Please God to bless us together
this evening as we continue our meditation in the epistle of
Paul to the Galatians in the second chapter and this evening
we'll just read three verses from verse 11 to verse 14. So the second chapter in the
epistle of Paul to the Galatians verses 11 to 14. But when Peter
was come to Antioch I withstood him to the face, because he was
to be blamed. For before that certain came
from James, he did eat with the Gentiles. But when they would
come, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing them which were
of the circumcision. And the other Jews dissembled
likewise with him, insomuch that Barnabas also was carried away
with their dissimulation. When I saw that they walked not
uprightly according to the truth of the gospel, I said unto Peter
before them all, if thou, being a Jew, livest after the manner
of Gentiles and not as to the Jews, why compelst thou the Gentiles
to live as do the Jews? Really, the Apostle Paul is,
in these verses and that which follow, he is defending the Gospel. Because the Apostle Peter had
been wonderfully blessed and strengthened and helped, but
we see the weakness of flesh, the weakness of our human being
when faced with something which is rather difficult. And it was
here in the case of the Apostle. You will remember perhaps in
the Acts of the Apostles at that time which is recorded when Peter
came to Cornelius and prior to that he'd had that wonderful
vision of those animals which he said he mustn't touch because
they weren't clean but God said he wasn't to call that unclean
if the Lord had made it clean and therefore he went to Cornelius
and was happy to declare the situation And we read in Acts
10 verse 28, as he spoke to those who had joined together, and
he said unto them, we know how that it is unlawful thing for
a man that is a Jew to keep company or come unto one of another nation. But God hath showed me that I
should not call any man common or unclean." So the Apostle had
a very clear revelation from God about this situation. And therefore he was to follow
this pattern. And clearly that is what he had
done. But now the Apostle Paul is referring
to an instance that had occurred previously when he said, but
when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face because
he was to be blamed. Well, he was to be blamed because
he had not followed that which God had revealed to him. And the problem was, it was the
fear of man that brought a snare. We're told in the Proverbs, the
fear of man bringeth a snare. But whoso putteth his trust in
the Lord shall be safe. Now, the apostle here was faced
with these Jews, and therefore he knew what the right thing
was to do, which he had been doing, because we're told, for
before that certain came from James, he did eat with the Gentiles. But when they would come, he
withdrew. and separated himself, fearing
them which were of the circumcision." Paul, we're thankful for the
life of Peter. We're thankful for the wonderful
record and the honesty of the Scriptures. As we know, he denied
his Lord and Master, and then he was so bold for the Lord in
so many ways, and now, faced with another situation, we find
him shrinking away from the difficulty and not doing that which he should
have done. And so we're thankful to know that
the Apostle Paul was able to bring this situation to the light
and to tell the Galatians how he had been able to speak to
Peter and to tell him about the situation. And so we're told. And the other Jews dissembled
likewise with him insomuch that Barnabas also was carried away
with their dissimulation. You see he'd separated himself
fearing them which were of the circumcision and therefore the
other Jews had therefore fallen in line and even Barnabas had
agreed that situation. Well that was totally contrary
to the New Testament teaching New Testament teaching was very
very clear and the Apostle speaks of it when he wrote to the Ephesians
and we just read a few verses from the Ephesians chapter 2
verses 11 to 22 because they're very relevant to this situation
Ephesians 2 11 to 22 wherefore remember that ye being in time
past Gentiles in the flesh who are called uncircumcision and
by that which is called the circumcision in the flesh made by hands, that
at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the
commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise,
having no hope and without God in the world. And that was the
situation which existed. But now, in Christ Jesus, Ye
who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace, who hath
made both one and hath broken down the middle wall of partition
between us, having abolished in his flesh the enmity even
the law of commandments contained in ordinances, for to make in
himself of twain one new man, so making peace. and that he
might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having
slain the enmity thereby, and came and preached peace to you
which were afar off, and to them that were nigh. For through him
