右手相交之礼
加拉太书二章1至10节
1过了十四年，我同巴拿巴又上耶路撒冷去，并带着提多同去。
2我是奉启示上去的，把我在外邦人中所传的福音，对弟兄们陈说；却是背地里对那有名望之人说的，惟恐我现在，或是从前，徒然奔跑。
3但与我同去的提多，虽是希腊人，也没有勉强他受割礼；
4因为有偷着引进来的假弟兄，私下窥探我们在基督耶稣里的自由，要叫我们作奴仆。
5我们就是一刻的工夫也没有容让顺服他们，为要叫福音的真理仍存在你们中间。
6至于那些有名望的，不论他是何等人，都与我无干。神不以外貌取人。那些有名望的，并没有加增我甚么，
7反倒看见了主托我传福音给那未受割礼的人，正如托彼得传福音给那受割礼的人。
8（那感动彼得、叫他为受割礼之人作使徒的，也感动我，叫我为外邦人作使徒；）
9又知道所赐给我的恩典，那称为教会柱石的雅各、矶法、约翰，就向我和巴拿巴用右手行相交之礼，叫我们往外邦人那里去，他们往受割礼的人那里去。
10只是愿意我们记念穷人；这也是我本来热心去行的。
信息分享
当保罗回想昔日，他和巴拿巴到耶路撒冷教会参加一个重要会议时，众使徒与他们用右手行相交之礼，他就感到非常喜乐。对他而言，这并非一个简单的握手，而是代表着一种认可：认可他所传讲的信息，以及认可神差派他作外邦人使徒的职份。
我们可以在使徒行传第十五章找到这次教会会议的背景。但保罗在这里却指出，他是在一个特别的启示引导之下，去到那里开会的（2节）。
那是一次极为重要的教会会议。保罗不单与巴拿巴同去，而且还带同一位年轻的希腊信徒提多同行（3节）。当时的提多还没有受割礼。他们会接纳提多吗？律法主义者出言批评他，可是，当日的会议议决却最终让福音的恩典得胜。众使徒与保罗站在同一阵线，坚拒律法主义者的立场。会议最终圆满结束（9、10节），让保罗再无后顾之忧，以后可以放心在外邦人中间传扬真正的福音。
让我们反问自己，我们会不会变成律法主义者呢？定立规则很容易，建墙也比造桥容易得多。然而，我们却绝不该要求福音妥协，也绝不该在福音以外加添甚么，以致把某些人摒除在救恩门外──基督正是甘愿为他们而受死的！我们有没有制造任何障碍，去拦阻我们的邻舍信主呢？我们对人的「接纳程度」究竟如何？
THE RIGHT HAND OF FELLOWSHIP
Galatians 2:1-10
1 Then after fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, and also took Titus with me.
2 And I went up by revelation, and communicated to them that gospel which I preach among the Gentiles, but privately to those who were of reputation, lest by any means I might run, or had run, in vain.
3 Yet not even Titus who was with me, being a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised.
4 And this occurred because of false brethren secretly brought in (who came in by stealth to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage),
5 to whom we did not yield submission even for an hour, that the truth of the gospel might continue with you.
6 But from those who seemed to be something—whatever they were, it makes no difference to me; God shows personal favoritism to no man—for those who seemed to be something added nothing to me.
7 But on the contrary, when they saw that the gospel for the uncircumcised had been committed to me, as the gospel for the circumcised was to Peter
8 (for He who worked effectively in Peter for the apostleship to the circumcised also worked effectively in me toward the Gentiles),
9 and when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that had been given to me, they gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised.
10 They desired only that we should remember the poor, the very thing which I also was eager to do.
Message
What a wonderful feeling it is when we are "accepted" especially by a group of fellow-believers in Christ. We all have that experience somewhere at some time. It has meant very much in every way.
Paul's feelings were very deep as he remembered that tremendously important conference in Jerusalem when he and Barnabas were given the right hand of fellowship by the earlier apostles (v.9). It was more than a handshake. It was a recognition of the message and the ministry God had given to him as an apostle to the Gentiles.
The background of this first church conference or council is found in Acts chapter 15 but Paul says here that he went (v.2) under the guidance of a special revelation (Williams translation).
It was a remarkable council meeting. Paul had brought with him not only Barnabas, but also Titus (v.3), a Christian Greek who had never been circumcised. Would he be accepted? The legalists spoke against him but the grace of the gospel won the day. The apostles stood with Paul against the legalists and the council ended on a happy note (vv. 9,10), clearing the way for the spread of the true gospel among the Gentiles.
Are we ourselves ever too legalistic? Am I? Isn't it easy to set rules? It is easier to build walls than to build bridges, isn't it? We must never compromise the gospel. We must never add to it but it is so easy to exclude from our friendship the very ones for whom Christ has died. Does that include our neighbours? How is our "acceptance" level today?