social and cultural change.

We need to be careful we do not make the same mistake as those Jewish Christians in Galatians. Paul calls them “false brothers.” I’m not so sure he’s saying they are not really Christians, as much as he is referring to their theology of division that nullified the work of Christ.

We are, all of us, shaped by our culture. Much of our identity as people and as Christians is found in culture.

The culture I grew up in during the 1960s and 1970s has shaped my life as an American and as a Christian. Because of this, it’s very easy for me to understand my faith in Christ through the lens of this cultural perspective. In fact, I’m certain that I do.

But the culture I’m in today is different from that in which I grew up.

What that means is I must diligently seek to understand other cultures (in my country and throughout the world) through the eyes of Jesus. It’s going to be hard for me to do that if my Christianity is anchored completely in my cultural past.

I’m fairly certain most of us never even consider this issue. But we should! Our witness as followers of Jesus depends on it.

It’s not easy, and there are a lot of issues out there today that, frankly, we as Christians need to stand against. But there are also a lot in which we need to be more understanding, open-minded, and open-armed.

The world and all those in it need to know about God’s multi-colored wisdom; it is the key to seeing others join us in Christ and taking their place, with us, at the table.

“I in them and you in me — so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.” (John 17:23)

In Christ,

Dan

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