What’s the proper place of cultural practices in the local church? Whenever people from a particular culture gather together in a church, there’s always a danger of various cultural practices and traditions rising above Scripture. This is a challenge in all churches, but it can be a particular challenge in churches full of immigrants, where cultural preservation is part of the attraction.
The apostle Paul provides some guidance for us:
But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face because he stood condemned. For he regularly ate with the Gentiles before certain men came from James. However, when they came, he withdrew and separated himself, because he feared those from the circumcision party. (Galatians 2:11–12)
What should we think of this “circumcision party”? It’s easy to paint them as evil false teachers. But the issue might be more complicated than that. First of all, we know they associated with James, which means they likely were a part of the Jerusalem church, professing faith in Jesus as the promised Jewish Messiah. Clearly, the rumors of Paul’s ministry to the Gentiles had reached Jerusalem. Upon hearing of it, some Jewish believers found it harder and harder
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