Galatians 2:11-14
Righteous Opposition
Scripture Readings:-
Romans 3:21-31
Galatians 2:11-21
Galatians 2:11-14 (text)
Congregation of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Does it strike you that Paul might be overreacting? After all Paul is making some pretty strong allegations.
• Paul states without reservation that Peter was wrong. The original Greek word can apply to “those who stand condemned before God”. This is not just a difference of opinion between two men – biblical issues are at stake.
• Paul also accuses Peter of hypocrisy. Hypocrisy is literally “play-acting” – being people who intentionally contradict their own belief and practice. Peter is being accused of living a lie.
• Paul directly accuses Peter of not acting in line with the truth of the gospel. Peter has taken a different road to the one required by the Scriptures – and it was a road that was taking others away from the truth of the Scriptures. “Peter the Apostle” had become “Peter the Stumbling Block”.
Paul considers it to be such an important issue that we still know about this encounter 2000 years later. All because Peter decided to sit with a few of his old mates from Jerusalem, rather then remain seated with the Gentile Christians at Antioch. Is it really that bad?
Is it really that bad? Yes it is. To see why we need realise that when you ate with someone it meant that you were willing to identify with those people. Having table fellowship meant acceptance of the values and morals of those whom you were with. Table fellowship meant allowing this group to influence your conversation and giving equality to their views. That’s why the Pharisees condemned Jesus by saying, “He eats and drinks with tax-collectors, prostitutes and sinners”.
Peter was making a huge statement when he picked up his plate and utensils and moved from the table of the Gentile Christians to the table of the Jews from Jerusalem. Traditionally Jews do not eat with Gentiles. Gentiles have no concept of clean and unclean animals. Gentiles do not follow the rules of Kosher set down over the ages. The Gospel of Jesus is a gospel of grace. But tradition and prejudice are hard to put aside. Peter had allowed his fear of the Jews to make him break fellowship with the Gentile Christians. And in the process a subtle message is being made “You are not good enough for me because you don’t meet certain standards”.
Now that would be bad enough, but Peter is in a position of respect and authority. Like sheep many people follow Peter’s example – “even Barnabas was led astray”. By this stage Barnabas and Paul had spent a year preaching to the church in Antioch – this was Barnabas’ flock. We also know that the church in Antioch sent Paul and Barnabas on their first missionary journey through Cyprus and Southern Galatia – and the church in Antioch praised God for the work done by them during this mission. Barnabas was close to these people yet, because of the pressure exerted by the example of Peter, Barnabas felt he must also follow suit. Peer pressure is not just something that happens in our teenage years. And peer pressure has caused the gospel to be compromised.
Peter was scorning brothers in Christ because they were not of “good Jewish stock”. Peter was relegating them to second-class citizens because they didn’t meet Jewish standards. Because of his position Peter was causing others to sin in the same way. Such intolerance to Gentiles deserves rebuke – and Paul was willing to give it. So now we have two sides facing one another:
On one side is the group of Jews. Some wearing a self-satisfied grin because Peter had sided with them. Some feeling a little confused by this turn in events. Some a little ashamed that they had been so easily lead. And Peter, perhaps beginning to regret his decision because of the tension it had caused.
On the other side is the group of Gentiles. Some feeling betrayed by Peter who had turned his back on them. Some hurt by the reality that acceptance into this group is more than just a matter of grace. Some wondering if they will ever be good enough. And Paul, fired up and angry by this overt display of prejudice.
As the two sides face one another Paul calls it for what it is:- a compromise on the doctrine of justification by faith. Does it matter? Does it really matter that the doctrine of justification by faith has been compromised? Yes it does matter. In and of ourselves there is nothing that makes us worthy of God’s love. We cannot please God by our actions. We don’t have any goodness which is of value to God. We fail to take God’s law and live it perfectly. We are born in sin. Even one slip-up makes us guilty of breaking the whole law. We cannot be justified – we cannot be declared right with God – by any works we do.
But we have a compassionate God who sent His Son – to do what we were unable to do. Jesus was not born in sin – He was conceived by the Holy Spirit. Jesus was perfect in every way – fulfilling the law on all occasions. Jesus didn’t slip up – indeed He was willing to go the whole way to the cross because His Father asked Him to do so. And because of the work of Jesus we can have peace. We can be acceptable in God’s sight – not on the basis of what we have done – but because of the gift God has given to us in Christ.
As we trust in Jesus – as we live in faith – justification is ours. We are considered not guilty. It’s an instantaneous act which gives us peace. No Christian is more justified then another. No Christian is more or less deserving then another. No Christian needs to add to the work which has been done. Through Jesus Christ God is at peace with us and calls us His precious possession – it is an equal status we have before God.
By his action of moving from one table to another – Peter has compromised that truth.
• Peter has placed another standard upon the Gentile Christians – the standard of a being like a Jew.
• Peter has placed another condition upon acceptance – the condition of sticking to traditions which are no longer valid.
