The Truth of the Gospel: Sermons from
Galatians
Galatians 2:11-16 Faith in Christ, Not Works WC
McCarter
Introduction
There are
several movies that have come out over the last couple of decades that show one
actor playing the parts of several characters. The first one that comes to my
mind is The Nutty Professor with Eddy Murphy. I also grew up watching the TV
show “Family Matters” which had one actor play Steve Urkel and his alter ego Stefan
Urquelle. In more recent memory there are the Tyler Perry movies and especially
his role as Madea. These are great examples of how one person may play the role
of several characters. Think back in past history to the days of Shakespeare when
women were not allowed on the stage, and men had to play both male and female
acting parts. Even farther back in history to the days of Greek actors there
were those who would wear a mask and would “speak from under” the mask to play
their roles. The Greeks called these actors “hypocrites.” The term was not used
in a derogatory fashion, but literally referred to them as those who spoke from
under their masks. Of course, the Lord Jesus used this term especially of the
Pharisees who would claim to be righteous but were actually living a double
standard. In today’s passage, one apostle has good reason to call another
apostle a “hypocrite.”
We have all
seen people change over time. We are especially shocked to see sudden and
drastic change. We are often hurt by it and do not know how to react. When you
know someone well, when they have lived a certain way for an extended period of
time, and then they suddenly flip-flop to another lifestyle, we are caught off
guard. Even when someone maybe does not feel very well, we say that they are “not
being him/herself.” Paul records for us in Galatians 2 a time when Peter
deserts his Gospel-driven lifestyle because of fear.
READ Scripture- This is the Word of God
Peter was to be Blamed (11)
Paul has
been defending his authority as an apostle of Christ. In this passage, he
demonstrates his apostolic confidence and defense of the truth. What we have
here is an epic clash. The great apostle from Jerusalem, Peter, and the great
apostle to the Gentiles, Paul, are set to square off. Paul dares to stand up to
Peter to his face in front of others in public. I cannot imagine a tenser scene
with such crucial consequences. Paul basically says that he had to stand up to
Peter because “he was to be blamed.” Now, for what was he to be blamed?
They Played the Hypocrite (12-13)
Let us set
the scene as we read verses 12-13. Peter decided to head up to see Gentile
country. A thriving Christian community, of mostly Gentile believers, had
developed in the city of Antioch (of Syria, the third largest city of the Roman
Empire at that time) because of the work of Paul and Barnabus. Peter went to
visit and apparently was spending a good bit of time up there. We are told that
he was in the habit of eating with the Gentiles. Of course, this was something
new for a Jewish man. No Jew would be caught exchanging much of anything or
communing in any way with a Gentile. They would not visit in a gentiles house
much less eat with them. Not only would they not eat with Gentiles, but they
followed the OT law strictly when it came to the food regulations. They even
added many regulations to the OT law about eating.
Yet, Jesus
had personally taught the apostles that it is not what a man eats that defiles
him, but what comes out of his mouth, that is, what truly comes from his heart.
Jesus had also demonstrated that a Jewish man could commune with sinners,
Samaritans, and Gentiles. He did so on numerous occasions, eating with them,
talking with them, teaching and healing them. The Lord had even given Peter a
vision confirming these things. One day while Peter was praying on a rooftop,
the Lord gave him a vision of a sheet coming down from heaven with all sorts of
animals that were unclean according to the Law, but the Lord said, “Take and
eat . . . do not call unclean what I have called clean.”
When Peter
went to visit Antioch, he was routinely going into Gentile houses, eating pork
BBQ with them, and having a great time of friendship. When the men from
Jerusalem came all of that changed. The men claimed to be “from James,” but all
of the facts prove that to be a lie. James was the half-brother of Jesus who
was not a believer before the resurrection. When he saw the Risen Lord, he
became a believer and quickly an elder in the Jerusalem church.
The
designation “hypocrite” was originally used for Greek actors who put on
different masks in order to fulfill different roles. Peter would put on a
certain mask with the Gentiles and another with the Jews. This is something
Paul could not allow. The influence of the Judaizers, now including Peter, was
so great that it even persuaded Barnabus, who was so well-known among those in
Antioch. Barnabus was a close associate with Paul in preaching the Gospel of
Grace to Gentiles, and now he had abandoned the Gospel truth. This was so
relevant and personal for the Galatians because they knew him very well.
This account
involving Peter and Barnabus tells us that even the greatest of leaders can and
have made mistakes. He has now thrown Peter and Barnabus’ reputations under the
bus for the sake of what? Paul’s reputation? Paul being right? I think it is
for the sake of the Gospel. Paul really meant what he said in 1:10 “For do I
now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased
men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ.”
The Truth of the Gospel (14-16)
Not only
were Peter, Barnabus, and others not acting in accord with their convictions,
but, worse, they were not acting in accord with the Gospel. It is one thing to
make personal mistakes that need confrontation and correction, it is another
thing entirely for a great leader to publicly act against the truth of the
Gospel. As Paul said before, Peter was to be blamed. This could not go
unnoticed. Something had to be said and done about this situation.
Peter and
Paul have a close connection. Both were born Jews and have that heritage. Both
had lived at least part of their lives attempting to achieve righteousness by
works of the Law. In verse sixteen alone Paul exalts justification by faith in
Christ Jesus and three times in that verse he negates justification by works of
the law. He could not have emphasized this Gospel teaching much more! And so
Peter and Paul both had the advantages that Paul refers to in Romans 3:1-2.
These were Godly men who were raised under the Law of the Lord, yet even they
had put their faith in Christ for justification. They came to understand that the
Gospel was the truth and the only way.
There was no
chance that anyone could ever be justified in the flesh. If you are a living
person, you cannot be justified in God’s sight by any means of your own. In Job
25:4 Bildad, one of Job’s supposed friends, asks an important question. He
asks, “How then can man be righteous before God? Or how can he be pure who is
born of a woman?” The answer is no one can be righteous or pure before God.
This is a common foundation for the Gospel. Either God saves us or we perish in
our sins because we are never just in God’s sight!
Conclusion and Christian Application
(1) There are core truths and facts
contained in the Gospel, and that message has clear, outward consequences. If
one accepts the Gospel, then one must submit to the results of it. The Bible
says that we (humans) all have been created in the image and likeness of God.
It is not our physical appearance that is His image, but the human spirit.
Every human on this planet, no matter how they look or talk, have been created
in His image and are special among all of creation. The Gospel says that Christ
died to redeem people from every nation, tribe, and tongue. Therefore, there is
no Gentile church and Jewish church or Hispanic church, Black church, and White
church. There is only one church. The Gospel forces/requires us to come
together and celebrate Christ Jesus.
(2) Gospel truth is more important than
keeping the peace. Standing back, closing our eyes, and wishing with all of our
might that peace will come will not accomplish true and eternal peace. Just
because we do not want to “rock the boat” or “hurt someone’s feelings” does not
mean that we should stand idly by. Neither does it mean that we have to picket
every event we can think of. Yet, it does require us to take a stand for Gospel
truth at certain times.
(3) We cannot leave this text without
criticizing legalism, that is, works=righteousness. Religious performance cannot
save a person, no matter what form it may take (Mosaic Law, Fundamentalism,
etc.).
(4) Lastly, we all fail (even great
Gospel ministers) – but that’s what grace is for.