Galatians 2:1-2  :

Then after a period of fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus also with me. I went up by revelation, and I laid before them the Good News which I preach among the Gentiles, but privately before those who were respected, for fear that I might be running, or had run, in vain.

Paul eventually did go to Jerusalem to talk to the Christian leadership there. This time, he went specifically to have them review what he was preaching to the Gentiles.

It is interesting that Paul considered the idea, after 14 years, that he might have been wrong about the whole thing. Was this doubt? I think so, but it wasn’t doubting God but doubting Paul. There is a healthy doubt of self. We are imperfect people after all. What if Paul’s humanity was getting the best of him and he was too proud to see it. Paul was aware that there is only one God and one Holy Spirit and that same Holy Spirit was supposed to be in Peter and James as well as in himself. The Holy Spirit doesn’t argue with Himself. If there was a difference, then the Holy Spirit is not with one or both of the two people in disagreement. This is a very troubling thing in these days where many “leaders” are disagreeing with each other. We need to work together to resolve our issues knowing that the Holy Spirit is the true leader.

We shouldn’t be afraid to have our work reviewed by leadership. This is a good practice. One problem today, however, is that many who are leaders shouldn’t be. They, themselves, are preaching a corrupted gospel and shouldn’t be reviewing or advising anyone.

Fortunately, we have the words of God written down here in a book for us today. We should be very careful to map our preaching after what we read here. Isn’t it a wonderful thing that God has given us this Book?