Big Name Ministry - October 18

Read Galatians 2:6-10

And from those who seemed to be influential (what they were makes no difference to me; God shows no partiality)—those, I say, who seemed influential added nothing to me. On the contrary, when they saw that I had been entrusted with the gospel to the uncircumcised, just as Peter had been entrusted with the gospel to the circumcised (for he who worked through Peter for his apostolic ministry to the circumcised worked also through me for mine to the Gentiles), and when James and Cephas and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given to me, they gave the right hand of fellowship to Barnabas and me, that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised. Only, they asked us to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do.

Reflect

Have you ever seen pride and competition between Christian leaders and ministries? What has been the result?

I get the privilege of meeting many “big name” preachers and Bible teachers in my line of work. I always enjoy the opportunity to shake hands with faithful teachers that I admire and respect. I consider it an honor to meet those who have had such influential ministries.

But level of influence, size of platform, number of followers, etc. does not equal authority, integrity, and truth. Christian leaders, many of whom I deeply respect, are not infallible. We are all human, subject to error, and vulnerable to sin. Our leadership positions do not make us better Christians than a layperson. We are all saved by the same Gospel of grace.

That is one of Paul’s messages to us today. He reminded us that God doesn’t show partiality so there is no place for pride in ministry. When he spoke about those who “seemed influential” and said they made no difference to him, he wasn’t being rude or disparaging. He was simply reminding those who were trying to discredit his apostleship that he is just as much of an apostle as the Twelve. Jesus appointed him an apostle just as Jesus had appointed the Twelve.

Paul also reminded them that the Twelve, as influential as they were in the church, had little to no impact on his own ministry. He had been preaching the very same Gospel that they had been preaching for about 17 years! He had received this Gospel from the Lord Jesus Himself so he didn’t really need the approval of other men. Still, he willingly set his Gospel message before the other apostles for their evaluation because he wanted those who had been deceived by his accusers, the Judaizers, to know that he preached the truth. His concern was that the Gospel to Gentiles would be preserved, not that his own name would be vindicated. He didn’t need the “big names” in ministry to validate his message. But like every good pastor, he cared about the members of his flock being led astray.

Once the apostles in Jerusalem, especially Peter (Cephas), John, and James, recognized that the Lord had entrusted Paul with a ministry to the Gentiles, they welcomed him. They knew it was only by God’s grace that Paul could have changed so dramatically and had such an impactful ministry of his own. They approved his message and didn’t change it in the slightest. The Judaizers' plan to discredit Paul using the “big names” in the early church had backfired. Turns out that Paul wasn’t the false teacher, the Judaizers were!

Then, rather than engaging in competition, Paul and Peter agreed that God had given both of them different spheres of influence to focus on. Paul and Barnabas were to minister primarily to the uncircumcised Gentiles while Peter and the others were to minister primarily to the circumcised Jews. Together, they knew God would use them to fulfill His plan to grow and strengthen the early church.

It is true that God has called some of us to Christian leadership and He has given some leaders bigger platforms than others. But God shows no partiality. There is no place in ministry for pride and competition because none of it is our own doing and all of it is from the Lord. So remember, it doesn’t matter if you get to rub shoulders with the big names or not. You don’t need to compete with others in ministry, you simply have to be faithful with the ministry God has graciously given you. Besides, the only Big Name in Christian ministry is His Great Name.

Respond

Lord, thank You for Your grace. What an undeserved privilege it is to serve You! Help me not to compare or compete with other believers but to focus on faithfully preaching the true Gospel and serving those in need just as You’ve called me to do. Not for the sake of my name but for Yours, Lord. Amen.

Reveal

One of the easiest traps we fall into is comparison—measuring our influence, our success, or even our spiritual life against someone else’s. Paul’s reminder that God shows no partiality is freeing, because it means your faithfulness in small, unseen places matters just as much as someone else’s public ministry. This week, instead of worrying about whether your contribution is “big enough,” look for one quiet way to serve someone who won’t be able to repay you—bring a meal to a neighbor who’s tired, cover a shift for a coworker without making a big deal of it, or slip an encouraging note to someone who rarely gets noticed. Don’t announce it or keep score; simply do it as an act of care. When you choose to serve in these ordinary ways, you reflect the heart of Christ, reminding others that His love isn’t about status, spotlight, or competition—it’s about grace offered freely to all.