Galatians 2.3 But
even Titus, who was with me, was not forced to be circumcised, though he was a
Greek. – St. Paul
In Galatians 2 Paul uses the descriptor ‘even’ twice.
Once to describe Titus, and the other to describe Barnabas. In both instances,
Paul used ‘even’ to convey the magnitude of the situation. In one instance,
Paul said even Titus was not forced
(or guilted into) kowtowing to the Jews who durst would have him be circumcised
to validate his faith.
The other instance was tragic in that even Barnabas, the inimitable Barnabas, was guilted into kowtowing to the Pharisaic
pressure the orthodox-ers. Kowtowing to the point that Paul had to take such drastic
action as to verbally whup Peter upside the ego for his kowtowing. That’s the
importance and magnitude of what was going on in Galatia and the new Church.
They say, blood is
thicker than water. I think that means we stick intellectually and
behaviorally more to family and relatives than to non-family and non-relatives.
I think in the religious world there is the same thing; the same sort of
unreasonable thinking, judging, and behaving based on belief, bias, and
behavior. (In many churches, it seems it is more about behaving first in order
to belong later, than it is in believing at all …)
That’s the way it seemed in the days of the early church:
trying to live, and extract itself out of centuries of Mosaic influence.
That’s what Paul was so opposed to in Galatia, and why the tenor of his epistle
was so stern and reproachful; these Galatians were doing the very thing for which Paul
chastised Peter, one of the originals.
It is refreshing in the midst of all this, the inimitable
Titus – one the Galatians apparently knew – wasn’t willing to be bullied into
doing something that would validate his relationship with Jesus other than keeping
his faith. That’s exactly what Paul begged the Galatians to do: keep the faith
and resist the rules.
Titus was pretty darn sure of two things: his faith and himself. Aren’t we called
to simply that as well? Titus, even
Titus, wouldn’t allow someone or something to undercut his belief in the
complete providential and propitiatory sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Even Titus,
the newbie in Christ knew what he
knew, and knew where he stood – not even he, a stranger to Jewish custom and
theology, knew nothing could be added to the cross of Christ and Him crucified.
Way to go Titus!!! Know who you are and
where you stand.
This is an important lesson to me: know who I am, Whose I am; and where I stand. There is no safer
place than that. But also, when others see me, and know me, they say, not even Turk would stoop to that. It
says a lot about one’s relationship with Christ – and, the magnitude of the daily assault upon the child of God.
Father, help us to
stand so strong in You that others would say of us: not even they would cave to that… Amen
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