Do you have anything that needs straightening? Where do you go? Well, it depends on what needs to be ironed out.
- If your teeth are crooked, you go to an orthodontist.
- If your bones are broken, you go to an orthopedist.
- If your beliefs are twisted, you need to become more orthodox.
Do you see a pattern there? The prefix “ortho” precedes many terms in our lexicon. “Ortho” is a Greek prefix meaning “straight” or “correct.” This prefix is used often and to great effect.
In Galatians 2:14, Paul uses this prefix in a combination to point out a problem his friend Peter once had. A problem of not “walking correctly” in light of the Gospel. The message Paul proclaimed (the Gospel message that had come from Jesus Himself) was intended to be a brace to shape our lives into proper alignment. More than just a religion or philosophy, the Christian life would be a supernatural life that would straighten out our lives … particularly the way we treat and relate to others.
However, this straightening process is painful. Like a teenager going through their first few weeks with a retainer, or an athlete beginning rehab on a torn tendon, the early stages of being “ortho-ed” has its fair share of aches and pains. Turns out, Peter’s problems are all too familiar to you and me … though the specifics of the story vary, Peter’s growing pains in the New Testament are our growing pains as well. We grasp the idea of the Gospel long before we apply it completely in our lives.
This Sunday, January 31, 2021 at Wildwood Community Church, we will be looking at Galatians 2:11-14 in part 5 of our “New Normal” series as we see our lives brought into alignment with the new Jesus has normalized. It may be a bit painful … but the end result is a more beautiful community. Join us as we take a look this weekend in our 9:00, 10:15, or 11:30 service (in person and with children, student, and adult classes) or online at 10:15 (wildwoodchurch.org/live.) Hope to see you there!