SPIRITUAL NOURISHMENT FOR TODAY (October 5, 2013) GALATIANS 2:11-21 DON’T BE A HYPOCRITE (Part 2) MEMORY VERSE: GALATIANS 2:13 “THE OTHER JEWS JOINED HIM IN HIS HYPOCRISY, SO THAT BY THEIR HYPOCRISY EVEN BARNABAS WAS LED ASTRAY.” In the previous edition of SNFT, we looked at what transpired between Paul and Peter at Antioch. According to Paul’s narrative, Peter behaved as a hypocrite when he changed his attitude towards the Galatian believers the moment the Jewish believers arrived. WE STRESSED THE NEED FOR CHRISTIANS TO REMAIN CHRISTIANS EVERYWHERE AND UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES WITHOUT TRYING TO PLEASE ANYONE ELSE APART FROM GOD. We noticed that many Christians of today are living hypocritically, and that puts a big question mark on them. It is not uncommon for believers to change their character under certain circumstances. HOWEVER, WE DENY GOD WHEN WE ALLOW CIRCUMSTANCES OR PEOPLE TO CAUSE US TO HIDE OR DENY OUR CHRISTIAN FAITH. What we want to concern ourselves with in this edition is PAUL’S REACTION TO PETER’S ACTION. Paul’s reaction to Peter’s action is found in verse 14. ACCORDING TO PAUL, HE REBUKED PETER IN FRONT OF THEM ALL WHEN HE SAW THAT THEY WERE NOT ACTING IN LINE WITH THE TRUTH OF THE GOSPEL. Once again, I want readers to remember that Paul was writing to show the Galatian believers that he had had encounters with the Apostles in Jerusalem, the other Jewish believers as well as Peter at Antioch and proven that his gospel message is a true gospel, not a false one as the Jewish Christians wanted the Galatian believers to accept. So Paul acted quickly against Peter’s behavior. I want to believe that Peter was far older than Paul based on the fact that when Stephen was being stoned to death Paul, then Saul, was a young man and Peter had been preaching years before that time (This assertion may be wrong). Yet Paul did not fear to speak the truth boldly in front of Peter and in the presence of them all. This was an open rebuke to Peter. Someone may think Paul was wrong for rebuking Peter in public. The question then is this: “Was Paul right in openly rebuking Peter in public or he should have called him privately?” My answer is that Paul was right. That does not mean mine is the best. You may not agree with me but it does not matter so much. Opinions differ. Paul rebuked him publicly because his action was a danger to the Galatian believers and for that matter the entire body of Christ. Therefore calling him privately could not have helped the others to know Peter was wrong. OPEN SINS REQUIRE OPEN REBUKE! Besides, Paul acted in order to keep people like Barnabas who were swayed by Peter’s action to continue believing that they had truly been saved whether or not they had been circumcised. People of God, it is sad to know that many believers are afraid to confront falsehood with the truth. We often see people in ministry, politics and other areas of life doing things which are not in line with the truth. Yet, hardly do we hear true believers confronting them with the truth. I can only say we do that either because we do not want to fall out of favor with others or fear being persecuted because of the truth. We want to remain in our comfort zones. Sometimes too we are silent because we benefit from the sins committed by others. Our silence in times of people’s wrongdoing is the same as rendering our support for their wrongdoing. Many people keep doing the same bad things or teaching the same falsehood and gaining more followers because those of us who know the truth have been silent. This is very dangerous. As people who have been called to be salt and light of this world (Matthew 5:13-16) we must not be spectators or partakers of sin. We must confront the false with the truth. We must speak the truth to our clergy, our politicians, our educationists, our businessmen, our congregation members, family members and friends. We should take advantage of the existence of modern communication media such as radio, internet, television, newspapers, magazines and all other known means to proclaim the truth. We should not keep quiet for falsehood to continue thriving. PAUL DID NOT LOOK AT PETERS LONG SERVICE AS AN APOSTLE, NEITHER DID HE INSULT HIM, BUT HE BOLDLY REBUKED HIM TO AVERT A MORE SERIOUS CONSEQUENCE ON THE ‘INFANT’ BELIEVERS AT ANTIOCH. I just want you to ask yourself what you have been doing when falsehood, various sins and hypocrisy continue to increase. ARE YOU DOING ENOUGH IN DEFENDING THE TRUTH? Paul reacted when he saw that they were not acting in line with the truth of the gospel. GOD WANTS PEOPLE WHO WILL STAND FOR THE TRUTH. WILL YOU MAKE YOURSELF AVAILABLE FOR HIS USE? THE WORD OF THE LORD!
Posted on: Sat, 05 Oct 2013 08:44:08 +0000
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