we both have access by one spirit unto the Father. Now therefore
ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens,
with the saints and of the household of God, and are built upon the
foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself
being the chief cornerstone, in whom all the building, fitly
framed together, groweth unto a holy temple in the Lord, in
whom you also are builded together for an habitation of God through
the Spirit. So the Apostle there is directing
the Ephesians and of course it's really directing us here in the
Galatians to realize that there was that joining together. And although they were Gentiles
and although they were Jews, yet they were all one in Christ
Jesus. There was no difference there
was that glorious unity. And yet you see, historically,
they had this great separation. And as we know, of course, the
law was so favourable to the Jews for many, many years, and
only a relatively few Gentiles. But now, the time had come when
there would be that joining together, And we know that the apostle
Paul was sent to the Gentiles, and Peter was to remain and to
speak to the Jews. But nonetheless, he was still
to proclaim to them the great and glorious liberty, which was
to be found in the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. And here
it is, therefore, in these words that we read here to the Ephesians. And what a blessing it would
be for us tonight if the Holy Spirit shows to us the significance
of this situation. The Apostle Paul spends a long
time really in these first two chapters indicating that he was
the servant of God, he was the Apostle, that the Lord had sent
and had given him authority. even to speak against the things
that the Apostle Peter was doing if they were contrary to the
Word of God, which of course they were. And so we should be
thankful that the Apostles are able to come and speak like this.
But when I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the
truth of the Gospel, I said unto Peter before them all, If thou,
being a Jew, livest after the Gentiles, and not as to the Jews,
why compelst thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews?' The
word and the situation was quite clear, and Peter was therefore
not carrying out that which had been so clearly revealed to him
by the Lord. And so, as we come down to perhaps
our situation today, we should always be concerned to do those
things which are right in the sight of God. Because we only
have one true Lord, only one true Master, and that is the
one that you and I should be concerned to obey. And as I mentioned
previously, clearly this was the problem with the Apostle
Peter, that the fear of man brought a snare. He was afraid what they
were going to say. He was afraid that the Jews that
he'd been familiar with were going to say, Surely, Peter,
you don't go along with that. Surely you've done this all your
life, and why the change? And so, to take the easy path
was to fall in with what they had been doing. But it was contrary
to the Word of God, and it wasn't in accordance with the great
and glorious Gospel that we read of here in this portion, the
second chapter in the Ephesians. And so may we be concerned to
do that which is right. You know, in the days of Elijah
you may remember that wonderful occasion on Mount Carmel and
what happened there well Elijah came unto all the people and
Said how long haughty between two opinions. This is really
what the Apostle Peter was doing surprising, isn't it? But he
was he was halting between two opinions if the Lord God is the
Lord be God follow him but if Baal that then follow him And
the people answered him, not a word. It's a good thing, therefore,
if we're able to follow the Lord. To follow that which is right.
That which is in accordance with the truth. That which is in accordance
with the Gospel. Because the whole reason for
the Word of God is to direct us to none other than the Lord
Jesus Christ. all the ceremonies and all those
situations where they were separated in the Old Testament times, the
Jewish people, all separated, they weren't allowed to mix with
the Gentiles at all. But now the division had been
broken down, it had been taken down, and therefore there was
that unity, that joining together, between the Gentiles and the
Jews and therefore the Apostle was concerned that this might
be put right and therefore he spoke these words very clearly
in these few verses here in this second chapter to the Galatians. Well, there's much instruction,
of course, in these things, as you might meditate upon them
and see how they not only apply to the Jews and the Gentiles
in that day, but also how they apply to us today. That we should
always be concerned to be a follower of our Lord and Savior, Jesus
Christ, and not be found just worrying about what people will
say. If we take up our cross and follow Him, we have, as I
said, one Master and one God. What a blessing if the Holy Spirit
moves us to be found doing that, so that His name is honoured
and glorified.