Galatians 6, Some practical things

Paul begins to wrap up his letter with some short instructions, similar in style to the proverbial statements of Jewish wisdom.  Among the instructions are some personal concerns and comments.

Galatians 6: 1-8, Humility and compassion
Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted.

Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.

If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself.  Each one should test his own actions. Then he can take pride in himself, without comparing himself to somebody else,  for each one should carry his own load.

Anyone who receives instruction in the word must share all good things with his instructor.

Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.  The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.

Paul's instructions express concern about caring for others and carrying their burdens.  Compassion and humility are important characteristics.  So is patience, as implied in the agricultural metaphor about "reaping".  

Galatians 6: 9-10, Do good!
Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.

I am encouraged by the fact that good actions lead to good results, a "good harvest", but the process may take some time.

Galatians 6: 11, My signature
See what large letters I use as I write to you with my own hand!

This is a strange verse.  Presumably Paul has been dictating the letter but now takes the pen and writes a personal note.  If we believe (see Galatians 4:15) that Paul had bad eyesight, then one can image Paul picking up a pen, squinting over the text and scrawling, in large letters, the sentence above.

Galatians 6:12-16, Live more than "good impressions"!
Those who want to make a good impression outwardly are trying to compel you to be circumcised. The only reason they do this is to avoid being persecuted for the cross of Christ. Not even those who are circumcised obey the law, yet they want you to be circumcised that they may boast about your flesh.

May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything; what counts is a new creation. Peace and mercy to all who follow this rule, even to the Israel of God.

Outwardly, legalism and asceticism will appear to be "religious", appear to meet some type of high discipline.  But this is only an outward appearance.  Following Jesus, guided by the Holy Spirit, living in love and compassion, that is a much more subtle life.  It is deeper and, in some ways, much less visible.

Galatians 6: 17-18, The marks of Jesus
Finally, let no one cause me trouble, for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus.

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit,brothers. Amen.

Amen. ("So be it!")

Some time after writing the letter to Galatians, Paul pens a more careful theological treatise to the church in Rome.  That letter will be the subject of our next study.

Galatians 5, Christian Life: Love in the Spirit

Paul has argued that the contribution of the Jewish Law was to lead people to the Messiah.  Now Paul moves on to practical applications of this truth.

Galatians 5:1-3, Stand up to legalism!
It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all. Again I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law.

Paul insists that the believer must stand up to legalism.

Galatians 5: 4-6, Faith through love
You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace. But by faith we eagerly await through the Spirit the righteousness for which we hope. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.

It is not works or circumcision that matter, but an active faith.  (Active faith involves love!)

Galatians 5: 7-12,  Legalism is dangerous
You were running a good race. Who cut in on you and kept you from obeying the truth? That kind of persuasion does not come from the one who calls you. "A little yeast works through the whole batch of dough." I am confident in the Lord that you will take no other view. The one who is throwing you into confusion will pay the penalty, whoever he may be.

Brothers, if I am still preaching circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? In that case the offense of the cross has been abolished. As for those agitators, I wish they would go the whole way and emasculate themselves!

Paul confronts, in harsh words, the Judaizers who want to push the new believers into the strictures of Judaism.  A deeper principle is that legalism drains joy and truth out of the believer.  It is this book that led me, as a college student, to realize that Christians cannot accept legalism, but must (in various ways) confront it when it occurs.

Galatians 5: 13-15, Love one another
You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love.

The entire law is summed up in a single command: "Love your neighbor as yourself." 

If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.

The quote in verse 14 is from Leviticus 19:18.  But Jesus also gave that summary of the Law; see for example Mark 12:30-31 or John 13:34.

The phrase "sinful nature" in verse 13 is literally, "in the flesh" (NIV footnotes.)

Galatians 5: 16-21, Live by the Spirit

So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want.

But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law. The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

We meet the expectations of the Law when we live guided by the Holy Spirit.

Galatians 5: 22-26, Children of God
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.

After the "acts of sinful nature" in verses 19-21, Paul switches over to the more positive results of living a life in the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

In the next chapter of Galatians, Paul wraps up his instructions with some personal, almost private, comments.

