A Timely Challenge. Galatians 2:11-13.
Dear Aliens and Strangers in this World,
Having established that he was equal to the other apostles and that he had been given the task of reaching the gentiles with the gospel, while Peter and the others had the responsibility to reach the Jews, Paul now demonstrates the fact of his authority.
Indignation (v. 11). Peter was recognized as the leader of the apostles. However, Paul wants us to understand that when a leader is in the wrong, other leaders should not just sit and watch him blunder. Paul was irked by the wrong Peter did and decided to confront him there and then. This was not a challenge to Peter’s leadership but a challenge rather to his failure to properly apply his leadership. A leader who has no one to challenge him is on a dangerous path. That is not to say that we should challenge our leaders about every little thing that we disagree with, no. The leader ought to be respected. A challenge should be weighed first so that we do not end up eroding the authority of the servant of God on the basis of trivialities. But if the leader does something wrong, we are not helping him or ourselves if we do not call his actions to account.
Insincerity (v. 12). Peter acted hypocritically in Antioch. When he went there, he found gentile believers and mixed with them. This was against Jewish law, which forbade the Jews to eat with the uncircumcised. But Peter was exercising his liberty in Christ and showing his acceptance of the believers.
But then things changed. Some people came from James, who was the leader of the church in Jerusalem. This church was predominantly Jewish and tended to keep the ritual laws of the Jews. As soon as the Jewish Christians came, Peter separated himself from the gentile Christians, afraid that the Jewish Christians would criticize him. This is what irked Paul.
Influence (v. 13). We must all be careful what we do because we can influence others. This is even more so for those in leadership. Peter’s actions misled many people, including Barnabas.
A leader cannot ignore the fact that people will follow him, some blindly. We must be willing to be criticized and even to lose friends, so that we present the true and acceptable behavior to others.
We cannot believe one thing and live another. That is a lie.
Your Loving Pastor Chris.