A Confrontation
Scripture Reading — Galatians 2:11-21
When Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned.
After his formative, life-changing encounter with Cornelius the centurion, Peter and others led the early church in understanding God’s grace for all people (see Acts 10-11, 15). Later, however, Peter tended to favor Jesus’ Jewish followers, while Paul continued working for the Lord as a missionary to Gentiles (Acts 9, 13-14, 16-28). Though Peter believed that Jesus’ love was for all people, he sometimes slipped back into ethnic prejudices, avoiding eating with Gentiles for fear of offending Jewish believers. In Antioch, Paul confronted Peter (Cephas) as a hypocrite for separating himself from Gentiles.
Though Paul’s response may have been excessive, we can thank God that Paul did not go along with twisting Jesus’ gospel of love and unity. And, sadly, again we see Peter, “a pillar” of the early church, showing weakness in the face of peer pressure from Jewish hardliners.
Yet Peter didn’t completely collapse here. From his later teaching we can tell that he accepted Paul’s reprimand and moved on without holding a grudge. In a letter to Christians in Galatia and other parts of Asia Minor (present-day Turkey), Peter describes Paul as “our dear brother,” who had also written to them “with the wisdom that God gave him” (2 Peter 3:15).
Like Peter, we can expect to fail at times. As we grow in becoming disciples, though, we can also, like Peter, humbly accept correction and continue to follow Jesus.
Lord, by your grace, may we continue to follow and serve you. Amen.
About the author — Kurt Selles
Kurt Selles is the director of ReFrame Ministries and serves as the Executive Editor of Today. He is a graduate of Calvin College and Seminary, and received his PhD from Vanderbilt University. Before coming to ReFrame, he served 19 years in Taiwan and China with CRC World Missions. Kurt later taught missions at Beeson Divinity School, where he also acted as the director of the school’s Global Center. Kurt and his wife, Vicki, reside in Grand Rapids and have three adult children.
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