Galatians 4, The Law a Tutor

Paul continues his theological argument on the contribution of the Jewish Law.

Galatians 4: 1-5, Children of God
What I am saying is that as long as the heir is a child, he is no different from a slave, although he owns the whole estate. He is subject to guardians and trustees until the time set by his father. So also, when we were children, we were in slavery under the basic principles of the world.

But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons.

In this metaphor we are children in a rich estate, waiting for the privileges of adulthood. During our childhood, we are tutored by other adults and we have no standing in the family, other than the eventual inheritance.  The Tutor represents the Old Testament Law, a temporary thing replaced (here) by adulthood. Paul stresses the dramatic difference between the slave and the child; early on they are not distinguishable, but adulthood separates them dramatically.

This metaphor is clearly cultural and does not fit today. The closest we might come today would be to recall the "downstairs" servants and "upstairs" masters of Victorian English society (eg., Dowton Abbey.)

All of this was planned. Jesus arrived to fulfill the Law "when the time had fully come."

Galatians 4: 6-10, Live as God's Children!
Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, <"Abba>, Father." So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir.

Formerly, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those who by nature are not gods. But now that you know God--or rather are known by God--how is it that you are turning back to those weak and miserable principles? Do you wish to be enslaved by them all over again? You are observing special days and months and seasons and years!

Abba (verse 6) is Aramaic for "Father", closer to "Daddy," the phrase a young child might babble at his dad.  It is an intimate word.

Paul argues that when one becomes an adult, it is silly to try to return to the childhood days when others took care of you and told you what to do.  (These old safe things apparently included a legalistic calendar?  I don't understand verse 10.)

What does it mean, "by nature are not gods"? Now, through the Holy Spirit, are we "gods"?

Galatians 4: 11-16, You Lost Your Joy!
I fear for you, that somehow I have wasted my efforts on you.

I plead with you, brothers, become like me, for I became like you. You have done me no wrong. As you know, it was because of an illness that I first preached the gospel to you. Even though my illness was a trial to you, you did not treat me with contempt or scorn. Instead, you welcomed me as if I were an angel of God, as if I were Christ Jesus himself.

What has happened to all your joy? I can testify that, if you could have done so, you would have torn out your eyes and given them to me. Have I now become your enemy by telling you the truth?

One sign of living in the Holy Spirit, unshackled by legalism, is Joy.  Paul reminds the Galatians that they were once indeed joyous about the Gospel.  But they have changed, as they bow to legalism.

I have found "joy" to be a good test of whether I am living by legalism or by grace.

Paul had a serious illness when he first arrived in Galatia; some see verse 15 as indicating the illness had something to do with Paul's eyes.  Maybe he had poor eyesight?  The Galatians original love for Paul was so strong that they would have given him their own eyes if they could.

Verse 16, ("Have I now become your enemy by telling you the truth?") is beautiful expression of concern by Paul. But it is much abused these days. There are a lot of strangers on the internet eager to "Tell the truth", using this verse as their excuse.

Galatians 4: 17-20, Grow, dear children, Grow!
Those people are zealous to win you over, but for no good. What they want is to alienate you [from us], so that you may be zealous for them. It is fine to be zealous, provided the purpose is good, and to be so always and not just when I am with you.

My dear children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you, how I wish I could be with you now and change my tone, because I am perplexed about you!

Paul oscillates between scolding and concern.

Galatians 4: 21-27, Hagar and Sarah
Tell me, you who want to be under the law, are you not aware of what the law says? For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the slave woman and the other by the free woman.

His son by the slave woman was born in the ordinary way; but his son by the free woman was born as the result of a promise. These things may be taken figuratively, for the women represent two covenants. One covenant is from Mount Sinai and bears children who are to be slaves: This is Hagar.

Now Hagar stands for Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present city of Jerusalem, because she is in slavery with her children.

 But the Jerusalem that is above is free, and she is our mother. For it is written: "Be glad, O barren woman, who bears no children; break forth and cry aloud, you who have no labor pains; because more are the children of the desolate woman than of her who has a husband."

