Paul Confronts Peter
approx. AD 40
Peter was eating with a group of Gentile believers - maybe a church picnic.
He had shared the gospel with Gentiles and had received confirmation from the Holy Spirit that salvation is for them too.
Some guys from James came to the same picnic - these guys where part of what was called the “Circumcision” party - they were urging that gentiles should adhere to the Jewish religious codes in order to be saved.
Peter let the fear of man dictate his actions and so he backed away from the gentiles.
So Paul confronted him.
Galatians 2:11–14 NLT
But when Peter came to Antioch, I had to oppose him to his face, for what he did was very wrong. When he first arrived, he ate with the Gentile believers, who were not circumcised. But afterward, when some friends of James came, Peter wouldn’t eat with the Gentiles anymore. He was afraid of criticism from these people who insisted on the necessity of circumcision. As a result, other Jewish believers followed Peter’s hypocrisy, and even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy.
When I saw that they were not following the truth of the gospel message, I said to Peter in front of all the others, “Since you, a Jew by birth, have discarded the Jewish laws and are living like a Gentile, why are you now trying to make these Gentiles follow the Jewish traditions?
Peter, like all of us, was not perfect. He made mistakes. He had lapses in judgment. He needed help from a friend who could restore him to the truth.
I don’t know if James had this scene in mind when he penned the closing words to his letter to exiled believers, but his words certainly seem to fit the scene with Peter and Paul.
Open your bibles to James 5. Over the last few months, we’ve been seeking to glean insight from James regarding how we should live a life that is fully integrated where our faith and our actions line up. We’ve learned about how to remain true in the face of persecution. We’ve discussed how our speech and actions align with our faith. We’ve discussed partiality and opportunism. In many ways, the entire letter has been an instruction manual to a Christian or Covenant community. As James concludes his letter, he seems to be urging us to understand that a Christian or covenant community cares faithfully.
James 5:19–20 ESV
My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.
This care that James calls us to exhibit touches several parts of life. First of all, we should...
Care about one another.
We are not just a group of people who happen to worship the same God at the same time, for those who have trusted Christ as Savior - we are a Christian community. For those who have entered fully into membership of the family, we are a covenant community. We are a spiritual family. As such, we need to pay attention to each other. We need to be willing to get our eyes off of ourselves and our concerns and pay attention to the pain, hurt, joys, and sorrows of other.
There is a sense in which we may be tempted to assume that this care is someone else’s responsibility - maybe that of an Elder or Deacon or a teacher or Community Group leader, but it’s ultimately everyone’s responsibility.
Some of the paying attention will require that we make time for one another.
Make time to build a relationship
…getting to know each other more deeply, more fully. This week, Armal and I went to a conference in NC. We had plenty of time in the car, at the hotel, etc. While we’ve known each other for nearly 15 years, there are some brand new things I learned about Armal this week! Building relationships can take many different forms - sharing a meal together, serving together, reading or studying the word together, attending a ball game, taking an interest in each other at Community Group. Get curious about one another, maybe even invite someone to go to lunch today or dinner later this week. Realistically, we’re going to know each other differently. We will not all be equally close to each other, but there may be certain people that God is laying on your heart to invest in. Pay attention to how the Spirit is leading there, and make time to build a relationship.
Make time to help
As we build relationships, we will be more aware of when someone needs help and frankly, that individual will be more willing to receive help because they are known. I love hearing about people stepping up to make meal for someone or volunteering to walk with Nancy when her usual walking partners are unavailable, or picking up groceries for someone, doing a bit a yard work or even just listening. There are so many ways that we can take time to help - to demonstrate our care.
Make time to confront
As we saw with Paul and Peter, there will be times when we need to confront each other about a variety of things. Having a relationship upon which to build helps to ease the blow of a confrontation. I can imagine that Paul’s confrontation of Peter may not have been very subtle. Paul could be rather harsh at times - but he cared enough about Peter and the others around him to not let him compromise the truth of the gospel.
Example of Christ
embodied the life he called us to live.
spent a great deal of time in relationship with his followers - being known by them and getting to know them
he went to weddings and funerals with them, laughed with them, cried with them, ate with them.
He helped Peter with his mother in law’s health - which I sure helped Peter’s marriage too!
He even confronted - when Martha was concerned about the details of dinner and frustrated that Mary wasn’t helping - he confronted her. When James and John got a bit ambitious about the Kingdom, he confronted their glory-seeking and reminded them that the last will be first and that the kingdom of God is a kingdom of service.
Which brings us to the next point, not only do we need to care about one another, we need to…
Care about the truth.
Notice, James says - “if anyone among you wanters from the truth…” the truth of the gospel with the primary motivating factor in Paul’s confrontation of Peter.
It is so easy for us to get deceived about what is true and right and good. We are bombarded each day by competing narratives -
the individualistic narratives of our sinful desires,
the cultural narratives that confuse acceptance and affirmation,
the political narratives about which party has the correct solutions for the flourishing of our nation
the grand-narrative of Scripture - that teaches about God’s love, justice, forgiveness, and coming judgment
It can be tempting to either buy into the latest trend and adopt that as truth for the day or to throw our hands up in futility and bury our heads in the sand - hoping that all of the strife around us will just blow over.
