Lesson 6: Trusting the Right Leader
Read Galatians 1:1-24 - www.bible.com/bible/59/gal.1
19 But I saw none of the other apostles except James the Lord’s brother.
20 (In what I am writing to you, before God, I do not lie!)
21 Then I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia.
22 And I was still unknown in person to the churches of Judea that are in Christ.
23 They only were hearing it said, “He who used to persecute us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy.”
24 And they glorified God because of me.

As we learned in the last lesson, Paul went to Jerusalem to meet with Peter to receive a blessing for the ministry he knew God had called him to – taking the Gospel to people other than the Jews. In our first verse of today’s lesson, we learn that Paul also visited with another man, James the brother of Jesus.

There were three men named James in Jesus’ life. Two were His disciples: James the brother of John, and James the son of Alphaeus. The third was his own half-brother (Matthew 13:55), perhaps only about a year younger than Jesus. This last James, Jesus’ brother, did not believe Jesus was the Son of God until after Jesus died. However, Jesus appeared to His brother after He rose from the dead (1 Corinthians 15:7) and it changed James’ life so much he became the leader of the church in Jerusalem. From Acts 15:13-21 we find James standing firm on the principles Jesus had been teaching throughout His life on earth. In fact, James’ decision in this Acts passage is known in church history as the first Church Council, where truths were established according to what Jesus had taught rather than what religious leaders had decreed. This Council’s decision was that Gentiles did not have to abide by the Law given to the Jews to be saved.


Why was it important for Paul to say these things to the people of Galatia? Why is it important for us to follow Jesus rather than a human leader? When we follow another person, we tend to follow them even when what they say becomes something different from the Truth of God. It may be something very simple or something very easily believed because it is what WE want to hear. However, it was of great importance that Paul, and James too, were following Jesus rather than the teachings of the other apostles.

We have the same responsibility today – to follow Jesus first rather than a favorite preacher or teacher. This is why the Bible is so very important! It does not change. The standard for what we believe is always written there, against which we can measure ourselves and what we believe. It does not change by following feelings or circumstances, though it will change how we deal with both. Many people today will try to say the Bible was written too long ago to be relevant for our life today. Nothing could be further from the truth, for the Bible tells us the Truth of what is happening in our world today and how we should conduct our lives in this reality.

*What are the most life-changing Truths you have learned from the Bible, God’s word?