In Genesis 12:1-3, God promised Abraham that he would become a great nation.  When decades passed and Abraham had not had a single child, Abraham had a child by Hagar, a servant woman, in hopes that this would bring about the promise of God.  Abraham's impregnation of Hagar is a vivid Old Testament example of Abraham's lack of faith. His eventual child, later by Sarah, is on the contrary, evidence that God is trustworthy.  The metaphor is clear: we can try to work out our own salvation through the mechanism of the Law or rely on God.

The quote at the end of this passage (verse 27) is from Isaiah 54:1.  All of this passage is very Jewish; it would make little sense to the untrained Gentile.

Galatians 4: 28-31, Children of Promise
Now you, brothers, like Isaac, are children of promise. At that time the son born in the ordinary way persecuted the son born by the power of the Spirit. It is the same now.

But what does the Scripture say? "Get rid of the slave woman and her son, for the slave woman's son will never share in the inheritance with the free woman's son." Therefore, brothers, we are not children of the slave woman, but of the free woman.

The quote in verse 30 is from Genesis 21:10. Paul returns to his call for freedom from legalism.

This strange metaphor continues – the people of Galatia are to toss aside Jewish legalism just as Abraham tossed aside Hagar!

For further thought: This chapter emphasizes that believers are children in a family, not followers of some religious dogma. Think on that.  In your relationship with God, you are a silly, naive, childish, vulnerable being who is loved regardless of his/her immaturity and frailty!

Next time: In the next chapter, Paul begins to provide practical applications of this freedom.

Galatians 3, The Law and Abraham

Paul follows his personal history (chapters 1 and 2) with a theological treatise on the work of God in a human life.  He challenges those who have received the Holy Spirit to then live daily "in the Spirit". His argument is based on both the previous experience of the Galatian converts and Old Testament passages about the father of the Jewish people, Abraham.

Galatians 3:1-5, Birth, then Growth, by the Holy Spirit 
You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified. I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law, or by believing what you heard? Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort?

Have you suffered so much for nothing--if it really was for nothing? Does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you because you observe the law, or because you believe what you heard?

Paul's argument is a logical one -- if one understands that their salvation was not their own doing, but a response to the Crucified One, why would they expect their continued growth to be different?

Galatians 3:6-8, Looking Back to Abraham
Consider Abraham: "He believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness." Understand, then, that those who believe are children of Abraham. The Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: "All nations will be blessed through you." So those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.

The quote in verse 6 is from Gen. 15:6.  The quote in verse 8 appears in Old Testament passages Gen. 12:3; 18:18; 22:18.  Paul argues that the Jews, who descended from Abraham, should follow Abraham's example of righteousness through faith.

Galatians 3:10-14, The Law Brought a Curse
All who rely on observing the law are under a curse, for it is written: "Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law."  Clearly no one is justified before God by the law, because, "The righteous will live by faith." The law is not based on faith; on the contrary, "The man who does these things will live by them."

Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: "Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree." He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.

With a series of Old Testament quotations, Paul emphasizes that there is a cost to following the Law, (that is, the commands of the Old Testament Torah.)  The quote in verse 10 is from Deuteronomy 27:26; that in verse 11 is from  Habakkuk 2:4; the quote in verse 12 is from Leviticus 18:5 and the quote in verse 13 is from  Deuteronomy 21:23.

Galatians 3:15-18, The Promise to Abraham
Brothers, let me take an example from everyday life. Just as no one can set aside or add to a human covenant that has been duly established, so it is in this case.  The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. The Scripture does not say "and to seeds," meaning many people, but "and to your seed,"  meaning one person, who is Christ.

What I mean is this: The law, introduced 430 years later, does not set aside the covenant previously established by God and thus do away with the promise. For if the inheritance depends on the law, then it no longer depends on a promise; but God in his grace gave it to Abraham through a promise.
   
The quote in verse 16 is from  Genesis 12:7, Genesis 13:15-16 and  Genesis 24:7.  Paul makes a subtle argument based on the word "seed" being singular!  The term can could be viewed as the singular entity of the Jewish nation but Paul is arguing that the "Seed" is the Messiah.

Galatians 3:19-25, The Purpose of the Law
What, then, was the purpose of the law? It was added because of transgressions until the Seed to whom the promise referred had come. The law was put into effect through angels by a mediator. A mediator, however, does not represent just one party; but God is one.

