October 27, 2026

We all wish people would take us seriously, would respect us, and would give weight to our opinions. Fine. But for that to happen, we need to establish credibility.

One website tells us that we can gain credibility by (1) making good relational connection, (2) making eye contact, and (3) using “inviting body language.” (better be careful there…)

A more reliable guide would be Aristotle’s classic framework. He listed having competence, displaying character, and showing care for the audience as credibility builders, especially for a public speaker.

In recently reading through Paul’s letter to the Galatians, I discovered what I believe is a  distinctively Christian path to establishing credibility.

I’ve spent lots of time in Galatians over the years. This time through, I noticed something I had never noticed before.

In this letter, Paul offered a contrast between himself and another man. The point of the contrast was to highlight one man’s credibility and the other man’s lack.

In his letters, Paul often went to great lengths to establish his credibility as a full-fledged apostle of Jesus. This was necessary because His opponents tried to discredit him.

They accused him of being a lousy public speaker and of not having a strong personal “presence.”

Paul argued that his apostleship was credible, even on par with those he called “the most eminent (or “super”) apostles (2 Corinthians 11:5) – even though he was a Johnny-come-lately to apostleship.

So how did Paul gain credibility as Jesus’ apostle? By his willingness to suffer for Jesus.

In Galatians, he reminded his readers of his dramatic life change from being chief persecutor to being chief persecuted. (1:23)

He recounted his refusal to compel his friend, Titus (a non-Jew) to be circumcised, even though a loud group of legalists were pressuring him to do so. Paul’s refusal invited serious opposition and left him on the “outs” with that group. (2:1-5)

Then while Paul’s opponents preached a works-based Gospel just to avoid persecution, Paul preached a simple “believe-in-Jesus” message, even though that invited persecution. (6:12)

Finally, he “[bore] on [his] body the marks (Greek “stigmata”) of Jesus.” Paul’s body was scarred – as Jesus’ body was scarred – by the beatings he endured as an apostle who chose to preach an undiluted message of grace. (6:17)

All of this established both his credibility as an apostle AND credibility for the Gospel he preached.

By way of contrast, the Apostle Peter forfeited his own credibility by actions he took while in Antioch.

Peter had been eating with the Gentiles in the church in Antioch because Jesus had made it clear to Peter that eating with Gentiles and eating non-kosher food was just fine. (See Acts 10)

So, Peter was having a great time hanging with the Gentiles and eating Gentile food…until some of the leading Jewish Christians came to Antioch from Jerusalem. Knowing that they would look down on Peter for sharing meals with Gentiles, he stopped doing it.

The Apostle Paul called the Apostle Peter on the carpet, publicly, for this withdrawal. He named Peter’s act Fear-Based Hypocrisy. (Galatians 2:12)

Peter chose to deny his unity with Gentile Christians and to compromise God’s truth rather than risk rejection or ridicule from the Jerusalem heavyweights.

An unwillingness to suffer for Jesus killed Peter’s credibility. Paul established credibility precisely because he didn’t change his methods or his message out of fear of suffering.

I am sharing these thoughts from Galatians in light of our upcoming observance of the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church on Sunday.

We count as heroes our brothers and sisters around the world who suffer. They don’t suffer because they believe in Jesus. These believers in Jesus suffer because they choose to be outspoken followers of Jesus, knowing full well that they will likely suffer for speaking out.

I, personally, don’t bear on my body the stigmata of Jesus and haven’t been overtly persecuted like Paul was.

But I do face daily challenges to a life of faith and to a life of speaking the truth in love. Fear of rejection or ridicule can – and sometimes does – silence me. There are times when I am tempted to follow a safer, less disruptive path because boldly following Jesus can be exhausting, dangerous, and inconvenient.

You, too?

If so, let’s remember the gifts of life, love, and grace that God has lavished on us in Jesus. Let’s not forget the examples of risk-taking faith our Christian family around the world and through the ages gives us.

When we imitate them by our willingness to suffer in any of the way in which it is possible to suffer for Him, we’ll establish our credibility as Jesus-followers, we’ll bring credibility to Jesus’ beautiful gospel, and we’ll hear from our Savior what we’ll also sing on Sunday: “Well done!”

Yours…His,

Dave