Benny Nalkara, CMI

St Paul’s life is noted for its zeal, enthusiasm and commitment. As a Jew he was fully convinced and committed and was a zealous persecutor of the Church. As a believer in Jesus Christ, he became a person of strong convictions and profound dedication. The only thing that mattered him was always God. Hence, after accepting the gospel of God, there was no question of any compro-mise on vital issues related to the central meaning of the gospel (Gal 2:1-14).
It is after the Jerusalem Council (CE 49-50), where officially the question of the circumci-sion of Gentile Christians was solved. But the problem continued to spread. Some Jewish Christians were making a propaganda of a new gospel of circumcision and many were following it. A wrong principle of divine acceptance on the basis of human performance was proposed by them. “The works of the law” including circumcision, Sabbath observance and the dietary practices were proposed as the means of justification by them. Some of them held the position that Paul was not a genuine apostle and accused that he was only a self-appointed one without any authorization from the Jerusalem Church. In this context, we find Paul as a strong defender of “the truth of the Gospel” in the letter to the Galatians, which he wrote as a response to the “Judaizers.”
The term, “the truth of the Gospel” (Gal 2:5; 14) is found only in the letter to the Galatians in the entire NT. In fact, the main focus of the letter is centred on this expression and also the main theology of Paul. The Antioch incident (Gal 2:11-14) is the occasion where Paul had to defend “the truth of the Gospel” in public, that too against Peter. Peter though had a sympathetic approach towards the Gentiles in the Jerusalem council, failed to stand for the decision of the Council and withdrew from a table-fellowship in Antioch when he saw people of James, the leader of the orthodoxy. Paul questioned Peter asking him, “why you are not walking in strait line with “truth of the Gospel?” It reveals how vehemently and valiantly Paul fought against all kinds of approaches that put “the truth of the Gospel” at stake. It was not a disrespectful act from the part of Paul, the late comer to the Church against Peter, the leader of the Church, but a strong stance for the “truth” revealed in Jesus Christ.
Though the Greek term used to denote “truth” is aletheia with the meaning, “that which is not hidden” or “that which is revealed,” in this context “truth” is referring to the essence of the salvific act of God in Jesus Christ and its effects in human life. It is the all-inclusiveness of God’s love and mercy which goes beyond all barriers and boundaries and abolishes all discriminations. The Gospel proclaimed by Jesus Christ envisaged the Kingdom of God where the fatherhood of God and the brotherhood and sisterhood of all human beings are assured. Any kind of discriminations would go against “the truth of the Gospel.” Paul defended this “truth of the Gospel” in the Galatian Church. For him, the identity markers of the Jewish religion were not necessary means for divine acceptance. Faith in Jesus Christ is the most important norm for him for justification than any ritualistic observances. For him identity markers were immaterial compared to “the truth of the Gospel.” Paul categorically argues that “there is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus (Gal 3:28). It was this truth that Paul defended.
Paul’s defence of “the truth of the Gospel” was also a strong stance for the law-free gospel. He foresaw the danger of the law overpowering and distorting the Gospel. The rituals and rubrics propagated by the law often diluted the truth of the Gospel and distanced the people from it. The fact that Jesus Christ has replaced all the laws and identity markers was the truth that Paul wanted to proclaim. He has led us to freedom. The freedom of the Children of God is the foundational experience of all who believe in Christ and in his Gospel. “The truth of the Gospel” is at stake when ritualistic and legalistic tendencies prevail and when discriminations create barriers and boundaries in the Church. Vested interest and selfish motives will always distort and manipulate the “truth of the Gospel.”
Paul was a champion of “the truth of the Gospel.” He was a man who gave authority its due respect. Repeatedly he mentions the reputation which the leaders and pillars of the Church enjoyed. But he remained inflexible and his conscience mattered for him than anything else. Paul was always certain that he was seeking the approval not of men but of God. Only those who seeks the approval of God and not of humans can be the defenders of “truth of the Gospel.” Paul was a man who was convinced that God had given him a task to do and he would let neither opposition from without nor discouragement from within stop him doing it. The man who knows he has a God-given task to fight for the truth will not be afraid of any human powers or authorities and will dare to defend “the truth of the Gospel.”