Know the truth ourselves - the gospel
God is a Holy God
Humanity, made in God’s image tarnished God’s good and holy creation, staining our lives and the world in sin.
Jesus Christ took on our flesh and lived a perfect life, ultimately paying the full debt that we owed.
Response - we get to respond to His loving call and then continue to walk in the truth - knowing that Christ has us (I will never leave you nor forsake you)
We get to long for the day with He will return.
In order to know the truth we have to
remain in the word - Psalm 119:11 “I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.”
Remain in fellowship so we can help each other when questions arise.
Know when deception is taking hold in others
In other words, we need to know the truth enough to be able to recognize when others are falling into sin.
Look again at our text. Notice, in verse 20 that James refers to this wandering person as being someone who has wandered into sin. Peter, when he elevated fear of men over the truth of the gospel - salvation by grace through faith alone - wandered into sin.
Wandering from the truth is not accidental, but an act of sinful rebellion. It’s a turning away from the truth.
denying biblical morality
deceived into relativism
lured into a false belief about self and the gospel.
Example of Jesus
We could really look at so many different areas of Jesus’ ministry, but in John 3-4, we get to see two instances when Jesus confronted people about their false beliefs.
Nicodemus - failed to understand the life changing salvation and the new life that comes to those who truly believe in the promised Messiah.
The woman at the well - got lured into a hard life of immoral living in order to find acceptance and then had difficulty recognizing the joys of worshiping God in Spirit and in Truth.
Jesus did not let either of them sit in their deception - in their wandering from the truth.
So, in order for us to fulfill what James is teaching here - that a Christian community cares faithfully, we need to care about each other and care about the truth. Finally, this faithful caring requires that we…
Care enough to go .
James notes that if someone wanders and some brings him back, then salvation will happen. This bringing back requires that we go and get. It’s implicit in some of the confrontation. It requires that we reach out.
The Apostle Paul writes in Galatians 6:1-2
Galatians 6:1–2 ESV
Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.
Along those same lines, Jesus told a parable of this kind of going mentality in Luke 15:4-7
Luke 15:4–7 ESV
“What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’ Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.
Our faithful caring requires that we go, find the one who is lost, and bring them back. As we read earlier, Nathan’s visit with David became a means of pulling David out of his sinful deception and restored him to a more rightful relationship with God (2 Sam. 12:1-15). While Nathan had the role of Prophet, he confronted a member of the community of faith.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote in his book Life Together on this ministry of reconciliation, or restoring, or as he says, bearing:
“To cherish no contempt for the sinner, but rather to prize the privilege of bearing him means not to have to give him up as lost, to be able to accept him, to preserve fellowship with him through forgiveness.” (p. 102)
This is a care that responds to the wandering one.
This is a care that doesn’t condemn, but corrects and covers.
This is a care of compassion.
This is embodying the care of Christ in our community.
Who is the HS bringing to your mind?
As I have been thinking through this text over the last couple of weeks, there have been a couple of people who have come to my mind - people who have gradually drifted from our fellowship. People that I personally have not done enough to bring back. In many ways, I feel I have failed to care enough - something for which I regret and repent.
Is there someone God is bringing to your mind?
What is the HS leading us to do?
Pray - this almost goes without saying. God is able to do marvelous things in and through our prayers.
Call
Text
Visit
Invite - meet up with this person over coffee, a meal?
The things that we are called to do may not be easy, but it will be worth it.
When Jesus Christ went to the cross to pay for our sinful debt, it was not easy, but it was worth it. As 2 Corinthians 5:21 reminds us:
2 Corinthians 5:21 ESV
For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
His selfless act of sacrifice redeemed us from the deception of our sin and restored us to the right relationship with God. Jesus himself covered our sin as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.
Oh that we would embrace his loving care.
Oh that we would embody his loving care toward others.
Let’s pray.
Benediction
1 Corinthians 15:58 CSB
Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the Lord’s work, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.
Questions for Reflection and Discussion
Read: James 5:19-20.
What does it mean to “wander from the truth”?
How does one do that?
How should one bring the wanderer back?
What does James say will happen when someone “brings a sinner back from his wandering”?
Whose soul is saved?
What sins are covered?
Sources:
Bonhoeffer, Dietrich. Life Together: The Classic Exploration of Faith in Community. San Francisco, CA: Harper Collins, 1954.
Mangum, Douglas, ed. Lexham Context Commentary: New Testament. Lexham Context Commentary. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2020.
Moo, Douglas J. The Letter of James. The Pillar New Testament Commentary. Grand Rapids, MI; Leicester, England: Eerdmans; Apollos, 2000.
Moyter, J.A. The Message of James. The Bible Speaks Today. Downers Grover, IL; Leicester, England: Inter-Varsity Press, 1985.
Nystrom, David P. The NIV Application Commentary: James. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1997.
