FRIDAY January 29, 2021
Confronting Hypocrisy
Now when Peter had come to Antioch, I withstood him to his face, because he was to be blamed; for before certain men came from James, he would eat with the Gentiles; but when they came, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing those who were of the circumcision. And the rest of the Jews also played the hypocrite with him, so that even Barnabas was carried away with their hypocrisy.
Galatians 2:11-13
Antioch was Paul’s headquarters. It was where he spent most of his time. Peter had compromised his position in the Gospel of Jesus Christ by separating himself from the Gentiles when the Jews had come to Jerusalem. Peter would eat pork with the Gentiles, against the Law of Moses, but when Jews came he separated himself from them. He would eat with the Jews on their own or with the Gentiles on their own––never together.
Peter’s actions caused such a conflict. He played two sides of the road! Paul rebuked Peter and called him a hypocrite. A hypocrite plays the part. They have many faces––just as an actor plays a part. Peter’s actions had even infected Barnabas! After a season, Barnabas, who was a teacher in Antioch (Acts 13:1), also became influenced by their hypocrisy.
Listen, the truth of the matter is in the Gospel. We are saved by the grace of God, Peter could sit down with a Jew and Gentile together. The Jews believed Gentiles were unclean, but because of the grace of God, as Christians in Christ, the Jews and Gentiles had become one.
There are Christians who play the part––they are hypocrites. They are pious in their prayers before the Lord, and in their words spoken to others. Yet in their private, secret lives, they are very different. Seriously, the way a person behaves at church, is the way they should be in the home.
Solemn prayers, rapturous devotionals, are but repeated hypocrisies unless the heart and mind be conformable to them.
~William Law~
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