In studying Galatians 2, I found several ways to keep unity and encouragement in the church.
1. verse 1: Paul takes Barnabas and Titus along with him. He mentors them by including them.
2. verse 2: Paul submitted himself for analysis by the Jerusalem leaders to make sure what he was preaching was in alignment with what they were preaching.
3. verse 5: openness yet not swaying from the truth
4. verse 6: no partiality, intimidation or competition: Paul didn’t feel intimidated by those who had known Jesus personally and were leaders in the church
5. verse 7: delegation and division of labor according to God’s calling (Peter called to the Jews and Paul to the Gentiles)
6. verse 8: recognizing God’s work in each and every one in unique ways
7. verse 9: encouragement and approval through the “right hand of fellowship”
8. verse 11: when confrontation is needed, communicate face to face. Don’t go around gossiping about what someone else is doing.
May we commit to these important guidelines.