Scripture: Galatians 2:11-14;
Galatians 2:15-21; Acts 10:9-16; Acts 10:27-28
Today,
the lesson that comes to us from the early days of the Lord’s Church, calls us to
embrace and obey the Lord’s perfect truth, and to reject the flawed and frail opinions
that the world would have us accept. Remembering
Paul’s introduction in his letter to the Galatians, we read “11 I want you to
know that the gospel I preached is not of human origin. 12 I
did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received
it by revelation from Jesus Christ.” (Galatians 1:11-12) In
these words, we see a very dedicated heart that is centered on the Truth of
God.
For
Paul, there was no other dependable reference for him to follow, other than the
truth of God – there was no Bible in those days, no true letters of
instruction, no Christian guidelines for him to follow – only God’s direct
inspiration and revelation.
He
was beginning to discover that human opinions and memories were so fallible
that they were, for the most part, frighteningly deceptive and that they all
must be questioned and challenged at every turn!
Read Galatians2:11-14
As
we remember from last week, Paul had begun to see deviant behavior and
unfaithful lives in a number of church leaders that varied directly from what
he had received from God’s inspiration.
In this passage, he addresses Peter with the
most pointed accusation so far – “you live like a Gentile, and yet you force
the Gentiles to follow Jewish traditions!”
What was this all about?
His
meals with Gentiles held no dietary restrictions as Jewish food did. In Leviticus11, the entire chapter is dedicated to what is
acceptable to eat, and what must be avoided at all costs. It includes land animals of every kind,
aquatic creatures, and those that fly without exception. The laws are very specific, and for Israel,
there was no possibility of exemptions of any kind. And apparently, Peter was becoming personally
selective in his dietary choices, depending on who he was eating with!
And
apparently, others were following Peter’s example. After all, if the highest of the leadership
was doing it, it must be ok! In verse
13, Paul includes the word translated as “hypocrisy”, which implies that they
were “masked” and playing a “role”, as in the Greek theater. Paul saw their hypocrisy in the fact that
they weren’t consistent in their obedience.
When with Gentiles, it would be in one way, but when eating with
orthodox Jews, they adhered to Jewish law!
The
issue with circumcision was similar, in that it was mandated in the law, and
the lack thereof implied that you weren’t a Jew! Some of the legalistic followers of Jesus
felt that if you weren’t Jewish, either by birth or by conversion, you couldn’t
be one with Jesus! Again, the law was
causing significant conflicts in faith!
As time went on, it might even become possible for
the church to split in two – 1 for Jewish believers, and 1 for Gentile
converts! And the two factions would be
in constant conflict with each other! Even
communion would become a sticking point! Holy Communion was initiated at the Passover
Feast, where Gentiles were never allowed to join in! The future didn’t look very bright for the
fledgling church!
Read Galatians 2:15-21
This section is important in Paul’s letter,
for it explains the very basis for his disagreement with Peter! They all had to come to grips with the
fullness of Jesus’ teaching, that the law of Moses can never hold any hope
whatsoever for salvation – not through any controls and restrictions in diet,
and certainly not through circumcision, or any other law for that matter!
But his comparison between Jews and Gentiles is also
interesting, in that he proclaims that the law of Israel is ineffective for the
people, while faith in Christ will accomplish all that is necessary for both
Jews and Gentiles! I
don’t believe that his kind words regarding Judaism are meant to give the Jews
any kind of position that would be different from anyone else. Paul’s point that the Jews know more about
Jesus than the gentiles is simply offered to say that those who have lived in
faith of Christ the longest should know better than those who were coming to
the Lord more recently!
The
next few verses, in tossing out the thought that Jesus might embrace sin, is
really telling us that the way of Jesus Christ will never embrace what He has
already told us is evil, but will, in contrast, always bring about blessings
for those who follow His Way, in ways that human endeavor never could.
But
for Peter, the vision that the Lord brought to him in Acts 10 may have been
God’s way of showing the church that faith has no separation and no bounds
other than obedience to the teaching of Jesus Christ.
Read Acts 10:9-16
The
lesson that comes through the vision that taught Peter that human understanding
of right and wrong will never show us the truth that exists in the life, love,
and word of God. The “heavenly sheet”
contained all of the creatures that Leviticus 11 sorted out between being clean
or unclean. And what does Jesus tell
Peter? Basically, that humanity should never even begin to think that they
can decide and proclaim anything that they believe should be acceptable, or
objectionable, whether it fits with the Word of God or not! That difference is held fully in the
prerogative of Almighty God!
So
what does Peter learn from the vision?
That all that he, and others, ever thought were sinful and unloved by
God, are no where near to the truth of God and not even the most faithful of
earth can imagine it without the Lord’ word for their lives!
Read Acts 10:27-28
Cornelius’ entire household, family as well
as servants, were present when Peter confessed “I now realize how true it is
that God does not show favoritism, but accepts men from every nation who fear
him and do what is right.” (Acts 10:34-35)
The
Holy Spirit had filled the entire house, bestowing on Cornelius and his entire household
the gift of tongues. It then became
apparent to Peter and his entourage that all who were baptized in the Spirit
should also be baptized by water, and Peter stayed with them for several days.
Peter,
the acknowledged leader of the Christian sect, had come to the fullness of
truth in Jesus Christ, and it was through this revelation that his life in
faith had been completed. And as we read
further in Acts 11:1-18,
he would convince others in Jerusalem of this God inspired truth.
He
had come to the realization that the fullness of Christ’s teaching was all that
mattered anymore! Loving others no
longer meant that you agreed and supported
others in the ways they were living, whether it was within the Law of
Moses, or in the traditions of the Greeks!
Loving
must be in the Lord’s way - loving us regardless of who we may be, but still,
He never excuses the sins we commit without our confession and seeking of His
forgiveness. In John 13: 34-35 – we read 34 “A new command I give you: Love
one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By
this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” And how does Jesus love us? By surrendering glory in exchange for a life
among the likes of you and me, as well as resurrection through the hatred and
death He suffered at Calvary. And the
love that we are to show in return now consists of at least 4 actions. 1) Loving Jesus in all that He taught and
reveals to us through His word; 2)
loving, accepting, and trusting in all that He did for us at Calvary; 3)
hating all that stands in direct opposition to the Way of our Lord Jesus Christ,
and 4) showing others the same love that God has always shown to each of us!
But we have to remember that being accountable to scripture,
and calling others to that same obligation, is not the sole responsibility of
the pastor! It is the call that is upon
all who refer to Jesus as their “Lord and Savior”. May we all be that faithful throughout the
life we have been given by the True and only God, and the Word that He has laid
down for each and every one of us.
