… and all the brothers and sisters with me,
Summary: Paul continues to add layers of authority to his message.
Who is Paul referring to when he writes, “all the brothers and sisters with me…”? In some of his letters, Paul tells us who is with him. In this letter, he is all business. The reference to who is with him does not personalize Paul’s letter. In this case, Paul mentions these people to add power and authority to his words.
- Paul writes to the Galatians, not just as a concerned friend but as an apostle.
- He writes not as an ordinary apostle but as one sent from Jesus.
- His apostleship is not just from Jesus but from God the Father.
- Oh — and Paul adds, “Everyone with me, too.”
If there was any doubt that Paul was speaking from a position of authority, it should be gone by now. Adding the voices of “all the brothers and sisters with me” emphasizes that Paul is not speaking as an individual. He is speaking for the Lord and the Church body as a whole.
Imagine you belong to a church, and the pastor calls you into his office for a talk. As you walk into his office, you notice that he is not smiling, and there is a serious tone to his voice. After you both are seated, he clears his throat and begins to address a personal situation that he believes you need to correct.
At first, you are embarrassed and a bit angry. You had no idea that what you were doing was wrong. No one else had said anything. You might reasonably ask yourself, “Who does he think he is?” Being corrected feels personal, and it is fair to wonder if the pastor is just pushing off his personal opinions and preferences on you.
Then he starts quoting the Bible. Not just one verse but passage after passage, Old Testament and New. God’s Word is clear; what you were doing is not right by the Word of God. The situation is starting to get serious, but you still might reasonably wonder, “Isn’t this between me and God?”
Next, the pastor points out that his concern is shared by others.
“Who?,” you wonder.
The Council, the Elder Board, the Deacons, and all the church Staff share the same views. The pastor has not come to this point alone. He has thought and prayed about it. He has consulted Scripture. The issue has been discussed with all the church leadership.
Do you notice how the stakes seem to go up a notch as the pastor explains each new level of authority involved? The same would have been true for the churches in Galatia. Paul is not writing a friendly letter. This is a difficult topic, even if Paul had been there in person. The fact that he was forced to write a letter provides valuable insight into the way Paul guides the body of Christ.
Application: Correcting others is a delicate task that requires both authority and love.
Food for Thought: How should we respond to correction?
Proverbs 15: 31 – 33: He who listens to life-giving reproof will dwell among the wise. He who ignores discipline despises himself, but whoever heeds correction gains understanding. The fear of the LORD is the instruction of wisdom, and humility comes before honor.
Proverbs 12: 1: Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates reproof is stupid.
The Scriptures are given partly for correction (2 Timothy 3: 16).
2Timothy 4: 2: Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.
Galatians 6: 1: Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted.
If the person giving us correction is doing so out of love and is biblically accurate in what they are saying, it would be wise to listen, reflect, pray and make changes accordingly. We have all been there. It is never fun, but it is an opportunity for growth. We might just end up thanking them later.
Rich,
I appreciate your thoughtful response! I also appreciate your point about giving correction out of love.
If someone offers correction correctly, there is the implication that they are doing it because they care. That can be a loving act.
Correction from a position of assumed authority, demanding conformance, can be a harmful act.
If we are offering correction, it is important to remember the difference. Without the foundation of a loving relationship, all that is left to force compliance is a stick.
Good devotion this morning and I really liked Rich’s response and the verses.
I think anytime we are faced with something we aren’t prepared to hear, we should be “quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger.”
I also think that it is good to remember what Jesus said in Matthew 18:18 “Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” There is a greater accountability to what we do here on earth.
Chris,
Great points! The “quick to listen” verse (James 1:19) is a powerful admonition for all situations and applies extremely well to correction. The “greater accountability” point you raise is also important and could be a jumping off point for a great deal more discussion.
12-01-2023, How should we respond to correction?
Rich covered this well!
Believers are imperfect beings seeking to serve our perfect God and correction is a critical, essential aspect of our spiritual growth.
Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called today, that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.
Hebrews 3:12-13
We are called to separate ourselves from the ways of this world as we become active members of the body of Christ on this earth.
Our bibles are God’s owners manual for all. Prayerfully study and application of God’s truths leads to submission to His will as He brings corrective change into our hearts which bring us closer to Him.
We must embrace a teachable spirit knowing, accepting the importance of receiving correction of others as we acknowledge our imperfections, responding with grace and gratitude toward more mature brothers and sisters, as examples of accepting correction.
Thanks Ron!
Having a ‘teachable spirit’ is key to so many of the good things in life. Of course the greatest teacher of all is Jesus. Our hearts need to be tuned to his teaching at all times.