• Peter has put those who are free under a new bondage – the bondage of a law that has been completely fulfilled by the blood of Christ.
In essence Peter has denied the fundamentals of the Gospel. Justification by faith is not happening – instead it has become “justification by race, tradition and law”. And a break in God’s family has happened as a result. The doctrine which Paul and Peter were in confrontation about may be 2000 years old, but it is still just as important today.
It was so important Martin Luther staked his life on it. When he nailed the “95 Thesis” to the church at Wittenberg he was issuing a challenge to the church. He was challenging them to defend this doctrine. He was challenging them to stand up for the truth of the Word. He was challenging them to go back to the essence of the Scriptures – and it was a challenge which was met with resistance. As a result the “Reformation” was given a huge boost.
The early Reformers also saw the importance of this doctrine and wouldn’t back away from it. At a time in history our church forefathers presented the Belgic Confession to Phillip II by throwing it over the wall of the Castle of Tournay. They wanted to defend the truth of the gospel and they were so convicted by its truth that, attached to the first copy of the Belgic Confession, was this note:-
Rather then deny Christ and the convictions expressed in the Confession they would, “offer their backs to stripes, their tongues to knives, their mouths to gags, and their whole bodies to fire”, well knowing that those who follow Christ must take up the cross and deny themselves.
That was how the doctrine of justification was defended in the past. Do we cherish this doctrine with the same tenacity today? It was the doctrine which caused Peter and Paul to clash – the only clash we have recorded between two apostles. It was this doctrine which lead to the Reformation.
It was this doctrine which stirred onto flame the faith of our fore-fathers. It is this doctrine, and only this doctrine, which enables us to have true hope. We are justified by faith and not faith and something else.
Jesus doesn’t give us a list of do’s and don’ts before he accepts us as His people. Jesus does not make us display some visible and distinguishable sign before he will grant us salvation. All we are called to do is commit our destiny into the hands of Jesus Christ relying on him fully for salvation. It’s a doctrine about which we should not be ashamed. It’s a doctrine which speaks about true spiritual freedom. It’s this doctrine which takes all the guilt out of our severed relationships with God. All that is necessary for salvation has been secured. Grace prevails. As reformed people that is our biblical motto:- grace prevails. But, as reformed people we also know that, if Peter could get it wrong in practice, so can we. That truth has implications for the way we deal with others.
Take the issue of evangelism. Justification says that Jesus can take any heart, any soul, any mind and make it his. But sometimes we say, "I won’t evangelise that person because he is too committed to racing cars on Sunday and won’t give it away. This couple are not good candidates because they live in a defacto relationship. That guy with the purple spiky hair, and ripped jeans and nose-ring is just too weird for Jesus”. Justification means we ought to stand against such attitudes in theory as well as in practice.
Or what about the issue of fellowship. What standard do we use to determine with whom we will have fellowship? God calls us into fellowship because we have been justified. Do we add to these by excluding from our fellowship those who do not fit a certain social standard? Or those who have a character which is different to ours? Or those who are not as spiritually mature as we would like? Or those who discipline their children in a different way? Or those who express their faith with different language to us? Paul chastised Peter for such an attitude as this. We ought to be willing to do the same in theory as well as in practice.
But justification by faith doesn’t just have implications for the way we deal with others; it also has implications for the way we deal with ourselves. Let’s be honest, the Christian life is not easy. Is the Christian life said to be walked on the path that is straight and broad? No. Broad is the path that leads to destruction but twisted and narrow is the path to eternal life. Difficult. At times almost beyond our endurance. Is the Christian life called a tea party? No. It is called a battle. No less than a battle against the very forces of evil themselves. A battle against which we must be prepared with the very armour of God. Is the Christian life a walk in the park? No. It is a race. A race of perseverance and endurance against the entanglement of sin. A race which calls for disciplined participants.
When we see what the road is like I would also suggest that it is pretty easy to see that it is not a road which we can go on in our own strength. And it is a road upon which failure will occur. Justification by faith enables us to get on with it. You can’t deal with the times of stumbling and failure and walking from God properly unless you know that God will carry you through those failures because you have been justified for eternity. You can’t deal with issues of guilt, and recovery from past mistakes, and real acceptance unless you can see that justification declares that you are not guilty in God’s eyes and that He has forgotten the past. You won’t have real assurance until you base your assurance on justification. I’m so aware of my sin yet, because of justification, in the sight of God it is as if I had never sinned nor been a sinner.
Paul may have used some strong words against Peter, but they were very necessary because they were compromising the essentials of the truth of the Gospel. We are justified by faith, and faith alone. We are not justified by man made standards, lists or achievements. We can go from here in peace. Each day is new in God’s sight because we have been justified. Know how precious you are to Christ. Know the freedom which is yours because you have been justified. Know the peace which comes by applying this doctrine to yourself, and in your attitude to others.
Amen.
