Sunday, January 21: “God Intentions I”

Galatians 2: 10: “They only asked us to remember the poor–the very thing I also was eager to do.”

There were so many things James, Cephas [Peter], and John could have told Paul to do–maintain a proper theology, conduct your services in a decent and orderly manner, keep the ungodly out of the Church–but they required “only” this. Considering the many provisions Moses made for the poor; considering David’s words that “the needy will not always be forgotten, nor the hope of the poor be taken away” (Psalm 9: 18); considering that this same James later wrote that pure and undefiled religion was to visit widows and orphans in their distress (James 1: 27); should we be surprised at their concern that the Gentile Churches (that’s us) follow the same example?