Is the law, therefore, opposed to the promises of God? Absolutely not! For if a law had been given that could impart life, then righteousness would certainly have come by the law. But the Scripture declares that the whole world is a prisoner of sin, so that what was promised, being given through faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe.

Before this faith came, we were held prisoners by the law, locked up until faith should be revealed. So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith. Now that faith has come, we are no longer under the supervision of the law.

Paul says the Law is both good and bad.  I don't find this easy to follow; the Law made us aware of our need for a savior by making us aware of our rebellion and our inability to handle ourselves.

Galatians 3: 26-29, The Purpose of the Law
You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.

There is a unity in Christ that transcends Jewishness and non-Jewishness, and many other divisions between human beings.

In the next chapter Paul continues his study of the Old Testament Law and its purpose.

Galatians 2, Righteousness by Faith

Paul describes his experience as a messenger of the Jewish Messiah, to the (unclean) Gentiles.

Galatians 2:1-3, To Jerusalem
Fourteen years later I went up again to Jerusalem, this time with Barnabas. I took Titus along also. I went in response to a revelation and set before them the gospel that I preach among the Gentiles. But I did this privately to those who seemed to be leaders, for fear that I was running or had run my race in vain. Yet not even Titus, who was with me, was compelled to be circumcised, even though he was a Greek.

Paul describes a trip to Jerusalem to defend his work among the Gentiles.  It is not quite clear how this fits into the timeline of the book of Acts.

Galatians 2: 4-7, Preaching to the Gentiles
[This matter arose] because some false brothers had infiltrated our ranks to spy on the freedom we have in Christ Jesus and to make us slaves. We did not give in to them for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel might remain with you.

As for those who seemed to be important--whatever they were makes no difference to me; God does not judge by external appearance--those men added nothing to my message. On the contrary, they saw that I had been entrusted with the task of preaching the gospel to the Gentiles, just as Peter had been to the Jews.

The NIV footnotes point out that the word translated "Gentile" here is literally "uncircumcised" and the word translated "Jew" is literally "circumcised."  The Gentile (non-Jew) was viewed by the Jews as "unclean", pagan, uncircumcised and here Paul uses the Jewish terms, making it clear that all his training has been as a Jew.

Galatians 1: 8-10, Introduction
For God, who was at work in the ministry of Peter as an apostle to the Jews, was also at work in my ministry as an apostle to the Gentiles. James, Peter and John, those reputed to be pillars, gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship when they recognized the grace given to me. They agreed that we should go to the Gentiles, and they to the Jews. All they asked was that we should continue to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do.

Paul recognizes, indeed emphasizes, that different people have different God-given tasks. Peter (Cephas) has one task and Paul has another; these difference color their independent views of people and Scripture.

Galatians 2: 11-14, Conflict in Antioch
When Peter came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he was clearly in the wrong. 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. The other Jews joined him in his hypocrisy, so that by their hypocrisy even Barnabas was led astray. When I saw that they were not acting in line with the truth of the gospel, I said to Peter 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?

How does Paul know Peter is wrong?  Because of Peter's hypocrisy.

Galatians 2:15-21, Paul's speech (to Peter?)
"We who are Jews by birth and not `Gentile sinners' know that a man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by observing the law, because by observing the law no one will be justified.

 "If, while we seek to be justified in Christ, it becomes evident that we ourselves are sinners, does that mean that Christ promotes sin? Absolutely not!  If I rebuild what I destroyed, I prove that I am a lawbreaker. For through the law I died to the law so that I might live for God. 

"I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!"

It is not clear if this paragraph is a continuation of Paul's speech in Antioch, or an elaboration of the theological argument that began in Antioch.  Regardless, it rises to a dramatic height in the last two verses as Paul identifies with Christ's death and new life in Christ's resurrection.

In the next chapter Paul will continue the theological argument begun here.  

Galatians 1, The True Gospel

Around 49-50 CE, Paul wrote a letter to the synagogue-churches planted in southern Turkey on his first missionary journey.  This is preserved as Paul's "epistle" (letter) to the "assemblies" (Greek ekklesia) in the province of Galatia.

