Peter and Paul - Problems?
Okay, so I learned this today and it has thrown me off. These guys had some disputes, some dislikes between them. Let's dig in a bit - as I wonder if it is the foreshadow of my earlier writing today about being awake in this church-work. Being full-out, all the time for Jesus. How broken are humans if, even while walking with Jesus on the planet, there is such broken discourse?
I watch the Chosen and see the discord between Simon Peter and the Sons of Thunder. And it seemed so....human. Right? And somehow there is a kind of grace and hope for me, Lisa, when I realize I often am frustrated with the world and the workers for Satan, even though they probably most don't even know they are working for him. I know I was not aware, even though Christian friends did see it in me, and prayed.
11 Now when [a]Peter had come to Antioch, I [b]withstood him to his face, because he was to be blamed; 12 for before certain men came from James, he would eat with the Gentiles; but when they came, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing [c]those who were of the circumcision. 13 And the rest of the Jews also played the hypocrite with him, so that even Barnabas was carried away with their hypocrisy.
14 But when I saw that they were not straightforward about the truth of the gospel, I said to Peter before them all, “If you, being a Jew, live in the manner of Gentiles and not as the Jews, [d]why do you compel Gentiles to live as [e]Jews? 15 We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles, 16 knowing that a man is not [f]justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified.
17 “But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is Christ therefore a minister of sin? Certainly not! 18 For if I build again those things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor. 19 For I through the law died to the law that I might live to God.
Peter was one of the very closest to Jesus. And yet, Paul was openly angry with Peter's perversion of the WORD, making salvation a product of works instead of the gift from God, instead of the precious purpose of the Cross.
Paul used the story of his dispute with Peter to show that, like the Jews in Antioch, the Jews in Galatia were hypocrites. Christians are equal before God: “There is neither Jew nor Greek,” everyone is “one in Christ Jesus.” (Gal 3:28)
Paul openly rebukes him because he caved in to the prejudice of a group and their beliefs, their social beliefs. Isn't that what we see now?
I am resolved to be new. Every day. Knowing I fall irretrievably short through "works" but alive by the grace of the blood on the cross, I live. I resolve to be new every day. I know there is digging to be done about this in Galatians and this discord - today is just first blush. Just amazed at the fact that there was fighting even with those who were around Jesus, knew Him, met Him.
