Grace over Law

DEVOTION

THE LETTER TO THE GALATIANS

GRACE OVER LAW

Gal 2:11-13

11 When Peter came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he was clearly in the wrong. 12 Before certain men came from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles. But when they arrived, he began to draw back and separate himself from the Gentiles because he was afraid of those who belonged to the circumcision group. 13 The other Jews joined him in his hypocrisy, so that by their hypocrisy even Barnabas was led astray.

NIV

Hypocrisy is clearly wrong. The Greek word translated as hypocrisy in this context means the acting of a stage player. This means being someone who you are not, pretending to be another person, or it could also simply mean being deceitful. This was what Paul opposed Peter to his face. While he was visiting the Gentile church in Antioch he ate with the gentiles, accepting them as brothers in the Lord, seeing no difference between himself and them, although Peter being a Jew was circumcised and the Gentiles were not circumcised. However, when those Jews who were trying to convince the Gentiles they needed to be Jews first, that is life under the law, be circumcised, then they could become believers in Christ, Peter changed how he acted toward the Gentiles. Clearly, this was wrong. This makes us wonder how much, and if we change at all in the presence of other believers then when we are with non-believers. Are we the same all the time? Are we a stage player in church, or in the company of the community of faith? In other words, have we built our own façade for when we are in church? Paul is going to continue with his little discourse about this situation, but just this much is enough to give us a reason to examine how we live and if we are two different people, one with believers, and one with non-believers? Of course, that would mean we would have to be in some social setting with non-believers? We would have to be out having dinner with them and enjoying the same freedoms they do regarding food and drink. But would we have an adult beverage out in the open or would we be afraid someone from church would come in and see us having a glass of wine or something else and judge us? That is most likely the only thing today which involves the dining experience which would cause some ruckus in some churches. It does seem a little bizarre some believers make such a fuse over drinking wine or some other adult beverage and yet they see no wrong in judging others, or in gossip or some other form of sin in which they are engaged, whether knowingly or not. What Paul is even more opposed to is that Peter’s hypocrisy influenced Barnabas to act in the same manner. What we have to see is that we should be who we are and be who we are. Of course, if our freedom causes a brother to sin, will we have another problem. Should we refrain completely from the freedom we have in Christ just because another believer will judge us, and thus sin by his judgment? Paul will continue to answer that question in regards to living under the law or to have been freed to live by faith. So then why do we set all these rules and regulations upon ourselves and others? At times it does seem a bit confusing as to which is which and how we should live. Yet, we should always choose grace over the law.