Editor’s Note: The AMI QT devotionals from May 30th – June 5th are provided by Cami King. Cami, a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, is about to complete her M.Div. at Gordon- Conwell Theological Seminary. She is currently serving as a staff member at Journey Community Church in Raleigh.
Devotional Thoughts for Today
Galatians 2:11-14
When Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. 12 For before certain men came from James, 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. 13 The other Jews joined him in his hypocrisy, so that by their hypocrisy even Barnabas was led astray. 14 When I saw that they were not acting in line with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas in front of them all, “You are a Jew, yet you live like a Gentile and not like a Jew. How is it, then, that you force Gentiles to follow Jewish customs?
When I first became a Christian, Paul was one of the few major Bible characters it took me a really long time to warm up to (I’m actually still working on it). This is one of the passages that contributed to that. It just seems harsh (and a little bit arrogant). However, with every passing year and greater maturity (hopefully), I’ve come to see the wisdom in Paul’s actions and the importance of what we stand to learn from them.
No one enjoys having to correct someone who is in the wrong (well, no normal person) because it’s uncomfortable. Pastor Steven J. Cole, listed several reasons why… I’ll give you his top three: (1) fear – we don’t want to upset or be rejected by the person; (2) a misunderstanding of Matthew 7:1 – we think Jesus is saying all judgments are judgmental; (3) an awareness of our own sinfulness – this is where the phrase “who am I to judge?” often come into play. Regardless of the slew of reasons we don’t offer correction when we see a brother or sister in error, the one reason we should is that we are commanded to do it. Not only this, but it’s the most loving thing we can do for them.
When Paul describes his correction of Peter in verse 11, the reason he gives for doing it is that Peter “stood condemned.” Not only was Peter wrong and leading those who followed him astray, but he himself stood condemned before the Lord for his sin. That’s a big deal! When we see our brothers and sisters in error, we should be mindful that their sin ruptures their relationship with God and, if we love them at all, we should feel compelled to come alongside them in mending it. And we should appreciate others who do the same for us as well. Are there people in your life God is calling you to correct? May you do so by speaking the truth in love. Is there correction God is calling you to receive? May you do so with humility and appreciation.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, grant me the courage and love to offer a word of correction to those around me who need to hear it. Help me to have a heart of humility that receives correction from others with an open and humble heart. In Jesus’s name. Amen.
Bible Reading for Today: Psalm 61
Lunch Break Study
Read 2 Timothy 2:22-26: So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. 23 Have nothing to do with foolish, ignorant controversies; you know that they breed quarrels. 24 And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, 25 correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, 26 and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.
Questions to Consider:
- According to verse 22, what should we as believers be constantly pursuing? Think about your typical day – how much of your energy and attention is devoted to the pursuit of these things?
- Paul lists several characteristics that should be present in the person who is offering correction to others. What are they?
- What should be our motivation for correcting those in the wrong?
Notes:
- We should be pursuing righteousness, faith, love, and peace.
- Paul encourages Timothy (and each of us by extension) to be kind, able to teach (both possessing knowledge and an ability to communicate it), patient, and gentle in our correction of others.
- That they may escape the snare of the devil. We want to protect them from the schemes of the enemy so they are free to live the abundant life God offers.
Evening Reflection
How do you typically respond to correction by others? Are you defensive and dismissive or are you thankful and thoughtful? How do you respond to situations where you have to offer correction to others? What, if anything, keeps you from challenging a brother or sister when you see them in the wrong? Spend some time reflecting on these things with the Lord.
One of my favorite preachers often says that in all his seminary training, no one ever taught him how to exegete a white space. By that, he means that in all the verses of Scriptures chronicling the lives of our heroes, there are lots of things in the middle: moments between God’s calling and the fulfillment of His promises, between conversion and effective ministry, moments of waiting, heart ache, persecution, confusion, strife that are not written down. They happened in between the recorded moments, and exist somewhere in the white spaces between words on the page.
Editor’s Note: The AMI QT devotionals from May 30th – June 5th are provided by Cami King. Cami, a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, is about to complete her M.Div. at Gordon- Conwell Theological Seminary. She is currently serving as a staff member at Journey Community Church in Raleigh. 