Galatians 1:1-5, Introduction

Paul, an apostle--sent not from men nor by man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead-- and all the brothers with me, To the churches in Galatia: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

In the ancient days of the Roman empire, personal letters tended to begin with the form, "X to Y, greetings.  About ..."  Paul begins by identifying himself as an apostle ("one who is sent out", a missionary) and then makes it clear that the letter is addressed to the "churches in Galatia", presumably a collection of churches in various towns in the region.  Paul emphasis, at the very top of the greeting, his authority as one personally sent by Jesus and God to the Galatians.  (Compare this introduction with a much shorter introduction to the letter to the Philippians.)

Most likely the letter was to be carried from church to church, to be read aloud to the members of the small local "synagogue" or "assembly" of believers.  It is possible Paul copied out several copies.

Paul's greeting emphasizes Jesus Christ, both as an explanation of Paul's role (and reason for writing) and also as the topic of his letter.  Here he gives a blessing, "Grace and peace to you..." as a result of Jesus Christ's gift.  Even in this very early letter, Jesus is referenced as having provided a sacrificial gift that rescues the believers from evil.  The blessing is an encouragement; it is serious but uplifting. 

"Amen" simply means, "So be it."  (In my college days, we might have said, "Right on!")

Galatians 1: 6-10, Scolding

I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel--which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned! As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned!

 Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ.

After Paul's greeting at the beginning of his letter, the tone changes quickly.  Paul accuses his fellow-believers in Galatia from deserting the gospel for something else, something offered as a "gospel", but really false.  Imbedded in the accusation is a suggestion that the people of the Galatian churches have bought into something manmade and not divine.  It is easy for people to appear religious and encourage a certain asceticism.  Paul is having none of that.

Paul transitions from a scolding in verses 6-10 to a more personal account and argument.  And so begins the longest personal account of Paul, detailing his experience with the Jewish Messiah and what happened afterwards.  This account is drawn out of Paul because of his concerns about the direction his new converts have taken, bowing to a more "religious" instruction than he had provided.

Galatians 1: 11-17, Conversion

I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that the gospel I preached is not of human origin.  I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ.

For you have heard of my previous way of life in Judaism, how intensely I persecuted the church of God and tried to destroy it.  I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my people and was extremely zealous for the traditions of my fathers. But when God, who set me apart from my mother’s womb and called me by his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son in me so that I might preach him among the Gentiles, my immediate response was not to consult any human being.  I did not go up to Jerusalem to see those who were apostles before I was, but I went into Arabia. Later I returned to Damascus.

This "Damascus Road" account is repeated in various forms in the New Testament.  Luke covers it in Acts 9 and then describes Paul repeating the story in Acts 22 before a Roman commander who had arrested him.  The concept is repeated throughout Paul's letters -- he had been the best Jew possible, zealous for the Jewish traditions, until the Jewish Messiah gave him a new direction. In this passage, Paul emphasizes that this message was delivered personally by the Christ and was not the result of Paul seeking to follow other religious leaders.

But, after some time in Arabia and Damascus, Paul does eventually go to Jerusalem to meet the leaders of the new church there.

Galatians 1:18-24, Meeting with Peter

Then after three years, I went up to Jerusalem to get acquainted with Cephas and stayed with him fifteen days. I saw none of the other apostles—only James, the Lord’s brother. I assure you before God that what I am writing you is no lie.   Then I went to Syria and Cilicia. I was personally unknown to the churches of Judea that are in Christ. They only heard the report: “The man who formerly persecuted us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy.” And they praised God because of me.

From the very beginning of the new church, as described in Acts, that erratic fisherman, Peter, has been recognized as a leader of the new messianic movement.  In Jerusalem (a meeting probably described in Acts 9:26-30) Paul meets with both Peter (Cephas) and James.  The meeting seems to have been successful; the leaders apparently respond positively. After that, Paul goes north, first to Antioch in Syria, at the invitation of Barnabas, and then with Barnabas into Asia Minor on the first missionary journey (Acts 13.)

But there are still some issues in the background; new conflicts will arise.  Paul addresses them in the next chapter.