“When one of my friends becomes a Christian, which happens about every 10 years because I am a sheep about sharing my faith, the experience is euphoric. I see in their eyes the trueness of the story.” (Donald Miller, Blue Like Jazz: Nonreligious Thoughts on Christian Spirituality)
A few weeks ago, I attended my seminary’s graduation and heard two speakers for the weekend – a professor of business ethics for Baccalaureate and a well-known local pastor for Commencement. They were two very different speeches from two very different perspectives, but both centered around reflections in light of the changing culture and uneasy social and political climate in America. For those who know me well, it’s no secret that I am a self-proclaimed sermon junkie. As I listen to my usual line-up these days, preachers from around the country, from various denominational, theological, socio-economic backgrounds, continue to address how the church should respond to current political and social realities. This has been a question for me personally as well – what should be my response as a Christian to the slew of partisan issues and hot-button topics abuzz in the media, on university campuses, and around dining room tables alike?
Paul spends a lot of time in the beginning of this letter legitimizing his gospel message and the authority with which He preaches it. Apparently, that authority was being questioned by those influencing his readers, and Paul wanted to set the record straight – that his message and authority are from God alone. Although none of us has quite the same mission as Paul, as we are not Apostles, we are all on mission for the Lord. Wherever we are and in all that we do, we have been led by God to that place and been given Good News to share with those around us.
The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration one can receive in the US, awarded directly by the President himself. It is for those who have shown the greatest bravery in a time of great need. An example of this is Master Sergeant Roy Benavidez, who risked his life to save 12 men by boldly stepping into enemy infested territory. One survivor highlights how Benavidez was shot over 20 times, suffered a grenade explosion, and yet crawled to his men to give out water and ammunition. When I think of the words “bold” and “courage,” he is certainly someone that embodies them, and in many ways, these words also reflect the life that Apostle Paul lived for the gospel. In fact, today’s passage is an accurate mission statement of Paul’s life.
One of the greatest privileges I’ve had in my Christian journey was to share the gospel with a friend. The conversation initially started philosophically, centering on the evil of mankind. We explored some of the worst events in history along with those happening today and found no hope for mankind. I don’t know how or why, but we changed topics to the Bible—thank You, Jesus! I conjured up as many Bible stories a churched kid could remember, starting from the Gospels, sharing the accounts of Jesus and the manner in which He loved people. He was in utter disbelief and his only response was, “Tell me more. Tell me more about this Jesus.” These were the same stories that I heard repeatedly growing up, yet his reaction amazed me—it was as if he found a new treasure. He expressed great interest in the person of Jesus, his culture, and how Jesus talked to certain people—everything. If only every member in church could listen as attentively as my friend did, the church would have revival! It was then I realized just how dull my heart had become to God’s truth.
A while ago, I had the privilege of meeting a member of one of most notorious gangs in the US. At the age of 12, he walked the streets with his first assignment to shoot a rival member in order to prove his loyalty. His reason for joining was that it gave him a sense of purpose, belongingness, and value. He spent the next five years wasting his life, resulting in unforgettable memories that he now trembles at when recalling such experiences. By the end of those years, he was caught and said that at the time, it was the greatest disappointment for him and his gang, yet later, he realized it was the greatest appointment by a Savior who was calling him. What was ironic for him was that he began to learn what hope really meant behind bars in a dark, hopeless prison cell.
Cut loose the lifeboat. Imagine us being the men on the boat. We barely survived a storm and as we’re finally approaching land, the “godly man” says to stay on the boat. The crazier part is to see my fellow soldiers listening to Paul and cutting our only lifeboat and letting it go. At this point, I would’ve jumped off the boat and swam after the lifeboat. What got into the minds of these soldiers to do something so radical? Some might call it crazy, but I would call it faith.
Whenever I complained about school, my parents always told me the most extravagant stories: “When I was young I had to climb mountains, walk 5 miles each way, and hunt for my lunch just to go to school.” It was the go-to motivational speech in the Kim household, with the same message: “You have it good, so no complaints.” By no means do I undermine my parent’s past, because I fully acknowledge that I am blessed today because of their sufferings. Maybe some of us do not share the same story, but we can all agree that the life we live today is possible because someone in the past has paved the way. Even Isaac Newton acknowledges that all the things he had accomplished were made feasible by “standing upon the shoulders of giants.”